Glasses Off says their iPhone app can help reduce eye age by up to 20%

It’s scientifically proven… at some point or another, whether we like it or not, we’ll all have that dreaded day when we realize we’re holding the newspaper an arm’s length away to read it.

Presbyopia – the inability to see near objects clearly – is usually first noticed in the ages between 40 and 50, and try as we might it’s not something we can avoid. The good news is that the market is awash with reading glasses and multifocal contact lenses to ease the problem. The even better news is that recently, an app has emerged claiming the ability to reduce the condition’s effects and reduce our ‘eye age’ by as much as 20%.

Innovation, it seems, was clearly focused on the product itself rather than clever naming, as developers ‘Ucansi’ (did someone say cheesy?) prepare to launch their app-child ‘GlassesOff’.

How does it work?

The technology relies on training the eyes to see patterns known as Gabor Patches, which in plain terms are blurry lines produced through exploiting a grey background. Development has been lengthy, and it is reported that a large majority of subjects were able to see as much as two lines further down on an eye test after undergoing the procedure.

How much will it cost?

So that’s the good news. The bad news is that the app looks like it’s going to set you back around £60 ($96). Added to this is the fact that due to the need for a top notch display for the software to work, it will initially be limited solely to new versions of the iPhone – costing somewhere in the region of £500 ($802).

And the wallet assault doesn’t end there. £60 ($96) buys you the initial app and three months worth of training, however Ucansi have indicated that in order to receive further training after this period, a monthly fee will apply.

That said though, rumours are spreading fast that the company may well be looking into converting their software onto a Windows supported platform. As well as this, with the prices of corrective laser surgery stretching comfortably into the thousands, this might suddenly sound like a much more persuasive deal after all.

The future?

Certainly this is a very intriguing app and one that’s worth keeping an eye on to see how things develop. What I find most exciting though is that this could well be a step toward aiding other eyesight problems without invasive surgery… perhaps we’ll see an iCure for problems like myopia in the near future?

Robin blogs for DirectSight.co.uk about technology and eyewear

Here are 6 apps that unite our smartphone and automotive worlds. Check them out, some are new and several are sporting new features that make them even more appealing.

TomTom
TomTom has been the leading GPS, turn-by-turn navigation app for a long time. Because TomTom downloads maps to your phone—unlike your built-in iPhone maps app—your map doesn’t disappear when you hit a dreaded dead zone. And now the latest update has brought in the world of social networking. You can search and navigate with Facebook and also share your destination via Twitter, Facebook, email or a regular text message. Now you won’t have to call everyone in your life to tell them you’ve arrived safely. This iOS app will set you back $60, but it can definitely be worth it.

Scout
This iPhone app is designed to be your personal navigator. The free version offers traffic based driving times, route information, traffic jam avoidance information, favorites and more. Another popular features with the free app is its huge database of points-of-interest. A few features are free for the first 30 days, like voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation, and afterwards require a subscription.

Escort Live
For road warriors, next to their vehicle, their most important gear is their smartphone and radar detector. Escort is bringing together iPhones and Android devices with radar detectors and plugging them into a social network to deliver super high octane radar, laser, and speed trap information up to 25 miles out. Drivers get voice and visual alerts in real time. The setup requires a $100 SmartCord Live, which includes the first year’s subscription to the service. The pricing of additional years has not yet been announced. The app is a free download.

Speedometer + HUD
Most of us have day dreamed about being a jet fighter pilot and one of the coolest parts of that dream is the heads-up-display. Here’s a free iPhone app that brings a heads-up-display to your car. Hey, could this be the coveted smartphone app that we’ll actually be encouraged to use while driving? You locate your iPhone on your dash so the app projects your speed onto your windshield, and if you break the speed limit, you’ll get a warning—a courtesy the next state trooper down the road is unlikely to extend.

Zilla: Digital Dashboard & HUD
The same folks who provide the free Speedometer + HUD take it several steps further in this $2.99 app. Here you get a heads-up-display that you might find in a $500,000 super car, or at least one of the better X-Box racing games. Check your G Forces while cornering and braking, as well as speed, air temp, tire loading, directional bearing and more. You can even control your music with iPod buttons. By the way, the heads-up-displays in this and the previous app work best at night.

Find My Car
How many times have you come out of the ballpark looking for your silver mid-sized compact sedan and searched for over an hour before you found it? With this free iPhone app, that will never be a problem again. Find My Car tells you how far away your vehicle is and gives you walking directions. For Android users there’s the similar Parkdroid.

Chris Turberville-Tully is a marketing strategist for HR Owen, a luxury car dealer selling new and used Bentley, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari cars in England.

1. Vouchercloud

Vouchercloud is available as an app where you can receive your vouchers through text message or as a voucher code directly on your phone. This voucher is then presented to the cashier upon paying to enjoy valuable savings. The vouchers available are on a wide range of items from leisure and entertainment, from Alton Towers vouchers to eating out, to travel and many more.

The Vouchercloud app is now available on all smartphone platforms including Windows phones, iPhones, Android and Google. This enables the buyer to enjoy money saving discounts while on the go.

Another handy feature in this app is that it’ll helpfully provide you with a map of your local area, marking local participating businesses so that you can be sure that you’re always getting the best deal in town!

2. Hot Deals UK

Hot Deals UK has a wide selection of deals, vouchers, sale items and freebies available with a great app that is available for both iOS and Android based mobile devices. Get the information through push notifications, newsletters or just do a basic search in your area and see the great deals available to you. Hot Deals UK is a community run app where consumers share information and voucher codes with other consumers, so you can always count on someone to be keeping the database fresh!

3. Red Laser

Red Laser is one of the top iPhone, Windows and Android phone apps for those that want to pay the best price when you walk into any store and see a must have item. It’s so easy to use; you scan the item you’re interested in and the app will do the rest. You’ll be presented with buying options, product information, directions to retailers and more at the tap of a button.

If someone in the family has food allergies, this app is a definite must have. Scan the barcode of any food item and a list of the allergens will be available for you to check and determine whether the food is safe to take home with you.

4. Pricecheckah

Pricecheckah is a money saving tool available for the iPhone. It enables you to save money when you have the urge for an impulse buy or see something you really want. All you do is scan in the barcode or type in the name and Pricecheckah will find you the cheapest prices even from places such as eBay and Amazon, where you can order it straight away and have it delivered.

5. Spendometer

Spendometer is ideal for anyone who is trying to save money or buy on a budget. This free app lets you set daily, weekly or even monthly budgets and you just pop in your spending as you go. It will soon advise you if you are saving or overspending. Perfect for students who are living on a very tight budget and need to ensure they don’t overspend.

Whatever phone you have whether it’s Android, iPhone, Windows mobile or Blackberry, you can enjoy great shopping and discount code apps if you are trying to save money. Everyone these days is trying to save every penny possible and walking into a store and buying any item often isn’t an option. Being able to easily compare prices, receive discount codes and find the latest deals near you, is the great way to enjoy what you love but still save money wherever possible.

The team at Broadband Choices love to help you save money. Compare broadband plan prices at BroadbandChoices.co.uk.

Android smartphones are excellent devices for keeping up with all the most important details of everyday life. Not only can you stay connected with your family and friends with phone calls and text messaging, you can also keep productive and organized with the variety of great apps you can download from Google Play.

These include apps that are related to driving. Plenty of these useful apps can help you to save money while you are out on the road in your car. Five of the best are discussed below.

1. WhatGas Petrol Prices Pro

WhatGas Petrol Prices Pro is 99 cents at Google Play. It is a great tool for finding the cheapest gas and fuel prices no matter where you are and can help you to save money. The app works on your GPS and shows you a list of gas stations where you can get the best deals on gas or shows you maps that direct you to various spots where you can purchase gas at cheap prices as well as the names of the stations and prices you can expect to pay.

2. Waze Social GPS and Life Traffic

Waze Social GPS and Live Traffic is a popular free app for Android phones that can help you connect to other drivers socially. It provides you information on traffic in your local area via GPS and shows you where you can buy gas with the best prices. You can also view the traffic through live cameras along your route that are built within the app and get information about any accidents or traffic jams.

The app can also direct you to an alternate route that is best for you in the event that there are any incidents on your normal one.

3. RideMinder

RideMinder is a free app that comes to Google Play for Android phones courtesy of Firestone Complete Auto Care. It allows drivers to receive recommendations on service for their vehicles, maintenance, helps them to keep track of mileage and locate the cheapest gas in the area, which can help them to save money. You can also call for roadside assistance if you need it as well as purchase new tires.

4. Saving Money on Fuel Prices

Saving Money on Fuel Prices is an app that costs $9.99 and that you may find very useful to have at your fingertips on your Android smartphone. It is a book that gives plenty of helpful information about how to save money on gas and other fuel for your vehicle during a time when these items are more expensive than ever.

Studying the tips found in the app can give you the know how on saving money when you visit a gas station or local garage.

5. Open Road: Fuel Economy Basic

Open Road: Fuel Economy Basic is another great free app for Android phones that can help drivers to save money. With it, you can enter the location where you plan on going and other useful information, such as the distance you will have to travel so that you can find the best route for saving money and resources.

It runs on GPS and allows you to monitor your trip and the average cost of fuel you use while driving. You can also save destinations that you frequent within the app, which makes tracking more convenient when you travel.

John Smith is a writer for BikeInsurance.net – a website for bike insurance cover.

How the Android Fooducate App. Works

The Android Fooducate app is one of the simplest apps to use, especially considering the benefits that come with its use. Many people already know that they can use their Android smartphones to scan QR codes, but fewer realize that with the Fooducate app they can also scan barcodes. And the information that is provided upon scanning food label barcodes is priceless. Simply pick up an item, any item, scan the bar code and choose which type of information you would like to review. Making the right food choices is getting more and more difficult these days, due mostly to the vast amount of information that is on the food labels. In addition, product companies do not make the nutritional information all that easy to understand, which brings me to the number one benefit of using the Fooducate Android application. When you scan a specific products’ bar code, Fooducate will provide you with easy to understand nutritional information, so that you can make the best choice. The app. goes beyond describing ingredients and nutritional content, though, and also grades the item on a letter grade scale and even suggests healthier options when a product gets a lower nutritional grade. This application not only lets you know what you are eating, but it also really takes the guesswork out of maintaining a healthier diet.

Pros of Using the Fooducate App. for Your Android

• Easy to understand information.

• Instant alternative food suggestions.

• Application is free.

Cons of Using the Fooducate App. for Your Android

• Using the app lengthens grocery store trips.

• Some products not listed.

• Substitutions sometimes highly unsimilar.

Alternatives not always that much different in regards to nutrients and ingredients. To be sure, there are many useful Android applications that are designed to make our lives easier, but it is important to remember that if we become overloaded with applications many activities will take much longer. With the Android Fooducate app. the good weighs against the bad though, as it can help you to make important changes in your eating habits, not an easy thing for most people to do.

Louis Namon is an android fan and guest blogger, interested in video products, registry cleaner and software.

Unfortunately, you’re also in a position where you can be taken advantage of. For example, Verizon likes to load “bloatware” onto their phones that charge monthly fees for services you can get for free just by downloading and app on the Android Market. They don’t have an exclusive on this kind of greedy behavior, they’re just among the worst offenders.   One app in particular that really frosts my cookies – VZ Navigator is an expensive piece of crap while Google Maps Navigation Beta is completely free for Android users and is 10 times better yet you can’t uninstall VZ Navigator (without a little help).

I put together this quickstart guide to help you determine which apps you should be using and that I would consider essential.

You’ll notice there aren’t any games on the list as those are far from necessary and are really a matter of personal preference.

One other thing you’ll notice about this list of Android Apps you need is that all of them are FREE! If you’ve come from the world of the iPhone, you’ll probably see there are a lot more quality free apps than you’re used to.

Of course there are plenty of  apps worth paying for in Android, but I’ll save those apps for another time.

Here’s the list of what I consider to be the 10 essential Android apps. Several of these apps are already installed on your phone.

Google Voice – The first app you’ll want to download for your phone is Google Voice. Some phones have this pre-installed but many do not. Google Voice will provide you with completely free visual voicemail and completely free text messaging when you send and receive texts through your Google Voice phone number. Not only that, but you can make heavily discounted international phone calls when you make calls through your Google Voice number. You’ll have to make sure your phone carrier knows to use Google Voice as your voicemail provider instead of the default installed on the phone, but it only takes a few minutes to get everything set up.

Google Maps Navigation Beta – You’ll find this app is already installed on your phone. It’s built into the Google Maps app. If you look in your app drawer, you’ll see a shortcut called “navigation.” I recommend putting that shortcut on your home screen so that you always have fast and easy access to the excellent (and again, totally free) turn by turn navigation feature built into your phone. With this app, there’s no need to pay for crappy services like VZ Navigator. Google Maps Navigation is a better app and it comes free with your Android phone.

Carr Matey – If you’ve ever parked your car and forgotten where in the heck you parked it, this app is for you. When you park your car, you can just open this app and it will remember your location and when you’re ready to go back to your car, just open up the app and it’ll bring up a map for you to follow straight back to your car. It also has a built in timer in case you’re at a parking meter so you know how long you have until you need to get back to plug the meter.

Barcode Scanner – Did you know that your phone’s camera has the ability to scan and read barcodes? You just need an app like this to take advantage of the capability. While you might scan a barcode at the store once in a while to read reviews of the product, you’ll likely use this app more often as a QR Code reader. So if you ever seen one of those funny looking square boxes that say “scan here”, just open up this app and point your camera at the box and you’ll be able to scan that QR Code like a champ.

Messaging – Your phone already has a built in text messaging app and it can get the job done. However, better apps like Go SMS Pro and Handcent are available that provide more features and a better user experience in my opinion. I recommend downloading both of them and trying each one out to see which you prefer.

Google Talk - If your phone has a front facing camera, then this app is probably already installed on your phone. Google Talk is the Android version of Apple’s Facetime. In other words, this is the app you’ll use for video chat.

Flashlight – You’d be surprised how often a simple flashlight app comes in handy. Since most of us don’t actually carry a flashlight on us at all times, having a flashlight app on your phone will shine some light on your situation. It uses the LED flash on your phone’s camera to provide the light and most of the time, it’s surprisingly bright.

Weatherbug – Don’t be surprised if you use this app every single day. I remember when I was a kid my dad always had to watch the weather when he got home on the news. I hated watching the news but in order for my dad to see the weather forecast, we had to watch it until the weather came on. We recently took a road trip together and I was able to use my phone to provide real time weather updates as we drove across the country. I could check the current radar and temperature and could check the weather of where we were headed at any time. You can even get an hour by hour forecast with this app so you can know what to expect.

Google Calendar – With the busy lives we all lead these days, it’s hard to beat the ease and simplicity of having the calendar on your phone sync up with the calendar on your computer. Personally, I like having one of those old school planners – you know the ones that use use a pen and paper and physically write in. However, I make sure to put all my appointments and activities into my Google Calendar on my computer. With the calendar app (should be installed on your phone already), it syncs up without you needing to do a thing.

Where’s My Droid – Last but certainly not least is the Where’s My Droid app. This is the app you’ll need if you phone ever gets lost or stolen. I tend to be a forgetful person and forget where I put my phone all of the time. While most of us can just call our phones (you can do this in Gmail, Skype or Google Voice if you don’t have another phone – just use your computer) to find the phone, when the phone is on silent, it won’t work. Fortunately, apps like this will allow you to text a special phrase to your phone that will turn up the volume to max even if the phone is currently on silent. It also allows you to text a phrase to your phone and the phone will text you back with it’s location and a link to map so you can navigate straight to your phone. It does require your phone to be turned on, however. If the power is off, this won’t work. Note: If you don’t install an app like this and you’ve lost your phone, you’ll need to use the app “Plan B” to track your lost phone.

What about voice control?

For those of you who are more than just a bit jealous about Siri on the iPhone – did you know your phone has most of that functionality already and that Google actually released similar technology a year before Siri was released?

All you need to do is download the Google Voice Actions app from the Play Store (will be listed as “Voice Search“).  Many Android phones have Voice Actions pre-installed.  With this app, you can do searches, send text messages and emails, play music, and even set your alarm clock with your phone.    And it does one thing Siri doesn’t do, let’s you do Navigation (not just maps) with your voice.

It’s not quite essential but it’s pretty darn close.

JustAddMoney Expense Tracker

One of the best such apps for the iPhone is the JustAddMoney Expense Tracker by Rich Media Technologies, Inc. This app not only helps you keep track of your money but to share this information with others as well through its multiuser online tracker. You can track your expenses as you go along by entering in your receipts, credit card and cash outlays at the time of each purchase. And of course, the app will keep track of how much cash you currently have on hand.

You can add additional users to the tracker to see how much your teammates have spent before making the next big purchase. There will be no need to wait for your checks to clear the bank or to be surprised when you receive your credit card statement.

In addition, you can transfer money from one account to another, organize expense categories and create date-based financial reports to keep your financial data organized. This app can manage your expenses no matter how complex they may be.

Mobile Password Safe

Another great app for those who want to keep information private (in other words, everybody) is Mobile Password Safe by Market Acumen, Inc. What better place to store all of your sensitive passwords than on the iPhone you always have with you?

With this app you, and only you, will have access to your passwords. For extra security the passwords are decrypted in your browser. This means that plain text is never sent to the server. In this way, you can be assured of 100% security because your passwords cannot be hacked.

The app also allows you to create labels for your passwords so that you can search for them interactively. For any business person who has multiple passwords and other sensitive information, including online banking information that must be protected, this app is essential.

Salesforce Mobile

Salesforce Mobile by Salesforce.com allows users to access their sales force information instantly from their iPhones. There are two versions: “Lite” and “Full.” The Lite version is free for Salesforce.com customers, who will have full edit and create capabilities with the standard CRM data. The mobile Lite version can be enabled for an organization by the Salesforce Admin.

The full version allows users to build their own mobile Salesforce app, with fully customizable objects and configurations. The full version requires an unlimited edition license or an add-on mobile license.

LinkedIn

The free LinkedIn app brings the power of the professional networking site to your iPhone. It gives you the ability to look up the details of over 100 million worldwide professionals for any client meeting or interview. You can get the latest updates and news on your network, make new connections or reconnect with old ones, send invitations or check your inbox. Or keep all your contacts up-to-date with your own status while on the go. You can do it all on LinkedIn.

The smoothness and slick design of the iPhone and the over 350,000 apps that are available for it means that Apple’s popular mobile product will continue to be an indispensable business companion.

You might get the impression that the Mac is the forgotten stepchild of the Internet marketing industry. But did you know that some of the top names in Internet Marketing use Macs? Visit internetmacmarketing.com and get a FREE 75-page ebook that covers everything you need to know about running your Internet business using a Mac, iPhone and iPad here: http://internetmacmarketing.com/10tools.html

By: Timothy Arends

Softphone Apps for the iPhone can vary in service, quality and savings. Some of these apps actually run on your phone while others are internet hosted. Some VoIP providers have apps you can use for free if you are already a subscriber.

Here is a list of the Top 10 VoIP apps for your iPhone:

SKYPE

The original Skype iPhone client came out just over 2 years ago. It was awesome then, and it is awesome now. They have added a handful of new features like 2-way video calling, which makes use of the front camera on the iPhone 4. Skype lets you use both 3g and Wi-Fi to make calls, including video calls. You can mute a call, accept calls only as audio and switch between both cameras on the phone. Through the Skype app you can also instant message, and chat via SMS.

Google Voice

With much anticipation from consumers, much uproar from phone companies and a little interference from the FTC, the Google Voice app is now available for iPhone. Unlike some of Google’s other applications, the Voice app runs native on the iPhone. The app lets you thread communications, so you can follow conversations. You can look up history. The app will also transcribe your voicemails so that you can read them as texts. Importing contact from your iPhone contact list is easy. Like with Skype, you have to be set up with the Google Voice to use the app.

Truphone

This was one of the first mobile VoIP applications offered in the app store and it remains one of the bestselling. Calls you make over a Wi-Fi network are free, as are calls between Truphone users. Calls to landlines are pretty cheap, even for VoIP service, so this is a great app if you make a lot of international calls. Installation and setting up an account can be a little tricky, but the call quality and customer service are above par. Plus, the app integrates with the iPhone GUI, so accessing contact and call information from your phone is easy.

Fring

Fring is more of a mobile aggregator since the app lets you access your various communication services. You can use Fring with your Skype, Google Talk, Twitter, AIM and Yahoo accounts. You can make calls either through your Skype account, or you can use SIP (a protocol) to make calls through any of a dozen VoIP service providers. Fring has a list of VoIP providers they work with, and signing up is easy and the calls are ridiculously cheap.

iCall

iCall lets you make calls from your phone that won’t count against your phone’s minutes, when you are connected to a Wi-Fi or 3G network. One of the major advantages with iCall is that if a phone call comes in to your phone over the regular cellular network and you are connected to Wi-Fi, you can transfer the call over. iCall is one of the few VoIP apps that is fully integrated with the iPhone. So you can easily access your phone’s contact lists.

About the Author: When he’s not out skiing the Utah powder, Greg Buckskin is a writer and blogger for Comcast.USDirect.com – home to  Comcast Deals.

Today, I thought I’d change things up a little and do a post on apps that aren’t necessarily essential to any Android owner, but these are some of the coolest Android apps out there that really show you what your phone can do.   There aren’t any games, but these 10 apps sure nifty.

Tasker – Tasker is the only app on this list that isn’t free, but the $6 or so you’ll have to spend on it is well worth it.  Tasker is pretty much the Swiss Army Knife of the app world – it can do pretty much whatever you want it to.   Read more extensive reviews here and here.  To sum it up, this app will allow you access to 160 built-in actions to help you automate frequently performed tasks on the phone.   For example, this app will put your phone into airplane mode at night to save batteries but will turn the antennas back on every 15 minutes to check for email, text messages, and voicemail.   You can also use it to launch your music player (whichever one you choose) when you plug headphones into your phone.  There are thousands of different uses for this app and plenty of profiles pre-made for you so you don’t need to know how to program at all to get a ton of use out of this app.  Note: If you have a Droid Razr, you probably don’t need this app as the Smart Actions functionality built into the phone is very similar to what Tasker does – Tasker is a bit more powerful while Smart Actions are a bit more user friendly.

Soundhound – This is a music identification app which really isn’t anything new.  Shazam has been identifying songs playing on the radio for a couple years on Android now and even longer on the iPhone.  However, Soundhound can identify songs much faster, sometimes in as little as four seconds.  Of course, my favorite feature is that if you have a song stuck in your head and just can’t think of the name of it, just load up Soundhound and sing a few lines or hum a few bars.  It’s not perfect, but it can get you the song in most cases if you can remember 10 seconds or more of the song.

Google Maps – While I’m still waiting for a speedometer in my Google Maps Navigation, there is plenty to like about Google Maps on Android.  First and foremost – free GPS navigation which saves you a bundle over similar apps on the iPhone.   While every GPS navigation system can do driving directions, Google Maps Navigation also does walking directions, bicycling directions (using bike trails whenever possible), and can even help you take the bus by telling you which bus to take to get where you want to go as quickly as possible.  If you ever leave the house, make sure you’ve got this app installed on your phone.

Google Googles – Google Goggles is an app that has been around for a while now, but they keep adding in new features that really make you say wow.   Google Goggles has a built in barcode scanner for finding information about products (came in handy at Sears a couple weeks ago – we found out the item we were thinking of buying didn’t work as advertised), can translate street signs and restaurant menus, tell you what a product is by taking a picture of it and can help you identify art, locations, landmarks, and products just by taking their picture.  Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, just for fun they threw in the ability to solve Sudoku puzzles and it works great on those extra hard puzzles you just can’t solve.

Google Translate – While there are plenty of other good translating apps out there, the new Google Translate app for Android takes the cake with its new real time translations by voice.  It’s not perfect yet, and it only does English and Spanish, but real time voice translation on your phone is certainly could certainly come in handy in a pinch and it sure is gosh darn cool to play with.

Google Skymap – This is the last Google made app on the list, but it does go to show you that Google has gone through great pains to make sure some of the best apps available are available on Android.   Google Skymap is one of those gee-wiz apps that you never knew you wanted, but once you’ve tried it out, you want to show it off to everyone else too.  Google Skymap will tell you where the constellations are and what their names are.  If you’re looking for the planets, it’ll tell you where they are as well.

Glympse – This app is actually pretty simple.  It allows you to be tracked.  Of course, you get to say who and when someone can track you and how often it updates.  For example, let’s say you’re planning on meeting a group of people for lunch but you’re coming from out of town.  Well, now you can let those contacts track your location so your friends can see how far away you are so they know if they’ll be waiting for you or if you’re running late.  This app would have been helpful a few months ago when I had to go help out a friend who got stranded on the interstate.  It was dark and I wasn’t exactly sure where he was (he didn’t know what mile maker he was near either) so  I had to drive along until I could find him.  Had we had this app at the time it would have told me exactly where he was.

Gmote – There are plenty of remote control apps for Android.  Heck, I’ve devoted one of my screens just to various remote controls for different devices.   This neat little app allows you to use your phone as a remote control for your computer (you’ll have to install a program on your computer too).  For example, you can launch and control a movie remotely or launch and stream music or control a Powerpoint presentation.

FXCamera – While the standard camera app on Android is a little lacking, you can dress it up by installing the FXCamera app on your phone.  This app gives you several different settings for taking pictures.  For example, there is a Polaroid mode that you can use for vintage film, faded, aged, and mono effects.  Stop taking boring photos and install FXCamera and then share them on Facebook using the button within the App.

Easy Metal Detector Lite – Does just what it says.  It turns your phone into a metal detector.  Your phone does have the equipment inside it to do the task, but it doesn’t have a very strong magnet so you do have to get pretty close to metal for it to detect it, but it’s still a cool way to show off some of the lesser known capabilities of your phone.

One of my friends is getting his iPhone 4 delivered tomorrow and last night he kept asking me which apps he had to get and how to use his new phone.  He’s had a Motorola Razr for nie on forever and this will be his first smartphone.

He spent a good part of last night playing around with my phone (a Droid, not an iPhone) trying to learn how about everything these phones can do.

So since I know I’ll be getting asked about which iPhone apps are the best, here is a list of 10 must have apps for the iPhone 4S for everyone to see (but no games, you can find people more qualified to give you game advice than me – I don’t do games).

The iPhone has several really great apps like Siri, iCloud, iTunes, and Facetime already built into the device.   I won’t talk about any of the pre-installed apps since they’re already on your phone, but here are 10 I’d recommend downloading from the App Store.

10 Must Have iPhone Apps

Pandora (free)

With iOS 4, Pandora can finally run in the background so you can listen to music on your phone and do other things, like jot down notes, play games, send texts,  read the New York Time, and so on and so forth.  Pandora is a great way to discover new artists that you might not know you like so if you’re sick of the same old 40 songs being played on the radio, this free app should be one of the first you download from the App Store.  I highly recommend upgrading to Pandora One which does cost $36/yr ($3/month) but lets you listen to unlimited amounts of music instead of the 40 hours a month the free listeners get and Pandora One is commercial free – that alone makes it worth the price of admission for me.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stADpDu-z3c

The Weather Channel (free)

There is no shortage of weather apps available for the iPhone but the Weather Channel one is largely regarded as the best.    My favorite part – the ability to view and animate the radar so you can track the path of a storm.  I’ll be honest in admitting that before I got my first smartphone I really didn’t understand why so many people thought you needed a weather app but having an hour by hour forecast sitting in your pocket and being able to look at the radar and see if it’s going to rain (and see for how approximately how long), you’ll start to feel bad for people who have to watch the news or read the newspaper to get their weather forecast.   The weather is hard to predict and having access to real time information is awesome.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a29uRtKdaLk

Camera Awesome (free) 

With as much focus as Apple has put on making the iPhone’s camera the best smartphone camera on the planet, you’d think their built in app would be all you need.  As it turns out the built in app is pretty darn good but when you want the best, you download Camera Awesome.   With tons of built in features, it’d take me a while to describe all the nifty little things it’ll do for your pictures, so just watch this video instead… and then go download the app and your pictures will be awesomeized.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz2nrcsTpWg

Car Locator ($1.99)

For those who can’t remember where they parked (like me), this app is for you.  Just fire up this app when you park and tag your location.  When you’re ready to find your car later, just tell the app and it’ll guide you right back to it.  I use a similar app on my phone frequently when I park downtown as I often don’t remember exactly where the heck my car is – saves me a lot of time wondering around lookin’ like a fool… and I look like a fool often enough.

Shazam

One of the greatest apps ever created.  If you’ve ever wanted to know what song is playing on the radio, this app will tell you.  You’d be amazed how often you find yourself using this app whenever a song is playing that you like or just can’t remember the name of it.  However, it does ruin the ability to argue about who sings the song playing on the radio so if you enjoy that kind of thing, then don’t download this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkFTcbC9jnk

Evernote

This is a great app for jotting down notes, ideas, voice recordings, pictures, and videos.  And the great part is that it will instantly sync to your computer so you have all the info is there for you when you’re ready to act on it.  Yeah, Siri has some similar functionality these days, but I still like Evernote.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMbh_nGduJY

OpenTable

With this restaurant you can find a restaurant with open tables and make a reservation all from your phone without making a single phone call – just push a couple buttons and you have a reservation… it’s that simple.  If the only restaurant you ever visit is McDonald’s then you don’t need this app but it does come in handy for finding nice local places where you can have a glass of wine and eat your foot with a real metal fork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxFgw86ghJc

Taxi Magic

While this one probably isn’t applicable to people in all parts of the country, this app allows you to hail a cab from your iPhone and if you’re in a supported city, it’s extremely useful.  For those who are looking to rent a car on the cheap, I’d recommend checking out the relatively new app called GetAround.  Right now it’s just in a few cities in California but I think it’s the kind of idea that could take off quickly as it allows regular people like you and me to rent out of vehicles when we’re not using them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvClBbpP5es

Remember The Milk

This is an online to do list and task manager and a sweet one at that.  It was based off this idea.  Let’s say your wife gives you a call and asks you to pick up milk on the way home.  Of course you might drive past three grocery stores before you even remember and then you have to turn around.  This app is location aware and will remind you that you need milk when you’re driving past the grocery store.    It does a lot more than that but I think that helps you get a pretty good idea how this app works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJXRzZUtuAE

AroundMe

Need directions to the nearest airport, police station, or coffee shop?  Then you need AroundMe as that’s exactly what this app does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x0omiP99qE

Looking for even more great iPhone apps?   Here are some more lists:

• http://news.cnet.com/8301-13556_3-20008296-61.html
• http://techexposures.com/2010/01/top-10-ipod-iphone-apps-must-have-february-2010/
• http://www.technoprimer.com/2010/03/10-free-must-have-iphone-apps.html

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