My 20 Most Used iPhone Apps

culture, Social Media

Below is a list of the iPhone apps I use most.  It’s not the sexiest list, but they’re full of real-world use.  Enjoy!

 

Daily Tracker – I use this app to track just about everything, from my personal devos to exercise and spending. It’s great for those who are trying to get more disciplined.
Dictionary.com – I like to know what words mean. Does that make me a nerd? Maybe, but at least I can look them up in style with a massively helpful app.
Dropbox – Sharing files among devices doesn’t get much easier. The cool thing about Dropbox is that you can read word processor files and pdfs without needing a seperate reader. I keep a few sermons in my Dropbox just in case.
Ego – I like to keep an eye on my clients’ (and my own) social media properties and this little app lets me do it all in one place.
Evernote – Because the best ideas come at the worst times, this app lets me jot down and organize mine while syncing them between devices. From sermons to blog posts, they usually start with an Evernote.
Facebook – If you’re not using this one, you’re either not on Facebook or you don’t have an iPhone/iPod Touch.
Google Search – This should come pre-installed. On almost a daily basis, I’ll do a quick voice search to answer whatever nagging question is on my mind, like “How old is Bob Barker?”
Hipstamatic – Rather than adding retro effects after the fact, this app turns your phone into a vintage toy camera. Swap out lenses and film types to get some massively cool effects. You can even order paper prints online.
Lose It – After years of trying to drop that last 10 lbs, Lose It helped me finally do it. Plug in your goals and it will give you a calorie allowance. Keep track and you’re on your way. I use it to maintain weight now.
MobileRSS Free – There are prettier RSS readers out there, but I like this one for it’s ability to sync with my Google Reader account. You can also Tweet or email your favorite posts.
Netflix – If you have Netflix, you HAVE to use this app. Stream anything from their instant library right to your phone. I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of nights watching episodes of MST3K while laying in bed.
Olive Tree Bible Reader – There are more popular Bible readers out there, but I like Olive Tree for it’s simplicity and ease of use. Also, you can purchase books so that you don’t have to be online to read them.
Pandora – Create a radio station that plays only your favorite music and listen for free. What’s there not to like? This is the kind of thing car stereo aux inputs were made for!
PolyTune – By far the best guitar tuner for the iPhone. If you’re a guitar player, you know how bad it stinks when you need a tuner and there’s not one to be found. Now you can always have one on you.
Skype – I have to spend LOTS of time on the phone, with many calls going well over an hour or two. Skype lets me talk away without using a single cell phone minute. A must have for keeping those mobile phone bills low.
Todo – Nothing really glamorous here. A task list app that syncs with my iCal task list.
TuneIn Radio – The absolute best radio app I’ve ever seen! Tune in to broadcast stations from all over the world AND online stations. Bookmark them for easy access. You can even record shows to listen to later.
Twittelator Pro – Hands down the best Twitter client I’ve ever used (and I’ve tried a LOT!) Upload to Twitpic/Twitvid, manage multiple accounts, follow lists, shrink urls, translate foreign tweets, and more.
WhitePages – Find people and business, get directions, etc. You can even do a reverse phone number lookup to see who called you, but didn’t leave a message.
Yelp – A great way to find restaurants, shops, etc. nearby. Read reviews to see what others think before going in. Also has a social media component for sharing your own opinions and experiences.

What are the iPhone/iPod touch apps you use most?  Share some of your favs in the comment section below!

Really? Solitaire?!

Christ Following, prayer

Before I saw the light… er… switched to Mac, I used to build my own computers.  Yep, I loved to pick all the right components and put together a rig that was raw power.  One that could edit videos without a hiccup or play any game I could throw at it.  Sure it was time consuming and frustrating at times but the satisfaction of putting together a real hot rod of a machine was worth it.

Consequently, when you’re the guy in the family with the nerd skills, your phone often rings with questions from family members about which computer to buy.  Usually my computer shopping relative would already have a machine in mind that was a ripper, a real Cadillac of a PC and they just wanted to know what I thought about it.  100% of the time I would ask the question, “What are you going to do with it?” and, most of the time, the answer would be, “You know, play Solitaire, check my email.”

That would be where I had to fight back that queasy feeling in my stomach.  You know, that feeling that makes me want to yell, “Are you kidding me?!  You want to fork over a thousand bucks so you can play Solitaire? Why don’t you just buy a deck of cards?!  Don’t you know all the cool things you can do with that computer?  What a waste!”

PCs aren’t the only thing suffering from the syndrome of massively unused potential.  One trip to the iPhone app store and you’ll find that the top selling apps are simple games like Tetris and Angry Birds.  You can run a business, edit video, and explore earth from satellites in space on the iPhone but people prefer to play “Plants Vs. Zombies”.

It makes me wonder if this phenomena isn’t spilling into our faith. The life Jesus says he came to give us (John 10:10) is life, abundantly, to the fullness, rich and satisfying!  So why does “abundant life” seem to be the exception rather than the rule? Why do so many believers I know still struggle with the same baggage they did before they were saved?  Why is Christianity for so many just a list of things they shouldn’t do and a series of weekly meetings they must attend?  It’s no wonder countless Christians eventually give up, coast, or drop out.  What’s the deal?  If God is making this awesome life available to us, then why are so many satisfied with just playing Solitaire?

I have a couple ideas about this.  In Philippians 3:8 Paul calls knowing Christ his “infinite value”.  Some translations read “surpassing greatness”, “best thing of all”, and my favorite “nothing is as wonderful“!  Allow me to give you the Lee Bezotte translation to this, “Abundant life comes from knowing Christ.”  But wait, there’s more!  “knowing Christ comes through prayer.”  There, I said it and now I feel better!  Christianity without prayer is like playing Solitaire on a 12-Core Power Mac. You’re wasting all the good stuff!

It’s prayer that brings us into relationship with Jesus!  It’s not a homework assignment or another thing to check off our discipline list.  It’s an invitation to connect with our creator!  Who wouldn’t want that?!

OK, I’m about to wrap up but I just want to add one more thing.  Many times, when my relative’s computer would arrive, I’d go over to their house and help them get all set up.  When I did, I’d take a few minutes to show them all the cool things their new computer would do.  Their eyes would get bigger and I could see the light bulbs going on over their heads.  They never knew!  But when I showed them, it got them excited about using their new computer to it’s full potential.  I think most believers never get to that “life abundantly” because no one ever shows them it can be so incredible.  If we’re going to have praying churches, then we have to have praying pastors. If believers are to know what a “rich and satisfying life” looks like, it needs to be modeled for them.

So where are you?  Have you discovered the “best thing of all”?  or are you just playing Solitaire?

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