Using iPhone to its full potential?

[Jedi5]

Hi everyone.

New to iPhone and the many many apps out there that are supposed to make your life easier.

Been wondering how some of you are using your iPhone to its fullest in everyday life.

I know there are apps for: your home (control lights/temp), car maintenance, budgeting, banking, security, gps, etc...

Right now I'm pretty much using my iPhone to make/receive calls and text. I don't want to have this incredible device in my hands and use it to the absolute minimum.

So, what are the apps (non games) on your iPhone that have made your days easier?

Thanks

 

[chakraj]

Trapster sends me warnings about where police and road cams are around me. Thats cool

And I really like Mint.com its a an app that holds all of your money info.

 

[lemonademaker]

i'd say watch the App area of the forum and you'll learn a lot... the app store is a lot of trial and error..... read the reviews in iTunes and here in the forum

i like weather channel app, wunder radio (wunder with a u, lots of streaming radio), auto stitch (pano app, color spalsh (photo app), cartoonizeme (another photo cartoon app), ship finder....


i think the app store is what makes the iPhone like a fingerprint...

no two iPhones are the same..... the apps make it very Unique in your own way... some people would think my 1st 2nd and 3 pages of apps are useless but it works great for me....

 

[trainguy77]

I am a fan of Shazam it tells you what song is playing when you hold you phone up to the speaker.

Navigon is also great. I also use portfoliolive for stocks.

 

[milani]

In no particular order these are the apps I use quite often, which although they don't necessarily use the phone to its fullest, at least get me on the way to doing so:

Analytics (as a web developer it's a must-have)

Now Playing (movies)

iDisk (for quick storage/data backups)

Last.fm (for music browsing, etc)

ActionMethod (for project management/organization)

WSJ, NYTimes, CNN Money, Globe & Mail, etc (for news/keeping up with the world - or trying to, anyway )

TweetDeck (because I'm too cheap to buy Tweetie)

NotifyMe (quick reminders)

Facebook (doesn't exactly improve my life, but I'm as addicted as everyone else, sadly)

And the app I'll buy when I get a MacBook eventually: Things!

 

[jecapaga]

I don't want to have this incredible device in my hands and use it to the absolute minimum.

You may need to step your game up a bit if you're having trouble with the ladies.

 

[gomigirl]

This is a great discussion as the iPhone is a great tool that has lots of potential if you take some time to check out what is available.

It really comes down to what you do every day and your personal needs. Start with what you do for a living and look at some apps that might be able to increase your productivity. What analog tools (eg books, reference materials) do you use now that have an equivalent or better digital version.

Look at what internet sites you use frequently and see if there is a self contained app that does the same thing. You will have the data right in your hand and it will save time to access it rather than browse to it.

Look at your lifestyle and how you spend your downtime.. do you need things to help you get around town, distract you while on public transport, choose restaurants.

Do you carry other devices with you? Could the same functions be done on your iPhone so you don't need to carry two things? eg if you have a laptop and only use it for a few things when on the road, could those things be done on your iPhone?

For example, I live in Japan and I need to carry with me the subway maps, timetables, dictionaries, restaurant locations, basic text editing, dictiphone etc when I am out of my office. I can leave my laptop at the office and I don't need to carry and electronic dictionary with me anymore or paper subway maps (ever seen the Tokyo subway system???) etc etc. Plus I need games and podcasts and videos to keep me occupied while on the subway where there is no cellular network to access the internet.

Again, it all comes down to personal choices and lifestyle needs.

But then again, I am a developer so whatever I need I tend to make...

 

[soulghost]

You may need to step your game up a bit if you're having trouble with the ladies.

 

[Jedi5]

You may need to step your game up a bit if you're having trouble with the ladies.

HaHa... I set myself on that one!

I've spent a couple of hrs in the app thread trying to read up on suggestions
and reviews. Very helpful threads there.

I'll just keep reading reviews and trying to see what fits my needs and go from there.

Thanks everyone.

 

[veroz]

I'll throw Pandora and MusicID into the mix:

Pandora (Free): Streaming radio based on your own custom channels (musical tastes)
www.pandora.com

MusicID ($3.99): An alternative to Shazam and Midomi. It'll use your phone's microphone to identify any song it hears. You can also search artists and lyrics.
www.musicid2.com