Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of Star Trek, the Star Trek Captain’s Log app is a fairly decent option for recording sound, text or photo messages.
The Captain’s Log is based off of the “Star Trek” series, letting users record their own multimedia logs and share their terrestrial adventures with their friends.
Recording is easy enough. After a short registration process, where you pick a username and supply your e-mail address, you’re up and ready to go. You will enter a title for your log and then select any of the three recording options for your message. You’ll have the option of using Star Trek-style sounds or images, or you can choose to record your own. If you’re adding a photo, you’ll also be able to choose from existing photos in your library. Audio, however, must be recording using the app.
While the recording options are nice, the Star Trek effects seem to get in the way more than anything. The sound effects that you can choose from when recording audio are unnecessary, if you’re going to record your own message. For instance, I can’t understand why you’d choose a picture of Nero for your message rather than selecting something of your own, unless you just feel like getting invested in the atmosphere of the app.
Thankfully, aside from the odd sound effects, the app is fairly user-friendly, especially after reading the brief instruction page. Uploading logs is similarly simple. Once the log is uploaded, you’ll have the option to make the log public, tagging it to your current physical location, or you can opt to make it private. Whichever option you choose, once the log is deleted from the app, it also disappears from its online directories.
The audio recording sounds exceptionally clear with no interference, though it’s disappointing that there’s no way to edit audio within the app. Whatever you record in one shot will be your log, there’s no way to cut or augment the clip.
In addition to the recording options, there are a few items here that cater mostly to fans of the Star Trek brand. One button on the app’s main screen lets you pick a color scheme for the app based on various Trek races and job titles, while another button merely brings you to a page with a 3D model of the Star Trek Enterprise. These extras might pique a serious fan’s interests, but to casual observers, they’re not likely to cause much of a disturbance either way, as they’re tucked quietly into the interface of the app.
Despite the lack of editing options and the frustration at the loud and rather obnoxious effects, Star Trek Captain’s Log is a nice option for recording your adventures, especially if you intend to share them with your friends.
