Apple Mac HQ

Here’s yet another web site to find iPhone applications. AppVee has the applications broken down into categories and includes screenshots, videos, and a multi-criteria review system (ease of use, interface, etc). Based on the individual criteria, the app is given an overall rating between zero and five stars. I image the iPhone web site review space is going to explode.

[Via TechCrunch]

Popularity: 15% [?]

The App Store in iTunes has certainly shed new light into what makes the iPhone great. As good as the App Store is, there is certainly some need for improvement in certain areas. One of those areas the App Store badly needs improvement is reviews. People giving apps one star because of the price and people leaving reviews without having purchased the application are just two of the reasons the app store review process is broken. One of my favorite Mac sites is stepping up to the plate to make finding good iPhone apps easier.

i use this is a great website for finding Mac applications that I’ve written about before. Recently they have added an iPhone section to their website. It’s very easy to see what applications are popular and to get honest reviews. Those leaving reviews had to sign up and consciously browse to the iPhone section on i use this. I’ve found the reviews to be better quality and you also have people leaving notes that say problem X in version 1.x was fixed in version 1.1.x. If you’re looking for a better way to find good iPhone apps, check out the iPhone section on i use this.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Some people belittled the first iPhone because it didn’t have a 3G chipset. Now that the iPhone is shipping with 3G, people are complaining about the poor battery life. Battery life was one of the reasons Steve Jobs cited why the first iPhone wasn’t 3G capable.

Your at the office waiting for a call from your hot date and you notice your iPhone is low on power. As it happens, you also left your USB cable at home. What are you going to do?

The Richard Solo Battery Backup to the rescue. Simply attach the device to your iPhone or iPod and it will charge your battery. TUAW has a great review of the product. I’ve seen the ad for the Richard Solo in a few Macworld issues and have thought about buying one. The TUAW review is very favorable and certainly has driven me closer to purchasing one. If you’re thinking about getting a battery backup for your iPhone or iPod, you should consider the Richard Solo Battery Backup.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Starting September 7th, Best Buy will become the first non Apple or AT&T store to carry the iPhone in the US. This deal will add nearly 1,000 additional purchase points for the iPhone 3G. You can read the full announcement here, though little additional information is contained in the rest of the article.

Popularity: 12% [?]

You’ll get the message in this post if you try to access the $10 iPhone App, NetShare (iTunes link) with a US based iTunes account. What exactly does NetShare do? Exactly what it sounds like, share your iPhone network connection.

Engadget has a nice review and video of NetShare. Based on the video, it looks like an amazing application for $10. Had I see the app, I probably would have bought it. Too late now it seems. The app has been on again off again with the App Store in the last week. From the message it looks like the app is back in the App Store, just not available for US customers. Tethering is the single reason I haven’t upgraded to the iPhone 3G. AT&T allows it with other devices (for a monthly fee of course), so I don’t understand why they don’t allow it on the iPhone.

If you’re in a country that allows iPhone 3G tethering, you should definitely check out NetShare!

Popularity: 12% [?]

If you’ve been having some problems with iPhone software 2.0, Apple hopefully has your fix. I just fired up iTunes tonight and much to my surprise, iPhone 2.0.1 software update was available. What’s included? Two words, “Bug fixes”. The update fills in at 242MB. I haven’t been having a lot of problems with my iPhone, but I have had a few crashes now and then. Hopefully 2.0.1 will treat my iPhone well.

Popularity: 13% [?]

If you’re a new iPhone user, you may have missed the flurry of iPhone tips that were released when the iPhone originally launched in 2007. Here are the top 10 most usefully tips for the iPhone (with software version 2) in no particular order.

1) Period: Tapping the space bar quickly twice will put a period (.) and the proper spacing for the end of a sentence. This is much quicker than going to the .?123 keyboard and tapping the period key.

2) Quick Numbers and Punctuation: Holding the .?123 key will bring up the number and punctuation keyboard (among other symbols). While still holding the .?123 key, slide your finger to the key you want and release your finger. This action will choose the key you want and return you back to the QWERTY keyboard. If you just need one key on the .?123 keyboard, this tip will save you time.

3) CAPS Lock: Need to type in CAPS for some reason? First, you need to enable this functionality. Go into Settings | General | Keyboard | and slide “Enable Caps Lock” to On. When you want to type in caps, quickly double tap the Up arrow on your keyboard and it will turn the key blue. You’re now in CAPS LOCK. To turn it off, just tap the arrow key again.

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Popularity: 17% [?]