Hands-on review: Xbox One

The Xbox One is out of the gate. It's available now in the U.S., and November 22 in the U.K. We've got one in our offices, and since the Xbox Live Servers are just now launching, we're giving it some time in the real world before making a judgment and rendering our verdict. While we work through our review process, enjoy our updated hands on assessment.

One console to rule them all. One console to find all your devices, one console to control all your services and in the living room bind them.

That's Microsoft's plan. Gaming, cable television, music and movies all streaming into one system: the Xbox One. It's ambitious, but the hardware seems capable.

 

The real question is this: can the Xbox One overcome the mixed messaging, the now-canned 24-hour online dependence and the other potholes that had it stumbling out of the gate, and allowed Sony to win E3 2013 with some sharp PlayStation 4 counter-programming?

Thanks to a strong launch lineup and more than a bit of damage control, the Xbox One is repairing its reputation. Still, does it have a chance at the ubiquity of the of its predecessor, the Xbox 360? Or will it trip over its own $500/£429.99 price tag?

It's quite the legacy to live up to. For long stretches of the last console generation, the Xbox was king. While the Wii was everywhere, and millions of gamers and AV enthusiasts eventually picked up a PlayStation 3, for a while there the phrase "let's play some Xbox" was almost interchangeable with "let's play some video games."

 

It was the console that brought Xbox Live into maturity, setting the standard for the online experience on a gaming console. It taught couch gamers to tolerate the tech support look of a headset in exchange for voice communication, and that you get what you pay for: a year of Xbox Live Gold might have cost as much as a game, but the service was more robust than Sony's PSN.

Now at the dawn of a new console generation, the Xbox One stands before us, a combination game console and home theater system. Can it truly wrangle all the disparate devices of the living room, as well as support a robust library of games, or has Microsoft bitten off more than it can chew? Don't worry, we'll slice those facts nice and thin for you in our review.

The first thing you'll notice about the Xbox One is what an absolute beast it is. It measures 274 x 79 x 333 mm, making it longer and taller than a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox 360. You don't need a tape measure to figure that out though, the thing just looks huge.

 

Its size and girth harkens back to the original Xbox, an imposing black plastic beast covered in black plastic ridges. Microsoft seems to be throwing back to that design, bringing back the all black and the ridge-covered aesthetic.

 

When you first take the Xbox One out of its box, you'll notice an eyesore of a sticker next to the Blu-Ray drive, asking you to kindly not move the system while a disc is inside.

 

A good warning, as that can damage a spinning disc in any system, but an ugly sticker - luckily it comes off nice and clean. We also have hard time imagining that gamers will be moving their hulking Xbox Ones very often, especially since the system is also not designed to stand on its side.

 

It's massive size and black, rectangular construction evoke a stereo tuner from the nineties. Its imposing bulk begs to be hidden away, with just its slot loading disc drive exposed, little white Xbox logo glowing in lonely TV cabinet darkness.

 

Flip the machine around and you'll see a plethora of ports. It has all your standard nodes: ethernet, HDMI out, power, S/PDIF (commonly used for optical audio), dual USB 3.0 ports and an IR out. Additionally, there are two proprietary ports, one for hooking in the Kinect, and an HDMI in, which is how you feed the Xbox One your cable or satellite signal. There's also a third USB 3.0 port found on the system's right side.

 

We've been told that the HDMI in can be used as a regular old pass through, allowing you to play your Xbox 360, a VCR (do they make HDMI VCRs?) or even a PS4 through the Xbox One. That's something we'll be testing in our full Xbox One review.

You can't talk Xbox One without bringing up the new Kinect. While the system can operate without being hooked into Microsoft's magic eye, you'd be losing a lot of its most unique features and showroom wow factor.

 

The new Kinect is a whole lot bigger than its predecessor. It's also designed to sit in front of your TV, rather than perched on top of the screen like the PlayStation Camera. It's too big and, presumably, delicate for that.

Just like the system itself, it has a white light up logo on its right side. Dull red lights intermittently glow when it's active.

 

The underside of the Kinect has rubber feet that provide a firm grip. It's not going to fall off your entertainment center any time soon. It can also tilt up and down, with enough range of motion that there shouldn't be any trouble finding the right angle for your living room.

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Review: Updated: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013)

Upgraded designFaster processorIncredible battery lifeInternal storage questionableDark spots on screenPoor browser

With 2GB on board storage, a 212 ppi resolution, a "25% faster processor" (Amazon wasn't very forthcoming on the exact speed) and weighing in at 206 grams, the latest Paperwhite is taking aim at the higher-end of ereader specs.

And at £109 it's definitely cost effective. The Kobo Aura HD is probably the most comparable device in a similar range, but even with a more impressive list of specs, the Paperwhite seems to have executed the ereading experience very well.

It just goes to show that execution is just as important, if not more, as pumping a device full of shiny fast things.

Amazon knows a thing or two about ereaders, that much is clear from almost every version of the Kindle, and it's never been more apparent than in its 6th generation model.

This almost epitomises everything you would expect from an ereader, it's truly an achievement in ereading technology. It almost feels wrong that the Kindle arrived at our doorstep via a sweaty postman, rather than being delivered to us by a mythical stalk whilst a barbershop quartet of cupids provided an angelic backing chorus.

Surprisingly, the specifications aren't actually mind blowing, and there are some basic features that Amazon is still yet to introduce into its ereader and tablet devices - most notably external storage.

No colour on this model

This new version of the Kindle typifies the word 'improvement'. We don't mean that it's jumped leaps and bounds from the previous version, we mean that it has been tweaked and honed to provide a polished experience that improves on anything Amazon has produced in earlier years.

It weighs slightly less and the backlight has been redesigned to reduce eye strain - amongst some other small upgrades. If the Kindle was a piece of software, this version would be an update rather than a new release.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because Amazon has clearly focused its efforts on the actual reading experience, which is actually a delight. The addition of reading apps like X-Ray and Smart Lookup are game changers that go further than other devices on the market.

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Hands-on review: Xbox One

The Xbox One is out of the gate. It's available now in the U.S., and November 22 in the U.K. We've got one in our offices, and since the Xbox Live Servers are just now launching, we're giving it some time in the real world before making a judgment and rendering our verdict. While we work through our review process, enjoy our updated hands on assessment.

One console to rule them all. One console to find all your devices, one console to control all your services and in the living room bind them.

That's Microsoft's plan. Gaming, cable television, music and movies all streaming into one system: the Xbox One. It's ambitious, but the hardware seems capable.

 

The real question is this: can the Xbox One overcome the mixed messaging, the now-canned 24-hour online dependence and the other potholes that had it stumbling out of the gate, and allowed Sony to win E3 2013 with some sharp PlayStation 4 counter-programming?

Thanks to a strong launch lineup and more than a bit of damage control, the Xbox One is repairing its reputation. Still, does it have a chance at the ubiquity of the of its predecessor, the Xbox 360? Or will it trip over its own $500/£429.99 price tag?

It's quite the legacy to live up to. For long stretches of the last console generation, the Xbox was king. While the Wii was everywhere, and millions of gamers and AV enthusiasts eventually picked up a PlayStation 3, for a while there the phrase "let's play some Xbox" was almost interchangeable with "let's play some video games."

 

It was the console that brought Xbox Live into maturity, setting the standard for the online experience on a gaming console. It taught couch gamers to tolerate the tech support look of a headset in exchange for voice communication, and that you get what you pay for: a year of Xbox Live Gold might have cost as much as a game, but the service was more robust than Sony's PSN.

Now at the dawn of a new console generation, the Xbox One stands before us, a combination game console and home theater system. Can it truly wrangle all the disparate devices of the living room, as well as support a robust library of games, or has Microsoft bitten off more than it can chew? Don't worry, we'll slice those facts nice and thin for you in our review.

The first thing you'll notice about the Xbox One is what an absolute beast it is. It measures 274 x 79 x 333 mm, making it longer and taller than a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox 360. You don't need a tape measure to figure that out though, the thing just looks huge.

 

Its size and girth harkens back to the original Xbox, an imposing black plastic beast covered in black plastic ridges. Microsoft seems to be throwing back to that design, bringing back the all black and the ridge-covered aesthetic.

 

When you first take the Xbox One out of its box, you'll notice an eyesore of a sticker next to the Blu-Ray drive, asking you to kindly not move the system while a disc is inside.

 

A good warning, as that can damage a spinning disc in any system, but an ugly sticker - luckily it comes off nice and clean. We also have hard time imagining that gamers will be moving their hulking Xbox Ones very often, especially since the system is also not designed to stand on its side.

 

It's massive size and black, rectangular construction evoke a stereo tuner from the nineties. Its imposing bulk begs to be hidden away, with just its slot loading disc drive exposed, little white Xbox logo glowing in lonely TV cabinet darkness.

 

Flip the machine around and you'll see a plethora of ports. It has all your standard nodes: ethernet, HDMI out, power, S/PDIF (commonly used for optical audio), dual USB 3.0 ports and an IR out. Additionally, there are two proprietary ports, one for hooking in the Kinect, and an HDMI in, which is how you feed the Xbox One your cable or satellite signal. There's also a third USB 3.0 port found on the system's right side.

 

We've been told that the HDMI in can be used as a regular old pass through, allowing you to play your Xbox 360, a VCR (do they make HDMI VCRs?) or even a PS4 through the Xbox One. That's something we'll be testing in our full Xbox One review.

You can't talk Xbox One without bringing up the new Kinect. While the system can operate without being hooked into Microsoft's magic eye, you'd be losing a lot of its most unique features and showroom wow factor.

 

The new Kinect is a whole lot bigger than its predecessor. It's also designed to sit in front of your TV, rather than perched on top of the screen like the PlayStation Camera. It's too big and, presumably, delicate for that.

Just like the system itself, it has a white light up logo on its right side. Dull red lights intermittently glow when it's active.

 

The underside of the Kinect has rubber feet that provide a firm grip. It's not going to fall off your entertainment center any time soon. It can also tilt up and down, with enough range of motion that there shouldn't be any trouble finding the right angle for your living room.

View the original article here

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Hands-on review: PowerShell Controller + Battery review

Scratch two massive firsts off the list; we just played a game on an iPhone using physical controls, and saw an iPhone charging with microUSB.

Logitech's PowerShell Controller + Battery brings a traditional D-pad and button mashing control scheme to Apple's ubiquitous smartphone, and it'll charge your iPhone.

It'll be on shelves in early December, just in time for Christmas. At $99, it's a pricey stocking stuffer, but its ability to act as a mobile charger adds a big incentive to toss one under the tree and into your bag.

Docking your iPhone with the PowerShell Controller is simple. Just slide it into the plastic frame, a built in lighting connecter does all the work. No app to download, nothing to sync, it's the definition of plug and play.

 

The PowerShell Controller works on the iPhone 5S and 5, plus the most recent 5th generation iPod touch – there's a rubber slip to put behind your iPod to compensate to make its thinner profile fit snugly.

The iPhone 5C, Apple's more colorful, less expensive option, is out in the cold on this one. The PowerShell can't accommodate its larger frame. That's a shame, but really the only flaw we could find with PowerShell's build during our hands on time.

 

With its black rubber on plastic aesthetic, it's definitely more like a Logitech product than one that would come out of Cupertino. No matter though, it meshed nicely with the black iPhone 5 we had on had for our demo. The build smacked of quality, with a responsive eight-way D-pad and four primary buttons plus shoulder switches and a pause button, all with enough throw and spring back to get mashed on without ending up smashed.

While the PowerShell is officially sanctioned by Apple, thanks to third-party controller support introduced in iOS 7, it is the sort of thing developers will have to provide support for, app by app. Logitech is claiming a list of three hundred games. Some of our favorites include Bastion and MetalStorm Aces.

 

During our time with the controller we messed up some blocky Orcs in Lego Lord of the Rings, chased down bogeys in Galaxy on Fire 2 and rolled over a few Panzers in Pocket Tanks. The PowerShell performed admirably all the way through.

We didn't just love the classic controller feel of the PowerShell, we really appreciated how we could get our thumbs out of the way the display. The iPhone's screen real estate is limited, compared to something like the Galaxy S4 or even the Moto X. This helps you take full advantage of it, and the on screen controls in Galaxy on Fire 2 even disappeared. Hopefully all developers will follow suit when adding controller support for controllers.

 

Right now, Logitech's only competition seems to be the Moga Ace Power gamepad, also priced at $99. Both devices are well above impulse buy territory, and while we appreciate the battery charging feature, we have to wonder if Logitech or anyone else plans to build a Controller minus Battery. Such a device would be a serious charge suck, but could be priced to move.

Don't take that as a reason to wait though, the PowerShell seems like the complete package. It has a built in 1500 mAh battery that charges with an included microUSB cable. Plug in the controller with your iPhone docked and it'll top of the phone first, then charge the controller.

 

That microUSB support is great, since it'll make it easier to charge when you're in an Android household. The built in battery can also charge your phone with the flip of the switch. This feature doesn't actually have to be engaged to control a game.

 

The PowerShell also comes with headphone jack extension that allows you to plug your earbuds into the controller. You have to remember to unplug it before removing your iPhone, or you risk breaking it off in the port. That seemed like a bit of a liability to us.

In our brief hands on session, the D-pad and buttons on the PowerShell Controller seemed reliable enough. We'll need more time to make sure that the controls are free from game killing lag though.

We also want to see how many charges you can get out of the PowerShell's battery. If it's competitive with similiarly priced chargers, it'd be silly not pick one up if you're in the market. Why not get the more functional device? We'll have the long and short of it in our full review.

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Hands-on review: PowerShell Controller + Battery review

Scratch two massive firsts off the list; we just played a game on an iPhone using physical controls, and saw an iPhone charging with microUSB.

Logitech's PowerShell Controller + Battery brings a traditional D-pad and button mashing control scheme to Apple's ubiquitous smartphone, and it'll charge your iPhone.

It'll be on shelves in early December, just in time for Christmas. At $99, it's a pricey stocking stuffer, but its ability to act as a mobile charger adds a big incentive to toss one under the tree and into your bag.

Docking your iPhone with the PowerShell Controller is simple. Just slide it into the plastic frame, a built in lighting connecter does all the work. No app to download, nothing to sync, it's the definition of plug and play.

 

The PowerShell Controller works on the iPhone 5S and 5, plus the most recent 5th generation iPod touch – there's a rubber slip to put behind your iPod to compensate to make its thinner profile fit snugly.

The iPhone 5C, Apple's more colorful, less expensive option, is out in the cold on this one. The PowerShell can't accommodate its larger frame. That's a shame, but really the only flaw we could find with PowerShell's build during our hands on time.

 

With its black rubber on plastic aesthetic, it's definitely more like a Logitech product than one that would come out of Cupertino. No matter though, it meshed nicely with the black iPhone 5 we had on had for our demo. The build smacked of quality, with a responsive eight-way D-pad and four primary buttons plus shoulder switches and a pause button, all with enough throw and spring back to get mashed on without ending up smashed.

While the PowerShell is officially sanctioned by Apple, thanks to third-party controller support introduced in iOS 7, it is the sort of thing developers will have to provide support for, app by app. Logitech is claiming a list of three hundred games. Some of our favorites include Bastion and MetalStorm Aces.

 

During our time with the controller we messed up some blocky Orcs in Lego Lord of the Rings, chased down bogeys in Galaxy on Fire 2 and rolled over a few Panzers in Pocket Tanks. The PowerShell performed admirably all the way through.

We didn't just love the classic controller feel of the PowerShell, we really appreciated how we could get our thumbs out of the way the display. The iPhone's screen real estate is limited, compared to something like the Galaxy S4 or even the Moto X. This helps you take full advantage of it, and the on screen controls in Galaxy on Fire 2 even disappeared. Hopefully all developers will follow suit when adding controller support for controllers.

 

Right now, Logitech's only competition seems to be the Moga Ace Power gamepad, also priced at $99. Both devices are well above impulse buy territory, and while we appreciate the battery charging feature, we have to wonder if Logitech or anyone else plans to build a Controller minus Battery. Such a device would be a serious charge suck, but could be priced to move.

Don't take that as a reason to wait though, the PowerShell seems like the complete package. It has a built in 1500 mAh battery that charges with an included microUSB cable. Plug in the controller with your iPhone docked and it'll top of the phone first, then charge the controller.

 

That microUSB support is great, since it'll make it easier to charge when you're in an Android household. The built in battery can also charge your phone with the flip of the switch. This feature doesn't actually have to be engaged to control a game.

 

The PowerShell also comes with headphone jack extension that allows you to plug your earbuds into the controller. You have to remember to unplug it before removing your iPhone, or you risk breaking it off in the port. That seemed like a bit of a liability to us.

In our brief hands on session, the D-pad and buttons on the PowerShell Controller seemed reliable enough. We'll need more time to make sure that the controls are free from game killing lag though.

We also want to see how many charges you can get out of the PowerShell's battery. If it's competitive with similiarly priced chargers, it'd be silly not pick one up if you're in the market. Why not get the more functional device? We'll have the long and short of it in our full review.

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Hands-on review: BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982

It's a phone many are finding difficult to justify for BlackBerry in its current unstable condition. But the Canadian firm isn't listening to the naysayers - it's just ploughing on.

That determination has led to the arrival of the rather clumsily named BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 - a smartphone for the wealthy business person who wants something to gloat about at the next board meeting.

This isn't a phone for the mainstream, and with a recommended retail price of £1450/$2350 (around AU$2500) it's something which only the very elite will potentially consider.

 

We say potentially, because for all that money you're not actually getting a great deal. Think the P'9982 looks familiar? Well that's because it's just a run of the mill BlackBerry Z10 with a fancy stainless steel and Italian leather suit.

In terms of design the Porsche Design P'9982 is more angular than the phone it's based on, with a more pronounced chin below the screen - although it is crafted from stainless steel rather than plastic.

That stainless steel frame runs up either side of the P'9982 and connects to a chunk of stainless steel at the top of the handset.

 

It's a design we weren't overly keen about on the Z10 or Z30 as it appears to add unnecessary bulk to the device without offering anything above a place to splash the Porsche Design logo.

On each side of the P'9982, towards the bottom, is a small square where the Porsche Design logo resides - a subtle reminder that this isn't your ordinary BlackBerry Z10.

 

We found the P'9982 sat nicely in the hand with a well balanced 140g weight which was enough to make the phone feel premium without being overbearing.

That said, it doesn't feel as premium as the price tag suggests and we'd argue that the HTC One and iPhone 5S feel the same, or perhaps even better than the P'9982 in the hand.

 

The stainless steel frame means it's a solid handset, and the Italian leather rear provides a decent level or grip while also feeling rather lovely. It does appear to be something that could get damaged relatively easily though.

If your leather back does get ruined you can always remove it and replace it with another - although there's obviously an additional cost there.

 

Under the rear cover is a removable battery - the same 1800mAh power pack found in the Z10, although this time it's got Porsche Design written on it. BlackBerry claims it's good for 9 hours, but we were unable to test this during our hands-on time.

There's also access to the microSD slot which can take cards up to 64GB in size, and the microSIM port which annoyingly can only be reached if you take the battery out.

 

That will prove a pain for anyone who switches SIMs on a regular basis - like the international businessmen (and women) who this handset is targeted at.

At 131 x 65.6 x 9.5mm the P'9982 is ever so slightly longer and thicker than the Z10, but the width remains the same - as does the 4.2-inch, 1280 x 768 display.

 

In fact the P'9982 sports exactly the same specs as the Z10 apart from one thing - the internal storage has been boosted from 16GB to 64GB.

The screen is clean and clear with some decent viewing angles, although when you think that we now have full HD display on our smartphones (which cost less than half the price) you end up feeling a little short changed by the P'9982.

 

That feeling grows when you discover that the Porsche Design P'9982 still holds onto the humble 1.5GHz dual-core processor from the Z10 - there's no quad-core chip on offer here.

During general usage the dual-core chip manages pretty well with the relatively fluid BlackBerry 10.2 operating system, but it noticeably struggled when we started to ask a little more of the P'9982.

 

We're still not totally sold on the BlackBerry 10 platform, with its slightly confusing gesture controls making some tasks a little fiddly and the poor selection of apps in the BlackBerry World store doesn't help.

It's not all bad news though, and the BlackBerry Hub is a truly useful part of the interface, bringing in all forms of communication into one central inbox which can easily be navigated and filtered.

 

Web browsing is something else BlackBerry appears to have nailed with its new OS and the P'9982 is no exception with blisteringly fast load times on both mobile and desktop sites.

There's 2GB of RAM backing up the dual-core chip in the P'9982 which will no doubt help the surfing speeds and the inclusion of Flash supports is something BlackBerry has over iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices.

 

Return to the rear of the handset and there's the 8MP camera which also adorns the Z10, but on the P'9982 there's a chrome ring round the lens to try and add a more premium feel and it sits in a bar of glass which also houses the single LED flash and the name of the handset.

The camera app is basic, yet intuitive and the shutter speed is relatively quick with the whole screen acting as the trigger. Auto-focus is in play, and it can slow down snapping as it tries to settle.

 

BlackBerry has always been well known for its physical QWERTY keyboards and it made a big deal about its touchscreen offering on BlackBerry 10 which sits on the P'9982. It's a slick offering and we were able to get up to a decent typing speed, but we still prefer SwiftKey on Android.

Every Porsche Design P'9982 handset comes with a certificate of authentication in the box, so you can prove to your doubting friends that it is the real deal. The certificate also holds a unique BlackBerry pin starting in "2AA" - an exclusive prefix available only to those who have splashed the cash on a Porsche Design handset.

 

The BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 is targeted at a minority of elite business players, it's not meant to capture the imagination of general consumers - which is lucky, because it won't.

That said, for a phone which costs so much the P'9982's look and feel doesn't come close to justifying the price tag. You need a hell of a lot more than a bit of shiny metal and a layer of cowhide to push a sub-standard flagship smartphone as high-flying premium offering.

While the Porsche Design P'9982 isn't quite a grotesque in price, look or spec as the luxury Vertu brand, it's still set up to target those with more money than sense.

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Snapheal Review

Posted 05/01/2013 at 11:45am | by Susie Ochs

Just paint over an object and click Erase. It’s that easy.

The last time we reviewed Snapheal, we marveled at how it could easily erase unwanted objects from your photos. MacPhun calls it magic, and we said, “It’s a bold claim we happen to agree with.”

Version 2.2 keeps that magic, and fixes a lot of the problems we had — and for $3 less. You can now import from Aperture as well as iPhoto, Photo Booth, and the Finder. In the Erase tab, you can paint on objects you want to remove, use the polygonal or free lasso, or even choose the Clone tool to pick the exact part of the photo you want to use to cover the unwanted part. Erasing modes include Shapeshifter, the most universal according to the app’s tooltip, as well as Twister and Wormhole, although the app doesn’t explain what the other two are or how they differ.

After you’re done in the Erase tab, the Retouch tab lets you paint a mask over parts of your photo, and then use the sliders to make edits to just those areas (exposure, contrast, saturation, and more). The Adjust tab has similar adjustments but applies them to the whole image, and a cool side-by-side mode lets you see the before and after.

The bottom line. This might just be the most powerful image editing 12 bucks can buy.

Remove unwanted objects easily. Brighten colors and easily make other adjustments. Make edits on one part of the photo while leaving others untouched.

Masking tools could be more intuitive.

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Iron Man 3 Review

Posted 04/30/2013 at 9:19am | by Andrew Hayward

After utilizing an open-city design for its premium Iron Man 2 movie game – complete with the requisite array of screen-cluttering virtual buttons – Gameloft opted for something simpler, swifter, and certainly cheaper for the next tie-in. Released in advance of the latest live-action Marvel Comics romp, the free-to-play Iron Man 3 sends Tony Stark soaring ahead through multiple locales, with alternating sequences that find him swiftly dodging traffic and aerial obstacles, zapping waves of foes, and even fighting through narrative-led boss battles. Blazingly fast and initially quite fun, this gratis game easily warrants a download from fans, though the thrills are short-lived.

Iron Man 3 impresses out of the gate with its attractive presentation, with nicely detailed suits of armor zipping speedily through the 3D environments and only the occasional hint of slowdown on an iPhone 5. Taking the form of a behind-the-back endless flier, the game finds you tilting or tapping the screen to move from left to right as needed to evade obstacles – like fighter jets, trucks, and missiles – while tapping to blast enemies as they come up. An array of quick-hit missions are readily available to earn you Stark Credits to put towards unlocking upgradable armor suits in the game, plus each new day allows access to one of several boss fights, which serve up a larger villain (like M.O.D.O.K.) to defeat.

The freemium affair is exhilarating in spots, especially when whipping through laser-filled tunnels at an insane clip, but the approach turns repetitive before long, particularly when you realize that you're not making much progress. It's unclear how to unlock the later two locations (New York City and China), and we were whipping around Malibu ad nauseam until we spent $5 in real cash on enough ISO-8 – one of the in-game currencies – to buy a few continues and apparently fly far enough to start up in the following area the next time we played. Or maybe it was tied to one of the daily missions? Iron Man 3 doesn't make it very clear either way, but we wouldn't recommend shelling out that much cash to find out for yourself.

We love the large array of unlockable armor suits (18 in total), and didn't mind the occasional timers for suit repairs and upgrades, which unsurprisingly can be hurried along with ISO-8. But things get a little convoluted with three types of spendable currency (including earned experience points and Stark Credits), which make unlocking armor a slow, multi-step process that'll only ever benefit those with huge amounts of free time – or the ludicrous $100 worth of ISO-8 needed to open everything at once. The tough-to-dodge obstacles deliver huge damage to the lower-end suits, and it makes Iron Man 3 feel too much like a constant, sluggish grind for better gear. It's then that initial excitement withers.

The bottom line. Iron Man 3 is a fun free game and a very solid diversion, but slow progress saps its long-term appeal.

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New York City brings with it different terrain and unique hazards to avoid (like a falling skyscraper).

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Upgrades and post-mission repairs require a brief wait, though you can speed it up with ISO-8 crystals.

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Boss battles are unlocked at a rate of once per day, and include a light narrative exchange before a more complex battle. M.O.D.O.K. here appears multiple times.

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Brief ground battles let you blast through tanks and on-foot soldiers before zipping away.

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The 18 included armor suits look great, though seeing more than a few of them requires a huge amount of grinding (or cash).

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Standard missions award the red Stark Credits, while boss fights deliver the rarer and much more valuable ISO-8 currency.

iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone running iOS 5.0 or later

Great presentation and sense of speed. Numerous suits of armor to unlock and customize. Daily boss missions offer incentive to dive back in.

Very slow and sometimes unclear grind to unlock new areas and armor. Some obstacles are nearly impossible to dodge, but often deal grave damage. Unlocking suits with real cash is hugely expensive.

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Horizon Calendar review: Check the weather at the location of your next appointment

Horizon Calendar review: Check the weather at the location of your next appointment | iMore.com Skip to main content Android BlackBerry iPhone / iPad Windows Phone webOS SIGN UP|LOG IN iMore Forums Apps Games Accessories Reviews How-To Podcasts Contests iPhone iPad mini iPad iPod touch Apple TV iOS iCloud iTunes Mac Hot: iPhone 5S Guides: iPhone buyers | iPad buyers | iOS users Free: Wallpaper | iPhone apps, games | iPad apps, games Shop Online Cases Chargers Screen protectors Headsets & More Free shipping on orders over $50 Horizon Calendar review: Check the weather at the location of your next appointment By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Apr 30, 2013 a 1:55 am 4

Horizon Calendar by Applause Code is an innovative calendar app that includes natural language parsing, a clean design, intuitive gestures, and forecasted weather associated with each of your events.

Just like the Mac OSX Calendar and the popular iPhone calendar Fantastical, Horizon Calendar uses natural language parsing when adding an event. For example, instead of meticulously adding each detail of your event, you simply type "meeting on tuesday with Rene at Starbucks from 1-2p" and Horizon will fill take care of the rest. It's incredibly fast and incredibly easy.

But Horizon takes it a step further. As you start typing "Starbucks", the locations nearby that match will pop up above the keyboard, so you can select exactly which Starbucks you're meeting at. Choosing one will help Horizon better accurately predict the weather.

Which leads me to Horizon's next awesome feature -- weather! The main view of Horizons simply lists out out your days one after another. With each day on the list, the high/low and an icon representing the weather is displayed. If you tap on the day, more details regarding the weather for each event is shown above the list of events for the day. Scrolling through the weather will scroll through your events and tapping on an event will bring up the event details and edit screen.

Horizon Calendar is also rich with gestures: slide down from the tool bar to bring down the month view, swipe to the left to delete an event, slide down from new event entry to edit the details, and rotate your phone to bring up the yearly calendar. Horizon is also integrated with Check the Weather and will launch the app when tapping the weather icon next to an event.

The goodSyncs with native calendarWeather for all events up to 14 days outNatural Language Parsing with Intelligent LookupIntuitive gesturesClean designOption to show date in icon badgeOptional night modeSupport for metric systemThe badNo custom repeat options (only every day, week, 2 weeks, month, and year)Only integrates with Check the Weather. Would love to have more apps to choose from in Settings.The bottom line

I'm not going to lie; when a developer for Horizon Calendar first contacted me, I thought "great, another calendar app", but I was pleasantly surprised with what it turned out to be. I'm actually very excited about this calendar and a little shocked to admit that it will be replacing Fantastical as my primary iPhone calendar. The addition of custom repeat options would make Horizon nearly perfect.

Seriously, if you're looking for a new calendar, definitely give Horizon Calendar a shot.

$1.99 - Download now

Leanna Lofte

App and Photography Editor at iMore. Mother, wife, and math instructor. Follow her on Twitter @llofte and send her apps to consider for review at iosapps@imore.com

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More of: horizon calendar, Calendar Apps ? PreviouslyThe Mailbox security failure that wasn’t Next up ?Contest Winners: Mail Pilot for iPhone and iPad! There are 4 comments. Add yours. pinpoint007 says: Apr 30, 2013 at 4:47 am - 1 day ago

This is a great app, but there is a bug with notifications. Developer mentioned it is being worked on for the next update. I would also like to be able to scroll into past events while in list/week view. Still, its replaced Agenda for me :)

Reply Mountaineerfan says: Apr 30, 2013 at 8:45 am - 20 hours ago

Better charge that phone soon!

Reply JGold says: Apr 30, 2013 at 10:36 am - 18 hours ago

Very nice app. However, desperately needs a search function and it would be nice to have the ability to duplicate/copy an existing cal event.

Reply asuperstarr says: Apr 30, 2013 at 6:42 pm - 10 hours ago

No more calendars, weather, and mail apps. Enough already! Stooopppppp!!!!!!

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