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What will you do differently this year? Save more? Help the environment? Have more fun? This year, keep track of your resolutions on your iPhone, so that you can follow them through the weeks. New Year Resolutions - 2009 (available here) comes with a pre-loaded list of resolutions you can choose from, or you can create your own.
Parks Envi Deluxe ($3.99, available here) is your visual guide to U.S. national parks, monuments, and other areas run by the National Parks Service. It offers easy state-by-state access to park overviews and photos, and includes maps of every national park. If you enjoy visiting our nation's loveliest places, you'll be glad to have this app on hand.
Have you ever been stuck in a country wanting to be polite but having no idea how to even say "please" or "thank you"? Or needed to get somewhere but been frustrated because you couldn't ask for basic directions? You don't need to master a foreign language to travel, but knowing a few key phrases will please your hosts. WorldNomads.com has created World Nomads Greek Language Guide (available here) and other simple language guides that give you the basics for a happy holiday.
We couldn't resist the temptation to look back on the best apps of the year (or half-year, since the App Store hasn't been around that long), but we wanted to give you something you could use. These aren't the flashiest or most novel apps that came out; instead, these are the ten we find ourselves using the most.
AP Mobile News Network (free, available here): We love to read news on the go, and this app offers quick headlines. It's much faster than the New York Times news app, and delivers even more results.
Camera Bag ($2.99, available here): Not only is this photo app fun to use, but it lets you make artistic creations in seconds. We like the Helga filter the best. It give a moody, washed-out look to any setting.
Wi-Fi for AT&T ($.99, available here): Going online at an AT&T hotspot, such as those found in Starbucks, is a snap with this app. It takes the hassle out of logging on.
Google Mobile App (free, available here): Start your searches here. Google helps you find results quickly, and even includes an audio search so that you don't have to type.
Listomni Lists ($6.99, available here): The best list-making app on the iPhone, Listomni is incredibly helpful for remembering tasks you need to do or items you need to buy.
Midomi (free, available here): What's that song? Midomi will tell you. Use it to identify a song on the radio or input lyrics from a song running through your head.
Pandora (free, available here): When we want to hear streaming music, we find ourselves turning to Pandora every time. This app lets you create custom stations, so that you can hear the songs you like best.
Remote (free, available here): Remote was the missing link in our home stereo system. Now we can doze on the couch while easily controlling the music playing on our computer.
Shovel (free, available here): Stay in touch with what's getting dug on Digg.com with Shovel, an excellent reader for the site. It lets you view all the comments on a post, and is much more stable since its recent update.
Where (free, available here): There are many GPS-enabled apps for the iPhone, but Where is our favorite. We use it to find nearby gas stations, events, movies, and Starbucks locations.
New iPhone owners, take note: these are the ten workhorses we couldn't live without.
Watch New Year's happen around the world live with a variety of international Webcams. New Year's Eve Webcam ($.99, available here) lets you browse a list of 15 popular locations across the globe, including Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Each location offers a countdown timer to midnight for that time zone. You can even choose to watch people party on the street or watch the fireworks in the sky.
Yes, your iPhone can even be a noisemaker. Blow into the microphone to hear the horn, and watch it unravel on the screen. New Year's Blowout Horn (available here) even includes a countdown timer, so you'll know the exact second 2009 begins, and a music player for listening to New Year's songs afterwards.
Transform your iPhone into an indispensable companion for choosing, evaluating, managing, and enjoying wine. With Wine Enthusiast Guide ($9.99, available here), you'll have a team of experts with you every time you select a bottle of wine. With a few taps you can access up-to-date details, reviews, ratings, and retail prices for over 64,000 wines.
Here's the all-in-one personal finance tool you've been waiting for, and it's completely free. Track, budget, and manage your money on-the-go. Sign up for an account on Mint.com (available here), add your online banking accounts, and access them anywhere. There's no need to enter your transactions, since the Mint.com app automatically syncs with your online banking accounts.
If $9.99 for Zagat to Go sounds like $10 too much to you, download this free alternative, instead. Mobile by Citysearch offers tons of local listings for restaurants, hotels, bars, spas, and stores. Nearly every listing gets a star rating (at voted by users) and many have reviews.
If you don't want a list view, Citysearch will also map out its results. There's also a search feature that lets you look for a particular name or term, or search in a different location.
We like the convenience and price of this app, but we'd also like the developers to add a few improvements.
As is, Citysearch will find the 10 places nearest you for any category, but there's no way to get additional results if you don't like those 10. There's also no way to filter restaurants by cuisine, which seems like a huge oversight.
Finally, we wish the summary pages showed which listings have user reviews. You need to select an listing to see if anyone has written a comment for that location.Since the user comments are fun to read, we'd like to be able to find them easier.
If you've every wondered where your iPhone's power goes, download Battery Log ($2.99) and find out. This app displays your battery usage in a graph showing you when you're consuming the most power. A slider lets you zoom in and out. Note that you need to launch the app to update your battery information.
