Product Category: Lifestyle

Manufacturer: iRockabye

Where to Buy: iTunes

Price: $2.99 USD

System Requirements: Compatible with iPhone/iPod Touch (2nd Generation), requires iPhone 2.2 Software Update

Pros:

• Simple interface;
• Add custom sounds;
• Works when iPhone is on vibrate mode.

Cons:

• Limited usability;
• Price may be too high for what it delivers.

Summary: Have you ever had a cold or sore throat and just didn't think your golden pipes could get through a lullabye for your infant? Yea, me either but if it was to happen, this would be just the application for you!

Portable Lullaby Machine

Have you ever found yourself out of the house and needed some soothing music to get your little one to go to sleep? Or perhaps you prefer to have the sound of rain falling versus a radio playing in order to help you get to sleep. This app can do both for you.

Figure 1: Opening screen of iRockabye

As you can see from the opening screen image above, all you have to do to start the music is touch the screen. If you don't like the image, just slide your finger across the screen to bring up a new image. The program is that simple, although there are two images, the stars and the alphabet, that have limit animation with the letters and stars changing position periodically. It appears these are the only two that do this, but since the program was designed for your auditory benefit and not visual, this isn't that big of a deal. Shutting it off is as simple as touching the screen again. If you don't like the default settings, touch the pacifier in the bottom right corner and you will open up the "settings" screen, where you can change how the iRockabye program functions, such as adding a timer to the mix.

Figure 2: The timer, adding functionality.

If you need the sound of water or rain in order to get your zen on, select it from the list of sounds and then set your timer for as long as you need it to "rain." Or perhaps you want to set up a series of the lullaby songs to play so that your little one can go to sleep, but you only want it to play for an hour or so. Done. This is just one feature found in the settings screen, and the settings screen is pretty much where everything happens for the program.

Determine Your Settings

You can change a variety of options in the settings screen, even record your own sounds right from within the application.

Figure 2: The settings screen appears after tapping on the pacifier on the opening screen.

A very nice feature with this program is being able to into the recordings list and record your own. I guess just in case you do have those golden pipes and your singing doesn't sound like nails across a chalkboard like mine does, you can record your own version of the "Alphabet Song" and let it play for your child. You can select which sounds you want to play by touching them from the list (which adds a checkmark next to it in the list) so that only those will play in your rotation.

Figure 3: Your sound list accessed via the settings screen.

For example, from the list of sounds above, only the song "Rockabye Baby" will be playing since it is the only one with the check mark next to it. To add others to the mix just touch them to add the check mark. These aren't the only sounds in the library either. There are approximately 40 sounds, including songs, wind noises, ticking clocks, etc., and you can scan the list by sliding your finger up and down the screen. There is even one that sounds like a diesel car running. Not sure how soothing that would be if I was trying to sleep but I guess to each his own.

If you set the timer, it will cycle through the sounds until the timer clicks off. You can have the timer set for as little as one minute to as high as 3 hours and 59 minutes. And if you don't want the iPhone to ring while it is playing from the list? No problem, it will play even if your iPhone is set to vibrate.

Conclusion

This is a simple, but effective program that delivers on what they promise: a portable lullaby machine. I think that $2.99 USD may be a bit much for what this program delivers. However, if it does the job for you, then it may be worth the money.

Jeff Campbell is a fan of all things Apple, an X-boxer (the 360 kind) and geek. He works as a floor supervisor in a 911 center in the Portland, OR area, and lives in a small town just north of Mt. Hood with his wife, two kids, two dogs, a snake and a tarantula.

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