App reviews: Tape It Up, Vandido

Tape It Up

Sometimes the goofiest games can be the most fun. Tape It Up is a silly take on the "endless jumper" genre, asking players to operate a roll of tape to seal a conveyor belt full of boxes. (Honestly, it is way more fun than it sounds.)

Agility and forethought are both required, as players must move between rows of boxes on the belt - and there is little room for error.

The game will appeal to the Type A folks among us - a well-sealed line of boxes is intoxicatingly satisfying.

It does have in-app purchases, but the game is well-designed and never pushes them on you. Players unlock more characters as they progress, though you can get duplicates.

This game is perfect for short bursts of play or for long trips, as you can play it in airplane mode.

Free, for iOS and Android.

Vandido

Summer is the perfect time to try something new, and Vanido is an app that aims to teach you to sing. Once you sign up, the app will ask you to sing as low and high as you can to get a feel for your range, then put you through a series of vocal exercises.

As you sing, the app reads your pitch and compares what you're singing to the notes in the exercise. You can see if you're consistently high or low, as well as where your voice wobbles the most. Daily reminders keep your exercises coming steadily. And the more you practice, the more exercises you can unlock.

You'll need headphones to use Vanido, and it requires you to sing aloud, so it's probably not great for trying out in public places. Also, a free app is never going to replace a paid voice teacher. But if you want a tool for tuning your voice - or to get a visualization of just how tone-deaf you really are - Vanido is a well-designed one.

Free, for iOS.