Appletell reviews PixyMe and HourFace photo manipulation apps

Photo manipulation is not only an extremely broad subject, it is also an interesting one. Considering the touch screen of the iPhone and iPod Touch, it can be even more fun to drag and touch your images and edits than to use a computer and mouse (although the Mac certainly offers far more powerful software). Who knows; perhaps these applications will get even more exciting when the iPad and its additional screen real estate come around. Until then, developers have certainly come up with some interesting ideas and concepts for the iPhone.

PixyMe

Seller: Tukaiz LLC
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 2.2MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0.2
Price: $1.99
Age Rating: 4+

PixyMe is an application for placing text inside of images. The interface presents you with certain categories (holidays, travel, animations, etc.) along the bottom in a sliding tab menu. Once you pick a category of images, you can then flick up and down through a series of graphics pertaining to that category. Each category has a nice amount of images from which to choose, which is good. Furthermore, every image has a location where text is to be displayed in one way or another (whether it be in lights, in snow, on an object, etc).

Once you decide on an image to use, you then choose the text you want to place inside of that image. As I mentioned, the text is usually displayed in some creative way, and the images are pretty great in terms of quality. For instance, your image may look somewhat like the one below.

Once you have created your image, you have the option of saving it to your phone, e-mailing it, uploading it to Facebook, or sending it as a postcard (which costs $1.99 for printing and mailing). There are plenty of options from which to choose, and although I didn’t send a postcard, I’d imagine they look pretty cool.

If the included images aren’t enough, you can also bring your own into the application. However, instead of the text being in the actual image like with the ones that come with the application, this method adds different sorts of borders around the image in which you can edit the text. Once you’re done with your creation, you can share this as you would any of the other images.

It’s pretty neat, and I really suggest this application if you’re into sending fun messages or images to people through your phone.

HourFace

Seller: MotionPortrait Inc
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 3.6MB
Version Reviewed: 1.2
Price: $1.99
Age Rating: 4+

HourFace is a pretty simple, yet strangely interesting application. When you first launch it, you are presented with a file to open as a demo to show what the application can do. By looking at this demo, you soon realize the app is meant to take a picture of somebody’s face and then show what he/she may look like at an older age. As expected, the demo does this very well. However, the fun part comes when you upload your own images.

Through the application, you can either take a picture of someone or use a portrait already in your photo library. The only catch is that the image has to be a close up of just the subject’s head/face. This allows the app’s algorithm to find where the certain areas of the face are (eyes, nose, etc.) and then alter them in the mock aging process.

Once the image is uploaded and analyzed, the HourFace becomes available to look at and alter. A slider on the right hand side (which uses the accelerometer as well as fingers to slide up and down) controls the age of the person. Up is younger, down is older.

As expected, you can get some pretty creepy results with this application. It’s sort of interesting to see their algorithm at work in making somebody appear old and wrinkly. If you have a good enough picture, it works surprisingly well in terms of finding the eyes and making them blink as well as moving the face in general in a pseudo-human manner. In terms of doing one thing and doing that thing well, this application is certainly in that category. You are also able to save and send screenshots of the face at a certain age via e-mail or on the device.