In a sea of video and photo files, Cooliris says, "BYO life jacket."

A lot of apps try very hard to do something different. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Unfortunately, Cooliris is definitely in the latter category.

Like its desktop version, Cooliris visually browses the Internet. It works a lot like a search engine, seeking out pictures and video based on specific keywords, or collecting all results from broad categories like news, sports, or wallpaper. The results are presented in a three-dimensional grid view, and you can swipe the pictures left or right until you find something interesting to expand.

Cooliris is all about interface, but its interface just doesn't work. The navigational menubar is convoluted and confusing--submenus slide out and keep going right off the screen--and the 3D wall has no other purpose but to be fun. Which it is not; it's too slow and stutters continually as it loads content. Strangely, the 3D effect is subtle, leaving us wondering why the app doesn't use a faster, straight-on, 2D perspective.

Once its novelty wears off, all you're left with is a crippled search utility. You can't sort your search results by name or date. You can't refine your search results by keyword. And you can't save bookmarks within the app; you have to email them to yourself!

Cooliris is an interesting tech demo, but it's not a practical way to browse the Internet. The 3D wall wears out its welcome quickly, exposing the deep shortcomings of the app's search engine.

Cooliris 2.1
COMPANY: Cooliris
CONTACT: www.cooliris.com
PRICE: Free
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone or iPod touch with 2.1 software update.
3D wall is interesting as a tech demo.
Failed interface needs a total overhaul. Performance of the wall is often sluggish as content loads. Can't organize search results. Limited support for video formats. Text often blurs or is cut off the page.