What's on your iPhone - useful apps

[Janet H]

I admit it... I'm a gear slut. After months of looking askance at those iphone games and goofy ads, I finally used one and now I'm never looking back. There are some great applications and they are saving me money and time. Other apps replace gadgets I used to tote along and now save space and streamline packing. Here are some I have:

Redlaser - this is a cool barcode scanner that reads bar codes and then searches online for a better price. Very cool for on the spot major purchases - no need to go home to comparison shop!
Currency - Provides up-to-date exchange rate information for many currencies. Super for travel abroad and forex trading....
GasCubby - Tracks MPG and Maintenance
Dual Level Pro - for leveling, hanging pics etc. Has a remote function using chirps to help you level when you can't see display. I use it to level my camper.
Cleartune - the worlds best digital tuner
Tempo - metronome
Mobile RSS - reader, sync functions, etc.
Google Mobile App - Search using voice commands. No typing and no voice recognition training. Amazing.

The best way I've found to locate iphone apps is Appshopper
Multiple ways to search...much better than itunes. All of the above can be located there. A nice feature is that you can set up an app to "watch" for price changes and sometimes paid apps become free for a few days.

There all kinds of nifty applications from flashlights, flight trackers, list makers, restaurant finders based on your current location to something called the pocket girlfriend.

What's on your phone?

 

[W2R]

Well, I'm no help here at all!! My iPhone is still invested in Vanguard because honestly, I haven't got around to buying one.

I am so old-fashioned that I am afraid I wouldn't use it as much as most people do, so I wouldn't get my money's worth out of it.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I have a Blackberry and an iTouch (no service where I live from ATT or I woulda got the iPhone).
Blackberry: I love the Shazam app to find out the names of songs that are playing anywhere, anytime. I also use the Weather Channel, Facebook, Stitcher, and Dictionary.com.
My iTouch has LoseIt, a calorie and exercise tracker and Quicktip, for the math challenged!

 

[FIREd]

Let's see:

The weather channel - Great radar maps and weather forecasts
PortfolioLive - To track my FIRE bennies
Skype - To call and text anyone from abroad
Spreadsheet - Used for budget tracking
Newspaper - To read newspapers from around the world all in one place
CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg, etc...- Must haves for a news junkie like me
Newstand - RSS reader
Navigon - GPS navigation system
Vanguard / USAA / Etrade apps - For online banking.
Flight track and Travel Tracker - Great tools for air travelers
Packing Pro - Super useful app for people like me who are always afraid to forget something when they pack up for a trip.
Gift Track - Keep track of gift ideas
Photogene and Mobile Fotos - To edit and post pictures on Flickr when I am on the go on the go
Cleartune - digital tuner
FTPOnTheGo - To make changes to my website when I am on the go
Deliveries - To track all my shipments

 

[RonBoyd]

I admit it... I'm a gear slut. After months of looking askance at those iphone games and goofy ads, I finally used one and now I'm never looking back.

I know exactly what you mean. On another thread, I mentioned my amazement after getting a Blackberry Curve2 (an iPhone look/feel alike).

So now, I carry, in my pocket, as much Internet access as I have on my desktop. I don't have to carry around a notepad any more. I simply type stuff into my phone. I have a calendar and calculator at my fingertips. Why I can even level my RV with this device. All for less than I had been paying and, to be honest, not much more ($10?) than what a prepaid plan would cost (remember we are talking about two phones here.) I can now, for instance, read the newspaper (NYTimes, USAToday, AP, etc.) while sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

And this is just what I have learned to do in only the past fifteen days. Whatever was I thinking when I thought all I "needed" was a phone?

A "smartphone" is like a GPS unit, you can easily get along without them... until you have one.

(I found no sympathy on that thread, BTW.)

A couple of places to find Blackberry specific Apps (in addition to the official one) are:

CrackBerry.com – The #1 Site for BlackBerry Users & Abusers

StormOTA - Home

I went with the Blackberry because as Verizon says: "There's a Map for that."

 

[RonBoyd]

This looks like an interesting iPhone App

Google Earth for the iPhone

 

[calmloki]

Thanks to the latest 3Gs iphone upgrade the gal can now have 11 pages of apps + 4 on the bottom - 180 of 'em. She has maybe 6 chargers sprinkled around so wherever she lights she just plugs in to power - concerned about the battery dying. Pretty amazing device. Janet, you might enjoy the freebie Tonepad - suspect your musical ability would get even more out of it.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

I know exactly what you mean. On another thread, I mentioned my amazement after getting a Blackberry Curve2 (an iPhone look/feel alike).


(I found no sympathy on that thread, BTW.)

Don't worry RB, I liked your post and actually found it very timely. I have an old-fashioned cell phone with no bells or whistles but once my contract is up in about 6 months with Rogers (I'm in Canada) I'm looking to upgrade to a smartphone. Still debating which one to get so I'm finding these recent posts helpful. Leaning towards the iPhone or the new Motorola Milestone (aka Motorola Droid in the States) once it's available up here in early 2010.

 

[farmerEd]

I bought an iPhone about 3 months ago...had been wanting one for a long-time; before I bought it I was turned off by the high price of the unit, plus the service. Now that I own it and seen how unbelievable the technology is, I consider it underpriced for what you are getting.

I partially justified this purchase (and a new iMac), because I was lucky enough to put a large chunk of my retirement savings in AAPL about 9 months ago...

 

[ERD50]

Don't forget that the iPod Touch (essentially the iPhone w/o the phone or camera) will handle many of these apps as well. For the internet access ones, you need to be connected via wifi.

You can have a lot of fun, w/o the $60/month data plan.

-ERD50

 

[Bestwifeever]

What is the charge for the apps--for downloading them to the iPhone, and for using them? Are they the gift that keeps on giving?

Also, I know I can get these questions answered at the Apple store when I stop in to get DH's Christmas present, which will be an iPhone, but I figure some of you iHeads like to talk about these iThings --does the iPhone act as an iPod--do you load it up with songs too so you don't need the separate iPod anymore?

 

[RonBoyd]

What is the charge for the apps--for downloading them to the iPhone, and for using them? Are they the gift that keeps on giving?

Also, I know I can get these questions answered at the Apple store when I stop in to get DH's Christmas present, which will be an iPhone, but I figure some of you iHeads like to talk about these iThings --does the iPhone act as an iPod--do you load it up with songs too so you don't need the separate iPod anymore?

I don't know about Apps for the iPhone but for Blackberry there are lots and lots of free ones -- the other are mostly in the $1.99 range but there are a few much more costly. I suspect for competitive reasons the iPhone Apps will be comparable.

My Blackberry has Slacker and Pandora so I simply create my own Radio Stations.

 

[FIREd]

I don't know about Apps for the iPhone but for Blackberry there are lots and lots of free ones -- the other are mostly in the $1.99 range but there are a few much more costly. I suspect for competitive reasons the iPhone Apps will be comparable.

That's correct, most iphone apps are either free or cost just a few bucks.

 

[FIREd]

What is the charge for the apps--for downloading them to the iPhone, and for using them? Are they the gift that keeps on giving?

The vast majority of apps are indeed the gift that keeps on giving. You pay for them upfront and then you can use them as often as you want for free (most will offer free updates and upgrades as well). There are a few exceptions. For example, I have heard that some news apps will start requiring users to pay a monthly fee to access their content. And other apps will make you pay for updates and upgrades.

What is the charge for the apps--for downloading them to the iPhone, and for using them? Are they the gift that keeps on giving?

Also, I know I can get these questions answered at the Apple store when I stop in to get DH's Christmas present, which will be an iPhone, but I figure some of you iHeads like to talk about these iThings --does the iPhone act as an iPod--do you load it up with songs too so you don't need the separate iPod anymore?

Basically, the iphone is ipod + telephone. You can load it up with songs, movies and podcasts just like the ipod. So you do not need a separate ipod anymore.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Basically, the iphone is ipod + telephone. You can load it up with songs, movies and podcasts just like the ipod. So you do not need a separate ipod anymore.

Thanks--that was the impression I had.

DH is a Mac through and through and he will love the iPhone, I know.

 

[73ss454]

DW and I both bought I Phones about 3 months ago. I brought mine back after a few weeks and traded it in for an old reliable flip phone. DW loves her's but I just didn't need that much technology.

 

[Janet H]

Also, I know I can get these questions answered at the Apple store when I stop in to get DH's Christmas present, which will be an iPhone, but I figure some of you iHeads like to talk about these iThings --does the iPhone act as an iPod--do you load it up with songs too so you don't need the separate iPod anymore?

Yes - you can load it down with songs, recorded books - all kinds of stuff. BUT you need enough storage space. Avoid the cheap model - go for the 16 GBs model as it has GPS/compass functions and more storage space. One of my new favorite things to do it listen to books or lectures on trips. It syncs up with my handfree speaker thing in the car (via bluetooth) and reads to me at 2 am. Beats the heck out of AM talk radio.

 

[donheff]

I have a Blackberry Storm. My favorite app is Google Maps. You can figure out where you are in foreign cities. Worked like a charm all over Italy on a recent trip. I also like streaming Internet radio. I plugged it into my car stereo coming up I 95 from Florida to DC last winter and it was fine most of the way.

 

[spncity]

You can have a lot of fun, w/o the $60/month data plan.

-ERD50

How much does the phone service cost in addition? I have a Treo and the data plan is $20 per month (for unlimited) in addition to the phone service...

 

[calmloki]

What is the charge for the apps--for downloading them to the iPhone, and for using them? Are they the gift that keeps on giving?

Also, I know I can get these questions answered at the Apple store when I stop in to get DH's Christmas present, which will be an iPhone, but I figure some of you iHeads like to talk about these iThings --does the iPhone act as an iPod--do you load it up with songs too so you don't need the separate iPod anymore?

Freee baby! there are so many free apps that you only need to buy apps if you just have to spend money - or want something really esoteric. ''''it Ipods as well. It grates, it chops it mixes - in a pinch you can even make calls with it!

 

[saluki9]

Don't forget that the iPod Touch (essentially the iPhone w/o the phone or camera) will handle many of these apps as well. For the internet access ones, you need to be connected via wifi.

You can have a lot of fun, w/o the $60/month data plan.

-ERD50

FYI Unlimited data on the iPhone is 30/mo not 60

As for Apps, my favorites are

Opentable - Lets you make restaurant reservations. I use this a lot for work.

Dropbox - Lets you drag and drop files from your desktop and access them on the iPhone.

WSJ - Now requires a subscription

 

[audreyh1]

Hey y'all - check out this iPhone app!

How to drive a car with an iPhone - Fortune Brainstorm Tech

Audrey

 

[ERD50]

FYI Unlimited data on the iPhone is 30/mo not 60

Correct. I think I was recalling that the $30 data plan is mandatory, and after you add that to a voice plan you are at at least $60. I just remember hearing the $60 number with data.

Dropbox - Lets you drag and drop files from your desktop and access them on the iPhone.

That sounds cool (well, it is actually basic functionality that should be there anyhow), I'll see if I can load it on the Touch. Thanks.


-ERD50

 

[Bestwifeever]

These comments on what's available for these phones are really helpful to me. I might have to get myself one of them.

So we're watching an iPhone commercial last night showing some cool little apps and I turn to DH (who actually will be happily surprised to receive an iPhone as his holiday gift from me and will learn all its tricks quickly) and ask him which app does he think is the best. He says, "Is the App a kind of phone?"

I hope I (and the Apple store where I plan to buy the phone) make it through his learning curve.

 

[Janet H]

One of the pleasant surprises with this phone has been how intuitive it is to use. Frankly, I haven't gotten past the 2 page quick start pamphlet - there's just no need. The down-loadable full manual is huge; I still intend to read it.... sometime ...