AppCubby have a range of handy apps available and they have released an update to one of these in the form of Launch Center Pro. While I use the word update this is not in the sense of an update as you may expect from an iPhone app as this is a completely new app so if you already own Launch Center you’ll need to purchase Launch Center Pro again. (You can read the Developers reasoning here.)
With that controversial point out of the way lets move on to the app itself which provides a start menu like interface for all the activities that you do frequently from launching apps, texting, calling, emailing, searching the web and more, you can set all of these actions up and customize them to meet your specific requirements.
One significant change with the pro version of Launch Center is how it looks which sees a significant improvement from its previous incarnation. From the polish of the app icon to the new grid layout the whole application looks like it’s just come out of a car showroom as it glints and gleams as you drill down through the activities that you want to launch.
When you first launch the app it will already be setup with default actions which include the ability to turn on the camera flash as a flashlight, toggle the brightness, search google and dial a contact to name but a few. It’s in the configuration of the app where you can personalize your requirements is where Launch Center Pro starts earning its stripes.
The first thing you’ll want to take advantage of when you start customizing Launch Center Pro is the use of Groups for while the initial grid is set to 4 x 3 squares to set to your own actions the use of Groups open up an additional 12 actions spots for each of the initial 12. Now that adds up to a lot of shortcuts which may defeat the purpose of the app in the first place but it’s a nice option to have!
Setting up your actions is easy, after going into edit mode, (there’s no wiggle here!), you can either edit an existing action by clicking on it or tap an empty one to create a new one. From here, after selecting to create an action you can choose from one of the common or installed actions before getting the option to customize them even further.
The level customization will depend on the action, for example if you have Tweetbot installed you’ll be able to choose from launching the app, tweeting, tweeting a specific username, launching a profile or searching, while choosing the Music app only provides the ability to launch it. This is not a limitation of Launch Center Pro however but more how any given app allows it to integrate.
Not only can you set a multitude of actions but you can also set the color of the icon and select one of a plethora of images to identify your icon, similar to the images you can have if you have Emoji enabled for your txt messages.
With your shortcuts all setup you can start using Launch Center Pro for what it was intended for, launching actions. Once you launch LCP you simply tap any shortcut and the associated action will launched, while accessing shortcuts that are part of a group requires you to tap and hold and then drag your finger to the shortcut you wish to launch.
There is also the ability to schedule actions which works more as a reminder than anything, rather than actually launching the requested action they launch an alert that will enable you to launch the action, kind of scheduling lite! This limit appears to be more of a limit of the Apple approval process than anything else however.
Once you’ve been using LCP {$2.99} for a few days consistently you’ll wonder how you’ve lived so long without it, even more so if you are a heavy user of the iPhone with a lot of apps as Launch Center Pro will do away with your need to remember where all your apps are.
[rating: 4/5]What we like
What to know
Does the PipClock sound somewhat familiar but you can’t quite put your finger on where it came from? PipClock [$.99, View in iTunes] developer Ruben Frosali tailored the app after the “Pipboy” found in the video game Fallout, a post-apocalyptic game for gaming consoles. The app is a playful yet useful device with a spin from the popular video game thrown in.
The Pipclock is a multi-tool themed after a video game but it does have some practical uses. “The Pip-Boy, indestructible device built to last a nuclear explosion, is maybe the most important thing in the game. It’s always there to show you where you have to go, what you have to do, your inventory, your radiation and health levels.” said Mr. Frosali. That being said, we all know that this is just a playful rendition of the device and is no way going to aide us in such an event. It does however provide us with two things: humor and the possibility of irony if the app did work after an apocalypse. This is 
a fun app but does sport the following tools:
As you can see the app does have several uses and if you like the Fallout game then you have not only those uses but a playful way of displaying them. The app worked seamlessly for me and I have not experience any slow-downs or crashes whatsoever while toying with this interesting spin on a pretty awesome tool. I must admit, at first I was a bit hesitant. I am a fan of the Fallout games and I love apps that encompass several uses so I don’t have to have 6 different tools. I just wasn’t sure if 
the delivery would be appropriate when you really wanted to know the weather and things of that nature. I am delighted that this app pulls off the creative and practical aspects very well.
After some additional research it seems that the developer has plans to add even more functionality and bug fixes in the future. At under a buck, this is a pretty cool app to get your hands on and play with if you are tired of the same ol weather app and want a breath of fresh air.
The visual comparison to the “Pipboy” from the Fallout series of games is pretty striking. Frosali does a great job of capturing the theme and the appeal of the device in the game. The replica has great 
visual appeal and the audio only adds to the experience. The occasional sparks flying from the sides of the screen to the flicker on the screen sets a very cool tone to the overall appearance of this app. It is sure to catch a friend’s eye and spark up some conversation, especially with a fellow Fallout fan. It definitely seems as though Frosali paid great attention to detail and added small subtle nuances that carry on the app’s theme such as on location it says “Ruins of…”
Pros
Cons
$0.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Utilities
Updated: Feb 01, 2011
Current Version: 1.1
1.1 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 18.4 MB
Language: English
Seller: Ruben Frosali
© Ruben Frosali
Rated 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.2.0 or later
In another surprise move today Apple has published what it calls a “living document” which attempts to clarify the current App Store Approval guidelines.
The document is available for all registered developers to read and is written in a chatty human friendly way. The majority of the guidelines are common sense, and most developers should really find that they probably knew these rules already. But is nice to have them clarified.
In essence : Apps need to be bug free, not crash, porn is not allowed, scams are not allowed and so on and so forth. And Apple are very aware that a lot of kids use the App Store, and they aim to protect them. Pointing out that often parental controls are not enabled on devices unless the kids parents do so. So Apple will be going the extra mile to police things its end. Fair enough.
There are some slightly open guidelines where Apple state that they may reject an app even if they consider there are simply too many apps of that kind in the App Store. This is a little too open to abuse, or misinterpretation by overzealous App Store Gnomes, in my opinion. But hopefully Apple will apply these rules reasonably, or review them moving forward. It would be hell to be the last guy in line with a new iPhone 4 LED Flashlight app and be rejected for that reason alone!
The following guideline we found particularly ironic, give the recent news we reported on of Apple’s head App Store Gnome (Mr. Shoemaker) having his own apps in the App Store which are all about questionable bodily functions..
“We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don’t need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn’t do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.”
Shoemaker undoubtedly had a hand in writing this document. I wonder if he is imaginative enough to see the irony in that clause. I do hope so, for all developers sakes.
Overall the document is friendly and also provides a good baseline so that developers starting a new project can at least steer clear of some of the major App Store “No No”s forearmed with this clear info.
The guidelines are subject to change though, as Apple makes clear with its “living document” explanation.
Ultimately if a developer is not happy with an App Store rejection Apple suggest that they don’t “run to the press” and mouth off. But rather, they suggest appeal to the App Store Review Board. Means for appealing are provided as a portal for developers on Apple’s Developer web site.
Is this face of a new Apple App Store? Or just more PR? Have your say in the comments…
]]> https://touchreviews.net/app-store-review-guidelines/feed/ 2You can activate the flashlight in iPhone OS 4 by tapping the sleep/wake button thrice. If this turns out to be a new feature then all the flashlight apps you bought from the App Store would become useless.
Is this a feature or a bug? Let us know in the comments.
]]> https://touchreviews.net/iphone-os-4-features-native-flashlight-support/feed/ 2When I first fired up APPZILLA I was a little overwhelmed! There are a full two and a half screens full of just about every mini-app and widget (both useful and fun) I could think of that I might want to have on my iPhone or iPod. That’s 50 individual apps all individually launch-able and managed from a simple springboard interface! Just to give you a very small taste of what’s in APPZILLA there are some obvious apps like a clock, currency converter, flashlight, tip calculator and a unit convertor. There are also some more esoteric things like a voodoo doll simulator, strobe light, and a massager! So now you know what the name, “50 in 1 : APPZILLA” is all about!
As the amount of apps we end up keeping on our devices grows it seems sensible to try and consolidate them into one space. This is one of the initial appeals of APPZILLA, once you know what it is all about. You can click one place on your iPod or iPhone’s main screen and be presented with a nicely presented alternative springboard with pleasing and descriptive icons for a myriad of apps you might use in various situations in any one day.
Real world story: A week ago I dropped a bottle in our underground car park behind the wheel of my car. I wanted to clean the glass up so I or anyone else didn’t drive over it. It took me a few moments to find a blank white display in a notepad on my iPhone to give me some light to scan around the dark floor area behind my car and pick up glass shards. APPZILLA has a “Book Lamp” and a “Flashlight” on it’s front page. I’d have paid $0.99 for either of those there and then. And I’d still have had 49 other apps for free!
Another story : Two weeks ago I was putting a shelf up at home and couldn’t find my spirit level. My wife “put it away” somewhere. You know how it goes! APPZILLA has one of those too. In fact it has two of those. A “Level” app which is like a spirit level, and a “Clinometer” which is even more funky and works in two dimensions at once.
In the last two paragraphs I’ve touched on 4 apps in APPZILLA. We still have another 46 to go. You’re getting the idea, I hope.
In an App Store where there are literally thousands of little apps for a dollar each which do one or other thing, this is a great deal. What’s more the presentation is neat, clean and easy to follow, if a little light hearted. Once in each app the graphics and animations are smooth and detailed. This carries throughout each mini-app. I could understand if a developer decided to skimp on presentation here or there when cramming this many apps into one package. But these guys haven’t at all. Everything is pleasing to look at, if a tad quirky sometimes.
The simplest way to let you know what’s in APPZILLA is to list everything it contains. So I’ve included a list underneath the main review. The names are pretty much self explanatory in most cases. The ones that are not are entertaining to explore!
You could take some of these mini-apps individually and sell them for a dollar on the app store. Some developers already have done so. And in some cases have not done as nice a job for even that one app as Fossil Software have with each of the 50 in APPZILLA. You could even bunch 3 or 4 of these mini-apps together at this price, and it would be a bargain. You would’t even need to provide instructions for them as they are all pretty simple to use in most cases. But the guys who made APPZILLA included instructions anyway. They also included a way to organise the apps into the order you use them most frequently. A really nice touch. Especially considering just how many apps there are!
The interface, icons, layout and functionality of this app all “just work”, with the only exception being that the camera related apps were a bit quirky on the devices I tested them on. I did manage to get them to work though. But hey, 48 out of 50 pretty flawless mini-apps is not bad for a dollar – which is the price right now! I believe it is $1.99 at other times. Either way a bargain in my opinion.
For me personally, apart from the apps I’ve already mentioned, I can certainly see myself using the “Coin Flip” which flips a virtual coin on the screen, or the “Buzzer” which kind of makes your iPod into a game show button, or even the “Voodoo” app which allows you to stick pins in a rag doll. I’d use those at parties or with friends.
I could also see myself letting my nieces and nephews use the “Glow Paint” (a Day-Glo finger painting app) or “Sound Box” (a fun sound effects app). I might even use the last one to play tricks on some adult friends. Oh and of course the “Trip Wire” app which is a kind of sound activated alarm, with a sensitivity setting, could be a lot of fun too.
I am not letting my wife know about the “Cook Timer” as she already steals my iPod too often as it is But I might use it myself to get boiled eggs perfect!
More serious apps are included, like a “Metronome” for you musos, and a “Hot Topics” widget which gets popular news feeds from the internet. Plus a “Ruler” and a “Protractor”. Yep, they do what they say.
Did I mention that there’s an app to translate between pretty much every language I am aware of? It does need an internet connection though, as do most of the conversion apps that rely on real world data.
I could go on The “Morse Code” app I will be keeping handy for any war movies I watch so I can see if the subtitles match up to the signals.
I heartily recommend 50 in 1 : APPZILLA
The Good
The Not So Good
—————————————-
List of all APPZILLA apps:
– 50,000 Famous Quotes
– Twitter/Facebook tools
– Currency Translator
– Language Translator
– Touch Anywhere Camera
– Timer Camera
– Whiteboard
– Dictionary
– Digital Clock
– Trip Wire
– Unit Converter
– Voodoo Doll
– Sleep Sounds Generator
– Glow Paint
– Battery Life
– Book Lamp
– Tip Calculator
– Game Buzzer
– Clinometer
– Bubble Level
– Plumb Bob
– Protractor
– Ruler
– Price Compare
– Hot Topics
– Coin Flip
– Cook Timer
– Crystal Ball
– Tesla Meter
– Decibel Meter
– Advanced Random Number Generator
– Sale Price Calculator
– System Info
– Flashlight
– Music Box
– Grill Timer
– Homeland Security
– Concert Lighter
– Moon Phase Calculator
– Morse Code Flasher
– Password Generator
– Massager
– Color Picker
– Metronome
– Pitch Pipe
– Sound Box
– Strobe Light
– Tally Tracker
– Dice Roller
– Location Tool
– Fake Call
Price: $0.99 (iTunes Store Preview)
Released: Mar 11, 2010
Reviewed Version: 1.0
Size: 31.2 MB
Languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Seller: Fossil Software LLC
© 2010 Fossil Software, LLC
Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later.