AND LEARN SOMETHING, TOO
PhoozL IQ --
Bamboozle Yourself
By MIKE PASINI
Editor
The Imaging Resource Digital Photography Newsletter
Review Date: March 2012
As if digital photography isn't perplexing enough, Harald Johnson has just released two versions of PhoozL IQ for iPad to complement the existing iPhone/iPod Touch versions. The larger screen is somewhat more embarrassing.
In addition to larger images (which equate to more obvious clues staring you right in the face), the new versions include updated quiz questions. Harald, who has created some serious photo-education material like his Mastering Digitial Printing book series, knows the correct answers, too.
Not only are there a myriad of quiz questions dealing with imaging, but there are even a few "cultural" ones. As Harald explains, "I feel that while photography is an Art and a Craft, it is also a Culture, and I think not enough attention is paid to its History and Traditions, so I include some of that in this app. Photo history and traditional processes are something most young or new photographers have no clue about, yet they can only be better and stronger with that knowledge."
Or, as our experience revealed, more embarrassed without it.
TWO VERSIONS | Back to Contents
PhoozL IQ for iPad is available in both a free and Pro (paid) version. "PhoozL IQ for iPad: A Photo IQ Quiz" is free of charge and "PhoozL IQ PRO for iPad" is $1.99 An optional Extended Play mode is available for $0.99 in the Pro version but we slung away in shame before ever daring to try it.
Both versions are available through the App Store in the Photo & Video category:
- Free Edition: http://itunes.apple.com/app/phoozl-iq-for-ipad-photo-iq/id500362857
- Pro Edition: http://itunes.apple.com/app/phoozl-iq-pro-for-ipad/id494316621
Harald set us up with the Pro version because we do this for a living. And he knew we'd have a harder time doing well.
We don't like games at all. We've told Harald. He keeps telling us how much fun PhoozLing is. We keep demurring. He keeps sending us feature lists. Like this one for the Pro edition:
- 100 challenging questions
- Each quiz game comprises 10 shuffled questions
- An optional Extended Play mode available via In-App Purchase that lets you play through all 100 questions non-stop. It's intense!
- Different question types for all skill levels
- Hints available (but you pay the price in Score deductions!)
- Facts to learn for each question
- Covers main photo subject areas, including: cameras, composition, lighting, image-editing, printing, photo history and many more!
- Great graphics and audio
- Sound and music options
- No ads!
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Count-down clock, dynamic scoring
- Scoring based on speed and accuracy
- High scores via Apple Game Center
- Post to your Facebook Wall, Tweet on Twitter or use Email to share your PhoozL IQ
HOW TO PLAY (BRIEFLY) | Back to Contents
PhoozL IQ is a simple game. Really. You click the Start button and it asks you questions about photography. If it's a tough question, you can get a hint. But the longer it takes you to answer, the less points you score on the question. That's the score deduction feature.
Instructions: Page 1 |
Instructions: Page 2 |
The quizzes aren't as long as an SAT, but they aren't just three questions either. Ten questions is just about right.
And at the end, PhoozL IQ tallies up your score and invites you post it on your Facebook Wall, tweet on Twitter or use email to share your score.
We tried the Pro version. All night. We got smart as dawn was breaking and quit any game in which we got the first question wrong.
Harald wanted to know what our highest score was. Tweet it, he begged.
No way. We're not telling anyone. It's embarrassing.
Well, we'll tell you because you won't make fun of us. It was 88. We had to read one question twice once. And there always seemed to be one impossible question like knowing the rules for photographing in the Louvre? Try to Google that before time's up.
And then, too, you have no idea how hard it is to make notes for the review when every answer is being timed.
So 88 was the best we did.
Actual Question |
Correct! |
|
Need a Hint? |
No Problem! |
But we didn't tell Harald that. We told him we hit 100. How about that, Harald?
"100, eh? Not too bad ;-)," he conceded. "But I can see that you did not submit the score 'cause there ain't no 100s in there. I guess you're shy. That's OK, I'll trust that you got a 100. By the way, a perfect score on the Pro Edition is 150. Gotcha!"
Hmmm.
On the Free edition, 100 is a perfect score.
But get this. Harald explained how you score. And no, you won't read this in other reviews. It's top secret. Don't pass it along.
One point is deducted every two seconds (one second in the Pro edition) but you get 20 seconds (15 in Pro) to read the question. Why pick on pros? "It's more challenging!" Harald enthused.
So if you're playing against someone, advise them to read each question at least twice because they're often very "tricky." That way, they should be a minute and a half into each one before they come up with an answer.
MORE SECRETS | Back to Contents
Harald told us the there are 10 questions in each quiz but an unlimited number of quizzes.
The free edition has 50 questions total in its Question Pool and all of the questions are shuffled each time you play or replay.
For Pro Edition, the Question Pool is 100 questions. With the added challenge that much harder questions are added to the pool. Extended Play Mode on Pro Edition is slightly different in that you can play all 100 questions straight through (but you get time outs) for a perfect score of 1,500.
Eventually, of course, you'll start to see the questions a second time. But that's part of the plan, Harald revealed, when we complained that to score 100 you'd have to speed read. And to get 150 you had to be clairvoyant!
Harald responded, "Regarding speed reading and clairvoyancy, there is an underlying educational strategy at work: the more times you go through the quizzes, the more times a question can repeat, which means you will remember that question and that answer. So it's also a memory test as a side benefit, or as some might call it: 'Brain Training"! Some may think they are gaming the system, but it's actually set up that way. In theory, everyone should eventually be able to hit the perfect scores if they just stay at it long enough. You see, I've actually thought this through ;-)"
Deviously, we might add.
As Harald put it, "I find the border between Playing and Learning to be a fascinating one, and that's the arena I'm exploring with PhoozL. Now go play!"
And learn something, we might add. Without having to read a review or study a technical article. Or listen to some old grouch complain about his low score all night.
You have only your embarrassment to lose.
