If you are like the editors at CNET.com.au, the first button you pressed on your brand-spanking new iPhone read "App Store".
Of all the new features offered by the iPhone 3G, access to the App store was on top of our list and we haven't been disappointed. Over 500 fancy new apps are available to download, and the process is the simplest we've seen for a service of its kind.
But with that many new apps to choose from it can be a difficult task to sift through the goofy, quirky and downright useless programs to find those that genuinely have a place on your shiny new phone. We're still furiously downloading apps and putting them through their paces, and below is the short list of favourite apps available for free.
Remote
The name says it all — a remote control for iTunes on your computer or your Apple TV box. Remote connects to either using Wi-Fi and gives you control over your playlists from the comfort of the couch. We tested Remote with a PC (gasp!) and found we could navigate iTunes faster from the iPhone than we could using the sluggish PC interface.
Google Mobile App
Opening this app leaves you with the keyboard active and a search bar. Big deal, right? The cool thing about this app is when you punch a search string into the entry field, Google will search both your contacts and the Web simultaneously. People with enormous lists of contacts will love this app.
Light
Need we say any more? Light is exactly as described. This app displays a blank white screen which is surprisingly bright enough to illuminate a dark room at night. Perfect for helping you undress quickly before bed without waking your significant other.
Facebook
Maybe this is a personal prejudice — there is also a Myspace app for those that way inclined. Unlike most pared back mobile versions of Facebook, the version for the iPhone gives you nearly complete control over your profile. View friend's profiles and photos, chat with those online, update elements of your profile and even turn the iPhone's camera on and take a new pic for your blog.
Truveo
The iPhone gives access to YouTube out of the box. Downloading Truveo gives you access to a wide range of other videos including clips from professional media sources such as Associated Press, Fox News, NBC, CNET.com and MTV. Playback quality, depending on the video, is almost identical to the YouTube player.
Pangea VR
This is one of those apps you'll be passing around the table at a dinner party. Pangea accesses a massive database of 360-degree virtual panoramas from around the world. It uses both the iPhone's touchscreen and accelerometer to rotate the images in full-screen landscape mode. The results are stunning.
Stanza
An e-book reader that gives the classics a 21st century flare. With access to a huge collection of material and a clean, clear interface featuring dynamically adjustable fonts, reading a novel using your iPhone seems entirely possible. In the database we found 1984 by George Orwell and Tolstoy's War and Peace, and that's just scratching the surface. Stanza can also read PDFs, HTML and Word documents.
Shazam
Similar to Track ID found on Sony Ericsson phones, Shazam identifies songs based on a recording it makes of a 30-second clip of the track that it sends to a database. After you discover the name of the song, you can buy it from iTunes or watch the clip on YouTube if it's available.
Tap Tap
From the outset Tap Tap may seem like a poor man's Guitar Hero clone, and it is. But there's something about how furious the tapping can get that makes this a very addictive iPhone game.
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steve
23/07/2008 01:01 PM
Do all of these work on the iPod Touch?
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Joey Jojo
23/07/2008 01:38 PM
Calvin Jackal: They're just giving the readers what they want...MORE iPhone STORIES!!!! Steve: yes.
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WombatDolphin
23/07/2008 02:01 PM
I believe that Jott is not available in the Australian store...
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MPC606
23/07/2008 04:46 PM
To use apps on the iPod Touch you'll need the iPhone 2.0 Software Update.
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Paul Adam H.
23/07/2008 11:38 PM
The new Google app is terrible. I tried a basic search using the word "Paul" (my name) and it "searched" through my contacts ... and found three. That's great ... except that I have 8 friends named "Paul" in my contact/address book. So, to recap: a Google app that fails at search. Good one, Google!
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