iHandy Level Review: A Carpenter's Level Right on the iPhone

iHandy Level Review: A Carpenter's Level Right on the iPhone
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Using the iPhone’s Motion and Touch Features

The motion and touch features of the iPhone and iPod touch are fairly remarkable, and the slew of empty entertainment applications do not let you forget it. Until the novelty of the technology wears off it seems that users will not be free of programs that simply exploit the functions of the phone without giving much depth. Along with these, however, are some that try to give a useful function along with a simple use of the features. iHandy Level takes this concept to heart and makes it work.

How iHandy Takes Level Measurements

iHandy Level is a port of the conventional level that is used by carpenters universally to see if surfaces are flat or not. The application itself consists of an image of the level, green and cylindrical as always and hosting a moving bubble or air at its core. You can use this with the phone standing up, on its side, or lying flat, which in reality is the only useful fashion. One you put it on a surface the bubble then moves around until it finds its correct location. A numerical read out in the upper left hand corner then tells you if it is above or below the 0-degree spot where a flat surface lies. In the lower left hand corner is a button to hold the reading and one that when selected brings it down to zero wherever it happens to be.

Home Use Only

This is incredibly useful for casual users who would rather just reach in their pocket when hanging a picture frame instead of running around in search of a proper level. It is relatively accurate, but not nearly enough for use in a commercial construction setting. Nonetheless, it is more than adequate for casual use. The level is free on its own, but also can be purchased as part of the two dollar iCarpenter package. This includes a number of other applications, such as a protractor and ruler, but is a reasonable download on its own. Feel free to check it out, and if you think that you are going to want to use a number of similar tools on your phone then you may want to look up the package. Six and a half out of ten stars.