This week on Moore In The Morning on Newstalk 1010 I take a look at the latest apps, an interesting mix of clever games and useful utilities.
Winter Wake-Up
Free
Here we have an alarm clock combined with a weather forecast. The idea is simple, as the alarm clock prepares to go off it connects online and checks the current weather forecast for your area. If there’s snowfall or freezing rain, the alarm goes off early, giving you time to clear your car and driveway so you can get in to work on time.
Of course this all depends on how accurate the forecast is and we’ve yet to have a proper snowfall here for me to really test the app out, but I do like that you can customize how early the app reacts to the weather, with an option to let you sleep in should there be reports of a snow storm.
Magic Guitar
Free
If you have absolutely no ability to play music you’ll love Magic Guitar, an enjoyable music game that will have you playing “House of the Rising Sun” or “Scarborough Fair” in minutes. It transforms you’re iPhone into a guitar by having you wrap your hand around it like the neck of a guitar and using the touchscreen with your fingers like strings. As notes travel across the screen, you touch them. Like a guitar you can shake the phone to add reverb or slide your fingers to bend the notes.
Although there are both acoustic and electric guitar sounds, neither are going to make you feel like a rock star. This isn’t about showing off, instead its a nice little activity to pass the time, except unlike with most time wasters, you’re making music and that’s a bit more rewarding.
If I Die
Free
From famous last words to a simple goodbye, IfIDie is an app you can use to record a message to be published from your Facebook account in the event of your death. It can be a simple text message or a video clip, a public wall post or a more intimate message to a private friend. You set the terms and select three people from your friends list to act as trustees. It will be up to them to verify your passing to the IfIDie service. Without hearing from all three, the messages won’t be sent.
It’s a creepy idea, but hard to ignore now that technology makes it so easy for us to contribute to our work or our families long after we’re gone. I’m not sure Facebook is a better source than leaving behind a set of DVDs or hand-written letters. It depends where your emotions lie, I guess.
In either case, IfIfDie is well-designed and at least seems well-intentioned.
