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.

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.

Auryn Ink for iPad: Get a Chance to Win a Copy

Auryn Ink

$4.99

iPad Only

Version: 1.3.2
Author: Evan

Auryn Ink is a revolutionary application that creates the authentic simulation of watercolor painting intuitively and easily. It provides everything you need to create, export and share beautiful works of art on the iPad. With this app, you can generate complete paintings with the touch of your finger. 

This app is selected as the best app in art category by Fast Company magazine. It even uses brushes and the paint reacts to the kind of digital canvas you use. Now, the developers of Auryn Ink want to give you a chance to win a copy of Auryn Ink.

For a very limited period of time (the codes expire on May 29, 2011), you have a chance to actually win one of the two promo codes for this great art app. And, here are the steps you need to take to get a chance to win the promo codes:

1. Follow @appenthusiast on Twitter
2. Tweet this: "Auryn Ink makes watercolor painting fun, and get a chance to win a copy! http://bit.ly/ktzPC4 via @appenthusiast" or just click the small blue Twitter share button on the top right of this post.
3. The contest ends on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 23:59 PST
4. I will choose the two winners randomly

Check out my previous iPad app reviews here.

iPhone Game Review: Block the Laser, Plus a Chance to Win a Copy

Block the Laser

$.99

iPhone/iPod Touch Only

Version: 1.0.0

Tested on: iPod Touch 4G (iOS 4.3.2)

Rating: 4 of 5

Block the Laser is an unique maze-morphing puzzle game for the iPhone. This gameplay is somewhat hard to describe and sometimes it's even harder to digest during the first few levels. Only after playing it for  a while I come to realize how to play this game. First, it is a maze game. Each level is a maze of its own. But it's not just any maze, because what you are doing inside the maze actually changes the maze. I guess that is why the developer calls it maze-morphing game. The maze morphs as you move in it.

There is no better way to explain the gameplay than showing a few examples of how a level would be played. Above is some screenshots of how Level 2 is setup and played. As you can see in the pictures above, the exit door in each level is identified with the arrow mark. Most, but not all, levels have doors that can be past through from left to right, from top to bottom, and vice versa. This is necessary for you to travel within the maze.

The screenshots above also show you how to play the game. Colored doors can be opened or closed by walking through the button with the same color. For example, if you walk through the purple button, the purple door which is closed will be opened, and the other purple door which is opened will be closed. The same would be applied to the blue doors when you walk through the blue button. I am pretty sure you can figure out how the game works by looking at the above four screenshots.

In the next level, you are introduced with the rotating doors. Pay attention to the rotating marker in the center of the door. Not all rotating doors would have all four door segments, but they will all be triggered by the buttons with associated color and move in the direction showed by the marker. Every time you walk through the button, the door will rotate automatically, and sometimes this means you will be pushed by the rotating door. Pay attention to the three screenshots above to figure out how the rotating door works in Level 3.

Until now, you only see doors after doors. You must have been thinking where the laser is. Well, doors and buttons are essential elements to this game, and you need to be familiar with it before you are introduced to the lethal laser. Yes, the laser is lethal, so do not let yourself get burned by it. In the above screenshot, you will see that lasers have colors too and they can be turned off and on, using buttons with the right colors.

Check out the above screenshots of Level 4 to learn how the lasers can be controlled by the button. If you have more than one laser, please be careful when you hit the button. The orange button above, for example, controls two orange lasers.

The last element of the game is mirror. In the Level 5, you are introduced to a lot of lasers and mirrors. No buttons this time. This is to allow you to focus on learning how mirrors work in the game. Since there is not any button available, you cannot turn off any of the lasers. You can only change the direction of the lasers. This is where the mirrors can help. As you can see in the screenshots above, they always have a diagonal position to deflect the lasers in a safe direction.

You should always keep yourself on the back of the mirrors, then push the mirror towards a direction that would be save for yourself. Please be careful when pushing the mirrors, or else you can be burned. Learn from the screenshots above on how you can use mirrors to deflect the lasers in safe directions as you walk through the maze to get to the exit.

This game is an awesome game. It took me a while to learn about how to play the game. But, it definitely worths the learning curve. Overall, I really recommend this game to anyone who loves puzzle and strategy games.

Now, for a very limited period of time, you have a chance to win one of the five promo codes for this great maze-morphing puzzle game. And, here are the steps you need to take to get a chance to win the promo codes:

1. Follow @appenthusiast on Twitter
2. Tweet this: "Play this great maze-morphing game for #iPhone, Block the Laser, and get a chance to win a copy! http://bit.ly/mGMv6M via @appenthusiast" - or click the Twitter share button on the top right corner of this post.
3. The contest ends on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 23:59 PST
4. I will choose randomly the five winners

Check out my other iPhone apps reviews here.