touch

One of the most popular iPhone apps of 2008 wasn't a game or productivity app, or even a random sound maker. Surely many iPhone users reading this post have downloaded the app called Koi Pond, or have at least seen it on a friend's iPhone. It's one of the first programs I start up whenever I'm showing off my iPhone because it combines excellent ambient sound, crisp graphics, and you can make waves and "feed the fish" by swiping or touching the screen. There is no real goal to Koi Pond beyond enjoying watching … Read more

Remember that X-Series Walkman that Sony kept behind protective glass at this year's CES like it was the Mona Lisa? The one I swore would never actually hit the states? The one that U.K.'s Stuff Magazine had to fly to Sony headquarters in Japan just so they could fondle the prototype (see below)? Well, the lucky bastards at France's Le Journal du Geek actually got their hands on a legitimate version of the X-Series Walkman and then proceeded to photograph the living bejeezus out of it. [Correction: Sony has confirmed with us that the X-Series unit … Read more

Burning Tires 3D Lite is a free, two-level preview of Burning Tires 3D, a behind-the-car, third-person-view racing game with energetic graphics and sound effects. You compete with three other cars as you complete laps around the track and try to cross the finish line first. Steering with the accelerometer can be difficult to master at first (turning your iPhone or iPod Touch left or right like a steering wheel), but, thankfully, the game offers adjustable accelerometer sensitivity and--even better--touch-screen steering, which allows you to touch buttons on the left and right side of the screen to turn your car. You … Read more

Internet phone company Jajah can turn the iPod Touch into an iPhone. (Download from CNET Download.com.)

The company, which competes with other low-cost Internet calling applications such as Skype, announced Thursday a new application that will allow Touch users to call and text messages using a voice over IP network instead of a carrier's cellular network.

All that is needed to start making calls is the Jajah application, the latest version of the iPod Touch, a microphone headset, and a Wi-Fi connection. While the Jajah service can reduce calling costs up to 98 percent, the fact that it … Read more

Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor is a touch-typing tutorial that uses fun games, adaptive lessons, iTunes accompaniment, and a goofy Viking character to help make learning to type more fun. This application takes a holistic approach to typing instruction, starting with basic good habits (such as how to sit for maximum comfort and efficiency) and following with timed lessons that adapt on the fly to give you more practice with any problem areas.

Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor provides a lot of feedback on your progress, and two different games (Brick Factory, in which you build the Eiffel Tower, and Safari Park, … Read more

Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor is a touch-typing tutorial that uses fun games, adaptive lessons, iTunes accompaniment, and a goofy Viking character to help make learning to type more fun. This app takes a holistic approach to typing instruction, starting with basic good habits (such as how to sit for maximum comfort and efficiency) and following with timed lessons that adapt on the fly to give you more practice with any problem areas. Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor provides a lot of feedback on your progress, and two different games (Brick Factory, in which you build the Eiffel Tower, and Safari Park, … Read more

My favorite game so far for the iPhone just got even better and it's definitely worthy of its own Download blog post. To be clear, this is not my iPhone apps of the week post which will appear on Friday as usual. It's just an update I think all players of this game should know about.

SlotZ Racer ($2.99) just received a free major update and it is definitely a must have for fans of this slot-racing simulator. The game was already a steal at the $2.99 price tag, featuring excellent graphics, different racing modes to … Read more

Good news, everyone. And by everyone, I mean those who are trendy and single. Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and we're here to help you speed up that dating process.

You'll need to be an owner of either an iPhone or an iPod Touch, though. Thus, the aforementioned "trendy" notion.

Online speed dating service SpeedDate announced on Monday the availability of its free iPhone application. No more excuses. You can now find a match anywhere. Sort of.

The app allows access to SpeedDate members' profiles, which you can connect to by sending a "wink" or a quick "flirt." It also allows for creating a new profile if you are not already a member. You won't be able do much else, however, such as sending an e-mail to a member.

I tried the app on my iPhone 3G and got my profile up and running within a minute. After that, the application asked for my location and went straight to the "SpeedDate" tab, where it showed me a list in slide-show style of singles in my area between the ages of 18 to 99.

After narrowing the age range, I was surprised by the number of singles available in my vicinity. Unfortunately, the application doesn't allow for filtering by any other criteria, such as height, body type, or hair color. I couldn't put any of the matches into a "favorite" list either. And if I turned the application off, I needed to go through the same process again when I turned it back on. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to find the same person again.… Read more

I scout several Web sites every week for new iPhone applications to try to find what I think are the most useful (or the most fun) for everyone who reads this column. A couple of weeks ago, I featured a budgeting application that I thought had some nice features, but a user quickly pointed me in the direction of something much better.

Mint.com (Free) is an excellent money management tool that automatically syncs up with your accounts to help you follow a budget on your iPhone. The interface is well designed, letting you quickly navigate several accounts, track spending, … Read more