One of the things about trying to be a writer is being consistent. This means that no matter how many fancy schmancy new iPhones come out, you ‘ve got to stick to covering free apps on the weekends. You ‘ve just got to. This weekend Patrick and I are covering:
iTunes links for the apps are now before the jump “ let us know if that ‘s more convenient for you folks 😛
Bump
Concept: Lets you swap contact information with people easily, quickly, and wirelessly – via just a quick ‘fist bump’ while you’ve both got the app open.
Strengths: Very easy to setup (just tell it where to find your own contact info in your Address Book), super easy to use. It recognizes if you try to add someone who’s already in your Address Book and offers to merge info.
Non-Strengths: Requires that you provide your email address and share your info with their servers at the outset of using the app.
Overall: Works well, and could be extremely helpful at seminars, conferences, any events where you meet a lot of useful new contacts.
MapQuest 4 Mobile
Concept: An alternative to the built-in Maps app, with some nice, unique features, and from a well-know web provider.
Strengths: Lets you pick and choose which types of places to show within maps, and easily toggle on and off restaurants, hotels, gas stations etc with one tap. Great way to spot places on the fly as you move around the map, without the need for doing a search. Driving directions options are also excellent, including a landscape mode that shows one direction step at a time full screen.
Non-Strengths: Not as easy to add bookmarks for places – requires that you have a MapQuest account.
Overall: A worthy rival / second option for the built-in Maps app.
Wimbledon 2009
Concept: The official app for keeping up with this year’s version of tennis greatest tournament.
Strengths: Very complete coverage of Wimbledon – the draws, schedules, news, video highlights – and very well presented.
Non-Strengths: Nadal is not able to defend his title, though I’m not sure that is the fault of this app. 🙂
Overall: Can’t wait for the tournament to start.
Flux
Concept: Tap on the screen to have magma appear on-screen, use multiple fingers to multiply the effects. Shake to change colours.
Strengths: Shows that the iPhone screen can recognize all five of my fingers; animation is fluid up until you use more than four fingers on-screen.
Non-Strengths: Liquid fades too quickly to really enjoy the effects; you touch the screen, enjoy a quick splash of colour, and it disappears almost instantly.
Overall: Not all that much to do here; wouldn ‘t recommend a download until the colours stay on-screen longer.
Pixcetera
Concept: Great pictures on your iPhone “ updated daily.
Strengths: Absolutely fantastic presentation, so much so that I ‘m surprised it ‘s free. Captions slide smoothly into place, pictures load quickly, galleries are organized by topic, and you can view pictures one-by-one or see everything as thumbnails.
Non-Strengths: None to speak of.
Overall: It ‘s really a mini professional photo gallery right on your phone: definitely worth a look!
Continue reading:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
TAGS: free iPhone apps, Free Reign
