Well it's that time to start counting down the highlights of the year. I've added a few more categories to the year-end special and this is the first of the litter. The addition of my iPhone earlier this year has had me picking up a variety of apps compatible with it to help enhance the iPhone experience. I have over 60 apps downloaded, but what you have here are the top 10 that I'm really feelin'. I have them ranked in order from the least to most frequently used. Make no mistake though...they ALL get their fair share of usage on my iPhone...
10. I Am T-Pain
Frat brother Josh would probably have this in his top 10 iPhone apps. He's actually the one that hipped me to it before the Jimmy Kimmel skit made it more popular. It is fun to fool around with when you're really bored. The only problem is it can tend to get old after a while. You have to give it a rest (translation: mess around with other apps) then come back to it to appreciate it more.
9. Sportacular
This one has been a godsend in a couple of different instances. Earlier in the NFL season when I had blind faith in my Chiefs, I would use this app to keep up to speed with the scores of the games. It allowed me to be mobile and get regular updates on the stats and scores. It also helped me stay up to speed with the Cyclones. I tried the ESPN app at first and it was pathetic compared to this one.
8. Traffic Rush
It was a random happenstance that I stumbled on this one. Josh's girlfriend posted a quick blurb on Twitter that she had beat his high score on this game. I downloaded it and was hooked immediately. It's ideal because the game is usually very brief in duration and it's fast-paced during that short timeframe. Plus, I was able to beat Erika's AND Josh's high score.
7. Pocket God
You can thank Eliajh for this one. I never even heard of this game until he was here visiting and hipped me to it. I downloaded it primarily for him. Ever since then, it's really the shorties that get the most use out of it. I mess around with it occasionally, but I don't know half the ins and outs about that pygmy island that G does
6. Zombieville
This one was in HEAVY rotation around Halloween. Probably because I was fresh off the heels of seeing "Zombieland". This app was going to be the closest I would come to recreating the wild ride that movie provided. I just had to look past the fact the main character on the game looked a little redneck-ish.
5. Flixster
I'm fairly certain I haven't even tapped into everything this app can do. However, what I use it for has been more than effective for me. When I get in the mood to see a movie, I can pop it open and it brings up all the theaters closest to me as well as the start times for all the shows at that theater. Best part is I don't have to enter my location. It bases the theater locations on where the iPhone is.
4. What's On?
I do have digital cable so if need be, I could use the on-screen guide to search for what shows are coming on. However, it can get to be a pain with how slow it changes screens. Yes...I know we're only talking about a matter of a second, but still. This app shows the complete list and I can scroll as quick as my finger can move to see every channel available. It's about practicality.
3. Tweetie
Not that long ago, Tweetdeck would have been at this spot instead. A little birdie (Josh again) was going on and on about how this is the best app out there for Twitter. I tried it out for myself. Turns out it really is more user-friendly that Tweetdeck. Not by much, but just enough to make a difference. Although regardless of the app, I still prefer to use Twitter online if I have access to a computer.
2. Words with Friends
They might as well have called this Scrabble since that's really what it is. I'm sure they just didn't want to pay to use the rights. It's nice being able to randomly play any iPhone user any time. The only bad thing is some folks take FOREVER to make a move. They need to put out an update with a timer. I currently have 10 games going on but only a couple of them make moves more frequently than once every hour.
1. Facebook
The main reason this is at the top spot is because this is one of the social networking sites that is blocked at my job. That means the only way I can access it during the day is from the iPhone. I still don't understand why they have this one blocked and not Twitter though. They just have a couple of more bugs to fix with this FB app and it will be just as good as using the website itself. Regardless, there's still nothing like being able to check friends' updates while mobile.
