Toddlers (Aged 2 to 6)

Fish School HD ($1.99)

This great-looking app teaches your kids their letters, numbers, shapes colors and provides a selection of games that will keep your inquisitive young child amused for hours. The developer behind Fish School HD, Duck Duck Moose, has a strong history of delivering quality kids’ content for the iPhone platform, so you can rest assured you’re in the hands of experts with this one. A free-form playtime mode provides an interactive environment for kids to just have fun with when the learning aspects get old.

Color & Draw ($1.99)

Color & Draw has all the fun of finger painting, but without the mess. This versatile app features a library of 50 custom images to choose from, and has a drawing feature that allows them to sketch and complete partial images, guided by voice over instructions. Another great feature allows you to import your own images, so mom and dad can create their own images once the library gets boring.

Tweens (Aged 6 to 12)

Story Patch ($4.99)

I used to love writing stories and making picture books when I was a kid, and Story Patch brings that to the iPad with additional tools that should make story time enjoyable for all. The app includes more than 800 illustrations to choose from, and also features customizable characters, the ability to import from the iPad’s photo library, and PDF sharing. You can use Story Patch’s guided mode for younger children, which has users answer questions and generates a story automatically, or kids can take full control themselves.

Strip Designer ($2.99)

In the same vein as Story Patch, Strip Designer lets you create your own tale, but this time you use your own photos and create comics. You can add text balloons and sound effects, choose from a number of layout templates, and even import your own fonts. It’s a great distraction for comics-crazy boys and girls, and very easy to use.

Teens (Aged 12 to 16)

Beejive IM or IM+ ($9.99 or Free)

Oh, the messaging. When will it end? At least if they’re chatting with friends, your teenage kids won’t be fighting amongst themselves or complaining of boredom. Both of these apps provide access to most major IM services, including AIM, MSN, and, most importantly, Facebook. This one requires data access to use.

VEVO HD (Free)

When I was young, we had MTV for music videos. Nowadays, MTV basically just shows reality programming and the occasional award show. VEVO HD is the dedicated iPad app for the YouTube/record label partnership that sees music videos available for online streaming on the web. I find the app to have a relatively limited library, but it does have a lot of today’s chart-toppers. This is another app that needs a data connection, but the app itself is at least free. Be warned that some of the content here may not be suitable for all audiences, so exercise your own discretion.

Apps for Everyone

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 ($4.99)

This game is great for all ages, especially now that there’s a virtual D-pad, introduced in a recent update. It provides hours and hours of gameplay, and does so without managing to feel too repetitive or boring. Plus, it makes unique use of the iPad’s touch interface, and it’s a universal app, so it works on both iPad and iPhone.

Fun Felt ($2.99)

Some teens might scoff at this one, but everyone else, from small kids to adults, will probably love it. Basically it lets you create your own virtual felt crafts, by combining different shapes and colors creatively. You can even add text and share your creations via email or save it to your device’s local library.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• How to Market Your iPhone App: A Developer’s Guide
• Mobile App Developer Survey: Profiles, Platforms and Monetization
• App Developers: Are You Ready for HTML5 and Metered Data?

Many feature phones from other parts of the world have QR readers built-in, but not the iPhone. Fortunately, we have the App Store. I tested a whole range of different QR reader iPhone apps, and picked out five of the best. All are free to download. I tested each with three QR codes representing different content: a phone number, a piece of text (The quick brown fox…), and a URL (http://theappleblog.com).

#5: QR App

The interface for QR App can be a little confusing; in scan mode, what looks like the standard camera app shows up, making it seem as though you have to press the shutter button then the Use button. However, this isn’t the case — if the app detects a QR code anywhere in its view, it’ll automatically take the photo and read the barcode. I did have some trouble getting it to recognize codes sometimes, though.

Another annoyance I had with QR App was that the app will automatically open Safari or the Phone app without prompt f the code contains a URL or a phone number. Sometimes I like to be able to grab the information, but use it later on. The app does save a history of the codes you read, but I just don’t like the way it switches apps without asking permission first.

#4: i-nigma 4

There are two versions of i-nigma: i-nigma 4 for devices running iOS 4 and the other made for iOS 3. Like QR App, i-nigma saves a history of the codes you’ve read. However, i-nigma has a few sharing options for the codes in your history. You can display the code itself on your device’s screen for someone else to scan, or you can share on Facebook and Twitter. Unfortunately, sharing on social networks requires closing the app and opening the i-nigma website in Safari.

i-nigma has a few limited customization options: You can change the sound which plays when you scan a code, choose whether codes are automatically saved in the history, and whether you want URLs to be launched instantly or not. You can also save phone numbers you pick up into your contacts. It’s not the most flexible of apps, but it also isn’t the worst.

#3: TapReader

I’ll start with a downside to TapReader: when you launch the app for the first time, you need to give it an email address and set up a password, which it says is so that your QR codes are saved to your account for later viewing. However, the app has a local archive of recent QR codes, so I don’t see the need for an account.

My favourite feature of TapReader is that, although it can be a little hard to find at first, there’s a mode where you can scan multiple codes in succession without visiting the archive between scans. There may not be many occasions where you need to scan more than one code in a row, but at events like trade shows where you might be meeting a lot of people at once, it could come in handy.

There are also some settings in the app which allow you to turn off sound and vibration, and to decide which data types automatically launch other apps. This is good if you’d like phone numbers to automatically dial, for instance, but you don’t want URLs to open automatically.

#2: QR Scanner

Coming in at an extremely close second, QR Scanner is fast; you don’t have to align the code with the scanner on-screen; and it has settings similar to TapReader’s, which allow you to customise the apps which automatically launch when you scan a code. In its Recent Scans view, you can tap an item and have the option to open it with the appropriate app (it even suggests View on Map for addresses), or copy it to the clipboard.

The only reason QR Scanner falls to second is because of its interface. To put it simply, it’s ugly. Look at the screenshots in the gallery below for proof. Other than that, I can’t fault the app, but when it comes down to it, this is an iPhone, so I expect my apps to look good and work well.

#1: QR Reader for iPhone

The developers of QR Reader for iPhone got it exactly right. It’s the quickest to scan out of the five apps; it has a huge range usability and sharing options; and it also looks good.

When you read a code, the app will show you a “details” view which allows you to launch another app to open the information, except text and URLs, which both open within the app itself. For URLs, there’s a built-in web browser which cuts out the need for launching Safari. There are ads within the web browser view, but that’s a small price to pay with an app as nice as this.

Tapping Share in the details view brings up a list of ways to get the information out of the app, including email, Facebook, Twitter and Copy to Clipboard. The Facebook and Twitter options post to the service without leaving the app, so once you’ve logged in the first time, it’s a one-step process from then on.

Like I said, QR Reader for iPhone is the best app of the five, so if you’re going to download just one code reader, make it this one. Happy scanning!

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• Shopping Matters When it Comes to Location-Based Apps
• Transient Apps: The Consumer Influence on Enterprise Mobility, Part 2
• Why Google’s “Favorite Places” Will Push QR Codes Into the Mainstream

Easy Books (Free)

Easy Books was anything but! For a business using strict accounting methods, I’m sure the application has merit, but for balancing your checkbook and tracking credit cards, it doesn’t cut it. The app gives you a variety of templates to choose from, but it was extremely confusing for tracking money coming into and out of accounts.

Annoyingly, all data must be entered by hand since there’s no direct bank download option. The in-app purchase option does give business owners the option to create invoices ($16.99) and track hours worked ($12.99) on the iPad, but without a desktop companion application, all your work has to be done on-device.

MoneyDance(Free)

MoneyDance acts as a satellite application to its desktop version ($49.99). Transactions can be edited and classified on the iPad, but account setup and transaction downloads must be done on your computer. Synchronization with the desktop was clunky, requiring you to type a very long string of alphanumerics to establish pairing, a process which wasn’t always successful.

As a cross-platform Java-based app, MoneyDance was slow and clunky and not very Mac-like. If all you want to do is modify transactions while away from your desktop, MoneyDance for the iPad will suffice, but otherwise, this app is probably one to avoid.

PocketMoney ($4.99)

PocketMoney has the potential to be a great financial management app. The program can stand on its own, and allows you to add accounts and transactions. Budgeting is included, as are options for in-app upgrades for charting ($2.99) and photo receipt tracking ($.99).

It also synchronizes with a full cross-platform desktop client. And though this release doesn’t yet allow for direct downloads from banks, the feature is slated for a future release. If you just want to track your checkbook and credit cards and don’t mind typing in transactions directly, PocketMoney is an excellent choice for the average user.

SplashMoney($4.99)

SplashMoney is by far the most powerful iPad financial app out there, and it’s extremely easy to use: a rare combination when dealing with money. SplashMoney can run fully independent of the desktop. Setup of accounts, budgets and reports can all be done on the iPad.

Unique among its competitors is the ability to download transactions from your bank while away from the desktop. The ability to fully manage credit card downloads while away from a computer is a killer feature. Obviously, printing of reports or registers isn’t currently supported by the iPad OS, but that will likely change in iOS 4.2.

Because SplashMoney fully supports .qif import and export, I can try it without commitment, but I suspect as time marches on, I’ll have a long-term relationship with this app.

PageOnce Premium($6.99)

PageOnce is a direct competitor in terms of both features and benefits to Mint. Unfortunately Mint doesn’t yet have an iPad app.  Like Mint, PageOnce downloads your transactions from your bank and credit cards in order to give you a dashboard view of your spending, and is nearly identical to its web counterpart.

No direct registers are supported and an Internet connection is required for usage. PageOnce take full advantage of the iPad’s real estate to give you a great overview of your financial situation. The application and its website counterpart don’t allow for budgeting or reclassification of transactions. Many users will find this annoying, but fortunately no commitment is involved, so you can test it out for yourselves.

Unlike Mint, PageOnce gives you a dashboard view of your entire digital life and includes your frequent flyer miles, gift cards, social media accounts, etc. If it can be accessed via the web, PageOnce has it. The Premium version includes the ability to password lock the application, and additional travel options.

I can’t recommend the free version because of the inability to secure the data in the app. Lovers of Mint will find this application just as sweet with a few extra benefits.

Overall, Splash Money seems to be the only mature application in the iPad financial management field and is the recommended choice. PageOnce is a great alternative or companion to existing applications out there, but shame on them for not allowing free users to lock and protect their data.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

• Who Owns Your Data in the Cloud?
• Can Anyone Compete With the iPad?
• How to Manage Consumer-Grade Collaborative Tools in the Workplace

Instant messaging apps on the iPad underscore the fact that the iPad is more likely to stay in my bag than be used while out and about. Very rarely do I have a serious conversation via IM, and I tend to use it as a form of text messaging while I’m on the train home or running errands. However, I do find myself using an iPad IM client when I’m using the device as an accessory computer. Often, while playing a game on my Mac, I’ll have the iPad next to me with an IM client open.

Last year, I wrote an article highlighting 10 Instant Messaging Apps for the iPhone. This year’s iPad version is slightly different. As with the iPhone apps, I found it really came down to BeejiveIM, IM+ Pro, and AIM, so I’m going to take a closer look at those this time.

Before I get to the analysis, here are a few explanations: Both BeejiveIM and IM+ connect to the usual services: AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, MySpace, Yahoo and Facebook. IM+ also connects to Skype chat and Twitter. AIM will connect to AIM, MobileMe, and Facebook.

Obviously, none of these will connect to any proprietary corporate IM service.

You can also change your background in both paid apps, but I find that to be of limited value.

Beejive IM ($9.99)

I’ll get the one big strike against Beejive out of the way early: It’s not a Universal app, so if you own the iPhone version, be prepared to pony up another 10 bucks.

Of the two paid apps, I feel Beejive has the better interface. The screenshot below is a sample shot, but under where it says “new chat” is where the list of active chats is displayed. It’s very easy to see who’s online and what chats you have going.

One feature BeejiveIM has that I couldn’t find in IM+ is the ability to e-mail the chat log. This is very handy if you need a record of the conversation. I’ve never used it, since most of my chats seem to be about why the Red Sox bullpen is imploding this year as opposed to discussions of actual work, but that feature may be necessary for those using IM on the iPad for business discussions.

I didn’t run into any major problems using Beejive, but I’ve seen reports of folks having crashing issues when they reviewed this on the App Store.I didn’t encounter any stability issues.

IM+ Pro ($9.99)

Unlike BeejiveIM, IM+ Pro is a universal app, so you can buy it once and it use it on both devices. I’m not a big fan of the interface, however. BeejiveIM has one window that shows active chat participants, the chat you’re typing in, and your contacts list, but with IM+ Pro, it’s a toggle between chat participants and contacts. It’s not a gigantic hassle, and the chat window itself is larger this way, so depending on your likes, it can be a wash. I did find myself warming to it over time. You can also send voice messages via this app. Also available (as an in-app purchase) is speech recognition for messages.

I mentioned it earlier, but it bears repeating: IM+ also connects to Skype chat as well as Facebook.

While BeejiveIM had no noticeable stability issues, I can’t say the same about IM+. One time I got an error when sending a message telling me the account was disconnected, but the account settings showed me still active. (I had actually dropped off, according to the person I was messaging.) I also noticed frequently it would say “reconnecting” when I launched the app to send a message, and according to my lucky test subject, I’d also dropped off the wire. It appears there may be some serious issues with this app staying connected, at least through Google Talk.

IM+ Lite (Free)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention IM+ has a free version. This version differs from the paid version in two notable ways: It doesn’t connect to Skype chat, and there are small ads at the bottom of your chat window. You also don’t get the ability to purchase of speech recognition in-app.

AIM (Free)

If you’re lucky and all your friends just use AIM, the free AIM app is likely all you need. My testing with this falls into the “very limited” category since most of my contacts are scattered across the IM service sands. Given that limited testing, I give it a cautious Mark Crump It Seems To Work Just Fine award.

Conclusion

Going into this, I felt this was IM+ Pro’s battle to be lost. Given that it’s a universal app, I hoped that would give it the edge. Unfortunately, the connection problems were too frequent for me ignore. Therefore, my choice in the multi-protocol IM client battle is BeejiveIM. Yes, it sucks you need to pay twice if you’ve got the iPhone version, but a lot of apps I own aren’t universal, so paying twice is something I’m grudgingly getting used to. If you just use AIM, then there’s nothing wrong with the free AIM for iPad app.

What iPad IM client do you prefer?

Related GigaOM Pro Research: Can Anyone Compete With the iPad?

Calorie Tracker — LIVESTRONG.COM ($2.99)

This application is an iPad version of Livestrong.com, a website developed by Demand Media and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (remember those ubiquitous yellow wristbands?). The iOS app is universal, and syncs your food diary among all your iOS devices and on the web.

Of all the apps I reviewed, Livestrong had the most extensive database of food and exercise. I was simply amazed at the details it had on various ethnic dishes and esoteric foodstuffs. You have no excuse for not counting your calories with this app, except if you lack an internet connection. Like many other apps, Internet access is required in order to track calories.

The user interface of the app features the standard yellow and black of the Livestrong brand, and is lacking in terms of pizazz. Every food entry shows up as a generic apple and any exercise shows up with a dumbbell icon. Although the application was best of breed in recording food and exercise, it made poor use of the screen size and power of the iPad. Still, this is the app I settled on for my own weight loss program due to its stellar database of information.

MyNetDiary — Food and Exercise Diary for iPad ($9.99)

Unlike Livestrong, MyNetDiary is a complete rewrite of their companion iPhone App, “My NetDiary,” and is sold separately. The use of screen real estate is outstanding, and the user interface is reminiscent of the top screen tabs of “Numbers.” Not only can you see what you ate for the day, but on the same screen you can see the calories, fat, carbs and protein breakdown to more accurately plan your next eating choice.

The other tabs in the app include “Plan,” in which you set your goals and calculate your Body Mass Index and your Basal Metabolic rate: two key factors in determining your weight loss strategy. “Exercise” is tracked in a separate tab and leaves rooms for notes so you can track how winded or refreshed you were after the workout.

Included with the app is a great little library of weight loss topics such as “the dreaded weight Plateaus” and “vegetarian diets.” Similar to Livestrong, the MyNetDiary website database requires internet access and syncs your data among your devices. MyNetDiary is an excellent use of the iPad features and is a great choice if you’d prefer a more feature-rich app, though with a slightly smaller food information database.

Calorie Counter by FatSecret for iPad (Free)

If you want most of the features of Livestrong and MyNetDiary, but don’t want to shell out the money, then FatSecret is the app for you. Fat Secret supports syncing to a website and other iOS devices and is ad-supported. This iPad-only app is very similar to its separate FatSecret iPhone counterpart, but uses the larger iPad screen to ease navigation and display more nutritional data.

Unique to FatSecret is the ability to scan or enter the barcode of the item you are eating and receive nutrition information if you’re connected to the internet. If you want to start tracking what you eat, but also want to save a few bucks, and don’t mind ads and a more limited food and exercise database, then this app is a great value.
GoMeals HD (Free)

For people who only want to track what they eat and have no desire to sync their food diary with other devices or a website, GoMeals HD might be the app for you. Unlike the previously mentioned apps, the database is accessible offline, making this app ideal for those calorie counters who don’t always have internet access.

The application is supported by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, but doesn’t have any direct ads. When the iPad is connected to the Internet, the map function will look up restaurants nearby so you can make healthy eating choices. This is a great free app for those needing basic calorie counting.

FoodTrackerPro – Daily Eating Log ($1.99)

If calorie counting isn’t your goal, and all you want is to be aware of what you eat, this universal app keeps things simple. Just click on the picture of the food group you ate from, mark the number of servings and you’re good to go. I’m not sure “sweets” count as a food group, but they’re included in FoodTracker.

This app contains no database and no syncing — just some pictures. The app might be good for those for whom literacy is a barrier to their calorie counting, and pictorial representations serve as a simple way to provide rudimentary tracking.

iFoodDiary($2.99)

For free-form entry of calories consumed, iFood Diary is a great app. Unlike Foodtracker, this is all about words. Write down what you ate, where you ate it, and any notes you want to add. Although the app doesn’t support syncing, it does allow you to email your diary to yourself and your nutritionist.

There you have it! Of course, none of these will actually remind you to log what you eat, but they should at least provide a helping hand on the path to weight loss.

Related GigaOM Pro Research: Why Apple Hasn’t Sewn Up the Tablet Market — Yet

I was first introduced to the world of tower defense games a couple of years back with the venerable Desktop Tower Defense. I do have to admit that I wondered if the whole idea of the game, placing various types of gun turrets to try and annihilate a group of small creatures/people before they can escape from you, might indicate some deep homicidal impulse on my part. But when I realized that the creatures where aptly named “creeps,” my worries dissipated.

When the iPhone came along it was immediately apparent to me that this was the perfect platform for tower defense games, with the touch screen an excellent way to place my maze of death. Sure enough the genre has sprouted no fewer than 49 different iPhone games for those who share my intense desire to keep creeps from crossing the screen. I’m not going to tell you which are my favorite, that will come later, but I am going to try and give you a complete snapshot of what’s available in the App store today. Because, let’s face it, if you don’t have at least half a dozen of these installed you’re not really exercising your homicidal instincts to their full potential.

geoDefense

Price: $1.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 4.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Futuristic Tron-like graphics, high-speed gameplay and path oriented maps.

geoDefense Swarm

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 4.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Same purposefully (I hope) unsophisticated, futuristic graphics as the standard geoDefense, but with an open field approach to maps.

TowerMadness: 3D Tower Defense

Price: $2.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: This games gives you a reason for your killing, to protect your sheep from aliens. Also you get a 3-D interface, although the graphics leave something to be desired.

Fieldrunners

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 4.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Fieldrunners offers a relatively vanilla tower defense experience, but is distinguished by its extremely smooth interface and high quality graphics.

Star Defense

Price: 99 cents (free “prelude” version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: This space-based tower defense game has you playing on small worlds that you can rotate and zoom into. The graphics are definitely the key feature here.

Dungeon Defense

Price: 99 cents (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: In this version of tower defense you play the bad guys, in the form of skeletons, and you kill the heroes. I kind of like that idea. There does seem to be a limited amount of gameplay, however, with only three skeleton types to place.

Sentinel: Mars Defense

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: You place towers to defend Mars from aliens. There seem to be a good selection of tower types and the graphics look impressive.

Sentinel 2: Earth Defense

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: The same idea as its predecessor Mars Defense, only this time the alien buggers are invading earth. Impressive graphics are once again the highlight of this tower defense game.

Navy Patrol: Coastal Defense

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: Tower defense on the water, you place your navy to defend against an invader. Graphics are not overly impressive and the interface can get a bit cluttered, but gameplay seems to be deep.

The Creeps!

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: This time the creeps aren’t just trying to innocently cross the screen, they’re trying to get under your bed! This take on the tower defense genre offers cute graphics and some interesting features like destroyable terrain.

TapDefense

Price: Free
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: Solid graphics and gameplay seem to be marred by some user complaints about advertisements. Still, it’s hard to argue with free.

7 Cities

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: Coastal tower defense, you build towers next to waterways to destroy invading ships. Towers can gain experience to get more powerful. The graphics are impressive and you can even build your own maps.

Battle Field – Nuclear Bomb

Price: $2.99 (free version also available)
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: A wide selection of towers, with 10 different types. There’s also a leveling system and, of course, nuclear bombs.

TowerDefense

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: Not available
Distinguishing Features: Cartoonish graphics look decent but the description is strangely short and there aren’t enough ratings to merit a score. I kind of feel bad for the developer.

A Bugs Defense

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 2 stars
Distinguishing Features: The premise is pretty simple, bugs are invading the house and you stop them with various insecticides. The graphics are cute and cartoonish. Unfortunately there seem to be some game-play “bugs” that bother reviewers.

SG Tower Defence

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 2 stars
Distinguishing Features: Graphics are… unimpressive. There’s a strange wooden background to everything and the towers and creeps look like something out of 1985, and not in a good retro way.

Besiegement

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Interesting mix of graphics for a fairly vanilla tower defense game. The point of view is different from most, and you do have a good selection of tower types.

Port Defender – 2D Tower Defense

Price: $1.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 2.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Not a lot special here, the graphics aren’t anything to swoon over and the selection of maps and towers are pretty standard.

Warp Defense

Price: Free
Current Rating: 2.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: I was a bit curious to see how the “warp” in the title would be implemented in the game, but it turns out it’s just a path-based tower defense game with laser-showesque graphics.

Dragon Slaughter Episode I

Price: $2.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Fantasy oriented game with excellent graphics. Interesting tower purchasing system requires you to combine orb types, with various strength and weaknesses.

Ninja TD

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: OK, there are Ninjas, what else do you want? Well, there also seem to be some beautiful graphics here, along with magic based ninja powers. Unfortunately your enemies are not pirates.

Moonlight Minions

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: Impressive graphics, with an underground path-oriented theme. Your “towers” are various fungal compositions, I’ll let you make what you will of that.

Garden War

Price: 99 cents (free version also available)
Current Rating: 4 stars
Distinguishing Features: A pest oriented tower defense game, in this one you defend your garden from various creepy buggers. Maps appear to be path-oriented and graphics are very good.

TriDefense

Price: $3.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: This version of tower defense offers decent graphics and some interesting features for example creeps can appear from anywhere on the screen and you can modify the terrain.

Bloons Tower Defense

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 4.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: In this path-based tower defense game you want to pop the escaping balloons, but you get to use dart-throwing monkeys to do it, sounds good to me.

Booom Brigade

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: An interesting mix of shooter and tower game. You get three types of troops to fire at the incoming creeps, but they don’t do it automatically, instead you have to draw their attacks onto the screen. Reviewers indicate it’s a hard proposition.

Defender Chronicles – Legend of The Desert King

Price: $3.99
Current Rating: 4.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Fantasy oriented path-based tower defense game with a leveling system for your general that gives you bonuses for troop types.

Zombie Attack!

Price: $2.99 (free version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: There are zombies, you need to kill them…pretty self-explanatory really. The best part is the hand drawn (as in pencil on lined paper) tower picker.

Tribal Trouble Tower Defense

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 2 stars
Distinguishing Features: Decent graphics and interface, but be warned that there’s only one level in this game.

Kill All Bugs!

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Basic tower defense game except the creeps are giant bugs. Graphics are nothing impressive, but there does seem to be a good depth of gameplay.

Hextop Tower Defense

Price: 99 cents (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Yes, it’s hexagonal, apart from that there’s nothing special here.

iDefend

Price: $1.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: A lot of gameplay with 36 levels, but you better be a fan of retro graphics.

Exal Tower Defense

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Features: A basic open field tower defense games with mediocre graphics.

Mote-M

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Another basic tower defense game, this one with path-oriented maps.

Nemesis Defence

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Features: Path-based tower defense game with a good selection of towers but only three different maps.

Circuit Defenders

Price: $1.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: The premise is that you’re defending a circuit board from viruses. The graphics are… not bad. The gameplay is endless, and by that I don’t mean that you will want to play forever (although you might) but rather that you keep on going until you’ve lost all your lives.

Retro Defense

Price: $3.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Retro arcade style tower defense game with path-oriented maps and 15 levels.

Sweetwater

Price: $2.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: This coastal defense oriented game features some very nice graphics and 3D effects. Be prepared, however, that this one is no pushover, reviewers rate it as one of the hardest tower defense games they’ve played.

Last Portal

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: The graphics are a bit simple, but well designed. The interesting feature of this game is that you need to defend a central point rather than a maze or a side of the screen.

Galactic Invasion

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: 2.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Your towers in this game are orbital emplacements to stop alien invaders from reaching earth. Unfortunately the interface seems a bit difficult to use.

INKoming

Price: $1.99 (free lite version also available)
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Interesting resource management features require you to turn towers on/off to make the best use of your capabilities.

touchDefense

Price: $3.99
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Simple but well designed graphics in this basic tower defense game.

Defense Station Touchable

Price: $2.99
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Average graphics and a pretty standard path-based setup without a ton of depth.

TowerDefend

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: Nice if you like old arcade graphics, but not much else compelling here.

Mars Defence

Price: Free
Current Rating: 2.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: Very basic from graphics to gameplay. Reviews indicate this is a work in progress.

Tides of War

Price: 99 cents
Current Rating: 3 stars
Distinguishing Features: A mix of real-time-strategy and tower defense. You have both units and buildings that you can deploy on the map to keep an invading horde of pirates from overwhelming you.

Power Towers

Price: $1.99 (free version also available)
Current Rating: 3.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: There seems to be a lot of depth to the gameplay, with nine tower types and eight different mission types. The graphics look like something from the DOS era, however.

StopTheBoxes

Price: $1.99
Current Rating: 1.5 stars
Distinguishing Features: The developer says it’s a tower defense game, some of the reviewers agree, but I sure can’t figure it out.

Defense Grid Companion

Price: Free
Current Rating: 2 stars
Distinguishing Features: The graphics look nice, but there’s not a lot of information from the developer, nor a lot of reviews. Of course it doesn’t cost you anything to give it a shot.

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Evernote (Free)

Evernote has quickly become the dumping ground for any information I come across on the Internet. I don’t even bother bookmarking anything anymore; I just clip it into Evernote. It’s very useful when I’m researching a paper — I’ll just tag an entry with the name of the paper, or create a notebook just for that class. Since Evernote keeps the URL for all clipped pieces, it’s very convenient when I go back to cite the work. I haven’t gotten to the point where it replaces a pen and paper notebook in class — or with my horrid handwriting, a text editor on my Mac. I do find myself combining the notes into an Evernote note. The iPhone app makes it very easy to reference a note in class, take notes, or clip URLs from Mobile Safari.

MobileMe iDisk (Free)

While I use Dropbox to sync my files between my Mac and my PC, the MobileMe iDisk app is forcing me to take a serious look at iDisk for cloud storage. It’s easy to throw files from instructors on my iDisk and view them on my iPhone. I take a ton of online classes and my instructors love PowerPoint. I can dump the syllabus, lectures, and any relevant PDFs on iDisk and read them on my commute. What’s also nice is it displays the files in whatever fonts were used in the document, even if they aren’t supported on the iPhone. You can also cache the most recently viewed files on your iPhone for viewing if you’re not attached to a network.

Quickoffice ($12.99)

The other app forcing me to look at iDisk is Quickoffice, which can read and write files to your iDisk (except iWork files and .docx formats — the latter coming in a future update). While I certainly wouldn’t want to write a full-length research paper on the iPhone, the app is handy for quick edits while waiting for class to begin or updating the syllabus when the darn teacher can’t make up his or her mind on when projects are due. Not that that’s ever happened to me, mind you. Quickoffice also has better text formatting than Evernote, so it might be easier to take notes on.

Things ($9.99)

Things has become my to-do manager of choice, especially when coupled with the desktop version ($49). Running you about $60 for the pair, it’s not cheap. Where it shines is in how easy it is to use. I’ll create a project for each assignment, and then group them in a big Area of Responsibility for each class. In class, I’ll update Things on my iPhone with assignments. Things also displays a badge showing how many items are due today — although, sadly, there’s no push notification for this

Peggle ($4.99)

Don’t look at me like that. Until you’ve had to sit through a four-hour slide show on History of Architecture, with a professor droning on about buildings, you can’t talk to me about playing Peggle in class. In all seriousness, Peggle is an incredibly addicting game where it is easy to play a level or three waiting for class to begin.

Since every time I run through a series of recommended applications I neglect to mention someone’s favorite app, now it’s your turn: what applications do you find you can’t get through a school day without?

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EyeTV Hybrid

Compliments of the folks at Elgato, this slick little TV Tuner Stick accommodates both unencrypted Digital and HDTV reception, as well analog reception. Weighing in at just 30 grams and with dimensions just a bit bigger than a pack of gum, the EyeTV Hybrid ushers in clear and pristine picture to the high resolution of your Mac. What’s more, EyeTV Hybrid also receives FM radio. Since EyeTV Hybrid is also a DVR (Digital Video Recorder), it can put your television recordings on your Mac, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV. And for gamers out there, EyeTV Hybrid also allows you to connect most game consoles to your Mac. Sweet.

ATI TV Wonder

The ATI TV Wonder HD 650 Series is a high-definition personal video recorder built just for your Mac (and even works on PC too). Not only is this particular model stacked with the latest in TV technologies such as noise reduction, 3D comb filtering and automatic screen control, but this mighty tuner packs a punch by offering edge enhancement through automatic color control, which produces sharp video that in theory, rivals high-end consumer television sets.

Slingbox PRO-HD + iPhone version

Never again will you be away from home and stuck with that terrible feeling of anxiety because you forgot to set your tuner to record that special program. With the Slingbox PRO-HD, you can watch and control multiple devices, including your standard or high-definition DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, or DVD player from anywhere in the world via your Mac or iPhone. Your high definition programming streams in HD quality for a truly stellar picture.

Pinnacle PCTV HD mini Stick

Pinnacle’s all digital Mini HD TV Stick (now owned and offered by Hauppauge Digital) brings an easy-to-use TV experience to Mac owners. Pinnacle TV for Mac HD mini Stick is a smooth, ultra-compact, USB-powered TV tuner that compliments Apple’s slim line of notebooks elegantly. Effortlessly watch, record and ‘TimeShift’ your favorite programs while the integrated signal booster improves reception sensitivity even if the signal isn’t very strong. Pinnacle TV for Mac HD mini Stick is available for digital TV reception and even comes with a mini remote control as well as a high-gain telescopic antenna.

Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 950 Hybrid TV Stick

Watch and record TV, in a window or full screen, with WinTV-HVR-950Q. This hybrid tuner brings over-the-air high definition ATSC digital TV plus analog cable TV effortlessly to your Mac or PC with either Elgato’s EyeTV Lite for Mac or Hauppauge’s WinTV v6 for PC. Use the scheduler to record your favorite analog or digital TV shows and play your TV recordings back to your MAC or PC screen any time.

HDHomeRun Networked Digital TV Tuner

Now you can watch TV from any computer on your local network thanks to HDHomeRun Networked Digital TV Tuner. Forget about the hassle of multiple TV tuners for individual computers in your household; now all you need is one. Easily record full 1080i broadcast resolution so that you can enjoy, pause, rewind and fast-forward live TV. With the added ability to schedule and record all your favorite TV shows, this tuner won’t ever let you miss anything again thanks to its integrated TV guide provided by the DVR software.

TubeStick QAM Hybrid

TubeStick hybrid is one of the few small TV receivers exclusively for Mac users. Encompassing two receivers for watching digital over-the-air HDTV or digital (Clear QAM) and analog cable television, the TubeStick QAM Hybrid combines both digital and analog television in one tiny stick and includes a white mini-antenna for reception of free-to-air SD and HDTV. TubeStick hybrid is available in the U.S. only.

Miglia TVMax

With a box just about as small and as stylish as an Apple TV or Mac mini, you are in control of your TV viewing: watch, pause, rewind, skip forward and record live TV. TVMax receives analog over the air (antenna) as well as analog cable TV. In addition, TVMax can also capture VHS tapes, allowing you to store them on your hard drive.

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In an effort to make your business trips (and really, any kind of trip) more manageable and efficient, I’ve put together a roundup of some of my favorite apps for the iPhone that can be used while on the road or in the air, and I hope that they’ll come to good use for your next trip.

TripIt (Free)
Briefly mentioned in my 10 Father’s Day Apps for Your No. 1 Dad article as a companion to the application TravelTracker, I only thought it would be fair to give this genius a close-up, because it’s just so darned worthy. Think of all of the itineraries and travel confirmations you deal with such as air, hotel and car — and multiply that by however many destinations you have in one trip. That’s a lot of paper juggling that I don’t need while I’m on route. Now there’s a way to keep and organize all travel documentation in one central accessible location — TripIt for iPhone/iPod touch.

Once you book your travel and have signed up on tripit.com (membership is free), just email your itinerary to TripIt’s designated itinerary email address, and in a matter of minutes, your itinerary will be read-in, parsed and displayed into your account like magic. Once you launch the TripIt application, you’ll see your confirmations displayed and organized elegantly and so efficiently, it’ll make your trip that much more effortless.

When you sign-up, TripIt collects some basic information about you, as well as multiple email addresses you might have, so that they recognize your emailed itineraries from wherever you’re sending it. Some things I noticed while testing is that your email confirmations have to come from a TripIt-supported site. All of the major airlines and hotels are on the list, and even if yours is not (Holiday Autos was not on the list for my car rental), you can simply add the info manually, and it will be displayed along with all of the other automated confirmations you might have already sent in.

Timing: The International Clock (99 cents)
If you’re like me and on the road (or in the air) quite a bit, working with international clients and suppliers and scheduling meetings for a foreign time zone from within a different zone than I’m used to can be a bit messy — but not anymore. I’d like to introduce you to one of my new travel companions called Timing by SplashData.

We’re all aware that our iPhones come with a standard (but pretty slick) app called Clock which allows us to track the current time of multiple cities around the world; but what happens when you need to know a specific future time of city A while in city B? Among other things, Timing takes the guesswork out about calculating time zones.

Now all I have to do is launch Timing on my iPhone and choose Time Calculator. I select the current city I’m in (or the city I will be in), along with the time I need calculated, and I can then select up to four other cities to view their respective times. Sweet.

1Password Pro ($5.99)
Previously, since there wasn’t a method of sending vCards from my iPhone, I didn’t bother sending them from my desktop, either, as a quick copy and paste from my address book did the job. To that end, I was quite guilty of storing sensitive data within those vCards, such as banking info and credit card numbers. With the recent release of iPhone software 3.0, we’ve all gained (or will soon gain) the ability of MMS and also sending contacts (vCards) via MMS or email. Since then, I’ve been scrambling to clean all the sensitive data out of my vCards and immediately began my crusade to find a new home for my sensitive data.

Like many others, I’ve always been reluctant of using third-party apps to store this kind of data. Discussed in Weldon Dodd’s Password Management Roundup article, Weldon effectively covered the major features of 1Password, and since then, Agile Web Solutions has revised the app for the iPhone, which is now called 1Password Pro, and it is my new confidant. The Pro version now includes a special easy switching mode that allows you to quickly copy and paste credit card info and usernames and passwords to other apps such as Mobile Safari; and they say more features are on the way. This is in addition to their already brawny list of invaluable features such as two-way Wi-Fi synchronization with the desktop application.

You now have at your fingertips, a two-layer defense (unlock code and master password) for your most sensitive data which include your electronic wallet (for all of your banking and credit card info) as well as passwords and logins to your most frequented (and secure) web sites.

1Password Pro is $5.99 for now, and will increase to $14.99 once the anticipated features are in place.

Remember The Milk ($25 per year)
Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a list nut. I keep lists for practically everything, and it was truly heaven-sent when I heard about Remember The Milk. Your business trip (or any trip) wouldn’t be efficiently organized without the best to-do list application around.

Remember The Milk is an online to-do list manager, which comes with a spiffy app for the iPhone or iPod touch. Use it as your packing list, your to-do list before trip and even your to-do list while on your trip. Remember The Milk isn’t like any other to-do application you’ve seen. You can create tasks based on locations so when you’re going about planning your day, you can easily map out each task location and follow the most practical route to complete those tasks when going from point A to point B. Among many other things, Remember The Milk also comes with your own inbox email address which you can use as a sharing point to collect tasks from other applications you might be using, so that all of your tasks are consolidated in one central location.

The best thing about Remember The Milk is that it integrates with a large number of popular online services such as Gmail, Twitter, AIM, MSN, Facebook, as well as SMS (if your mobile network is supported). What’s more, Remember The Milk now supports push notifications. With all of these reminder methods at your disposal, you would have to try really hard to miss a task.

iTranslate (Free)
Never again will you have to worry about being lost in translation, or having to hire an expensive personal translator — no matter where you go. The developers over at Sonico have come up with an application that allows you to translate over 42 different languages right on your iPhone.

The iTranslate engine is based off of Google Translate and is compatible with both iPhone and iPod touch. Now you can ditch the expensive and pesky human translator and travel with confidence.

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As this week comes to an end, tech watchers turn their loving gaze away from E3, and refocus their attention on the Moscone Center in San Francisco, which will host Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference beginning Monday, June 8.

Just like every year before it, we’ve seen many rumors circulate regarding what Apple will be unveiling at the media circus that is the conference’s kick-off keynote address. But as we all know from experience, a rumor does not a product announcement make. Here’s a look at what’s being said about what we’ll see at WWDC, organized by likelihood.

Bet the Farm

Because of the obsessive attention it tends to draw from devotees, Apple sometimes has a hard time surprising folks. As with most events, WWDC ’09 has some safe bets that have run the rumor mill gauntlet and been accepted as fact by some major industry players.

• New iPhone Hardware — I know it, you know it, and Walt Mossberg certainly knows it. It’s not a matter of if or when, it’s just a matter of what. A healthy list of potential iPhone features abounds, and they vary in their individual likelihood. As such, I’ll be listing them separately. The keynote Monday will see the announcement for a new iPhone, but don’t expect to get your grubby mitts on one until July.
• Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard — You won’t be able to buy it at or during WWDC, but we will see a version that’s as good as gold. Maybe not quite Gold Master, but a feature-complete, pre-release demo version that will finally end all our digging like animals through leaked developer preview screenshots posted on Russian tech forums.
• iPhone Camera, Storage Space — These two things will be improved with an iPhone refresh. Guaranteed. Anything else is less sure to occur.
• App Store Parental Controls — The settings pane already exists in the iPhone 3.0 beta preview software, but the corresponding ratings system in the App Store has yet to go live. Expect it to kick in following the official release of the firmware, which Apple has already guaranteed for June, and probably for WWDC.

Good Odds

These are likely to happen, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call them certainties. The MacBook one I’m preparing for financially, so I feel fairly sure it’ll go down.

• MacBook Incremental Upgrades — The unibody aluminum MacBook was released way back in October 2008, and hasn’t been touched since. Which means it’s just about time for a spec bump. Expect to see the notebook’s internals get their semi-annual update at WWDC, and then expect me to buy one.
• Steve Jobs Appearance — He may not be delivering the keynote, but the most respected, feared and revered CEO in recent memory doesn’t just plan for a June return to work and then sit out WWDC. Many suspect he may be part of the “team of Apple executives” that is backing up Phil Schiller for the keynote presentation.
• iPhone Magnetometer, FM Transmitter/Receiver — These are two new pieces of iPhone internal hardware that have gotten a lot of press, and seem to be fairly safe bets for inclusion in the new iteration. I also think they’re fairly safe bets because they’re not without precedent, as both have been included in other devices that compete with the iPhone (the G1 and the upcoming Zune HD, for instance).

It Could Happen

Some things remain firmly in the realm of possibility, despite there being little actual evidence to support them, and it not necessarily looking likely that they’ll make an appearance. Still, without the long shots, what would we have to look forward to?

• Large-format Touch Tablet Device — We all want one, and Apple knows it, and it wouldn’t have to abandon its high-minded ideals regarding netbooks to deliver one. Just give us a really big iPod touch. That’s all we’re asking for. We know you have one lying around, anyway. Put it into production. Please.
• $99 4GB iPhone — There’s at least some evidence to suggest this could really happen, and it comes from my native land. I’m not so sure about the front-facing video camera (iChat video) that is also listed on the same slide that Fido has for this model, but maybe that was just a typo. Apple does know you sell more things by making them cheaper, but it seems not to really mind that rule most of the time.
• iPhone Capable of Background Processing — Push notification is guaranteed, but many users aren’t satisfied with that, especially when the Palm Pre supports true multi-tasking. iPhone users don’t like being behind in any significant way, so it’s possible Apple’s next iPhone could pack enough processing power to support true multi-tasking.

Not a Chance

These are things you will not see, no matter how hard you close your eyes and wish for them to be true.

• Mac Netbook — Apple hates them, and in practice, our own David Klein also hates them. I don’t really like or use mine that much. A Mac version might be different, but I’m willing to bet it would still start being a dust-collector very quickly.
• iPhone Nano — This perpetually recurring fanboi’s dream will never be real. Deal with it.
• Verizon Partnership — Choice is a great thing, but iPhone users will have to go without for at least another year, as it doesn’t look like any Verizon partnership will be forthcoming in 2009. So much for selling twice the units.

Feel free to agree, disagree, and add your own predictions below.

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Books

Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK

This is the go-to book for beginning iPhone developers by Jeff Lamarche and Dave Mark. It takes you from downloading the SDK to creating your very own apps. The official page and support site: http://iphonedevbook.com/

Programming in Objective-C 2.0

This is the book to get if you’re just starting out programming. It assumes you have no prior programming knowledge before picking it up. It’s highly recommended for people who don’t know any programming and want to learn Objective-C. Not a lot of iPhone-specific stuff in this one, but a lot of this knowledge will carry over when you do want to create iPhone apps.

Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X

This book assumes you know a bit of C/C++, and it’s a really good book for getting started with Apple’s developer frameworks. There isn’t a lot of iPhone-specific stuff in this book, but a lot of what you learn carries over into iPhone development.

Pragmatic Programmers iPhone SDK Development

This book is in beta still, so you can only get the PDF. It was originally scheduled to be released by now, but they are updating it to include iPhone SDK 3.0. It’s still worth it to get the PDF. I’ve gone through it, and it is fantastic. The book is now set to be released in September.

The iPhone Developer’s Cookbook: Building Applications with the iPhone SDK

This book is full of code snippets that will help a lot of people with common tasks that Apple’s iPhone SDK doesn’t provide. There are some code blunders in this book, but luckily they’ve fixed the code and put it up here. They also have movies at this site that demonstrate what each mini-project does.

iPhone in Action: Introduction to Web and SDK Development

The iPhone in Action book covers both native and web programming in step-by-step tutorials. It’s a complete primer to iPhone development.

Blogs

Mobile Orchard

The best iPhone developer blog I’ve seen. It’s written by Dan Grigsby and Ari Braginsky. I recommend you start with the top posts on the right sidebar and go through all the archives. Pretty much all of the articles are gold.

iCodeBlog

This blog has some of the best iPhone app building tutorials on the web. They have newbie tutorials as well as multi-part advanced tutorials ranging from Hello World to game development. The “ToDo List Using SQLite” tutorial series is a good start for a new developer to learn a breadth of concepts.

iPhone Development Central

The meat of this site is the video tutorials. The videos are separated into different levels of complexity. Good site for audio/visual learners.

Dr. Touch

Dr. Touch gives us a mix of specific programming solutions as well his experiences with the App Store and his sales. The recipes section of his blog have really useful code snippets to help you build your app.

iPhone Development

Jeff Lamarche is also the author of Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK. He keeps his blog updated constantly with cutting-edge code and even a guide to surviving WWDC.

Keyvisuals iPhone Development

This blog isn’t updated as often as some of the others, but the articles that do come out are really useful. My favorite recent one is How to Detect Network Availability.

71squared

71squared has some great iPhone game development tutorial collections. It is updated quite often, and anyone interested in iPhone game development should check it out.

How to Make iPhone Apps

It’s a fusion of iPhone app marketing and coding. Most of the site is focused on marketing your app.

iPhone SDK Articles

This blog isn’t updated that much these days, but the articles are still useful. It’s 100 percent dedicated to code tutorials.

148apps.biz

Jeff Scott writes about various iPhone app marketing tips and analytics. The blog is focused on the business side of iPhone apps. It’s fairly new and looks very promising.

iPhone developer:tips

A how-to focused blog run by John Muchow. The posts are put together in nice bite-size pieces.

PrEV

Bill Dudney is an author/screencaster with the Pragmatic Programmers family. The books and screencasts he makes are good for beginners, but a lot of the stuff on his blog address more complicated coding issues and bugs in the SDK.

Podcasts/Screencasts

Stanford iPhone Application Programming Course

Stanford open-sourced its lecture, slides, and course material to the world. It’s available for free in iTunes. Watch the presentation by Loren Brichter of Tweetie fame when you get a chance.

Mobile Orchard Podcast

Awesome podcast series with iPhone app developers and their successes (and struggles) running iPhone app businesses. They always have A-list guests.

Pragmatic Programmer’s Screencast Series

If you’re more of a video learner, start with the Coding in Objective-C 2.0 and Becoming Productive in Xcode screencasts. Follow that with the five-part Writing Your First iPhone Application screencast. If you really want to get fancy with transitions and animations, check out the Creating a Compelling User Interface with Core Animation screencast.

Objective-C for Rubyists

Peepcode is usually known for its Ruby resources, but it has a great screencast that teaches you about Objective-C. It’s edited by Scott Stevenson of great Objective-C resource, CocoaDevCentral.

The App Show

Great conversations about everything related to iPhone apps. The podcasts are about an hour or so long.

iPhone Alley

The iPhone Alley Podcast is a weekly roundtable with different iPhone app media peeps and creators. Each episode is very entertaining.

Schenk Studios

This site has some great video tutorials — and a lot of them, too. He’s made 25 of them, including a sneak peek at some new 3.0 features.

Open-Source Libraries

Joe Hewitt’s Three20 Open-Source Objective-C library

Three20 is a collection of iPhone UI classes, like a photo viewer, and general utilities, like an HTTP disk cache. Three20 is derived from the Facebook iPhone app, which is one of the most downloaded iPhone apps ever.

Bullet Physics Engine

Bullet is a free, professional 3D game multiphysics library used in some popular games in the App Store.

Cocos2d Framework

Cocos2d for the iPhone is a framework for building 2D games for the iPhone and iPod touch. There’s a great community around this open-source engine, so there’s plenty of support to help you get your iPhone game out there.

Matt Legend Gemmell – Cocoa Source Code

Matt Gemmell has some great code out there for the community, including MGTwitterEngine, the Twitter API used in iPhone apps Birdhouse and Twitteriffic.

Appsamuck

An open-source collection of 31 mini-iPhone app projects to get you up and running fast.

Communities/Forums

iPhone Dev SDK

The greatest iPhone developer community on the Internet. Chris Stewart’s site boasts nearly 6,000 registered users. The forums are very active. You’ll find yourself visiting this site at least once a day.

Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow is a collaboratively edited question and answer site for programmers — regardless of platform or language. Every question asked on the site will almost always get a correct answer.

MacRumors Forums for iPhone Programming

Great community of developers on this forum. They even include some nice guides for getting started with iPhone development.

Conferences/Training

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

WWDC is Apple’s official developer conference. All the cutting-edge programming topics are taught here. The 2009 one runs from June 8-12. WWDC is the Mac daddy of all iPhone conferences. Get it? Mac daddy? I’m here all night, folks.

360|iDev

360|iDev is the premiere iPhone, iPod touch developer conference in the world. The next one will be a four-day event and will take place September 27-30, 2009 in Denver, Colo. They have a call for papers right now if you want to make a debut as a conference speaker.

Pragmatic Studio’s iPhone Development Course

Here you will learn how to build iPhone applications from experienced iPhone developers Bill Dudney and Daniel Steinberg in this four-day training course. The next one runs August 4-7, 2009 in Reston, Va.

iPhoneDevCamp

iPhoneDevCamp is the brainchild of Raven and Dom. The event format is “unconference” or Barcamp-style, featuring content from the participants themselves. There are satellite events held all over the country. The next one is this August.

Game Developers Conference

This conference is for all game developers, and there’s an increasing number of mobile app game developers. If you’re a game developer or want to be one, this is the one game developer conference to go to.

StackOverflow DevDays

This is more of a general developer conference, not just iPhone developers. The beauty of this conference is that it’s in multiple locations and dates, and it only costs $99. Plus, you get to hang out with Joel Spolsky.

Other Collections Of Resources

Apple’s Official iPhone Dev Resources

The Apple engineers give us a lot of information to get started with app development. There are a lot of resources that Apple provides including documentation, how-tos, videos, code samples and forums.

iPhone Flow

This site is updated daily with the best iPhone developer links on the web. It’s driven by the community submissions, and all the links are top-quality here. The site is maintained by the Mobile Orchard crew.

XCake iPhone Dev Resources

MattJ’s collection of iPhone developer resources. A lot of good stuff here including our very own Create A Drum App tutorial.

The Flying Jalapeno Lives

Great list of iPhone development blogs written by Corey.

Those are my favorites. I’m not a human Google, so I may have missed some gems. What are your favorite iPhone developer resources?

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uSonar (Free)

There are lots of apps available that let you keep up with your social networks while you’re on the go, but what about when you’re bored and want to find someone local to hang with? uSonar lets you know who’s around and what they’re up to, whether they are someone you already know or not. Members post “blips” about their activities and locations, then you can message them directly through your iPhone or iPod touch. Everything about uSonar is opt-in, so you’re in control of who can see where you are, or send you a message or email. You can even post anonymously if you’d like.

Loopt (Free)

If you want people outside your immediate location to be able to find you, try Loopt. This app lets you broadcast your whereabouts or send pictures to everyone in your social networks, like Twitter and Facebook. It works across all major mobile phone carriers and supports over 100 different models of phones so your buddies without iPhones can find you. It also integrates nicely with the review Web site Yelp, so if you’re stumped on ways to spend your Saturday afternoon, you can find something to do.

Hear Planet (Free)

If you like to go sightseeing when you travel, then you’ll love Hear Planet. It uses geolocation to determine where you are, then feeds you tons of information about the area’s landmarks, famous buildings, historical sites, and more via your headphones. More than just an audio tour guide, listen while you drive around running errands and you just might learn something you never knew about your hometown.

Whrrl (Free)

Some folks love micro-blogging so much that they want to document every minute of their day. If that’s your thing, let Whrrl help. Use your iPhone’s camera to snap pictures of your lunch, trip to the market, and visit to the dentist, uploading to Whrrl as you go. You can even add text and messages if you choose. Your location and micro-stories are shown on a map, which is really neat if you happen to be around other Whrrl users doing the same thing as you. Imagine attending the Super Bowl and updating the experience as it happens, while simultaneously watching someone else across the stadium do the same. Cool. If any of this sounds familiar, it’s a lot like Brightkite.)

Traffic ($1.99)

This app will let you know what the traffic conditions are like in your area and display them in list form or superimposed on a map. Traffic gives you details on how severe the traffic situations are — is there a 4-alarm fire with road blockage on Main Street, or a small fender bender with a slowdown due to rubbernecking? The app automatically locates where you are, but you can enter the location of your choice so you can get traffic conditions anywhere.

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These days, “going green” is all the rage. So it should be no surprise to anyone that “green” apps for the iPhone are, ahem, sprouting up all over.

I wonder though, with green-ness being such a trendy topic, are some developers just using the term as marketing? I gathered up the greenest apps I could find for my iPhone to see how much they might help me save the planet — and to see if they are true to the cause. The following are my findings.

Tips

I’m not the New Age, environmentally conscious type. Don’t get me wrong, I try to do the right things, but I’m not immersed in the movement, so to speak. But it’s my assumption that knowing how to do good for the environment is a combination of common sense and remembering the lessons taught on “Sesame Street.” In case you missed out on one or both of these key elements, the App Store carries a few free apps that give you tips for taking better care of the world around you.

• Go Green (free)
  Displays a tip each time you launch it. That’s it. I came across a useful tip or two that I hadn’t considered before.
• Green Tips (free)
  Displays a tip at launch. Hit the refresh button for more tips (though there are not many to cycle through). Email them off if you find them to be especially helpful — I didn’t.
• The Green Lemur (free)
  By far the most full-featured of these three. Search, add tips to favorites, or browse by category. I did find some interesting ideas here as well.

Measuring Up

What does your carbon footprint look like? How can you whittle down your personal impact on the environment, and maybe even put some extra green in your pocket at the same time? Glad you asked! While the following apps each have their own focus, each of them can help you figure out an answer to these questions. The best part is that if you truly give them a chance, you could start saving yourself some money while also lessening your impact on the environment.

• MeterRead ($2.99)
  Somewhat manual in usage (but then, no one said saving the planet would be easy!), use MeterRead to log your electric meter’s reading. You can log your readings and use them to predict your electrical consumption, and thus, your upcoming bill. Try to be more efficient, and maybe the next time you check the meter, your readings will hit below the projected usage. (More info on their site.)
• greenMeter ($5.99)
  My favorite of the bunch. Uses the accelerometer to determine the drag and resistance of your car/driving habits in real time. There are several usage meters to monitor, though real-time MPG has been my favorite. Really helps tune your driving for better efficiencies and fewer pointless emissions. (More info on their site.)
• shopgreen (free)
  By title, this doesn’t sound like it fits here, but it does. To use the app, just answer some questions about how you maintain your life. Answers that are good for the environment are tallied (like air-drying your clothes, or changing the furnace air filter), and the amount of CO2 you’ve saved is calculated. As a bonus, the CO2 savings gets you discounts at local, participating retailers for your efforts.

Shop Till You Drop

Shopping is shopping. If these weren’t free, I’d accuse them of capitalizing on the eco-friendly iPhone users. But they’re really just apps that help you find relevant retail locations nearby. I suppose if you used them to plan your route ahead of time, you’d put out fewer emissions driving back and forth.

• 3rdWhale (free)
  Much like other location-aware shopping apps (and dare I say, Google Maps?) 3rdWhale finds you businesses nearby (select walking, biking, or driving distances). So what makes it green? The resulting businesses are supposedly eco-friendly, allowing you to patronize those taking care of the world around us.
• Yowza! (free)
  Not yet out, Yowza! presents one of the more interesting ideas of the bunch. Also location aware, it brings up coupons for retailers nearby. So not only could it save you some cash, but it’s claim is that you can use the digital coupon right on your phone’s screen, rather than printing more paper that will just get tossed out.

Conclusion

In my experience, I wouldn’t say any of these are playing the “green” card for profit — they are all legitimately taking their own shot at saving the environment. Despite some being far less useful than others, (your mileage may vary, of course) their cause is still noble. If you’re thinking it’s time to give something back to Mother Earth, it can’t hurt to give any of these apps a try.

And of course, if you’ve got the goods on a green app that I missed here that’s made a difference for you, please share!

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In my business, I need to keep track of logins for clients as well as for my own use. I keep all my client information in Daylite forms or notes, where it’s linked to all the other information about that client. But what if you just want to keep passwords secure? And what if you want to share those passwords between machines? Or what if you want your password manager to integrate into your web browser? Or keep that info with you on your iPhone? Well then, here are five password management solutions for the Mac that may work for you.

1Password

I have been avoiding using a password management app for a long time. I guess I was a little suspicious of them, or reluctant to trust one app with all that info. I bought 1Password last year, and now I’m a total convert. The desktop app integrates directly into Safari and Firefox, as well as other browsers like Camino and apps like NetNewsWire. The plug-ins help you to capture login information as you enter it, or generate strong passwords as you create logins online. You can also quickly fill out logins and other forms with personal information like your address and/or credit card information that you store in 1Password. This integration with Safari and Firefox is what has me sold on 1Password. It’s so easy to use that I don’t notice it and I love that I don’t have to leave the browser to pull up my passwords like I do with the other solutions.

The iPhone app syncs with the desktop over Wi-Fi as long as both devices can see each other on the same network. The iPhone app implements a browser inside the app to enable auto-fill. You can also sync javascript bookmarklets to Safari that will launch in Safari on the iPhone and auto-fill your password on sites in the native browser. While this isn’t as secure as some other choices, it does make it possible to avoid having to switch back and forth between the password app and the Safari browser on your iPhone to type in a username and password manually.

You can sync your password file between multiple Macs by using the Mac OS X Keychain and MobileMe syncing (not recommended) or by using file-based syncing with Agile Keychain format (recommended). Instructions for file-based syncing using a couple of solutions are provided on the Agile Web Solutions web site.

1Password is $39.95 for a single user license or $69.95 for a five-license family pack. The iPhone app is free. There is a Palm OS app available as well.

SplashID

SplashID has been around a long time and is very well respected in Palm and Windows Mobile circles. The desktop app for the Mac provides password generation and syncing with the SplashID iPhone app. You can create items with custom fields and set the labels as you like. Several types are provided to group and organize items. You can launch web sites from within the app and it will auto-fill the form on the page (at least with Safari). It doesn’t capture login information from the browser like 1Password does.

While I was using it, I found myself missing the Safari and Firefox plugins from 1Password. The variety of items that you can store compares favorably, but I think the interface is a little rough. The iPhone app will sync with the desktop and includes a strong password generator. If you want to sync your info between your Mac and a Windows Mobile, BlackBerry or Symbian device, this is your only choice.

SplashID Desktop can compare entries between two password databases and sync the results to both copies.

The cost for the desktop app is $20. The iPhone app is $9.99. There is a free Lite version of the iPhone app that is limited to 15 entries to try it out.

Password Wallet

Password Wallet works with your desktop and iPhone. The desktop interface is minimal and unobtrusive. Some may like the narrow window used to list items stored in the wallet file. You can also keep multiple wallet files, each with their own master password, if you have need for that feature. Clicking on a URL will open the page in the default browser and hover a window with auto-fill options over the browser. This works great for launching sites from within Password Wallet, but I still resent having to leave the browser to start that process. Seriously, once you’ve tried 1Password’s method on the desktop, there is no going back.

The Password Wallet iPhone app implements its own browser in the app to enable auto-fill. If you want to use Mobile Safari, you’ll have to switch back and forth.

The Password Wallet desktop app is $20 and the iPhone app is currently free.

Wallet 3

Wallet is one of the most polished desktop apps on the Mac. The user interface is very accessible and will look familiar to anyone who has used Address Book on the Mac. It follows the same three-column layout with large “+” buttons at the bottom of the first two columns and an edit button below the third. You can create custom folders in the first column to group entries, but an entry can only belong in one group. You can use the notes to tag entries as the search bar will look in there along with other fields.

The desktop app will auto-fill login forms for your default browser if you launch the page from within Wallet. The iPhone app syncs with the desktop app through MobileMe. If you don’t have a MobileMe account, you are out of luck for Mac-to-Mac syncing. iPhone syncing can still be accomplished over Wi-Fi.

The Wallet desktop app is $20 and the iPhone app is $3.99.

KeePassX

KeePassX is an open-source GPL project that is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. There is no iPhone app and there is no integration with web browsers on the Mac. Still, the databases are compatible between different platforms so KeyPassX is a good solution if you need to copy your password database around for access from different systems. It’s also free, which could be a huge plus for some.

1Password is for Me

1Password is definitely the best solution for my needs. It lets me capture login information in the browser itself, I don’t have to leave the browser to use auto-fill, and I can use it for web forms that need other information like my home address or credit card (I’m still not using the credit-card section; old habits, I guess). The iPhone app will do auto-fill with an embedded browser or the native Safari browser with the javascript bookmarklet (less secure but more convenient). If you need BlackBerry or Windows Mobile support, check out SplashID. Wallet works great if you have MobileMe and KeePassX is perfect for those that want to keep their password database in sync across platforms.

If you’ve been holding out for something like RoboForm on Windows, 1Password is as close as it gets — at least until RoboForm finally fills this Senior Mac Developer position they’ve had open for a while now.

For the next versions of these products, I would love to see a tagging feature so I can keep a taxonomy of tags for entries rather than just free-form notes. I would also like to to see a system where an entry can belong to multiple groups so I could file an entry under both a client name, a project, and a service provider, though tagging would accomplish the same thing.

What password management app do you use?

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The weekend seems to have rolled up super-fast, so welcome one and all to the Weekly App Store Picks.

Before we jump in to this week’s apps, let’s take a gander at recent happenings in the world of Apple.

First up, as a frequent tweeter, I was pleased to learn about desktop tweeting without a client app earlier this week. Check out the article for a helpful how-to guide.

Mid-week it all kicked off iPhone-style! Countering Apple’s recent anti-jailbreak actions, the Electronic Frontier Foundation submitted a 15-page exemption request to the U.S. Copyright Office. Hit up our post for the low down.

With timing that implied that their next-action was some kind of nonsensical retort, Apple clenched their fists, stomped their feet and promptly rejected the latest South Park game from the App Store.

Moving on to the apps, this week I’ve been looking at FrostyPlace, geoDefense, GooSync, Bowman, technoBox and Shooter.

FrostyPlace (free)
By installing this app, Apple’s ultra-cool Japanese emoticon set — Emoji — are activated on your iPhone. Simply download the app, open it once, close it and then go to Settings, General, International, Keyboards, Japanese and switch Emoji on. Now try sending an SMS, click the globe icon, you’ll have access to a cavalcade of Emoji. Absolutely awesome, essential, legal and free!

geoDefense (99 cents)
There is an overwhelming array of tower defense games available at the App Store. Some are downright awful and a minority are good fun. This app, geoDefense, is a clever twist on a confusingly saturated genre. The game plays out like a puzzle: as the vectorised baddies follow a set path through each stage, you have to work out the optimal tower configuration to defeat each enemy wave. It’s cheaper than many of the other apps, wonderfully stylised and a serious challenge too.

GooSync+  ($14.99)
GooSync+ syncs your Google Calendars, contacts and ToDo lists and is a seriously pricey app, especially for what it is, given the other options available. The problem is that Google’s iPhone and touch web-app support is pretty good — Gmail works perfectly (and is apparently going to feature offline mail in a future update), tasks is now available for iPhone too and users wishing to sync their actual iPhone Calendar with their Google Calendar can do so for free already.

Bowman (99 cents)
My current online game of the moment is Globulos — my user-name is Olly for any readers looking to challenge me — unfortunately, it’s not on iPhone as yet. However Bowman, an online time-waster that I have consistently returned to over the years, has just hit iPhone and touch. Seriously low on graphical flair (you’re a stick man with a bow and arrow), where it really shines is the gameplay — drag the arrows back before launching them at unwitting silhouetted ducks. So simple and so very satisfying as your arrows thunks in to a bird which then plummets to the ground in a shower of blood.

technoBox ($9.99)
I adore electronic music and, as such, there’s a special place in my heart for Roland’s TR-808 and 909 drum machines. If you’re not too familiar with what I’m talking about, go watch this video of the TR-808 in action, bask in its glorious rhythmic awesomeness. Developed by AudioRealism, creators of various pro-level audio plugins, technoBox recreates the 808, 909 and also 303 bass machine. The even has a sequencer and a raft of variables for creating awesome blippy techno tracks whilst on the go.

Shooter (99 cents)
Finally! It’s the official Shooter game, a perfect companion to the movie. You know the movie, right? The one that came out two years ago, featuring nobody we’ve actually heard of except that moderately-talented actor from the Funky Bunch? Yeah, that’s the one. Frankly, I have no clue why this game is tied in with the movie, its not like there’s a marketing bandwagon it could jump on to. It doesn’t even seem to feature Marky Mark’s likeness. The game itself is quite good fun though — it’s like sniper mode from Counter Strike — and, for the price, it’s definitely worth downloading.

That’s all for this week, I’ll be back next Saturday, in the meantime, drop by the comments and let me know what you’ve been downloading (and enable those Emojis!).

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Baseball (free)

If you follow baseball, then you know half the fun of the game is talking about player stats. When a player steps up to the plate, guesses on what they are about to do are largely based on what they did during their last at bat, last game, and last season. Keep statistics on each player right at your fingertips with Baseball. Stats go back as far as 1871 so the next time you’re having a friendly argument about whether Evan Longoria is the next George Brett, you’ll have hard, cold data to back you up.

NFL Live (99 cents)

Predictably, there are around eleven billion football apps in the App Store. I’ve probably tried most of them, but my top pick for this category is NFL Live. It corrals all the news from ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, and Fox Sports in one place and even features offline browsing. NFL Live tracks scores in real-time and also allows you to email links right from the App.

Soccer Now (free)

Though soccer fans are constantly overshadowed by the NFL (the other football) in the U.S., that’s not the case in the App Store. There are loads of great options for soccer enthusiasts to choose from, but my favorite is Soccer Now. It tracks scores and news from both Major League Soccer (MLS) and the English Premier League. Use it to access schedules, check team rosters, and even interact online with other soccer fans.

Fanball.com Fantasy News and Updates (free)

Hardcore sports fans spend a day or so grieving over the end of the season, then immediately start planning their fantasy teams for the following year. Fanball.com has released an app that gives in-depth player news for NFL, MLB, NHL, and the NBA. It’s updated every single day of the year to provide fantasy team owners with the latest on injuries, trades, and cuts. This app also includes a section called “Our View” where Fanball.com staff gives opinions on how news affects fantasy players.

Races! Plus (99 cents)

Whether you’re into NASCAR, Indy, Formula One, or even your local auto racing teams, you’ll find the information you need with Races! Plus. This app lists events by type, venue, day of the week, or general geographic location. Use Races! Plus to mark the events or locations you’re partial to as favorites, get news for all the major auto races, and even publish information about your local event so fans can find you.

EZ Gps Golf Lite (free)

It would be easy to create an app designed exclusively to report golf scores and standings, but EZ Gps Golf Lite gets my vote for best golf app because of its ingenuity. After you’ve clobbered the ball across the green and then walked (or driven your cart) to it, this app uses your iPhone’s integrated GPS to figure out what the distance of your last drive was and how far it is to the next green. Some golf courses are pre-loaded or you can create your own right at the developers’ Web site.

Pro Hockey Insider (99 cents)

This app for hockey fans stands out from the others because is has video highlights from past games (shouldn’t that be a standard feature in all pro sport apps?). Pro Hockey Insider also gives you access to news from around the league, player stats, schedules, and team standings.

Pro Basketball Scores (free)

This handy app tracks scores, news, and player stats for all the teams in the NBA. It’s a rather basic app, but it has a cool native chat feature that lets you talk with other fans during games. Plus, you can designate teams as favorites so you can access their scores with one click.

iTeam ($1.99)

If you’re on a local sports team or coach little league, you know it’s tough to track contact info and important data on the players. Use iTeam to keep everything organized in one place, including game schedules, results, and history. iTeam will even automatically email team members important game information. This app supports baseball, hockey, and football teams of course, but it even helps you manage cricket, lacrosse, and rugby teams as well.

The Score (free)

If you’re a mulitfaceted fan who keeps track of lots of sports, you must get The Score. This free app tracks scores in near real-time for everything from football and baseball (pro and college), to soccer and golf. The Score also offers news headlines sorted by league, player stats, and even betting odds in case you’re into making friendly wagers.

This list only scratches the surface of all that are available in the App Store. What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments.

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