Lory Gil

Writer of all things app related, traveler of the space-time continuum, baker of really great cookies. Follow me @appaholik

The best iPhone photography filter and effect apps

Apple has a “Fun with Filters” section in the App Store now. It is a reminder of how many photo-editing apps there are out there. But, which ones are the best? It mostly depends on what you like to use photo editing apps for.

We’ve taking a close look at Apple’s list and weeded it down to our favorite photo filters and effects applications. Take you iPhone photography a step further with the various effects and textures offered by this selection of apps…

Square Video review: create Instagram videos without square cropping

Instagram is a joy for some and an irritation for others. One common complaint about the photography-based social networking site and third-party photo editing apps that support it is the 1:1 ratio. While it makes Instagram images and videos iconic, it makes some photography fans nuts.

Square Video makes it possible for you to upload videos to Instagram using wide screen and portrait ratios so you can share your clips the way they looked when you recorded them…

Explore the English language with Terminology 3

When you write a lot, you find yourself looking for new words and better ways to express yourself. I regularly check out dictionaries and thesauruses to try to expand my vocabulary. There are a lot of words in the English language and a lot ways to define some of them.

Terminology 3 is a browser for the English language that gives you the ability to define terms, research phrases, and increase your knowledge of words. Before you know it, you’ll be talking like a scholar…

Todo 7 review: a powerful app for getting things done

There certainly are a lot of productivity apps in the App Store these days. Since the launch of iOS 7, even more developers have brought list makers, organizers, and calendars to the iOS ecosystem. Different productivity apps work better for different types of people.

Todo 7 is the newest productivity app from Appigo and it brings with it major GTD (getting things done) performances to keep you on task and on deadline. You won’t have any more excuses for finishing your project late with this productivity app…

KAMI, a beautifully relaxing puzzle game for iOS

We’ve recently spotlighted quite a few puzzle games that look great and feature interesting and challenging puzzles. With iOS 7, many developers have focused on offering apps that are flat and minimalistic in nature.

KAMI is a puzzle game that is the exact opposite of flat. It is not skeumorphic. It actually uses real paper as part of the game’s design. You’ll feel like you are really touching paper as your puzzle unfolds in stop motion…

Spark Camera lets you create beautiful video montages

One of this week’s App Store Editor’s Choice is a video app that lets you record, enhance, and share your life with friends and family with the help of real-time video capturing set to your own personal soundtrack.

Spark Camera lets you record snippets of a moment in time, then record another moment at a later time, and stitches them together so that you can create your own mini montage video to share with friends and family…

har.mo.ny review: a relaxing mind bending puzzle

Once iOS 7 was announced, developers were on the ball, designing new apps and games with a flatter, brighter design. Quite a few puzzle games have seen huge success as iOS users flocked to the attractive looking design.

BorderLeap’s newest app, har.mo.ny is an iOS 7 inspired puzzle game that is both challenging and pleasant to play. You won’t be flinging birds at pigs with a peppy soundtrack in this game. You’ll be calmly flipping blocks to the zen-like calm of ambient music…

Apps of the week: Shares 2, Listastic, AdventChewers, and more…

Thanks to a much-needed vacation, my work week only lasted three days. It seems like only yesterday I was creating the Apps of the Week list for the previous weekend. I didn’t even look at the App Store for five whole days - pretty rare for me.

If you have a lot of catching up to do with new apps and games this weekend, we’ve got a list that will take care of your finances, productivity, and gaming needs…

Keep your contacts up to date with Sync.Me

Families are always moving. Friends are always getting new jobs. Everyone’s lives are changing so often that it is hard to keep track. Now that mobile phones are so common, it is much easier to get in touch, but also much more difficult to stay in touch.

Sync.Me is an app that automatically syncs with your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts so you will always know your brother’s new address, your co-worker’s new job title, and your high school friend’s new last name…

Drift Mania Street Outlaws review: drift in style through city streets

The iPad is fast becoming a blooming garden of racing games. The Asphalt series is a huge hit. EA’s line of Real Racing games has pushed graphics to the limit. Need for Speed Most Wanted has won awards for its fast-paced gameplay mixed with console quality graphics.

Drift Mania: Street Outlaws is a racing game with fairly decent graphics, action packed racing, and an underground drift culture theme…

Flipagram review: make interesting video slideshows out of Instagram and camera roll photos

Who would have ever thought there would come a day when looking at someone’s vacation slideshow would actually be interesting and fun. Thanks to mobile technology, and the advent of digital filter effects, we are able to turn even the most mundane images into works of art.

Flipagram is a photo and video app that takes your pictures, sets them to music, and makes it simple to publish your newly created slideshows to Instagram, Facebook, and more…

Shares 2 offers a ridiculously simple way to track your stocks

Keeping track of your stocks can be a burden if you are using Apple’s native Stocks app. You can see increases and decreases from the day’s opening, but figuring out how much you’ve made or lost takes additional time, and usually a calculator.

Shares 2 gives you a simple and elegant view of the companies you’ve invested in, plus gives you an overview of how much money you’ve made or lost overall…