This week’s featured app grew out of the developer’s love of board games:
“When I was playing board games with friends,” Sweden’s Arvid Lunnemark told me, “we usually resorted to using pen and paper to keep score. We all thought that there just had to be an app for this. We were right, but we continued to use pen and paper. Why? Because in the end, pen and paper was simpler to deal with than any of the apps [we found]. It frustrated me that pen and paper could trump an iPhone, and as a result, Simple Counter was born.”
An app inspired by gaming. How could I pass on that?
Simple Counter ($1.99, universal) has found a place on my gaming table, but its usefulness extends well beyond game night. The fifteen-year-old developer has made a useful, no-look counter that can be used to tally just about anything. Here’s my look at Simple Counter for iPhone.
Looks
Those who read AWT or read TUAW in the past know that we’ve had a long history with DODOcase, the San Francisco company that took a struggling book bindery and turned it into a iPhone/iPad case powerhouse. Their book-like cases are legendary, and they’ve expanded into accessory bags, Apple Watch charging stands, and more. Now, just in time for Back to School, DODOcase has teamed up with a popular San Francisco designer on the DODOcase Urban Backpack ($220.00).
The designer is Cleveland Motley, who has been creating and making sturdy and good-looking backpacks in San Francisco for years. Working with DODOcase, the team came up with a bag available in a choice of three colors (black, navy, or olive green) with leather trim, base and straps.
The body of the case is made with waterproof Cordura Canvas, while brass hardware keeps the bag looking classic. There’s a foam back pad to protect your spine, a built-in padded laptop sleeve for up to a 13-inch laptop, and a closable inside pocket. To keep the elements out of the bag, yet allow full access to the inside when needed, Motley created a Velcro roll-top closure.
For carrying extra goodies, there are three big exterior pockets, and the entire Urban Backpack has 15 liters of internal capacity. The Urban Backpack is designed and constructed to last a lifetime. DODOcase’s “Back to School Collection” also includes a Leather Laptop Portfolio ($139.95) and a Leather & Canvas Phone Clutch ($69.95).
