AMC Security: Redefining the user experience (App Review)

First off, I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of apps that claim to boost speeds and improve performance. The majority of the time all they do is bog down the system even more. However, the AMC Security app changed my view on that completely.

Setup

After a brief introduction to the features, you proceed straight to the main screen. There’s a sign-in feature that is recommended for long-term users, and for those planning to use a premium subscription.

A premium subscription will unlock extra features, but comes as a pricey extra

Features

The purpose of the app is to mainly clear out excessive storage hogs, offer an anti-virus and boost your phone speed. As the proud owner of a LG G4, I saw no difference in speed and the user interface, and can only assume that features like this are designed for people who have budget-orientated phones. The same goes for the feature that cleans out your storage and cache. While I had 3GB in excess files, this was really just a fraction of my total space available.

But perhaps AMC’s strongest point is the wide variety of things you can use it for. Anti-theft, battery saver, app manager, privacy locker, call blocker and a wide variety of handy features mean that it’s really go your back. Of course you’ll need a premium subscription though.

Overall, AMC provided a decent experience. The fact that it’s not in-your-face with annoying pop-ups and that it actually works means that it is a worthy competitor against the other Play Store apps.

Is it for me?

Unless you are rocking a flagship phone, it’s likely you’ll find AMC of some use. The extra features will certainly come in handy at least some of the time, and you might just forget it’s there with the enjoyable lack of notifications.

What we liked:

• No excessive notifications
• Wide range of features
• Clean UI

And not so much…

• Pricey premium pricing

AMC Security is certainly a handy app that is targeted at users who use budget-orientated phones. The minimal notifications are something of a joy and the large range of things that you get from it are certainly a treat.

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Aquapolis: a city simulator with great art direction plagued by a paywall

Candy Grill’s Aquapolis is a city builder simulator in a market saturated with games like it, such as SimCity BuildIt.

However, it attempts to separate itself from the others in its genre with its story. It begins with a team of space travelers who lost contact with Earth for a year. When they returned to the planet, they discovered that it was covered entirely with water. The group then was forced to eject from its ship with an escape pod because it was unable to change course.

The pod traveled to the ocean floor where the three discovered fish-like humanoids.  Like the space travelers, the creatures did not know what happened to Earth. They explained they would help the team as long as it took on the requests of their citizens. Naturally, both parties agreed to the mutual relationship.

Setup

As with most apps on Google Play, download, install, and open Aquapolis to get started. You’ll be met the game’s introductory cut-scene. After you finish it, you’ll have the option to connect to Google Play Games.

Gameplay

Aquapolis‘ gameplay is that of your typical city simulator. The player constructs homes, buildings, and products using currency and/or existing resources within a set zone which expands as he or she levels up. You gain currency by collecting taxes from the homes.

As you level up, you can replace or upgrade your existing structures and make new products and research and develop new technologies (think flour and sugar).

The creatures will walk to and around the buildings at times. If they need something, a circular icon will appear above their heads with the desired item. There is also a rectangular icon, which appears over houses and buildings and indicate there is a specific product or currency to collect from either.

Speaking of currencies, there are two: common coins and and rarer gems (possibly rubies). Coins are used to purchase houses and buildings, and gems are used to skip farming times. There is a shop where you can purchase either with real-world currency.

Next, I want to address the few issues I had with the controls.

To begin, I had trouble exiting Aquapolis each time. I had to hold down the power button in order to force the on-screen buttons to appear, then I could press the home button to leave the game and remove it from memory after that.

Lastly, a guide arrow remained on screen after I had completed a quest. It was no longer there on my next playthrough.

What We Like

• Good graphics
• Calm, orchestral soundtrack
• Clear-to-follow tutorial
• Easy-to-understand mechanics
• Replayable quest dialogue

What We Don’t Like

• Paywall shows up after just a few minutes
• Structures can only be rotated in two directions
• Occasional control glitches

Aquapolis is a well-designed game in my opinion, but I’m not sure if it is does anything much differently from its contemporaries. To be fair, this is the first city simulator I’ve played on any mobile platform. Therefore, I can’t tell how unique it is even to have a story in this game.

Nevertheless, I will say it is worth your time if you like city simulators. Just keep the paywall, which is typical in free-to-play games, in mind when you start. Be prepared to spend some time waiting or to use money.

Download Aquapolis

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Shure SRH145 on-ear headphone review

Shure brings style and great sound to the budget segment

Shure is well known in the audiophile community for pumping out some serious audio gear.  However, those who do not want to spend an arm and a leg on a pair of headphones may have not had an opportunity to hear what they’re capable of.  As of late, Shure has been trying to stretch its reach to cover more budgets.  One of the latest additions is the SRH145 on-ear headphones.

Design

In touring the product, I get the feeling of compromise and balance.  As all headphones in this price range (and even much above), you see cut corners in the materials.  The band is not made of the best feeling plastic.  But in what I consider a great move, Shure laminated the entire surround of the headband with a sleek-looking brushed-metal finish.  This was a fantastic choice in material, which gives an inexpensive product an expensive look, and stands out (in a good way).  It feels nice too.

For portability, Shure engineered a hinge system on the left and right sides of the bands.

They fold so that the cups fill the space and reduce considerably in size.  This is always a great feature to have, if you’re taking these on the go.  However, since the thought is portability, I wish Shure would’ve included a carrying case in the box.

The cord is considerable in length (5ft to be exact).  It connects to both cups, from their bottoms (non-removable).  The headphone jack is a 90 degree connector.

Everything here feels as it should, sturdy.

The earcups wobble to allow for different angles of ear placement.  To fit varying head sizes, instead of the typical band extension, the earcups slide up or down on a railing.

Comfort

Since these headphones are on-ear (they rest on the ears, as opposed to over-ear earcups, which encompass the ear), the earpads are made of a supple cushion.  It feels similar to memory foam, and I didn’t notice any discomfort over a period of continual use.  Although, they do heat up my ears, but this is a common occurrence with on-ears.

The upper portion of the headband has a similar, cushiony material, for comfort as the headphones rest on the top of your head.  Together with the lightness in weight, I didn’t find any discomfort here either.

Sound

*I used an iBasso D-Zero MK2 DAC and Tidal HiFi music samples to conduct this review.

So now to the most important aspect of every headphone review – the sound.  I found the SRH145 to have a mostly balanced sound signature.  That is, there isn’t a particular frequency range that dominants too much (i.e. bass).  The way I would describe it is that a little prominence is taken from the treble and given to the bass.  The mids sit at a nice place.

The bass provides a considerable punch when the song demands it, and can sometimes be boomy.  It should be sufficient to satisfy bassheads.  It’s slower-paced kind of response to my ears and definition was occasionally questionable (but decent for the most part).  Mid-bass holds its composure better than sub-bass does (punchy rather than low-end rumble), and can even steal the show.   This is fine with me as a compromise, as mid-bass is generally dominant in music.

I love the mids on this thing, they’re done very nicely.  I always appreciate when vocals aren’t pushed back in favor for the other frequencies.  Shure has a tendency not to do this, and they show on the SRH145.  Treble leaves a little to be desired.  It doesn’t appear to reach that far, at least compared to more detailed (expensive) headphones.  But from what I can hear, it gets the job done.

I don’t expect much on soundstage and imaging from on-ear headphones (due to the spatial limitation, compared to over-ears).  Also, at this price point, I imagine more of the focus is on getting the sound right.  The soundstage of the SRH145 slightly exceeded my expectation.  I would say it’s wide enough to satisfy most people.  But expect more of an in-head-directed sound, not very spacious.  And that goes for imaging too.  Certain instruments can slightly show spatial differentiation, depending on how the song was made, but it isn’t going to wow you.

Final Thoughts

I had a great time checking out the SRH145 on-ears.  I wasn’t sure what to expect or what focus Shure took with them.  I was left pleasantly surprised with what you get for your money.  I just about agree with all of the choices and compromises Shure took.

Most people want a considerable bass response, and the SRH145 certainly delivers.  Also, the mids (which are often neglected) are done beautifully in my opinion.  Design is equally done well for the price.  Comfort is where it should be, they fold down for portability, and the metal-finish band is a simple solution to adding a good, non-cheap look.  This is a great offering for the $39 asking-price.

Shure SRH145 Product Page

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Run The Joint with your old ball and chain (app review)

Every once in a while there are apps that surprise me. Run The Joint is one of those apps. When I first looked at the app I wasn’t really very excited to review it. After all it’s a side-scrolling running game and that’s been done several times over by several different developers. However, Run The Joint has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Run The Joint overview

The premise is simple. You are one of many convicts trying to escape prison. Your character is actually a disembodied head that moves by bouncing and jumping. Of course, because your character is an inmate, he is shackled to a ball and chain. It turns out that this ball and chain is also a playable character. While impossibly happy, he can jump independently of your character. Not only do you need to escape, but you must take your smiling ball and chain with you.

While you are trying to escape, the guards and their dogs will try to capture you. The guards will remain stationary and can be easily evaded. The dogs, however, will chase you down. Meanwhile, there are missiles shooting at you. The world can also rotate to add an additional level of difficulty.

There are 10 different levels to escape before you are finally free.

• Drop-off point
• Old town
• The street
• Pig farm
• Bridge
• Oil fields
• Manor house
• Car dealership
• Motel Gorman
• Docklands

There are 7 different characters that you can unlock to aid you in your escape

• Highway Bob
• Voodoo Kid
• Penguin Boy
• Funny Man
• Mutant Beast
• Goldie
• Big Tash

Run The Joint setup

It’s super easy. All that is required is to download it from Google Play.

Run The Joint gameplay

I was pleasantly surprised at how fun this game actually turned out to be. I liked that there were defined levels and that it wasn’t just another endless runner. The ads were also minimal and nonintrusive. The double runner element with the ball and chain added a unique element to the game.

What we liked

• Double runner element
• Unlockable characters
• Defined levels

What could be better

• More unlockable characters
• More levels

Run The Joint summary

Overall it’s a fun game and an entertaining way to kill a few minutes here and there. Indie developer Naked Penguin Boy did a great job of making the game feel polished.

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1byone Universal car phone mount(review)

1byone is a company based in China who makes a litany of products ranging from home security systems to TV antennas all the way to mobile accessories. They are quickly building a reputation as a company who makes high quality products as evidenced by their product reviews on Amazon.com. Sure they’re spelling on their product descriptions isn’t always up to par, but don’t let that deter you from trying out their products. They are a young company and are working out small kinks. 1byone sent me a universal magnetic mount stand to use in my truck and it certainly exceeded my expectations.

Let me explain in my review.

Design and Usage

The 1byone Universal Windshield Dashboard Car Mount is one of four mounts that they offer through Amazon.com and their website.  The mount itself is made from very durable plastic with a suction cup mount on the bottom and an arm with a powerful magnet. 1byone provides two metal plates, one with a sticky gel pad that sticks to your device with a circular plate(about the size of a half dollar coin), and the other is a rectangular plate(about half the size of a standard credit card) that you can insert in between your case and phone.

Nothing is permanently stuck to your device or automobile, meaning you can adjust the positioning of the mount anytime you want or you can move it to another vehicle if need be. The gel pad is reusable if you decide to pull it off and want to put it on another phone or tablet. All you need to do is rinse it with water and it is as good as new once it dries.

Because I don’t use cases on any of my devices, the circular gel pad was the option for me to use(for the sake of this review I took pictures of the stand on my desk because getting good pictures in my truck wasn’t working out for me). I stuck the gel pad on my Amazon Fire phone which has a glass back, and the pad almost felt permanent because it was so sticky.

I attached the suction cup to the inside of my windshield and flipped the latch on the bottom of the mount to fix the mount. Once the mount was in place, and the metal plate stuck to my phone, I simply put my phone close to the magnet and it grabbed on. The magnet rotates and bends which allowed me to see my phone perfectly with a couple adjustments.

I have used other mounts which require some adjustments of arms to hold the device in place, but never used a magnetic mount. It was so much easier to use than those other mounts with adjustable arms as magnets make placement much simpler. I didn’t necessarily like the metal pad on the back on my phone as it stuck up from my phone about 2mm.

I didn’t use the metal plate inside of a phone case, but I can see that being a perfect solution to the circular disk on the back of my device. Providing both options, a metal plate and circular disk was a well thought out solution by 1byone.

After two solid weeks of daily use in the recent San Diego heat wave, and on a camping trip, the 1byone Universal car mount performed flawlessly. Mounts are nothing to get excited about, but this is going to stay in my truck and help keep my phone visible while being hands-free.

What I liked

• Price at $11.99
• Solid construction
• Compact size
• Strong suction cup and magnet
• Ability to rotate my device 360 degrees
• Reusable mounting system
• Ease-of-use

What I didn’t like

• Circular disk protruded from my device 2mm giving it an awkward feel

Summary

1byone is an upcoming company and makes high-quality products. The Universal Magnetic Mount Stand is not only cheap in price, but well thought out and well built. At $11.99 you won’t find a better mounting system and I recommend this to you if you use your phone for music, maps, and phone calls while in your automobile. Check it out on Amazon.com or at 1byone.

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Nibblers Review

Rovio has been having a rough last few years. After the runaway success of the Angry Birds franchise, the company has been grasping to regain its former glory of being a household name in the mobile gaming industry. After the mild reception of Angry Birds 2, Rovio cut 1/3 of its work force which saw 200 employees lose their jobs. Now, the gaming giant has released Nibblers. The match-3 game has all the makings of a viral hit smash, but is it any good? Let’s take a look.

The Story

Nibblers begins with a group of fish who leave the ocean to consume some yummy fruit. The only problem is that the beach and everywhere near it is guarded by a race of lizards who don’t want the fish around. Thus, you play as the fish as you invade lizard territory and eat up as much fruit as you possibly can.

As you progress, you’ll find new lizards, boss fights, and various other creatures and obstacles to stand in your way. Every so often, you’ll also change venues as you progress further inland to eat even more fruit. As of right now, there are 200 levels in total but Rovio has stated that more will be added as time goes.

Overall, the story is present but not necessarily deep. It serves to move the player forward and gives you an enemy to deal with but otherwise it’s the same kind of thing we saw with Angry Birds. There’s a group of animals who dislike another group of animals and you must beat up those animals. Simply replace birds and pigs with fish and lizards, respectively.

Game Play

The game play is fairly similar to most match-3 style games with a slight twist. You can move pieces of fruit around to match them, then they disappear and more fall into place. The twist is that you have to match three fruits that border one of the lizards in order to cause damage. Damaging the lizards enough times causes them to go up in a poof of smoke. You win the level when all the lizards have been defeated.

As you progress, you’ll be hit with more obstacles as lizards do things like climb on blocks or move to make them harder to hit. Usually these obstacles are overcome by damaging them the same way you damage the lizards. It provides an artificial challenge to Nibblers and makes levels that much harder to beat. Thankfully, the obstacles are thrown at you at regular intervals so you can get used to one before moving on to the next.

Boss fights are handled a bit differently. They’re damaged the same way but each one has its own obstacle to make it more difficult. For instance, when you do enough damage to the first boss, he’ll start dropping blocks randomly on the game map that makes it more difficult to match three fruits. They provide a challenge that is generally unique to the levels preceding them but the obstacles are usually connected to something that you dealt with in the levels before.

You do get some powers as well. As you progress, you’ll receive power-ups unlocked at level 17 and 22 which give you a little more control over the game board. When you match more than four fruits in one combo, a random fish will pop up with a random ability that you can use. For instance, one fish destroys everything in a cross shape from its location while another takes out a line from its starting point. These help balance out the obstacles and make games easier.

Each level has a restricted number of turns you can use before the level is officially failed. This value can be found at the top left corner during any level and counts down as you perform moves. The fewer moves you use, the higher your score gets and the more stars you earn. Each level can have a maximum of three stars.

Lives, and coins, and Facebook friends, oh my!

Above the game play mechanics is a layer of additional stuff. The game features Facebook integration which includes sending friends gifts of all varieties. Nibblers also includes Google Play Games services in the form of achievements and leaderboards so you can compare scores with friends or global players. There is cloud saving as well.

Nibblers uses a life system. When you fail a level, you lose a life. Lives are regenerated by simply waiting enough time (approximately 30 minutes) or you can purchase more with coins. While we don’t necessarily enjoy time-based game limitations, we do applaud that the game went with a life system instead of an energy system. As long as you never lose, you can keep playing.

Coins are used for pretty much anything you can imagine coins being used to buy. If you fail a level, you can buy more moves to avoid losing a life. You can also buy more lives. Coins can buy power-ups as well. Coins also represent the game currency that you can buy with in-app purchases. Pricing is pretty standard with $0.99, $4.99, $9.99, $19.99, and $39.99 options. Given that you can use coins to buy power-ups, it could be argued that this does introduce pay-to-win mechanics although the game is playable without them.

Outside of that, you have an inbox to accept gifts from friends as well as an omnipresent Settings button on the bottom left corner that lets you turn notifications on or off, turn sounds and music on or off, and check your Google Play Games achievements and leaderboards.

Graphics, sound, and feel

Nibblers is played in portrait mode on your screen which makes it ideal for phones and not so ideal for tablets. The game board is placed in the middle of the screen and it doesn’t reach to the corners which makes it easy to access with thumbs or fingers. The corners are used for various game tools like Settings, your Inbox, the in-game store for buying coins, and other miscellany.

Music in the game is fairly run-of-the-mill. It’s a quirky, almost goofy soundtrack that fits the mood of the game very well but we don’t imagine it’ll win any awards for creativity. The sound effects are also pretty standard, but effective. You’ll hear fruit squishing, the lizards laughing at you, and a voice over says words when you hit combos. Nothing stands out too much although we could imagine Rovio placing the voice overs in a children’s cartoon show or an adult horror movie and they would fit perfectly in both places.

The graphics are nothing to write home about but they are effective. The entire game is bright and colorful which is indicative of almost every Rovio game. The lizards and fish have been given anthropomorphic features to give them human features like feet and hands and also serves to enhance their cuteness a little bit. Unfortunately, Rovio’s propensity for cuteness gives the game a bit of a “child’s game” look despite being suitable for all ages. We imagine that will play well with the casual gamer crowd.

The bottom line

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Download Nibblers from Google Play!