A week on from the App Store launch and I’ve done little else but play with iPhone apps. Do I have a favourite yet? Yes I do. Have I found a large number of utterly pointless applications? Yes I have. So, after a week of play here are my picks of the best and those you should avoid.

Top Apps

Band – MooCowMusic
Price: £5.99
A great bit of fun and handy for those of a musical inclination to flesh out ideas, albeit very simple ones. Drums, bass, piano and guitar are all catered for in this well made application.

Vicinity – ActiveGuru Ltd
Price: £1.79
A brilliant example of the iPhone 3G’s GPS features, Vicinity finds local services from Cafés to Taxis and shows how close or far they are from your current location. It can even hunt through Flickr and Wikipedia for local photos and places of interest.

Trism – Demiforce LLC
Price: £2.99
I wasn’t going to get sucked into iPhone games but this sliding, tilting match the colours masterpiece is truly addictive. There are handy tutorials to see you on your way as well.

Pointless Apps

PhoneSaber – TheMacBox
Price: Free
This is exactly what I was dreading would happen when iPhone apps were announced. Wave your iPhone around and it makes the sound of a Jedi Light Saber. Completely and utterly pointless and, if you have Star Wars fans in your vicinity, REALLY annoying.

World 9 – Nao Tokui
Price: Free
Activate the app, put the iPhone in your pocket and jump to hear the sound of Super Mario jumping. Enough said.

I always used to appreciate the offerings of iTunes’ Just For You service, which aims to pick songs you may like based upon your previous purchases. Recently, however, it has started to become slightly erratic and, in some cases, completely outrageous.

The problem is, every “novelty” song you purchase, every musical “theme” you purchase, every song you think “Ah, it’s only 79p” before purchasing, is logged by Just For You and it’ll never let you forget it.

Here’s what I was confronted with this week:

Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice

What Would You Do – City High

Lonely This Christmas – Mud

U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer

No thank you, Just For You.

My advice: Click “See All” on the Just For You section of the iTunes Store Music page and regularly tell Just For You the music you don’t like and already own. Hopefully this will stave off suggestions like Hanson’s MmmBop and Sabrina’s Boys.

Well, not exactly accidental, I’ve always liked his music but, I just wanted to share a cautionary tale with the readers of iCreate so you don’t fall into the same trap as me when it comes to using iTunes. Let me explain the back story:

Outside of work I’m a fairly lazy person. Perhaps lazy is too strong. I’m the kind of person who appreciates convenience. To that end, my old PowerMac G4 has taken up residence in my bedroom for iTunes wake up calls and checking out the news over an early morning coffee. The downside of this is that, in order to use the Mac, I need to run the mouse to my bedside, which inevitably gets snagged on anything from alarm clock cables to coat hangers.

After a couple of glasses of wine on Wednesday night I decided to enhance my morning music collection with a few old school gems from iTunes and, while mid-browse, inadvertently clicked the Buy Album button when my mouse and keyboard collided. I could have accidentally clicked on a single track or one of the sub-£5 albums but no, I now own the £14.99 The Story So Far – The Best of Rod Stewart.

So, if you’re browsing iTunes in “high risk” areas, and you’ve had a few drinks, always ensure that you head to your iTunes account settings and click the Reset Warnings button so you at least get one chance to change your mind before the download starts and your card gets billed.

For anyone interested, I’ve been listening to Hot Legs while writing this to somehow justify my accidental purchase.

Everyone can now start smoking.

Hold on, put down the phone, stop the emails, I’m not serious! I’m just excited by the latest revolution in consumer tech… the SuperSmoker.

Now, one wouldn’t assume that a synthetic cigarette could be deemed technology but this actually can. The SuperSmoker contains no tobacco and does not burn. It’s made up of a microchip (there’s the technology for the purists) and liquid.

Yes, what you’re thinking is correct – it’s harmless.

Those who don’t smoke wont see the appeal here but those frustrated by the public smoking bans, craving that nicotine fix where they’re not allowed no longer have to resort to gum or patches. The SuperSmoker provides all the joys of smoking and almost no negatives. I can sit at my desk, in a bar, on the bus or a plane and puff away safe in the knowledge I’m not hurting anyone, including myself.

So, what’s the deal? It looks like a large cigarette combined with a biro and it’s battery powered (lasting around a day on full charge). You inhale as you would a normal cigarette through the traditional filter tip, a red LED lights up at the opposite end (imitating burning and also providing information on battery life) and your mouth is filled with “smoke” which is actually harmless vapour that tastes like tobacco but is actually made up of food products within the liquid.

Expect odd looks, questions and, in some extreme cases, threats from the unenlightened public but be safe in the knowledge you’re legally untouchable.

The SuperSmoker costs £79 for the unit with refill cartridges available online for £7.95. One cartridge provides the same number of puffs as 15 traditional cigarettes and therefore provides almost a 65% saving on traditional smoking.

I found I got a little carried away with the novelty and used both the battery and a cartridge in a matter of hours but, this was mainly due to showing off to co-workers and terrifying the management. More relaxed usage will see greater lifespan.

The sensation is as close to smoking as can be, right down to the “kick” you feel at the back of your throat and the rush of that oh so addictive nicotine, you even get to breath out those beautiful white plumes.

It’s true, digital smoking is the future. Just like the iPod changed music, SuperSmoker will change addiction. You don’t HAVE to quit if you don’t want to and you don’t HAVE to sit outside anymore. There is now an alternative.

www.supersmoker.co.uk

Still not convinced this is cool enough to ditch regular smokes?

Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman begs to differ… do I dare say he can now get the “satisfaction” he craves?

www.supersmoker.co.uk

I’m normally a fan of The Times but today the paper (its online version to be precise) has dropped in my estimation.

A writer, with the good sense to avoid putting their name to the column, has posted 25 reasons to avoid the new iPhone on the Money Central Blog. According to the page, this is “advice you can bank on”. Let’s see who agrees as we run down the alleged top 25 (suggesting there may be more of this rubbish) and provide our thoughts.

1. It’s less expensive than its predecessor but still not cheap. The 8GB version is free to O2 customers who spend £45 a month or more on a new 18-month contract. The handset, available from 02, Carphone Warehouse and Apple outlets will cost £99 on a new £30 monthly tariff and the existing £35 per month tariff.

You have to question how the first iPhone was a success at around £269 if this new, superior model is deemed expensive. For a very advanced device which is more than simply a phone, this is a decent price compared to a standard mobile phone, which appears to be the comparison here. 

2. For the more powerful 16GB version it will cost £159 on the £30 and £35 tariffs, £59 on the £45 tariff and will only be free on the £75 tariff. So the cheapest deal over 18 months - the 8GB version on the £30 tariff - costs £599. For that you get “unlimited” internet surfing but a measly 75 free calls a month and 125 texts.  You can compare it with existing deals here.

For a start, the 16GB model is not “more powerful” it just has more storage. Granted, the call plans may not compare to standard phone tariffs but they don’t offer full web browsing features like the iPhone. For unlimited web access the deal isn’t too shabby. 

3. It will not be available on Pay & Go till later this year. This has angered some O2 customers. Moreover, it is in super-short supply even on contract, with only a few dozen initially supplied to each O2 store.

The iPhone really isn’t a device fit for PAYG. It’ll wind up so expensive to pay per use for internet access that you may not bother and you wont be able to comfortably use the full feature set. That’s probably reason number 26 stored up by this writer. 

4. The touch screen isn’t great if you’re an obsessive texter. This was a problem with the first iPhone, although this guy seems to have cracked it.

Why not? I understand the tactile keyboard vs touchscreen debate but this isn’t a reason not to buy the iPhone 3G. Why just texting? If your fingers are too fat to press buttons on a piece of glass you’re surely going to struggle with web browsing, email, iPod features, maps, calendars… the list goes on. “This was a problem with the first iPhone” You mean because it had a touch screen too?! It makes me wonder if this guy has ever used an iPhone. 

5. Like the Model T-Ford the 8GB model is available in any colour - as long as its black.

Clever sidestep of the obvious “Ferrari Red” reference but… hang on, what have cars got to do with this? The 8GB model is available in black only, get over it. There are plenty of mobiles available in one colour. 

6. Go for the more expensive 16GB version and you can get it in white too. Rumours had been that Apple was going to be a little more adventurous.

So now we’re annoyed that there’s a choice of colours? What’s going on here? How adventurous do you want to be? Transparent? Polka dot?

7. Its camera is rubbish. At just two megapixels with no flash it’s worse than many standard phones leaving even fans feeling short changed. Phones such as the Nokia N95 boast five megapixels.

The iPhone has fewer pixels but, as we all know, megapixels aren’t the be all and end all of cameras. The lens is important for quality, megapixels important for size. Let’s compare a 5mp pic from the N95 next to an iPhone shot reduced to blog size on the web. There should be little difference. If so, maybe I’d use my compact camera instead. Cue “25 reasons never to buy a camera again” from The Times. 

8. You can’t use it to take videos, leading some critics to the conclusion that it’s not sexy enough.

I don’t actually understand the not sexy idea here. Lack of video is fair enough. Well done Sir, one out of eight so far! 

9. Like its predecessor the 3G handset is large and bulky. Not something you can just stick in your pocket and forget about. True, the new phone is thinner at the edges and weighs slightly less than the debut model, but otherwise the measurements are the same. It’s even been nicknamed the monolith.

Of course. And the Nokia N95 is a lightweight sliver of plastic that sometimes gets lost in pockets it’s so small. 

10. To enable Apple to cut costs something had to go. The original iPhone had a hard-wearing silver aluminum back; the new one a less durable black plastic skin. So will it be able to cope with a beating like this?

It probably did cut costs, yes. It also enhances the reception of the phone with plastic not affecting the signal like aluminium. I’m not so sure plastic is less durable in this case either and… you guessed it, most phones are made of plastic. 

11. The absence of a metal back means that it is unlikely to blend as prettily as its predecessor.

What does that actually mean!? Blending as in smoothies or blending as in fitting in with your wardrobe?

12. It’s going to be popular with terrorists if Apple’s official ad is anything to go by.

Silly, childish, in bad taste. How many terrorists has this guy actually seen outside of an episode of 24?

13. Battery life is poor - just five to six hours of 3G calls or web browsing. One reviewer found that the indicator fell below 20 per cent by early to mid-afternoon on some trial days.

Agreed. 2 out of 13. Good going…

14. The battery is sealed into the handset, which must be sent off for replacement when it starts to wear out. This is a hassle and means that you can’t carry around a spare for use on the move.

I’m feeling generous. 3 out of 14. 

15. It inspires people with anger issues to post pointless and mistitled videos at Youtube.

A reason not to buy the phone? 

16. If you are an Apple fan, you already own the old iPhone. Much of the new handset’s improved functionality is already available in the free 2.0 software update.

Vaguely true. iPhone 2.0 is a great piece of software but the new phone still offers 3G, GPS etc 

17. If you are not an Apple fan, you may be an Apple “hater”. In that case, you wouldn’t want one.

That’s like saying one of the 25 reasons not to eat cheese is that you don’t like cheese. Ridiculous.

18. If you live away from the big cities, you may well not have 3G coverage (check here). That would make the whole 3G phone thing pointless…

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - that’s not a reason not to buy the iPhone 3G. You could say this about any phone on any connection. 

19. It has no instant messaging function - forcing users to SMS. But it doesn’t have multimedia messaging (MMS), which means that users must send and receive photos by email.

Go onto the App Store and download AOL Instant Messenger for free. Problem solved. Don’t like that? Download the Facebook app with live chat or one of the countless other apps. You would surely know this is you had actually used the phone and app store…

20. The web browser has limited Adobe Flash support, so cannot display videos from many sites.

“Many” is pushing it. Flash support is an issue but there are plenty of videos that will play on the phone including those found on a little site called YouTube. 

21. Incredibly for a “smart” phone, it has no copy and paste ability. Duh.

Who said it was a smart phone? Copy and paste is a downer but will soon be added. 

22. Who needs a phone with GPS? Anyway, it can’t find a decent pizza when you need one.

I beg to differ. Why are SatNav devices so popular? Why are hundreds of developers making use of GPS in the phone? My iPhone found me a pizza just the other day. It also finds pubs, cafés, cinemas…

23. The iPhone is sometimes termed the “Jesusphone”. Tasteless.

Says Mr “Lets Make a Terrorist Joke” on reason 12.

24. Bluetooth enables headset voice calls on the new handset. A less-limited Bluetooth profile could have enabled wireless music streaming and file sharing, too.

Partly true but, with copy protected music unable to be shared anyway and syncing to your Mac available for purchased songs, this isn’t really a requirement.

25. Its unveiling by Steve Jobs, of Apple, was predictably and unbearably smug.

I think we’ve found the reason for this whole article. You don’t like the CEO, don’t buy the phone. Why tell everyone else not to? 

Final score  3/25

To view the full article and post comments on just how poor it is, visit: http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/07/reasons-to-avoi.html

If you want to get your voice heard on the iCreate podcast, now’s your chance!

As of today we’ll be accepting MP3 messages at icreate@imagine-publishing.co.uk for inclusion in our next podcast episode.

Whether you have a question about Apple products, iTunes, the magazine in general or anything else you want to get off your chest, drop us your MP3 of no longer than 30 seconds and you may be featured in the next episode.

We’re also keen to gather some reader-submitted jingles so if you’re a GarageBand ace, why not knock us something up?

We look forward to hearing your submissions.

While I was out to lunch this weekend an undesirable broke into my flat and stole my MacBook and original 8GB iPhone.

Fortunately, the hapless criminal was caught attempting to sell the laptop an hour later - store owners were tipped off by the fact that it was still on and syncing my contacts to MobileMe!

Besides damage to my front door and a little more mess than usual, all was fine.

What entertained me was a couple of comments from the police officers who came back to my flat with me:

Scene 1. Study - Day

Constable X
(Pointing to iMac G5)
Oh dear. He’s had your computer.

 Me
Um… no it’s right there.

Constable X
No, the actual computer is missing. There’s just a screen left.

Me
No, the computer IS the screen.

Constable X
Oh…

  Scene 2. Living Room - Day

Constable Y
(Writing witness statement)
So I now need to get some information about your phone and laptop. What type of laptop was it?

Me
A white Apple MacBook

Constable Y
What numbers did it have after it? Was it a G6, G7?

Me
(Confused)
No, just an Intel…

 Constable Y
And the phone… you said it was an Apple phone?

Me
Yes. Apple iPhone.

Constable Y
I phone?

Me
iPhone. All one word.

 Constable Y
Made by Apple?

Me
(Astounded)
Yes.

Fortunately I’ll be getting all my property back and I shouldn’t really mock the police officers who did a superb job. I just enjoy it when people are so clueless about Apple products. Especially when they’re talking about the iPhone!

Here we are, outside O2’s Bournemouth store.Very few 16GB models, no White?O2 system appears to have crashed and is causing further delays.Over 100 in this line so far, we’re number 32. Have been for 2 hours…Unrest growing as exact number of phones in store is not allowed to be disclosed by o2 staff.Just a reminder folks: make sure you have credit/debit cards and proof of address at the ready.Hopefully more info soon.Sent from my (old) iPhone

UPDATE: Apparently the O2 systems have officially fallen over. They’ve gone “manual”
One happy iPhone owner has left the store since last post.
Hushed voices and grim looks among store staff…

If you are planning on heading out and getting a new iPhone tomorrow here are a few pointers:

Numbers may be limited.

At both the Carphone Warehouse and O2 stores employees are not sure of the delivery numbers expected later today ready for tomorrows launch. If you are desperate for a phone, get there early.

Opening Times may vary.

Apparently some stores will be opening at 7:02 and others an hour later, so its best to check in with your local store.

Take ID

The exact requirements for what types of ID to bring to the stores seems to vary so its probably better to be safe rather than sorry. Take your Chip and Pin bank card, a household Bill and your O2 account details if you plan to upgrade.

If you have any other tidbits of advice about your local stores and availability let us know in the comments…

If you want to get iTunes loaded with Apps ready for the release of the 2.0 software update, you can now do so.

Go to the iTunes store and search for App Store and the results page will let you into the new system.

Note: You will need to uprade iTunes to version 7.7

So exciting!!!