With the iPhone juggernaut well and truly having conquered Australia, guide books on the coolest stuff to do on one are inevitable. The inherent problem with books about software is that — unlike the medium they’re talking about — print is forever. By the time you buy and open this book it’s entirely likely some of the tools described inside will no longer exist.

That’s usually reason enough to stay away from software guide books, but whereas this book has the same shelf life issues, the value really comes from the ideas it gives you to search out more iPhone apps like the ones mentioned. Like everything else iPhone related, you probably haven’t even scratched the surface of what the myriad of applications can do for you.

For example, if you’re an ebook fan you’ve no doubt heard of (or already have) Stanza, the wildly popular ebook reader that’s already put Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader numbers to shame. But you’ve probably never heard of Eucalyptus, a $9.99 app that uses typography algorithms to make your pages look like those of a classically printed book complete with a fancy animation that makes every page turn look real. The Books and Literature chapter will inspire you to go in search of similar tools that enhance the experience and given the breadth of the iPhone’s reach into society, Apple’s app store will most likely have dozens.

There are tools for identifying music playing somewhere nearby, personalised radio, selecting wines, Twitter clients, finding a restaurant, stock quotes, green shopping and spotting Elvis (as you do). There are also a few media wrangling tools that will appeal to film and video types such as those to edit photos, take better photos or tinker with music. Prices range from 99 cents to ten dollars (keep in mind it’s a US book) but it’s a cool little springboard into a much larger world.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 3:06 pm and is filed under Auscam, Books & Publishing, Gadgets & Hardware, Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.