TuneIn Radio App Review

Price at time of writing £1.19 (approx $2)

Whilst I am writing this review this app is (in the UK) #1 in music apps and #5 in top paid apps. It is receiving rave reviews with the vast majority being 5 stars and of the remainder mainly 4 stars are awarded. As for the very few people who have given this app less than 4 stars they are clearly insane, downloaded the wrong app, or haven't actually used it having bought it.

Listening to worldwide radio isn't anything new we've been able to do it on the PC for years.

What is new is this marvellous app which puts the worlds radio in your pocket. As long as you have a web connection you have access to radio from just about every country imaginable. If you don't have a connection that's fine just listen to something you recorded earlier using the app.

But there's more to this app than simply radio stations. What makes this app so perfect is the effort that has clearly been put into making sure that anybody can simply install and use it first time without reading any instructions.

Using the simple menus find your stations by subject matter, by location, language or look for local stations only. Alternatively use the search facility to search the whole database for any station or obscure subject type you fancy.

Bookmark your favourite stations with ease, record a show to play back later, pause a live stream for up to 30 minutes and there's even a facility to buy the playing song on iTunes should you wish.

As a bonus if your chosen radio station's stream happens to be very poor where possible the app will give you alternative streams to choose from.

The ironic thing I have found is that of the 30,000+ radio stations that are accessible using the app that I can receive without problem (including those in remote areas and on the other side of the planet) the one I can't get a quality stream from is the local radio station 1 which transmits just one mile down the road. Fortunately the station is pretty rubbish anyway so it's no loss to me whatsoever.

I love TuneIn Radio and I can see why so many others have joined me in purchasing this wonderfully useful app. Money well spent and highly recommended !

10/10 a must have app from

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Quake Watch App Review

Price at time of writing 59p (approx $1)

Enter the word Earthquake into the iTunes app store and your reward will be a complete page of apps.

To save a lot of trial and error on your part I can gladly tell you that Quake Watch - Latest Earthquakes info is a superb all round application.

I've been interested in earthquakes, seismology, volcanos, continental drift and tectonic plates, and the amazing power of the earth since I was very young (a long time ago).

This superbly presented app receives daily use from me not only because it is well laid out and very functional but because of its speed in updating compared to similar applications.

Track and show any earthquakes reported with their within minutes of their occurence. See where they are in relation to your location. Set it to view all earthquakes or only those higher than a level you set on the richter scale. Google maps pinpoints the exact earthquake location including its didtance from you and its depth.

Quake Watch is to receive a dedicated page on this site for a more in depth look at its functions and options.

But don't wait for me to finish that whether you live in an earthquake zone or not you will find this app fascinating and I am sure, like me, it will be used regularly by you.

10/10 a very worthy download from 

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Currency Master App Review

Price at time of writing FREE

Please note : This app was renamed Currency Master so please excuse references to it's original name, Currency Pad.

Please note as I write this the currency pad app is on a free promotion - I do not expect it to stay this way. I would still give this app it's given rating even if it had been charged at the $1.99 (£1.19) level as I think it's worth up to that amount.

I make use of currency conversion regularly - mainly from US$ to £UK - so I like to be able to keep up to date with currency exchange rates.

I just wanted something with a simple layout, easy to use and reliably updated.

Currency Pad fits all those requirements and more.

On the front page you can simply set up your favourite "currency pairs" this gives you your most regularly used exchanges at a glance.

Beneath that are your customizable currency lists. Pick a list - add or delete currencies as required - and set your "base" currency entering an amount of your choice for comparison to all chosen currencies.

The developer has made added more interest into this very capable application by adding commodity prices into the mix. Want too see the current cost of a barrel of oil in any currency? No problem just click and then get furious over how much it's just cost you to fill up your car with petrol! The same goes for silver, gold, aluminium and other commodities.

For simplicity this is a marvellous app for the iphone or ipod touch. There is no need to make something as simple as currency exchange complicated or try to create marvellous graphics.

The only thing I would change is the name from Currency Pad to Currency Master because that is what this little app is.

10/10 and available from

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The World Factbook 2010 App Review

Price at time of writing 59p (approx $1)

This app is a bargain at the price above and to be fair although it is 75% discounted at the above price I do think it would still be worth the full price too.

The word factbook has become an extremely popular resource for keeping up to date with interesting facts and figures from all the countries of the world.

The actual World Factbook database is used by hundreds of thousands of people around the world from students to government agencies.

The database is kept up to date with regular upgrades so for those of you interested in transnational issues with countries regularly in the news, like Afghanistan, you will not be left feeling you have been deprived of topical information.

A bonus for me is that the app is an offline app so all that application can be called up whether you have a web connection or not. I find it a great app when you have 10 minutes to spare and just want to read something interesting about any country of your choice.

I can't fault The World Factbook - it does what it states it does - and does so very well.

Extremely recommended for facts, figures, current affairs and information addicts!

10/10 Get it now from

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The Guardian App

Price of app at time of writing £2.39 (approx $4)

Well at the moment I am writing this little piece there are two apps topping the iTunes news charts. Topping the Free apps is Sky News and at the top of the paid apps is the Guardian's contribution.

Both apps are highly rated but the paid for app comes out higher. So why are thousands buying a moderately priced app as regards to taking a clearly good free one?

From use of this app and checking the feedback of others The Guardian's depth of content, variety and amount of material to read wins the news battle hands down, at least for the moment.

Many users rave about the fact that full offline browsing is available. For commuters this must be a great app for fillling those monotonous train journeys.

£2.39 ($4 approx) is probably seen as a lot for an app these days but lets face it it equals the cost of just a couple of daily newspapers. News on the go, with stunning pictures and articles by award winning journalists, whenever you want for this small price can't be bad.

10/10

Buy at

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