Favourite iPhone Apps

I have been using smart phones for the past 5 years, all of which have been windows mobile devices, from iPAQ, iMate JAM x 3 (running variations of windows Mobile 2003 & 2003 SE) to my latest MWG Atom Life (running windows mobile 6.1)

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I got a very generous offer (thanks Gerry) to try out a iPhone and I have to say I share Paul Thurotts opinion that an iPhone makes the windows mobile platform look cludgy and outdated. Even with windows mobile 6.5 and eventually 7 coming on they will have to make from ground up changes to compete here.

I have used the iPhone 3G (not the new 3gS) model Jail broken on the three.ie network instead of on the o2 network. o2 exclusively distribute the iPhone in Ireland (Vodafone coming before Christmas 2009). It works without a bother, but you have to sign up for a data plan or your bill could be colossal.

Here are a few free iPhone applications that I find very handy and can be downloaded from the app store.

• Google Mobile App
  • Voice searching, apparently it sends a sound file off to google servers in realtime to analyse your voice and then performs the searches, cool !
• Shazam
  • That app that was on the TV that allows you to listen to any song and it will tell you the artist and title, very handy at parties with obscure playlists
• iePhoneBook
  • Search for residential or business listings for the Irish phone book, never use directory enquiries again !
• Admit One
  • Great little app for showing whats on in the Cinema and when along with reviews of the movies
• Skype
  • Never really got this to work over a 3G connection but can be ok over WiFi depending on the quality of the broadband link.
• eBay
  • Look at auction listings finishing soon, watched items, items for sale/sold etc.
• Facebook v3 App
• This is the only reason I update facebook now, very few features missing.
• Dublin Bikes
  • I signed up to the Dublin bikes scheme to use the shared bikes from stations all around Dublin city centre. This app developed by Fusio shows the nearest bike station to your location, the number of bikes there and the number of spaces, this is great. its a pity this App isn’t available in the AppStore any more as operator JC Decaux issued a cease and desist order to Fusio which is scraping the data from their site, shame, but its still working for me as I got it in the 3 days it was listed on the AppStore by fluke !
• iFooty
  • For Premiership and Championship soccer tables, match reports, team info taken from the BBC but strangely no Champions League match results
• Dublins 98 (Radio Station)
  • Live feed streamed to your phone from 98 FM
• Myhome.ie
  • Be nosy and look at the houses for sale around your map location
• iMapMyRun – Tracking and mapping of runs including time spent, average speed
• GPSLite – Same as MapMyRun but with more features
• xGPS
  • Download Google maps offline and provide turn by turn directions for driving directions
• Google Earth
• Sky News
  • latest stories from this trashy news source
• Bitbuzz
  • Find the nearest WiFi Hotspot, can be handy if you have no 3G coverage and need to send an email !
• Fring (sign in to MSN, Yahoo, GTalk all from one IM client)
• Sky+ (Doesn’t have great navigation but allows me to browse TV listings and record programs on my Sky+HD box at home)
• Cydia & Rock Apps
• This allows you to Jailbreak your phone on any network and install and run non-Apple AppStore Apps on your phone (use with caution as Apple updates to 3.0.1+ could break your phone)
• BossPaper for custom backgrounds and colours
• Docs
• Allows you to view (but not edit) Microsoft Office Excel, Word, RTF files.
• Backgrounder
• This has to be used with caution, by default only the iPhone apps such as iPod, Phone and Messages can still work while another app is working. If you use another app the current one exists and stops running. This allows you to make ANY app run in the background, so stay signed into Skype while sending an email
• Games
• RagDoll Lite
• Sheep Launcher, see how high you can fire a sheep
• I Dig It, addictive, try to collect stuff without running out of fuel
• PacMan, classic
• Paper Toss
• Wild West Pinball

So, in short, I’m a shameless convert to the iPhone platform and even the new Windows Mobile 6.5 is still light years to come close to it.

I find myself opening up the laptop much less because the email and web browsing is so usable. I’m glad I only started using it after v3 update though as I don’t think I could sent emails/SMSs without flipping it on its side to use the on screen landscape keyboard input.

If you’ve got a favorite App, please let me know….