10 Most Awesome iPhone Apps of 2008

10 Most Awesome iPhone Apps of 2008

By Brian X. Chen 01.02.09
The iPhone alone is an amazing device. But it's the phenomenal App Store that's made the iPhone truly revolutionary, by giving thousands of independent developers the ability extend and transform the device with their creativity.
Not even half a year old, the store has surpassed a milestone of 10,000 pieces of software available. Since the beginning, Wired.com has paid close attention to the gems that shine among the dross.
We've plucked out a list of 10 apps — from mapping software to musical instruments to games — that deserve applause for their quality, innovation and breakthrough achievements. Here they are — Jay Leno style — with our top pick at the very bottom.
10. StanzaA book reader that grabs free titles from public domains, Stanza has — making the iPhone a worthy competitor to Amazon's Kindle. And if those free books aren't enough, Stanza recently expanded to incorporate a . The app did a good job pleasing Wired.com's Charlie Sorrel, who so he could embed his iPod touch in it. (That way, he could read e-books at the cafe while exuding an aura of pretentious artiness, instead of pretentious geekiness.) (Free)
9. SayWhereYou get used to typing on the iPhone after some time, but punching in addresses to look up directions is by far the biggest drag. DialDirections was the first to introduce speech-recognition capabilities to the iPhone with SayWhere, which translates users' speech into queries for Google Maps, Yelp, Traffic or Yellow Pages. It's a nifty app, especially for keeping drivers' eyes on the road rather than the iPhone's virtual keyboard. (Free)
8. TweetieTwitter, a new form of micro-blogging, became more legitimate when it of the deadly Mumbai attacks. And Tweetie is the best app we've found to follow your Twitter friends. The app neatly separates Twitter feeds into categories, and the interface resembles the bubbly iChat interface that most of us have come to love. It even lets you search Twitter and save those searches for later. A must-have for Twitterholics. ($3)
7. NetShare This app is so cool you can't have it anymore. Nullriver's NetShare, an application that turns your iPhone into a wireless modem, disappeared from the App Store shortly after its release. Later, we learned because NetShare violated AT&T's terms of service agreement. So only a lucky few (including some Wired.com staff) got the benefits of unlimited iPhone tethering, which normally costs about $30 a month, for a one-time price of $10. Bummer!
6. ShazamEveryone's familiar with this scenario: You hear a really catchy, unfamiliar song on the radio and you have no idea what it's called. You hum it to yourself repeatedly and attempt to memorize the lyrics, only to forget it after slamming a few shots at the bar. Shazam will never leave you struggling to recollect these thoughts again: Hold the iPhone up to a speaker playing the unknown tune and the app will identify it — album, artist and song title — just like that. (Free)
5. OcarinaThe hottest music app in the App Store, Ocarina thought beyond the iPhone's touchscreen and found a unique way to use the handset's microphone. Blowing into the mic simulates the experience of tooting into a flute; you play around with four virtual " a to Download Link the TapTapRevenge< (Free)
3. Trism Trism is such an addictive and appealing game that it blessed its developer Steve Demeter with $250,000 in profit in just two months. And deservedly so, because the game's really well designed and plays something like a Bejeweled with an accelerometer to move around the puzzle pieces. It wouldn't be fair to call it one game, either: There are three different modes to keep you hooked. ($3)
2. PandoraWhoa whoa whoa — free downloaded music on a portable device? You don't say. Pandora's alternative music distribution made this happen, and the app is cool as hell on the iPhone. Add a station for an artist you like, and the app will play that artist's music as well as similar tunes you might like. What better way to find new music with the wealth of new bands out there? (Free)
1. Google EarthWhen Steve Jobs called the iPhone "Your life in your pocket," he probably didn't expect Google to deliver the world in your pocket. Well, virtually. Displaying satellite imagery around the world in a 3-D globe, Google Earth is one of the most intense, mindblowing apps that truly . If you want to impress your grandmother with a demonstration of just how far technology has come since she was a girl, this ought to do the trick. (Free)

Free calls from Skype could come soon to iPhones
By JESSICA MINTZ – 1 hour ago
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Free calls over Skype, the Internet communications service, could be coming soon to the iPhone.
Skype, a subsidiary of eBay Inc., said Thursday at the International Consumer Electronics Show that a version of its Internet calling and instant-messaging software is available for Google Inc.'s Android cell phone platform as a free download. And it indicated an iPhone Skype program isn't far behind.
Scott Durschlag, Skype's chief operating officer, said Skype's iPhone application is still under development. Engineers are still working on cutting the amount of power the application consumes, he said.
Skype would not be the first iPhone program that makes use of Internet calling technology to save people from having to spend their cellular minutes. But when Apple started letting outside companies make programs for the iPhone, it barred voice-over-Internet applications from connecting to the cellular network, leaving them functional only when the user is in a Wi-Fi hot spot.
Apple representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Skype's Durschlag opened his presentation on a bright note despite undercurrents of economic gloom in the tech industry.
"My biggest concern, to be honest with you, is an abundance of opportunities," Durschlag said. "The take-up of Skype is accelerating."
He said more than 370 million people have signed up for Skype, with about 30 million new users coming aboard each quarter.
New Skype software for Windows computers will be available in early February. It overhauls the user interface and makes full-screen video-calling features more prominent. According to the company, the new version also marks an advance in audio quality.
This week, Skype launched a new version for Apple's Macintosh computers. The company also is releasing an open-source version for an emerging category of small Intel-based computers that run Linux software.
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Porn-Free: Kid Friendly iPhone Browser Released


on 08 January 2009, 10:32by mark selfe
showInitialOdiogoReadNowFrame ('32285', '0', 290, 0);

Apple's iPhone, which has become the touch-screen icon of the 3G mobile computing revolution, leaving its forerunners Palm and Blackberry in its clean cut wake will now be able to run a browser that blocks adult content at the source.With a reported 8 percent of American teenagers now owning the slick white status symbol parents, for the first time parents can will be able to have peace of mind in the knowledge that their children will be able to surf the web safely and in a squeaky clean way.The new browser software from InternetSafety.com's new Safe Eyes Mobile browser blocks the more unsavory side of the web from young, prying eyes was launched this week at MacWorld in San Francisco and at the 2009 International CES exhibition in Las Vegas.Safe Eyes Mobile works by checking requested websites against a massive blacklist of potentially objectionable URL addresses that is updated on a daily basis. It prevents iPhone/iTouch access to pages deemed to be inappropriate categories by default.Previously, the only option for parents was to cut off web access entirely for the iPhone. AT&T's—Apple's sole service provider—wireless MEdia Net Parental Controls simply don't work on the iPhone. Safe Eyes Mobile filtering fixes the problem works on both the AT&T cellular network and individual Wi-Fi networks to which the iPhone automatically connects when in range.Safe Eyes claims the browser speeds are not hindered by the filter and cannot be overridden by children because it is controlled from the Safe Eyes website with password-protected setup. A challenge for hackers for sure.No doubt the majority of parents will be delighted, but I am sure they'll be more than a few teenage boys will be less than thrilled.

Life after iPhone
The device has been great for AT&T. What will the telco do for an encore?
By Jon Fortt, senior writer
Last Updated: January 7, 2009: 4:21 PM ET


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(Fortune Magazine) -- What will AT&T do after the iPhone?

The nation's No. 1 wireless operator has benefited handsomely from its deal to be the exclusive U.S. carrier of Apple's runaway hit. Since AT&T joined forces with Apple, the phone company has welcomed about five million iPhones onto its network and gained much-needed cred in the wireless Internet space. Its iPhone subscribers are less likely to jump to a competitor, and they spend twice as much on their monthly bills as the average wireless user.

As a result, AT&T (T, Fortune 500), with 75 million wireless users, has widened its lead over No. 2 Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500), which has 71 million users. The iPhone's only shortcoming may be its incompatibility with some corporate IT systems. (See "Can the iPhone go corporate")

But the iPhone isn't forever. Neither Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) nor AT&T will say when their monogamous relationship will end, but industry analysts estimate that AT&T has only a few more years as Apple's American one-and-only. With the clock ticking, AT&T is scrambling to find ways to maintain and bolster its ability to sell high-volume, high-margin wireless services to consumers and businesses.

Now CEO Randall Stephenson and other executives of AT&T are pushing the notion of its wireless phones as indispensable lifestyle devices that customers will use to surf the web, remotely program their DVRs or home-alarm systems, and securely connect to their corporate networks.

To make that vision a reality, AT&T is making some Silicon Valley-flavored moves. Its purchase of Wi-Fi provider Wayport should help business customers get work done faster on the road. And a project brewing in the company's labs would let consumers send video from a touchscreen phone to an AT&T digital video recorder with the flick of a finger.

It is unclear if any phone company can make the leap from wireless operator to applications developer, but the iPhone certainly has made AT&T's job a bit easier by introducing millions of consumers to the possibilities of wireless data - and that's a benefit AT&T will enjoy long after the end of its exclusive deal with Apple

Who's buying first?


Start drooling, dudes and dudettes - the stunning new Nokia touchscreen 5800 XpressMusic phone has arrived in India!
And here's the barnburning news - Nokia 5800 is priced at Rs 21,800 (almost Rs 9,000 less than 8GB iPhone and Rs 14,000 less than 16 GB iPhone).
Lets get straight to the specs - the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is loaded with a stellar 3.2in wide screen touch display laced with a resolution of 640x360. It can play back full screen video at 30fps.
In case you didn't already know, 'The Tube' is Nokia's second attempt foray into the touch screen segment, the ill fated Nokia 7710 never peeped out of the factories.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic phone features a stylus for navigation rather than poking with the finger (like on the Iphone). Other goodies include HSDPA at 3.6Mbps, built in 802.11b/g WiFi, an aGPS receiver, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, an accelerometer and a 3.2Megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, auto focus, a dual LED flash.
The Nokia 5800 comes with an 8GB microSD card in the box, because the internal memory of 81mb wont let you load many of your favorite Bollywood songs and videos. There's a top mounted 3.5mm audio jack and the supplied headset also features a 3.5mm jack if you want to use your own headphones with it. The Tube also supports TV-out via the headphone jack.

100 (Really) Beautiful iPhone Wallpapers

Few products have generated the kind of hype that the iPhone has. Its beautiful design and large multi-touch screen are irresistible. Although its interface is beautifully designed, some of us want to put a little something extra in it to suit our style, personality and profession and to further beautify this magical masterpiece.
Here, we proudly present the 100 Beautiful iPhone wallpapers, designed by some of the finest and most creative artists around. The wallpapers are 320×480 pixels in resolution and are usable on the iPod Touch as well. In this post we cover typography, nature, retro and vintage, illustrations and artwork, Apple wallpapers, abstract, space. Other topics will be covered in next posts. All of the images are clickable and linked to their source. You can explore further artistic treasures and more wallpapers by using the links.
You might also want to take a look at the following posts:
(Really) Stunning Desktop Wallpapers
More (Really) Stunning Desktop Wallpapers
Selected Wallpapers For Your DesktopCovers wallpapers, dev kits, Flickr pools, widescreen and HD monsters and even wallpaper-related social communities and wallpapers for gamers.
More Creative and Beautiful WallpapersCovers fresh, original and creative wallpapers.
Selected Wallpapers: For Desktop and Web DesignCovers Web design-related wallpapers, and has dozens of references for Mac fans.
35 Space and Nebula wallpapers

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UiRemote is like a remote... in your iPhone
by Chris Ziegler, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 9:01PM
Yeah, sure, name any IR-equipped phone in existence and odds good to excellent that you can find a universal remote app for it, but you probably can't think of many for the iPhone, now, can you? They exist, yes, but they tend to carry a home-automation slant since the lack of an infrared port leaves the thing relegated to WiFi duty. Enter UiRemote, an ambitious little project undertaken by a handful of scrappy University of Toronto students that uses a fingertip-sized IR blaster connected to the headphone jack paired with a totally customizable app to get the job done. Novel? Not necessarily, but when you consider that a dedicated remote with these specs would probably run half a grand, it's an interesting way to save money and still end up with the coolest AV controller on the block. The devs are still tweaking both the module and the app, but hopes are high that they'll be available to all interested parties in the next couple months.