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Techcrunch’s best iPhone Apps

“How does the average iPhone user find the gems in this deluge (of over 60,000 iPhone apps so far)?

Unfortunately, the process is entirely overwhelming for the average iPhone user. The bulk of consumers use iTunes’ Top and front page listings. Since placement on the top lists is derived entirely from unit sales, there is a disturbing skew towards the $.99 applications. This not only discourages big developers from putting high budgets and serious resources towards development of really useful applications and games, but also does a disservice to us, as iPhone users. If all we see are ninety-nine cent gimmicks and toys, how will we realize the true potential of our device? Apple attempts to offset this with editor’s picks, but this simply isn’t enough to make sense of the App Store.

There are new third party services and tools coming onto the scene to help show how to best navigate the App Store. AppVee has been doing in-depth reviews of applications since the launch of the App Store and will soon celebrate our one-year anniversary with nearly 1,000 video reviews of the top applications. We’re often asked if we are overwhelmed with the number of applications currently released and the number we are capable of covering. The answer is no. 90% of apps currently out there are of no use to anyone. There are a massive number of clones, one-off gimmicks, volumes of books and reference material, and a never-ending supply of uninteresting games. So, we try to act as a filter for consumers, directing them to what is worth their time and money.”

The post then catalogs 35 of what it considers useful apps – though fair warning, 16 out of those are games and what the author calls “fun time wasters”

TechCrunch

Photo Credit iPhone App Store

Augmented Reality and NY Subway

Using the new iPhone 3GS's compass (sorry, older iPhone folks), app developers Acrosshair have put together a subway finder app for New York and London that overlays the direction and distance to the nearest station, depending on the direction you point your phone.  Courtesy of Popular Science.

HP 15C Classic Calculator Reborn on the iPhone

“The iPhone version…is a faithful rendition-–it mimics every last feature, including the famous “solve” key that shows the root of an equation (look for it in the far upper right), goofy click sounds, and even photo-realistic detailing to really fan the nostalgia flames.

Key clicks are incredibly responsive, and just like the physical version, the app allows you to program up to 448 lines of calculations for rapid retrieval. “

Popular Science

Smarter phone calls for your smart phones

“But while hardware manufacturers are finding ever more things for us to do with our phones, their most basic function – to help us receive and manage calls – hasn't changed much in years. For most of us, call management remains a matter of basic redirection and voicemail services.

Rather than enhancing these core services, network operators have made their calling packages attractive by tying them to coveted gadgets, and in some cases to third-party services such as Twitter and Skype. Now, however, a number of recent developments mean that smarter call management is on its way – though it won't be the telecom companies that deserve the credit.”

New Scientist

Photo of Houston White Space Feb 09 Credit bhphotovideo

 

The summer of the Superphone

The iPhone 3GS, the Palm Pres, the Nokia N97, the HTC Ion Phone and new Blackberries – what Om Malik calls Superphones

Some of their characteristics:

Hardware

• Display with at least 320 pixels on the short axis
• 3G connectivity or greater (plus additional radios as appropriate…Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.)
• Location-sensing technology (GPS, high-resolution signal-strength-based location, or equivalent)
• Hardware-accelerated graphics subsystem

Platform

• Integrated web browser that supports current desktop development standards
• Published native developer SDK that allows programmatic access to the specialized hardware/software features listed above.

Distribution

• Integrated process for certification and searchable catalog distribution of third-party applications. (App Store)

In Korea, all of life is mobile

“She wakes up in the morning when her mobile phone detonates an alarm, a loud Korean pop song. She checks weather forecasts on its screen before selecting what to wear.

In the subway, Ms. Kim breezes through the turnstile after tapping the phone on a box that deducts the fare (as in photo) from a chip that contains a cash balance. While riding to school, she uses her mobile to check if a book has arrived at the library, slays aliens in a role-playing game, updates her Internet blog or watches TV.

On campus, she and other students touch their mobiles to the electronic box by the door to mark their attendance. No need for roll call — the school’s server computer logs whether they are in or how late they are for the class.

“If I leave my wallet at home, I may not notice it for the whole day,” said Ms. Kim, 21. “But if I lose my cellphone, my life will start stumbling right there in the subway.”

New York Times

Food Chain Innovations

Business Solutions magazine highlights POS, secure payment and video security technology coming to independent grocery stores.

It also highlights table side ordering and payment technologies in restaurants. I would say the US is a couple years behind Europe on table side payment. Many Europeans will not let their credit card leave their line of sight…at a restaurant or anywhere

Photo Credit: Motorola

The Barbershop, er iPhone Appshop, Quartet

"Their Ocarina, a 99-cent application that turns the iPhone into a virtual flute, has become one of the iPhone's best-selling apps — to the tune of nearly $800,000. Now out is the sequel, the Leaf Trombone World Stage."

USA Today

Video below is of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven on the Ocarina

Google's Mobile App Store?

“More significant than the (new Gmail mobile) interface, however, is the underlying technology that enables it. Google took advantage of features of the browsers running on both platforms (iPhone and Android) to create a Web application that looks and feels like one that has been downloaded onto the device. Representatives from Google claim that this is just the beginning. The company hopes that the new mobile Gmail will kick-start a trend in mobile Web apps with developers using the Internet to build and deploy more powerful applications.

According to some analysts, this approach to mobile development could have large implications for the way that developers distribute their software and the way that people buy it. It's even possible that more-powerful mobile Web apps could undercut some of the business of Apple's App Store, says Chetan Sharma, an analyst who runs his own consulting firm in Issaquah, WA.”

MIT Technology Review

Skype on iPhone

"There’s also several unique features including the ability to use the camera hardware to capture a photo or to pull in a picture from your photo album for use within the Skype application. Incoming conference calls can be accepted but the ability to initiate an outgoing conference call is not yet available. Not surprisingly, video calling will also not be available in these upcoming mobile versions but is reportedly being considered for future releases for the iPhone and other handsets. Best news of all, the Skype app for the iPhone will be available from the App store for free."

The Boy Genius Report