twgeek

I have an iPhone 3Gs and I love using it. Apple’s high standards for the convergence of hardware and software in order to maximize the user experience continue to amaze me and inspire others. This philosophy is carried over into the tools Apple has provided to application developers. Sure, there are some craptacular apps out there, okay there are a lot of craptacular apps, but there are some incredibly designed apps that help make life more productive, easier and entertaining. Here are some apps that I regularly use.

Please note that I will never recommend any app that doesn’t secure your personal information or makes your personal information easily accessible to someone who picks up your iPhone. 

Starbucks Card Mobile | Available in the iTunes App Store for Free! [Get it!]

Elegant in its execution and simplicity, Starbucks Card Mobile is a double-edged sword. It is a handy tool for quickly checking your Starbucks card balance (or balances, if you have multiple cards), and it is entirely too convenient for refilling cards. That is really bad if you are a Starbucks addict like myself. However, it is also great if you have a registered Starbucks card and enjoy the benefits that come with it. When I buy a bag of beans at Starbucks I will refill my card in the store with the app just so I can get a free tall beverage.

The other really interesting aspect of this app is that it can generate a QR code that the barista scans to process a payment, thereby replacing the physical card. Unfortunately, this feature is only being used in a trial limited to stores near the Apple and Starbucks HQs. I am hopeful that the trial is successful and that it goes live nationwide; it will mean one less thing in my wallet that I can lose.

Did I mention this app is free? If you have an iPhone and a Starbucks card there is no reason not to have the app.

Mint.com Personal Finance | Available in the iTunes App Store for Free! [Get it!]

There is some controversy about whether using a financial aggregating service like Mint.com can potentially compromise personal financial information. I made the choice to use it several months ago and have found it extremely helpful creating and monitoring my budget and tracking my various financial accounts (checking, mortgage, auto, investments, etc.). If you are a Mint.com user, this app is indispensable. It allows you to monitor accounts, categorize transactions, and view any alerts. This is particularly helpful if you find yourself wanting to make a major purchasing decision and need current information immediately. 

Gowalla | Available in the iTunes App Store for Free! [Get it!]

Do you like exploring urban and suburban environments? Do you and your friends like sharing where you have been? Do you need something to jog your memory when writing about your day’s mundane events or all the really cool places you visited on your vacation or business trip? Do you like social networking games? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Gowalla is for you!

It really is a simple premise: go somewhere, “check in” using the app or create the place if it does not exist, pick up virtual items represented by cool little icons that the folks at Alamofire create, be rewarded with stamps and pins for visiting and creating places, and just have fun with it. There are tons of additional features, but the beauty of Gowalla is the flexibility it offers to users—use it how you want to use it. Just get out and explore your world.

Words With Friends Free | Available in the iTunes App Store for Free! [Get it!]
Words With Friends | Available in the iTunes App Store for $2.99! [Get it!]

Do you like Scrabble? If so, check out this variant on the classic word game. Yes, the board is set up a little differently and it is only for two players, but the basic rules of Scrabble apply. The great thing about this game is that you can play at your own pace as the game updates asynchronously and takes advantage of push notifications to let players know when it is their turn. With the ability to play up to 20 games simultaneously, it can become a bit dizzying, but it is perfect for obsessive players looking for a word game fix.

The free version is ad supported, with an ad popping up after every word you play. I like the game so much and was annoyed enough by the ads to spring for the paid version. I have played so many enjoyable games that I would happily pay again for it.

Photoshop.com Mobile | Available in the iTunes App Store for Free! [Get it!]

This app is perfect for quickly editing photos taken with an iPhone. Since the iPhone lacks a flash, I use it frequently to adjust the exposure of photos that I have taken in less-than-optimal lighting conditions. With other useful basic editing tools such as crop, saturation, tint, and some basic filters, Photoshop.com Mobile makes it easy to perform minor edits to your photos, whether you are simply being silly or really need to focus on the important information in a photo that will be shared. The app also supports uploads to the Photoshop.com paid subscription service.