iPhone Approll

Excuse Me Services (creators of Dial Directions) has finally made available its Say Where iPhone application which lets users search several popular Web services using just their voice. The tool was originally shown off at DemoFall back in early September, and it's taken this long to go through Apple's certification process.

Its big feature is that you can search Google Maps, Yellowpages.com, Yelp, and Traffic.com without having to use the iPhone's often times challenging on-screen keyboard. You simply talk into the microphone and it converts your speech into a search query. There's location awareness, so once the phone pinpoints where you are it will narrow what it's searching for. You can also have it start and end in different locations, which can be set by simply speaking into the microphone.

The one big problem I found with the application was the quality of the voice recognition. It managed to pick up city names just fine, but out of five attempts at specific addresses it only succeeded once, and it was on some very basic words like "center" and "main." I had far better luck simply saying intersections, which it pulled in with ease. It seems when you mix in numbers and street names it gets a little overwhelmed. It's also worth mentioning that I was doing this in a quiet part of an office building, which means it's going to have a harder time if you're out on a busy ... Read more

The iPhone app Fring--which acts as a VoIP client for Skype and other Internet phone networks, as well as a voice and chat interface into IM networks like AIM and Yahoo--is now available for free to everyone.

Previously, it only ran on "jailbroken" iPhones, severely limiting its audience.

Fring places calls on cellular or VoIP networks.

(Credit: Fring)

On the iPhone, Fring can read both your IM and Skype buddy lists, as well as the contacts in your phone's address book. And when you select a contact, you get the option of calling him or her by SIP call, Skype, or standard cellular. VoIP calls obviously don't count against your cellular minutes, but you do need to have a Wi-Fi connection to make the calls.

The biggest challenge for Fring users is that when the app is not actively running in the foreground on your phone, it can't notify you of incoming calls or chats or indicate your presence to buddies. Apple has yet to provide background notification capability to iPhone developers, although we keep hearing it will be in an upcoming release.

Although all iPhone communication apps remain hobbled until background processing is available, Fring does appear to be the most capable voice and text chat app there is for the device, and it's well worth installing.

Fring is also available for several other mobile platforms.

See also: Palringo.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Add "study guide" to the long list of tricks you can do with your iPhone. Cram ($9.99) is a solid application that lets you create and import tests on any topic. You'll be able to take scored multiple choice quizzes or go into study mode, in which Cram provides you with a series of digital flash cards. Cram will flash the question and you decide with a click when the answer appears.

Cram is fairly simple to use, but there is a correct order for getting started. For instance, you had best register for Cram online before you attempt to use it; you can't currently register from the iPhone.

If you're planning to create your own test material in preparation of an exam, you should consider crafting that online as well. While you can technically--and fairly easily--compose questions and answers within Cram, typing a series of multiple choice entries is faster work with a standard keyboard. If you intend to reuse multiple choice answers to trip up yourself or others, your computer's magical cutting and pasting abilities are indispensable.

You'll be able to import tests contributed by others or build your own.

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When it's time to import a test, you log into Cram from the iPhone and select the test you'd like. They transfer in seconds. You'll also be able to import public tests that others have created. What Cram's application doesn't tell ... Read more

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It appears that sometimes wishes really do come true. Last week I talked about iGolf, hoping that Version 2.0 would include some sort of course to play through. Apparently this was already in the works. With Version 2.0 you can now play through three holes in addition to hitting for distance at the driving range. It still needs some work (putting requires you to perform a full swing making it less-than-ideal), but adding the three playable holes is a nice touch. I should point out that if you don't have a good grip while playing you may throw your iPhone across the room. Comments for this app at the iTunes Store include the sad tale of an iPhone owner who let his daughter take a whack at a golf ball only to watch as his iPhone flew out his third-story window. So make sure you have a good grip!

Hold down the Bowl button and start your armswing.

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Perhaps the better news, however, is while searching for iGolf to get the update I found SGN's other new free iPhone game, iBowl. Like iGolf, iBowl uses the iPhone's accelerometer to play the game. How it works is you hold the Bowl button and start your armswing motion, then release the button (but not your iPhone!) at the end of your swing to send the ball down the alley. You can also adjust which side of the lane you want to ... Read more

Here's a thought: instead of wading through dozens of ringtone-making apps to find one suited to your iPhone, why not try--what else?--iTunes for Windows and Mac?

In this Insider Secrets video, CNET Editor Brian Tong gives you the lowdown on producing ringtones for your Apple phone using nothing but Apple's own free music library and player.

(Credit: CNET News)

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign launched an iPhone application on Thursday that turns the vaunted device into a political recruiting tool.

The most notable feature "organizes and prioritizes your contacts by key battleground states, making it easy to reach out and make an impact quickly," according to the software.

On my phone, the application ranked contacts in Colorado, Michigan, and New Mexico at the top; at the bottom was a friend whose cell phone has a Texas number, though she actually lives in California.

The application anonymously reports back the number of calls made this way: "Your privacy is important: no personal data or contacts will be uploaded or stored. Only the total number of calls you make is uploaded anonymously."

The software is the latest effort by politicians to capitalize on technology, joining other examples such as ads distributed through YouTube, Web-based fund-raising, Facebook pages and fan groups, and e-mail recruitment drives.

The Obama for America iPhone application is available for download through Apple's iTunes store, said Raven Zachary, an iPhone consultant who's directing the launch effort.

A "get involved" feature uses the phone's GPS-based location sensing to find the nearest Obama campaign headquarters, and "local events" likewise pulls up a list of activities sorted by proximity.

A "media" section provides links to video and photos, but beware: YouTube showed errors following some of the links. Perhaps the newer videos hadn't been prepared for iPhone display yet.

The application also shows ... Read more

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Coldwell Banker Real Estate is out with a new version of its Web site customized for iPhone users.

The new version shares the same domain as the company's traditional site but automatically recognizes iPhone end users to serve up the iPhone interface. iPhone users just need to go to www.coldwellbanker.com from their iPhone, without having to download or install any special software. The new site offers a very well-laid-out look and feel, along with convenient navigation on the iPhone's screen, especially the property listings search and home value estimator.

You can now search for homes on the iPhone just like you would do on a regular computer, if not more conveniently. Once you find a property, you can also contact the agent directly from the phone. And you can use the site to check the estimated current value of a specific property.

I tried the new site on my iPhone 3G and it worked well, both the home search and the home value calculator. I could also map the address of the property of interest on Google Maps and get directions to and from it that way. The new site, however, doesn't retain the input information, forcing you to retype everything for each property search, which is annoying.

While this new version of the site is convenient and cool, it won't help keep you from feeling depressed about the decrease in value of the real estate market.

Version 2.0 of Last.fm's free music streaming and discovery application for the iPhone and iPod Touch is now available through the iTunes App Store, offering significant performance and design improvements over the original version we reviewed in August.

Last.fm hasn't added any notable new features to their application, however, a few features have been enhanced, and an overhauled design makes the user experience more intuitive and attractive. For instance, the main menu is now divided into two tabs that separate Last.fm's streaming radio features from its social networking capabilities, making the experience less confusing for first time users. The radio menu tab is the default menu screen, offering a listing of your preferred personal music channels, along with Last.fm recommendations and a prominent red button for creating a new music channels. By clicking over from the Radio tab into the Profile view, Last.fm regulars can still dig deeper into their top artists, albums, and tracks, keep tabs on local music events, and peek into the listening habits of their friends.

Last.fm's original main menu (left) was dull and a little confusing for anyone unfamiliar with Last.fm's lingo and social features. Version 2.0's main menu splits the application's radio and social features into two tabs across the bottom and emphasizes the immediate gratification of creating new personalized music stations.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The Last.fm Now Playing screen has also undergone

(Credit: CNET Networks)

I was on the bus yesterday during my commute home and I decided to check out one of my latest iPhone apps to see if it worked as advertised. There was a loud-talking person yammering away on his cell phone (why must people do this?) and to get away from the racket, I stuck in my ear buds and launched WhiteNoise.

Simply touch the sound you want, adjust the volume, and relax.

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WhiteNoise offers several neutral sounds that are perfect for blocking out annoying sounds and also can be quite relaxing. The interface offers eight buttons of soothing sounds you can start up immediately with a timer if you'd like to listen while you nod off to sleep. A small arrow in the lower-right corner of the screen lets you choose from 22 different sounds that you can move into your top eight for easy access. There are a few variations of rain and thunder storms, droning noises like fans and hair dryers, ticking grandfather clocks and wind chimes, and some sounds that offer ambiance like Amazon jungle sounds and deep city sounds. Almost all of the sounds are fairly good representations of what they're trying to emulate, and the rainstorm sounds are excellent. If you want to block the sounds of the outside world to help you concentrate or drown out those annoying bus passengers, this affordable iPhone App is a great choice ($0.99).

Choose your club, press the hit ... Read more

Instant-messaging fiends awaiting Yahoo's first IM solution for iPhone are getting more than they bargained for with Yahoo OneConnect (download and rate). Whether you love or hate the new social-networking and address book features, Yahoo OneConnect does offer some innovations in iPhone chatting. See our pros and cons in this First Look video or read our full Yahoo OneConnect review.