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Technically Speaking: Smart Phone Smarts
Fine-Tuning Your App Awareness
By Ashlee Verba
Okay…we know “there’s an app for that,” but what exactly is an app? We’ve been hearing the phrase since the release of the iPhone, but apps are still a relatively new and developing technology. For those who are completely unfamiliar with the term and/or function, “app” stands for application, which is a downloadable program for Internet-capable cell phones, specifically iPhone, BlackBerry and some Palm models. Aimed at both fun and functionality, apps provide quick, anywhere access to navigational tools, eBooks, games, stock tickers, Web pages and much more. To the not-so-tech-savvy, the prospect of joining yet another techy revolution may seem unattractive, at best, but in all actuality, apps are simple to download, user-friendly and can truly make one’s life easier. Here’s a crash course on how to get app-happy and stay that way.
Apps for All
There really is an app for everything. Need a quick recipe? Consult a chef application that can not only walk you through that Asian Salmon recipe, but can automatically add necessary ingredients to your shopping list, too. Lost in New York City? A navigation app can give you step-by-step directions for finding the subway that will get you where you want to go. For those who love Star Wars, the Light Saber app is great fun. Flick your phone down to release the colored light beam and listen to the “wherrr” “whaa” as you move your pseudo-saber like a Jedi. The Fake Call app allows you to create a fake contact and have “them” call you on-demand, perfect for interrupting your co-worker’s story about her infamous fruit ambrosia.
No doubt one or many apps will sound appealing to you, but there are a few things you might want to know before you jump head first onto the app-wagon. For starters, apps are device-specific, meaning that iPhone apps are only for the iPhone and BlackBerry apps are intended for BlackBerry phones. Depending on where you download from and what you want, the cost of an application can range from free to $30. (A few insanely advanced apps can cost quite a bit more.) To avoid wasting time and money, make sure you’re downloading for the right smart phone before you buy.
App-rehensions
Like all new technologies, users and programmers are learning that apps have glitches worth being wary about. The main concern with apps right now is the idea that they may be doubling as spyware, meaning they “phone home” with certain demographic information. The company getting the most flack for this right now is Pinch Media, Inc. Pinch apps give users the option to allow the company to use their geographic information to create statistics for Pinch. However, the user is not asked just once. It is a repeated question that essentially annoys the user into submission. Once the user finally hits “Allow”, the app then transfers that user’s geographical location to Pinch Media every single time the app is launched.
Doesn’t sound like too big of a deal, right? It wouldn’t be if that were all the information they got. If the phone is registered with Facebook or any other networking site, the app developer may be getting more than you agreed to, like your age, sex and birthday. Though it sounds like an intentional scam, Pinch is a reputable company whose intentions are only to analyze, which is why Apple still allows Pinch Media to upload applications to their app store. Since there aren’t any official tips on how to avoid a Pinch app in your phone, the best advice would be to always hit “Don’t Allow” when prompted with any question while running an app. If the program continues to pester you, uninstall the application.
Deletion Downers
Here’s another issue that’s got some users fired up: In the fine print, phone corporations reserve the right to veto and/or remotely delete apps from your phone at their discretion. This is usually done after a glitch is found, but sometimes the company doesn’t even need a glitch. Apple, for example, rejected an app called Eucalyptus because it contained the eBook The Kama Sutra, which Apple deemed to have “objectionable content.” The same issue occurred when unauthorized dealers released George Orwell’s 1984 in the app store. Both apps have since been re-admitted into the online store, but not before they were deleted from user’s phones. Though there’s truly no way to tell which apps companies will consider unacceptable, you can avoid the deletion of data from your phone by asking yourself if it could be potentially offensive to anyone before downloading it. If the answer is yes, you may want to skip it for the time being; or go old school and opt for a hard copy instead.
Third Party Threats
Any ol’ user can create and submit apps for download. Because they aren’t created by the actual software company, these “third party” apps can, in some cases, become an electronic nightmare. Apple does approve of and sell many third party apps in their online store; it’s the third party Web sites that require you to key a “jailbreak” code into your phone before downloading their apps that can be troublesome. CYDIA, for example, is a Web site that offers countless third party applications, but is NOT endorsed or sponsored by any smart phone provider, and therefore not scrutinized for inappropriate content or glitches. While it might be tempting to “jailbreak” your phone, some users have reported lost memory and data as well as depleted battery power after downloading in this manner. Use caution when downloading off of Web sites other than Apple (www.apple.com), BlackBerry (www.blackberry.com) or Palm (www.palm.com). Think Napster versus iTunes; would you rather download applications directly through Apple or try your luck with a random dot-com? You paid good money for that smart phone, always try to go with the more reputable site.
If you’re simply not the trusting type, Swebapps.com is an affordable alternative, allowing you to create your own app either for business or pleasure. Swebapps offers a few advantageous options such as AppTracker, which allows you to track and analyze data related to your app, like how many times it’s been downloaded and which buttons are used most.
Overall, apps most definitely have good intentions and purpose–there are just a few kinks that need to be worked out. But if you’re curious, shop around. With thousands of apps on the market, you’re sure to find at least one to serve some specific need. If only there were a guide to picking your perfect program…is there an app for that?
Top Tens
Although Apple’s AppStore offers thousands of applications, here’s a list of Time Magazine’s Top 10 Apps of 2008:
• Pandora Internet Radio: Music site that streams music it thinks you would like based on your already-built playlist.
• Around Me: Uses geo-location to locate you and places around you (gas stations, restaurants, hospitals, etc.).
• AP Mobile News Network: Essentially delivers all things reported in the news.
• Ocarina: A playable imitation of the ancient flute-like instrument.
• Wikipanion: Wikipedia made iPhone-friendly.
• Adrenaline Pool Lite: A virtual pool table.
• Instapaper: Consolidates bookmarked Internet articles that you are interested in but didn’t have time to read.
• NetNewsWire: An RSS reader–basically, a subscription to a Web page that automatically updates on your phone when the site does.
• iTalk: Voice recorder with options. (Perfect for journalists.)
Fake Calls: Allows you to enter a fake contact into your phone and have it call you on-demand.
