REVIEW – “Hi-tech hiking tools from MotionX!”

MotionX has released several apps and games into the App Store, and is becoming one of the premier developers for the iPhone and iPod touch. This App is designed for all of those people out there who enjoy traveling in the great outdoors.

This app offers an impressive amount of information from your iPhone 3G’s internal GPS chip, allows you to plan and keep track of hikes, runs, bike rides and all kinds of outdoor activities. Best of all the free version of the app has nearly the same functionality of the paid app.

The first screen you see after the splash screen that advertises the paid app is the “Status” screen. This screen gives lots of information that you’ve probably never seen from the GPS chip in your phone, but this is just where this app starts. At the bottom of the screen you’ll see several menu options. The far left option is an awesome feature that allows you to save battery while you are using this app. If you press the little lock button, it locks all of the buttons on the screen, makes it where you have to drag like when you unlock your phone to unlock the app and also gives you a bar to adjust the brightness of your iPhone’s display to save battery.
The next menu option at the bottom is the little gear-shaped button and it takes you to the settings menu. From here you can adjust all kinds of options such as whether or not the app uses assisted GPS, the speed display format, measurement units information is displayed in, as well as change the settings for map caching.

Map caching is one of the features of this app that sets it apart as an app to use for backpacking and hiking. A lot of applications, especially ones that are free, rely on you having a constant data connection to use them because they download all of their maps on the fly. This app actually allows you to cache map data so that, when are in the woods or mountains hiking and lose your cell service, you still have access to the maps you need to easily follow the path that you have set.

The settings menu also allows you to set the pages that are viewable from the main screen by pressing the arrows at the bottom right. You can have all six screens of information available all the time, or you can select just one or a few of them to view. The six screens are Maps, Track, Logbook, Waypoints, Compass and Stopwatch.

While the Maps feature and Waypoints help keep you on track, the Stopwatch is an excellent feature for hikers, bikers and runners. Once you turn the Stopwatch on, it not only tracks your time, it also keeps track of the path that you take on your trip, and allows you to take pictures directly in the app that are tied to the trip. Once you finish with your hike you can easily save the trip, with all of its data on your average speed, the distance of the trip, all of the pictures and even upload the information on your trip to Facebook!

I did notice that several people have given this app negative reviews because it does not offer driving directions. If you want driving directions then you should probably look elsewhere because that is not what this app is designed for. If, however, you are looking for an app to track your runs, hikes and bike rides, I doubt you will find anything that has more features and detailed information tracking than this one does. And I can almost guarantee that you will find nothing better for free!

- David H.
2009, All rights reserved. AppShouter LLC

You’re probably thinking “What? Under-5 iPhone users?” Well, that’s exactly how I felt until the first time I handed my brand new iPhone 3G over to my 4-year-old twins. I needed just 15 minutes of quiet after I made mistake of bringing them along to an important meeting. I quickly went to the App Store and found an application for preschoolers for 99 cents, and right then and there, they were addicted – and my iPhone wasn’t really mine anymore.

Apple likes to target the younger buyer in their advertising, but they probably never had the under-five set in mind as potential iPhone users. Well, neither did I when I shelled out $200 for my new phone, not to mention the even pricier AT&T contract. My phone has now become their favorite toy and I have to wait my turn if I want to use it. They know how to flip to the screen with their favorite apps and are nice enough to answer all my incoming calls that interrupt their games – and promptly hang up so they can get back to playing.

I can’t be the only one out there with a hijacked iPhone, so if this sounds familiar to you, take a look at a few of my kids’ favorite apps, all of them parent-approved for appropriate content and educational value – and also a bargain at only 99 cents each.

1) Our first kid app remains our favorite: Preschool Adventure by 3DAL. The best thing about it is it caters to short attention spans by offering six different games, all of them educational. Kids can learn colors, numbers, shapes and body parts, as well as do a silly little matching game and touch animals on a barnyard background to hear their sounds. The kids are getting a little old for this one, so it’s probably better for the 3 and under group.

2) Wheels on the Bus by Duck Duck Moose Design is their new favorite and your kids will find this riff on the old classic “Wheels on the Bus” both entertaining and good for a sing-along. They can tap and slide their way through different scenes on a bus as doors open and shut; wipers swish and passengers bounce up and down. Parents will probably be amused by trying out the different language and music options. Did you know wipers go “Shwee shwee shwee” in France?

3) Also by 3DAL is another of our favorites, Preschool Music. It has the same colorful and simple graphics as Preschool Adventure but focuses on music. You’ll find a simple keyboard where kids can compose a tune that’s then recited by a cheerful parrot, an undersea percussion and rhythm game, and a silly group of parrots that sing in a round. They’ll be as fascinated as you are irritated by the repetition of musical sounds.

4) If you’ve got a Pre-K kid who needs to learn sight words, you’ll find an app just for that with SightWords. It’s pretty basic, but you’ll find 300+ high frequency “flash cards” and your child can move from levels 1 to 5 as they master one set of words. They can touch the screen to hear the word pronounced if they’re stumped, and move back and forth from word to word with arrows at the bottom of the screen.

5) To finish it off, everyone’s least favorite: Math. Well, not really. My kids think it’s great, and are starting to understand basic math concepts thanks to Math Magic. It gently prompts kids towards the right answers with encouraging “You can do it-s” when they get an answer wrong, plus with lots of flashy stars and other animation, they’ll feel like they’re playing a game instead of learning simple addition and subtraction.

I would be lying if I said that these are my kids’ favorite apps. My son’s addicted to Days of Thunder (even though he crashes more than goes), and my daughter is a pro at Tap Tap Revenge. But as a parent who’s more concerned with education than mindless entertainment, these are my top picks.

Now that you know where to start when it comes to finding some great preschool apps, be prepared to say “bye-bye” to your phone! Now if only they made truly indestructible iPhone cases for kids . . . I haven’t found one yet, so I’m considering buying them an iPod Touch for their next birthday!

Apple launched its product iPhone on 29th June, 2007 in five countries initially. On July 11, 2008 Apple released the iPhone 3G in twenty two countries reached an overwhelming figure of 1 million sales in the first 3 days of its launch. This sales figure speaks out the potential in itself. In such a short span of time and recession hitting the market in 2009, Apple has become the second largest mobile phone manufacturer in terms of revenue. In 2008, iPhone recorded the highest quarter sales for the fourth quarter in comparison to its competitors.

iPhone is one of the latest gadget and technological advancement that hit the market and met the thirst of their customers for tech advanced gadgets. Let me take you through to this latest technological device where an individual’s fingertips can e-mail, surf the internet, text a friend, listen to their favorite music, watch latest videos, look up an address of an old friend, keep their daily schedule and definitely make calls simultaneously. Today’s gadget users are not satisfied in terms of technology and so individuals and companies are willing to go beyond what is available in the market and develop a complete unique application that might satisfy a user.

It is also a fact that most development companies have also started smartphone apps, but to distinguish between the ‘better’ and ‘the best’ you have to make a thorough study of the company and its website. Check out the number of applications the company has made and if they have any featured application section or not. Check out for which companies or brands they have developed applications and if they have given any testimonials. If you ‘like’ the company, contact them by any of the media mentioned in their website, get them your requirements and see the cost they provide are within your budget. If you think you actually liked their app works, try negotiating with them with the budget.

iPhone app development is till in its budding stage and still a long way to go before any user is ‘satisfied’. There are now many iPhone application development companies which concentrates only on iPhone apps, but to get the right company is a time consuming job. Day-by-day, iPhone app market is growing speedily around the world.

In 2007, Apple Inc. launched a smart multimedia phone, iPhone. The iPhone was designed and developed by Apple itself. The software development companies involved in the development of applications specially for iPhone provide a vast range of services that will help to increase the functionality and
performance of the iPhone. Within a short period, this gadget has become most popular multimedia phone used by enthusiasts and business-personnel alike. With the popularity of the iPhone, mobile application development has become a major part of the software development industry.

The rapid development of iPhone applications have made many iPhone development companies to thrive worldwide and develop some very innovative iPhone applications.The iPhone SDK (Software Development Kit) is a tool used by the developers to create unique and customized applications for the iPhone. The iPhone SDK, also known as the tool sequence, includes all the tools and technologies required to develop iPhone Applications. With the SDK, iPhone programmers can make your ideas a reality. It’s not as simple to design and code an iPhone application as it can be to design and develop a Web site, but the benefit of making an iPhone application is that you can get paid every time someone downloads it.

The Mac-only, iPhone SDK contains an iPhone simulator. This is very handy if you already own an iPhone, and of course it’s absolutely essential if you have
yet to buy an iPhone. iPhone technology has grown rapidly in a short period of time, and breakthroughs like this one are mobilizing millions of people to use
the technology.

Although the iPhone market is in its early stages, it is growing at a very fast rate. The iPhone market is still in its early stages and growing at a very
fast pace. This makes it extremely attractive for many business opportunities and to expand their brand. This is a big reason why the popularity of iPhone
applications within corporations is booming. Apple has launched its App Store on July, 2008. Within the first weekend, users had downloaded ten million iPhone applications! This shows the potential of the iPhone.

Apple has really opened a new market for development companies. Developers involved in iPhone application development can gain financially everytime a user downloads their developed apps. The revolution Apple’s iPhone brought in the mobile market is truly remarkable.

It’s simply not possible to be bored with an iPhone in your pocket! Here are my top 50 reasons why!

1. Listen to radio with apps like Wunder radio or your own iPod music

2. Take some arty photos and manipulate with camera bag (or similar apps) upload them to a blog or your flickr account or email/txt to friends

3. Explore the planet with Google earth – decide where you’d like to visit

4. Start a diary and add photos or text entrys with Momento

5. Check the web for jokes and text someone them to make them smile!

6. Write a poem, story or even a novel novel with docs to go

7. Start an online blog with a free Google blogger account or WordPress and blog from your iPhone with blogpress app or WordPress for iphone

8. Get a free Tumblr account (a bit like twitter but with photos, quotes etc) and post to it from your iPhone with tumblr app

9. Use a delicious app to organise and sort your online web bookmarks

10. Chat with an instant messenger application

11. Watch live TV for free on your iphone with TV catchup (both on 3G or wifi) or BBC iplayer (wifi only)

12. Get social with any of the numerous social media apps – facebook, myspace, Bebo etc etc

13. Check and sort your emails

14. Check through your contacts for missing details like birthdays etc

15. Play ‘hot or not’ and rate guys or girls pictures with the hot or not app

16. If your single try a dating app like speed dating you might just find iPhone love (make sure they have an iPhone too lol)

17. Organise time with informant or other todo apps

18. Look up local events, exhibitions, theatre and bands etc with Ents24

19. Look up latest movies on flixster and decide what you’ll watch on your next outing!

20. Get the eBay and Amazon apps and do a bit of bargain hunting!

21. Enter online competitions with safari

22. Get the brushes app (or similar apps here) and try your hand at some iPhone art

23. Listen to an audio book with audiobooks app

24. Read one of thousands of classic books with a free ebook reader such as stanza etc

25. Read a classic book in style with 3D bookshelf or classics app

26. Get hypnosis app and try a self Hypnosis session (giving up smoking, loosing weight, confidence etc etc)

27. Using a binaural beat app like AmbiSci try a meditation session for iPhone enlightenment!

28. Stressed? Relax with silent island or similar audio relaxation apps

29. Look up quotes or photos to blog or text to friends with Timewaster app

30. Watch the latest top YouTube clips

31. Watch livecams webcams from around the world – a real voyeuristic guilty pleasure

32. Read up and study with any of the educational apps like Art (take the Art quiz in the app)

33. Send someone a REAL postcard with postino app (it will also send ecards)

34. Go for a walk, cycle or a run with GPS Motion X and upload your progress to Google earth

35. Decide if your psychic or hone your paranormal skills with the ESP trainer

36. Get the latest news with Zeitgheist

37. Read a magazine app

38. Read a newspaper like Metro

39. Read a comic with comixology

40. Message a stranger with apps like Zen jar or distant shore!

41. Play with virtual pets like koi pond, iQuarium or My reef 3D etc – dont forget to feed em!

42. Start a zen garden with zen garden

43. Play one of the thousands of games -from classics like packman and Tetris to Doom or Assasins Creed or any of the games designed for the iPhone like finger physics

44. Find someone to show off your latest apps to!

45. Play a practical joke with fluid or volt apps (take a screen shot of your iphone screen and set it as background in the apps)

46. Find a social movement to get involved in with the Causes app

47. Use itunes to download a movie or TV show (or whole series)

48. Book a flight and accommodation with the free Kayak app

49. Bored of your current iphone apps? Get the free Pandorabox app and find some new ones

50. Simply marvel at the amazing bit of kit that puts so much into the palm of your hand!

Phew! Of course this list is in no way exhaustive and as the iPhone is such a flexible platform you are only limited by your imagination!

But remember you’ll never be bored again!

Part of what makes the new iPhone 4 a standout product in the crowd of smartphones is Apple’s incomparable App Store. As of last week, the App Store offers at least 225 000 third party applications, with over 5 billion downloads since its opening in July 2008. In comparison, the App Store’s main competitor Android Market offers just 30 000 apps. Though Android is rapidly gaining market share, the sheer variety and quality of apps in the App Store keeps Apple ahead of the game.

Here are two handy apps launching with the new iPhone that are sure to be a draw for users looking for a new smartphone.

iMovie
iMovie is Apple’s video editing software and comes equipped with all those easy-use features that have become a trademark of Apple. The iMovie for iPhone app adds more sophisticated editing options. This, coupled with the upgraded camera on the iPhone 4 that allows HD video shooting, allows you to make polished home videos using your mobile phone.

The iMovie app is flexible enough to suit the casual user who wants to flip through her clips, or an editing despot who wants every edit to be just right. Editing is done in a timeline view and it’s easy to drop transitions, titles, clips and photos anywhere in your video’s timeline, complete with a soundtrack from your phone’s iTunes. Movies can then be exported at 360p, 540p, or 720p.

FaceTime
The iPhone 4 makes one- tap video conference calling easy with its FaceTime app. Like the iMovie app, this complements the new iPhone’s upgraded camera features, using the added front-facing camera. Using WiFi rather than 3G, users can expect excellent quality without using up minutes or data on their mobile phone plan.

Though video chats via instant messaging or Skype have been around for some time, they’ve generally been restricted to stationary PC webcams. With Apple’s FaceTime however, it looks like video calling could go mainstream.

These are two apps that are so well built that they could easily become as definitive to the iPhone 4 as its new processing chip and fine display. For more niches users, keep any eye out for developments of Game Center, a programme like Xbox Live for iPhone games, or iBook, a strong challenge to Kindle and the publishing industry.

So one day I am sitting at home right after giving dinner to the family, and I come up with the idea of an amazing iPhone app! But how do I make the application? Where do I get started? I didnt even know how to start. I am going to try to briefly explain how in 2 hours you yourself can become a iPhone app genius, and not be lost as I once was. Once you have your app ready to go, there is a way to actually make money and profit from your idea. Best of all is that you dont need any professional programming experience to make the app you have come up with. Hopefully after reading through my article you will be able to finally find the way to making the iPhone app you have been thinking about and how to successfully make money from it.

Few months ago an amazing idea for an iPhone application struck me and I was baffled as to how to proceed with my new thought. After my thorough research all signs started pointing that you needed to be a professional programmer to even think about creating an iPhone app. Certainly disheartened, I was about to give up when I came across this very useful ebook about successfully creating, marketing, and promoting my new iPhone app. I cant emphasize enough how big of a help this book has been as I have made some good stready cash through my new iPhone app.

Not only did this helpful bit of information put together help me to make the app that I was very ambitious about, it showed me a step by step formula on how to make this product profitable for me and how to get it out in the world for people to buy! I was filled in on the very intricate details of iPhone app analysis, all explained to me in a step by step process which was easier than you could imagine. This ebook provides a perfect software to make the development of the iPhone app you are creating easier and much faster than anything you’ll come across out there.

If you are looking to find a one stop shop to get your iPhone app made simply, and stress free this ebook will be more than a helpful tool. Will you be able to become an overnight millionaire with the production of an iPhone app? Certainly not, but you will be able to earn a very decent amount of side money if your app is the least bit interesting. Along with the ebook I recieved bonus material such as a source code for a live application, and extra marketing material to get my app some sales.

Stop waiting, call for action!

How to Create iPhone Apps – Check it out!