Best iPhone apps
April 25, 2011 8:36 AM Subscribe
What are the very best (i.e. most useful) iPhone apps in these specific categories?
I'm about to take the plunge and enter the world of smartphones and I'm looking for the very best apps in the following categories. Keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about apps in general so I won't have heard of things that seem obvious. In all cases, simple/easy interface is a big plus. I've looked at a bunch of previous questions and done some web searching so I've got a vague idea of what to go after, but I need help with some particular wants as listed below.
-games (I'd like something for American Standard bridge and tournament style poker)
-to do list (doesn't need to sync to a computer, fast input and easy tracking my greatest concern)
-daily spending tracker (I don't want this to link to bank accounts or anything fancy; just track purchases in set categories, would be nice if I could input data into Excel)
-music (I know of Pandora, LastFM and Shazam--anything else fabulous out there for hearing new music?)
-mapping (what are the best geo-locator type apps? I'm aware of Yelp and Google Earth)
-communication (is Skype the best? What about this Google voice thing about which I am totally clueless?)
Thanks very much!
I'm about to take the plunge and enter the world of smartphones and I'm looking for the very best apps in the following categories. Keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about apps in general so I won't have heard of things that seem obvious. In all cases, simple/easy interface is a big plus. I've looked at a bunch of previous questions and done some web searching so I've got a vague idea of what to go after, but I need help with some particular wants as listed below.
-games (I'd like something for American Standard bridge and tournament style poker)
-to do list (doesn't need to sync to a computer, fast input and easy tracking my greatest concern)
-daily spending tracker (I don't want this to link to bank accounts or anything fancy; just track purchases in set categories, would be nice if I could input data into Excel)
-music (I know of Pandora, LastFM and Shazam--anything else fabulous out there for hearing new music?)
-mapping (what are the best geo-locator type apps? I'm aware of Yelp and Google Earth)
-communication (is Skype the best? What about this Google voice thing about which I am totally clueless?)
Thanks very much!
I use Evernote for my "to do" lists.
I don't have much other input for your other catergories.
If you are looking for something to track health/fitness however, I highly suggest myfitnesspal.
posted by ForeverDcember at 9:05 AM on April 25, 2011
I don't have much other input for your other catergories.
If you are looking for something to track health/fitness however, I highly suggest myfitnesspal.
posted by ForeverDcember at 9:05 AM on April 25, 2011
iPhone apps by their nature involve a lot of fine-grained editorial decisions—"what do I leave out?" type decisions. So what works for one audience will be just a little off for another.
There are scads of to-do lists out there, each with its own editorial "take." You'll just need to try some. Things is highly regarded.
For expense tracking, I've used Expenditure, which meets my needs.
Mapping is a complicated topic, and covers a lot of sub-categories of apps. What do you want to do in the way of mapping? Tour guide? Workout tracking? Routing? Geocaching? A lot of people go to Motion-X GPS, which is a big swiss-army knife type app. It does all kinds of things, but IMO none of them very well.
posted by adamrice at 9:06 AM on April 25, 2011
There are scads of to-do lists out there, each with its own editorial "take." You'll just need to try some. Things is highly regarded.
For expense tracking, I've used Expenditure, which meets my needs.
Mapping is a complicated topic, and covers a lot of sub-categories of apps. What do you want to do in the way of mapping? Tour guide? Workout tracking? Routing? Geocaching? A lot of people go to Motion-X GPS, which is a big swiss-army knife type app. It does all kinds of things, but IMO none of them very well.
posted by adamrice at 9:06 AM on April 25, 2011
No Google Voice app for Canadians, sadly. You can make phone calls all over Canada and the States free from the gmail web site, but it's Flash based, so it won't work on an iPhone.
An interesting variation on the to-do list is Time Flies, which tracks when you last did something
posted by maudlin at 9:09 AM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
An interesting variation on the to-do list is Time Flies, which tracks when you last did something
posted by maudlin at 9:09 AM on April 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Talkatone lets you use your voice gchat on the iPhone. For speaking just with specific friends abroad in places where calling a mobile is expensive (but who also have iPhones) I like Viber.
posted by Salamandrous at 10:00 AM on April 25, 2011
posted by Salamandrous at 10:00 AM on April 25, 2011
Response by poster: Motion-X GPS was the one I've heard of--I like the idea of being able to map where you are when you get outside of an urban centre. Is there a better app for that specific type of thing?
posted by Go Banana at 10:08 AM on April 25, 2011
posted by Go Banana at 10:08 AM on April 25, 2011
MotionX is a hueueueueuge download. Just a warning; start the download the day before you'll need it.
I like SoundHound better than Shazam. Both have free demos.
I'm also a fan of waze. It's a crowd-sourced GPS program.
Games: Scrabble is much better than Words With Friends. But there's no Scrabble for your friends with Android phones, so you may need both if you play word games. I also find Frog Toss very relaxing.
posted by bink at 10:33 AM on April 25, 2011
I like SoundHound better than Shazam. Both have free demos.
I'm also a fan of waze. It's a crowd-sourced GPS program.
Games: Scrabble is much better than Words With Friends. But there's no Scrabble for your friends with Android phones, so you may need both if you play word games. I also find Frog Toss very relaxing.
posted by bink at 10:33 AM on April 25, 2011
For music, I can't imagine living without Rhapsody. You can stream almost every album ever recorded (well, hundreds of thousands in any case, with a few key exceptions like The Beatles), and download specific songs/albums/playlists to your iPhone so that you can continue listening even when you don't have a 3G or Wi-Fi connection. As far as finding new music? Rhapsody gives you artist recommendations based on artists you pick.
Caveat: The app is free, but there is a monthly fee of $10 or $15 (which also gives you access to music via the Rhapsody website as well).
posted by bassomatic at 1:42 PM on April 25, 2011
Caveat: The app is free, but there is a monthly fee of $10 or $15 (which also gives you access to music via the Rhapsody website as well).
posted by bassomatic at 1:42 PM on April 25, 2011
I'm very big on the to-do lists, grocery lists, errand lists, etc., and I use Wunderlist on my iPod Touch. It's basic, but it does everything I need it to do. Also, it was the only list app that I found that wasn't really focused on scheduling your tasks, which isn't what I need. The tasks on my to-do list don't need to happen on a certain day, but I just don't want to forget to do them sometime. You can set due dates and reminders on your list items, but I rarely do that.
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:57 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:57 PM on April 25, 2011
Oh, forgot--Wunderlist is free. You can sync it with the website, but I never do.
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:58 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:58 PM on April 25, 2011
Daily spending tracker - Cashish. Free and easy and exports csv's
I like Wunderlist, as well.
Take a look at esri's ArcGIS program for a few more eclectic features, if you need them.
Music - take a peek at Auditorium
posted by stratastar at 5:04 PM on April 25, 2011
I like Wunderlist, as well.
Take a look at esri's ArcGIS program for a few more eclectic features, if you need them.
Music - take a peek at Auditorium
posted by stratastar at 5:04 PM on April 25, 2011
I've been using and enjoying TeuxDeux for my daily to-do list. It's simply & attractively designed, intuitive to use, and syncs between iPhone and web browser in case you're ever in front of one without the other.
posted by D.Billy at 7:44 PM on April 25, 2011
posted by D.Billy at 7:44 PM on April 25, 2011
MotionX GPS and MotionX GPS Drive are 2 separate apps, I just wanted to point out. For the driving directions you obviously want the latter. It's free directions (after app purchase) or $2.99/month or $19.99/year for voice directions. I've used it going places where I've never been before, without consulting a map first (well, I did have OnStar *just in case* then) and it works fine.
Games - the latest hit seems to be Tiny Wings. It's a cute but very simple flying game. I like "You Don't Know Jack" - you might remember it as a PC game - and Bookworm. If you're into word games, also check out iAssociate 2. (No need to get the first one, the same levels are included in the second.) It's really hard to recommend games without knowing what sorts of games you like.
2 unique games involving audio: Auditorium, in which you move directional tools around to push "energy" into a box to make music; and Papa Sangre, a game in which you navigate solely by sound. The only things on your screen are footprints - you walk by pressing them alternatingly - and a compass by which you turn.
To do list - well, I like SimpleNote because it does sync to the Internet. So I can type a note on my computer (much faster than on my phone). I don't think it offers push notifications, if you need that.
Communication - if you have multiple instant messenger IDs, in the form of: AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN (aka Windows) Messenger, ICQ, Facebook Chat, and/or Google Talk, get Trillian. It will connect to all of those services. It uses your data plan, not text messages. (The PC version supports IRC; I'm not sure about the app.)
posted by IndigoRain at 10:56 PM on April 25, 2011
Games - the latest hit seems to be Tiny Wings. It's a cute but very simple flying game. I like "You Don't Know Jack" - you might remember it as a PC game - and Bookworm. If you're into word games, also check out iAssociate 2. (No need to get the first one, the same levels are included in the second.) It's really hard to recommend games without knowing what sorts of games you like.
2 unique games involving audio: Auditorium, in which you move directional tools around to push "energy" into a box to make music; and Papa Sangre, a game in which you navigate solely by sound. The only things on your screen are footprints - you walk by pressing them alternatingly - and a compass by which you turn.
To do list - well, I like SimpleNote because it does sync to the Internet. So I can type a note on my computer (much faster than on my phone). I don't think it offers push notifications, if you need that.
Communication - if you have multiple instant messenger IDs, in the form of: AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN (aka Windows) Messenger, ICQ, Facebook Chat, and/or Google Talk, get Trillian. It will connect to all of those services. It uses your data plan, not text messages. (The PC version supports IRC; I'm not sure about the app.)
posted by IndigoRain at 10:56 PM on April 25, 2011
Games:
Rolando and Rolando 2, Zen Bound, Spider, Meteor Blitz, iSlash, World of Goo, Flick Golf, Food Processor, Edge, Soosiz, Osmos, Tiny Wings, Words with Friends (if you like Scrabble, that is - IMO it's better than the Scrabble app). And no, none of these are card games, sorry (shrug).
ToDo List:
Toodledo (official app), Appigo ToDo for actual to-do lists; Grocery Gadget for shopping lists; and ListBook for just a quick check-off list with no frills.
Communication:
Meebo, Skype.
Also:
Reminder/timer: Due
Email: AltaMail
Contact list replacement: ContactsTap
Notes: Notespark. Simplenote also, it's more or less the same thing.
Twitter: TweetLogix
Facebook: Facely
Weather: WeatherPro
Browser: Mercury
Ebook reader: Stanza
Many of the above are free.
posted by tra at 2:02 PM on April 26, 2011
Rolando and Rolando 2, Zen Bound, Spider, Meteor Blitz, iSlash, World of Goo, Flick Golf, Food Processor, Edge, Soosiz, Osmos, Tiny Wings, Words with Friends (if you like Scrabble, that is - IMO it's better than the Scrabble app). And no, none of these are card games, sorry (shrug).
ToDo List:
Toodledo (official app), Appigo ToDo for actual to-do lists; Grocery Gadget for shopping lists; and ListBook for just a quick check-off list with no frills.
Communication:
Meebo, Skype.
Also:
Reminder/timer: Due
Email: AltaMail
Contact list replacement: ContactsTap
Notes: Notespark. Simplenote also, it's more or less the same thing.
Twitter: TweetLogix
Facebook: Facely
Weather: WeatherPro
Browser: Mercury
Ebook reader: Stanza
Many of the above are free.
posted by tra at 2:02 PM on April 26, 2011
I love simplenote. I use it for quick notes, lists, etc. It syncs with Notational Velocity on the mac.
I use Omnifocus for todos, but it's probably not what you want unless you're a user of GTD. I use to be a fan of Things, but over the air syncing is still a ways away and has become a sort of inside joke. If you want to feel like you're living in 2005 though, it does the job.
Use Due for quick reminders, Reeder for RSS, Instapaper for reading articles later, My Cast for weather, Instacast for podcasts, Tweetbot for twitter, At Bat 11 for baseball.
If you like one application that does a lot of things, Evernote. I think it's pretty awful, but mainly because of the desktop version.
You can also read the multiple threads on this topic asked over the past several years. They've tended to be longer. I'm guessing people have gotten tired of answering the same question multiple times (no offense intended).
posted by justgary at 6:41 PM on April 26, 2011
I use Omnifocus for todos, but it's probably not what you want unless you're a user of GTD. I use to be a fan of Things, but over the air syncing is still a ways away and has become a sort of inside joke. If you want to feel like you're living in 2005 though, it does the job.
Use Due for quick reminders, Reeder for RSS, Instapaper for reading articles later, My Cast for weather, Instacast for podcasts, Tweetbot for twitter, At Bat 11 for baseball.
If you like one application that does a lot of things, Evernote. I think it's pretty awful, but mainly because of the desktop version.
You can also read the multiple threads on this topic asked over the past several years. They've tended to be longer. I'm guessing people have gotten tired of answering the same question multiple times (no offense intended).
posted by justgary at 6:41 PM on April 26, 2011
Try moodagent for music. It creates smart playlists based on 5 parameters ( like "angry", "tempo", etc). I find it creates pretty good playlists.
I use Appigo To Do for todo lists.
For communication, Beejive is a great multi-protocol / account IM client. Skype is also good for voice and video calls (for iPhone 4).
posted by reddot at 7:31 PM on April 26, 2011
I use Appigo To Do for todo lists.
For communication, Beejive is a great multi-protocol / account IM client. Skype is also good for voice and video calls (for iPhone 4).
posted by reddot at 7:31 PM on April 26, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the help, all. I know this is a topic that has been done to death but I'm coming late to the party and was looking for some targeted advice.
I'm thinking the Omar Sharif bridge app is best; any advice on poker?
posted by Go Banana at 11:29 AM on April 27, 2011
I'm thinking the Omar Sharif bridge app is best; any advice on poker?
posted by Go Banana at 11:29 AM on April 27, 2011
This does not really fit into any category and it kind of useless, but it's hilarious!
Ellen had Paris Hilton on her show and she has an app that you take a photo of yourself and you can "photoshop" Paris next to you so it looks like you're hanging out with Paris Hilton!!
It's only 99 cents. How clever!
posted by Sammieboo at 10:01 AM on May 20, 2011
Ellen had Paris Hilton on her show and she has an app that you take a photo of yourself and you can "photoshop" Paris next to you so it looks like you're hanging out with Paris Hilton!!
It's only 99 cents. How clever!
posted by Sammieboo at 10:01 AM on May 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by backwards guitar at 8:57 AM on April 25, 2011