REVIEW: w-inds.314&FCLT2011 App

 To celebrate their tenth anniversary, and also to aknowledge their fans around the globe, w-inds. has recently turned their attention to the cyber world. They have successfully combined forces with sites like YouTube, USTREAM, Facebook, and Twitter. But their company has also started working on applications, for both Android phones and Apple users.
   Their most recent app is titled w-inds.314&FCLT2011. As the name states, it focuses on their 314 concert (which was featured on USTREAM) and their latest fan club tour, To My Fans. The features offered here are a photobook, a three minute video, a game, and links to their official sites.





Photobook (no internet needed)
This digital photobook consists of 46 pages, 28 from their 314 USTREAM concert and 18 from To My Fans. This is a good value for your money, considering you would pay more for one sixty-paged photobook (and no other features) in the w-inds.store app. The other plus side is that, unlike the w-inds.store photos, these pictures are available to be saved onto your Apple device. Simply click "wallpaper" and you will find it in your Camera Roll.



Movie (internet needed)
This video captures the making of the 10th Anniversary~Three Fourteen~ photobook, available in the w-inds.store app for $7.99 US. Simply described, the three minute clip shows their photoshoot. You can watch Keita, Ryuichi, and Ryohei strike their poses with an Internet connection. The only downside I found was that the movie takes a while to load.







Game (no internet needed)
Did you ever play sliding image games as a child? Practice your strategic thinking with your favourite w-inds. member as you play their picture game. The timer is Japanese, but because Arabic numbers are used, everyone can understand. By clicking BACK, you can also restart the game, with a different image.












Web (internet needed)
The following are a list of links, which will lead you to the respective site on this application. In other words, you will not be redirected to Safari, and therefore do not have to exit the app.








Overall Critique


positive

• on your Apple device, the app loads very quickly
• there are no advertisements 
• a game, short clip, and photobook for $5.99 US
• pictures from the photobook can be saved onto your device
• compatible with iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch

negative

• the clip could be longer / include exclusive interview(s)
• internet seems to be necessary to view the clip
• not yet compatible with Android phones

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these images. They are property of Vision Factory and Weblariat Co., Ltd.