1. Running native apps
Free
I’m lumping all of the native apps together with a warning. Enterprising hackers have written apps to let you add ringtones, (iRingtoner), browse the file system and change around themes and icons (iPhoneinterface), an app to record audio, and even a really poorly functioning Nintendo emulator. The problem is, if you have Apple’s newly upgraded version 1.0.1 software, you can’t install any of them: to use the "jailbreak" process that lets you install native apps, you have to have a copy of the older 1.0 software, which isn’t available any more. Hopefully the hackers will figure the problem out soon; keep an eye on ModMyiPhone.com and on hacker Nate True’s blog for details.
I’m lumping all of the native apps together with a warning. Enterprising hackers have written apps to let you add ringtones, (iRingtoner), browse the file system and change around themes and icons (iPhoneinterface), an app to record audio, and even a really poorly functioning Nintendo emulator. The problem is, if you have Apple’s newly upgraded version 1.0.1 software, you can’t install any of them: to use the "jailbreak" process that lets you install native apps, you have to have a copy of the older 1.0 software, which isn’t available any more. Hopefully the hackers will figure the problem out soon; keep an eye on ModMyiPhone.com and on hacker Nate True’s blog for details.
2. JiveTalk
BeeJive, http://iphone.beejive.com/
Free
The best of the several Web-based iPhone IM clients, JiveTalk lets you log into AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber accounts simultaneously, giving you a combined buddy list and a conversation-based interface. Mundu IM is also quite good; choosing between the two is a matter of taste. I like both of those better than the alternatives—FlickIM and iPhoneChatClient only support AIM, and Meebo is hard to navigate on an iPhone screen.
Free
The best of the several Web-based iPhone IM clients, JiveTalk lets you log into AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber accounts simultaneously, giving you a combined buddy list and a conversation-based interface. Mundu IM is also quite good; choosing between the two is a matter of taste. I like both of those better than the alternatives—FlickIM and iPhoneChatClient only support AIM, and Meebo is hard to navigate on an iPhone screen.
3. Glide Mobile
TransMedia, http://xmobile.glidesociety.com/
Free
Does 4GB or 8GB feel limiting? Glide gives you another 2GB of free storage in a "cloud" accessible by not only your iPhone, but whatever PCs, Macs and other mobile devices you use. You can stream music (even WMA-formatted!) and a wide range of video files to your iPhone and use Glide’s many, many other features. For instance, Glide not only stores photos, it lets you edit them; you can not only view PDF documents, but create new text documents; you can sync PIM information from your PC into the cloud; and a heck of a lot more. It’s media streaming, it’s a collaboration tool, and it’s a great thing to have on the iPhone.
Glide isn’t the only app of its kind out there. Orb also works with the iPhone somewhat—it streams music and shows photos—but it can’t yet stream video or show most kinds of documents on the iPhone, so for now Glide wins. iZoho promises office apps for the iPhone but doesn’t delive; gOffice is a very basic word processor without any of Glide’s extra features.
Free
Does 4GB or 8GB feel limiting? Glide gives you another 2GB of free storage in a "cloud" accessible by not only your iPhone, but whatever PCs, Macs and other mobile devices you use. You can stream music (even WMA-formatted!) and a wide range of video files to your iPhone and use Glide’s many, many other features. For instance, Glide not only stores photos, it lets you edit them; you can not only view PDF documents, but create new text documents; you can sync PIM information from your PC into the cloud; and a heck of a lot more. It’s media streaming, it’s a collaboration tool, and it’s a great thing to have on the iPhone.
Glide isn’t the only app of its kind out there. Orb also works with the iPhone somewhat—it streams music and shows photos—but it can’t yet stream video or show most kinds of documents on the iPhone, so for now Glide wins. iZoho promises office apps for the iPhone but doesn’t delive; gOffice is a very basic word processor without any of Glide’s extra features.
4. iPhoneDrive
Ecamm network, http://www.ecamm.com/mac/iphonedrive/
$9.95
Okay, maybe 4GB or 8GB is more than enough. Our one Mac-only app in this list gives the iPhone a sort of "drive mode," letting you use it as a USB flash drive—a popular iPod feature that Apple perplexingly left out here. Alas, you have to use the iPhoneDrive app to transfer files (the iPhone doesn’t appear on the desktop as a drive) but it’s better than nothing, and it’s a good way to use your iPhone’s "leftover" storage space.
$9.95
Okay, maybe 4GB or 8GB is more than enough. Our one Mac-only app in this list gives the iPhone a sort of "drive mode," letting you use it as a USB flash drive—a popular iPod feature that Apple perplexingly left out here. Alas, you have to use the iPhoneDrive app to transfer files (the iPhone doesn’t appear on the desktop as a drive) but it’s better than nothing, and it’s a good way to use your iPhone’s "leftover" storage space.
5. Videora iPhone Converter
Red Kawa Inc., http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPhone/
Free
There are a lot of ways to convert video files for the iPhone. Some are complicated but powerful (MediaCoder), some cost money (Roxio Crunch) and some violate our government’s toadying to the entertainment industry by copying protected DVDs (oh, just Google for it.) Videora’s iPhone converter is very easy to use, free and legal, and works with any kind of video you can play on your PC. How you get the video is your business, but one-click conversion and loading onto your iPhone is ours. Enjoy.
Free
There are a lot of ways to convert video files for the iPhone. Some are complicated but powerful (MediaCoder), some cost money (Roxio Crunch) and some violate our government’s toadying to the entertainment industry by copying protected DVDs (oh, just Google for it.) Videora’s iPhone converter is very easy to use, free and legal, and works with any kind of video you can play on your PC. How you get the video is your business, but one-click conversion and loading onto your iPhone is ours. Enjoy.
6. Diamenty
Arkadiusz Mlynarczyk, http://diamenty.myiphone.pl/
Free
There are very few decent games out for the iPhone; Web 2.0 programming just doesn’t make for compelling action experiences. That’s okay, for now, as long as we have Bejeweled...
Free
There are very few decent games out for the iPhone; Web 2.0 programming just doesn’t make for compelling action experiences. That’s okay, for now, as long as we have Bejeweled...
7. MacMost Sudoku
MacMost, http://macmost.com/iphonegames/Sudoku/
Free
...and Sudoku. I like the MacMost version of Sudoku better than the others I’ve seen, because it has different levels of difficulty. MacMost actually has several casual iPhone games on their Web site, including Solitaire and Minesweeper.
Free
...and Sudoku. I like the MacMost version of Sudoku better than the others I’ve seen, because it has different levels of difficulty. MacMost actually has several casual iPhone games on their Web site, including Solitaire and Minesweeper.
8. Seeqpod
Seeqpod, Inc., http://www.seeqpod.com/iphone/
Free
This is very cool: a search engine that looks for all the free music linked randomly out on the Internet, organizes it by artist and transcodes it on the fly into iPhone-streaming-compatible format. This includes a lot of popular stuff—I searched for Lily Allen, for instance, and got 21 tracks, including a lot of non-album songs. You can also listen to various playlists that Seeqpod users have set up. When you’re bored of your own music, this site is where to go.
Free
This is very cool: a search engine that looks for all the free music linked randomly out on the Internet, organizes it by artist and transcodes it on the fly into iPhone-streaming-compatible format. This includes a lot of popular stuff—I searched for Lily Allen, for instance, and got 21 tracks, including a lot of non-album songs. You can also listen to various playlists that Seeqpod users have set up. When you’re bored of your own music, this site is where to go.
9. Signal
AlloySoft, http://www.alloysoft.com/
$29.95
Signal is grotesquely overpriced, and there are other freeware projects that also use the iPhone as a Wi-Fi remote control for your iTunes. (The most awesome is Telekinesis from Google.) The problem is, so far I haven’t been able to find any for Windows—they're all Mac projects. Therefore, I find myself recommending this to our more deep-pocketed readers. Signal will let you use your iPhone to control iTunes, WinAmp, or Windows Media Player, showing album art, pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, or navigating through playlists from a distance. It doesn’t stream music, but it’s really useful if your PC is the hub of your entertainment center.
$29.95
Signal is grotesquely overpriced, and there are other freeware projects that also use the iPhone as a Wi-Fi remote control for your iTunes. (The most awesome is Telekinesis from Google.) The problem is, so far I haven’t been able to find any for Windows—they're all Mac projects. Therefore, I find myself recommending this to our more deep-pocketed readers. Signal will let you use your iPhone to control iTunes, WinAmp, or Windows Media Player, showing album art, pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding, or navigating through playlists from a distance. It doesn’t stream music, but it’s really useful if your PC is the hub of your entertainment center.
10. Addfone
Magno Urbano, http://www.addfone.com/
Free
There are a lot of iPhone application directories out there, but Addfone seems to have the most entries by far—428 and growing when I wrote this. The down side is, there’s no way to browse the entire directory; you have to enter some sort of search term, like "game" or "news" to see part of the list. Still, sheer comprehensiveness wins out.
Free
There are a lot of iPhone application directories out there, but Addfone seems to have the most entries by far—428 and growing when I wrote this. The down side is, there’s no way to browse the entire directory; you have to enter some sort of search term, like "game" or "news" to see part of the list. Still, sheer comprehensiveness wins out.