app

Voice recording quietly comes to Touch 2G

What a difference a month makes. In September, we couldn't find a single voice-recording app for the iPhone that would work with the headset input included on the second-generation iPod Touch. I took a look around the iTunes App Store today and found that seven of of the 13-plus iPhone voice-memo apps now list themselves as compatible with the second-generation iPod Touch. Here's the list, so far:

SpeakEasy Voice Recorder from Zarboo Software QuickVoice Recorder from nFinity Recorder from Retronyms Note2Self from Web Information Solutions iRecorder from Simple Touch Software YouNote from Sophiacom iTalk Recorder by Griffin

If … Read more

TuneWiki rocks music videos on your Google Android phone

Updated: To correct licensing information.

The music player on the Google Android G1 phone isn't bad, but can it scroll lyrics while the song plays, download you new songs for free, and play music videos?

All that is packaged into the free TuneWiki music player, a much more complex and ambitious Android app than most of its cohorts debuting in the Android Market today. Not only does TuneWiki catalog the songs already on your phone, it also supplies you with quick links to download free songs, and links to play videos coupled with lyrics, some licensed.

You can use … Read more

PicSay makes LOLcats on your Google phone

PicSay's stated purpose is to e-mail or text annotated photo messages to friends, but there's nothing stopping you from using the free program as a makeshift photo editor.

PicSay is a simple application made especially for Google Android, but it's nevertheless the most customization-focused application I've reviewed today. You start by choosing a picture from your photo album or the image you most recently viewed (this won't work if your Android phone is in mass storage mode.) Then press the Menu key to start adding in the special effects: word balloons, colorful headings, cartoony images, … Read more

Summon Wikipedia on the Google Android G1

WikiMobile Encyclopedia has been around for awhile for the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile Pocket PC, so it's no surprise to see it formatted for the Google Android G1 phone.

Just as advertised, WikiMobile Encyclopedia crawls Wikipedia.com for articles, offering up predictive search queries as you type your term. You can also search Wikipedia for a random article or browse what's popular, especially if you have a few minutes to kill or are looking for a factoid to impress people at a dinner party.

Interestingly, instead of scrolling or flicking the results page vertically, the app slices the … Read more

Google Android beckons taxis with Cab4me Light

Why isn't there ever a cab around when you need one?

The free Google Android application Cab4Me Light makes finding, scheduling, and calling cabs to your side virtually brainless. Cab4Me Light's interface is simple and efficient, with one tab that shows where you are on the map and another that shows the details of cab companies in your area.

Step 1, drag your approximate location on a zoomable Google map. You can use GPS to locate yourself or enter a new address or a contacts' address to call the cab to a different location. Step 2, either click … Read more

BreadCrumbz G1 Android app plots Point A to Point B

BreadCrumbz (beta) is another one of the new Android apps I like. I got a run-through of the free multimedia directions app a few months ago with the developer, and I gave it a spin on my own here in San Francisco. BreadCrumbz uses GPS, Google maps, and the G1's camera phone to help you track a route, like directions from the train station to your house.

You essentially start a new route, take photos along the way to mark the path, and label everything with helpful hints. You can tag an image and annotate it with an arrow … Read more

Maverick puts Google Talk on Android G1

I won't lie. It feels good getting a G1 Google Android phone in my hands. It's also a little paralyzing: so many new apps to explore, a new interface to learn; where to start? The free Google Talk app Maverick is as good as any. Admittedly, the G1 dutifully hosts individual IM clients for AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo, and of course, Google Talk. The difference is that Maverick adds some panache and pizazz by layering in multimedia capabilities, like sending photos, scribbles, your GPS location, emoticons, and snippets of text.

It's a fun idea that pans … Read more

Ford Flex Photo Lab iPhone app

It seems that more and more automakers are jumping on this iPhone app bandwagon. First it was Audi, with its driving game. Then Mercedes-Benz launched an iPhone optimized Web site featuring video. Now, it's Ford's turn to throw its hat into the iPhone arena. Where the previous two examples were directly related to the cars and car culture, Ford has chosen to release a free photo editor. What?

The Ford Flex Photo Lab--try saying that five times fast--is essentially a collection of six photo filters that allow iPhone users to fix up or trick out their pictures. What … Read more

Elitist jerks and nubs alike get their iPhone chess fix

If you're interested in a chess game for the iPhone or iPod Touch, look no further than the App Store. I just searched for the keyword "chess" and found more than 10 entries, most of which were actually chess games.

With so many chess games to choose from, why would a developer want to release another into such a crowded market? Well, obviously they think they can do chess better than the next guy.

99Games must be pretty confident in its product, as it's going one step further. On Wednesday, it announced the availability of two … Read more