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Split Pic 2.0 - Clone Yourself, Better is a neat little app that lets you snap three different pictures to create a fun effect. The problem, however, is that the app is so full of ads that it ruins the user experience.

As soon as you run Split Pic 2.0, you're bombarded with ad after ad, and we very nearly tapped each one by accident. Once you can bypass them, you're greeted with the main menu, which has yet another banner ad slapped on the lower half of the screen. From there, you can select between … Read more

As children use smartphones more often, monitoring their use has become important. TruSpy works well as a hidden application and has a number of useful features for parents tracking cell phone use.

The program offers a free trial version with a 48-hour time limit. Full functioning requires payment of a subscription at a daily rate that varies depending on the length of time of the contract. TruSpy downloads quickly, but installation took longer than expected. At startup, the user is prompted to sign up for an account through the developer. Once completed, the application installs on the phone, but does … Read more

The newest version of iOS has a built-in text-to-speech function that will mechanically read any words on the page to users with learning or sight impairments. It is easy to turn on and works fairly well for most apps and all Web browsing. For those that have more robust text-to-speech needs or that want to communicate with other people through the text-to-speech function, SpeakText FREE is a potentially useful app.

The app's biggest issue is the poorly executed user interface. Lacking clear menus, busied by excess and animated ads, and not taking advantage of the space available on the … Read more

Designed to convert text to speech in a variety of settings, either in the original language or translated into one of a handful of languages in its libraries, SpeakText for Web FREE could be a very useful app. Because the voice files are downloaded before you start, the process is relatively quick and accurate; but an obtuse design, steep pricing structure, and lack of clear direction make it an app only suited for a small number of users.

The first thing to know about the SpeakText apps is that the core software is designed for three different uses, and this … Read more

At first glance, SpeakText for Office FREE seems like a redundant app. It uses text-to-speech technology to read what is onscreen, either in the original language or translated. Of course, the iPad and iPhone come with text-to- speech software, so what purpose does this app have beyond centralizing it into a single space? For the most part, the text-to-speech functions are efficient, but the restrictions with the free version and high cost of the upgrade lessen this app's usefulness.

The free version of SpeakText for Office has limitations on the number of sentences you can have spoken or translated. … Read more

The SpeakText line of apps is designed to provide a more robust suite of tools for text-to-speech integration on your iOS devices, including translation into over 30 languages. SpeakText for Me FREE combines the abilities of several SpeakText apps, but has quite a few shortcomings, not the least of which is a pretty hefty price tag if you opt to upgrade from the limited free version.

The interface for SpeakText for Me FREE is the most immediate issue. Messy, ad-supported, and sprawling, it lacks the clear direction and sharp design needed to recommend a paid upgrade. It actually proved fairly … Read more

Re-coloring a photo is an easy way to add a quick artistic flare. This app can add hundreds of different colors and shades to your photos. Color Touch is a little ad-happy, but it makes up for it with an easy-to-figure-out layout and cool coloring effects. There are enough options to keep the app fresh and cool through multiple uses.

The app appears as "Color Effects" in both your phone's app menu and the app's layout, itself. It makes you sign up for status bar and browser hijacking ads, too. If you accept, the app takes … Read more

Image editing and manipulation theoretically should be easy on an iPad. The touch-screen interface, maneuverability of the device, and power under the hood make an iPad perfect for most basic image editing functions. There are some apps, however, that provide a limiting experience and QuickFlip is one of them. Touted as a quick tool for one function -- flipping and rotating images -- there isn't much reason to download QuickFlip if you already have any of the dozens of other image editors on the market that already perform these functions.

When you open QuickFlip, you will be prompted to … Read more

Today, it's easier than ever to download a song or convert a song you already have to a ringtone for use on your phone. The App Store is filled with tools that promise to do this on autopilot and myRingtoneCreator is one such option; but the overly intrusive ads are very distracting.

In fact, the first thing you'll probably notice about myRingtoneCreator is just how many ads appear when you open the app. Two separate pop-up ads appear that need to be closed before you can access the main menu, and then there are two large, animated banners … Read more