There’s An “app” For That…

With something like 225,000 “apps” available for the iPHONE, everyone with an iPHONE can customize their phone to suit their particular interests.

(Most, if not all of these are probably available also on the Android, and Blackberry phones. In the past, apps were written first for the iPHONE, but I suspect that will soon change. Competition is GREAT!)

This what I have found that is particularly interesting for general consumption, and excluding the real estate apps that I use – and games, which I do not play:

I think the most interesting app is Dragon Dictation, Like most adults, I find typing on a screen arduous, but with Dragon I just talk into the bottom of the iPHONE and in seconds it changes my words to type for texting my grandchildren (their favorite means of communication) or even dictating a long blog or column to be sent to myself via e-mail. It isn’t perfect, but it beats typing. You can even dictate just general notes, copy and paste them instantly into your notepad (I use two, Notes and Evernote), or your shopping list (I use Grocery IQ). You can even make a special entry into your contacts for information you need when talking with clients – like their needs – and paste the dictated note into that. Dragon Dictation is a particularly effective adjunct, if not replacement for a keyboard.

The news apps – I use AP, the NYTImes, Washington Post, Fox News and Fox Election Central – each provide me with quick reading in a doctors office or anywhere I am just waiting. (I also have CNET News app for technology news.)

When it is possible, and a favorite radio show is on, I use “I Heart Radio” which is set to KFI-LA. The great Smooth Jazz radio station also has its own app for 98.1 FM — KIFM

I use Worldcard to collect close-up photos of business cards. It has a built-in OCR that takes the information and puts it in my phone contacts, automatically. That is neat.

I find the iPHONE camera to be better than the Canon digital I previously used, because, even though the specs for megapixels are not as good, the quality is still superior because it is not just MP, but the software as well, and the Apple camera/software is superb. I intend to use iMOVIE as the video editing software app because it has rave reviews.

Overall, I am more than pleased with my Smartphone. The display is great – I regularly read long articles without the need for glasses, and it has a number of things I have yet to explore – but I’ll get there.

If anyone has any really neat apps, let me know. With 225,000 to choose from I obviously don’t know much about what is available.