Hot Mobile Apps for your iPhone

To me, there’s nothing better than a smartphone. Though I love the digital world on my computer, there is only so much time I can spend sitting in front of it. The size of smartphones allow the user to connect to the digital world around the clock. You can use them when you’re going out for a run, when you’re stuck in line at a store, when you’re shopping and comparing prices, and even when you’re out on the town and want to check out reviews of that new restaurant. Not only can you keep active while you using your phone, you can interact better with the content. It enhances almost every sense (sight-amazing displays, sound- great for the size of a phone, touch- your ability to tap, swipe, draw, and shake the content on your screen). Smartphones really have revolutionized the digital world, and I’m sure we’ll see many changes in the coming years.

So, given my love for smartphones, today I’ll cover some of my favorite apps. I’m a Mac kind of guy, so sorry Google users, I will not be covering Android apps!

MSNBC

This is the app that I get all of my news from. In a world when nearly every news station is reporting the same stories (sometimes the exact same stories- from AP), MSNBC offers easy navigation and the ability to check your favorite news shows. Also, while I hate to admit it, I love the sound the app makes when you open the Topic/Show menu.

The Weather Channel

Sorry Apple, but the Weather Channel’s weather app beats yours out by a long shot. Sure, they don’t have the clean design that comes with yours, but the offer much more in terms of content. I can get the current weather conditions, hourly weather, 36 hour reports, and a 10 day forecast. Then of course there’s the ability to see a radar (I use this whenever we get storms!), the ability to get alerts for severe weather, and interesting videos on a variety of topics. But wait- that’s not all. There is the iWitness section that shows area photos and videos (for example I’m shown a bunch of snow photos around our neighborhood). And for the health nuts in all of us, the InSeason section that gives you flu reports (there is a widespread flu in California).

Yelp!

I am on of these people who loves getting reviews on nearly anything and everything. If I haven’t seen a review on your business, I most likely won’t be going there. This is why Yelp  is perfect for me. With its location-based service tapping into my GPS I’m able to see reviews of nearby business- all organized by category. There’s even a category for hot new business!

WebMD

I’ll admit it. If I get any strange pain I automatically think I have a disease. Luckily, there is an app to calm my nerves. WebMD offers its famous “symptom checker”, where you simply tap on an image of a body of where your ailment is, answer a few questions, and then are able to learn that that pain is nothing more than that.

Urbanspoon

For the nights when you’re not sure where to eat, there’s Urbanspoon. Using the “shaker” feature of the app, simply select a city, food type, and price range you’re looking for (or select none at all!). Then shake your phone and the app will recommend a restaurant for you. After selecting it, read reviews, map it, or even give the restaurant a call to make reservations.

Flipboard

I just discovered this app a few weeks ago, but I’m already in love with it. A content aggregator, I can get updated on business stories, top news, design articles, style content, and see updates from Facebook and Twitter. It’s cool “flip” interface and ease of use makes it a winner.