Mindcad Incubator. Did anybody say that only mobile apps are presented on app design critique? Incubator is my favourite mind mapping tool for Mac. It does not come with the usual constraint of just one root node for the mind map. This clever detail is a huge advantage during brainstorming when ideas are not yet structured in any hierarchy. Incubator has a simple and clean user interface. The keyboard shortcuts are aligned with the Finder – hence powerful and easy to remember. The limited amount of features is one of the huge advantages compared to other mind-mapping tools. However, if you need a more powerful layout engine I can recommend iThoughtsX. I use both apps for similar purposes.
Unsere moderne Gesellschaft scheint durch Computer und Softwaresysteme bestimmt zu sein. Die damit verbundenen Veränderungen sind für die einen enorm; sie sprechen vom »digitalen Wandel« und »Industrie 4.0«. Die anderen, die mit der digitalen Technik aufgewachsen sind, verbinden damit keine Ängste, sondern sie nehmen die digitalen Services als selbstverständliche Infrastruktur wahr. Erst beide Sichtweisen zusammen schaffen eine gute Grundlage, wenn es darum geht die nächste Generation der Produkte und Services zu gestalten und damit letztlich auch auf die Spielregeln Einfluss zu nehmen, die unsere Gesellschaft zusammen halten.
The best to say about ThumbJam is that it made me curious to explore the world of music on the iPad – and that it stayed among my top apps ever since. The number and quality of sampled instruments included is impressive. More instruments can be downloaded for free. The variety of scales is a cultural journey around the globe.
It should be mentioned that ThumbJam does a superbe job to take the gyroscope and accelerometer as input to twist and bend the sounds, e.g. shake the iPhone to play a wild e-guitar vibrato.
I’ve configured the screen above to play Hang 1. More layers are added for Hang 1.1 and Hang 1.2. MIDI support allows other apps to interact with ThumbJam.
Monument Valley is a calm puzzle. You have to guide the way for a little princess through geometric mazes that will challenge your perception. 10 levels can be explored within an evening. 8 additional level are offered as in-app purchase. For that reason the app seems a bit expensive. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful game with surprising perspectives and optical illusions.
Splashtop is an app to connect from an iPad (or iPhone) to a Mac/PC that are in the same WLAN; real internet access is available for a monthly or annual fee. Splashtop is robust and fast. Of course it does not replace a full fledged desktop environment, but it gets the job done if you don’t have physical access to your computer. Small control elements, like in Aperture above, can be zoomed with spread and pinch gestures.
Animoog is a unique synth app for iPad and iPhone. Usually you are overwhelmed by zillions of knobs and dials of emulated synthesisers. Not in Animoog because the app has a clear layout and navigation structure, and it comes with a impressive amount of presets that take you straight to playing sci-fi sounds on the keyboard. Mind your fingers! – the sound depends where you hit the keys and how you slide horizontally and vertically. Surprising enough, the small screen real-estate of iPhones is no limit, because the whole screen can be used for sliding tones!
The closing gig at Raum Schiff Erde 2015 turned out to be a full-blown mind-blowing concert by Lunartree. And guess what: The recording quality is superb. Enjoy 42 minutes of Lunartree Live! Photos and Lyrics
