@BactLAB vs ScrollToll
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
@BactLAB
Easily count bacterial colonies on food safety test plates using your smartphone. This app leverages AI and cloud technology to promote operational efficiency and improve quality of life for those involved in food health and safety.
- AI-powered colony counting
- Cloud storage for count data
- Count report generation (PDF/email)
- Supports multiple CompactDry™ test types
- Arbitrary adjustment function for counts
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The safety and security of foods are important for humans to live. The examination of bacteria in foods and drinking water can be easily available to everyone. The product supports human life in any place and region. Making it easy bacterial counting, by using a familiar mobile device for everyone around the world, trying to promote operational efficiency using the global cloud and AI, adding value to CompactDry™ to play a role in the improvement of the QOL, keeping these ideas in mind we have developed the application for everyone engaging on health and safety of food. You can easily determine the bacterial (colony) count cultured in CompactDry™ using your smartphone. Targeted Products ( 7 Types ) CompactDry™ TC ( General Bacteria ) CompactDry™ TCR ( General Bacteria ) CompactDry™ EC ( E.coli / Coliforms ) CompactDry™ CF ( Coliforms ) CompactDry™ YM ( Yeast / Fungus ) CompactDry™ YMR ( Yeast / Fungus ) CompactDry™ ECO ( E.coli ) Primary Functions Colony counter - Colony count arbitrary adjustment function equipped - Cloud storage function for count data Count report [ pdf / email ] Uniform management of data by company (*Optional) Remarks - Regarding the colony counting process, the processing with the initial AI model released in August 2018 had implemented counting technology image processing that combines "image processing" and "machine learning (Deep Learning)" for colony position detection. In the AI model released in July 2023, object detection AI network (machine learning model) [YOLOv4] that processes position (area) detection and class classification in one network is used as a backbone and implemented as a hard-tuning AI enabling business use by repeated inference verification tests specializing in colony detection (counting) . - The cloud image recognition technology used in this service employs artificial intelligence (AI) technology for image recognition system jointly developed by Shimadzu Diagnostics Corporation and Hitachi Solutions, Ltd. - Restrictions for input images in Colony Counter No warranty of accuracy is given for the following images. 1. Image resolution of less than 800 pix x 1200 pix. 2. The background color is not white. 3. Colored medium. 4. A viscous sample is added. 5. Food residues are contained. 6. Highly concentrated colonies. Other ・The count result of "0" does not mean a negative result. ・Detection range is between 1–250 cfu/plate. ・There are two types of misreads that can occur when using the @BactLAB™. - @BactLAB™ Application did not detect all of the colonies specific to the CompactDry™ plate. - The counter detected all the colonies but it categorized them incorrectly. - Please note that the specification or performance may be changed without notice. - The cloud image recognition technology utilized in this service employs the artificial intelligence (AI) technology for image recognition system jointly developed by Shimadzu Diagnostics Corporation and Hitachi Solutions, Ltd. - Please see here. https://corp.sdc.shimadzu.co.jp/english/products/global/bactlab/
ScrollToll
This app transforms your daily phone usage into productive study sessions. It locks distracting apps behind quick knowledge checks, leveraging spaced repetition to reinforce learning. Earn your access to social media and other apps by answering questions on topics you're studying.
- OS-level app blocking
- Spaced repetition learning
- Automatic 5-minute relock
- MCAT, USMLE, math, chess, vocabulary packs
- Customizable app blocking
- On-device puzzle delivery
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Every time you reach for Instagram, ScrollToll asks one question first. Get it right and you scroll. Miss it and it comes back later. You're studying — without choosing to. **BUILT ON DISTRIBUTED RECALL™** The same spaced-repetition science behind every serious study tool (Cepeda et al., 2006), delivered where you actually pick up your phone. Cards you struggle with surface more often. Cards you've mastered get out of your way. You don't have to remember to open the app — you already do, 96 times a day. **ANKI ONLY WORKS WHEN YOU OPEN ANKI** We work because you open your phone. Move to China and you'll learn Chinese without trying — you can't help it. ScrollToll does the same thing for the MCAT (and SAT, USMLE prep, mental math, vocabulary, chess, and any topic you want to learn passively). **HOW IT WORKS** 1. Pick the apps that waste your time 2. ScrollToll locks them behind a single question 3. Solve it — usually an MCAT question, mental math problem, chess tactic, or vocabulary card 4. Get 5 minutes, then it relocks automatically 5. Every unlock IS a study session — distributed across your real day **WHO IT'S FOR** - Premeds prepping for the MCAT who want discipline they can't fake - Med students grinding USMLE Step 1 - Students who open Instagram "for a second" and lose an evening - Professionals who lose hours to their phone during deep work - Anyone who's tried Anki, fallen off, and wants the spacing without the discipline tax **THE MATH** The average person unlocks their phone 96 times per day. ScrollToll turns 50+ of those into deliberate, spaced-practice moments. In a month, you've passively practiced over 1,400 questions — without ever sitting down with a textbook. **REAL BLOCKING, NOT A SUGGESTION** ScrollToll uses Apple's Screen Time API to block apps at the OS level. No overlay you can swipe away. No "are you sure?" button. When an app is locked, it's locked — until you earn your way in. - OS-level blocking — can't be bypassed or dismissed - Distributed Recall™ — adaptive spaced repetition built into every unlock - Auto-relock after 5 minutes — no honor system - MCAT, USMLE, mental math, chess, vocabulary, and custom packs - 3 difficulty levels — beginner to advanced - Works with any app — social media, news, dating apps - On-device puzzle delivery — your usage stays private ScrollToll doesn't ask you to quit your phone. It asks you to earn it. Download free. Upgrade for advanced packs, Distributed Recall™ across all topics, and unlimited app blocking. Terms of Use: https://northstarlabs.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://northstarlabs.app/privacy EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ScrollToll at 74% against @BactLAB's 0%. ScrollToll also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.7) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). @BactLAB's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. ScrollToll sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per 7 days. @BactLAB asks for nothing beyond the download.
ScrollToll holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScrollToll has 780 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of @BactLAB's written reviews are positive against 74% of ScrollToll's.
@BactLAB ships an update every 2 months, ScrollToll every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | @BactLAB | ScrollToll |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.7 (6 ratings) | 4.8 (780 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 74.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 780 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 178 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Shimadzu Diagnostics Corporation | North Star Labs LLC |
Customer experience
@BactLAB
ScrollToll
In-app purchases
@BactLAB
No in-app purchases
ScrollToll
- Weekly Pro Access$4.497 Days
- Weekly Pro Access$6.997 Days
- Student Monthly$8.991 Month
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- Monthly Pro Access$9.991 Month
- Student Yearly3 Days trial$44.991 Year
- Yearly Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Annual Pro Student3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Annual Pro3 Days trial$69.991 Year









