Those of you that are iPhone users like me, I’m sure, have used the Camera app that comes loaded.  However, I’ve found that the app is sorely lacking. Yeah, you can zoom, but what do you do if you need to edit pics? Well, I found an app that, while intended as a scanning app, can serve this purpose.  Genius Scan+ comes real handy, when you need to quickly scan documents or to take and edit pix on the fly.

The first screen that you find gives you the options of taking a new image or using one from your camera roll.  Underneath, you see your saved files.  If you end up saving a series of images, it will be conveniently converted into a PDF.  I’ll talk more about this great option.

If you choose to take an image, the same screen pops up, as if you were taking a pic with the standard Camera app.  Genius Scan gives you the option of using that image or retaking it. Then, you can crop the image.  This is great if, let’s say, you’re scanning a business card, but took the pic on a desk.

The next option is for “enhancement.”  You can choose none, black and white document or color document.  For taking pix of receipts, using the black and white option is great because it brings out the contrast, especially under less than ideal lighting.  Beside color enhancement, the best option is image rotation.  Try to do that with the pre-loaded Camera app.

Speaking of sending, the last option is the best one.  Genius Scan gives you the option of sending it into your camera roll, email, Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs or Twitter. One warning though: when sending the image into your camera roll, make sure that you’re successful.  There have been more than a few times when I was unsuccessful and had to start all over again.

One important consideration is the image’s size.  When sending it out, you get a couple different size options.  Especially when using Dropbox or Evernote, you want to keep an eye out because it can really eat up your allotted space.  Also, when you email yourself a a large image or insert it into Evernote, it will take up a lot of your screen.  Most importantly, with really big files, Genius Scan has crashed.  Watch your image size.

This is a really great app for those people looking for some very useful productivity apps.  Especially for those people that are really mobile, iPhone power users like me, this will prove to be really great.  While this doesn’t completely replace a desktop scanner, it does have its use.  At just $2.99, Genius Scan is a worthwhile investment. Don’t just take my word for it.  Check Genius Scan+ out for yourself.

 

Author: José A. Rodríguez