Created by: Next Mobile Web.

Manage your Netflix® queue on the fly with PhoneFlicks for the iPhone®. Using this application you can view your queue, see your recent account activity, and find and add new movies to your queue.

The application’s main screen offers five options:

• My Netflix – From here you can access your Netflix account. Tap here to view:
  • My Netflix Queue shows your entire queue. To see more information on any item, just tap on the title. You can also remove an item, move it to the top of your queue, or adjust its position in the queue by entering a new number.
  • My Instant Queue gives you a list of the movies currently available in your Instant Play queue. To move or remove a movie from your instant queue, tap on the title, then select the appropriate option using the buttons shown.
  • My Recent Activity lists the DVDs that have recently been shipped to you as well as any DVDs you have returned.
  • My Movies at Home shows you what DVDs you currently have checked out.
  • My Recommendations pulls up DVDs recommended for you based on your queue and your previous rating and rental activity.
  • My Reviews shows the reviews that you’ve written on DVDs you have previously viewed. You cannot write a review from this application.
• Search lets you search the Netflix database by title. You can also search by actor but the database will only show you one film.
• Browse lets you search through various film genres and subgenres. Tap the blue arrow to go to the next level, or tap the title to see a list of films.
• Popular breaks down the most popular Netflix rentals using the same categories as on the website.
• Account allows you to log in and out of your Netflix account.

While the graphics aren’t as exciting as what you find on Netflix’s website, and you can’t use this application to view movies, PhoneFlicks is very useful for quickly adding movies or seeing what’s available on Netflix.

Pros: Allows for Netflix queue management on the fly. Can move items around in queue. Lets you search for new movies to add to your queue.
Cons: Not as visual as Netflix’s website. Can’t use application to write reviews or instantly view movies.

Created by: Barnes & Noble.

The Barnes & Noble Bookstore iPhone® application gives customers of the store a quick way to find new books, music and movies.

The application has four main features:

• Discover – The Discover feature allows you to see the latest and greatest at the store. It has four subcategories:
• Bestsellers – The Bestsellers tab shows the most popular media currently available for sale.
• New Releases – The latest book, CD and DVD releases can be found on the New Releases tab.
• B&N Recommends – This tab shows what items are highly recommended by Barnes & Noble staff.
• B&N Review – The Review tab features longer essays and reviews on books, CDs and DVDs available for sale at the store.
• Search – Using Search with the camera function is finicky. I tried several CDs, a former bestselling hardcover book and a DVD and it only found the DVD. Fortunately you can do a text search as well based on the title or author/artist.
• Stores – The Stores feature looks for Barnes & Noble locations based on your location. You can input a city, state and zip code to find stores. Once you’ve found the store you want, it will pull up the Maps application on iPhone. The only downside to this is that once you leave the application, you’ll lose anything you had in your cart.
• Cart – Tap here to view the items you placed in your cart. Unfortunately, the app isn’t configured to actually process the sale; instead, it transfers your cart to Safari in order to complete the checkout process.

Probably the best feature on this application is the Find and Reserve In-Store button. Once you’ve found the item you want, you can tap this button to arrange for a local store to hold the book for you. Provide your name, email address and phone number on the Reserve screen and the store will send you an email when the item is ready to be picked up. It will be held for 3 business days.

You can also access your Barnes & Noble account from the application by tapping Account on the About page. As with the Cart feature, this will exit the application and open a new page in Safari in order to view your account information.

Pros: Provides quick info about new books, CDs and DVDs. Can snap pictures of books, DVDs or CDs and have the app look it up. Can reserve in-store via an email component within the application.
Cons: Doesn’t do much beyond help you find books and media for purchase. Camera search feature is limited. Does not have capability to purchase items via application.

Created by: Matt Coneybeare.

There are several iPhone® applications that offer ambient noise for relaxation. Ambiance for the iPhone offers a distinct advantage over similar products by allowing users access to unlimited downloads from a free library of sound files. Whether you prefer hearing the bustle of a city street, a thunderstorm, or whales, you can find them on Ambiance.

The application has five tabs from the main screen:

• Featured – The Featured tab shows recent additions to Ambiance’s sound library. Tap on any item in the list to hear a sample or find out more information about the sound file.
• Search – If you’re looking for a specific type of sound file, enter your search term here. This is the easiest way to find exactly the sound files you want.
• Sounds – The Sounds tab lists all the sounds currently in your personal library.
• Favorites – If you marked any of the sounds in your library as a favorite during playback, they will show up here in the Favorites tab.
• More – The More tab has six subsections:
  • Categories – You can set up categories for the sound files you’ve downloaded, such as “Nature” or “Water.” Create categories by pressing the New Category button; when viewing your personal sound library via the Sounds tab, scroll to the bottom to change its category. To edit a category name, tap the Edit button at the top right of the screen.
  • Alarm – From here you can set an alarm, including fade options, alarm sound, snooze and other functions.
  • Mixes – Another great feature offered by Ambiance is the ability to create mixes of various sound files. To build a mix, tap the button, then select the files you want from the list. Once you’ve saved the mix, you can set the volume for each file.
  • Settings – On the Settings page you can make changes to the timer and alarm settings, adjust the cycle length of sounds, change background images, and set up alerts for when new sounds are added to Ambiance’s library.
  • Help – The Help page explains what all the different icons mean, provides a list of frequently asked questions, and gives you a way to contact the developer or let a friend know about the app.
  • QuickStart – Turn QuickStart on to make Ambiance a one-touch application. This way, when you launch the application, Ambiance will start playing your favorite sound or mix right away. Once you toggle the switch to On, you can set up the alarm and choose the sound or mix to play.

While the possibilities with Ambiance may seem overwhelming at times, the fact that it offers so many different options means you won’t need to look for any other ambient noise applications.

Pros: Huge database of sound files to help users individualize their Ambiance application. Allows user to create sound mixes. Can set alarm.
Cons: Application can be a little confusing in its complexity. Might time out quickly when downloading additional sounds.

Created by: Software X.

Have trouble falling asleep? Avoid buying expensive “white noise” CDs or devices to help you doze off—just download Sleepmaker Rain Free for the iPhone®.

On Sleepmaker Rain Free, two different types of rain sounds are available: gentle onto forest foliage, or medium and steady with puddles. Both sound files are high quality and realistic. Switch between files during playback by tapping on the scroll window on the screen. Starting and stopping playback is easily done via the large Play and Stop buttons, while you can increase or decrease the application volume using the slider at the top of the screen.

The application includes a timer that can be set for up to 24 hours. To set the timer, tap the Info icon, then scroll to set the hours and minutes. You can save your selection as the default by tapping the Save as Default button. Once you’ve set the timer, press Done to return to the main screen. A gray banner displays the time remaining.

Pros: Realistic sound. Timer can be set.
Cons: Free version is limited to only two sound files.

Created by: 24/7 Tutor.

If you plan on traveling to a French-speaking country, you may want to download Free French Tutor by 24/7 Tutor to help you brush up on the language. This version covers key words and phrases to help new learners master the basics.

The Free French Tutor groups the lessons into five categories:

• Home and Family includes words and topics related to different parts of a house as well as to family members.
• Town and Country covers terms that convey location, including stores and geographic areas.
• Opposites provides frequently used words alongside their opposite, such as near/far or above/below.
• Basic Phrases features the phrases often used by travelers, as well as responses they might encounter while in a French-speaking country.
• Questions includes commonly used questions by tourists, including “How much does this cost?” and “Where is the restroom?”

Priority levels are set for each word grouping. All items are initially set to Priority 3, but you can change the priority levels as you take the quiz. If some words require more study, set them to Priority 1 or 2. Less important words and phrases can be set to Priority 4 or 5. This way you can focus only on those terms you really need to learn.

Once you’ve learned the vocabulary, the application gives you several ways to test your knowledge:

• Multiple choice – Pick the correct English translation of the French word(s) from a list of options.
• Puzzle – Select from a keypad of letters to spell the French word equivalent of the English word shown.
• Write in – Fill in the blanks to test your knowledge of how to spell the French word(s), including proper accent placement.
• Flash cards – The flash cards show the French word(s)/phrase, giving you an opportunity to say it aloud before seeing the answer. You can set the flash cards to automatically pronounce the word/phrase after a few seconds, as well as set it to automatically move to the next flash card.

At every stage throughout Free French Tutor, you can tap the speaker icon to hear the word(s) pronounced. The narration is done in a female voice with very clear pronunciation.

Pros: Covers basic French words and phrases. Offers several ways to test your knowledge. Audio button is available on every section to help you remember the word along with the proper pronunciation.
Cons: Write-in test is not intuitive in terms of figuring out how to input the word(s), even if you know how to spell them.

Created by: Automattic, Inc.

Bloggers using the WordPress® platform may want to try out WordPress’s iPhone® application as a tool for managing their blog.

To add your blog, input your user ID and password on the main screen. Once the application has verified your blog, tap on the blog title to access posts, pages, and comments. If you have more than one blog using WordPress, you can add those as well.

Using the WordPress application for the iPhone, it’s possible to write new posts or edit previously published posts; view, add, and edit pages on your blog; and review comments.

When you select Posts from your blog’s main screen, you can choose to write a new post or review previous posts. To publish a new post to your blog, change the status to Published by tapping the Status field and selecting Published from the list. If you want to be able to edit the post prior to publishing, change the status to either Pending Review, Private, or Draft. You’ll be able to access the post from your WordPress dashboard later.

You can attach photos from your iPhone to a blog post using the Photos button. I have been struggling to get this feature to work for my blogs, but I think it’s just a matter of ensuring that the blog settings are correct.

Want to see how the final version will look on your blog? From the Posts screen, tap Preview to see the post as it will appear on your blog without leaving the application. To change the publication date or add a password to a post, tap Settings. You can also toggle the resize photos feature on and off.

While the WordPress iPhone application still has a few bugs, it’s a great concept and is definitely useful when it comes to maintaining a blog.

Pros: Gives WordPress users a chance to write and post blog entries on the fly. Allows you to review comments as well as previous posts.
Cons: Important to make sure that your WordPress blog is able to work with a mobile application. Can time out easily and may have issues doing anything beyond simple text uploads.

Created by: Mundue.net.

The reMovem Free game for the iPhone® is pretty simple in concept: Eliminate all of the colored dots by tapping on them. The trick is that a dot must be next to another dot of the same color in order to be removed. Fortunately, the game is untimed so you can consider your moves for a few seconds—and believe me, you’ll need the time to study the board.

The Info button gives you access to all of the game settings. You can view your personal statistics as well as a high score table. If you don’t want to save your high scores, you can turn off the option for recording your scores. If you want to be able to undo the last move, set the Undo option to ‘On.’ You can also toggle the sound on and off from the Info screen.

By switching between four, five, and six color options, users can change the level of difficulty of the game. For users that may have a hard time discerning between the various colors, reMovem (Free) can be set to add symbols to the colored dots.

Pros: Challenging, fun game that is very simple to learn. Can save high scores.
Cons: Like most games for the iPhone, it can become addictive.

Created by: Optime Software.

My family and I were big fans of MasterMind, the board game where you had to figure out a sequence of colored pegs. Crack the Code (Free) is the iPhone®’s equivalent of this popular game.

There are three levels of difficulty: easy, medium, and hard. The main difference between the levels is the number of colored dots in the code, with easy having 3 dots, medium 4 dots and hard 5 dots. There are six different colored dots on the easy and medium levels, while there are eight colors on the hard level. You have 10 opportunities to get the code right on the easy and medium levels and 12 opportunities on the hard level.

Guess the code by tapping one of the open spaces on the first row, then selecting a color from the popup window. Once you’ve finished choosing colors, press OK. The small grid on the right will indicate if you cracked the code. A black/gray dot means right color, right space; white dot means right color, wrong space. If a space on the grid is empty, it means wrong color, wrong space. You can scroll up and down on the gameboard to see previous entries.

Crack the Code (Free) does make it a little easy for you by not using empty spaces or repeated colors in the codes. But even if you’re not able to crack the code within the allotted number of turns, the game will show you the code at the end.

Pros: Challenging, fun game of strategy.
Cons: Doesn’t automatically start a new game, or give you the option to start a new game, once you’ve completed a game. On the settings page, hard to tell if options are turned on or off (uses slightly different shading).

Created by: Dictionary.com.

Years ago, if you wanted a comprehensive dictionary, you had to buy a huge book and possibly a stand to hold it while you looked up words. Thanks to modern technology, now you can electronically access world-renowned dictionaries without breaking a sweat. The Dictionary.com application for the iPhone® is based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, thus offering a vast database at your fingertips.

The application has four main features:

• Dictionary – Search for the definitions of words. The dictionary will pull up a list of words based on the first few letters you input. The definitions include the word’s origins, a phonetically spelled pronunciation, and examples of how the word can be used. To hear the word pronounced out loud, tap the speaker key.
• Thesaurus – The Thesaurus that comes with the application uses Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition. You can look up words in the Thesaurus directly, or, once you’ve looked up a word in the Dictionary, you can tap on Thesaurus to see a list of synonyms.
• Recent – Saves your most recent word searches. Icons next to the word indicate whether it was looked up in the dictionary, thesaurus, or had been a word of the day.
• Word of the Day – For those who are looking to expand their vocabulary, there’s a Word of the Day feature. Tap this icon and the application will pull up a word at random. As with the dictionary, a full definition and usage examples are provided.

Pros: Huge database of words and phrases. Pulls up possible words once the first few letters are entered. Can hear the word pronounced.
Cons: Thesaurus does not show antonyms for words. Have to be connected to the Internet in order to hear pronunciations or access the Word of the Day feature.

Created by: Webworks and Applications.

If you’re an amateur bartender or a professional mixologist, you might enjoy using the 5800+ Drinks and Cocktails Free application for the iPhone®. The application claims to have more than 5,800 recipes, and while I haven’t looked at every recipe to confirm this number, the database is certainly quite extensive.

Drinks Free breaks down into five different screens:

• Favorites – The Favorites screen is set up to display popular drinks such as Cosmopolitan, Long Island, Mai Tai, Martini (Dry and Sweet), Pina Colada, Screwdriver, and Strawberry Daiquiri. Should you want to remove any of these drinks from the Favorites list, tap on the drink name and then tap the star in the top right corner. To add any drink in the database to the Favorites screen, tap the star.
• All Drinks – From the All Drinks screen, you can access an alphabetical listing of drinks. Use the search window at the top of the screen to narrow down your search.
• Categories – The Categories screen shows you drink recipes that fall under one or more of eleven different groups, based on ingredients used. Categories include Beer, Cocktail, Cocoa, Coffee/Tea, Homemade Liqueur, Milk/Float/Shake, Ordinary Drink, Other/Unknown, Punch/Party Drink, Shot, and Soft Drink/Soda.
• Ingredients – Probably the best feature of Drinks Free is the Ingredients screen, where you can look up different drinks based on the ingredients you want to use. To select an ingredient, press the plus sign, then scroll through the list to pick the ingredients you have on hand.
• Random Drink – The Random Drink screen pulls up a drink at random from the database.

Found a recipe you just have to share with a friend? You can email the recipe by tapping the Email button at the bottom of the screen. It will pull up a new mail message with the recipe in the body of the email.

There are plenty of different types of beverages listed in Drinks and Cocktails Free, so if you’re looking for something new to try, you’re bound to find it here.

Pros: Huge database of drinks. Ingredients feature allows you to look up drinks based on what you have on hand.
Cons: Won’t let you search by drink type. Categories can be somewhat confusing. Application may time out when selecting more than two ingredients on the Ingredients screen.
What I’d Like to See in Next Version: Ability to look up non-alcoholic drinks easily.

Created by: iHandySoft, Inc.

Need to make sure that the picture you just hung is level? The iHandy Level application for the iPhone® can help you out.

The main screen for the iHandy Level looks just like a level used by professional carpenters, with a little yellow bubble indicating whether the surface is level. To use the level, simply put the bottom edge of the iPhone on the surface you wish to measure. If you want to use it landscape, the iHandy Level will automatically switch to landscape layout. Once it has obtained the incline information, the application will give you a degree reading at the top left of the screen.

Calibrating the level couldn’t be easier; just tap the button to the left of the level window. Should you need to make a note of the degree of incline, tap the Hold button. Tap it again to release the hold.

You can turn off the calibration and Hold buttons via the Info screen. The bubble sensitivity can also be modified on the Info screen.

Pros: Graphics nicely simulate a real level. One-touch calibration. Can save degree info.
Cons: Seems to work better on landscape setting as opposed to portrait.

Created by: Fairlady Media.

As a kid I loved playing Whack-a-Mole with my best friend. Spazzle: Midnight Mask, formerly known as Whack’em All!, is a highly amusing and addictive electronic version of the popular arcade game, right down to the sound effects.

The goal of the game is to whack (tap) or smack (shake) as many critters as you can without losing all of your lives, which are indicated by the hearts at the top of the screen. If you whack a cat as opposed to a critter, or you miss too many critters on a level, you’ll be penalized one or more hearts. If you do happen to whack a cat, it will howl—and the sound is pretty realistic. On higher levels, some of the moles wear masks so you’ll think they are actually cats.

While most of the time you’ll be tapping the screen frantically to clear the board of moles, you’ll also want to fell all of those pesky moles in one swoop, also known as smacking them. The hammer icon at the top of the screen lets you know how many smacks you have available. Simply shake the iPhone to smack down all those pesky moles, rabbits and gophers.

It’s pretty easy to get extra points if you’re paying attention. The timer gives you a few more seconds on the clock, while the colored jewels give you bonus points. The hammer icon adds an extra smack and the heart gives you an extra life. And with those darn cats everywhere, trust me, you’ll need those extra lives.

The Spazzle: Midnight Mask tutorial shows you the basics on how to play. If you whack two or more critters at once, you get double points per critter. Pause the game or change the sound level by pressing the Options button near the top left of the screen.

Pros: Fun, addictive and challenging game. Great graphics and sound effects.
Cons: Ads at the bottom of the screen in the free version can be distracting.

Anyone who was a kid in the 1980s probably has fond memories of playing videogames for hours at the local arcade. One of my favorites was Pac-Man®—simple premise, fairly easy to play, yet still thrilling. Getting Pac-Man Lite for my iPhone® brought back all those memories without having to fill my pockets with quarters.

For pure nostalgia you can’t beat Pac-Man Lite. The sounds and graphics are true to the original arcade game. The ghosts are just as annoying as ever and our hero, Pac-Man, is still hungry for those little pellets and floating fruit.

Moving Pac-Man through the game can be done using one of three methods. Take advantage of iPhone’s touch screen by using Swipe mode. For a more old-school videogame experience, change it to D-pad mode and use the directional pad at the bottom of the screen.

Accelerometer mode allows you to tilt and move the iPhone in the direction you want Pac-Man to move. Both the Swipe and Accelerometer modes show a joystick at the bottom of the screen, which moves in tandem with the direction Pac-Man is going. You can also use the joystick in Swipe Mode, but it’s not as easy to manipulate. I find the Swipe or D-Pad to be the best options.

Easy game mode starts you out with 6 Pac-Men and moves a little slower, while Normal mode is a little faster. The Original game mode is just like the arcade version. Both the Normal and Original modes give you 4 lives. If you prefer to not hear the sound effects, you can turn them off from the main menu. Pac-Man Lite will also keep track of your high scores for all three game modes.

The only issue I have with Pac-Man Lite is that there’s only one board. Once you’ve cleared the screen, you’re taken to a link to purchase the full version of the game. So those of us with Pac-Man fever will have to cough up a few bucks to get to more levels.

Pros: Does a great job of replicating the original Pac-Man game with graphics and sound. Offers several options for the game controller and game type.
Cons: Can be difficult to use the joystick instead of dragging finger across screen to move Pac-man. Game consists of only one board on the Lite version—once you clear the first board, your game ends and you’re given a link where you can buy the full version.

Created by: Yowza!!

As most folks already know, store coupons only work when you remember to take them with you. While several major retailers have created iPhone® applications to pass along coupons to their customers, not every store has. That’s where Yowza!! Mobile Couponss, a location-based coupon provider created specifically for the iPhone, comes in.

To have Yowza!! show you coupons where you’re located, tap the Nearby icon. Once the application has pinpointed your location, it pulls up retailers and restaurants within a 1 mile, 5 mile, or 15 mile radius that have coupons available. Tap the store to see what the special offers and/or coupons are—sometimes there may be more than one coupon in the system. If there’s more than one location for the retailer, select the location you want to view available discounts. When you go to redeem the coupon, simply open the application and show the applicable discount code or coupon to the cashier or server.

Not sure where the store is? Press the map icon and the iPhone’s Maps application will show you the location. Want to call the store? Tap the phone button and the number will pull up, giving you the option to call the store or cancel.

The Search tool allows you to look for discounts in a particular city or zip code, which can come in handy if the navigation tool isn’t accurately picking up your location. Save the discounts you’re most interested in to Favorites by tapping the star at the top right of the screen.

Want to keep track of how much money you’ve saved using Yowza!!? After you’ve used the coupon, press Track Savings to enter the amount of money you’ve saved. From the main screen you can tap on Savings to see how much money you saved over the course of a day, week, month or for all time.

All in all, Yowza!! is a brilliant concept to help people save some cash as well as help businesses retain customers.

Pros: Great concept, easy to use. Can track how much money was saved using the application.
Cons: Yowza is still building up a roster of businesses offering coupons so in some areas you may not find very many coupons.

Created by: Tamtris Web Services, Inc.

The Free Menstrual Calendar application for the iPhone® was developed by the folks at FertilityFriend.com, a website designed to help women who are trying to conceive. Even if you’re not trying to get pregnant, the Menstrual Calendar is a very useful tool for women who want to track their menstrual cycle.

Using the Free Menstrual Calendar is very simple. Once you’ve opened the application, double tap on any day to enter data. How much data you’ll be entering will depend on whether you’re using the app to help manage your fertility or just keep track of your periods.

The calendar uses a discreet color coding system. In each day the cycle day is noted, preceded by “CD.” There are different shades of pink to indicate heavy, normal, and light period days, and a light pink dot indicates spotting. Should your period come late, light gray is used to note the actual cycle day. The predicted start of your period shows up as a light pink box with pink text, while predicted fertile days and ovulation day are shown in green shades. A blue box indicates the current day.

Intercourse data can be entered, which is great for women who are using the calendar to try getting pregnant. A tiny blue dot indicates protected intercourse while a dark red dot is used to note unprotected intercourse. Those who want to track additional information can use the notes field.

To have the application automatically calculate your cycle length based on the data you entered over the last year, turn on the Auto Stats function from the Setup screen. If you turn off auto stats, you can enter your average cycle length in the text box and the application will use that number as the basis for prediction.

Want to keep your calendar under wraps? You can set an optional privacy code. The only downfall to using the privacy code is that you cannot reset the code if you happen to forget it—you’ll have to reinstall the application.

Under Advanced Settings, you can see the length of your luteal phase and toggle the display of fertile days. The Free Menstrual Calendar will also show you short tips related to menstruation and pregnancy; you can turn these off using the toggle for Display Info Tidbits.

If you’re already a user of the FertilityFriend.com website, you can sync the mobile application with your online account. I’m a big fan of being able to share information between desktop, web and mobile applications, so this is a great feature.

Pros: Very user-friendly menstrual cycle tracking program. Discreet icon on iPhone. Allows syncing between web and mobile applications.
Cons: Requires re-install if privacy code is forgotten. Doesn’t provide summary of average cycle length within application.

Created by: Far Out Labs.

Looking for a fresh take on a situation? Or do you need a new perspective? Oblique Strategies for the iPhone® can help you get a new outlook on life…or it will at least give you something to think about.

Oblique Strategies is based on a card deck developed in the 1970s. Each card featured a saying or instruction that would help users approach a situation or problem differently. The iPhone app works the same as the original concept, with one very cool exception: the application allows you to choose from five different editions of the cards.

Once you’ve opened the application, tap on the screen to have Oblique pull up a card for you. Once you’re done reading the message, tap again to return to the main screen. Want to see another message? Tap the screen.

The information button shows a list of the available editions; tap to switch between editions.

Some sample insights from Oblique:

• Turn it upside down
• How would someone else do it?
• The inconsistency principle
• Change nothing and continue with immaculate consistency
• Use an old idea
• Remember. Those quiet evenings

Pros: Can switch between editions. Excellent tool for stimulating creative problem solving.
Cons: Only works in landscape mode for the main screen.

Created by: Yelp.

Social networking fans are probably well aware of Yelp.com®, the website where you can post reviews of your favorite—and not so favorite—retailers, restaurants, bars and other establishments. While the website is a great place to look up what people have to say about your local coffee shop, how is that going to do you any good if you’re already heading out for coffee? That’s where Yelp’s iPhone® application kicks in.

The main screen offers five options for finding businesses:

• Nearby—Nearby uses your location data to show you what’s close by. It’s broken down into six popular categories, including restaurants, bars, coffee & tea, and banks. At the bottom of the screen you can see what’s hot on Yelp that is within your area.
• Feed—Yelp breaks down the live feed into three main categories as shown at the top of the main screen. Nearby shows reviews for businesses near you; Friends pulls up reviews written by people in your friends list; and Me shows only reviews that you have written.
• Search—The Search feature lets you get more specific about what you’re looking for. From the Search page, you can choose price range and specific neighborhoods.
• Recents—The Recents page shows you the last 10 businesses you looked up on Yelp.
• Bookmarks—Businesses that you want to investigate further can be saved to your bookmarks. Once you’ve opened up the review page for the business, tap Add Bookmark. Bookmarks are synced between your online and mobile applications.

Once you’ve found a business you want to check out, you can do several things using Yelp’s iPhone application. Don’t feel like typing a long review? Give a short synopsis by pulling up the business, then select Add Quick Tip to enter a 140-character critique. Add a photo by tapping the Add Business Photo. You can even start writing your review by pressing Draft a Review, then entering your text. Once you’re back at the computer, you can pull up the draft, make any modifications, and post it to Yelp. As an avid Yelp reviewer, I really like this feature because I can start writing while the experience is still fresh in my mind.

Pros: Can add quick reviews and photos; can draft longer critiques on latest version of Yelp. Allows users to bookmark favorite spots for quick recall. Pulls up the most popular searches.
Cons: Cannot access Yelp’s messaging or events calendar via mobile application. May not work in all cities.

Created by: QTech, Inc.

iPhone® users who are looking for a way to stay on task might find reQall to be an effective productivity tool. Similar to programs such as Remember the Milk and the now-defunct I Want Sandy, reQall can be set up to send reminders on tasks via email, text message (with paid accounts), or instant message.

The major selling point for me, however, is the voice-to-text function. To have reQall add a task, tap anywhere on the screen, then start speaking the task. Once you’ve finished recording, tap the screen again. It will take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes for reQall to post the task. Using this feature requires a little bit of training on the terms to use. For example, to set up a shopping list, you have to say “Buy” at the beginning of the recording, while adding a note is done by prefacing the message with “Note.” reQall’s website offers tips on how to use the voice-to-text function effectively.

reQall breaks down your tasks and reminders into five areas:

• Jogger—The Memory Jogger gives you a quick rundown of what you need to remember. Here and Now shows you any meetings or items that are due today, while the Pro-account-only Memory Boosts remind you of activities associated with the day or your location.
• Time—The Time page shows time-sensitive tasks and reminders, separating them into Due Today, Due Soon, Due Later, and Overdue categories.
• Things—The Things page groups your reminders based on what they are, such as To-dos, Shopping List, and Notes.
• People—You can associate tasks and reminders with particular people. reQall will access your contacts on your iPhone. If you want to share an appointment with someone who isn’t a reQall user, the application will send them a reminder via email, provided their email account is in your Contacts list.
• Places—Those with a Pro reQall account can assign locations to tasks and reminders.

While you can change the settings for a number of reQall’s features via the mobile application, you will need to log in to the web-based application for several key features, such as syncing. You can also create an RSS feed for your reminders on the web-based application. This is perfect if you tend to go to your RSS aggregator to read up on the news before delving into your daily task list.

Paid users of reQall get additional features, such as integration with their Outlook and/or Google Calendar accounts, push notifications, and other handy tools. New installations get a free trial of the Pro version for a few days.

Pros: Voice-to-text feature makes it very easy to record tasks on the fly. Can set recurring tasks and categorize them easily. RSS feed allows for easy integration into feed aggregators such as Google Reader or My Yahoo.
Cons: Voice recognition may not always be accurate. If the account is set to sync with Google Calendar, all calendars subscribed to will be listed in the daily memory jogs.

Created by: TweetDeck.

Users of the desktop application TweetDeck will love the iPhone® version. It’s virtually identical to the original version, with the ability to create columns that sort your Twitter® feed based on various criteria, such as follower type, search terms, direct message, mentions (retweets and replies). This feature alone makes TweetDeck invaluable for heavy Twitter users.

To post a tweet, tap the yellow balloon in the top right corner of the screen. If you have more than one Twitter account associated with TweetDeck, you can switch between them by tapping the user name shown in the bottom left of the entry field. Add a photo or shorten a URL using the camera or chain icons, respectively.

There are two great features on TweetDeck that make it very easy to review your various feeds and any links:

1. To read all of the tweets in one column, tap on the column to bring it into full view. Once you’ve reviewed all of the current tweets, press the Mark as Seen button. All of the seen tweets will have a black background, while any new tweets will have a gray background.
2. If someone’s posted a link you want to read, tap on the tweet, then tap on the URL. Instead of opening the link in Safari, TweetDeck will open the link within the application.

From the main screen, you can scroll between columns, see how many total updates are posted and add a column. You can also modify the main settings for composing tweets, picture service (i.e., where pictures are posted by Twitter should you add an image to your tweet), and sounds. Twitter accounts can also be added or removed via the Settings page.

When reviewing tweets from those you follow, you can read their profile information, see who they follow and who follows them, send a reply or direct message, and unfollow or block them. You can also quickly add or remove them from TweetDeck groups you’ve already set up.

If you have more than one Twitter account, you can get access to all of them from TweetDeck. Simply sign up for a free TweetDeck account and start entering your Twitter user IDs and passwords. The TweetDeck account will also enable you to sync your columns across the desktop and mobile platforms. Even though setting up columns on TweetDeck’s mobile application is very straightforward, users may find it easier to set up their columns via the desktop application.

I’ve tried other Twitter apps for the iPhone and TweetDeck is my favorite by far. Since I have several Twitter accounts I maintain, I prefer TweetDeck because it’s so easy to see at a glance what’s happening in various groups as well as among my Twitter accounts.

Pros: Great user interface. Syncs across desktop and mobile versions with a TweetDeck account. Easy to find and follow users, as well as access other information. Pulls up links within the application rather than opening Safari.
Cons: Can only handle 6 columns on the iPhone. After heavy use, the application may time out.

Created by: The Iconfactory.

Twitter® fans will appreciate the simplicity of the Twitterrific application for the iPhone®. Similar to the web-based Twitter interface, Twitterrific streams your Twitter feed clearly and easily. Have more than one Twitter account? Once you’ve entered the user ID and password for each account, you can switch between them from the main screen.

To enter a tweet of your own, tap the word bubble at the bottom of the screen. From here, you can shorten a URL by tapping the double arrow icon, add a photo from your library or snap a quick picture, or update your Twitter location. The eye button minimizes the posting window; tap again to maximize it.

Twitterrific makes it very easy to access all sorts of info about the Twitter users you follow, and those who follow you. Select someone in your Twitter stream, then press the asterisk to see their profile, recent tweets, and their favorites. Want to add personal information? Tap the pencil icon to store that data on your device. While other mobile Twitter applications may require you to go to Twitter’s website to manage your followers, with Twitterrific, following and unfollowing users is very straightforward.

Can’t remember what you just tweeted? Or perhaps you need to check for replies to your last tweet? Tap the filter to see replies, direct messages, favorites, your recent tweets and any tweets you’ve marked.

The only difference between the free and paid versions of Twitterrific is the advertising, and the ads in the free version are so unobtrusive you might not even notice them right away. The majority of Twitterrific users will probably find that the free version is perfect for their Twitter needs.

Pros: Lots of functionality, including the ability to follow and unfollow users very easily. Allows for multiple Twitter accounts.
Cons: Cannot see multiple Twitter account streams on one screen. May time out very easily with weak connections.

Created by: MobileDataforce, Inc.

It’s easy: Select a sound, email it to yourself and install it on your iPhone® as a ringtone. There are a lot of great ringtones available in this app. The selections are pretty diverse, although there is some double dipping in the categories. For instance, you can find a few different pairs of ringtones that sound too similar to one another to be considered as two ringtones. There’s a ringtone for just about anyone who wants a ringtone that fits their style in 1,001 Ringtones.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
Value
Idiot-proof

Created by: Digital Chocolate

Object: The object of this game is to free your comrade penguin from the polar bears.

How to Play: After selecting your mission, you’ll start off by catapulting loyal penguins into the line of fire to do battle with the bears. The catapulting sequence is all done on one screen. Your timing has to be very good to make sure you get your penguin out and even better to get the penguins through the burning hoop. Once you’ve launched all of your penguins, the screen changes to where the penguins are flying in from the catapult. As the penguin flies across the screen, tap the screen to initiate the descent of the penguin. The idea is to knock out as many bears as possible to complete each mission successfully. Getting the penguins through that burning hoop in the catapult sequence will be an added benefit as the flaming penguins coming down will help melt the ice which protects some of the bears. You’ll also have missions to disrupt the food supply of ice cream and fish as well.

This cute game is well-designed and is great for passing time with a smile. The graphics, sound effects and music of Crazy Penguin Catapult help set the stage for a really fun time.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
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Idiot-proof

Created by: Armor Games/ Antony Lavelle.

As an iPhone® version of the internet game, Shift is a game where you are subject 32763 and your mission is to unlock pathways to the exit door in each level and get out of the experiment. It starts off easy, but as you progress, added elements of challenge are added to force your hand to make decisions quickly and execute your moves with precision. What really makes this game unique is the shift element (hence the name). This flips the screen and puts you in the inverse plane of where you currently playing, giving you the added dimension of game space. It’s a great concept and one that changes the direction of minimalist gaming apps.

The graphics are simple, but don’t let that dissuade you—this game is well-conceived and the gameplay totally wipes that out from your head as you play. The spy music in the background really helps set the stage as you conduct your mission. The only downside is that the game does have an end, so it would be nice if the game had more levels. This game is must-have.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
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Idiot-proof

Created by: 2XL

This is a sweet 3D motocross racing game where the object is to simply achieve first place.

In order to steer the motorcycle, you tilt the iPhone® either right or left. There are three basic controls: accelerator, brake and preload. You can perform tricks in mid-air such as backflips and whips.

When playing this game, I sometimes could actually feel the sensation of making the turns and taking the jumps as I really got into it and held my iPhone a little too close at times.

You have thirteen different tracks to choose from: time trials, practice and race modes; four camera views; eight different preset control schemes as well as access to the online stats and profiles.

2XL SuperCross is a great game with excellent graphics, music and sound effects and we would definitely recommend it.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
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Idiot-proof

Created by: Slitherine.

Object: Deliver your load on time and get your money!

How to Play: This game is based on the History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers and involves driving a tractor trailer rig over the ice in a race against time. You’re provided with three different camera angles to view from. I find the “behind the truck” view to be the best. The cockpit view feels too close to the road to have any sense of what’s ahead. Then there’d the front view… A front view of the truck? While racing? Now that’s useless. How am I supposed to know where I’m headed? Well, it does have some entertainment value I guess. You have the accelerator button the right, and the brake on the left. To me, having a brake button when racing on ice is pointless.

The graphics aren’t terrible and the sound effects are pretty good. Ice Road Truckers Lite acts a little buggy from time to time, which tends to detract from the gaming experience. I suggest sticking with the Lite version. It’s fun enough for a free app.

Based upon what was shown to me in this lite version, I’ll save my 99 cents and put it towards my cable bill and watch Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
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Idiot-proof

Created by: Digital Chocolate

Object: The object is to build the highest tower and have the most toonies move in.

How to Play: Playing this game involves tapping the display as the building sections (called blocks) are lowered by the crane above. This will drop the block. An accurate drop on top of another block will be signified by a metal “ding” and stars. This is ideal as your building will be more stable and will attract more tenants, called toonies, who move into their apartments by dropping in on parachutes. You can stack an unlimited amount of stories in which you’ll see birds, blimps and airplanes, and even more as you build higher and higher. You are given three chances to make mistakes before your building project is terminated. The building stack is pretty forgiving in that you have to be pretty off the mark to miss the stack although the building’s sway makes it very challenging to land a block cleanly.

If building a city is more your speed, you can do that by working for the city architect who needs a district built to attract business. The idea again is to build your tower as well as possible to attract the most tenants and business clientele. Additionally, when building the district, keep in mind that planning and placement of certain types of buildings come into play as well.

The Party Game can be alot of fun as well being that two players are playing on the same screen at the same time.

Tower Bloxx 3D is very simple, but challenging. The graphics, music and animation are excellent and make for a very pleasant gaming experience for all ages.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
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Idiot-proof

Created by: Kevin Calderone.

Object: to get your character to the Sun in each level.

How to Play: The gameplay for this app is very simple. Use the arrows to move your character left or right, with using the up button to jump. You can draw or erase platforms to walk on by touching the screen and tracing lines (hence the name) to wherever you need to go to avoid objects and reach the sun. If you get hit by an obstacle, you will be made to start the level over again. There are six worlds (or themes) to choose from: Paint, Water, Plant, Chalk, Flame and Space, each consisting of twenty levels of difficulty. This game is deceptively challenging despite its innocent appearance.

The graphics and animation are very simple, but novel enough that the gameplay is so interesting that you’ll overlook their simplicity. Your journey on each level is accompanied by ethereal music, which suits the feel of the game. Trace is worth your while to check out.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
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Idiot-proof

Created by: KiraGames.

The object of the game is to get the red block out by sliding the other block out of the way.

This game has the feel of a nice wooden block puzzle you’d find in a craft or antique store. There are 600 levels (block configurations) to choose from. This game is great way to pass the time in a quiet, subdued setting. There are no distracting sound effects or graphics—just you and the wooden puzzle waiting to be solved.

Don’t let the simplicity of Unblock Me (Free) fool you. You’ll definitely stay occupied for a long time! Definitely recommend!

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
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Idiot-proof

Created by: BIT-101.

There’s really not much say about this app except that it’s worth every penny that you don’t have to spend for it.

The object is to keep the stick man from being hit by falling balls, hence the name Falling Balls.

Make the stick figure run by tilting the iPhone® left or right. All balls go from left to right. So, a hint I have is to keep as far right as possible as to make time for judging how the balls are bouncing and give yourself time to take action.

This game is very simple and will keep you occupied should all your other apps crash.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
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Idiot-proof

The idea of Brain Teaser is to recreate the pattern exactly as shown on the bottom left corner of the display. This is done by tapping the tiles, which flip the tile and the four neighboring adjacent tiles at one time.

If the pattern to solve is symmetrical, it will be easier than patterns that are asymmetrical. This game is simple, but it is very challenging at its upper levels when the grid becomes 4×4. A good rule of thumb to go by is that if the pattern to be solved is symmetrical, keep your moves symmetrical as well.

This game is very good. The graphics are good, there are no sound effects, but we imagine they are not necessary.

Addictive Factor
Keeper Factor
Graphics
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Idiot-proof