I love my iPhone. If that statement makes you start spewing anti-fanboy epithets, then move along to the next story now, and save us both some time and anguish.
If you’re still here, I’ll assume you have an iPhone, or are at least interested in them. Good.
Where the iPhone may be the best thing to happen to cell phones and portable computing in a long time, the App Store is the best thing to happen to the iPhone, ever. Back in July, just after the launch, I gave a general review of the iPhone 2.0 software and some of the new apps, when it was all brand-spanking new. This time around (and with a little time passed to let it all sink in), I want to look at five specific apps that can be of specific use to GeekDads and Moms.
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D ($9.99): Let’s get the one game on this list out of the way first, because it’s a pretty obvious concept – having a game on the phone to keep the kids busy when mom or dad need to keep the distractions down. Crash Kart is a port of the Crash Bandicoot Kart racing games made popular on the Gamecube and Wii, and it makes great use of the accelerometer in the iPhone. Heck, I’m just waiting for someone to hack the iPhone into working as a Wiimote. Good game for keeping the kids focused when the DS was forgotten at home.
See the rest in the extended post.
AirMe (free): So far, this is the best app I’ve found to snap pictures and automatically upload them to my Flickr stream. Simple, clean, and it’ll even work over the Edge connection. Makes it easier to get images online fast for others to see. Good for a flash mob, and good for a kid’s birthday party. In a way, it bypasses the need to get a EyeFi card, if the 2mp pictures the iPhone’s camera takes are good enough for you.
Jott (free): I’m coming back to this one, which I mentioned in my first post, just because it’s such a useful app Hit record, and send yourself a transcribed message via email to help you keep track of things later. And as they roll out functionality, I’m sure they’ll pull more of the phone service into the app as well – like auto-sending the transcribed messages to your blog or twitter feed or (great for parents) your Remember The Milk account.
Scribble (free): Another app to engage the kids with in an emergency, Scribble is a simple whiteboard for coloring on with your finger. Unhappy with a drawing, or ready to move on, just shake it like an Etch-a-Sketch, and start over. You can save images (though not sync them or send them anywhere), or use the screen grab built into the 2.0 software to save your work of art and use it elsewhere.
Ambiance ($0.99): This one is purely for the mom and dad who may need to escape for a little while from the hustle and bustle. It puts a number of those nice white-noise sounds in continuous loop so you can plug yourself in, and fade away for a while – whether it’s on the commute, or in the bedroom while the kids are blowing up the Death Star downstairs. The loops are high quality, and range from rain to a couple different varieties of colored noise.
So, are there any other apps that are proving themselves particulary usefull to you as a parent? Let us know in the comments!
