Convertbot — The Amazing Unit Converter

App Spotlight: Tapbots Posted in Utilities on 26 Mar 2009

Written by Allison Wahl

User’s rating: (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)  Loading ...

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the future of utilities apps. Tapbots, a series of three utilities apps with robot inspiration, showcase how increased functionality does not mean a sacrifice of unique and impecable design.

The idea for Tapbots was formulated when the two creators, Paul and Mark, left Oakley, Inc. to pursue ideas for simple weight-tracking apps, inspired by the success of the Wii Fit. Once they began their mission and discovered that their designs were reminiscent of characters from Wall-E, the idea struck them — why not have multiple apps, each based on a different robot with its own specialized task? Thus was born the family of Tapbots. There are currently three members:

Weightbot is the original Tapbot and the one that led Paul and Mark to conceive of the Tapbot family. It is possibly the coolest weight-tracking tool out there, and does so in a way that is simply about numbers — no BS motivation that you’re not going to listen to. Height can be entered into the settings so that when you input your weight, your BMI is automatically calculated. You can easily scroll through the days to track your progress. However, the appearance and simplicity are not the coolest things about Weightbot; the app also allows you to shake an entry to delete it, turn the screen to the left to see a chart of your progress (the weight you’ve gained or lost, where you are currently, where your goal is and what you need to reach it, and how much time has passed and how much time you have left to achieve your goal), and turn the screen to the right to see a graph of where you are, where your goal is, and what would be considered “overweight” for your height. Weight tracking has never been so on-point.

Convertbot is a sleek and simple conversion tool. Instead of the rudimentary lists that most other conversion apps have, Convertbot has a wheel that you spin through, deciding what you’re converting. Furthermore, when you click the units in the lower corners of the wheel, the wheel transforms to display particular units, maintaining the same look through each step of the conversion. Finally, unlike many other apps, Convertbot allows you to convert mixed units (such as feet + inches), creating the most intuitive interface out there. Simple taps reverse the order of the units presented and get you to the number pad, and nothing you do changes the deviceful design.

Finally, there is Pastebot. The premise of Pastebot is essentially this: anything you copy on your device, be it text or pictures, is automatically transferred to the Pastebot Clipboard, so that you always have it and so that you can paste it into any other application at any time. You can edit text entries and do things such as encode HTML, convert to uppercase, or translate them as well. You can also search the text on Google or send it as an e-mail. With the pictures, you can edit them as well — convert them to black and white, invert them, etc. — and you can e-mail them or save them to the device. Entries can be grouped and are saved until you delete them. Meanwhile, the graphics are flawless, and actually make you feel as though you’re using more of a game or machine than a utilities application.

The Tapbots family has quickly found a place in my heart. Not only are they the best-looking utilities apps on the block, they are also provide some of the best functionality around. Their unique designs alone are worth the investment (each app ranges between $1.99 and $2.99). They prove that utilities apps don’t have to adhere to the “boring” stereotype; they can be simultaneously fun and useful! I can’t wait to see what member they will welcome next!