Anyone who has ever tried to read labels or compare prices at the supermarket has probably experienced the problem I am about to explain.  The freaking units of measurement are never the same.  This brand of paper towels cost $9.95 for 10 towels and you have a 50 cent off coupon.  That one comes with 15 rolls, but costs $ 17.99.  But you have a coupon for that second  brand: $5 off if you buy 2.  So.  Which one should you buy?  Maybe not the most difficult math in the world, but when you are staring at the shelf in the aisle with angry looking customers trying to maneuver their carts around you…you need something fast.  You need Ilium’s latest foray into the iPhone world: Apples 2 Oranges.

Well, let’s start with the answer to the problem I stated above and then we can go back and show our work and discuss how Ilium helped me get there.  The first towels (including the coupon) ended up costing 94 cents per towel.  The second one cost 1 dollar per towel.  So, there you go.  Let’s take a look at how Apples 2 Oranges got us there.

Essentially, this is a unit conversion calculator.  Like most Ilium apps we have reviewed here, it has a fantastic and simple interface.  It is almost reminiscent of a slot machine…only there is no need to feed it endless quarters.

So, here is how this wonder app works.  Just select any two items, and enter the quantity of each item.  Ilium makes great use of the iPhone selection wheel here.  Just spin it until it is set on the appropriate unit of measurement.  Then, enter the price for each item and tap compare.  It will immediately display the price per unit, allowing you to determine which is the better value.  pretty nifty if you ask me.

The only problem I had here is that you have to do a lot of math in your head.  It would be nice if there was a separate place to enter your coupon information as well as quantities when you are comparing multiple items.  Otherwise, in the example above (in which I had a coupon for $5 off two) I had to multiply $17.99 x 2 to get $34.98 and then subtract $5 to get $29.98.  Not exactly difficult math, but then again, I am not standing in the middle of a crowded grocery store with a bored, screaming child.

Price comparison is not the only thing Apples 2 Oranges can do, however, Hit the little red “I” button to switch from price mode to ingredient mode.  This is a fantastic tool.  When i started paying attention to ingredient labels on food, I found out something very important.  Ready for this?  They are all a terrible lie.  Well, maybe lie is a bit strong.  But they certainly are not accurately representing the facts.  The key to the whole thing is the serving size.  While it may appear that one item is healthier or not, the important fact is that it has a much smaller serving size.  In fact, it is often an almost unrealistically small serving size.  Let’s take a real life example. 

OK, so let’s take a look at some cereal.  I grabbed Cookie Crisp and Rice Krispies.  I was really surprised when I looked at these boxes to find that Rice Krispies have significantly more sodium at 220 mg per serving, while cookie Crisp has only 150 mg per serving.  Then I zoomed in on the fine print.  A serving of Rice Krispies is 1.25 cups, while Cookie Crisp is half that at 0.75 cups.  Aha!  While at first glance, it appeared that Cookie Crisp might actually have an advantage of Rice Krispies, the truth is that when you balance it out to a similar serving of 1 cup each, the Rice Krispies end up with significantly less sodium than Cookie Crisp. 

Let’s take another example from the same two boxes of cereal.  Many popular diets today ask you to limit and track your intake of carbohydrates.  So, eating the food with fewer carbohydrates can be extremely important.  So, obviously, a quick glance at the label tells you to head straight for the Cookie Crisp.  Which, I know, is exactly what you want me to say.  But wait…don’t forget about the serving size difference.  Once you plug in all of the information, you will find that to no one’s surprise, these labels were a but misleading.  Rice Krispies actually have significantly fewer grams per cup of cereal than Cookie Crisp.  Sorry folks.

I have to say that I really liked this program…a lot.  Which should come as no surprise, since long time readers know that I am a huge fan of Ilium software.  Apples 2 Oranges is not rocket science.  It is a pretty simple program. What it does is help you with math.  But not just any math.  It helps you with the math which saves you money at the grocery store, and helps you see through the ingredient labels so you will eat better.  Apples 2 Oranges, you might say, helps you with the kind of math that saves lives.  Now isn’t that worth the mere $4.99 price of admission on this one?

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