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
Ask a Nomad (v1.0.1)
Picked by: AliciaB
This week I decided to take a second look at Ask a Nomad for iPad made by World Nomads, a platform for travelers to exchange tips and know-how on destinations worldwide. 18000 users in over 178 countries have been using the web service which has now been transposed for iPad.
The app interface is straightforward. Registration and login is required so that you can store your questions or faves. Post your own question like “Any tips concerning a nice cozy romantic restaurant in Vienna?“ or “Any suggestions of what to see in Aruba besides the beaches?“ or “Where can I stay in Paris for under €100 a night?“. Or browse existing questions and help an inquisitive traveler out with your knowledge. Search is possible by destination, topic or people.
Having only used the app a few days I didn’t get any feedback on my two posed questions yet, but this is probably due to the small user base which is sure to grow. I think the app’s mission is a useful niche – answers that are now spread over several sites and platforms can be found in one place. I can really imagine using the app when researching our next trip.
(Free) iTunes Link / US Store
Kard Combat (v1.1)
Picked by: Thomas
Kard Combat seems to be the closest that I can get to Magic: The Gathering on my iPad. It’s a collectible Kard game that you can download for free from the App Store, and the basic version allows you to sample each of the four mages available in the game. You can unlock the full repertoire of each mage for $0.99 or pay $3 to unlock all four mages. The single player mode consists of a series of duels, each one more difficult than the last, and will slowly expand your arsenal with every victory.
You win duels when you have reduced your enemy’s health points to zero. You wither away your enemy’s health by using spells, creatures, and items from your deck in various combinations. The game itself is not terribly flashy, but there are some accompanying animations to bring life to the various fireballs and lightning bolts that you will hurl across the field. One thing I do appreciate, however, is the non-randomized mana system that simply lets you bide your time until you can cast a more powerful spell. Having to sit and wait for land cards (which generated mana) in Magic could really take the wind out of your sails.
When you’re sick and tired of beating the snot out of the computer, you can take to the Internet and play against other Kard Combatants via OpenFeint, but I have not been able to test this due to the beta OS that I am running.
Kard Combat has not enchanted me in the same way as Magic: The Gathering did, though it has shown me that a collectible Kard can be a lot of fun on a smartphone or tablet. It’s also hard to beat that price: all of Kard Combat can be effectively unlocked for $3, which is less than a single Magic booster pack.
(Free) iTunes Link
Easy Calendar (v1.0.0)
Picked by: Jay
My pick this week is Easy Calendar 1.1.0 that I have been beta testing for the past few weeks. Last reviewed here, Easy Calendar is my new default calendar app and the improvements are worth the wait! With the ability to now show and remove various calendars associated with your accounts (Exchange, Google, etc.), Easy Calendar improved its look by displaying the colors of each calendar account as you have it assigned.
Navigation to jump to a specific week and the speed of startup have also improved, while the power features that make Easy Calendar so functional, impressive, and yes, easy to use – for example fewer taps, drag and drop to change dates – remain the hallmarks of why I continue to use this app. Now if only the developers might take their talents to creating a month view that improves on the iOS native calendar app…
The new version was recently submitted to the App Store and an expected release should soon follow.
($3.99) iTunes Link
Wikibot (v1.21 )
Picked by: Joe
There’s a few options to access Wikipedia for iDevice owners, but Wikibot is one of the best. It has several great features like tabs for multiple articles and bookmarks, but the one that I appreciate the most is the ability to long-tap a link that you want to read later that is in an article you are reading and have it loaded in the background in a new tab.
Wikibot is a universal app, and is currently $2.99 in the App Store.
($2.99) 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:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
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