Top 10 i phones

1. FileMagnet (£2.99)

File MagnetFileMagnet is the app that Apple forgot. I’ve no idea why Apple does not allow access to transfer files too and from the iPhone. What’s the point in carrying around a 16gb hard drive with us everyday if we can’t use it for anything but music, video and photos?


Portable Storage Device:
File MagnetOnce you have installed FileMagnet on both your iPhone and your Mac you can drag and drop any files into it to sync between the devices. Making your iPhone a 16gb portable storage device.

Open & View Files Too!:
It then goes one step better and not only allows you to transfer and store files but also lets you open and view them on your iPhone!! It supports PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, images, movies and even complete folders!

Rating: 10/10 (The best iPhone app so far. It has no faults and is a bargain)



2. Shazam (FREE)



This app really blew my mind when I first tried it! File Magnet

You hold your iPhone to any source of music, be it TV, radio or whatever. Shazam ‘listens to it’ and identifies it for you in seconds!! That is it’s most obvious feature but it actually does so much more.

It works with tags and comparing the tags you make to it’s databases. You can then buy the music you hear. Imagine you are in a pub playing a track you like but don’t know. Hold up your iPhone, let Shazam identify it and then purchase it automatically! Amazing!

Additional features include viewing related videos on YouTube, personalising Tags with photos and emailing Tags to contacts.

Rating: 10/10 (Another perfect app. Technology ahead of it’s time!)



3. Vicinity (£1.79)

File MagnetVicinity is another app which takes advantage of the iPhones GPS and location awareness.

Using your current location it quickly provides lists of nearby services such as banks, pubs, restaurants, taxis and takeaways, giving their distance from you as well!

Not amazingly useful when your in your home town but could be invaluable when traveling to new places.

Another interesting feature is bringing up Flickr photographs taken in the vicinity and also Wikipedia pages of local interests.

Rating: 7/10 (Works well and a good insight into how GPS is more useful than just maps.)


4. Things (£5.99)


File MagnetThings is one of my most used programs on all of my Macs. It’s a task management system which can implement David Allen’s GTD system. I really would be lost without it. The idea of having my To-Do lists with me on my iPhone at all times is very exciting.

Coming Soon…

Unfortunately there is one major downside at the moment. The App does not yet support syncing which makes it almost useless as I won’t write my lists out twice. However, the creators insist that it’s their top priority and it will be implemented soon. The introductory price of just $9.99/£5.99 makes it worth an early investment.

Rating: 8/10 (Rating assumes syncing is implemented. A stunning app and a bargain too)


5. OmniFocus (£11.99)

Before Things came along OmniFocus was my task management app of choice. I’m still not 100% converted to Things and there are bits of OmniFocus which appeals to me also.
Amazing Location Awareness

The iPhone App of OmniFocus is streets ahead at the moment with one amazing feature. The location awareness of the iPhone is implemented so well in this app.

For example using your location OmniFocus can create custom lists to show you tasks you need to complete nearby. Maybe you have a separate list for at the office? Or a shopping list which can be shows as you approach the store!

It’s not cheap though, it’s twice the price of Things and the OSX desktop app is also expensive.

Rating: 9/10 (I prefer Things to OmniFocus overall but the location awareness features really give it the edge)



6. Twitterific (FREE)



File MagnetTwitter is the marmite of social networking. You either love it or hate it. Personally I love it.

I also love Twitterific for OSX, the iPhone version is every bit as good! If you use OSX and Twitter you probably already use Twitterific. If you use Windows now is your chance to see what you’ve been missing!

Rating: 7/10 (If you Twitter you will love it.)



7. NetNewsWire (FREE)


File MagnetNetNewsWire is my RSS reader of choice for the Mac. I like Google Reader NNW is just so much more polished and has some nice features such as posting to del.icio.us.

I use quite a few different Macs and read my RSS feeds on all of them. NNWs built in syncing works great and i’m so happy that I can read the same feeds on my iPhone now and keep them all in sync.

Rating: 8/10 (Every bit as good as the desktop app)


8. Remote (FREE)

Remote is a very simple but quite useful app. It allows you to control the music on your computer or Apple TV with your iPhone over a Wi-Fi network.

You can play, pause, skip, shuffle music from your whole iTunes library as well as viewing album artwork and searching.

Rating: 8/10 (Not as exciting as most of the other apps but it’s free and very useful)


9. Super Monkeyball (£5.99)



Super Monkey BallApparnatly Super Monkeyball is quite a famous game. Personally I have never played it before though. It’s by SEGA and is obviously a quality game.

The object of the game is to navigate through a variety of obstacle courses against the clock. Of course they get progressively harder and there are 5 worlds and 110 stages!
PSP Rival?

I was very impressed by how good it looked and sounded. It really does give the iPhone the potential to be a rival for the PSP and NintendoDS if more game manufactures take it seriously.

Of course the iPhone would be limited by it’s lack of buttons but DS style games would work well with the touch screen and others including Super MonkeyBall utilise the accelerometer amazingly effectively. (You tilt and turn the iPhone and the ball on the screen moves accordingly)

Rating Me: 8/10 (A seriously impressive game, wouldn’t be out of place on a PSP)


10. Cube Runner (FREE)

Cube Runner is another game which using the iPhones built-in accelerometer. It’s not as pollished and professional as Super MonkeyBall but it is every bit as addictive and it’s also free!

You basically tilt the iPhone to control a spaceship which you fly across Star Wars type landscapes avoiding cubes which get in your way.


Rating: 7/10 (Less impressive than Super MonkeyBall but is addictive, fun and free!)