First, is DoodleJump, a very basic but highly addictive game. Gizmodo reviews it here. Totally worth it for a buck. The only game i play more is iShoot.
And I know that every iPhone-lovin' site in the world has said this already, but At Bat 2009 (MLB's App) is a must-have for any mid/high level baseball fan. $10 is somewhat steep, but you aren't paying for the updates/stats/standings that you could probably get somewhere else (ESPN?) for free (although I really dig the layout/design). You're paying for the streaming audio of the games and the video highlights. Now, I'll be honest--the video hasn't impressed me that much yet. It's shitty quality, disturbingly cheesy (do people actually call a home run a "crank?") and somewhat slow to update. But if your girlfriend dragged you out to a function where you can't find a TV, it's a lifesaver. The audio is where it's at though--you can choose from either team's feed, it's not too delayed, and the quality is spot-on. Only knock is that the commercials are always louder than the feed, which can be distressing when using at work. Oh, and don't expect to use it to listen to an entire game unless you've got a charger with you, because it sucks the battery dry in about two hours. But again--if you're a baseball fan, you need this. Every other major sport should take notice of this app--right now, it's the golden standard.
(And yes, I'm talking to you, NHL.)
Last is in the Media section. Everyone knocks the iPhone's camera. First of all, it's not like the thing is producing daguerreotypes, okay? You get decent quality pictures (although I have to admit, the BB Storm's camera is better). And it sounds like the camera will get an upgrade in June, so sit tight for that. But in the meantime, if you're interested in sprucing up your pictures and maybe toying with them to create some interesting effects, spend $6 on Photogene and Cool fx and make your fucking day. I'm serious. The amount of shit you can do with these two apps is incredible. Take this series as an example:
Here's the original picture I took with my iPhone (it was posted in earlier blog):
Then, I opened it in Cool fx, applied the Streaked Metal Diffusion effect, dialed the blur all the way up, and got this:
Then, I opened that picture up in Photogene, sepia-washed it, applied one of the custom borders, and got this:
I think the results speak for themselves--I was going for something Joel-Peter Witkin-esque. And again, this was about 5 minutes of tinkering.
In the interest of full-disclosure, you can't see it, but because that border setting eats away some of the picture, Photogene inserts a black background. You get a choice of black, white, or grey--no transparent, which sucks, but I'll deal.
And there you go--some Apps definitely worth your time. Buy 'em quick--Apple should hit the billion-app mark today, and really, what fanboy out there isn't dreaming of winning the big prize?
More soon.
JS
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