Ask Fortuna

Category	Price	Seller	Device
Entertainment	$2.99	Eduard Schwan	iPhone, iPad, iPod

"Ask Fortuna" is an intriguing new fortune-generator for iPhones and iPads. It creates almost-random sayings and prescient prognostications, with a twist. However, these are not plagiarized lists of old quotes, nor are they completely random sentences of computer-speak; They are something in between. "Ask Fortuna" can create millions of uniquely original sayings, guided by "artificial intelligence" that imbues its prose with poetic and thought-provoking wit. You can save and send your favorite sayings to your friends, and even have "Ask Fortuna" read the saying out loud in one of many computerized voices.

This app is always ready to offer you some stress relief or just a smile, or possibly even some sage advice just at the right time. You never know what sayings Fortuna has in store for you, and like life, it will usually be a fun surprise. They can be posted into a newsletter or blog, e-mailed, or you could have a "read-aloud silliness contest" with friends.

Here are some examples of Ask Fortuna's serious, absurdly funny, and zen-like generated sayings:
* This month is an auspicious time to play with wild abandon.
* With great power comes a knob that goes to 11.
* A journey of a thousand suggestions begins with a single meeting.
* Your desire is waiting to be fulfilled, if you find the right spot.
* Take care, somebody's cute pet will cause a nightmare.
* A wise man once said when interruptions cluster, earplugs will be needed.
* The universe knows that if the day starts with a bang, your fortune cookie should be given to a friend.
* Now that you can make a choice, your destiny will go all fractal.

Fortuna is a Roman goddess who personifies luck and fortune, both good and bad. This playful application calls upon her to spin the original 'wheel of fortune' and deliver a cornucopia of sayings that are equal parts funny, random, portentous, and thought-provoking. Seek her thoughts, share your wisdom with friends and family, and enjoy!

What are all the things "Ask Fortuna" can do?

* Speak to Me * Either automatically or manually speak your fortunes out loud in any of your installed text-to-speech voices (this is an add-on feature.)

* Share * You can send the fortune off to friends on Facebook/Twitter/e-mail/messaging.

* Bookmark and "Re-In-Karma" * Each fortune has its own unique 8-character "Karma-code" which, if typed in, can instantly re-display that exact fortune again, on any device that is running "Ask Fortuna". This feature lets you type one of these codes and re-display that particular fortune, or choose a prior "bookmarked" fortune. This is good for bookmarking/saving and revisiting prior funny ones, or sending the code to friends so they can jump to it it too, instant "Re-In-Karma". Ask Fortuna will save up to 10 of these bookmarked fortunes, older ones dropping off as you bookmark new ones.

* Choose your Fortune * You can type your name, birthday, or other phrase, and it uses that text to create a unique fortune from the particular letters/numbers typed. It will extract just the letters and numbers, so that names, birthdays, phrases will each generate a fortune that is always tied to their text. That is, typing in your same text would create that unique fortune again, even on your friend's computer.

* Shake it Up * On the iPad and iPhone, shaking the device will automatically generate a new fortune, somewhat like the "Magic 8-ball" idea.

* Personal * The Fortunes are unique to you. If you and a friend start the app on two different devices at exactly the same time, you will still each get different fortunes.

* Customize * The Preferences or Settings page lets you customize the appearance, choosing a favorite color as a backdrop tint behind the text, and turning on/off sound effects for the buttons. This is also where you can "test-drive" the computer-voices and purchase the "Speak-to-me" feature.