iPhone: 15 Apps You Must Know

An iPhone isn’t an iPhone without all the bells and whistles. As we’ve covered before in this blog, you aren’t taking full advantage of your iPhone machines without figuring out some of those applications that could make it more functional and more powerful. I’ve compiled a list of the best applications that you absolutely have to master if you are going to be an iPhone master.

It doesn’t matter if games are your thing or if you’re an organizational guru, these applications provide a little bit of something for just about everyone.

1. Navizon Virtual GPS: For those people who have a hard time keeping up with where they’re going, this is the perfect tool. Not only will it point you in the right direction, but it will do so in the nicest manner possible
2. iSubwayMaps: If you don’t know your way around the New York City subways, then this application is right up your alley. It will guide you through the mean streets and into the subways.
3. TextEdit: This is one of the most basic types of iPhone word processors. It’s perfect for all of your computer gurus who can’t ever leave their email client at home.
4. iPhoneGold: 100 Free iPhone Games: This is game heaven for all of those people who just can’t get enough. If you’re going to own a high powered iPhone, why not take advantage of these games?
5. TipCalc: When you are eating out and you aren’t sure how much to leave, this app will help you out. Not only does it calculate the tip and the total for your bill, but it even has the option of splitting the tip a number of different ways.
6. Texterity: This is an application that gives you the freedom to read. Specifically, you’ll be able to read any magazine right through your iPhone.
7. NFL Schedule: It’s football season and that means that you need to be up-to-date with all of the latest stats. This application can help you keep up with that stuff.
8. Toodledo: Some people just can’t seem to stay productive unless they have a to-do list in front of them. This is a tool that will help you stay on the organized side by improving your efficiency and keeping you on task.
9. Telekinesis: So you’re on the road and you want to access your Mac computer? This is the program that enables you to do that with relative ease. Gotta love technology, right?
10. Tilt: The iPhone has excellent motion control. This is an app that can help bring that to the forefront.
11. Quote Sheet: Business people love the iPhone, too. If you are one of those folks who is always on the move, but you need to deal with business decisions over the phone, then this application is a perfect fit.
12. iPhoneChat: This app brings AIM to life over your phone. Don’t miss out on the gossip with your friends just because you aren’t at the computer.
13. MakeiPhoneRingtone: A great phone needs some great tones. Use this application to make your iPhone ring with the best ring tones that you can find anywhere.
14. MyNumo: This is one of the best games that you can use with the iPhone. Get ready for that next trip out to Las Vegas by cleaning up at the blackjack tables using this application.
15. TubeTV: Youtube is the craze these days, so iPhone users have to have the ability to download and view those videos on their phone. This application gives you that power.

There are plenty of other applications which demand your attention, as well, but these are a few of our favorites. If you have a great phone, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to make it even better.

Accessorizing Your iPhone

If you own the Apple iPhone, then you know all too well how difficult it can be to keep this phone in good shape. As an extremely expensive phone, the iPhone demands that you spend a little bit of money on it, though. With this in mind, do you have to sell the family farm in order to keep the iPhone in great condition?

Over one million people have purchased this high dollar music playing cell phone and most of them have felt the need to shell out some money in order to protect their investment. Because the iPhone’s touch screen is used for all of its processes, you have to keep it in good shape or else you won’t be able to use the phone. When you are constantly smudging the phone, you can leave it a little bit messy, though. If you are looking to show off with your iPhone as a status symbol, then you won’t be able to get by with a messy phone.

Though it may seem superfluous, the few extra dollars that you spend on the iPhone can help you to keep the device looking brand new. If you were among those people who got the $100 credit from Apple, you can even use that as a way to protect your phone. After all, it’s only right to return this money back into your investment.

The good news for iPhone owners is that you don’t have to auction your home in order to purchase a good set of accessories. The top products on the internet won’t even cost you $50. You just have to find these products. This is where I come into the picture. Here are some good accessory ideas for a competitive price.

One of the best ways to clear your screen is to purchase the $13 ClearScreen Overlay from Belkin. This is a product that will protect the phone’s screen from all of the damages that might come into play during the day. When you are getting your iPhone in and out of your pocket or transporting it in the car, you will find that the screen may become damaged if you aren’t careful.

Some people choose to purchase a more expensive iPhone case to provide some added protection. There are negative things about this type of product, though. It makes taking the iPhone out of your pocket a little bit more difficult. Here are some of the top cases if you want to go in that direction.

The Incase Designs’ Molded Rubber Case only costs around $30 and it is one of the best protections that you can buy for an iPhone. In addition to providing protection for the phone and making it easy to use, this case also looks great. You can choose one of the hip designs if you’re intent on keeping up with the times.

Another product in this category is also from Incase. They have a Canvas Fitted Sleeve, which costs a little bit more. This product comes in at around $35 and gives the iPhone a canvas in which to live. If you are looking for a sophisticated look for the iPhone, then this is probably the way you want to go.

Some people even want to take their iPhone with them to the gym. Belkin provides a Sport Armband for only $30. When you are headed to the gym and want to be active, then you need to purchase this product. It is a little bit bulky, but it will help keep your product safe when you are going through a strenuous workout.

Get to Know Your iPhone Hacking Terms

If you have kept up with the iPhone industry at all during the last few months, then you have heard all about iPhone hacking and iPhone bricking. As such, you have probably seen a lot of different terms thrown around. The lay person probably looks at this iPhone language and thinks it looks like Chinese. I’ll do my best to explain some of the more common terms in this blog.

Firmware – This is the term that is given to describe the inner programming of the iPhone. If you have ever heard about “iPhone updates”, then you should know that this is the part of the iPhone that is updated. Recent updated releases to this programming code helped cause the current uprising about bricking iPhones. Illegal modification of this aspect of the iPhone is dicey, especially given the conditions applied to customers today.

Hack – There are a number of iPhone modifications that fall under this name. They can be text commands or even more advanced forms of hacking, but the general premise remains the same. The most common kinds of hacks are ones that allow users to change the mobile network settings. Because the iPhone is restricted solely to the AT&T network, hacks (such as iPhoneSimFree or AnySIM) are required in order to unlock the phone and use it on another network.

Jailbreak – This is the worst type of hack in the eyes of Apple and their cohorts. When users get their hands on a jailbreak hack, they can gain access into portions of the iPhone that would normally be off limits. Most commonly, a jailbreak is used in order to install cool, unauthorized programs, or it is used to unlock the phone for use on another mobile network.

Activation – Activation is what gives the iPhone its legs. If you just had the phone without activation, you would only be able to do very limited things like make an emergency call. With activation, the phone works like an iPhone is supposed to work. The most common way to activate the phone is through signing up with the partner carrier of AT&T. Users have found other ways to get around this, though, opening up the reality of people breaking the much needed iPhone rules.

Unlocking – In order to understanding unlocking, you have to first understand locking. Most phones come with the ability to operate on any mobile carrier. The iPhone, however, is equipped with fancy, expensive lock systems that prevent users from doing this. For a while, there were a number of different rogue unlocking programs that helped people get away from AT&T. When Apple released its 1.1.1. firmware update, all of this stopped, though. The iPhones that had been unlocked were suddenly rendered useless, making many people angry.

Brick – This is one of the most popular terms that seems to have been in vogue during the last couple of months. By definition, “bricked” hardware is inoperable. In the case of the iPhone, it deals with phones that have been modified without authorization. An iBrick isn’t the typical bricked piece of hardware, though. In many cases, bricked phones will turn on and act like fully useable phones. Though you can get the phone to turn on, you will probably have a great deal of difficulty trying to figure out how to make an important phone call.

If you happen to follow the ever changing iPhone world on a regular basis, then you will run across these terms. They all have significant meaning to those people who run into software troubles with Apple and AT&T in recent months.

More Legal Trouble for Apple and AT&T Coming over iPhone

As if Apple’s legal department didn’t already have enough to worry about, it looks as if you can add another bit of legal trouble to the equation. The Associated Press is reporting that Apple’s newest update to their iPhone has caused the most serious litigation yet. Apple and its primary carrier, AT&T, are being accused of monopolistic behavior by a couple of plaintiffs in two different lawsuits.

Those two lawsuits came about last Friday in San Jose, California. One of them was filed in Federal court, while the other was put in at the state level. Both seem to be pretty dangerous for Apple, as they look to be headed for class-action category.

These allegations have come as a result of the recent iPhone updates, which made it difficult for other types of bootleg software to run on the iPhone. Apple and AT&T were seeking to completely control how people used their iPhone and it looks like it might be backfiring a little bit. The Federal case asserts that Apple and AT&T teamed up to commit various violations of antitrust laws and warranty laws. The state case looks to be putting forth the same issues, albeit on a smaller scale.

The iPhone owners who brought the case to court seem to have hired some big guns to do their bidding. Law firm Hoffman & Lazera of Oakland and New York firm Folkenflik & McGerity filed the Federal suit on behalf of Paul Holman and Lucy Rivello. The state case looks to be bringing about less legal firepower, as California iPhone owner Timothy Smith hired Damian Fernandez to place his claim. Still, it looks like Apple and AT&T are in for a battle which they never could have possibly expected.

When Apple and AT&T made a decision to not allow the iPhone to work on carriers other than AT&T, they were conspiring together to operate a monopoly, according to the Federal lawsuit. According to some legal experts, the case might have some staying power in federal courts. Apple, as they have done in the past, might consider the option of ponying up the cash to settle the cases out of court.

This is the first case of its kind to hit the courts, as communications laws and monopoly laws merge to form what looks like an interesting dynamic. Apple and AT&T will undoubtedly argue that they are simply looking to protect their investment and not allow the illegal hacking into the phones. Third party software providers obviously have different ideas.

The lawsuits also look to bring Apple down because of its misuse of a warranty promise. Prior to releasing the latest update, Apple put out a warning to its customers than any iPhones which had illegal modifications wouldn’t be covered under the warranty. There is no certain statistic on how many devices were disabled, but it looks like there are plenty of very unhappy customers.

Apple has experienced great success with the device, selling more than one million of the iPhones since their debut on June 29. The lawsuits didn’t directly specify how many people they thought were in the affected class of owners. There is some speculation that hundreds of thousands of disgruntled customers might join the parade, although Apple has denounced those estimates as being hyperbole.

Who is to blame for iPhone Bricking?

A new word has come into the spotlight during the past week. People are becoming much more familiar with bricking in regards to their iPhone. A brick, in this sense, is a fairly useless iPhone. So who is to blame for this phenomenon, AT&T or the fine folks over at Apple?

Right now, opinion seems to be fairly split on the matter. Techies have drawn party lines on the issue, with some placing the blame on Apple, while others assert that AT&T is the one to blame. Where does the truth lie in all of this?

The primary question at hand is one of motive. Why might Apple want to go out and brick a ton of iPhones? With recently unlocked iPhones being able to run on different networks, like T-Mobile, Apple might be looking to protect its bottom line. Where’s the motivation in that for Apple, though? AT&T would be the real loser in such a scenario.

Apple has established itself as a hardware company first and foremost. It makes money by developing, marketing, and eventually selling computers and other electronic products. If you really think about it, unlocked iPhones can appeal to many more customers, thus increasing the total amount of revenue that the company can bring in. With that in mind, why in the world would Apple go about the business of alienating its own customers?

Dan Resigner over at CNET has an interesting take on the matter. In addition to backing Apple in this debate, he takes a pretty hard line stance on AT&T’s supposed guilt. It looks like the power is being wielded by AT&T in this case, as Apple has done some major backtracking in recent weeks. Originally, Apple indicated in a statement that it wouldn’t support to reprimand those who unlocked iPhones. Now, the tune is much different, as Apple has sought out those who unlock iPhones and called them “rule breakers”. What is the impetus for this reversal?

There are interesting arguments that might support the notion that Apple was behind the bricking, though. During its history, Steve Jobs’ Apple Company has released products that were not highly customizable. Their iPod couldn’t be modified a whole lot, so why would they want the iPhone to be misused and changed? Apple always seeks to keep control over its products and monitor what customers were doing with the things. This latest run of actions fits into that line of thinking.

What’s the bottom line on this high stakes blame game? The fact is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. AT&T was probably pushing Apple a little bit to lock down the rogue iPhones in order to keep profit and a good working relationship. Apple obviously didn’t object to this, as they’ve never been a company that liked being pushed around.

If you’re really looking to get mad at somebody over the bricking of your precious iPhone, then get mad at yourself. AT&T and Apple are only looking to protect their large investments and they rules had been laid out previously. Who is leading this witch hunt? It doesn’t really matter in the end. Bloggers will undoubtedly try to uncover the motivation behind the action, but it comes down to the almighty dollar. If you want to use the iPhone, you are going to have to play by both Apple and AT&T’s rules. Even with the updates and new released planned by Apple, that is one thing that you shouldn’t expect to change in the near or distant future.

More Competition coming for the iPhone?

Verizon Wireless and its nearly 62 million subscribers have been in a long battle with Apple over the new iPhone. Now, it looks like those people might be able to rest a little bit easier as their fight might soon be over. Many of Verizon’s customers feared that their company would ultimately break down under the pressure put on by Apple and Steve Jobs, but it doesn’t appear as if the company is ready to team up with Apple. Instead, Verizon looks poised to release their own competing product. The LG Voyager looks like a worthy challenger for the iPhone, but no one has really been able to mount a challenge yet. If they do it, it will certainly be the first time that Jobs has been made to shake in the face of imminent competition.

This week, various gadget blogs have broken the story on the new Verizon products. The company formally announced the launch of its four new products, which come out just in time for the holiday gift rush. The new Voyager is the lead dog of the release and Verizon expects it to take down the iPhone. They even paid a $6 fee to Broadcom for each phone in order to get those through United States Customs. The question still remains, though. Will this new product be able to slay the iPhone?

If you’re smart, I wouldn’t count on it. Thus far, no company has been able to provide anything that even remotely competes with what Steve Jobs and Apple is putting out. Though these are the disgusting stories of competitors gone bad, some of the previous attempts to knock the iPhone off of its perch are certainly worth mentioning in light of this recent news.

Sprint Nextel tried this already, and it didn’t work. When they released a product in an effort to upstage the iPhone this summer, they fell flat on their face. Since then, consumers have been looking for companies to man up and provide some competition, but nobody seems willing to make that happen…until now. One of the top guys at the Verizon office, Mike Lanman, put out a statement recently that predicted the “Voyager would kill the iPhone.”

Bold prediction, Mr. Lannan. After all, when is the last time that any company has been able to outdo anything that Apple has done? Apple’s plethora of iPods all became instant hits and have customers clamoring for more. The iPhone sold out within a week of hitting the shelves. Microsoft tried a similar tactic when they released music player Zune. That, too, was designed to send Steve Jobs under. Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen someone who owned a Zune? I didn’t think so.

There are a couple of things about the Voyager which might be giving Verizon some hope, though. It has some pretty good working features, including a unique QWERTY keyboard. The device is set up to have some success in a market struggling for new products, but it most certainly isn’t the product to “kill” the iPhone.

If some poor company is set on knocking off Apple, they better be coming with something a little bit more substantial than a fancy new phone keyboard. Apple’s growing base of avid followers is only becoming stauncher in its view that the company’s products are second to none. With the reduced price and added upgrades coming later this fall, some company is going to have to do a whole lot to hurt the iPhone’s popularity. For Steve Jobs, taking on all comers is nothing new, so I certainly wouldn’t expect to see him backing down in the near future.

Apple Facing Litigation Over iPhone Discounts

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Finally, somebody got mad enough to take action against Apple for providing discounts on their latest batch of iPhones. How much is the angry iPhone owner looking to get out of this lawsuit? A somewhat ridiculous amount, according to some pundits. The person is suing Apple for $1 million for a number of different company indiscretions. According to the irked iPhone owner, Apple committed violations including price discrimination, underselling, and discrimination in rebates.

This single owner wasn’t the only person who was angry over Apple’s price drop. After releasing their product this summer in the United States, Apple waited only a little more than two months to drop the price of the product by $200. Dongmei Lei, of New York City, is the person who is doing the suing. According to published reports, Lei waited in long lines during the first iPhone release to buy the company’s 4GB version. Now, Lei wants restitution for a whole laundry list worth of wrongdoings.

The interesting thing about this lawsuit is that Apple only dropped the price on their more functional 8GB version of the iPhone. It debuted at $599, but was later dropped to $399 in order to accommodate more customers. Lei, however, purchased the lower level iPhone, which was eventually phased out by the company. Now, Ms. Lei has decided that Apple took inappropriate action and didn’t look out for its early buyers, who should have been protected more than the average iPhone owner.

Apple has repeatedly tried to make peace with people like Lei, who are set on making a name for themselves through litigation. They even offered a $200 refund for iPhone owners who purchased the more expensive product two weeks or less before the price cut. In addition to that, Apple CEO Steve Jobs personally approved a $100 Apple store credit for those customers to go along with it. For some, this peace offering wasn’t nearly enough. In addition to this one lawsuit, there have been quite a few more from customers who both see opportunity and seek restitution. Some of these suits have been more successful than others, as Apple has had to face its fair share of meaningless litigation as a result of the product.

Back in January, before iPhone had even gotten off of the ground, it ran into a legal speed bump when fellow power Cisco decided to file suit against them. Cisco claimed that it actually owned the iPhone brand and it demanded millions from Apple. Predictably, the two companies settled out of court and Apple went about its merry way promoting the product.

Even those who got a good price on the iPhone aren’t completely happy with the service being provided. One man sued the company for $2,000 after he racked up roaming charges by using the phone out of the country. According to him, that wasn’t supposed to happen and the charges were bogus. Other users have been angry because their phone didn’t allow them to change out the battery.

In the midst of this windfall of legal trouble, Apple seems set on changing their reputation for service. Steve Jobs’ public admission that he hasn’t been as good to customers as he should have been was a head turner for those within the business and seems to indicate the company’s desire to get it right in the future. With the impending second launch of the Apple iPhone coming this fall, Apple would be well served to get their ducks in a row, as customers will be looking for a change in attitude from Jobs and the rest of his crew.