iPhone app of the week: RunPee

David Swan
Thursday, 16 July 2009 21:42

Your IT - Entertainment

It’s happened to everyone. Just as Darth Vader is about to fall to his death, or Rocky’s about to land the final punch, nature calls. If you gotta go, you gotta go, but one iPhone app is here so that when you do, you don’t miss anything important.

It’s an odd sign of the times when our iPhone apps function more effectively than our bladder controls.  RunPee, from Rock Software and available for $1.19 from the iTunes App Store, is for those awkward moments when you’d like to leave a movie to relieve yourself, but just don’t know exactly when.

After booting up the app there is a list of films available, accompanied by the release date and running time of each. After selecting your movie, there are two options on offer. One is to follow a cue; a brief description of what happens onscreen so that you may quickly make your exit with minimum fuss. For most films there are multiple cues available, depending on when exactly nature strikes.

The other way that the app can be used is through use of a timer, with the intention that you start the timer at the beginning of the movie, and then leave at the precise minute specified. Of course I had to try this and yes, I felt like the biggest dork in the cinema, checking my iPhone every couple of minutes to see if it was time to pee. The app made me feel decidedly childish, although I suppose anyone who forgets to use the the bathroom before a film cannot be described as astute, anyway.

Thankfully, the app also describes in brief what you missed, to prevent the usual (and annoying) question, “so what's going on?” My girlfriend constantly says this anyway, iPhone or no iPhone, but most users will find it a welcome addition.

Another feature of RunPee and perhaps the coolest feature of the app is its ability to tell users if there’s an extra scene after the credits. Apparently Wolverine has many endings, endings I would’ve seen had I owned this handy app.

I think one of the app’s greatest uses is as a focal point in conversation, and a demonstration of the vast and versatile uses of the iPhone. For a measly $1.19, you can pee at exactly the right moment during a film and then boast to your friends afterwards. The concept behind it is at the very least unique, and it’s quite satisfying to know that our society has come from the days of black and white silent cinema to knowing when to take a tinkle during the latest action blockbuster, down to the minute.

So what limitations does the app face, and is it worth the purchase?

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