About Incase’s Nylon sleeve

The Nylon sleeve comes in various color schemes but for this review we looked at Incase’s signature black and green sleeve. The outside of the sleeve is black and complimented by green around the zippers, tag and interior. A plush interior made up of faux-fur gives the MacBook Pro a comfortable home to live in.

Incase bills the sleeves as form fitting while providing complete protection and I couldn’t agree more. The front pocket is large enough to fit small accessories such as a headphones, cables, cleaning cloth and an iPod. Cramming a charger stretches the sleeve and adds unnecessary bulge that tightens the sleeve up.

Using The Sleeve

Incase’s Nylon Sleeve is one of those accessories you wouldn’t think about until you use it but that’s the beauty of this particular sleeve. The sleeve fits snugly around your MacBook Pro and gives more than enough protection against objects that may be in your backpack, bag or would normally come in contact with your laptop. The snug fit can make it too tight to pull out your MacBook Pro but is a tradeoff for great protection.

The sleeve focusses on the bare essentials and puts protection before anything else yet still looks good. The sleeve is extremely light and doesn’t add unnecessary bulk or weight to your MacBook Pro making it easy to carry around.

Final Word

Should you buy this case? Without a doubt! I’d highly recommend this sleeve for your MacBook Pro.

Pros
-Slim and light
-Comfortable interior
-Provides great protection for your MacBook Pro

Cons
-Tight fit might make it a bit harder to pull MacBook Pro out of sleeve

About Air Display

$19.99 on the Mac App Store.
Client Software is free

Avatron’s Mac App focuses on simplicity and replicating the features of Air Display for iOS on OS X without any hassle. Available via the Mac App Store is one part of the wireless screen sharing combination offered by Avatron. Once the App is launched a simple guide helps the user through the steps to setting up a spare Mac as a secondary display. A client App is downloaded to your second Mac and scans for another Mac running Air Display. Setup is as simple as selecting the Mac running Air Display through the App’s menubar options.

Be warned: if you’re thinking of setting up that aging PowerPC Mac as an Air Display client, you’ll be out of luck – the App is Intel only.

How Air Display Works

To achieve the feat of transforming a Mac in to a secondary wireless display is accomplished over WiFi using a Bonjour like networking protocol. Both Macs must be connected to the same network and running Avatron’s Air Display Apps. If both Macs are connected via Ethernet to a router, Air Display will still work. However, the technology that powers the App is not without problems.

Despite the incredible advances made to wireless technology in the past few years, speeds can’t come close to traditional cable based video output. Avatron’s Air Display works amazingly but streaming video or bringing your Final Cut Pro canvas to a second Mac over WiFi will be pushing both computer’s wireless connections to the max. Quality will degrade and flickering will occur simply because the bandwidth available over Wifi is less than what’s available with a DVI or HDMI cable

Why Not Use Screen Sharing?

That’s a great question and one I considered when reviewing Air Display. However, I prefer Avatron’s solution over Apple’s for two reason: simplicity and cross platform compatibility. Setting up Screen Sharing isn’t as cut as dry as Avatron’s Air Display’s setup. PCs and iOS devices are supported as well.

Final Word (4 out of 5 stars)

There isn’t a lot against Air Display. PC and iOS compatibility put it ahead of Apple’s Screen Sharing solution. The simplicity of setting up Air Display and not being bogged down with wires and adapters is refreshing. However, the technology that makes Air Display work so well detracts from its potential. All in all Avatron’s Air Display for the Mac is great for productivity and those wanting a second display without having to purchase one.

About The Bag Specs

Mission Workshop’s Rambler is characterized by its large fold over flap that covers the pack’s 3 large internal compartments. A small velcro pocket is hidden underneath the flap and a small zip up pocket is on the pack’s front right towards the bottom.

Two weatherproof compartments
Large Roll-Top Pocket
Expanding cargo compartment
An external accessory pocket
Water-resistant urethane coated zippers
Rugged internal frame
Made in America with a lifetime warranty
Dimensions
Compact Measures – 13” x 19” x 5”
1,350 cu. in. / 22 L / 5 Gallons
Expanded Measures – 13” x 19” x 10”
2,700 cu. in. / 44 L / 10 Gallons
Weight
3.7lbs / 1.65Kg

Build Quality

The first thing I noticed about the Rambler aside from its sleek exterior and comfort was the pack’s build quality. You’d expect a backpack in this price range to be versatile, comfortable and durable. The Rambler not only meets all of these qualifications but looks it. The build quality is superb and reinforced by a Carbon Fiber frame making it light to carry.

The Rambler really sets itself from other bags by being completely versatile and weatherproof. Mission Workshop’s attention to detail is what stunned me. Zippers are covered with a protective layer to prevent liquids from seeping in to the Rambler. Side pockets are protected the same way and give easy access to small electronics like a phone or your wallet.

Storage

Storage space is what really struck me as one of the best features of the Rambler. Mission Workshop decided to blend the best of both worlds — sleek and portability with space and durability — to create the Rambler. In either Medium or Large sizes, the pack can be expanded by unzipping the middle compartment’s inner cover which doubles in size. I had no problem fitting a Canon 50D protected by a massive Pelican all purpose case without noticing much bulge.

Even with the many options to carry large things like a few DSLRs, lenses, laptops, external drives and whatnot, there aren’t many medium or small sized openings. You have three main compartments that can house anything iPad sized and larger snugly but loose objects like cables, drives and small books can only be stuffed with each other in one of the large compartments. I feel the Rambler could be bettered by converting the front to a zip open compartment that reveals the entire space with smaller sections for miscellaneous items.

If you have other storage solutions for these kinds of items, you wont be bothered. However, I found myself dumping cables, an external drive, pencils in the large front pocket.

Comfort

The Rambler is comfortable and well-suited for cyclists. The front strap doesn’t suffocate and makes the pack a lot more bearable to carry when loaded to the brim with weight. As I rode through the town following my daily routine I wasn’t worried about the Rambler swishing around or suffocating me. This pack was made for cyclists and perfect for carrying work clothes to change in to after riding to the office.

Other Thoughts

The Rambler is worth every penny but I had a few minor issues. While the bag focuses on being a backpack you’d take with you on your suburban adventures and urban exploits, it looks more like a camping pack than your traditional bag or backpack. A few people commented on the Rambler’s large size when not expanded and asked if I was going camping. This may not be the bag for fashionistas but it works damn well for those lugging around copious amounts of gear. Those who want one bag to rule their gear know the importance of functionality over looks. If you’re serious about being comfortable while toting your mobile gear then the Rambler is perfect for you. If you’re looking to make a fashion statement with an oversize pack, camping might be a new hobby of yours with the Rambler. That’s not to say the Rambler doesn’t look bad – it looks great and durable yet sleek.

Final Verdict – 4 Stars

Pros:
-Great for those taking a lot of gear with them
-Comfy and durable
-Sleek design and expandability options are a plus

Cons:
-Not too many small pockets for miscellaneous items
-Might get confused with a camping backpack depending on who you talk to.

Pros:
-But even if it did, the Rambler could weather the elements and carry your camping gear without breaking a sweat.

Rage for iOS is another media marvel from id Software, the fine folks who brought you Quake and Doom, games that need no introduction. Rage, otherwise referred to as Mutant Bash, sets the bar for iOS gaming much like Quake and Doom did for PC gaming. If you’ve had your doubts about the iPod touch or iPad as a serious gaming competitor, you can rest assured that the A4 processor is capable of some serious kick ass gaming.

Game Play

One of the biggest concerns for iOS games is gameplay. The absence of a control pad is both thrilling yet counter intuitive for the traditional console gamer. While features such as social networking and innovative gameplay have made up for the lack of physical buttons, not everyone will find a touch screen enjoyable. Rage takes the learning curve out of using a touch screen for a first person shooter by putting the character on a rail. While the game controls the path a player follows, firing at and dodging enemies are very easy to do without any guidance. You can tilt your iDevice in the direction you want to shoot or tap to aim – the later being more preferable.

Visual Appeal

One of the things I like the most about Rage is its stunning visual environments. Everything is beautifully rendered and obliterates the competition at the $1.99 price line for the HD version. Now, if a game is worth playing, the actual playing ‘playing’ part should be the focus over stunning graphics right? Rage balances both and sets a new precedent for iOS games. Id Software effectively took the bar, smashed it half, made a new one and raised it another 12 feet then put Rage on the App Store while sipping an ice-cold beer.

That right there one of the main reasons why I like Rage for iOS. It’s going to force developers to not only focus on great gameplay, but also great graphics as well. Even if this causes developers to raise the price of their games, I’d have no problem if they can compete or beat Rage on visual appeal.

John Carmack, lead developer of Rage is ecstatic about the potential in iOS and the iPad:

“…that you can technically do an excellent, full-featured FPS game, because these devices are more powerful now than like a previous generation Xbox. They’re still multiple intervals away from like a 360 or a PS3, but they’re in the same order of magnitude, so there’s no doubt that you could compile and build a wonderful FPS.”

I give Rage for iOS a 4 out of 5 stars. The environments and enemies are beautifully rendered, the story line is fun and enticing but the only drawback is the learning curve for the controls. Using a touch screen forces your fingers to cover a larger surface area to aim, this gets tiring after extended game play.

Other than the learning adjustment, I’d highly recommend Rage for iOS. At $1.99 for the HD version (think Retina display) it’s a steal and if you want to play it on an older iDevice, the $0.99 non-HD version is just as great.

Rage for iOS on iTunes

The free application is truly…wait for it…wait for it…genius (sorry it had to be done)!

The incredibly adept, detail oriented and ridiculously easy to use device turns any iPhone into a picture-taking scanner on the go. The basic functions of the “Genius Scan” App could not be more intuitive, and users have the ability to use an existing photo or take a new one and crop the legible surface to form a PDF.

The “Genius Scan” App automatically picks up the words on any surface, be it a whiteboard in one’s summer class or the overdone presentation at the office. The scanner then automatically corrects the perspective, offers an adjustable crop of the image and post processing where the scan can be made black and white or recolored.

Simplicity is the streamlined theme of the purely ingenious “Genius Scan” App. Everything attempts to automatically give the user the best possible way to view and send scans of words. Email images as JPG’s or make documents to wield PDF’s at will.

Taking notes may be a thing of the past when any student can sit back and scan each and every minute thing that a professor shows to a restless class. Relax and copy from library books instantly and use the beautiful images right from the “Genius Scan” application!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A+

“Robots have approved this message,” is spoken by a retro science fiction-esque voice. Type in, “Shut it” and the robot-emulating App “Type n Talk” will make the message come across through the power of audio.

The “Type n Talk” App is uncensored, so be sure to take the customized iPhone robot tongue and lash out wherever possible! For a gag, alarm the household pets to the invasion rants of a ruthlessly cold and accurate speech.

The simple style and up front directions make the “Type n Talk” application a quick and fun pastime. The App display is featured just over a keyboard that fully copies the look and experience of the iPhone’s own texting keyboard. There is a Reset button, a Speak! Button and a blue box on the top features whatever text has been spelled out for speaking.

There is even a speaker in the upper left hand corner to emulate using a voice recorder on top of the iPhone screen. The only limitation of the “Type n Talk” App is that the user must come up with the phrases, passages, quips and robotic commands themselves, because the internal robot in this application responds only to specific commands…for now.

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

Every group has a friend that buys a ten-gallon soda and, despite using the theatre bathroom right before the movie begins, has to relieve him or herself during an exciting or important point of a film. Aside from the annoying interruption of everyone’s fantasyland experience, as the pee-dancing personage stands and shuffles out, the culprit nearly always has to ask whoever they are sitting near what happened when they were gone.

The free “Run Pee” App is the solution to the bladderless movie-goer! This amazing tool provides Pee Times for every movie that is out, in order of when they came out or alphabetically. The Pee Times are places in the film where there is neither entertaining action, nor pivotal plot information, so that in essence the Pee Times are places that one can afford to miss.

Clicking on the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” shows that at 37 minutes into the film there is a 4 minute Pee Time window when an overly thirsty patron can empty themselves accordingly without missing anything. There is even a cue before the Pee Time emerges: “After Balthazar says to Dave…” then one can go urinate!

There are trailers for the films in the “Run Pee” App, and it is a good way to tell which movies are better off being skipped altogether, as the worst movies will have more useless periods of time where there is no plot development or action, in other words Pee Times. A movie with seven Pee Times and a total of 30 minutes of down-pee-time is probably not worth interrupting with a bathroom break in the first place.

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The “Smithsonian Channel” application is the iPhone’s free TV channel, complete with show listings and full episodes of outstanding and educational entertainment, like the “Street Monkeys: Girl Gangs” episode. Perhaps “The Real Story” show of the real instance of “Silence of the Lambs” is more up the viewer’s alley, or perhaps the “Carrier at War: USS Enterprise” show on the mighty aircraft carrier.

The “Smithsonian Channel” App is one of those rare providers of full TV shows, not clips, but the whole “A Woman Among Wolves” (scary!) in its entirety. Animal and nature enthusiasts will revel in the whale song, as war veterans, hobbyists and aficionados will fly over the hostile waters of foreign territory on daring missions.

The intuitive “Smithsonian Channel” App provides a beautiful knowledge sharing TV show archive where television episodes and their scheduling is readily available, as is the fully visible videos of shows. The App is organized well so that the bored peruser with a hankering for portable TV can quickly sift through the Episodes, Popular and Recent sections of the “Smithsonian Channel” App’s videos. The Episode guide provides screenshots, the season specifics of the show and a summary of the “Zoo Vets” program.

Take the lunch break to a new height in educational entertainment, as the whales splash everything but the work desk! Get it here [iTunes link]!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

Duck Hunt was one of Nintendo’s biggest successes early on, but where they began the makers of the “Zombie Duck hunt” App have gone further. The world is perilous, as not just goofy-looking flying zombie ducks are threatening to nibble players to death, but Killer Geese and Mutant Quail encompass the reedy swamp area as well.

The “Zombie Duck Hunt” application plays in WIDESCREEN. This game has three challenging difficulties and a simple enough control system. Just tilt the iPhone to move the target up and down, left and right, and then press the bottom left hand corner to reload, or the bottom right hand corner to FIRE!

This zombie hunting training seminar is a great way to unwind, and like a catchy Beatles song, this game does not ever seem to get old. The cartoon landscape, zombie birds and difficulty in striking at the un-beating heart of the undead provides a funny, thrilling and entertaining display that easily fills that video game void that might be rising on line in a super market where the clock seems to crawl.

The sound effects, music and visuals make the “Zombie Duck Hunt” App a great experience; it is only missing the laughing dog from Nintendo!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The free “Duke Nukem” application [iTunes link] for the iPhone is one of the greatest spectacles to ever emerge to trample eardrums! The “Duke Nukem” video game franchise is legend, and now with the Duke coming to download on X-Box and Playstation a new generation is becoming versed in the ultimate badass!

Sure the fabled “Duke Nukem Forever” game has been in limbo for eleven years (and counting). Sure the audience that remembers fondly the sneering hope for humanity as being a flattop wearing bulk of a man with a ridiculous arsenal and a loud voice are now in their mid-twenties and up. But this is the Duke.

No one has a more recognizable voice, except maybe Mario. But Mario does not threaten: “I’ll rip your head off and sh*t down your neck.” The Duke epitomized gameplay for achieving mindless on-screen violence to live out tag and have fun. The catchphrases and quips, threats and jokes were the best part of the Duke.

Welcome the “Duke Nukem” App. None other than Duke Nukem himself does this soundboard application! There are dozens of Duke’s favorite sayings, like “My gun’s bigger than yours,” from all of his video games and the App is conveniently organized into Taunt, Threat, Funny, Die/Kill, Idle, Rare, Curse and many others.

It just does not get any better than this “Duke Nukem” App. “Hail to the king, baby!”

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A+

Get five ten question quizzes about the hilarious hit Family Guy in the “Family Guy Trivia Free” application for the iPhone [iTunes link]! Find out which friend in the crew relishes in the most frantic hours of cartoon watching with these questions.

The first quiz is fairly straightforward and easy, even for a novice Family Guy watcher, but as the quizzes continue there are more and more difficult and episode specific quips inserted into the interrogation.

For example: “At one point a tour bus carrying a boy band breaks down in front of the Griffin’s home, much to Meg’s delight. What band stepped out of the bus?” There are four choices given to choose from, but only the genius that caught that one show is going to know who commandeered the Griffin daughter’s heart and sex drive.

The answers turn green when they are thumbed on the touchscreen and are correct. They turn red when they are wrong, and the quiz counts the questions and gives the successful percentage at the end of the suspense, to provide a similar jaw dropping experience to the slow motion capture of Stewie shooting Lois with an automatic rifle.

What episode do Bert and Ernie appear on the Griffin’s TV? Well, the “Family Guy Trivia Free” App will have to answer that question amongst other difficult and fastly addictive queries.

If the user does bad then Peter Griffin would suggest they listen to a Lionel Richie album, because it will change their life. “Who hurt you Lionel?”

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

As the hot pink haired Japanese game show host says on the “South Park FREE” application: “Here we make young greedy contestants on roller skates put their life in danger for petty sums of money!”

The most famous four South Park inhabitants, Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, arrive on the television obstacle course in order to help earn some cold cash…in Yen. The catch is that the show is meant to humiliate and maim its contestants along the way toward earning a meager winning.

The “South Park FREE” App uses the actual South Park cartoon’s voices and images, as the kids are strapped to wayward skates and placed on what looks like a giant and dangerous board game. Disgusting, suicidal and sumo wrestler based traps are placed around the board that leads to the ultimate prize: 10,000 Yen (which the kids do not realize is not a lot of money…yet).

The controls are simple: tilt the iPhone and move Cartman to the side that is turned, while pressing on the screen causes the big boned elementary school student from Colorado to jump on the glowing Japanese board.

Playing the “South Park FREE” App one would never know that they were not in the show, so get it here[iTunes link]! The voices, backgrounds and kick ass Kenny deaths make the game ridiculously authentic, especially for a free iPhone offer. Enjoy keeping the kids alive for as long as you can!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A+

The “DC Comics” application provides many titles and series of comics and graphic novels that are available to preview and then download to a beautifully displayed iPhone or iPad screen. Get it here [iTunes link].

It is true that the entire DC Universe is there, and it is also true that many of the full series, runs and special issued comics cost small fees (the price varies according to the books). But what cannot be overlooked is that the “DC Comics” App gives a huge amount of high quality Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other titles for free!

Fire up the intuitive application and immediately become wowed by the art that is featured everywhere! Jim Lee’s rendition of Batman greets the user upon opening this and every issue that one might have the slightest interest in getting, at a comic shop or for download in the App, displays cover artwork, titles and story information to provide the interested reader with killer insight.

The “DC Comics” App currently has Batman: Black & White issues up for free, and one can thumb up the vitals that say how the “Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN, American Gods) and eye-popping artist Simon Bisley (LOBO) deliver a make-believe story spotlighting the struggle between Batman and The Joker.”

Download the book for free, or if one desires it in print then the “DC Comics” App provides a “Buy in Print” function that locates the user and the nearest shops that stock Batman: Black & White! Happy Fourth of July!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A+

Education is the path to wisdom, and the “Kalm Sutra” program gives a busy couple the luxury of learning some interesting sights and stances that have been forgotten in the modern world. The awesome, engaging and addictive App puts spontaneous and portable in the same sentence.

Besides the artistic drawings of Elephant loving Tiger there are directions on how to accomplish t he same feat and even the benefit of the position is listed for the true scholar. For example: The Blooming Souls spot features the Elephant who “holds in a firm plank position with Tiger embracing from below” and this helps build the Elephant’s stamina and upper body strength, while the Lady Tiger “can lay back and enjoy.”

Though there are advertisements, and only the Autumn book is currently visible for free (the full version is $.99), there is still a lot of engaging touchscreen activity to be had in the “Kalm Sutra” App. Want to liven the mood, then the intuitive application provides sensual Indian sitars, the likes of which have rarely been heard in the mainland US, except of course when George Harrison popularized it for a time.

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The “Find My iPhone” App uses Apple’s MobileMe technology to connect iPhones and iPads and find them on a map when they grow skinny legs and walk away at a brisk pace. The coolest feature is that a user, who loses his or her device, can actually log onto any other computing piece and lock their lost iPhone os that whoever has it cannot access private information.

Really concerned about the nuclear launch codes stored in a stolen iPad, they’re always after me Lucky Charms, then go into “Find My iPhone” and wipe the data clean by remote, permanently. That is right: this message will self-destruct.

The biggest drawback to the “Find My iPhone” application is that the MobileMe account is required and Apple charges an arm and a leg for a year’s worth: $99. The good news is that there is a trial of 60 days for MobileMe that is completely free, and for the iPad owner who would rather not risk losing their investment, security is a price well paid.

Think the lost iPhone is nearby, then log onto “Find My iPhone,” from another device obviously, and blare, at full volume, a sound to help locate the lost precious.

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: B

People will be flying in from all over the world to gain access to the most cutting edge products, news and, of course comics, concerning television, movies, toys, anime, artwork, video gaming and a host of other bits and pieces that will be filling the Jacob Javits Center for three days. Follow all of the intense action with the official “New York Comic Con” application, free for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The “New York Comic Con” App is packed with useful news and details on the guests, including the first annual NYCC Spotlight created for the one and only Stan “the Man” Lee! Alongside the official announcements at the top of the intuitive App are Tweets about the Con and Buzz that is being written about the NYCC from all over the world.

Guests are shown, as they are announced, and are complete with pictures and fun biography information, so that when the user thumbs the touchscreen at a guest’s photo, then they can read all about how John Romita Jr. collaborated with Frank Miller on “Daredevil: The Man Without Fear.”

The “New York Comic Con” App has a directory of accompanying web sites and a lot of other fantastic (four) finds! Enjoy!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A+

For fans of Attack of the Show, featuring the gorgeous Apple TV-licking bombshell from Iron Man 2, Olivia Munn, great high quality video of stories are presented in the “G4” App, as are videos for X-Play and the Feed. Just thumb through the choices and queue up Attack of the Show’s search for the ultimate G4 booth babe contest. The video focuses on the assets of the three finalists, three stunning girls who game prodigiously, one of which will be the G4 Booth Babe at the E3 mega event!

For many years now, the experts at G4 have given up to the minute news updates on everything that is popular culture. Coverage of the San Diego and New York Comic Cons, every E3 expo and every technology, Apple product and gaming event in between is found in stunning brilliance on G4 TV and, now, the “G4” App!

There is even a free gaming companion, complete with a Cheats Section, in the “G4” application, so that the X-Box Live sniping can continue with ease.

There is humor, as in “Olivia Bites Kevin’s Foil Wrapped Cucumber,” there is up to the minute news stories on everything dealing with popular culture, as in “Michael Emerson on LOST Finale & Hurley” and of course the computing and technology wisdom the serious geek would expect.

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A+

The unique quality to the 2010 World Cup has been the droning of a thousand swarms of bees that any soccer fan can hear vibrating their television and surround sound speakers. The cause of the noise is not a killer bee invasion, but rather the South Africa age-old football camaraderie of the Vuvuzela. The Vuvuzela is a long plastic horn that South Africans invoke to cheer on their favorite football teams.

The free “Vuvuzela 2010” App allows for anyone with an iPhone, or iPod Touch, to either appear zealous in watching the great Ivory Coast games, or just plain annoying as the extremely authentic sounding application literally makes the device spit out the loud droning bee swarm sound. Disturb friends and family alike with a portable Vuvuzela occasionally blasting fun that will echo in living rooms and bars, like a form of water torture.

The “Vuvuzela 2010” App has been created for the die-hard football fans in mind. There are a number of color combinations to choose from before sounding the horn, and they represent either the team or the goalkeepers’ colors. Choose the appearance of the Vuvuzela, just like the fans in South Africa and let the sound fly!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The “alQuran” App brings over a hundred different translations, verse by verse, so that the religious or the scholarly can study the holy Quran easily and effectively. The “alQuran” application has a great search feature, provides recitations, an easy to thumb through touchscreen design and a great book style reading experience.

The Arabic letters are shown above the English translations here and, if you are looking for authenticity, the “AlQuran” App even reads, in order, from right to left, as the book was originally read! “All praise belongs to God, Lord of the Universe,” and the descriptive and moving parables can be bookmarked for quick access in referencing particulars.

For Quran purists there are myriad translations and versions of the book in the “alQuran” App, including Arabic-Al-Mizan, Chinese, English-Daryabadi, English-Mohammad Ali (I’m not sure if this came before Cassius Clay dominated the boxing ring or after), German-AbuRida, Malay, Thai, Turkish-Ali-Mihr and even Uzbek-Sodikov. Passages can be emailed to friends or fellow classmates easily and there are many adjustments for font and display so to be pleasing to the inquisitive eye.

Even for the casual appreciator the “alQuran” App provides visually gorgeous words, and their translations, in a well-crafted reading mechanism. Enjoy the readings on the iPhone!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” and a just little bit later God invented the iPhone. Any scholar, of any religion or faith (or lack thereof) will want to have easy access to the often-studied Bible, if for no other reason then to double-check the King James version of Cain’s violent tale.

The “Bible” App is incredibly in-depth, intuitive and essential to referencing the big book! There is a search function here, to easily pull any elusive person, like Jonah hiding in the whale, or topic such as the end of the world that appears in the ominous Book of Revelations.

The “Bible” App is well planned and well organized, and even comes with reading plans to help readers track their progress and bookmark select verses. The application’s settings are phenomenally specific and allow the user to take control of the lighting background, the font size and the amount of the lines shown in the passages’ previews.

Genesis starts out the “Bible” App, as it should, and at the top of the touchscreen is a next button to thumb to the next part, or Genesis 2. Just below that feature is written what version of the Bible is being read and by pressing that one can unlock the dozens of different versions, including the 1545 Luther Bible written in Deutsch and the Finnish 1938 translation. Go alpha to omega with the “Bible” App!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

For every amateur, professional and federal UFO hunter, follower, hobbyist and hoaxer out there comes the incredibly adept “UFO camera” application for the iPhone.

The “UFO camera SILVER” App is free in the Apple Store and provides any user with three different images of UFOs for the purpose of doctoring an iPhone picture. Scare the pants off of every family member by revealing that the honeymoon picture, taken at the hotel resort, show a clearly discernable UFO in the clouds just over the Florida palm trees.

The “UFO camera” App is easily mastered and great for reproducing posters and pictures similar to the one Fox Mulder had over his desk in the FBI basement home of the X-Files. Either take a shot, or use one from memory to insert one or more UFOs. The free version allows for three different UFOs and the ability to adjust their size and transparency in the photo.

The UFOs take on the lighting of the photograph’s background and the effect produces realistic alien sightings on earth. The visitors can be seen flying over the pyramids in Egypt, over the billboards in Times Square, or over one’s own backyard barbeque.

Wave to the clouds, click the iPhone camera, and then insert a hazy UFO into the wisps of atmospheric cumulus. The “UFO camera GOLD” App version is $.99 and adds another sixteen kinds of UFOs, as well as the ability to turn, rotate and even add aliens and missiles to the flying disks!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

This free application for the iPhone is simple, impactful and really fun. The Smithsonian uses its knowledge to morph the iPhone user into a prehistoric Neanderthal type figure, complete with picture and background data.

Simply take, or choose someone’s photo. Then utilize the intuitive touchscreen controls to slightly move and scale the face in the pic to the “MEanderthal” App mold on the screen.

Once the photo is ready then the user has to choose which specific species to join: there is the male and female Homo floresiensis (from 95,000 to 17,000 years ago), the male and female Homo neanderthalensis (from 200,000 to 28,000 years ago) and the male Homo heidelbergensis (from 700,000 to 200,000 years ago).

Now if you want to talk about a stunning and shocking result of the “MEanderthal” App, the user’s picture takes on the chosen cave man type and the form is accompanied by great insight into the persona. The same face that one knows well, from the mirror, is transformed into a Neanderthal form, with big brow and nose, and the Homo floresiensis’s brain is described as, “a third of the size of modern humans…but you make tools, control fire…and your small size helps you survive on an island of limited resources.” Wow!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The “SayWhat” application for the iPhone allows a user to take any picture and make the subject say things with the mouth moving! The “SayWhat Lite” App is free and allows for an unlimited amount of pictures from the iPhone to be used with any of the numerous audio clips.

Take a happy looking dog, with a grin on their cute face, and draw the jaw line. Now the mouth will open at the easy to use jaw and appear to say, “Go ahead…make my day” in Clint Eastwood’s voice.

There are also eight pictures already in the “SayWhat Lite” App, including a couple of cute babies, an old woman, goat and a toad. Make the amphibian resemble Paris Hilton by curving the jaw line with the intuitive touchscreen controls and have it move and say, “That’s hot!”

There are dog barks and of course the exasperated: “Say What?!” sounds built in, and the user can also control the mouth movement’s sensitivity and the speed and pitch of the voice being inserted.

The “SayWhat” App is too much fun and will eliminate one’s spare time! The full version is a mere $1.99 and aside from a ton of more voices, the ability to email the talking picture of your pet muttering, “you’re fired” is added as well.

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The innovative portable electronics protection company Wrapsol has produced a thick film from the same clear-coat bumper protection of Formula One racing cars. The Wrapsol ultra is currently being made for everything from the Sony PSP to the Motorola Droid, and I was able to secure a few for testing purposes.

To start I’d have to say I have been dead against any screen protector on my iPhone, because I hate the lack of touch sensitivity and the bubbles that come along with them, though I understand the logic in protecting the touchscreen. Instead I had chosen a leather case that was open on the front but bordered so the screen did not suffer if I dropped it. It made my iPhone kind of obese, though.

A couple of dedicated readers, and myself, tried the Wrapsol ultra out for a couple of months, and the new Wrapsol film is awesome! The package includes two pieces that custom-fit the iPhone, front and back, giving the device an invisible barrier that absorbs shocks from up to six feet in the air, or where a person is most likely to drop it from. The pieces are custom cut and are easily placed on the iPhone and then squeegeed down so that no bubbles are present.

The film is thicker than most of the flimsy screen protectors on the market, and surprisingly, it does not disrupt thumbing the touchscreen at all; only the feel is a little bit different, as it is plastic instead of glass touching the skin.

The iPhone stands protected beautifully and invisibly beneath the Wrapsol ultra, even after months of abuse in the every day world (and the testers and I did perform extensive wear, dropping and tear). The package is $24.95 at Wrapsol.com and includes the squeegee and a micro cloth for wiping the shininess down.

The Wrapsol ultra also makes a donation with each unit sold to the Cool Earth organization, and all of the packaging components are completely reusable and recyclable!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: A

The free “Super Bowl Winners” application turns the iPhone into a quick American football history lesson. Bet with friends as to who actually played in the big game from any given year and wow them, and their wallets, with your knowledge!

The “Super Bowl” App gives a bare bones crash course for a brief Super Bowl history, and the winners that played, in list form on the touchscreen of the iPhone. The free version is strictly American football, but for $1.99 the World Series, Stanley Cup, NBA Finals, MLS, MISL, NPSL, ASLII and NAFL championships are given as well.

The Super Bowl history is based around the NFL AFL merger and the first championship game involving both leagues, in 1967. The game wasn’t actually declared the Super Bowl until 1969, and did not give out the Lombardi trophy until after Vince Lombardi died in 1970.

This handy “Super Bowl” App even includes all of the previous NFL Championship winners before the actual Super Bowls, when the AFL was a separate entity, though sadly the AFL’s championships have been left out here.

For the curious fan out there the “Super Bowl” App confirms that Jerry Rice’s San Francisco 49ers won the 1989 Super Bowl, and the 1970 champs were the Kansas City Chiefs. Enjoy!

IMPULSIVE Review Grade: B+