MobileAge

You don’t have to be a wine aficionado and toss around words like “bouquet,” “tannin” and “terroir” to appreciate a fine glass of grape. But as with everything, a little knowledge can go a long way. Getting to know wine is an ongoing and pleasure-filled process that begs for a curious palate and a lot of welcomed experimentation. If that isn’t enough motivation, consider the health benefits that moderate wine drinking offers. Numerous studies have shown that antioxidants known as flavonoids found in red wine reduce the risk of heart disease, improve cardiovascular health, produce good cholesterol, reduce inflammation and even prevent cancer. Well, in that case, pour me another glass! Regardless of whether you’re a wine snob and refuse to drink from a bottle with a screw cap, or could care less and happily swig from a box, the following 10 apps will help you better understand this refined libation. Snooth Wine Pro represents the next generation of app technology. Its most unique differentiator is the use of image recognition technology (very Mission Impossible-esque), which enables users to take a photo of the wine label to match it to a vintner in the app’s enormous wine database. From there, you can read a description of the wine, as well as users’ reviews, without ever having to open the bottle. Snooth also provides a “virtual cellar” wine inventory management system, a geographic search feature of wine stores near you, as well as general wine searches by type, price, region and varietal. A free version of this app is available as well, but the image recognition capability is not available and ads are displayed. Cost: $4.99 The Approach Guides Wine app is an information-rich resource for learning about wine styles, appellations, grape varieties and food pairings. Featuring an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, users can select their country of choice and then search for wine options based on personal preference. When choosing red wine, for example, you are offered a choice of “light and subtle,” “smooth and medium-bodied” and “bold and full-bodied” wines, and you’re presented with a variety that fit under that category with detailed descriptions of each. This is a great app for wine drinkers who don’t know specifics about which wines they want, but have a sense for what they’re looking for. Cost: $3.99 Consider Hello Vino to be your personal sommelier, providing wine recommendations for when you’d like to Read More

...Apps, iPad apps, iPhone 3G apps & iPod touch App Reviews iPhone App Reviews appSafari Top 25 Categories Store Giveaway Submit Help Shanghai Mahjong Zoom User Reviews FEATURED APP Share In the past, I’ve complained about the pseudo-Chinese identity of computer mahjong, but to give the game its due, it can be pretty fun. Like solitaire, for much of the Western world, mahjong is one of those... Read More

By Jeff Scott on May 12th, 2010 The mahjong game for the iPhone and the iPad is on sale right now for $0.99. Grab it. I’ll admit, we’ve been a little slow with the iPad apps since the launch here on 148Apps. And that is mainly by plan. First, there are just 1/80th of the users of the iPad as their are for the iPhone / iPod Touch. Second, there are still way fewer new iPad apps coming out than there are iPhone apps. And finally, there’s you, our loyal readers. You come here for iPhone and iPod Touch app info. While there is some crossover to the iPad — probably way more than 1/80th of you have iPads, it’s still a much smaller audience. So we’ve been slow to introduce iPad reviews and only occasionally post iPad specific news. Don’t get me wrong — I love my iPad. Since I got it I probably spend more time per day using it than I do my iPhone. Could be the newness, but I think it’s just a more compelling device. And the future is very bright for it. That’s a pretty long and off topic introduction to this app. It’s one of my favorite iPad games so far and I think it’s about time I share it with you. One of the things that really makes it shine is the human interaction with the game, full screen touch, is so natural. There’s no virtual d-pad to feel awkward using, it’s full screen touch and it works great in the iPad. Shanghai Mahjong from MobileAge, if you don’t know, has been around forever. The iPhone version, if I’m not mistaken, was available on the App Store at the launch in July, 2008. The app has been updated and improved many times since then. When the iPad came around, they updated the app again to make it a Universal app — meaning that the same app is optimized for the iPhone and the iPad. A very customer friendly decision. This mahjong game has over 200 different layouts to choose from, bunches of tile sets, and as many backgrounds as you wish as you can import them from your device Photos. Quite honestly, if you enjoy the game of Mahjong even a little bit, you’d be nuts not to buy this game today while it’s on sale for $0.99. It’s the best mahjong available Read More

Long before people went to the Internet for film information, movie buffs annually bought the latest revisions of huge paperback books like The Leonard Maltin Movie Guide and Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever. These were, and are, massive reference books; the current version of Maltin comes in at 1664 pages, and the current version of Videohound at 1700 pages. You needed a strong coffee table to hold these massive tomes. Today there are many ways to get movie reviews, with IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes probably being the most popular sites. But there is a real virtue to reading reviews written by someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of film and a lifetime career of reviewing them. That's why I was very happy to find that the Leonard Maltin Movie Guide [iTunes Link] $2.99US, has morphed into an iPhone/iPod touch app, adding features that could never be found in books like streaming preview videos, and a tie-in to Netflix and iTunes along with the ability to email reviews from the app. Upon launching the app you are presented with a scrolling list of Maltin's current picks. You can tap on them to bring up a full review, links to information on the director and major actors, and a streaming video preview of the film. If you have an Internet connection you can see the videos. If not, the option isn't even presented. I really like that, since unlike many apps that won't work without connectivity, the main database is always available for any iPhone/iPod touch running OS 3.0 or better. To find a movie that's not currently in theaters, you fill in a search box with either the name of the film, or the name of a director or actor after tapping one of three buttons marked: Title, Cast and Director. If you're going after a movie title, as you type each letter, you are, or at least should be, presented with a list that gets more specific with each added letter. In practice, it just takes too long. I'm not a quick typist on the iPhone and in trying a handful of films, not one displayed anything until a few seconds after I finished typing the entire name. This is just too slow to be useful. When the film does come up, there is sometimes a video clip, and always a brief review of the film, poster art, and tappable links for the Read More

Scan the bookshelves of any serious movie buff and you're almost certain to find a worn, dog-eared copy of "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide." Of course, just as encyclopedias work far better as interactive, online guides like Wikipedia, so do reference tomes like this benefit from the digital treatment. Enter Leonard Maltin Movie Guide for iPhone ($4.99), which not only reproduces the full text of the print version, but also delivers some interactive "plot twists." In addition to 24,000-plus capsule reviews, the guide provides a couple dozen of Maltin's latest reviews (full length), dynamic searching by title, actor, or director, and, best of all, Netflix integration: With a single tap you can add any movie to your rental and/or Watch Now queue. (A forthcoming update will add iTunes integration so you can rent/purchases movies from there--assuming they're available, of course.) Each movie listing includes the director's name and a complete cast list, and you can tap any name to pull up a filmography for that person. That's the kind of hyperlinky goodness that makes the iPhone version of this guide so vastly superior to its print counterpart. You can also share guide listings via e-mail, again with just a single tap. Great stuff. I have only one complaint with Movie Guide: speed. Searches run very slowly, and not because of Internet issues--the database resides on the iPhone, not online. In my informal tests, movie-title searches took 12-15 seconds on average. Developer MobileAge says performance would be better on an iPhone 3GS (I have a 3G). Even so, Movie Guide needs a speed boost. If not for that small wrinkle, I'd call it a must-have app for film buffs. Read More

...you love wine? Then you should really take a look at the Wine Enthusiast Guide app for the iPhone and iPod touch from MobileAge. Instantly transform your iPhone into an indispensable wine companion for pros and novices alike. With a few taps you can access up-to-date details, reviews, ratings and retail prices for over 72,000 wines worldwide. Includes a Vintage Chart, 1,400 term glossary, cella... Read More

All of these were once in Installer (heck, remember Installer?!?) as jailbreak apps - pre-AppStore. Those were just some of the apps ModMyi hosted, and there's tons more that were on Installer on other sources - TapTap Revolution, NeverPutt, Lights Off, Twinkle, iBeer, WeDict, Trism, Sketches, DropCopy, iComic, Tunewiki, Labyrinth, Lexitron, Crosswalk, iWoman, MPG, CalcPaper, ShopList, Domino, ToDo, iSlots, and PocketMoney for example. When the AppStore went live, many devs were able to use their extensive testing in the jailbreak community to release great AppStore apps. (Here's iTunes links for the ones I named in first paragraph: Buzzer | Band | THTouch | Garf | Dactyl | iBlackjack (now Blackjack 21) ). The AppStore started as a brilliant new market for devs to gather success in, and guaranteed instant ROI for early entrants. Now, however, with the number of apps pushing past 60,000, the AppStore is fast becoming a cluttered file cabinet in which nothing can be found. $0.99 apps reign supreme on every top chart, forcing large companies to rethink decisions on million dollar budgets for flippin sweet games they could have sold at $9.99 (as they did early on) in favor of cheaper apps they can churn out monthly and sell at a buck or three. Sure, "there's an app for that," definitely rings true with 60k apps... but where's the innovation going to be if you drive all devs into $0.99 RefuseLand? Apple obviously banked on success with this model of profit (sell a sweet phone, make money off the software), but I'm pretty sure they didn't have a clue HOW successful it would be. The payment system and reporting areas for AppStore devs are anything BUT Apple-esque. They're confusing, strangely organized, and payments often come in late and unlabeled. Amounts are regularly off (assuming from the various tax laws) but with no clear explanation anywhere. Apps are approved in a day or in 90, with no standard and no reason. Dev's receive rejection letters citing outlandish reasoning, while other apps whose sole objection is to shake a baby to its death are approved (albeit quickly pulled when the media gets wind of it). Fart apps are told they can't be in the AppStore, then weeks later reach the top 10. It seems Apple needs to hire some more folks to keep up and revitalize. Meanwhile, the Cydia Store is becoming a more and more viable option for Read More

By – Today's iPhone app reviews are all about keeping you on top of your game. With Mirror Free, you'll be able to look your best (or just trick people into looking stupid by really expecting a mirror.) With Hearing Age, you'll be able to make sure you're not getting too old (and if you are, then atleast you'll know it's time to start lying about your age.) Thomson Reuters will make sure you're up to date with today's news, and Wine Enthusiast Guide will help you choose, evaluate, manage, and enjoy wine. Mirror Free by Inner Four, Inc. Category: Entertainment Price: Free Yes, this app is a joke. But atleast the developers are up front about it. It's actually kind of funny (especially since there are 28,000 one star reviews.) The app simply puts a frame around a black screen, so that you can see your reflection in the glass. It doesn't take a genius to realize you don't need an app to see your reflection, but it's a funny app to show your friends…"Check it out guys, my phone can turn into a mirror." Hearing Age by Dworld Services Category: Utilities Price: $0.99 Hearing Age is a fantastic little app that produces a sound from 8,000 to 20,000 Hz. As you know, our bodies change with age, including our ears. Turns out you can hear different frequency ranges depending on age, and also depending on how good your hearing is. With this iPhone app, you and your friends will be able to test who has the best hearing. Believe it or not, it's a lot of fun. Thomson Reuters News Pro by Thomson Reuters Category: News Price: Free Reuters is an infamous source for intelligent information for businesses and professionals. Their iPhone app is excellently crafted and works like a charm. The app offers both on and offline access to breaking news, pictures, video, financial data, corporate information, and financial charting. It's got everything you'd want from a well made news app.  Wine Enthusiast Guide by MobileAge Category: Lifestyle Price: $4.99 Wine Enthusiast Guide is a great application for wine lovers. It helps you choose, evaluate, manage, and enjoy wine. With over 71,000 expert reviews written by the team at Wine Enthusiast Magazine, you can rely on this app to help you select a bottle of wine. It features bottles from over 113 regions from the past 17 years. Read More

06.22.09        App Score: 9/10    from Mobile Age is one of many iPhone mahjong titles that has been around for a bit and is one of the better titles available. Fans of mahjong will find hours of tile-eliminating entertainment and can keep their game fresh by changing up tiles, backgrounds and game patterns. For occasional casual play, Shanghai Mahjong Free is also available, but the paid version offers so much more. One of the most notable features of Shanghai Mahjong is the ability to access an online collection of tile artwork (wi-fi access required for iPod touch users). Rather than traditional tiles, users can keep the game interesting by selecting classic movie posters, Andy Warhol images, and even Star Trek tiles. A wide selection of backgrounds is also available and you can select from an extensive variety of tile structures and layouts. In addition to the ability to customize your game, the user-interface of Shanghai Mahjong is great. Simply tap-to-select to begin deconstructing your mahjong structure. Navigating to and from the various options is equally simple. You can select to play in classic mode or turn “windstorm” mode on and watch the rules of tile selection instantly transform. Each game is automatically saved, returning you to your in-game progress when Shanghai Mahjong is launched again. Naturally, you get your end-of-game fortune cookie upon completion as well. Other game features I liked include the ability to adjust contrast and transparency as well as the ability to undo your last move and opt for a hint. Swiping right to left will undo your last match and a left to right swipe will show you an available tile match. As much as I try not to need a hint when playing mahjong, I was grateful for this option in Shanghai Mahjong as some of the traditional flower tiles were confusing. One aspect I didn’t like are the few select layouts that place tiles in the far lower right and left corners. With the information icon and windstorm compass covering the tiles, you can neither see the tiles nor select them easily. This is frustrating especially when there is no option – at least that I could find – to quit and start a new game. You can opt to start a new game when you run out of matches, however. You can also elect to shuffle the tiles if you want to finish your Read More

I never was a conscious guy when it comes to taste of wine, smell, vintage, country, etc. It was just fine if I drink something with friends, which I thought was absolutely fine. But actually was not after the coming of the iPhone, wine applications and with friends who are particular about brands, taste and all those stuffs. Thanks to Wine Enthusiast Guide, I am quickly becoming literate about the wine world that I never cared to know. It is good to be master of your taste and appetite after all.  Wine Enthusiast Guide as the name suggest is the ultimate wine reference for all wine enthusiast out there.  It is time for you to learn too not to get embarrassed when dining out or with friends who are particular about taste, brand, vintage, country and smell.  With more than 64,000 wine updates along with their detail ratings, reviews and retail prices in your palm, is there a chance of feeling clueless about making the right choice? This is what Wine Enthusiast Guide exactly offers just for $4.99. Search for wine by grape variety, rating, price, region, wine style, etc. You can confine the search based on the thickness of your wallet and results would be displayed according to your budget and taste. The tutorial part of the the application provides info about the secrets of brewing, relation between food and wine, health, styles, etc. The main pages under Guide, Vintages and Reference within the application can make your wine education complete. These sections list wine names in alphabetical order and country wise.  With Wine Enthusiast Guide, you are just taps away to get the perfect wine that fits the time, place, occasion and your preferred budget. Read More