Resources
Supplementary class materials
“There's an App for That!” (Apple edition)
This web page provides additional information and resources for students of the "There's an App for That!" class, offered through the Arlington Adult Education program. This page gives you some starting points, but is not intended to provide exhaustive listings.
Tutorials and More Info
- How to sync your device to multiple computers — it can be done, easily, but there are some pitfalls to avoid
- The Complete List of iPad Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials
- Get Started with the iPad
- iPad User Guide (official Apple document)
- iPad Guided Tour (official Apple)
- iPhone User Guide For iOS 6 (official Apple)
- The Five-Star Guide For Your iPad
- Unofficial Guide to Installing iTunes without Bloatware — if you're willing to go slightly "under the hood", you can have a more streamlined installation of iTunes.
- iCademy — "discover your iPhone" app, with lots of quick tips
- The Free iPod Book — hundreds of pages of info, includes iPhone
- How to Transfer Files to Your iPhone or iPad (for Beginners)
- How to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)
- How Do I Sync My iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a New Computer Without Wiping Out All My Data?
- Syncing an iPad Wirelessly
- How to Copy Music from Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to Your Computer for Free
- How to transfer files from Windows to the iPad
- A Beginner’s Guide To Setting Up An eBook Library On Your iPad (or other device)
- 5 Great Tips For Recording Audio With Any Smartphone Or Tablet
- How To Safely Clean Your Tablet Or Smartphone’s Touchscreen
- How HDR helps your iPhone or Android camera 'go pro'
- How Can I Improve My Mobile Typing Skills?
- Why Free, Ad-Supported Apps May Be More Expensive Than Paid Apps (this article was written for Android, but is equally applicable to iPhone and iPad)
- How Not To Fall For Fake & Dangerous Apps
- A Virtual Visit to Your Library with Overdrive Media Console (use your device to access electronic content from your public library)
Additional Information Sources
- Daily App Show newsletter
- iPhone App Reviews
- Best iPhone Apps — "The Site for Discriminating Downloaders"
- Gizmo's Best Free iPhone Apps
- Gizmo's Best Free iPad Apps
- The 106 Best iPhone Apps
- Appstorm reviews
Software to Manage Your Device
- Note that I haven't tried these programs, so can't vouch for the results.
- iPhone Explorer — lets you use an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad as if it were in disk mode or a flash drive. Freeware, for Windows and Mac.
- Cucusoft iPad/iPhone/iPod to Computer Transfer — backup and restore all your iDevice content. For Windows and Mac. (Not free.)
- Sync Blocker: Block iTunes from automatically syncing and deleting your media when you plug your device into your computer. Free, for Windows and Mac.
- DiskAid: iPhone & iPod Music & File Transfer for PC & Mac
Miscellaneous
- The app-driven life: How smartphone apps are changing our lives
- Stylus reviews — not everybody wants or needs a stylus, but this article can help you make an informed decision.
- On Touch Screens, Rest Your Finger by Using a Stylus
- Calibre — create your own e-books
- Hamster Free eBook Converter
- dotEPUB — creates an e-book from any web page
- New Yorker video — shows a New Yorker magazine cover being created with an iPhone
- "Take Me Out" — rock video created with iPhones!
Highlighted Apps
- This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but these are some of the apps which were mentioned in class. I haven't tried all of them, so do your own evaluation. There are frequently multiple choices offering similar functionality, so if you don't like my choice, try another! If your web browser is correctly configured, clicking a link should cause the app to open in the App Store; otherwise, just do a search to find and download it. Unless indicated, apps listed are free. Many are "lite" versions to give you a chance to try them out, before buying "pro" versions that might have more features or no advertising. If you've got an iPad, look for an iPad-specific version to enjoy the full screen, although the iPhone version should work okay. Many apps are now "universal", with a single version that works well on both the tablet and the phone.
- Weather: WorldWeather, MyWeather, AccuWeather
- Reading: iBooks, Stanza, Bible, NYTimes, Wikipedia, Currents (magazines), Pocket (for reading things later), Zite
- Listen/Watch: CBC Radio, Public Radio, NPR Music, Pandora Radio, Spotify, Flixster, The Phillips Collection, MoMA
- Web browsing: Safari (built-in), Dolphin, Chrome
- Travel: MetrO worldwide subway navigator, Transit Maps; real-time local subway information: iTrans DC Metro , DC Rider, Embark DC Metro, HopStop; 4MyCab (Arlington Red Top Cab); itinerary tracking: TripDeck, TripIt; AAA TripTik, Skyyer (city travel guides), Triposo (country guides), iFindHotel, AroundMe, GateGuru (airports guide), INRIX Traffic, Sigalert Live Traffic, Dos & Don'ts (cultural advice for different countries), FlightAware and Flightwise (flight trackers); TripLingo. Also look for city-specific apps.
- Photography: Instagram, PuddingCamera, HDR for Free
- Calculators & Timers: Currency, Calc Zero, Convert Units, Splitsville (tip calculator), Tip Calculator, TouchCalc, Magical Calculator Pro, Abacus, Counter Lite, 1TapAlarm, Timer+, Alarm Clock, Road Trip LE (gas mileage calculator), Gas Cubby Free (gas mileage calculator and maintenance tracker)
- Food: Yelp, Urbanspoon, Giant Food, Harris Teeter, Elevation Burger, Grocery IQ (shopping list), ZipList, Cook's Illustrated, Epicurious, Whole Foods, Allrecipes, BigOven, Fooducate, Open Table, Tasting Table, TruxMap
- Finance and Shopping: Key Ring (frequent shopper cards), BofA, Bank Tracker, iAccountsLite, RoboForm, MiniKeePass, Square (accept credit card payments), Toshi (track business travel expenses), Expensify, RedLaser (scan barcodes for comparison shopping, read QR codes), Barcode Scanners, ScanLife, Kaywa, Shoeboxed (scan and track receipts)
- Reference: Dictionary!, Dictionary.com, Google Translate, Dial Zero (customer support phone numbers), iCademy (iPhone tips)
- Productivity: Evernote, Wunderlist, Outliner Free, ListPro, HoursTracker, OnSite Time Tracker, Documents 2, iLogger Lite, MyStuff Lite, iditia free (create mind maps), Orchestra To-do (collaborative to-do lists), Remember the Milk, Remote Desktop lite (remote desktop connection to a Windows PC), Springpad (note-taking), Dragon Dictation, Twitter, PlainText (Dropbox text editing), Dropbox (synchronize files across multiple systems), Prezi
- Tools: Flashlight, iHandy Level, RulerPlus, Pedometer 24/7 Free, Bug Me! Stickies, AppBox Lite, Find My iPhone, Mirror
- Music: DigiDrummer Lite, iOrgel, MiniPiano, GuitarChords LE, Metronome!, BtBx, Guitar Tuner, FretBoard, Scale Wizard, Singing Fingers, TonePad, TapTheBeat, LeafTLite, KalimbaFree, iShred ($5), Soundrop
- Art: Brushes, MyPaint Free, Drawcast
- Games: Sudoku, Cat Physics, FreeCell, Minesweeper, Sol Free, BiBallLite, Glow Puzzle, VexedJewels, MazeBox Lite, Angry Birds, GravBot, Bubble Ball, Doodle Fit, Mega Jump, Cogs, Bejeweled Blitz, Bubble Shooter, Tiny Tower, Naboko Lite, KenKen, Trainyard Express
- For computer techs: TeamViewer Remote Control, LogMeIn Ignition ($100), iSSH ($10), Scany ($6), BSOD Stop Codes, iTransfer (FTP client), Mobile Admin (ssh/telnet client)
- For business users: LinkedIn, Documents to Go ($10), Documents 2 Free, Smart Office 2
- For school users: Blackboard, iStudiez Lite, School Buddy, TeacherKit,
- Miscellaneous: Layar Augmented Reality Browser, Junaio AR, Trapster (speed traps), Google Search, Koubachi (plant watering), SkyView (stargazing)