Wanna get lucky?
By Meg Rivera
WHO hasn’t shaken a magic 8 ball for fun? I remember shaking my sister’s old one and waiting for that little plastic polygon to float the right side up. The answers varied a lot: from uplifting (You will not fail!) to depressing (Don’t even think about it.) to simply non-commital (Come back and try again.) I remember asking it a few times what I should have for breakfast before I remembered that ‘bacon’ is not an option. Oh well.
The local manghuhula is around the corner, but apps have certainly taken the premise of a magic 8 ball a step further. Though we are (mostly) capable of making our own decisions, it would be kind of fun to see what chance brings you. Shaking the bejesus out of that plastic sphere certainly had its high points, but these apps bring a new dimension to the great unknown.
App name: Magic Coke Bottle
Developer: The Coca Cola Company
Available on: Google Play, iTunes
Easy to use: It’s just like a magic 8 ball, except you ‘pop’ the top of a bottle of Coca Cola.
Overall comment: This app puts a fun twist on the classic magic 8 ball. You think of your question, shake your device until the app tells you to stop then you pop the cap off. You can get some really good answers like “Fortune is on your side” or some really vague ones: “Meh.” Good if you are really stuck on a question and fancy a second opinion. Three clicks out of five.
App name: Plasma Fortune Telling Ball HD
Developer: Corina Bonnano
Available on: Google Play, iTunes
Easy to use: Yes. Just put your finger on the plasma ball for more than three seconds and your fortune gets read to you.
Overall comment: I’ll admit, I had way more fun with this than anticipated. I didn’t really feel it because of the bad image quality but the ‘fortunes’ were good fun to hear. Where else would you hear “To make a cart go you must grease the wheels’ as practical advice? This isn’t a decision-maker like Magic Coke Bottle is, but it’s good fun anyway. Extra points go, I suppose, to the fact that you can customise the plasma ball. Two clicks out of five.
App name: Tarot Card Reading
Developer: Internet Design Zone
Available on: Google Play, iTunes
Easy to use: Yes. The app talks you through it and you can get readings for one or three cards.
Overall comment: This app gives you a quick reading on your past, present and future based on random cards you tap on the deck. You can pick the category it reads about too. It’s kind of like a proper tarot reading, with card interpretations and everything. I got annoyed by the in-app ads though, so if you want to get your readings uninterrupted, use this app on Airplane Mode. Three clicks out of five.
