iPhone App Review: Trip Boss - Expense and Budget Travel Manager

Trip Boss Expense & Budget Travel Manager

$4.99

iPhone/iPod Touch only

Version: 4.1.1

Tested on: iPod Touch 4G (iOS 4.3.2)

Rating: 4 of 5

When we travel, a lot of things are happening at the same time, regardless whether it's a business trip or for other purposes. There are lots of small yet important things happening which make the trip a great experience. You meet with new people, takes notes of interesting things you find, and spends some amount of money. Would it be great if there's an app that can help you gather all that information in a single place?

Well, Trip Boss Expense & Budget Travel Manager is an iPhone app designed to help you organize this information. With this app, you can start by creating a new trip and enter all your travel details, including departure/arrival times, travel purpose, description, notes, and other travelers who are going with you. Then, you can start recording all your expenses grouped under that trip.

The app truly shines when it comes to recording your travel expenses. Not only you can categorize your expenses, record the date/time and place, but you can also enter the expense in foreign currencies, tag any number of names as clients/guests, and write notes associated with each expense. These features are very helpful in recording the event of which the expense occurs.

One of my favorite features in this app is the Tip Calculator feature. This feature is designed so well, that you can actually use it even when you're not traveling. How many times do you go to a restaurant with friends/family and you need to calculate the tip then split the bill? Well, this feature is really easy to use. Not only you can define the tax/tip rates, but you can easily enter the number of people to split the bill and round up/down any part of the bill. In my group, I always be the one who count the tip (and I always round up the total amount) then split the bill, so this feature is just amazing.

What makes it even more lovable is that the app automatically includes your part of the bill (after the split) as your expense amount. Then, just as a good reminder, you can always take a picture of the receipt, then keep it or share it with your group. You can also track how you pay for the expense, e.g. cash, credit/debit cards.

Some people may like to put a budget on their trips, especially if it's a business trip. Again, this app has an answer for this with its great budgeting feature. You can easily define your budgets into categories, and the app will automatically match your expenses with each category, so that you can see how you have managed your expenses.

Features above are just some of what the app can perform. With its in-app purchase capabilities, the developer promises to deliver various modules like itinerary, journaling and trip planning. Right now, the itinerary module is ready for you to purchase. So you can try to use this basic module of Expense & Budget then purchase the Itinerary module from its in-app store, or you can choose to purchase the complete Itinerary module from the Itinerary, Expense & Budget edition.

The itinerary module allows you to record details of your travel, not only limited to flight details. You can record your travel regardless of the transportation methods you use. The module provides specific details for flight, train, bus, car drive, and even boat cruise. You can record details of your car rentals and parking too if you need to. These expenses will be integrated automatically into your trip.

Overall, I think this app is a great app for anyone, especially business travelers. A lot of features are packed within the app that I can't describe thoroughly within this review. And I believe that the more you use this app, the more you'll see its benefits. I'd love to see you try the app and share how it helps you to make your trips more enjoyable knowing that all the details are saved in this great app.

Now, for a limited period of time, you have a chance to win one of the three promo codes of this great app. And, here are the steps you need to take to get a chance to win it:

1. Follow @appenthusiast on Twitter
2. Tweet this: "Manage your travel with Trip Boss for #iPhone, and get a chance to win a copy! http://bit.ly/l1AUnj via @appenthusiast" or click the blue Twitter share button on the top right of this post.
3. The contest ends on Friday, May 12, 2011, 23:59 PST
4. I will choose randomly the three winners.

Check out my other iPhone apps reviews here.

Video Review: Neon Sign

Neon Sign

$1.99

Universal (iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad)

Version: 2.0

Tested on: iPad 2 (iOS 4.3.2)

Reviewer: Evan

Check out our video review of Neon Sign, a unique application which works for the iPhone and the iPad. This app allows you to turn your iPad or iPhone into your very own customized Neon Sign. There are 100+ unique neon design and numerous flashing types that you can choose from. Watch our review and let us know what you think.

Check out my previous iPad app review here.

iPad App Review: Be Confident in Who You Are

Be Confident in Who You Are

$3.99

iPad only

Version: 1.0.1

Tested on: iPad 2 (iOS 4.3.2)

Rating: 4 of 5

I'm pretty sure you've seen a lot of comic books (or graphic novels) apps on the iPad these days. But, I can assure you that Be Confident in Who You Are is not your everyday interactive graphic novel. And depending on who you are, you can find this iPad app to be a great value to you or your loved ones. 

This graphic novel is illustrated by Matt Kindt and is based on the award-winning Middle School Confidential series written by teen expert Annie Fox. Be Confident in Who You Are is the first book of the series. This series is specially written for middle school students to help them to get along and overcome challenges in their schools. 

With middle school students in mind, this story is wonderfully illustrated and carefully designed as an interactive iPad app. The app includes music and sound effects to enhance the experience while reading the story. Each part of the story can be zoomed (by double tapping) to highlight the focus. And, to get the best experience with the music and sound effects, I recommend you read the story while in zoomed-in mode. From the technical perspective, I think this app is thoughtfully designed for maximum reading experience.

But the real value of this app is not in its tech-savviness, rather in its storyline and how it's able to resonate with our kids and remind them to be confident in who they are. There's no better way in getting a teen's attention than to be empathic with their struggling minds. Teens are exposed to new challenges everyday in school and in their environment. Getting an inspiring story like this into their hands can have a great impact on a teen's life.

I really appreciate what Annie Fox is doing here with the stories and this app. Using the iPad as a medium to speak to young kids are very valuable, especially for parents. If you're a parent or if you have friends/family who are struggling with their kids, there's no better gift than this app. Get it now and spread the word. You'll never know how great the impact you're making.

Check out my other iPad apps reviews here.

NEW Release: iMotion HD (Quick Review)

iMotion HD

FREE

Universal (iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad)

Version: 1.0

Tested on: iPad 2 (iOS 4.3.2)

Reviewer: Evan

There are lots of photography apps on the App Store today, but looking for a good one for the iPad 2 can be a challenge. iMotion HD is a Universal app which was just released a few days ago and has already become one of my favorite camera apps for the iPad 2. With this app, you can create movies using stop-motion technique. It's something that's not commonly offered by other iPad apps on the App Store.

iMotion HD is an app that's very easy to use. When you start creating your movie, you can choose to use the iMotion Remote app (which is a separate app) to remotely control it, to use the automatic time-lapse camera with a mic, or to use the manual capture. You can also add a title for your movie. While making the video, you can use the onion skin or add the grid to help you get a better video. Depending on your settings, you may click capture or it may automatically take a picture within the period (in seconds) you set.

Once you're done with the movie, you're ready to share it. You can also edit the speed (time lapse between frames) to slow/fasten the movie. With an in-app purchase, you can export the movie to your photo albums, iTunes, e-mail account, YouTube or to the iMotion gallery.

Check out my previous iPad app review here.

NEW Video: Angry Birds Rio (Updated in A Few Days)

Angry Birds Rio which was released back in March 21, is expected to release its first update. With a total of 242,000 downloads in the US Store alone, it still falls short of the expected 1,000,000 downloads. This update which is a little bit late to be inline with the Rio 3D Movie hopes to increase this number significantly.

If you haven't owned a copy of Angry Birds Rio, I really think this is the right time to get your copy. The US Store sales data shows data people prefer to buy the full version (242K) rather than the free version (148K). So what are you waiting for? 

App Reviews: Book Club Mobile for iPhone and Book Club Leader for iPad

Book Club Mobile for iPhone and Book Club Leader for iPad

$2.99 each

iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad

Version: 1.2

Tested on: iPod Touch 4G and iPad 2 (iOS 4.3.2)

Rating: 5 of 5

Reading books has always been a very inspiring experience that most book lovers can testify to. And, being in a book club can easily leverage that into something that's a whole lot better. But sometimes keeping book club meetings to be engaging and interesting may become a challenge in itself. Getting the right questions and topics to trigger discussions, and coming up with a list of candidates for the next session may become the key success factors for your book readers club.

Book Club Mobile is an excellent iPhone app that will help you maximize your book club meetings by suggesting questions and topics which are based on characters in the book, themes, plots, cultural/historical settings and how these different dynamics of the books relate to your personal experience in life. The app contains these detailed guides on around 200 book titles which are carefully selected to resemble what most book clubs are discussing. New reading guides are added on a daily basis to keep your book clubs fresh and always filled with great options to choose from.

The app is an excellent place to start your book readers discussion. With this app, you can gain the confidence to step up and lead the next session in your book clubs. Book Club Mobile allows you to sort the guiding questions by the type of questions and mark the ones which have already been discussed. 

Book Club Mobile has a beautiful design, and if you have an iPad, you should check the Book Club Leader for iPad. The design is just awesome. While these apps are keeping you on top of things during book discussions, they have a lot of features that would help you find the next book to discuss easily and elegantly. These apps have a strong integration with GoodReads API to get the readers ratings and use them to provide more information to their users. 

Both apps also have a section where you can easily find out more information about which books made the bestseller lists. You can use these lists to find inspiring books or even order the books directly from Amazon. I believe within the near future, we can easily purchase the book from the iBookstore too.

You also need to check out tips section where you can find various tips, ranging from dessert recipe, short articles, movie recommendations and more book recommendation. This brings the book club experience to a higher level than just book discussion. I think these tips will help you to keep your book club engaging.

Overall, I think this is a one-of-a-kind app that is thoughtfully designed. Not just being aesthetically pleasing, but every features are designed from the book lover perspectives and focused to help book club discussions to be engaging and interesting. I have a strong belief that with more people start using these apps and provide feedback to the developer team, they'll see these apps grow fast and become the essential kit for every book club in the world.

Now, for a limited period of time, you have a chance to win one promo code for the iPhone app and one promo code for the iPad app. And, here are the steps you need to take to get a chance to win it:

1. Follow @appenthusiast on Twitter
2. Tweet this: "Make your book clubs engaging with Book Club Mobile for iPhone, and get a chance to win a copy! http://bit.ly/jDnvtM via @appenthusiast" or click the blue Twitter share button on the top right of this post.
3. Post a comment here indicating which Twitter account you're using and which version you'd like to win.
4. The contest ends on Sunday, May 8, 2011, 23:59 PST
5. I will choose randomly one winner for the iPhone version and one for the iPad version.

Check out my other iPhone apps here.

NEW Release: Decks for Apps (Quick Review)

Decks for Apps

FREE

iPad Only

Version: 1.0

Tested on: iPad 2 (iOS 4.3.2)

Decks for Apps is an iPad app made beautifully by the guys at Cooliris with a single purpose of allowing its users a simple and easy access to the top apps on the App Store. It is very simple indeed, yet very useful. The app is also beautifully designed, looks elegant, and is easy to use. 

The app has three different charts, i.e. Top 50 Free Apps, Top 50 Paid Apps and Top 50 Grossing Apps. Everyday the app will update itself with the latest information available on the App Store. So, you will always find new apps that allow you to maximize your experience using the iPad. 

To navigate, you can swipe to the left and right to see the previous or next app within the chart. You can also tap anywhere to flip the current view, so that it will show the detail description of the app and allow you to set it as one of your favorite apps. And if you're swiping up or down, you'll navigate yourself to the other Top 50 Apps Lists. 

The above screenshots highlight some of the best apps found in the Top 50 Apps Lists that you should check out, e.g. the Angry Birds Rio HD (which will be updated next week), Crackle, and Qwiki. There are plenty of other apps to discover on daily basis, and you can share your discovery with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. Try Decks for Apps today and never miss the great apps for your iPad again.


Check out my other iPad apps reviews here.