iPhone App Avalanche 12: SpaceTime Converter, iSign, Elements: Flash Cards and aDriverTest!

It's time for App Avalanche 12, and this week we're taking a look at the Education category in the App Store and at what's Good, Better, Best, and, of course, the CrApp. There's an abundance of apps to choose from, and the Education category has pages and pages of good stuff (and some that isn't so good). Here at TiPb, we're all about culling through the mediocrity to see if we can deliver a few precious gems (and one piece of coal, of course!). Let's get started after the break!

Good

Spacetime Converter, by Elliptics, Ltd., is an app that may have you looking at the world (and space) around you in a whole different way, and how you relate to it. It is a calculator that makes use of geometrized units (where speed of light is unity) and lets you conveniently convert between space and time. Instead of how many months until your next birthday, how about how many miles? A fun educational tool that weighs in at 4 1/2 stars and can be found here for $.99 cents.

Better

iSign, from Aaron Basil of iDev2, is an animated phrase book of 800 American Sign Language (ASL) gestures. Each phrase is fully animated by a 3D character, providing both a detailed view of hand position and motions and even some facial expressions. Apparently it's a big file, but if you need a good ASL reference that you can take with you on your iPhone, this may be it. Users gave it a 4 1/2 star rating, and you can get it here for $8.99. 

Best

Elements: Flash Cards, by Lucas McGregor, is a flash card app for your iPhone or iPod Touch to help you learn the chemical elements. You can practice memorizing them in just a couple minutes a day and even do intense drills. Learn the elements by name, symbol, atomic number, or atomic weight. What a great idea! Wish this was around when I suffered through high school chemistry! Customers give this app 5 Stars! Get ithere for $.99 cents.

CrApp

aDriverTest, from Andrea Cantadori, is one of those apps that really makes you scratch your head and wonder who fell asleep at THIS wheel in Apple's venerable app approval department, or were they RUI (reviewing under the influence)? It absolutely BEGS for a lawsuit. As far as I can tell, the purpose of the app is to measure driver response time (implying the driver is under the influence??). When running the app, you watch a green arrow on the screen and when it turns into a brake pedal, you tilt the iPhone forward to simulate depressing the brake. The better you are with response time, the more full your mug fills with beer (!?!). Clearly a drinking game. It gets better (or worse?) - the app description encourages you to try this behind the wheel (holy CrApp!), depressing the actual brake of your car each time the brake appears on your iPhone screen, as the iPhone's accelerometer detects the motion. This is the part where all good (and even hack) personal injury lawyers begin licking their chops. I guess I should at least hand it to the developer for utilizing the accelerometer, right? I don't even want to link this 1-star app. If you must look, then just use your iTunes search.

That's it for App Avalanche 12. If you agree or disagree with what's been designated Good, Better, Best, or CrApp, let your opinion be known! Leave a comment or two, visit the forum, and come back next week for more!