Three Favorite iPhone Games

In addition to being recognized as the best phone on the market today, the iPhone is quickly becoming known as one of the most versatile gaming systems on the market. Everything from RPGs (role playing games), action games, sports, strategy, and puzzle games are available to download and play, providing an endless supply of professionally designed games. Below are three of our favorite iPhone games.

The first game worth mentioning is a veteran in the gaming world: Tetris. Despite the fact that it has existed for years, Tetris continues to be one of the most popular games, spanning nearly every system used today. Tetris is the classic strategy/puzzle game where techniques can separate a stunning victory from a devastatingly insubstantial lost. It is well-known, distracting, simple, and yet fun, qualifying it as one of the most popular iPhone games.

Enigmo is a stimulating puzzle game for the iPhone and is already garnering oodles of enthusiasts. Although similar in many regards to games of the past, Enigmo’s unique conception makes it popular. The premise of this game is to use different utilities such as sponges, sliders, and bumpers to direct the flow of various liquids to specified destinations; combined with brilliant graphics and 50 levels of game play, Enigmo gives users hours of addictive fun.

Doodle Bomb finishes off our list as the physics-based brainteaser everyone loves. In Doodle Bomb, users must advance through 50 levels by performing a sequence of tasks using bombs to solve puzzles, eventually opening a door to the next level. Known for being tricky, Doodle Bomb mixes a pleasant amount of frustration with the satisfaction of accomplishment, making it a popular iPhone game.

This brief list does not include any of the sports, shooting, action, or role playing games that are very popular, such as Zenonia, iMafia, and PapiJump. If you have a favorite game that you would like to share, please post a comment including the name and a brief description.

Popular iPhone Apps

One reason for the incredible popularity of Apple’s iPhone is its ability to run applications (“apps” for short). These apps either come from Apple itself or are created by other software developers. All iPhone applications are collected together at the App Store, where you can virtually browse, choose, purchase and install the apps. Popular iPhone apps include basic functions for your device, games, and apps that make your life and work easier and more efficient. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular iPhone apps.

Don’t overlook the fact that the basic functions of your iPhone are applications themselves. These are the items you’ll be using all the time and are prominently displayed on your home screen. Of course, you will be using your iPhone as a phone to make and receive calls. There is also a Mail icon for sending and receiving messages from friends and co-workers. “Safari” is installed on the iPhone for browsing the web. You may already be familiar with this particular web browser from using it on your computer.

One of the highest rated and most popular apps available for the iPhone is the game of Scrabble. This popular word game has entered the 21st century with its presence on the device of the decade. You can play anytime with the iPhone as your opponent. With Scrabble installed on your iPhone, you can learn vocabulary and exercise your brain everywhere you go.

Beyond games, apps are mainly designed to make your life easier. Here are four of the most popular apps that fall into this “virtual helper” category.

eBuddy - this instant messenger or “chat” app enables you to…well…message instantly or chat with anyone else on the Internet. That’s handy for both personal and business use.

iZoho - makes reviewing spreadsheets or notes a snap. Excellent for business people and students.

iPhoneGas - as energy costs continue to rise (and fall), this app keeps you up-to-date on which stations have the cheapest gas in your neighborhood.

One Trip Shopping List - this app works in tandem with OneTrip.org on the web to keep track of your shopping lists. No more crumpled paper with illegible writing. No more forgetting that one thing that makes you go back. It can organize items by store sections and will always remember what you need.

We’ve only looked at several apps out of the thousands that are available. Whatever you can dream up that you wish your iPhone could do (as the familiar commercial states), there’s an app for that. No wonder the iPhone has become a part of the world culture and a continuing must-have device.

The New iPod Nano Packed with Features

The most size-conscious iPod has just gotten better with the release of the new iPod Nano. Apart from the iPod Shuffle, the iPod Nano has long been recognized as being the smallest and lightest iPod. While it was lacking some features in previous generations, the new Nano is packed with more features that even the pickiest consumers will find appealing.

The new iPod Nano is a part of the 5th generation of iPods. True to it’s roots, the Nano continues to cram the functionality expected of an iPod into an incredibly small and slick body. The strengths of the new Nano have become even stronger and the weaknesses which prevented many from purchasing the previous generations have been eliminated, making the new iPod Nano sure to be a popular addition to the iPod line.

The new iPod Nano has a larger screen than the previous generations, including a clearer LCD to make the images cleaner. In addition, the video camera has been improved, increasing the Nano’s capability for capturing and storing videos. The Nano also has an interesting new feature which makes it easier than ever to upload videos recorded on the Nano directly to YouTube, allowing iPod Nano users to record, store, and share videos more quickly than ever before, taking advantage of the better video quality.

The battery life has also been improved, allowing the unit to run for six hours without a recharge. This is a remarkable amount of time considering the brilliance of the screen and the size of battery. The Nano also supports larger memory chips, letting you download and listen to more songs than ever. These additions make the Nano a more attractive player than before, when the main complaint was the limited memory and battery life.

The new iPod Nano is a very convenient way to carry around entire music collections in an unobtrusive manner, making it a great fit for active users who are physically active and always on the go. As the Nanos become even more advanced, their cheaper prices continue to make them an even better bang for the savvy consumer’s buck.

iPod Shuffle--With VoiceOver, Who Needs a Screen?

The iPod Shuffle has always been about the budget. But without a screen, the Shuffle had trouble capturing even the low end market. Why settle for no screen when you could opt for other low-priced MP3 players that did provide a visual interface (like Creative). Some openly began to question whether the Shuffle would even survive. Apple has responded and the Shuffle is still with us. And it’s available in a new generation that may have people rethinking the need for a screen.

When you’re on the go, you need something small, and the iPod Shuffle has certainly met that need. Its tiny size gives you music at any level of physical activity. Anything that could be converted to MP3 could be carried with you and enjoyed, from music to books to your favorite podcast. The only requirement is that you be able to manage the collection.

For most MP3 players, that’s what the screen is for, to manage and to navigate your files. The new generation Shuffle now comes with something called “VoiceOver.” This innovative new feature (although a similar technology is available on Sony players) provides a way to find out the artist and title at any point. VoiceOver also lets you know when it’s time to recharge.

We’ll have to wait and see if low-end buyers will accept VoiceOver as an acceptable replacement for a screen. Not including a screen on the Shuffle really lowered the costs for Apple, but it also made the Shuffle less attractive to consumers. VoiceOver does provide a way to overcome the inconvenience of not being able to see what’s on the Shuffle by trading one sense for another.

Education Apps on the iPhone

The iPhone has been able to infiltrate every part of our society so far. When people think of the modern day smart phone, they think of the iPhone. With the touch screen interface and smooth user interface, it still seems like a futuristic phone even though it has been out for a couple of years now. But the interface of the phone is only the beginning when we are discussing how useful the phone is to our everyday lives.

The app store on the phone is one of the best selling points when you are discussing the phone with people. People love to be able to surf the app store and look at the different applications that are available. We all know that the app store is filled with games, business applications, and other items of interest but is the app store and the phone itself good when it comes to educational applications?

The answer is yes, the phone is great for educational purposes. This is especially true if you have children. Sometimes it can be hard getting your children to pay attention to educational items. But with the iPhone, the unique look of the phone fascinates children and gets them to want to use the phone in whatever way possible. So you can load up an educational application on your phone and let them play with it. While they think that they are only using the phone to play a game or work an application, they are actually learning.

If your child is a little bit older, then this trick might not work with them. But the phone still can be educational for them as well. If they have their own iPhone, they will be able to get text books on the phone and use the internet to reference items that they might need to know for school. If the child has their own phone and they are a pre teen, then there might be games and applications that they may also be interested in. These games and apps will be able to teach as well as entertain them.

Children and teenagers are not the only people that can use the iPhone for educational purposes. Even adults might find that they have a thing or two to learn when they are using the iPhone. There are over 180,000 games and applications in the app store, so whatever you are interested in learning will be there waiting for you. This is great if you are on a long bus ride home or you are waiting in traffic. You can even use the MP3 part of the iPhone to be able to purchase and listen to audiobooks while you are on the go. This is a perfect way to follow up on your education.

So in conclusion, not only is the iPhone good when it comes to educational applications, it can be argued that it is the most educational smart phone out on the market right now.