Handy iPhone lists - tiphones.com

Handy iPhone lists
[14-10-2007]

Apple's iPhone is a tiny Mac in your pocket, and it just cries out to be filled with software.

For better or for worse, Apple controls what programs make it onto the phone.

But the iPhone's Safari Web browser can be a portal to all kinds of software, and Web sites such as Applists.com try to make it easier to get to them by acting as a neat, organized launching pad.

The idea is to provide a central spot to find all of the Web-based programs that developers have coded up for the iPhone and store them in iconic "containers" called application lists, or "applists," that are kept online.

The Web site is essentially an enhanced online bookmark system, where you sign up for an account and then add the sites hosting the programs you want to run on your phone.

Applists.com creatively mimics the look and feel of the iPhone's desktop through the Safari Web browser, using sharp colorful icons for each Web site that is home to an iPhone program or iPhone-friendly Web content.

It's a simple strategy that makes the iPhone a more useful smart phone, giving users quick access to word processors, instant messaging, games, newsfeeds, service directories, calculators and countless other programs.

The Web site's service is free and has no ads to slow it down.

Applists.com opened in mid-July and launched the second version of itself this month, adding several new upgrades.

The improvements include a new "thumb-friendly" interface for moving through menus while holding the phone in one hand.

Applists.com also added a "bring your own apps" feature that lets users add their own programs to their account instead of selecting them from the site's directory, which receives new recommendations from visitors daily.

The Web portal lets users share their iPhone application lists with friends, including the "bring your own" ones they have added themselves.

In addition to offering a useful service, Web sites like Applists.com give programmers an idea of what software is most desired among iPhonistocracy.

There are more than 250 sites to choose from through Applist.com, as well as several "sets," a new feature introduced in version 2.0 that provides bundles of application links based on subject.

Last week, the set lists were made up entirely of sports content - Major League Baseball and the National Football League, specifically.

The application set for the Green Bay Packers included icons leading to a Google Maps page showing Lambeau Field and the team's schedule and roster hosted on ESPN's Web site. It wasn't impressive, but it's a start.

The big list of applications is more impressive, however, and should only get better in time. Some of the more fun, useful and interesting iPhone applications include:

Converter: A program that converts to and from more than 500 units of measure, including currencies using fresh exchange rates.

iPhoneChat: Access AOL's instant messenger, also known as AIM, on your phone.

Taxicab.mobi: Helps you find and call a taxi.

Rocklighter: A site that shows a flickering flame on your screen - ideal for concerts.
Source: [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Posted under: IPHONE SOFTWARE - IPHONE DEVELOPMENT - IPHONE NEWS