Price: $.99   Score: 6/10   By A. Papachristos

As technology continues to advance, life gets more and more complicated.  The programs and gadgets designed to lighten our load have become a burden themselves, causing the general public to have to constantly learn new methods and advance at the same rapid pace.  But then there are programs – in this case, applications – that attempt to ease this problem by combining everything in hopes of making the all-in-one concept seem simple and more enticing to the crowd.

Yet, when it comes to social networking, we fail to realize that half the tasks we take on are completely unnecessary.  However, Pinch – iMessenger, iContacts & iLocation Sense by Affle Pte Ltd takes a plethora of these pointless actions and combines them into a single application that may or may not put your mind into overdrive depending on how much information you can take in at one time.

While Pinch most definitely does a decent job of combining multiple types of social networking and mobile communication into one application, one also has to account for the fact that such an application will only work to the fullest extent if all your friends are using the app as well.  Luckily, Pinch features cross platforms messaging support, meaning iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry, Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Web and Facebook users can access the same services, slightly increasing your chances of finding friends who use the application.  Otherwise, once you create your account, be prepared to send a lot of invitations.

Upon startup, all users will first need to access the Profile tab, which will allow existing users to log in and new users to register.  While users can either create a new account or sign in using their Facebook account, all will have to provide their mobile telephone number and email address in order to proceed.  Pinch promises that such information is confidential and used to simply provide users with their messages and archived information, for Pinch offers free unlimited storage of your message history.

With the iMessenger component, Pinch hopes to redefine texting by ridding users of roaming or data charges.  Their idea is to eliminate the need to pay for SMS and MMS messaging and data by taking advantage of your device’s Wi-Fi capabilities.  Users can also customize their messaging layout with personalized themes and wallpapers available under Preferences.  To compile all your contacts in one place, the iContacts portion works to organize and auto-discover your friends from your phone’s contact list, Twitter and Facebook (assuming you give Pinch the permission to connect to your accounts).

However, the most unnecessary (and unsafe) aspect of Pinch would have to be the iLocation Sense aspect.  Acting as a built-in stalking system, more or less, iLocation will find fellow Pinch friends and users nearby, while also sharing your location and tracking your personal journey with directions and miles traveled.  To encourage check-ins, points are awarded every time you inform the world of your location.  These points can then be used in Pinch’s leaderboard contests, including their current iPad giveaways.  Of course, I do know that users can control who sees their location, but encouraging such forms of social networking is irresponsible considering the potential dangers sharing such information may lead to when in the wrong hands.

But, if you are truly into such forms of social networking, then you best get to work on inviting all your friends (anyone with a Smartphone, that is) so they can join you on your journey to make Pinch semi-practical in a world run by Facebook, Twitter, Four-square and all those other social networking sites that have come to control our daily activities already.

Pinch requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch.  A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.

Price: FREE   Score: 8/10   By M. Schusterman

Ever since downloading Skype years ago and using it almost daily to talk to my family free when I lived overseas, I’ve suspected a change was coming in the way phone companies offer and price services. AT&T changing their policy on allowing VoIP calls to be made over their 3G network was one of those changes.

Vopium is one of a few apps that allow you to use 3G and Wi-Fi networks to your financial benefit when it comes to making international calls. The app itself is a free download, and you can give it a shot before committing to the subscription cost with 15 free minutes and 15 free SMS anywhere.

I know Vopium has had quite a few updates since launching this app. For my part, it actually worked really well. I sent my mom a text, then had a nice chat with my husband, who is currently in Mexico. The call dropped once, although to be fair, that happens to us quite a lot no matter what phone service we’re using. Quality was fine – I had no problems hearing him, and vice versa.

When you open Vopium, you have access to your list of contacts from your phone book, a history section of who you’ve called through the app, an option to login to IM, and the keypad. The keypad looks exactly like the regular iPhone keypad, but with your current balance showing, and an SMS option. Under “More,” you can add friends and groups to organize your contacts, adjust your settings to what type of mobile network you prefer Vopium use, and add or transfer money in your account.

The app is easy to navigate, and like I said – it worked great for me. However, like calls made over any type of network, experiences may vary. Because both the app and trial period are free, I highly recommend frequent international callers give Vopium a shot and potentially save a good deal of money on calls.

Vopium requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.

Price: FREE   Score: 9/10   By M. Schusterman

I live in fear of becoming one of those people walking down the street, eyes glued to the screen and thumbs flying. In other words, I avoid texting unless necessary. While still more convenient than calling, typing out a text message, particularly when you want to meet up with someone, can be time consuming. Enter Here There Where?.

Designed by Davick Apps, Here There Where? does exactly what the name indicates. Tap “Here” on the main menu to text someone and let them know where you are. Type “There” to let them know where you’re going to be. And type “Where” to text them a general “what’s going on” pre-formatted text.

“Here” worked perfectly for me. The app automatically detects your location, and when I tapped “Here” it pulled up a list of the cafes and restaurants closest to me. Tap one, then either choose a contact from your address book, or create a group for permanent use with the app. You can check to include the address and a link to a map of your location. The text will come with an automatic message (“Hey, I’m at the Highlander Pub”), and you can add your own text as well before hitting send.

“There” works the same way, although this is where I noticed that there is a limit to which locations you can choose. You can type the name or address of the location into the search function and it will begin to automatically generate guesses. Geek that I am, I tried to enter my city’s central library, and even after typing in its exact address, the closest I could get was the hotel next door. The app does seem to have an extensive list of eateries, bars, museums and hotels listed, but I was a little surprised Seattle Central wasn’t on there.

As for “Where,” the pre-formatted texts (which you can edit) are simple questions like “Are you going to the party?” and “What’s the plan?” It would be a cool feature in future editions if adjustments we make to our own custom texts could be saved.

Overall, this non-texter is going to leave this app on her iPhone and most likely make some good use of it. I haven’t experienced any bugs with the first version, and seeing as it’s a freebie, I’d recommend checking it out.

Here There Where? requires iPhone OS 4.0 or later and is compatible with the iPhone.

Price: $2.99   Score: 8/10    By M. Schusterman

I’ve never been the type that clamored for Cosmo magazines just to take the “Does he really like you?” quizzes, but I can certainly understand the appeal. The Boyfriend Evaluator, designed by Cogitoad, Inc., aims to help girls understand and evaluate the guy they’re with.

This app takes itself seriously, but not too much – there’s definitely some humor in the questions and answers. Some of the questions are rather obvious, in my opinion, such as “Has he ever hit you?” – a clear sign of a problem if the answer is anything other than no, regardless of the other 49 questions on the quiz.

But some are more subtle and touch on things that some women, particularly those new to dating, may not consider. For example, “Is he ever unkind to waiters or other hired help?” That’s an important one for me, as treating waiters like second-class citizens is a big sign of a person’s true colors. The final question is one that I found especially insightful: “Do you often feel exhausted after you are around him for a while but don’t know why?” Particularly for younger girls, that can also be an indication of compatibility.

One thing I enjoyed about the answers was that they didn’t pigeonhole each boyfriend into one category only. For example, if your man shows tendencies of being a Lush, Operator, Airbag, Judge, Iceman, or Momma’s Boy, the answer will say so, and go into detail about each. And the answers truly are well-thought out.

The Boyfriend Evaluator is a simple, non-flashy app that’s easy to navigate. Each boyfriend you enter is automatically saved to a list, where you can view their test scores, take their test again, or email their test results. I’d say that this app, while the price is maybe a tad steep, is a good one to consider for those with real trouble identifying the good boys from the bad, or for girls who just enjoy a magazine-style boyfriend quiz.

The Boyfriend Evaluator requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Price: Free   Score: 10/10   By A. Papachristos

Social networking has taken the world by storm.  Everything our friends, family, co-workers and mere acquaintances do is broadcast across the Internet in a variety of mediums, keeping us up-to-date on what they’re doing, where they’re doing it and whom they’re doing it with.  We are constantly inundated with so much superfluous information (and dishing out so much of it ourselves) that our heads are bound to spin like a tornado sooner or later.

But with Hellotxt, the free social networking service by Buongiorno, users can access over 50 social networking and Web 2.0 sites within a single application on their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.  Available via web, mobile Internet and Smartphone applications, users can link Hellotxt to all of their preferred social networks, easing the flow of incoming and outgoing information.  (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, WordPress, LiveJournal, Blogger, Flickr, Blip.fm, Tumblr – Hellotxt truly deserves bragging rights when it comes to how many networking sites fall under their service umbrella.

Highly recommended for anyone from those just becoming familiar with social networking, to the seasoned social networking gurus, Hellotxt presents a beautifully streamlined app with a simplistic layout that minimizes clutter and truly makes your networking experience as clean and neat as Hellotxt’s color scheme.  Upon startup, users must initially register with the quick and easy form that appears.  Then, once you have established yourself, the main screen will appear, allowing you access to Post, My Feed, Settings and Networks.  There is also a bar at the top that allows you to enter your current status effortlessly.

Users will first want to utilize the Networks section so they can begin syncing Hellotxt with all of their preferred social networks.  And, because Hellotxt is continuously adding more social networks to their service, users are bound to discover sites that they have never even heard of, opening not only the door of convenience, but the door of opportunity as well.  Social networking has become such a fast building trend; you never know where (or to whom) it might lead you.

With the My Feed section, users can track the news feed of every one of their social networks in a single feed.  Every time you log in, the feed will automatically update, showing the latest information.  Users can even choose which networks to post their current update to, whether it is all of their connections or only specific ones.  Setting contact groups can also help organize who sees certain updates as well.

What makes Hellotxt stand out the most stems from their latest version updates, however.  While users are used to being able to post videos and images on their favorite sites, they may now also enjoy the fun addition of doodling your post.  Now users can doodle freehand or add clip art to photos before posting.  Users may also be accustomed to the idea of sharing their current location within a post.  However, users can now also link their location to a map, or receive Places of Interest suggestions as they walk around while using map view (on the iPhone only).  And, if Hellotxt weren’t easy enough to use already, users can now break down their news feed into separate categories, utilizing the tab menu feature to view information based on network and account, or view all network updates from a single feed.

As Tom Warren, the head of Hellotxt, said in a recent press release, “We are working hard from a development standpoint to bring Hellotxt into mobile social with a bang.  With iPad and iPhone reloaded version, a whole range of new features which are smart and fun have been opened up, and I am happy we continue to innovate while helping Smartphone users manage their online life more easily.”  Though I’m not sure what else they can do to lighten everyone’s load even more, I openly await any new updates or features Buongiorno has to offer in the future!

Hellotxt requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.

Price: FREE   Score: 10/10   By M. Schusterman

There’s power in numbers – a theory that has often proved true. As social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook continue to put power in people’s hands to demand and create change, there comes a need to organize those efforts and rally together.

This is the principle behind pownum, a website and now, an iPhone app. It’s possible to register complaints, both officially and unofficially, for all sorts of companies and businesses, but unless we’re all adding our voices together, it won’t make nearly the difference.

You can register for free on the pownum website or in the app, and all you need is a username, password and email address. The main menu gives you the option to rate or find organizations, or view your profile (where you can choose whether or not to share your reviews on Facebook and Twitter). Tap “Rate” and begin entering the name of an organization. There are already thousands, so chances are good it will pop up, but if not you can be the first to enter it.

This app is simple and easy to navigate. Swipe the numbers to choose a rating (1-10), then click “Rate.” You’ll enter one word to accompany your review, and you also have the option of typing a full review. It’s best to give both potential customers and businesses themselves some idea of why you chose that rating, as the idea of this app is not simply to vent, but to encourage improvment.

By choosing “Find”, you can enter the name of several organizations to see how their ratings compare to one another, then view the details and reviews individuals made. Another interesting note is the “Right of Reply” on the pownum website. Companies can respond to reviews by paying a yearly fee of $8,000, half of which pownum will donate to charity.

But for you, the consumer, the right to add your voice is completely free. Whether you just had outstanding service at a local cafe or need to rage about how you were mistreated at the post office, there’s no reason not to download pownum and help to make a difference.

pownum requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer in order to speed up the publication of this review.

Price: $.99   Score: 9/10   By Nancy Jones

The iPhone has made keeping up with your social media contacts easier than ever.  You can, one at a time, open the apps for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tuenti, Bebo and iWikiPhone and post whenever you want.  That’s not difficult, right? However, it gets even easier.  With MyStatusMonkey, developed by iwikiphone.com, you can update all of your accounts at once, all from the one app.  Cyber communication just took a leap forward.

Developed with input from the user community, this app has an appealing (no pun intended) icon of a happy monkey face.  When you open MyStatusMonkey you see a text box and are ready to start typing. However, before you can send out any messages, you need to go to the settings screen and click “connect” for each of your social networks and enter your sign-on information and passwords.  Then, whenever you want to send a message, the app has the information it needs to sign on, and post messages.

Prompts appear as you type your message to show how many characters you have left.  The font is very legible.  Once you finish typing, you just click, “update status” and the screen changes to the icons for the various social network sites. The icons shimmy as the updates go out.   The message, Success! Everything is done!” is your confirmation that your latest inspirational thoughts are live and ready for comments from your friends and followers. You can then go back to the main screen and create another message.

Most iPhone app reviews require long explanations and examples devoted to how to use each feature.  This app has two screens – settings and update status.  Clearly, the user community that helped develop this app provided excellent feedback to the developer.   There is no need for a FAQ page because the app has one function and does it well.  You will find one screen devoted to iWikiphone.  It is equivalent to an “about” screen on the internet.

My only suggestion for improvement is to add a screen or functionality that allows you to go to the social media sites within this app so you can see your postings.

Some apps end up in the wilderness of my iPhone screens.  MyStatusMonkey will stay in the active category.  It is so easy to post a message and I can see I will be posting more often.  That, I believe, is the purpose of social media, to encourage us to communicate with each other.  On all counts, the app is a success.  Any app that saves me time is an app that I must have. Is making your life easier worth 99 cents?  My answer is yes.

MyStatusMonkey is compatible with iPhone, iPad touch or iPad and requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.  A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.

Price: $1.99    Score: 8/10    By Aricka Flowers

There is now yet another way to keep track of good friends, family and even sneaky significant others. The recently released Here You Are app allows you to keep track of the whereabouts of friends, boyfriends or anyone else who has an iPhone.

Created by Stan Olekhnovich, the app uses Push Notification technology and the GPS system in iPhones to allow users to send and receive location information. Although the app gets rid of the need for “Where are you?” text messages or phone calls when meeting a friend, Here You Are does allow users to attach an SMS message to location notifications.

The easy-to-use app offers a street address and pinpoint on a map when location information is sent. The app can also be programmed to automatically reply to location messages from friends and peers if the app is switched to Autoreply mode. Conversely, users can turn off their location information on the app’s embedded map; letting you keep your position to yourself when need be.

The app also lets you keep track of your fellow Here You Are users by linking your peer list to your phone’s address book. To get started with the app, you have to create and enter a username and codeword. When you have a friend who is also using the app, you exchange usernames and codewords so that your phones will be able to communicate location information to one another.

Even if your friend is not actively using the app at the moment, you can still send your location and they will receive a notification that will allow them to see where you are positioned. Here You Are is a highly-flexible, user-friendly app that provides you and your friends with an easy way to stay in touch with one another, which can be very useful in crowded places like concerts and festivals or even during a trip to the mall!

The Here You Are app is available for the iPhone and 2nd generation iPod touch. The app requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later and 0.5 MB. A small fee was paid by the developer to expedite the publication of this review.

Price: $1.99    Score: 7/10    By Aricka Flowers

The debate on whether or not aliens are in existence is still going strong. If you’re on team alien, the Paranormal Sightings Tool can help you keep track of where they’ve been.

The Booya! Media app is a social networking community of sorts for those who are fascinated by all things alien. The Paranormal Sightings Tool allows you to not only find out where paranormal sightings took place in your neck of the woods, but also gives you the lowdown on other alien activity thanks to the Sightings Map. You can customize your map to show only the types of paranormal activities that interest you most. The options include: UFOs, Aliens, Ghosts, Orbs, Crop Circles, Pyramids, Artifacts and Big Foot.

Think you may have captured your alien encounter on video? Great! The app allows you to upload video of your own paranormal party. You can also check out one or two of the thousands of paranormal videos available for viewing via the app.

One of the most unique aspects of the Paranormal Sightings Tool is the networking community. The app has created a virtual hangout for people with interests on the paranormal. The set-up is similar to most social networking sites so you can “friend” people and vice versa.

You can also rope in your real life friends by inviting them straight from the app via email, Twitter or Facebook. The app also allows you to post to Twitter and Facebook so you can keep your other friends up to date on the latest paranormal happenings. The Paranormal Sightings Tool may seem like a kooky app if you’re not into that sort of thing. But if you are, the app offers a community, paranormal videos to peruse and the ability to post your own ghostly encounters. What more could an alien fanatic ask for?

Paranormal Sightings Tool requires iPhone OS 3.1 or later and is compatible with both iPhone and iPod Touch.

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