Most Useful iPhone/iPad apps
Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 8:49AM The iPhone and iPad, and similar technologies from Apple, have taken the world by storm. Infact, if you aren't an Android user, I would be personally surprised if you didn't own an Apple based device or two, yourself. The Apple mobile devices provide a great variety of applications for many different usages through the App Store. However, how are we to know which apps are worthwile, and which ones are simply lacking in quality? Here I have compiled a short list of what I have found to be the most useful iApps, and a short description of what their functionality is.
1. Dropbox
Dropbox is a great cloud service that automatically syncs a folder of files between multiple computers (Windows, Mac, or Linux). This app extends Dropbox to the Apple devices and includes a built-in reader for PDFs, image files, and Microsoft Office files. A great way for those on the go to have immediate access to important files stored elsewhere, Dropbox has become the standard of mobile file syncing, and better yet, it's free!
2. RedLaser
3. Instagram
The camera and camera app on the iPhone are now good enough to replace a point-and-shoot. You can even take pictures that are worthy of saving in your family albums. For those, I upload them to Flickr using the iPhone app. For the everyday photos that I just want to quickly post on social media, I use Instagram. It is very quick, dead simple to use, and very social media friendly. But, do me a favor and go easy on the filters. They are badly overused by most Instagram users, while 90% of photos are better with no filter at all.
4. Evernote
Once you get used to typing on a virtual keyboard (and it honestly took me over a year to do it), then these devices are great for note taking, and Evernote is a great note taking app. It is similar to Dropbox in that it saves data locally but syncs it across all your machines and devices.
5. LogMeIn Ignition
More useful for the iPad than the iPhone due to the ease of use with a larger display, LMI Ignition is incredibly useful too for managing a computer from your mobile device. The software must be installed PC side (which is free) and mobile side (which is not free), and has a username/password login design. With an above average internet connection to your PC and good to great connectivity on your mobile device, you can control your PC using the touchscreen as if you were sitting in front of it, which again is great for those in the move who need to stay connected, like a contractor who needs access to server files at his office. The drawback? The price, which is now $99. Ouch.
6. Skype
Another extremely useful app used for making voice or video calls with friends who also use the program, either on their mobile device, or on a computer. The best part, is that Skype is a free service for both PC and mobile, and is a great alternative to FaceTime mobile, which only allows for video chat between iPhone/iPad users of the most recent generations of each product. There are plenty of bugs, however, associated with the mobile app, most of which have been around for quite awhile with no forseeable fixes in the near future. If you can live with a few glitches in exchange for a great, free method of keeping in touch with friends, Skype will definitely impress. You can do conference calls, too!
I hope this gives you a good headstart on loading up that Apple device of yours with some of hottest, most useful apps on the market. There are plenty more worth mentioning, but I don't want to take the all the fun out of exploring the App Store for yourself. Now get to downloading!
