by jacobmorgan on October 18, 2009
by Jacob Morgan
Wolfram Alpha the once dubbed “Google killer” search engine has taken a bold step by introducing a new Iphone app…a new $50 Iphone app. The price is a bit steep but according to a post on Mashable, this app comes with every bell and whistle you can think of. Here are just a few things the app offers:
- graphic calculator
- mortgage calculator
- ability to solve complex mathematical equations
- provide you with census data and information
- give you historical data for specific dates
Rumor is that if you buy the app you can even leave your kids alone with it and it will babysit them for you (ok kidding on that part). The question still comes down to whether or not this application is worth $50. Personally I would find it a bit annoying to start graphic or doing calculus on my iphone, I’d rather stick to the specialized calculators that can do that for me. Then again, I’m not an advanced mathematics or chemistry student. I also can’t imagine ever needing to use some of these features on the fly, such as the mortgage calculator.
Accessing Wolfram Alpha from your safari browser on your Iphone also pulls up a lot of useful information that you can research for free, without downloading the $50 app. I think the app is pretty powerful and gives you access to a lot of information, however I think it’s a bit too expensive.
Would you buy this app?
by Michelle Lentz on June 15, 2009
This might be reason enough to keep my iPhone around as an iPod Touch. CardStar is a new app that makes your life a lot easier.
My wallet is filled with various loyalty cards for retail and grocery stores. When I travel, I grab whatever cards are necessary (such as Delta and Hilton) and add those into the mix as well. My keychain has several loyalty cards that are beat to a pulp just from being on my keychain. In fact, my gym now only offers keychain cards. (What were they thinking?)
CardStar can put an end to all of that. You can add many of your loyalty cards, including the scannable bar code, to your iPhone and then the cards can still be scanned in by the cashier. Cool, right? CardStar has a merchant list of over 130 companies. I noticed right away that they included Kroger, Sam’s Club, Hallmark, Trade Secret, DSW, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Delta Airlines. All of those are in my purse right now.
To make the application work, you just enter your membership number and the app does the rest. It also offers advanced options for adding cards not included in their merchant list – like my gym. Right now, the CardStar app is available for free from the iTunes App Store (iTunes link), although normally it’s 99¢.
While the application is currently only available for Apple mobile devices, they are developing versions for Blackberry, Android, and Palm.
by Michelle Lentz on June 12, 2009
Antenna Audio, which provides audio and audio visual tours at museums, historic sites, exhibits, etc. around the world, has launched an iPhone application with the National Gallery in the UK, which is the first ever gallery to make its paintings accessible through a downloadable iPhone application.
Love Art features 250 paintings from the collection along with around 200 minutes of audio and video content – designed to appeal to art enthusiasts and fans of the Gallery, this application is the first of its kind to be released by a major gallery.
Their amusing tag line is This is your collection. Please touch the art. With this application, you can get up close and personal with the art in a way that’s not even possible in a museum. Yep, you can zoom in on a painting. And touch it. So for those of you that have always wanted to reach out and touch a piece of art, now is your chance.
The application allows you to select a theme (love, passion, death, beauty, hope, etc) and view related art with the stories behind each painting provided via audio and video commentary. You can also view paintings based on types, such as cityscapes, portraits, or religious.
This is a fairly innovative, well-designed app. I’m pretty impressed by it. The application is available for free through the iTunes store (iTunes link) for a limited time only.
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by Michelle Lentz on March 4, 2009
by Michelle Lentz
Since I got the Kindle, I’ve started every morning skimming through the Wall Street Journal Marketplace, Personal Journal, and Technology sections. I was pleasantly surprised this morning to read about a new Kindle app for the iPhone while reading my Kindle. 
When the new Kindle was announced, it was inferred that interaction with other devices would be coming soon. Today, Amazon released the free Kindle app for iPhone / iPod Touch in the iTunes App Store (app iTunes link).
The Kindle and the iPhone app now sync with each other via Amazon’s Whispersync. If you’ve started a book on the Kindle, that same book is available on your iPhone. Additionally, it will open to the page you left off reading.
Amazon sees the iPhone as a complementary technology. Battery life, small size, and eye strain might all get in the way of reading on the iPhone, with Kindle viewed by Amazon as the superior device for ebooks. However, they also know you won’t always have your Kindle with you. According to Ian Freed, vice president for Amazon Kindle, “Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch is a great way for customers to catch up on their current book wherever they are, like in line at the grocery store or between meetings.” The funny thing is, I can actually see that happening. Well, maybe not between meetings, but when I’m stuck in line somewhere or waiting in a parking lot somewhere, I always play with the iPhone. Now I can read while I’m killing time. It’s not a bad alternative.
Using the Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch app, you can
- Access your entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon’s servers
- Adjust the text size of books
- Add bookmarks and view notes and highlights
There is a downside. For instance, I have been reading a lot of documents (books and papers) on the Kindle that did not come from Amazon. I’ve been using calibre to upload things via my computer. As far as I can tell, the iPhone app uses Amazon (not the Kindle) as its hub and therefore has no knowledge of anything else I might be reading that is non-Amazon. Amazon also didn’t integrate book shopping into the app, and suggests you use your home computer or access their Kindle store from Safari on your iPhone. I’m also not sure how well this will work for folks who want to use their iPhone as an eBook reader without a Kindle. The app is very much an accessory for the Kindle device.
Hopefully other devices are on the horizon for WhisperSync. I’d love to see integration for Blackberry and the new Palm Pre.
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by Michelle Lentz on February 24, 2009
by Michelle Lentz
Technology is making it easier to be a fan of your favorite rock star. Not only are there a myriad of music listening web apps out there, but there’s MySpace Music. Now, you can take your fandom to your iPhone.
Interscope Geffen A&M is launching iPhone applications for five of its artists, through a partnership with mobile firm Kyte. The five are Lady Gaga, the Pussycat Dolls, Soulja Boy, the All American Rejects, and Keri Hilson. The free apps include video content, branding, and advertising, click-through links to buy music and merchandise, RSSto pull in news updates, and chat, comments and sharing.
According to Ted Mico, executive VP of digital for Interscope Geffen A&M, “Kyte allows us to easily deliver iPhone and iPod touch apps that connect our artists with their fans in a fully immersive, interactive experience.” The apps go live in the app store today.
