Apple Finally, I have an iPhone en route and need to learn about Apps

BBW

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Well, after many years of yearnings...I have succumbed. Really, I don't think of it that way. However, I'll spare you my rationalizations.

So now I need to learn about Apps. I know what they are but which ones do you like and use? I am not a game player, generally speaking. I'm more interested in useful and interesting Apps. For example, is there a great GPS App or is Google Maps the best one to use. I do not have a standalone GPS device...I still use paper maps...though some are plasticized.;)

What is the best way to access this site? Just bookmark it on Safari? I think I remember when Tap Talk was introduced that many liked it but it's not good for doing certain things such as "administrative tasks" here.

My inquiring mind needs to know about this stuff, and I'd really appreciate hearing your suggestions.:popcorm2:
 
Maps comes with the iPhone and is very good. I just got back from a week's vacation in DC (got my iPhone about a month ago), and it was absolutely priceless!

Here's an app sites;

iPad Apps, iPhone Apps, Deals and Discovery at App Shopper - Popular Recent Changes for iOS

Also, tuaw.com features some good apps from time to time

Also check out Robotvision. Kind of neat.

Also camera+ and tilt-shift generator.

I thought I'd use the camera more, but I find my EP1 and NEX3 still come along for the ride, but the iPhone's camera is a great "just in case" cam.

Just curious -- Verizon or AT&T?
 
Thank wt21, I'm with Verizon...and had been waiting...and not wanting to spend the extra money but have come over to the "need" side for a variety of reasons. Offspring is getting one as a graduation present (from college) and I am hoping it will aid her in her career moves and educational moves, too. I need a praying smiley.;)

Glad to hear about the Maps thing that comes with it. Does it have traffic, too? Do you hear it or only see it? You know we east coasters - and west coasters - and middle coasters - need to know about traffic!

Do you access the forums directly via Safari or use another tool, um, I mean an App?
 
Do you access the forums directly via Safari or use another tool, um, I mean an App?

That's great BB. I think you will like the iPhone. Do you mean forums like Serious Compacts? I just use Safari because it maintains the same site as on the laptop or iPad (layout, etc) and I don't have to get my bearings again. There is forum "app" but I found it confusing.

I'm not that familiar with too many apps. There are a ton and I just focus on the basics or ones that fit a specific need. But here are a few

Instapaper
Calcbot
Convertbot
1Password
Dropbox
Twitter
Plus a few photog apps
As for games, Angry Birds really is fun, I also like Fruit Ninja and Cut the Rope
 
As Will said, there is a kind of traffic view. I've not use it much myself.

Here's a tip -- if you go to seriouscompacts.com from mobile safari, then start to save it as a bookmark (the middle icon with the arrow), one of the choices that pops up is "add to homescreen" -- this creates an app-like icon that auto loads safari for your chosen web site. I created a folder called "bookmarks" where I put serious compacts and mu-43 amongst others. Now, they are like launching apps.
 
Hi BB, well if you can read the iPhone screen well enough surely you can manage the NEX screen too :)

Here's my apps that I wind up using the most -

Weathereye (free) more information than the standard app
Copilot GPS (it was only $30 - it's very good value for the price but I suppose if you were willing to pay more you could get better)
ForumRunner (under $5 - much easier to view the SC forum on the iPhone with)
Urbanspoon (free) restaurant reviews
ebay (free) gotta satisfy the GAS
News Pro Reuters (free)
NY times (used to be free)
Other apps on the phone are infrequently used and subject to your own peculiar tastes ... peculiar in a good way :)

Cheers
 
Thanks for your input, Kevin and yes I surely hope that my eyes can read the iPhone...certainly better than no screen. Yes, yes, the NEX screen especially for me in black and white is a beauty.;)

I read that Copilot was a very good GPS app. I feel weird saying app without making a joke.

Since I subscribe to the weekend version of the NYTimes I think I can get it on my phone for free, too. News Pro Reuters sounds good, too. I am into news.

Ah, so Forum Runner is easier, eh? However I have a feeling that certain moderating tasks are only available by going in directly...

The Weathereye sounds good, too. No eBay for me. I take GAS-X, except for my next camera. ;-)

Yes, my own "peculiar in a good way" tastes. Hmm... I shall have to think about what those tastes might be. I'm sure I'll find some.
 
Photography-useful:
LightTrac (shows where sun will rise/set on a given date for a given location, but you can also look to see when the light will be in a specific path if you want)
FlickStackr
PhotoCard (will let you send electronic postcards of Bill Atkinson's stock photography -- or your own)
Phases (for upcoming moon phases)

Generally:
eBay (GAS)
Craigslist (GAS)
SoundHound (out and about and you hear a song you like? It'll listen to the song then look it up -- really fabulous)
StarWalk (want to know what that constellation is? Point your iPhone/iPad at it)
Yelp! (for finding places to eat)
TripAdvisor (for finding things to do)
Tumblr (for posting to tumblr blogs, if you have one)
Flashlight (eliminating one gadget from your purse)
 
Cool, Deirdre, and thanks so much! That's pretty nice about the flashlight - I know that sounds sort of low tech but it sure is a handy thing to have. The StarWalk one really sound pretty darn cool, too! And FlckStackr.

Ah, so many things to check out!
 
Ok BB here is one you have to try. GPS4CAM. Geotagging made easy for the Micro 4/3rds. Do a search on the internet but I think the website is gps4cam.com.

Rick
another Verizon iPhone user
 
Aww, but Rick, then I'd have to buy a Micro 4/3rds camera again.;) Thanks, Rick! Here's the link gps4cam - The app that brings geotagging to every camera | the geotag app for iPhone.

The current image formats they support:

Supported image formats

gps4cam support the following image formats:
3FR (Hasselblad RAW Format)
ARW, SRF, SR2 (Sony RAW Formats)
BAY (Casio RAW Format)
CAP, IIQ, EIP (Phase_One RAW Formats)
DCS, DCR, DRF, K25, KDC (Kodak RAW Formats)
CR2 (Canon RAW Formats)
DNG (Adobe RAW Format)
ERF (Epson RAW Format)
GIF (Compuserve GIF)
JPEG, JPG
JP2, JPX (JPEG 2000 image)
MRW (Minolta RAW Format)
NEF, NRW (Nikon RAW Formats)
ORF (Olympus RAW Format)
PDF (Adobe PDF)
PEF (Pentax RAW Format)
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
RAF (FujiFilm RAW Format)
RAW, RW2 (Panasonic RAW formats)
TIFF, TIF (Tagged Image File Formats)

I'm not quite sure how this works, but it looks very interesting. So all this gps info will be magically added to one's photo files and be read in Lightroom, for example?
 
Works just fine. I just tried it. Took a drive to downtown Long Beach taking a few pictures along the way and then came home. Added the iPhone info via their desktop software. Viewed it in LR3 under the Library tab, go to Metadata and then to GPS. Coordinates are clearly there and if you click on it it takes you to Google maps. Neat, I cannot wait until my vacation going thru Arizona and New Mexico via Rt66.

Rick
 
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