#107 - BzzAgent

TITLE: BzzAgent
SCORE: 5 / 5

COST: FREE

I was never a big fan of those social marketing sites that advertised the ability to earn something (usually money) through activities like taking surveys, trying products, visiting websites, and the like.  One day, I was referred to the BzzAgent website and have since then come to count on it as my be-all, end-all of what this kind of website should be all about. A primarily word of mouth product marketing website, BzzAgent allows you to sign up for Campaigns in order to receive, review, and spread the word about products that genuinely interest you.

They've recently come out with a new application which allows users to track your campaigns and stay in tune with the going-ons of the site while on the go, an application that I was personally thrilled to finally see on iTunes.

RECOMMENDATION: 

With a variety of campaigns (and their newest DailyBzz optional mini-campaigns) available to its users and a great system which weeds out those who sign up purely to get free stuff versus those who genuinely enjoy this kind of service and want to earn their way to bigger and better campaigns and activities, you really can't go wrong.  If you're dedicated, enjoy writing reviews and testing out products, and have even the most basic handle on social networking of one form or another (whether online or offline) then this is definitely a great site for you!

#106 - MyPowerMix

TITLE: MyPowerMix
SCORE: 5 / 5

COST: FREE

A different take on your music playlist apps, the default MyPowerMix allows you to shuffle through your music library, playing only 60 seconds worth of each song, keeping the beats dynamic and interesting while counting down during each song.  The settings allow you to customize the app to a good degree (choose to change the length of playtime anywhere from 1 minute to 10 minutes, choose your playlist mode--shuffle, music videos, favourites, etc. Apply alerts between song changes, and more)

RECOMMENDATION: 

No technical issues that I could see.  The iTunes reviews complain the app only plays a minute of a song at a time...really, people? A bit slow on the uptake, eh?  Simple and fun for on the go, customizable, and able to continue playing in the background.

#105 - Anime Music Radio

TITLE: Anime Music Radio
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
NOTE: This app is Wi-Fi / ONLINE only! 

COST: FREE

With over 20 varied anime-related music stations to choose from, Anime Music Radio provides the average otaku with a nice variety of all your favorite anime songs. A couple of small extra features: volume adjustment in-app and the ability to run the songs in the background. The developers also promise more stations with time and the ability to suggest new stations for addition to the growing list.

RECOMMENDATION: 

Some technical difficulties are present, with a relatively small amount of stations rendered unable to play ("unable to configure network read stream").  However you have more than an adequate amount of stations to choose from, so it shouldn't really be a huge problem unless you have your heart set on a particular faulty station.  All in all a very straightforward, simple application.

#104 - iLyrics

TITLE: iLyrics Mobile
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
NOTE: This app is Wi-Fi / ONLINE only! 

COST: FREE

Do you happen to have a short memory for lyrics? Then iLyrics provides you with an app that promises lyric translations for the songs in your library in English, Chinese, and Japanese.  Simply select a song from your music library, run this app, then sit back and sing along.

RECOMMENDATION: 

For the most part, it does exactly what it should.  Most songs in the library will have, at the very least, the English lyrics.  Very few during my trial run came with the promised Chinese and/or Japanese lyrics, but if you just want the English translation that isn't a big deal.  The app also runs your music in the background, automatically moving to the next song in your library when necessary and switching the lyrics accordingly.  The first of my big (if not fair) complaint concerns the fact that some songs will not have their lyrics available, though this is purely due to licensing restrictions and not really the fault of the app. The second (not so fair) complaint is the fact that some lyrics may be for the wrong song due to some mix-up issues (ie, My Sacrifice, by Creed is accompanied by lyrics to Eminem's, Infinite.

#103 - Interactive Touch Books

TITLE: Interactive Touch Books
SCORE: 5 / 5
NOTE: Wi-Fi is required to download new books (but not to access your already-downloaded library)

COST: FREE

If you're one of those rare kinds of parent that enjoys educating and entertaining their children, you'll find this app an excellent addition to your (digital) bookshelf.  ITB presents you with a collection of interactive, simple books to engage your child's imagination.  Select an available title, one of several options of reading style, then sit back and enjoy as your young son or daughter helps move the story along in several fun, creative ways.

RECOMMENDATION: 

The app provides you with 3 free books to begin with.  Additional books will run you anywhere from 0.99 - 2.99/per book. A registration and login are also required to use the app, although it literally takes seconds, making it a minor inconvenience.  You are also required to download the books you select (though again, this is a fairly fast process: not too painful unless you're particularly anally retentive).

#102 - Doors of the Mind

TITLE: Doors of the Mind: Inner Mysteries
SCORE: 4 / 5

COST: FREE

If you're a fan of hidden object mini-games and enjoy your game-play with a central element of story-telling, then you're no stranger to games like Doors of the Mind: Inner Mysteries.  Playing as a man stricken by grief by the death of his father, DOM takes you on a creepy journey into your psyche and the nightmares within.

RECOMMENDATION: 

If this is your first try at a puzzle game of this king, DOM is not a bad place to start.  It's definitely one of the simpler games of its genre (though that definitely doesn't take away from its quality)  The soundtrack and graphics are atmospheric and beautiful, never a bad combination for a game that relies heavily on a close examination of your environment. My only complaint is the length, which could definitely have been longer.  However, seeing as the game is currently free (and has been for some time now), this complaint is moot.