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Eat, drink, and be iPhony.
Had everything on the menu at your usual spot? Try somewhere new with the help of the iPhone 4’s many fantastic restaurant-finding apps. Yelp! (free, pictured) is a popular option, as it serves up user reviews and other details for nearby places, or you can leave it up to chance with UrbanSpoon (free), an app that serves up different recommendations with each shake of the phone. LocalEats ($0.99) is another great option, as it offers a listing of the 100 top places in each major city it serves.
The Nike+iPod Sport Kit helps runners keep track of their progress and stay motivated along the way, and the iPhone 4 and 3GS come pre-loaded with the app (pictured) needed to interact with the sensor you place in your shoe ($19, apple.com). If you can do without the frills, lower-cost options like RunKeeper Pro ($9.99) and iMapMyRun+ ($4.99) simply use GPS to track your distance and estimate stats. Whatever your route, make sure you pick up an iPhone 4 armband before you run!
Not only does the iPhone 4 sport a new front-facing camera, but the back camera has been bumped up to 5 megapixels, which allows for much larger and clearer photos than ever before. Of course, you can send them to friends via email or SMS messages, but another great option is to start a Flickr.com account and share them with the world. Flickr’s free iPhone app (pictured) lets you upload and organize your photos with ease, as well as view friends’ photos and albums.
It always happens--you’re at dinner with friends and the conversation shifts to some movie, song, athlete, or other miscellaneous thing that everyone sort of remembers but cannot name. No sweat! Use whatever clues you’ve conjured up and check Wikipedia Mobile (free), the app version of the know-it-all web encyclopedia. Also helpful is the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) app (free, pictured), and if all else fails, just Google it from your iPhone web browser of choice.
Planning a cozy night in front of the warm glow of the television? The iPhone has several apps to kick-start your viewing experience, like i.TV (free, pictured), which includes comprehensive channel listings for your area and can even double as a remote control for select DVRs and Roku boxes. DirecTV subscribers get the deluxe treatment, with their own app (free) containing listings and the ability to remotely schedule DVR recordings from just about anywhere.
Prefer a lavish evening of wining and dining? Don’t spend more than you’ve got--keep tabs on your accounts through a handful of helpful apps. Major institutions like Bank of America, Citibank, and Chase let you check your balances via free apps, giving you a heads-up before you hit that ATM. For a more comprehensive look at your ongoing finances, consider the Mint.com (free, pictured) app, which stores all of your accounts and investments in one secure, readily updated location.
Got errands to run but don’t want to leave the comfort of your couch? Don’t worry--several notable shopping websites have sharp iPhone apps that let you find what you need and order it immediately from the app. Amazon Mobile (free, pictured) serves up the popular website’s inventory at your fingertips with easy browsing and ordering, while the eBay Mobile (free) app lets you place bids and track auctions in a heartbeat.
Of course, beyond all these wonderful features and apps, the iPhone is still a phone at heart, so don’t hesitate to store loads of contacts and use up as much of your plan’s minutes as you can! But for international calls, consider Skype (free, pictured), the popular Internet calling program. Calls can be made over Wi-Fi or 3G, and rates for calls abroad are typically much cheaper than AT&T. Plus, with multitasking in iOS 4, you can leave Skype running in the background and receive calls!
With the addition of the Retina display, the iPhone 4 is the best phone on Earth for reading, and Apple’s own iBooks (free, pictured) app offers up hundreds of thousands of books to preview and purchase on the fly. Plus, you can sync your bookmarks and pick up on the iPad without losing your spot! Amazon’s Kindle app (free) is another great option, and with both, you can swap to a white-on-black display for easier night reading without subjecting your significant other to a sleep-disrupting lamp.
Heavy iPhone 4 users might find themselves charging the device every night, but you don’t have to have a stray cord lying by the bed. Several smart docks are available, including Sony’s compact Dream Machine ($69.99, sonystyle.com), which doubles as an AM/FM clock radio and has a retractable iPhone/iPod dock for charging and playing music through the speakers. Many other options are available in various shapes, sizes, and price levels, so shop around for the one that best fits your needs!
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taskmaster1977
October 17, 2010 at 3:08pm
Great article. I don't have an iPhone, but I do have an ipod Touch and I'm always looking for useful apps. I've added several from the article and will try them out.
