iPhone Hill

Psst!  Hey, you!  Yeah, you with the iPod Touch.  Oh, it’s an iPhone?  3GS?  Ok, that’s alright. 

Listen close because I’ve got a tip you’ll want to remember.  Chances are, you probably own a reference app or two, right?  Most of us do. I got about five myself.  Or at least I used to.  These days, I’ve just got one. And it’s everything I need.  It’s all I need, in fact, so I gave up all the other ones.  What’s that?  You wanna know the name of this app?

 Pocket Reference. From MEDL Mobile.  It’s awesome.  Why?  It’s only the most comprehensive reference app...ever.  What, you think I’m joking with you, pulling your leg? 

Pocket Reference has over 500 reference websites, everything from How Stuff Works to Bartlet’s Familiar.  From Red Hot Jazz Archives to USA.gov. If you’ve got a question or a passing curiosity about a topic or an issue, you can find it in Pocket Reference.  It contains more than 185 mobile Safari-friendly websites and they’re grouped into no fewer than 50 categories.    And if you come across a site that you’d like to see added, just let those folks over at MEDL Mobile know and they’ll take it under advisement.  Plus, you can bookmark your favorite sites.  So whatever’s your pleasure, you‘ll be able to get to it fast.  

I don’t throw words like this around easily, but this is the ultimate All-in-One reference app and I’m sure it’ll quickly become your go-to app for just about anything you want to know.  And within a few clicks and swipes, you should be able to find what you want to know when you want to know it.  So if you’re looking for a great resource app, one that you’ll use again and again, I can’t recommend this app enough.  It’s simple, it’s easy to navigate, and it’s amazingly comprehensive. 

And it can all be yours for the small price of $1.99.  It’s a steal.  Don’t believe me?  All right, wiseguy.  Click the iTunes link below and see what other people have to say about it.  Then you’ll see I’m not pulling your leg.

Go ahead.  Do it.  Then do yourself a favor and pick up Pocket Reference.  You’ll be glad you did.

iTunes Link- Pocket Reference

Version 1.0

Tested on an iPod Touch 3.1.3

Everyone needs encouragement.  We all could use a word of advice or guidance when we’re facing a trial and aren’t sure who or what to turn to in our time of need.  Now there’s an answer: WorldLink’s iTalk to God.  It’s an app that you can use as an aid to facilitate conversations between you and God and it’s very easy to use.

Depending on how you feel, select the corresponding emotion on iTalk to God’s menu.  Its menu contains over 70 different emotions, so it’s almost impossible to have a feeling that you won’t find in iTalk.  Angry?  It’s in there.  Doubtful?  It’s in there.  Tempted? It’s-

I’m sure you get my point:  there are a lot of emotions covered by the Bible and iTalk to God.

The goal of the app is to remind the viewer that, regardless of what we feel, God is always there and always capable of helping us to make it through whatever circumstance we’re dealing with.  Based on the emotion you select, iTalk to God will supply you with a relevant verse of Biblical scripture that will address your emotion.  It will also provide a brief encouragement regarding your emotion and a commentary on the scripture.  There is also the ability to email verses to friends if you think they could benefit from a scripture as well.

There are multiple translations of iTalk to God, too, everything from the tried and true King James to the Korean Bible.

I do have a few ideas for this app.  For example, I think giving it a diary- or journal-like capability would be interesting.  The user could provide a brief description of the cause of their feeling, the verse they found helpful, and even tag people or circumstances if they wished.  With such a feature, iTalk could record emotions and scriptures of encouragement over the course of a week, month, or even year, and pull them up whenever they wanted.  A Verse of the Day feature would be nice, too, and adding the ability to share scripture on Facebook or Twitter would be features I’m sure would probably be welcomed as well.

I liked iTalk and even if nothing more was done with it, it would be a good reference to have at your fingertips in a time of need, one that would strengthen your faith and relationship with God.

iTunes Link- iTalk to God

Version 2.1

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3

Athletes, rappers, actors, and teenagers can frequently sound like they’re speaking a whole different language.  Some of them are and that’s because they’re from a different planet.  Most of them, however, are just throwing a slang term or two.  

Here’s something else: over the past few days, I’ve noticed that nearly everyone is urbaning their name and posting what pops up as a status update on Facebook.  Some of them are really quite embarassing and others are kind of cool.  Wondering what ‘urbaning’ means?  Or maybe you’re wondering what would appear if you were to look up your name as well? 

At times like those, it’s good to have Schroederdev LLC’s Slango- Urban Dictionary at your fingertips.  It is one of the most extensive slang dictionaries out there.  In fact, at over 4,000,000 words, there isn’t much that isn’t included in this app.  It’s bigger than some of the actual dictionaries I’ve bought in the AppStore. 

Slango uses the online database from “Urban Dictionary” and has some great features.  The Word of the Day will give you the skinny on all the latest terms. Random word search will help you pass the time for minutes that stretch into hours, and Slango’s offline bookmark support will ensure that you can easily find your favorite words from yesterday or a month ago.  And you can share words through Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Slango is very easy to use.  The only drawback to the app is that it doesn’t support browsing, so you can’t read through terms alphabetically.   Fortunately, a future update is in the works that will include this feature.  I’m sureit will be a welcome addition, one that will enable me to waste even more time.

So if you’re looking for a slang dictionary that is fun, informative, and- at times- a little (no, make that a lot) raunchy, Slango- Urban Dictionary is exactly what you want.  It is guaranteed to keep you and your friends entertained and laughing for days.  Or at least in the know.

iTunes Link- Slango-Urban Dictionary

Version 1.1

Tested on iPod Touch 3.1.3

I don’t entirely understand what this app is all about, but suffice it to say that you’d most likely be into it if you’re a Muslim or are interested in Islam.

iTunes Link : Jawshan Al-Kabeer

On deck: uPackingList (Travel)

Como se dice en Español… umm… uh…

iTunes Link : Spanish English Dictionary

On deck: MixFace (Photography)

Do you get confused when you look at a menu where the writing’s in cursive and the words “burger” and “fries” are nowhere to be found? On The Menu will help decode the bizarre language found in fancy restaurants.

iTunes Link : On The Menu

On deck: Strummer (Music)

I’ve always been curious about how iPhone apps get made so I downloaded sdk IQ for iPhone… and I still have no idea! My brain just isn’t wired this way, so understanding what’s covered in this app is way, way beyond my empty skull’s ability.

Even though I don’t understand anything in this guide, I can tell you that it includes walkthroughs and sample code for everything from basic stuff for early learners to SQLite to Cocoa Touch to getting your app into the App Store. It all seems pretty thorough to my very untrained eye… once again, I’m not a programmer so I might as well be looking at a guide written in Klingon… but one thing I’ve noticed is that there are various “Watch video demo” links throughout the guide that don’t seem to work. Edit: I guess they do work, but they look like they don’t due to a usability issue that will be fixed in the next update. See Cygen’s explanation in the comments for more.

Otherwise, all I can really say about Cygen’s SDK guide is that a friend of mine has this app and he says it’s great! Seriously, he likes it and, between the two of us, he’s the one with the brain. If you’re an aspiring iPhone developer and would find a pocket reference useful, give this app a try. If you’re not sure, take the Lite version for a spin before shelling out that 5.

iTunes Link – sdk IQ for iPhone
Version 1.2
Reviewed on iPhone 3G OS3.1.2

Spend enough time with State Spin and you’ll learn more than any human should ever know about America’s 50 states!

iTunes Link – State Spin

On deck: Three more rounds of Animation Creator (Entertainment)

I’ve never tried making an iPhone app, but judging by the number of crappy garbage apps out there I’m guessing it ain’t easy. sdk IQ for iPhone is a reference manual (no internet needed!) that provides guidance on topics ranging from iPhone Development 101 to getting your app in the App Store.

You can even ask for advice from the support team if you get stumped on your way to making your App Store fortune!

iTunes Link – sdk IQ for iPhone

On deck: The Bite Buddy (Healthcare & Fitness)

I think I’ve played the drinking game Kings before, but I can’t remember… probably because I was too hammered to know what was going on! iDrinKings is a reference tool for use when you’re playing the game. It’s not a game in itself, but if you like playing Kings then maybe you could give this app a try.

iTunes Link – iDrinKings

On deck: Boat Ramps (Lifestyle)