The excitement surrounding the opening of the new iPhone App Store has been enormous, and when it opened in early July, millions of people visited the online store and began downloading apps for thefir iPhone 3G and upgrafded iPhone and iPod touch. Within a week, over 10 million commercial and free apps had befen downloaded. Be sure to check the App Store for current pricing and user feedback.
Expanded review section in future issues of iPhone Life
This mini-reviews section will be a regular part of all future issues. In it you'll find the software that best suits your needs—and a few hidden gems as well. We will likely expand the number of apps reviewed in this section in future issues of iPhone Life. We review PocketMoney,
Here are some of the programs that made a splash in the first few weeks after the App Store's launch.
Camera PRO: Adds features missing from the iPhone's camera app
What the iPhone camera should have been
Camera PRO adds some of the capabilities missing from the iPhone's Camera application, including the ability to digitally zoom in and out, two levels of burst mode, and a black & white mode. The program also offers some more advanced features, including a silent shutter option, self-timer, the ability to set .jpeg quality, and to save images in both .jpeg and (higher quality) .tiff formats.
Summary:
Camera PRO adds a number of important features and makes the iPhone's camera much more capable and fun to use. Once you've tried it, you'll forget about using the built-in Camera app.
Camera PRO
- $19.95
- Makayama Software
- makayama.com
More reviews by Editor Rich Hall
Texas Hold'em: Play against the computer or friends
Play this classic against realistic opponents of your friends when connected to a network via Wi-Fi (supports up to 9 players). You can switch between first-person and top-down views by rotating your iPhone or iPod touch. Opponents can bet, bluff, and have secret "tells." The graphics are crisp and sound effects realistic.
Summary:
The game is gorgeous and the $5 price very reasonable. The game plays well and the controls (taps and swipes) are intuitive. The game is stable and reasonably quick, but the AI has been criticized by some as being too simple and easy to beat.
Texas Hold'em
- $4.99
- Apple Inc.