Monday, November 24, 2008

Best of iphone applications

This is my running list of the best iphone applications.  I am ordering them by how much I use them, but don't hold me to it.   I know, I'm a dork.

Google Mobile - FREE
Google has come closest to creating a 1-stop application for the majority of iphone uses... contacts, web search, maps, etc.   It is an excellent concept that Google takes to a new level with their voice rocognition for web searches.   What they are missing:  Voice search of contacts, connection to native google maps application (see "Say Where."

Say Where - FREE
WOW... voice activated search of addresses (connected to GPS location) and then automatic integration with google maps.  Once the address is located, the application automatically maps directions from your current location.  Killer app!

WunderRadio - $5.99
This is one of the few applications I have been willing to buy, and I can't get over this app.  WunderRadio, who also have a fairly robust weather app, have searched the web and collected as many streaming radio-casts.  The app plays them either over wi-fi or 3G.  Here is the best part... if you find a stream that is not included on the app, you can email them and they will add it.  What is even better is they are quick to respond.

The Weather Channel - FREE
This should have been native to the iphone.  It is a no brainer.  I think this is better than WeatherBug, but others disagree... either way, they are both free and robust in the information they offer.  Both make use of GPS to locate accurate weather information.

Flixster - FREE
Great app that connects movies, trailers and theaters together all on your geo-location.  There isn't much to say except it works and it works well.

Remote - FREE
Apple's very own application.  Once the iphone is connected to wi-fi, it can control itunes on a mac or an apple TV.  I think it's pretty cool.

Sportacular - FREE
With this you can look up schedules, current game info, standings, news, play-by-plays and just about anything else related to any sport.  You can also create a favorite screen so you can put the info you find important on the first screen.

Fring - FREE
So I can never get the GoogleTalk gadget from the Google Mobile app to work, so I end up using Fring.  I do not use Fring for Voice over IP calls, although it would be great if it worked the way T-Mobile phones do (never going to happen).  Fring is great for IMing.

Google Earth - FREE
I almost never use this application since I have Google Maps, but it is so damn cool that I can't bring myself to delete it from my phone.  It is really a sweet application.

Lux Touch - FREE
Risk for the iphone...  I told you I was a dork.  The only downfall is you can only play one player against the computer. Supposedly, Lux is coming out with a multiplayer option for the iphone.  I think they already have a version for regular computers.

Enjoy Sudoku Daily - FREE
This is great free game.  I think it is the best of the Sudoku applications because it offers new puzzles every day.  A lot of the free versions will have a set number of puzzles that never update so the puzzle list is finite.  This updates a 7 new puzzles every day (one at each difficulty level).  There is a whole help portion to the application that explains some of the wierd minutia of Sudoku puzzles, which helps with the Devious and Fiendish levels.


So, I've also downloaded a bunch of applications I think are cool, but don't have a use for, and I keep them on my computer.  I will post that list below... but for the moment, this is what I got.