Create photo presentations and race 4x4s off road: iPhone apps of the week

(Credit: CNET)

Last week I mentioned how long it took to sync my iPhone to iTunes and it seems I'm not alone. I think almost all Mac users reported that syncing only took a few minutes, but a lot of Windows users (with some exceptions) were having the same experience as me. Is Windows doing something to muck up the process or is syncing different across platforms? Hopefully, this is something Apple will look into in future updates.

Following your advice, and the advice of other iPhone forums, I restored my iPhone and then used my latest backup to get my information back. Unfortunately, I lost almost all of my apps...it seems Transfer Purchases to iTunes doesn't mean what I think it means. While I redownload all of my favorite apps check out this week's picks.

This week's iPhone apps include a program that lets you create unique presentations with your images and a free-form off-road racer that's surprisingly fun.

Follow the onscreen instructions to create pan and zoom presentations (Ken Burns style)

(Credit: CNET)

Pix Remix ($2.99) lets you take photos with your iPhone camera and present them in three unique ways. You can create a slideshow, a collage, or a slow pan/zoom type of thing (Ken Burns style) which you can then share with your friends via e-mail or post to Facebook or Twitter. Pix Remix is very easy to use, with a fairly straightforward interface, and also gives you onscreen instructions to create each type of presentation.

To start, just pick which type of "show" you want to create. The slideshow is pretty straightforward--just pick all the pictures you want to include, add captions, reorder as desired, and you're done. With the collage option you can pick whatever images you want, and then you're given the opportunity to drag and arrange them how you want on screen. The pan and zoom option might be the most dramatic because you can write captions for each stage, turning one image into a complete story. Pix Remix also utilizes iPhone specific features letting you shake your iPhone to rearrange photos and plenty of touch screen interaction with the interface. If you want a new way to send your images to friends or post on the Web, this app is a fun and unique choice.

Use any path necessary to get to the gates before your opponents do

(Credit: CNET)

4x4 Jam ($3.99) is an off-road racer that lets you drive wherever you want--an ongoing and changing landscape continues in every direction. Steer by turning your iPhone left and right and you have several options for control sets depending on how much control (over gas and brakes) you want. You can choose between a VW bug-like off-road racer or a 4x4 truck, with four skin options for each. You can participate in a couple of different race types with computer controlled players including an Off Road Race (try to beat your opponents to each gate) or a Jam (collect points by passing through more gates than your opponents. Sadly there is no career mode, so there is little to keep you interested if you don't like the race types offered. But there are three difficulty levels to keep things somewhat interesting.

The first thing I noticed apart from the free form racing was the well implemented physics. As you make turns you really notice the centrifugal force and stopping to turn on a dime is pretty much impossible. This only adds to the fun as you and your opponents jockey for position and you even have opportunities to force them away from gates to get an advantage. Overall, 4x4 Jam is an excellent concept with fun and challenging racing action, but the lack of a career mode might be enough of a reason to wait for future updates before spending the money.

What's your favorite iPhone app? Do you have an unique image app that's better than Pix Remix? Is 4x4 Jam worth it even without the career mode? Let me know in the comments!