Beware the Advanced Algorithm

Over the past week my attention was drawn to 2 new apps that appeared in the AppStore, NoiseBlaster and MagiCrop. Both promised two very different things, NoiseBlaster promised to reduce the noise seen in under exposed photos, whilst MagiCrop promised to erase unwanted areas in a photo, all using advanced algorithms.

As well as the promise of what these apps could do, I was intrigued by the following statements made by the developers in the apps descriptions.

"The NoiseBlaster advanced algorithm unifies the surface color and makes the little unwanted tint stains disappear."

"MagiCrop uses a cutting-edge algorithm developed by researchers in computational photography in 2007."

Now I'm not saying these statements are not true, but based on my reviews of these apps, I feel these statements could be misleading, and it is the use of the words "advanced algorithm" and "cutting-edge algorithm" that concern me the most, and I think Apple should vet descriptions more closely, and that we (the app buyer) all need to be more careful when reading app descriptions.