Apps Category Archive

AudiobooksNow Android App Review

Leave a reply Steve August

AudiobooksNow is an Android app that makes buying and listening to audiobooks simple. Using just shy of 9 MB, it was a quick download and you can pay per book, billed through credit card, or pay only $5 a month to obtain access to discounted prices – but please utilize the 30 days trial before making any decision on buying books.  You can also browse the vast selection of books and even listen to samples to judge the quality of the audiobooks for free.

While the app started out somewhat slow with long loading times, the more I used it, the faster it got, until it began playing my book as soon as I tapped it.  Another feature I found interesting is that the application has the ability to run in the background, so you are able to listen to the book while texting, viewing pictures or looking something up online. By pressing the icon in your status bar, you can return to the app.

My Library in AudiobooksNow

AudiobooksNow provides a very easy way to change your password if you feel someone else knows it or you just like your account more protected. These things will ensure that your credit card credentials are kept safe. If you have any issues with anything in the app, you can visit the “Help/FAQ” section, where there are common questions and answers that hope to address your issue.

At present, this app has a selection of almost 8,800 books, a rapid expansion in comparison to an estimated 3,200 books earlier this year.  Let us expect to see it grow even more along with more users. In addition, most books are offered as both abridged and unabridged. Books can be searched by nearly any piece of information you have including Keyword, Rating, and Narrator.

There are also a few downsides. The “browse” option was somewhat limited, which I felt crippled the app, having you choose very specific topics, narrowing your selection down to about ten or less before you are able to even see any books. This is app is also unavailable in many parts of the world. I don’t know whether this has something to do with the copyright policy or the developer has deliberately chosen to exclude many countries.

AudiobooksNow needs Android 2.2 and up and it seems like this app has crossed a few thousand downloads in Google Play.

SEAL Fitness Challenge iPhone App Review

Leave a reply Steve August

SEAL Fitness Challenge app developed by JGo Labs features a fitness program based on the U.S. Navy SEAL fitness requirements. This app pushes you beyond the highest limits and helps you achieve total fitness without the aid of equipment or a gym. However, it needs dedication and discipline in order to reach the goal of total fitness.

SEAL Fitness Challenge is an intensive training program that takes the help of AI and gaming engines to keep you on the move. The journey from a ‘wannabe’ to the gold status is fun-filled and helps you enjoy the different stages of the fitness regime. As time progresses, you can earn higher ranks with the help of a series of real world Qualification Challenges. The failure to succeed in any level may put you down in the ranks.

homescreeen of seal fitness challenge

This app provides a variety of exercises and keeps you on your toes as you never know what to expect in the next training regime. The fitness regimes have different time limits too and you are allowed to work out for as little as one minute to 90 minutes depending upon the time available. The intensity of the workouts can be managed according to the needs of each individual. Exercise regimes too are tailor made to suit the individual choices of the users. If we like to do our own exercises then we can incorporate them in this program which not only gives us our choice but provides variety to the daily regimes. Moreover, SEAL Fitness Challenge keeps a track of our previous exercise regimes and provides us with in-depth information about our journey to the present stage.

Chief Halpern, a Navy SEAL and a tough coach, can guide you in this endeavor. He looks after your exercise routine and you have to work hard in order to save yourself from his caustic remarks. He can also help you get through the rigors of training to keep you going till you achieve the desired level.

The negative aspect of this app is its tough training. The user may get carried away to achieve greater levels and this may lead to stress and excessive exercise. Occasionally this may lead to injuries or negative health effects. Hence this fitness program should be started only after taking proper advice from a doctor and it is always advisable to curb yourself and not get overburdened.

SEAL Fitness Challenge is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad and requires iOS 5.1 or later. It costs $1.99.

Live Loud Magazine iPad App Review

3 Replies Steve August

After all the women’s magazines that have been doing the rounds in the market, ‘Live Loud’ comes as a refreshing break for all the men looking for something dealing exclusively with them. Live Loud is a digital monthly publication that features practically everything that catches the fantasy of men on the planet earth! It answers a plethora of questions that all the guys have always wanted answers to, be it questions about relationships or the first things girls notice about boys, it is all in here.

The magazine deals not only with issues like relationships but also has a section devoted to technology and the latest gadgets and equipment! It will provide you with a detailed description of the latest gadgets as well as their use in your daily lives and how user-friendly they are. It will also make you aware of the size of hole that any of these funky-looking gadgets will burn in your pocket, and also if it is worth it or not. It’s like a review for men, by men.
Gadget area of Live Loud MagazineAlong with that, the magazine also has frequent write-ups on how one can acquire the perfect body, both through a dietary regime as well as work-outs. Some issues of the magazine will also have you looking at some of the most desirable places to go for a holiday. It also gives you the basic information required for a visit to a particular destination and gives you tips on how to go about it.

One of the drawbacks of this app, however, is that it can’t be made accessible to minors who have an impressionable mind. This app contains quite a bit of explicit and sexual content which should not be made accessible to young readers, especially those below 18 years of age.

Apart from that, this app is a light and enjoyable read, almost like a guru to all the men too shy to approach a girl or too meek to even speak to one. It addresses one of the major issues that single men are concerned with- how to pick up a girl with a smooth pick-up line. Each issue has about 70 pages on an average and every page promises to keep you as interested in it, as the previous one.

Live Loud Magazine will therefore cater to the needs of men not only across generations but across nationalities. Be it the geek, the cool stud or the average corporate worker, Live Loud caters to the needs of every man. Live Loud Magazine is compatible with Apple iPad and requires iOS 5.0 or later. The subscription of Live Loud costs $1.99 with the first subscription being only for $0.99. It is also available in over 11 languages.