My top 20 iphone apps for 2012
Apps are to smart phones what cheese is to crackers – and I do like a bit of Wensleydale – so predictably my iPhone is full of apps!
It’s fair to say that last year the market went crazy for smart phones. Ofcom’s UK research suggests that over a quarter of adults (27 per cent) and almost half of teenagers (47 per cent) now own a smartphone. Apple report that globally 15 BILLION (take that in for a moment) apps have been downloaded, and currently there are in excess of 425,000 apps available on the app store!
With numbers like that it would be fair to say that we are living in the boom times for the smartphone markets. But more importantly, if you got an iPhone for Xmas and are yet to pop your app cherry, how do you choose what apps to try when surrounded by so much choice?
Fear not faithful tech lovers, your friendly gay geek girl has come up with a list of favourite iPhone apps from the past year that should help to get your appetite for apple applications started!
Please note: To download Apps for iPhone you need an iTunes account and a method of payment (credit/debit card)
Also some Apps require WiFi or 3G connection and use streaming data so be aware of your data limit (if you have one) in case you incur charges.
1: Tune In (69p)
At the birth of television, people were quick to predict the death of radio. And at the birth of MTV, Buggles sang ‘Video killed the radio star’. But here we are in 2012 with Ofcom reporting that in 2011 90% of the UK population are regularly listening to the radio. Radio may well prove itself to be the most enduring of all broadcast-able media because it remains the best way to experience new, rare and old music.
So if, like me, you love radio (and specifically Jarvis Cocker and Lauren Laverne!) then this is a ‘must have’ application. Tune In boasts 50,000 stations to choose from, which you can listen to on your mobile devices and home computer. Within the App you can pause, rewind and record (much like Sky Plus), choose your streaming rate, favourite preset stations and browse the impressive amount of stations and podcasts, both local and national. If you create an account with Tune In you can sync your presets between the online website, your phone and Facebook. Yes you can even connect on Facebook! All this for just 69p
2: BBC iPlayer (free)
It’s quite obvious why this was a top application of 2011. Released in February 2011 it has fast become one of the top must have apps in the UK. More and more of us are now watching TV and films on our mobile devices so this is an essential bit of app technology for taking the BBC with you wherever you go.
3: 4OD (free)
Similar to the BBC iplayer app 4OD is an essential TV app for your phone. Watch Derren Brown and Misfits on the tiny but shiny screen!
4: Snapseed (£2.99)
I ap(p)solutely love this photography gizmo. It is totally worthy of a top five place because, although it is not free or part of a sharing community like Instagram, the powerful effects it can apply to your photos are almost as equivalent to having Adobe’s Lightroom (photo effect editor) on your phone!
You have the option to add drama, grunge effects, tilt-shift, vintage effects and tweak the basic details like saturation and contrast. It’s very impressive and totally worth the £2.99 if you take a lot of photos and like to play with interesting and unique photo effects. Here’s an example of a before and after shot on my phone from the beach!
5: Tiny Wings: (69p)
You are a little bird with Ting Wings that won’t carry you far – but you have dreams of touching the clouds, collecting coins and reaching the elusive 7th island! With a little help from long rolling hills and speed coins you will be able to fulfill those dreams! This game is stupidly cute and easy to master, but tricky to conquer. Which, I think, is the way all good games should be!
6: Garageband (£2.99)
If you are a musician or just someone who likes to jam with friends then Garageband is a must have app for your phone. Not only can you play the touch instruments included in the package but you can plug in your guitar (using an adaptor) and play though various amps and stomp boxes. You can use the built in mic to record sound and mix up to 8 tracks to create a song. Because this app is on your phone it’s perfect for capturing those spontaneous moments where you come up with a genius melody or riff and forget to write it down! (This does not happen to me see other post about musical ability!)
7: Uk Train Times (£4.99)
I dread having to get the train. This is probably because in my youth I spent an inordinate amount of time waiting on cold platforms for late and delayed trains. I then decided to go to Uni in Devon, which meant more long journeys, frequently in the guards carriage without a seat! Fortunately I don’t have to commute far to work these days, but I have found this app to be essential if you do commute in and out of UK cities. It is slightly more expensive but it is a very comprehensive guide, sometimes more so than South West trains’ own signs!! It offers live departure information and journey planners for all national rail stations, and real time data feeds with a handy live progress chart showing where the train actually is! It’s powered by National Rail Enquires and even though you may be reluctant to give them any more money it is reliable and easy to use unlike some of their other services!
8: Whats App Messenger (69p)
This is a multi-platform messenger app which allows you to send messages without incurring SMS charges. It’s good if you have a lot of friends with smart phones who have data allowances and like to chat. You are able to see who is online and when they last checked their messages and you can also use group chat and set your status (to things like: available, busy, free to chat etc.) Users with What’s App in your contacts list are added to favourites so you can get going straight away. However at the time of writing, I have discovered it is no longer available in the iTunes UK market. According to some research this is because an updated version is waiting to be approved, but also it could be because Apple already run a service like this in iOS5 imessage.
Using iOS 5, if you text another iPhone user you will see the message background is blue not green, indicating that it is not an SMS text. I have left this entry in because it will hopefully be back on the market soon.
9: Dragon Dictation (free)
Dragon Dictation software is quite well known and widely used. Very handy and really easy to use, you just tap to dictate and speak into the mic. You can then make changes using the keyboard and email or text the content to whoever. It’s basic but useful for a free app.
10: Angry Birds (69p)
If you haven’t heard of Angry Birds then clearly you have been living on the moon for the last few years! This funny, addictive little game has been almost a constant chart topper since it was released. I put this down to a clever and simple idea which is easy enough to master, but highly addictive, crossed with excellent design and characterisation. These days you can also get Angry Birds seasons with more levels to complete and cute accessories such as plush toys and phone cases. It is the classic game of these iPhone times!
11: Relax melodies Oriental (£1.99)
I bought this one during a recent bout of insomnia, which I suffer from occasionally. It’s a lovely app regardless of whether it helps you to fall asleep or not. Also if you like melodies to meditate to this is a good reasonably priced app for the sound loops included. You can choose between or easily combine asian melodies, nature sounds and binaural beats. You can also set an automatic shut off timer and an alarm for the morning. I like to use this app when I want to chill out or have a nap, I find it works best for me then – but it’s also good to use before you fall asleep if you find winding down difficult.
12: Instagram (Free)
I live for Photo applications and photo editing software. I guess it’s a bit of a hobby/career hazard. I probably have more photo apps than anything else, and apart from Snapseed (which is more of a manipulation app) Instagram is my favourite. You sign up for an Instagram account and link it with your social networking accounts (if you want to, you can do this photo-by-photo too if you wish). Then you can take photos, apply a number of vintage effects and share with the instagram community and on Twitter or Facebook. It’s a lovely community way of sharing what I think of as modern disposable snaps.
13: Star walk (£1.99)
Impress your friends and romance your lovers by being able to point out and identify the constellations in the night sky! A truly stunning bit of app technology allowing you to angle your device towards the sky, then the app matches up the stars so you can identify the constellations. You can also click on a star or planet that interests you to find out more information.
14: Where’s Wally (69p)
Quite simply, its the classic Where’s Wally books but on your phone. A classic time waster game with lovely detailed illustrations.
15: Atari Greatest Hits (Free but games are paid)
Calling all 80’s kids who love chasing pixels across a screen! You know what I’m talking about, the legendary Atari 2600, the first cartridge loading game system is back and now on your iphone!
You will probably only like this if, like me, you owned the 2600 back in the day. On the iPhone it remains just as hard as it was with the stiff joystick(!) The games are separately downloaded but there is a good range, browsable in their original arcade housing with the artwork also viewable (it’s rather small which is a pity). I have definitely enjoyed getting frustrated by Centipede and Asteroids all over again!
16: Fruit Ninja: (69p)
Probably the best thing about Fruit Ninja is the noises – the satisfying squelch as you chop through a kiwi, coconut or orange is strangely pleasing to the ears! The games are lovely and straight forward with a number of different modes. You are the trainee ninja who’s job it is to chop fruit in combinations of three or above, to get an unbeatable high score, there are goals to meet, different themed blades to collect and bombs to avoid. Available on ipad too, so even the kitty is able to play! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdEBgZ5Y46U
18: Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock (69p)
This app is still the number one best seller on the health and fitness chart. If you don’t mind sleeping with your phone in the bed this app can give you feedback on your sleep cycles and then wake you up in an optimal 30mins when you are in your lightest phase of sleep, hopefully making it easier to get out of bed in the morning! I’m not 100% convinced on this one (especially if you share a bed with someone who snores!) but it is interesting to look at the graphs and tally that up with your own experience if you do have trouble sleeping.
19: Mini Gay Girlfriend: (Free)
Digicub in association with Diva Magazine have created the only unique Lesbian based game on the App store. If you were around in the 90′s you may remember the Tamagotchi craze which saw kids missing out on sleep just to keep their virtual baby or puppy fed, cleaned and happy. This game is much like that except that you have to woo your potential mate with games based on your skills of flattery, breakfast in bed, dinners out, romantic bath’s etc. Be warned though, although you don’t have to clear up her poop like with the Tamagotchi she does require much time and attention, especially if you intend to marry her and buy her a pet! I dated and married the Heather (Peace?) character and then the Sue (Perkins?) character, shortly after I had broken their virtual hearts by meeting up with other girls (I’m such a virtual hussy!) I got a bit bored of the same games and had to start doing things like taking the bin out, doing the washing up and cooking meals to keep my actual girlfriend happy!
20: Live Traffic info (Free)
Managed by the Highways Agency, this app gives you information about local traffic and reports incidents and roadworks on the major highways. You can browse by region motorway or A road. It is slightly limited and i’m not sure how often it is updated, but handy if you are planning a journey by car on the main routes.
Of course these are all just my suggestions, largely based on what I ike to do with my phone and life. I can promise you though that there is an app for everyone on the App store so dive in! Add any recommendations below!
Liz C
(who still hasn’t completed every level of every version of Angry Birds!!!!??)
Sources and statistics from:
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2011/08/a-nation-addicted-to-smartphones/
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2010/02/radio-listening-figures/
