Today marks the official launch of the iPhone Apps Store. However, many attentive bloggers noticed that the Apps Store was live yesterday, and it was possible to download the latest version of iTunes and version 2.0 of the iPhone firmware. This translated to a fun day of checking out the latest and greatest applications. And what did BoardBuzz notice first? There are over 25 social networking applications available.
We've been postulating that wireless/mobile devices are getting set to make a dramatic leap to catch up with Web 2.0 realities. The first iteration of the iPhone made other Smartphones look, well, less smart. Now with the introduction of third-party developer applications, the power of the 3G iPhone is starting to show. Where other phone manufacturers have stagnated, Apple has innovated. You may see phones with matching or higher specifications than the iPhone, but none have software remotely equivalent and appealing to consumers.
And then we come to Google. Google's Android could potentially change the entire field. They essentially want to achieve what Apple (with help) has just done: make the Web 2.0 internet mobile. One Google spokesperson said that Android's goal is to give “iPhone type capabilities to the masses at a cost that everyone can afford.” If we combine this platform with the possibility that their white spaces venture succeeds, it's a whole new ballgame. Wired's Epicenter is reporting that the FCC is testing white spaces devices next week.
But let's get back to the new iPhone Apps. Just about anything is available from games to innovative GPS-enabled social networking applications. It's a blast. There's even a Sketches application that we can't wait to try out during a boring meeting... we mean, in our free time. Below are some popular social Apps.
SmugShot
This is from SmugMug, a popular photo-sharing site. SmugShot adds photos you take directly to your SmugMug galleries and geotags them at the same time.
Midomi
A song recognition App that actually works. Sing, hum, or whistle to instantly find your favorite music and connect with a community that shares your musical interests. It's truly amazing!
Twitterific
Twitterrific is a fun application that lets you both read and publish posts or "tweets" to the Twitter community website. It works just like the desktop version and also geotags your tweets.
Facebook
Just what you'd expect. You can search your friends, Facebook chat, view messages and notices, and interact just like you would from your computer.
MySpace Mobile
This is the official MySpace App, and it does just what you think it would. As Gizmodo said
"addicts who have an iPhone will undoubtedly be thrilled."
Whrrl
Whrrl is a location-based social utility. Go to your current location and you can see markers signifying restaurants, stores, museums, etc. Click on them to see reviews, write reviews, or place markers. Once you connect up with a few friends in Whrrl, you'll notice that places they have visited, reviewed, or expressed an interest in will "light up" on the map.
Mobile Flickr
Full-featured Flickr app, you can browse your photos by sets, tags, and more.
There are some 500 apps available in the store, and about 25% of them are free. Oh, and if you only have an iPod Touch, don't worry. Most Apps are available for you as well. Happy Friday!