There have been many studies since the emergence of mobile phones that have aimed to show the extents to which using our phones can distract the brain, as well as how they can be detrimental to the cognitive development of children, but just as there are these studies, there are also many developers who have aimed to turn mobile phones into tools that we can use to train our brains.
Most of these apps are disguised as games, and it’s really no surprise. Gaming Realms, the operators of Spin Genie, have said that 50% of smartphone usage comes in the form of mobile games, and they’ve proven, time and again, to be effective in education… to some degree, at least. We have many apps aimed to train the brain, such as the ever-popular Lumosity and Elevate, but there are some that are more simple, aiming instead to test our reflexes.
BLIPLE is one such app. Developed by IMSence, the app is free to download, and not only tests your reflexes in a variety of ways, but also allows you to compare your scores with friends, adding a competitive edge to the otherwise tried and tired formula of reflex games.
There are two modes to the game: the TEST mode, which entails stopping the bar as close to the letter as you can by tapping on the glowing orb at the bottom of the screen, and STOPWATCH mode, where you stop the pointer at the exact location of letters. These are simple exercises that can help improve your reflexes while testing you, and also, as all mobile games aim to do, help you pass the time.
Of course, as with many other reflex testing apps, BLIPLE can get repetitive over time, and we wish that there were periodic updates to the app to help enhance the experience. For a standalone test, however, the app is both fun and functional, and could prove to be a rather entertaining download.
