Apple this morning said its iTunes store has served up more than 1.5 billion apps, those snack-sized pieces of software for the iPhone or iPod Touches that do all sorts of random things.
Since launching the App Store exactly a year ago, more than 100,000 developers have been busy cranking out a mind-bending 65,000 apps on the site. Some are useful (GPS apps that help the navigationally challenged, for example). Others are amusing (witness the explosion of games, a select list of which appears here from What They Play). Some unleash our inner artist. A handful are offensive, including the controversial Baby Shaker app. And some are just inane. Remember the $1,000 app that did absolutely nothing?
To celebrate this cornucopia of apps, we'd like to invite you to nominate your faves. Cast your votes in the comment box below, and at the end of the week, we'll publish the list of winners. Here are the categories:
Most useful app
Most useless app
Best game
Wackiest app
Worst crApp ever
Best news app
Best time waster
Best free app
Best paid app
App most likely to impress your friends at a party
For all the hype about the "remix culture," I'm skeptical of the notion that the masses want to create their own music and video. Creating is hard, particularly when you're starting with a blank sheet of paper or an empty USB drive. Even when someone provides you the building blocks, it takes more energy to put them together than most people are willing to expend.
Nevertheless, software developers keep trying to coax out the public's inner Prince. The latest example is Romplr, which launches this morning as a $5 iPhone application. Created by Moderati, the company behind the virtual Zippo lighter, Romplr is song-remixing software that enables people to create new versions of tunes by rearranging their components. The initial version comes with three songs by hip-hop hit maker Soulja Boy Tell 'Em: “Crank That," "Hey You There" and "Turn My Swag On." In addition to bass, drums, vocals and other sonic elements from the originals that can be dropped in and out, Romplr provides seven additional samples that can be sprinkled into the mix. Think of them as flair. See a demo here. Naturally, you can share your mix with friends, including the ones you don't really know on Facebook.
(For those of you who aren't so taken with Soulja Boy, there's a second version of Romplr featuring three dance tracks created by the company's in-house stable of composers -- presumably the ones Romplr doesn't have to pay royalties.)
In the continuum of music-related apps that stretches from the purely passive to the labor intensive, Romplr falls right in the middle. It's more elaborate than Bebot's melodic robot cartoon or Pianofly's virtual keyboard, and it's not purely a game, unlike Tap Tap Revolution. But it's less of a gateway music drug than iDrum or Looptastic, which offer greater possibilities for truly original music-making. The main shortcoming is that you can't add anything of your own to Romplr's tracks, unlike BeatMaker's mobile sampler. That, to me, is what makes computer programs such as Acid and GarageBand so rewarding. And make no mistake, the iPhone is a computer capable of more than rudimentary recording: Just witness what locker indie rockers the 88 did with the iPhone Four Track app.
A spokeswoman for Moderati said a future version of Romplr may give users the ability to add their own sounds or tracks. More definitive are the plans to offer more prerecorded song downloads and to produce versions of the app for other smartphones (wait -- there are other smartphones?!?).
The point for Romplr is to sell apps. For the artists who offer their tracks for remixing, though, there's a payoff beyond the song royalties that's less direct and more consequential. Giving people a chance to break songs down enables them to see more of the artistry involved in recorded music (although, in some cases, the artistry is coming from the producer, not the band). It also deepens the relationship between the artist and the fan by encouraging the latter to make an investment of time and effort into the artist's music. This is what remix culture is about -- letting the fans interact, not just listen.
It seems that when it comes to apps for the Palm Pre, one group of users has one hand clapping while the other is outstretched like Oliver saying, "Please, sir, I want some more."
Strategy Analytics, a Massachusetts-based research and consulting firm, asked a dozen mobile-savvy users in San Diego recently about their experiences with the Palm App Catalog. They were asked to spend at least five minutes browsing and to come up with five apps they were interested in.
Unanimously, these users found the store's interface intuitive and easy to navigate but did have some complaints, according to the report.
"While the App Catalog contains desirable and recognizable content, the volume of content overall is lacking," the report found.
At the time of the study, there were fewer than 60 apps in the Palm store. This is one of the challenges of entering a game that's been defined and dominated by other players -- especially when they've trained smart-phone users and wannabes to expect more apps than you can easily scroll through in a day. According to Palm, more than 150,000 apps were downloaded on the first day the Pre was available to consumers.
Most of these testers seemed to gravitate to the familiar: Pandora Radio, Good Food -- Restaurants Near You, AccuWeather, AP News and Craigslist, the report said.
And although they found navigation and search through the store straightforward and understandable, the App Catalog's pricing structure left them a bit baffled, according to the report. Currently, each app displays "$Try me" when listed and when it's selected. The users wondered whether that meant it was a trial or for purchase -- or whether a fee might kick in later.
So far, everything in the App Catalog is a free trial. No prices are currently listed with apps, nor is an expiration date for trial periods.
"Purchase details of content are not clearly defined, leaving users unsure if they are downloading a trial version of the item or the complete version," according to the report.
-- Michelle Maltais
What's your take on the Palm Pre App Catalog and its offerings? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
When Apple announced the addition of a compass to the iPhone 3GS, shortsighted onlookers responded with a yawn. Yay, we can find magnetic north.
But iPhone app developers quickly saw an opportunity, and a new breed of "augmented reality" apps are about to be born.
Holding the phone in front of you, locations are plotted on a live view of the world in relation to where you're standing. The apps combine the phone's key features -- camera, GPS, compass and Internet connectivity -- to create a sort of heads-up display reminiscent of first-person shooter video games.
The first two poised to hit the App Store -- pending Apple's approval, of course -- are Nearest Tube, which plots subway stations in London, and TwittARound, which shows nearby Twitter users.
Nearest Tube overlays information about subway stations, including the stop's name, its distance from your current location and which lines it serves.
The first version of the app, which has already been submitted to Apple, will cost $1.79 per city and will ...
Have you noticed some new data points on your Google Maps app? Well, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has just hooked up with Google Maps to make it easier for passengers to plan trips using the MTA's buses and trains.
As mentioned on the LA Now blog, the MTA is the latest to add its info to Google's interactive maps. And you can tap into that on your iPhone as well. By tapping the transit icon (the bus in the middle), you can access schedules for the road and rail public transportation options to your destination. It includes the departure times, estimated travel time and price to hitch a ride.
The BlackBerry Google Maps app also offers transit details -- routes, times and distance. The MTA's info wasn't accessible when we tried to call it up with plans for a trip from downtown L.A. to Glendale and one from downtown to Irvine. Foothill Transit directions from L.A. to Claremont came up without issue.
Other transit agencies currently available through Google Maps include Foothill Transit and Metrolink.
A screenshot of an iPhone using the TomTom navigation app, mounted with the TomTom car kit for iPhone. Credit: TomTom Inc.
As a member of the directionally challenged community, I have been much enamored with having a device that knows where I am and where I'm going even when I don't.
Even as other GPS navigation apps have launched -- among them are AT&T’s Navigator (free download, $9.99 monthly) and Sygic’s Mobile Maps ($79.99 for North America) -- many iPhone owners have been atwitter about the advent of a TomTom navigational iPhone app, announced at WWDC in San Francisco on June 8.
I had a chance recently to chat with Tom Murray, vice president of market development at TomTom Inc., about the anticipated app and the company's iPhone car kit. ...
Some hand-held help this holiday can keep the fireworks in the sky and not in your car. Credit: BL1961
If you took a holiday or some time out to celebrate, would you take your smart phone with you? You're darn tootin'. How else would you be able to tweet taunts to your friends stuck at work or post beach pics to Facebook that you might rethink after that recovery hydration period?
Here are a few mobile apps to help make your holiday and vacation travels more enjoyable.
If you are taking a trip that requires more than just a GPS, WorldMate offers apps for a number of smart phone platforms -- yes, that includes iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones. (Check here to find out if it's available for your phone.) And there are free and paid versions. The app includes a mobile itinerary, which syncs with the online platform. Basically, if you can think of it, this app has it: travel clocks, maps and directions, hotels, friend finder, weather monitor and currency converter, to name a few features. The paid version of the app, or gold-level subscription, offers real-time flight updates for 350 airlines and airline alerts and lets you look up the status of flights and search airline schedules. The BlackBerry and Windows Mobile Gold version is either $14.95 monthly or $99.95 annually. The iPhone app paid version is going for $9.99 -- that's right, no monthly fees. But hurry if you want it -- the iPhone deal lasts until midnight July 4.
Another app that's available across platforms is Zagat to Go. This app offers Zagat's signature ratings and reviews of more than 40,000 venues, GPS support for directions and reservations. For devices other than iPhones, there's even a 14-day free trial.
The word most used on vacation seems to be "where." The Where application gives you local insight, with info on weather, news, restaurant
reviews, cheap gas and movie show times as well as maps and directions. It's available on BlackBerry, G1 Android, iPhone and Pre. There's also Facebook integration with an app called "Buddy Beacon."
What it is: This app helps you create a digital postcard using photos you have on your iPhone, image templates or your location. Just add text. You can deliver it by e-mail, Facebook, Tumblr or Twitter.
Bottom line: They do look pretty good. It's a cheap way to get pictures and sentiments from your travels to the people you love before you return from the trip. And the app costs less than either the postcard you'd buy, along with postage to send it.
What it is: This app does as it advertises and finds the eateries that offer free food for the kiddies. You can search by location, city or ZIP code. Each entry offers the parameters of the deal, address and phone number. (You might consider calling ahead to make sure the offer hasn't changed.) It also will launch Google Maps for directions.
Bottom line: Kids, precious as they are, can be pricey. The money you save with this app on feeding them could go toward that college fund.
What it is: Except
when I'm booking a hotel or stuck on the side of the road, I usually
forget to use the benefits of AAA membership. This app helps you to
find the spots along your path that offer AAA discounts. Using native
location services on the phone, this app has "find me" and "follow me" functions to
better identify where you can save along the way. It also gives
point-to-point directions. It searches for shopping, dining, lodging,
entertainment, health, auto, travel and services, or all of the above.
Plus, if you do get stuck on the road and need assistance, instead of
having to look up the number you can just tap the app to call for
help.
Bottom line: Who can afford to pass up discounts these days -- plus you're really already paying for the privilege with your annual dues, right?
If you have any favorite apps that make your travels more fun, streamlined or affordable, share them with by tweetin us on @Appiphilia, dropping a line at Facebook or writing a comment below.
AT&T sent out a message yesterday to its subscribers touting its new voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation service, operated by TeleNav.
For "just $9.99 a month," the message said, subscribers can "get there faster, safer and without any hassles."
Turns out the monthly fee is a hassle to some. True, AT&T is simply the conduit for the underlying service from TeleNav in Sunnyvale, Calif. But the carrier still is getting some grief from consumers. One reviewer at ComputerWorld argued that the "free" iPhone app was a "Trojan horse into your wallet." (It's free to install but costs $9.99 a month to use.)
The broader question is whether consumers, who have grown used to free or very inexpensive apps that do a dizzying array of high-tech tasks, will still go for a subscription model. For AT&T and TeleNav, their competitors are TomTom, which showed off its turn-by-turn app last month at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference but has yet to announce a pricing structure, and Google Maps, which provides directions for free but doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of TeleNav. There are also the traditional GPS devices, which cost as little as $99.99, no monthly fee required.
Tell us where you would turn for directions. Would you pay 10 bucks a month for a service on your iPhone? Or would a frills-free Google Maps app work just as well?
Today's smart phones can make searching and applying for a job a mobile adventure. Credit: Rick Bowmer / Associated Press
I don't know about you, but I'm a multitasking madwoman. I work hard and require anything I have around me to work at least as hard. I carry both a BlackBerry and an iPhone, and both have to be able to keep up. (Sleep mode is for the weak.)
One of the key things you should be able to do with your smart phone is network. With social networks rising to prominence among the working generations, there are some apps that take advantage of that mode of connection.
Both BlackBerry and iPhone have apps for the requisites of social networking: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter clients.
The iPhone takes the mobile work life a little further. You might just be able to connect with that new gig without even having to look up from your screen -- although most employers rank potential employees a little higher for actual eye contact.
What it is: This app lets you send a resume using e-mail, text message or Twitter. Ultimately, though, the document is delivered by e-mail. The iPhone won’t upload documents directly to Safari, so you have to use a computer for that part. But you can use the iPhone to set up a contact card and customize your "cover letter." The app keeps track of your sending history -- and location, if you turn on that option.
Bottom line: A convenient enough, paperless and relatively low-effort way of responding to the serendipity of job opportunities and following up with your curriculum vitae in real time. The company says the app might be a tax-deductible tool in your job search. (Might want to e-mail, text or tweet your tax advisor on that one, though.)
What it is: If you haven't had the chance to revamp your resume but need a quick outline of your experience to offer a potential employer, this app helps you create an insta-resume. In other words, you provide the details, add water and send. You could technically excuse yourself from a meeting and, in about five minutes, compile a visually inoffensive presentation.You can even add a photo and references if you wish.
Bottom line: It’s a tad more limited than the other app. The cover letter really is a form letter that you cannot edit -- not ideal when applying for a position. The PDF itself is bare bones but definitely serviceable.
Need others? It seems like there are more iPhone app options than jobs available these days. Here are a few to help with the job search:
Free app puts a dictionary, thesaurus and pronunciations at your fingertips. Credit: Los Angeles Times
The other day, an acquaintance of mine just throws “fin de siecle” into a regular conversation, like we’re at some Camembert protest in Normandy or something. Seriously, dude, you just got a word-of-the-day calendar?
Then a week later I’m reading a blog – not one of the fun ones, that’s for sure -- and there it is again: fin de siecle.
God, this is all so 2000. But at least I have an iPhone, and on my iPhone is the Dictionary.com app.
What it is: Um, a dictionary? Yeah, but this one pronounces stuff for you, just like the dictionary.com website.
To look up a word or phrase, type as much of it as you know, and it gives you some possibilities. There’s also a thesaurus and – ick – word of the day. And it saves your recent look-ups, in case you need to whip out the iPhone for an “I told you so” moment.
Oh, and despite the fin stuff, it is an English dictionary, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary.
What sizzles: Sizzle might be a little strong. It is a dictionary after all. But I love that it talks. Definitions are easy, but hearing the word is cool.
What fizzles: People who use fin de siecle when talking to me.
Bottom line: Was able to prove to fin-de-siecle dude that he was mispronouncing the Aix in Aix-en-Provence. Win.
What's your favorite dictionary app? Share it in the comments below.
-- Robert Burns
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