Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
Who you gonna call? Irene's Spirit haunts your iPhone or iPod touch
Irene's Spirit [US$1.99, iTunes Link] puts a fortune telling spirit into your iPhone or iPod touch (with the exception of the first generation iPod touch) as long as you're running OS 3.0.Forget the Magic 8 Ball or Ouija Board. That's kid stuff. Irene doesn't use a 20-sided die or easily pushable planchette to give you an answer. Her answers come from the other side. The other side of what I'm not so sure, but who cares when she is dead accurate. She will make you wonder if ectoplasm will void your warranty.
I had my son ask Irene a question and he totally lost it when she told him the name of his dead grandfather. After two more passes, he got skeptical and figured out what was happening. I should have stopped while I was ahead.
Yes, it's an illusion.
I was very impressed with the best tutorial system I've seen in any app. Being an instructional designer, I know that chunking instruction and requiring feedback periodically is the best way of transferring information. Irene's Spirit is a textbook case of how to get it right.
With a bit of practice, operating the illusion is easy and distracting your audience is helped by lot of vibration noise and weird looking scrolling screens that look like something out of The Matrix.
I thought that it was a well designed, easy to learn trick that will be a hit at birthday parties, but only good for one or maybe two questions before we more skeptical grownups get wind that something's up. I had a good time with it as a casual app, and really think it's worth a look.
Take a look at this video and see Irene in action.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
n00b13 said 7:18PM on 11-02-2009
It's not a frakking i touch. It's called a frakking iPod Touch.
Reply
Jordan said 12:00AM on 11-03-2009
iTouch myself
Juaquin said 7:18PM on 11-02-2009
I have to ask - is TUAW paid for these posts? It seems that a lot of Apps are reviewed around here. You would expect that App reviews would be about the major apps out there, rather than relatively unknown apps from smaller publishers (that presumably need, and probably are willing to pay for, advertising) with small target audiences (how many TUAW readers really need, or care about, an illusion app?).
TUAW doesn't have anything saying that these reviews are or are not paid for. I'm not accusing TUAW (hey, gotta pay the writers somehow) but a little openness and honesty would be nice.
Reply
David Winograd said 7:23PM on 11-02-2009
No. We are not paid by developers. Ever. For anything.
We return hardware and if an app is worth more than a few bucks, we delete it or pay for it if we want to continue to use it.
I was given a promo code for Irene's Spirit which is customary practice for app reviews.
Juaquin said 7:24PM on 11-02-2009
Thanks for clarifying. Like I said, I wasn't trying to accuse, just curious.
mike said 1:06AM on 11-03-2009
You may have noticed there's not many quirky "Haunted iPhone" games out there.
That's why it's news.
That's why it's on here.
Otherwise we'd have.. 100,000 posts announcing app launches.
Sam said 7:40PM on 11-02-2009
There are SO many apps in the app store I really appreciate reviews and pointers like this. To be fair, about 50% of the apps I have are because TUAW has brought them to my attention.
Reply
Ryan said 7:44PM on 11-02-2009
As an app reviewer myself, I want to back David up on this. The app process has forced us all to re-think how we handle evaluation copies/purchasing items for review, etc. With 100,000 apps, I think it's good for reviewers to show apps that would otherwise get lost in the shuffle.
Once more games go to a free-with-pay-per-level model, reviewers will have to evaluate the situation once more. Maybe there will be an unlock promo code for all levels. Otherwise, it will become an issue of how much of a game do you need to "purchase" to accurately review it.
~Ryan
www.TheDigitalLifestyle.tv
Reply
macxprt said 8:42PM on 11-02-2009
Let me guess. The two thumb presses on the sides of the screen after entering the first text message activates the illusion. Not very subtle...
Reply
Mark said 10:14PM on 11-02-2009
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?!
GHOSTBUSTERS!
Reply
Simon said 10:45PM on 11-02-2009
Actually, the way this works is just like peteranswers.com. I believe you activate it by pressing the period while you are typing the petition phrase. When you push the period, you type the answer to the question while the app automatically types the default petition. *Notice how he his his finger while he type the petition to "Irene" for the football question.
Reply
Rego said 3:14AM on 11-03-2009
If it worked by voice I would be more impressed. Too much typing to suit me.
Reply
Lars said 12:18PM on 11-03-2009
This may sound a little stranger and off topic, but I was wondering how it is you have a badge icon on your Calendar app...?
Reply
dharmaboy1 said 1:41PM on 11-03-2009
Lars, that is so funny because I was thinking that to myself when I saw that! How do you get that badge on your Calendar app?
dharmaboy
Caitlin said 2:02PM on 11-03-2009
I think it happens when you sync your iPhone calendar with Google or an Exchange server, and you get a badge for new event invites, event change notifications, maybe even reminder alerts, etc.
r4ds said 4:54AM on 11-07-2009
Thanx for the valuable information. This was just the thing I was looking for, the product seems worth buying... keep posting. Will be visiting back soon.
(http://www.r4ds.com.mx)
Reply
Webble2002 said 1:41AM on 11-08-2009
Umm this app is very gimmicky. Imagine if Peter answers was this flashy! It would lose it's magic and spooky feel from the very beginning!! There's another app called judas answers that is a blatant rip of judas answers and still retains that mysterious feel to it. Also it's free!!!!
Reply
Webble2002 said 1:43AM on 11-08-2009
I meant to say rip off of Peter answers. It even has the same responses as Peter answers. With a trick like this I think less is more and Irenes spirit overdid it with the gimmicks.
Reply