News

Mental Case 3.2 for iPhone and iPad is now available from the iTunes App Store. It includes plenty of bug fixes, and — for some at least — a welcome return to the old style of study menu.

Unfortunately, after version 3.2 was released, we discovered a major flaw in the classroom edition, so we have had to withdraw it from sale while it is getting fixed. An update has already been submitted to Apple, and the app should be available again on the App Store within a week. Sorry to anyone who this inconveniences.

More technically-inclined readers may find it interesting to read how we developed the 3D card browser in Mental Case for iPad. A tutorial on MacResearch.org details the process, and covers some technical areas in depth. There are lots of pretty pictures, so even non-technical readers may enjoy it.

We are having a sale on Mental Case for iPad and iPhone. Until July 1st, you can get the iPad version for $4.99, and the iPhone version for $2.99.

The first release of Mental Case for iPad is now available from the iTunes App Store. It is separate to the iPhone app, and costs $7.99 at launch.

We spent a lot of time developing this app, and we are very proud of it. One of the biggest challenges was the 3D note viewer, which allows you to browse your notes by flicking through them, and tapping to peek at the second side. We think it is a pretty unique interface, and a strong selling point for Mental Case.

Mental Case for iPad is similar in features to Mental Case for iPhone, with slideshows, automatically generated lesson, syncing with Mac, and browsing of Flashcard Exchange. It also includes the latest additions to the iPhone app, such as much improved data storage, case collections, and moving of cases and notes.

Mental Case 3.0 for iPhone and iPod touch is now available for download. It is a free upgrade for all current owners.

Mental Case 3.0 has a renewed user interface, and support for Case Collections. The data model has also been updated, making it more stable, and able to cope with more data. The new version requires you to upgrade to Mental Case 1.8 for Mac OS X in order to sync.

We are still awaiting Apple's approval for Mental Case 3.0 for iPad, but it should be available within a week, all going well.

Those of you who follow our forums will know that for some time now we have been alluding to our next major release for Mac OS X: Mental Case 2.0. The release will be a major revamp of the app, which has changed direction considerably since we first started to develop it. A fresh start was needed, with plans to address the most important user requests, including text formatting, n-sided notes, and manual ordering of notes.

The good news is that these changes are still planned. The bad news is that they are some way off. A few times we have broken a cardinal rule of software development by making predictions about when 2.0 would be released. As is nearly always the case, as soon as you make such a prediction, you are doomed to miss the deadline.

Until May 4th, we are offering free copies of Mental Case for Mac — to the value of $29.95 — for reviews written on the App Store for Mental Case, Shopping Buddy, or Sumo Master. To claim your prize, just write a fair review, and contact info [at] mentalfaculty.com to get a coupon.

You do not have to give a 5 star rating, or even a favorable review. You can write the review that you want to write, and if we think it is balanced and fair, we will give you a free copy of Mental Case for Mac. Our decision over whether a review is balanced, and therefore deserves a coupon, is final.

It's that easy. Go ahead and earn yourself $30 for 30 words. A buck a word ain't bad.

The iPhone version of Mental Case has been reviewed by Jeff Phillips on Macworld.com. Overall the review is quite positive, though Phillips does seem to show a preference for simpler apps. He doesn't put much value on being able to sync with a Mac, or the powerful lesson scheduling features in Mental Case. But every user has their own goals and use cases, and for some a simpler solution may well be preferable. In any case, we are very grateful for the review.

Mental Case 2.4 for iPhone will become available sometime today (7 Jan, 2010). It includes support for recording, syncing, and importing audio. The new version will only sync with version 1.7.1 of Mental Case for Mac, not earlier versions. Please upgrade your Mac software in order to sync. If you do not, the Mac and iPhone versions of Mental Case will not be able to connect to each other.

We have just released Mental Case 1.7 for the Mac, which includes support for audio. You can import audio files for either the prompt or content facets of a note, or you can record your own audio from a microphone or other input device. Audio can be imported and exported via the Mental Case Archive and Study Archive formats, and can be synced with a soon to be released version of Mental Case for iPhone/iPod touch.

The addition of audio has been a popular feature request, and we are very happy that it has finally found its way into Mental Case. Audio is very useful for learning languages, but for many other purposes as well.

You can upgrade to version 1.7 by choosing Mental Case > Check for Updates inside the app. The upgrade is free for existing license holders.

The price of Mental Case has been raised to compensate somewhat for the dramatic level of the US dollar. We regret to have to take this step, but it is important for the growth of our business, which ultimately benefits all Mental Case users.