The following represent my favorite iPhone apps from the past year. The apps listed aren’t necessarily ones I use daily, but are more representative of those that I think leverage the platform well and in interesting ways.
And I only list 8. Sure I could have found the obligatory 10, but I only wanted to list 8, and this is my list after all.
- Snapture – There are many Camera alternatives available for the iPhone, but I have found this to be the most useful. The following features are what set this apart for me.
- 3 shot burst mode . When photographing a moving target such as a cat, this is helpful to get a better shot.
- Quick view/delete/mail features. This means less back and forth to camera roll since the photos can be managed in application.
- The level aid is also handy to ensure that photos aren’t crooked.
- MotionX GPS – There are a lot of navigational apps out there and many of them are replacements for TomTom and Garmin units for use in the car. This application adds many of the features that I like on my handheld GPS as well.
- Record your tracks. This is similar to the breadcrumb trail I have used on my hand held Garmin. The log can be exported as well, which is useful for a number of things, and it uses GPX standard. One is to be able to sync your location with photo timestamps. Using freely available software such as GPSPhotoLinker, you can then add the coordinate information to your photo’s EXIF data for geotagging capability.
- Save custom waypoints.
- In-application access to iTunes. I guess that is useful if you want to record your running workout while listening to music. I don’t use it, but I am sure others do.
- aNote – A handy note taking application that does two-way syncing with Google Docs. This makes a very easy way to accomplish things like shared lists with your friends and family.
- RedLaser – This app is interesting in that you can photograph barcodes, which are then interpreted with OCR technology. Then, the item you have scanned can be searched online to do comparison shopping for the best price. What impresses me with this application is how well the barcode ‘scanning’ actually works. That’s just cool technology.
- AirMouse – With this app and a free AirMouse server application running on your computer, you can use your iPhone like a mouse on the computer over a Wi-Fi connection. This makes controlling computer based media centers easy and also allows you to use your iPhone as a handy Powerpoint/Keynote presentation remote. No laser pointer — but it is still pretty cool.
- DirecTV – This is a very easy way to remotely schedule DVR recordings. You can also schedule season passes and choose which DVR to record to if you have multiple units.
- Ustream Live Broadcaster – Video on your iPhone is cool. Especially when it is only a 3G. To stream video live is exceptional. It works really well, though I don’t work well without a net, so you probably won’t catch me streaming live often.
- Skee-ball – I guess I had to have at least one game on here. I am not a big gamer, but I like simple games that I can quickly play. This very much fits the bill and I love the cheesiness of redeeming tickets for items like fake mustaches and mullets.
If you have an app suggestion, please leave it in the comments.
