Pattern Lock – Version 1.1.7
Here’s a great and original app for the Storm that really gives the user a lot of flexibility. It’s a password/lock app, where your password is actually a pattern traced out on a 3×3 grid of dots. The pattern can overlap dots and be quite long. You can assign it to run when you press the lock button too. It includes a TON of options too. More than you can imagine. You can customize the background image that shows up behind the password entry screen too. A nice extra is that you can set the phone to where it will lock the screen after a few seconds of making a phone call, so your face won’t press in the screen while you talk. To unlock the screen all you can either end the call by pressing the END key, or press the back key to undo the lock and press buttons to your hearts content. My only problem with the application is one that I’m not sure that can be fixed with locking apps. When you assign it to the lock button and press it, the phone first performs the default locking feature, and after a few second the locking application takes over. I can’t stand this. I can assign the application to a convenience key and have it start instantaneously. The first app to get rid of that delay when it is assigned to the lock key wins my love.
Usefulness: 8/10
Fun Factor: N/A (Sadly, drawing the patterns is fun)
Overall: 8/10
Price: On sale for $0.99 until May 31! Usually $2.99
QuickLaunch – Version 1.5
This is a great app. By assigning the application to a convenience key, you create a pop-up menu that can have shortcuts to (almost) any app you choose, files, websites, and personalized phone actions (such as sending a certain person a text, calling, or e-mailing). It has a lot of flexibility, uses very little memory, and gives you a lot of options. I highly suggest this for the convenience it gives you.
Usefulness: 10/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Overall: 10/10
Price: $4.99
Simple Weather – Version 1.1.6
I like to know what the weather is like. I don’t need a really flashy program and I don’t need a ton of extra data. In most cases, I want to know if it’s sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc. and I want to know the temperature. Simple Weather addresses my needs perfectly. It does exactly what I just described. It’s an icon that updates at a user-defined interval with attractive icons signifying the local conditions and the icon name tells the temperature. Clicking the icon opens the webpage for your zip code from the Weather Channel, giving you any extra info you might need. It’s nearly perfect in my book. My only complaint is that the program does randomly have errors and it will stop updating, essentially meaning the program will not update until you perform a battery pull. The developer says that he is working on it though, and I have a lot of faith in him fixing it up to perfection. On top of this, it’s cheap! When compared to competitors, the free options either have unattractive icons or memory leaks, and the paid alternatives cost significantly more.
Usefulness: 8/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Overall: 8/10
Price: $2.99
StopTilt – Version 2.0.8.14
Here is a paid version of the apps that lock the orientation of the Storm. I’ve learned my ways. This is my new favorite. It has all the positives that OrientationLock had, but it maintains the settings through battery pulls! Great! It still cannot lock the orientation of 3rd party apps (that is under control of the respective app’s developer). It is somewhat cheap (It’s been on sale since it came out a week or two ago), but the original list price is pretty outrageous at $10. But for the people who can’t stand the screen rotating when they don’t want it to, the money might be fully worth it.
Usefulness: 10/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Overall: 10/10
Price: On sale for $4.99 until May 31, Usually $9.99
Free Trial: Available on site below
Storm Slider – Version 3.4.2
This is my locking app of choice as of right now. The funny thing is that I use the free version, even though I’ve bought the app. Somehow in the development process, the removed the ability for you to add the app to the convenience key for the paid version. So I use the free version and keep it on the convenience key, because of the locking problem described in the Pattern Lock review. This locking app emulates the iPhone’s lock function, having the user slide a button sideways to unlock the phone. The paid version includes the options to have a password, to activate it during phone calls, and more. I had big issues using an app that emulates the iPhone (I don’t particularly like some things about it), but the app works too well to not use. I got over it. And this application is great. Definitely try the free version. It works perfectly well, although it doesn’t have any options to change.
Usefulness: 9/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Overall: 9/10
Price: $2.99
Free Trial: OTA
TwitterBerry – Version 0.9.6
TwitterBerry is a pretty solid Twitter app for the Storm. It doesn’t really shine in any area particularly, but it works. I appreciate the fact that when you open the app, the first screen it takes you to is the one to update your status. As weird as that sounds, other apps I’ve tried don’t do that. When I open a Twitter, it’s usually to write an update, and to read other people’s afterwards. There hasn’t been an update in about a month, but I think the next update will make TwitterBerry even better. And it’s free!
Usefulness: 6/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Overall: 6/10
Price: Free!
UberTwitter – Version 0.55
Another Twitter app. UberTwitter put a bit more effort into looking nice and it provides a lot of options for how the app works. This is the application I have on my phone currently, and it is pretty nice. It can suck down battery if you have it auto-update too often though. Also free!
Usefulness: 7/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Price: Free!
VyMail – Version 0.8.3.5
VyMail is a nice application for what it provides. In conjunction with YouMail.com, this app allows you to have free visual voicemail! It isn’t flawless and it isn’t drop-dead beautiful, but it works, and it has some great options. I’m just going to direct you to the info page for the app to explain all the details.
Usefulness: 7/10
Fun Factor: N/A
Price: Free!
Air Traffic Control – Version 2.0.0.0
Another game I decided to spend the money to get. It’s actually pretty fun. On three different levels, you guide airplanes, jets, helicopters, hot air balloons, and pontoon boats to land safely by tracing a path for them to follow to their landing strips. Simple concept. But things get crazy when 5 and more planes get on the screen. My current high score is 62, but I know people have scored far higher. The graphics, animation, and execution of the app are top notch, although there are rare moments where the game seems to hang for a half second before snapping back to its usually smooth game play. It’s a great effort in the Storm game department, and worth a look.
Usefulness: N/A
Fun Factor: 8/10
Price: $4.99
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