The Ephemeric

The iPhone has long been one of the coolest things ever designed by mankind, and it just got cooler. The application store is something that iPhone users have been waiting for for a long time, granting the ability to augment the device's already diverse functions with the addition of your choice of a very wide selection of official and user created applications. One simply has to log into the new app store and find an already very long list of both free apps and premium ones which you have to pay for.

In short, you can now put games on your iPhone, instant messenger, and various useful widgets that can perform any of a number of functions from new ways to use the map software, to personal organizers, remote controls, news feeds, drawing programs, and many many more. Now, to help you all get used to this new development, I will run the rule over a number of the better apps currently out there. Anyone with an iPhone can find a good use for these little beauties:


1. WHERE

One of the first apps out there and also one of the most immediately useful. WHERE has bagged awards and plenty of positive kudos from those in the media. Basically what this app does is automatically locate you wherever you are in the world and then presents a map and a whole range of immensely useful widgets. For example one can select the starbucks widget to see pointed out on the map the location of all nearby starbucks coffee shops, and there are similar widgets for zipcar and a search option that allows you to search for whatever you want, like pizza or beer, and the app will return map locations of nearby places that offer such services.

On top of this there is an 'events' widget that shows interesting public events taking place nearby, and of great interest are the 'hey whats that' and 'skymap' widgets, the former giving users a 360 degree view showing them what scenery can be seen from where they are standing, and the latter giving users a map of the stars and constellations they can currently see in any given direction.

It's all presented with panache and very user friendly, this is an app that will define GPS apps to come.


2. Remote

One of the official apps, Remote lets users use their iPhone as a remote control for all other apple devices. This includes apple tvs, apple laptops and any iTunes library.

This has been one of the top selling apps since the launch of the store and it's easy to see why, it's a use that really could have been included at the launch of the iPhone, but better late than never. This should be pretty much a standard download for anyone with other apple products or iTunes.


3. AIM

Another no brainer. Instant messenger has long been something i've been waiting for on the iPhone. Until now the best I could do was web messenger and the like, and this became easier when apple gave the ability to create web shortcuts on your iPhone desktop, but it was still never the same.

Now we just need an MSN app and we're all set.


4. Bomberman Touch

Bomberman + iPhone = WIN
and yes I am getting more and more brief with my descriptions but it's getting late and I want this done by midnight. If you know what bomberman is then download it, its good ol fashioned bombing fun.


5. Netter's Anatomy

If you're a medical student like me, then you WANT this. This is all your anatomy text books in the palm of your hand, with beautiful crystal clear, colourful, zoomable and adjustable pictures and labels that you can click on to bring up pages of information about specific bones, muscles, etc. Pure genius, very useful for me.



There are many more but these are the most useful ones. A special mention has to go to iPint, an app which lets you 'fill' your iPhone with beer and then drink it. It's easier to explain by showing you, but it is a great app for showing off the iPhone with.