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The World in My Pocket: Reference Tools
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Having information at your fingertips at all times is probably the greatest advantage of any smart phone. Anywhere that you have cell signal then you have access to information. What makes the iPhone so great is not the device itself, it’s the apps. There are tons of resource apps available for the iPhone and here is a sample of the ones that I use.
Analytics Lite (free; premium version available) - Analytics Lite is developed based on Google Analytics API. You can browse and manage your Google Analytics accounts but you can’t see the current day or change the date range. Good for browsing recent past Google Analytics data.
Around Me (free) - I am sure most of you have seen this app but as with others, I am sharing just in case someone hasn’t seen it. AroundMe allows you to quickly find information about your surroundings. Need to find the closest bank, bar, gas station, hospital, hotel, movie theatre, restaurant, supermarket, theatre or taxi? They are at your fingertips! You get a complete list of all the businesses in the category you have tapped on along with the distance from where you are. For every listing you can choose to see its location on a map, view the route from where you are, add the information to your contact list or even email the information to a friend. The Nearby listing allows you to find information using Wikipedia about what is around you.
Constitution (free) - I think it’s important for anyone to know and understand their constitutional rights. Now you can have them right in your pocket. It’s a simple app that does nothing more than provide you with a copy of the Constitution including all Articles and Amendments along with notes showing which Articles have been superseded or affected by which amendments. Great reference tool!
Dictionary.com (free) - I use this app a LOT! From looking up words or their alternatives while blogging to just simply looking up a word I have heard but need more information on, this app always comes through for me. This app requires no Internet connection to look up words but because of that you need to be very patient while it loads and installs as there are over 1 million words it has to download along with more than 90,000 synonyms and antonyms.The official iPhone app from Dictionary.com is another app that is fairly straightforward and simple. It does include both a dictionary and thesaurus as well as an English and Spanish Word of the Day.
FreeSaurus (Free) - Sometimes I can’t find just the right information with the Dictionary.com app. When that happens I head for the FreeSaurus button. FreeSaurus also offers definitions, synonyms and antonyms and really only differs from the Dictionary.com app in that it needs an active Internet connection.
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Kindle (free) - I love the Kindle app and read often with it. With an app like this on a device that allows you to do so much more I can’t see why anyone would ever buy a Kindle device. You create an account at Amazon, find a book you want to buy from the list of Kindle available books, download it and off you go. You can insert bookmarks, scroll from page to page, jump to chapters and change the font size. I love it!
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SpeedTest (free) - Simply what it says, test the speed of your data connection on your iPhone. I use it a lot!
SQLSchool ($0.99) - run Sql commands right on your iPhone/iPod with this app that uses the Sqlite database engine internally. You can look up SQL tags in the provided reference. For those needing a refresher on SQL this app isn’t bad but it isn’t for beginners. There is room for improvement but it could come in handy.
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TED (free) - A friend of mine named Rusty Wright showed me this app about three months ago and I have been addicted ever since. TED Talks is a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading”. They have been around since 1984 as a conference and their probably best known for their website at www.ted.com. I remember being an avid fan during my days at Murray State’s Kentucky Academy of Technology Education but I didn’t know about the iPhone app until Rusty showed me the app during our app sharing dinner one night in Murray. Look, just get this app and give it a spin. There are incredible things to learn here.
Here is an example of one of my favorite women on earth, Temple Grandin, giving a talk about “thinking in pictures.” Temple is an amazing human being!
Who Called - (free) - One of my most used apps. Did you receive a call from someone you don’t know? This dead simple app will help you out. Simply open it, tap the screen, enter the number you want to look up and the information is returned. Sometimes you just get generic information returned like a land line from a specific city or cell phone from a specific city but at least you know more than you did before you looked. Identify telemarketers and phone spammers using the ‘Report Received Call’ button. Reporting telemarketers, phone spammers, and annoying unknown callers helps us identify who is abusing your phones. The reverse phone lookup powered by White Pages.
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Wikipanion (free) - Very easy to use app that provides Wikipedia information on the go. Love it!
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World Factbook Lite ($0.99) - Want facts on over 250 countries at your fingertips? Here it is! This app provides general information on each country like population, birth rate, GDP, cellular phone users, Internet users, military expenditure, percentage of agriculture/industry/services, unemployment rate, import/Export, public debt, education expenditures, ethnic groups, legal system, and so much more. A great reference tool!
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ZIPcodes (free) - the ZIPcodes app allows you to browse or search ZIP codes and the corresponding city/state/district/country data on your iPhone or iPod touch. It doesn’t require data connection to look up the ZIP code information.
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- P3PC: Google Analytics (stevesouders.com)
- Dictionary.com’s iPhone App Agent X Word Helps You Solve Crossword Puzzles On The Go (techcrunch.com)
- Analytics: Track Your Website Stats On-The-Go (iphone.appstorm.net)
- Dictionary.com Launches Free Blackberry App, Unveils API (techcrunch.com)
- Dictionary.com now available on BlackBerry (download.cnet.com)
- Standout iPhone and iPod accessories (macworld.com)
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