Welcome to our weekly installment of Picks of the Week at iSource where we provide our expanded coverage of Apple accessories and applications Here we will promote our favorite iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and Apple TV related items, as well as bring you occasional tips and tricks. Hopefully many of our favorite items will also be of interest to you. Please feel free to comment on our selections, and suggest picks of your own. Check out this week’s picks after the break
Intellicast HD (v1.1.3)
Picked by: Joe Tomasone
Here in Florida, severe weather is a constant threat. It’s not enough to just be aware of the forecast, to be truly aware of what is coming your way, you must be familiar with interpreting weather radar. While that topic is a little beyond a Pick Of The Week post, here are two excellent apps for iPad that provide excellent (and free) access to high-quality radar imagery and analysis:
Intellicast HD for iPad is perhaps the best weather app for the iPad, period. The main “Map” screen shows not only local radar (looping optional), but also storm tracks, storm cells that may contain hail, and potential tornadic activity. The local conditions and a brief forecast are also presented. The “Forecast” screen offers very detailed forecast data, including hourly predicted temperatures and conditions and a 10-day forecast.
(free) iTunes Link
WunderMap (v1.1)
While Intellicast may be the best app, it’s surely followed closely behind by Wundermap. While Wundermap does not feature Intellicast HD-like storm cell tracking, it compensates with watch and warning area boxes (showing where on the map a watch/warning is in effect for, as opposed to just text). It also has overlays for weather webcams, temperature, wind, and precipitation totals – as well as internet-connected personal weather stations. WunderMap also allows you to choose the map type (street map, satellite, or hybrid), unlike Intellicast HD. However, it is geared only towards radar observation/interpretation, and does not feature current conditions or forecasts.
(free) iTunes Link
Recipes – Jamie Oliver (v1.2)
Picked by: AliciaB
I happen to love food and love to cook. So it’s no surprise that I’d be curious to try out recipe apps for iPhone/iPad. This week my attention turned to the app Jamie Oliver’s Recipes which, as can be expected, features recipes by Jamie Oliver. Big deal you say? Actually for me yes!
The iOS device is already a perfect platform for so many other things, why not recipes? Rather than pull out the dusty cookbooks from their forgotten place in my kitchen, I found it much more fun to browse Jamie’s free and payable recipe packs on my iPhone. The app includes 13 free recipes and 3 videos, containing tips and how-tos from Jamie. Then you can buy more such as “10-minute meals”, “Festive Feasts” or “Classic comfort food” as desired, at € 1,59 a pop, which you can preview beforehand. The UI is really appealing, elegant and neat. Browsing through the recipes is a breeze. Steps are easy, accompanying photos are swipeable. There’s also a shopping list storage area and essential equipment list, which could turn out to be really handy. If you want to prepare a recipe you can add all the ingredients to the shopping list and you’re off. The makers have really thought of everything! Bon apétit!
Jamie Oliver’s recipes app is available for free in the App Store, with in-app purchasing possible for further recipe packs.
(free) iTunes Link / US Store
Labelbox (v1.0.1)
My obsession with Instagram in particular and iPhoneograhy in general has piqued my interest in photo-editing/enhancing apps. After looking through the photo label offerings in iTunes I settled on the free app Labelbox and am quite happy with my choice. Admittedly the app itself is quite basic – use it only for simple labelling using 9 presets (you can buy 4 additional labels for US 0.99 each). There is no customization – you can’t change size of the labels or fonts. And you can’t move the labels around after placing them. But the only annoying thing is that you have to choose the label before loading your photo, making the menu screen splash unnecessarily up and down again returning to the same screen as before. Huh?
Still, being free, a splashing screen is a small price to pay.
Labelbox is available in the App store for free, with in-app purchasing possible for additional labels.
(free) iTunes Link / US Store
Instacast (v1.1.2)
Picked by: Thomas
If you think you’d probably like to listen to a couple of those “podcast” things you’ve heard so much about, but are too lazy to sync often enough in iTunes, then pick up Instacast for iPhone ($1.99) on the App Store. Not only is the interface dead simple to use (search, find, then play … or download for offline playing), but it also lets you actually subscribe to podcasts so you have the newest episodes auto-cached. I’ve been using it to check out the B&B Podcast, catch up on the delightful Evernote blogcast, and finally listen to Sword & Laser.
($1.99) iTunes Link
There you have it! Hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of Picks of the week. Please let us know what you think, and share with us some of your favorites.
Continue reading:
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- Apple TV now only $69
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