Social Networking
Yesterday I wrote about how great it was to finally have the Official Twitter App for iPad. However, when it comes to Facebook the wait continues. Unlike Twitter (they acquired a great 3rd party App and made it their own), Facebook has developed their own App for iPhone and iPod touch, but it's not yet a native iPad App. Although there is an official Facebook App for iPhone, it doesn't support all of the features of Facebook and that really bugs me considering that it comes directly from Facebook. Luckily when it comes to the iPad, Facebook works pretty good in Safari. It's not perfect, but it works. Last week Jason reviewed his favorite iPad 3rd party Facebook App, Friendly. Today, I'm reviewing a competitor to that App called Social. I was hesitant at first because usually 3rd party Apps just don't have the level of access to the service they are designed to support. This is why I want a native Netflix App with full queue and account management. 3rd Party Apps just can't access those features and the currently implementation of the "official" Netflix App for iPhone doesn't have them at all.
Social seems to have all of the features of Facebook
Wow! I was blown away by the level of Facebook feature support in this App. It supports the usual stuff like Friend, Photos, Chat and News feeds, but it also has support for Pages and Groups (the latter isn't even in the Facebook App for iPhone). The information is presented in easy to navigate (customizable) tabs. Sadly the only feature that it doesn't seem to have and it's one I use extensively is Lists. Again, this is not too surprising since the Official Facebook App doesn't have it either, but it's the only thing that I can see that's missing.
OK, sounds great what's wrong with it
Other than the missing Lists support the biggest problem with this App is that it's buggy. It quits on a regular basis and often times when I tap on something it takes me to my News feed instead of the item I tapped on. For example, I added three pages to the Favorites tab. When I go to the Favorites tab they are listed there. However, when I tap on any of them the Page never comes up, instead it goes straight to my own news feed. I can access those three pages no problem from the Pages tab. There are also some glitches playing Facebook videos.
UPDATE
Of course as soon as I wrote this review yesterday, he releases an update last night! I could have simply changed the review, but I thought it would be more interesting to see point by point what got fixed vs. what I had complained about. Also there was no time to thoroughly test the update, but the Favorites bug is fixed and although I see the lists feature via the News feed i don't see any way to actually manage the Lists via the App. Otherwise this looks very promising. Here's what the update addresses:
UPDATE #2
I just got a friend request and decided to process/accept in Social to see if the List support was there and I'm happy to say that it is! Although I can't manage the Lists themselves in the App, I'm very happy that I can add new Friends to Lists upon acceptance right in the App.
The Bottom Line
This is by far the best Facebook App I've seen to date on the iPad from a feature support standpoint. If the developer just works out the bugs, it would easily be a 4-5 star App. I'm looking forward to those updates.
You can get Social here from the 
Like it or not, this “thing” called Twitter has become a major part of the way business is conducted. Whether it’s a fortune 500 company or a single employee entrepreneur, twitter is a cheap, relatively easy way to promote your business as well as a way to stay in contact with your customers. Then there’s the social networking side of it. Stay in contact with your friends, keep them informed of your whereabouts with geo tagging as well as what’s on your mind. The uses for Twitter are endless.
When it comes to an application (or desktop program for that matter) there are a few things that it has to have. First, it needs to be easy to use. I want to be able to automatically log on, tweet, send pictures, and shorten links quickly and easily. Second, it needs to be customizable. I want to have the option of changing the refresh wait period, the background theme colors, and the pop up alerts. I want to be able to choose different image uploading services, and I want to be able to choose whether or not it makes a sound. Tweetdeck does all of these things and more.
I have been a user of tweet deck on my laptop for a while and have been totally happy with it, so when I got my iPad and iPhone4, Tweetdeck was the first app that went looking for. You can read Terry’s review of the iPad version here. He was spot on with his review so it’s a must read before downloading for your iPad. As for the iPhone, Tweetdeck has hit a homerun with this application. They have included all of the above mentioned features as well as many, many more that have made it my go to app for staying on top of my Tweets.
Get it from the iTunes store here from the
Since the introduction of the iPad I have been searching for a Facebook application that runs natively on the iPad. While the Facebook app scales up and is usable, it’s designed for the iPhone and iPod touch, not the larger display of the iPad. I started using Friendly for iPad about a month ago and it has most of the features that I would like in a Facbook app for the iPad.
The Good
I really like the design of the app. Upon launching you are immediately taken to your home page just like when opening Facebook on a computer. Along with Home there are three other sections to choose from; Profile, Friends, and Inbox. Each of these sections is divided into tabs. The tabs are laid out the way you expect that they would be if this were an app directly from Facebook itself. Within the first tab you see upon launch you get both the option of showing Live Feed, as well as News Feed toggled inside of the same tab (this is similar to “Top News” and “Most Recent”). The next tab inside of the Home section is Events. The Events tab shows all of your upcoming events, as well as the events that people have invited you to. There is a simple option of choosing Yes, No, or Maybe. The Third Tab is the Requests Tab. This tab houses just what the name implies, requests. I really like this system of tabs, as it is really intuitive moving back and forth through the content.
The next section is Profile. Again, just as in the Home section there are three tabs dividing the content; Wall, Info, and Photos. Wall and Info act just as they would in the online version of Facebook. You can view all of your wall content but interestingly you can’t edit any of it. You cannot remove comments, or things that you have posted. The same thing applies to the Info section. You cannot edit any of your personal information from within the Info tab. There is a pretty slick feature however that I stumbled across while trying to edit my info. I touched on my address to see if that took me to a screen that allowed me to edit it, and instead it brought up a Google map showing me where my house was on Google. This is perfect for business pages because all I have to do when viewing a business fan page is touch the address and it pops up in a Google map showing me where I can find the business. It does all of this within the application. No Safari Pages, so when I’m done looking at the map I simply click done and I’m right back where I was. Pretty cool! The Third and Final Tab within the Profile section is Photos. The thing I really like about the Photos section in this app is the simplicity, yet fully packed features. When you click on the Photos tab, Friendly brings up all of your Facebook Photo albums with a small thumbnail next to them showing the album cover. The default view inside of the album is thumbnail view, however you have the option of either clicking and enlarging a specific image, or clicking the play button to start a slideshow of all of the images. Also housed in the album controls is the ability to launch the actual facebook site, which seemed a little out of place to me because it takes you to your homepage not the album which you are viewing. Again this is a window inside of the app though so there is no need to relaunch the app when you are done in the new window. You simply click done and you are right back inside of the application.
You can get Friendly – Facebook Browser here from the
As a frequent international traveler I depend on various Apps to make low cost calls both back to the states and to other countries. We've all heard of Skype and while I use Skype like many of you I also have a separate company reimbursed VoIP line through Vonage. I have a separate Vonage "Sofphone" line with its own number and it allows me to make calls via my computer. The beauty of this line is that it uses the SIP protocol. This means that it's compatible with just about any standard SIP client including the various iPhone Apps out there. At first I was using an App called WeePhone and while WeePhone works, it was very basic and lacking in some features that the higher end Apps had.
Acrobtis Softphone is my New Favorite VoIP SIP Client
This App already had more features than WeePhone. However, in their latest update they added support for iOS 4's multitasking, which means that the App can run in the background during a call while you use other Apps in the foreground. So in that respect it works just like the native iPhone Phone App. As many of you know I'm a sucker for a great UI (user interface) and Softphone is beautiful to look at. The App allows you to customize the colors and just has a more overall polished look to it over the last App I was using. I also like the fact that they have built-in presets for the most popular SIP based VoIP services and that makes setting up your account a breeze. Usually all it takes is to choose the service you're using and enter your user name and password and the App configures all the settings for you. I also really like the icon based Quick Dial (Favorites) feature. You add your most frequently called contacts to this screen and you just tap their photo to make the call. You can also configure the App with multiple SIP accounts if you need to. Probably the biggest reason I use this App over Skype is a simple one, Softphone supports bluetooth headsets. Other than that I also find the audio quality to be better too. Just like the native Phone App it works with my Jawbone ICON headset. So I can use it for handsfree calls.
It works over both 3G and WiFi and it's not limited to the iPhone. This App also runs great on an iPod touch or iPad. That's right you can use any iDevice as a phone! I've made calls from my iPad because it was already in my hands and the iPhone was across the room. Now before you rush off and buy this App I must remind you that it will be of no use to you unless you have a VoIP service that uses the SIP protocol. There is a list of providers right in the App and you can pick one of those if you don't already have one and get setup. International rates will vary, but they will be pennies compared to what your cellular carrier will charge you.
What about receiving calls? Although Softphone runs in the background in iOS 4 while you're on a call, iOS 4 doesn't allow any of these apps to sit idle in the background waiting for a call. Therefore if a call is received the App can only notify you via Push notifications. Depending on your VoIP carrier and the Push settings, this will either work for you or it won't. I didn't spend a lot of time in this area simply because I forward my Vonage line to my Google Voice number for my incoming calls.
You can get Acrobits Softphone here from the
Ask anyone that has a teenager and doesn't have an unlimited texting plan whether or not they've been hit with a surprise overage and bet more often then not you'll hear some horror stories. Most people feel that SMS text messaging charges are quite frankly a rip off. People feel that there isn't really any extra cost associated with SMS messaging so why should they charge such outrageous monthly and overage fees? While I can't say whether or not the wireless providers are full of crap, I can give you an alternative way of getting unlimited text messaging for a one-time flat fee!
TextNow offers unlimited SMS and Picture Messaging with a great UI
As you know by now I'm a UI (user interface) freak. Put two apps side-by-side that do the exact same thing, if one looks better and even costs more I'm likely to go with it. However, the price for TextNow is quite reasonable. Here's how it works. You buy the App for $0.99. This gets you 3 months of service, which is actually a good way to try it out first by only spending a buck. Once you're happy, you can then do an in App purchase of $3.99 for a year or (get this) $7.99 for LIFETIME. I just can't imagine spending $3.99 when $7.99 means I'll never have to pay again. However, I guess it's good to have options. You then sign up for your user name @ textnow.me. You have access to your contacts from within the App and for the most part it works just like the built-in iOS Messages App. Great looking UI with a customizable wallpaper screen, sounds and "ringtones" that you can assign to individual contacts. Something I've wanted from the Messages App since day one. You can send and receive all the SMS and picture messages you want. The recipient doesn't need to have an account or even know what TextNow is. Although you don't get a phone number, the messages do come from your "name" that you configure into the App. So people will know who is sending them the text. Also since this App works on the iPad and iPod touch, it means sending and receiving SMS/MMS messages from those devices too.
Awesome Google Voice Integration
One of the surprise benefits of this App for me is that it integrates GREAT with Google Voice. Once you set up your account, you simply forward your Google Voice SMS messages to your textnow.me email address. They show up in the App like the rest of the messages and when you respond they route through Google Voice to appear as if they are coming from your Google Voice number. So in other words this App puts a beautiful user interface on the Google Voice SMS feature.
You can get TextNow here from the
It's hard to mention VoIP without the name Skype coming up in the conversation. Love it or hate it, Skype is the name that comes to mind when people think about making calls over the internet. I use Skype on a regular basis to do blog/podcast interviews and to make calls back home when I travel abroad. While Skype isn't the only VoIP App I use (See my WeePhone review) it is the one that my friends and family use the most. The funny thing about traveling abroad and making calls back home is that my company has negotiated a better 3G data rate than a cellular roaming rate. So it's actually much cheaper for me to use VoIP apps on my iPhone than it is to make regular voice calls overseas. The reason that I will probably use Skype more now is because this new version finally works over a 3G connection. That's right, you can use Skype to make calls over 3G (yes even AT&T 3G) instead of using your minutes or the way more expensive roaming minutes. Best of all if you're calling another Skype user, the call is FREE (well at least until the end of August 2010)! The Skype user you're calling can either be on their computer, an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or other platform running Skype. You can access your iPhone Contacts directly in the Skype App to dial their numbers. You can also add frequently called numbers to the Skype Contacts. Your "online" friends will automatically appear in the App.
This is great, but I want more
While I certainly welcome this new version of Skype and being able to use it either over WiFi OR 3G, I still want a few more features. I'm really spoiled by WeePhone's ability to work with a Bluetooth headset. This is great because i set my iPhone down in the hotel room and walk around doing things (like hanging up my clothes) while I call home. Also there is no Push Notifications in Skype 2.0. So if you're not in the App and someone calls you, you won't know about it. I'm sure this will change once we're all on iPhone 4.0 with multitasking, but today Push Notifications is the answer and Skype 2.0 doesn't have it. While it's true that none of the iDevices have a front facing camera, it would still be nice to have a video chat option. On the iPhone once the call is initiated you could turn the iPhone around and they could see you or at least if their on a computer with a webcam you could see them even if they couldn't see you. Lastly, while this version does work fine on an iPad, it would be nice to have a larger iPad version.
You can get Skype 2.0 for FREE here from the App Store: 
I'm as much of a Star Trek fan as the next guy. So when I saw Captain's Blog on the App store, I had to give it a shot. Captain's Blog is app that allows you to take notes and share them via Twitter and Facebook. While it definitely has a Star Trek feel to it, this App unfortunately is severely lacking in functionality. It's certainly not strong enough to replace any of my existing Apps. While I can post to Twitter I can't see my tweets or people I follow. So it's not a Twitter client. While I can post a status update to Facebook, I can't do anything else Facebook related. When you execute a function, you do get a Star Trek like beep, but you don't get any variety of sounds from the classic show.
Unless you're a diehard Star Trek fan, you can skip this app
The focus of Best App Site is to concentrate on the "Best" Apps on the App store and while this App certainly does what it claims to do, I wouldn't recommend it for anything beyond its potential entertainment value. If the developer adds more features, this could be a great app. However, in it's current state I wouldn't advise getting it unless you're really a Trekkie and you want to geek out with friends showing them your PADD. If the developer is listening, why not give us some additional things to make it more like a real Star Trek Padd? Weather conditions? Astronomy Star Charts? Build in a Browser with Google search for looking up info. More sound effects. The possibilities are endless
You can get Captain's Blog here from the App Store.
My favorite iPhone Twitter client (Tweetie 2) was recently purchased by Twitter, Inc. Looks like I wasn't the only one that thought it was GREAT! That's right! Twitter bought Tweetie 2 to make it their official Twitter client for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. They just released the first "rebranded" version this week and more importantly now it's FREE! Although I felt that feature set of Tweetie 2 was worth paying for (obviously since I paid for it), I'm happy to report that now everyone get's this great App as a free download.
Twitter has everything I want (almost)
I've tried several Twitter clients for iPhone and iPad and I just like the layout and feature set of Twitter. It's fast and has all the features I wanted. Well almost all. The only thing missing now is a native iPad version. Sure there are other ones already out there for the iPad that take advantage of the larger iPad screen size and I'm using them, but I still miss Tweetie 2 (Twitter). Twitter 3.0 is more than just a new logo and name. They imporved the Searh feature so that now you can search all tweets and find users in the same spot. You can also view Top Tweets and browse suggested users. You can even use Twitter without having to have a Twitter account. Yep, that's right. If you just want to see and read people's tweets, you can do so with this App without signing in. Twitter supports multiple accounts, lists, photo uploading, geotagging and every other feature of Twitter on the desktop. In many ways I find it easier to use than tweeting on my desktop via a web browser.
If you're looking for a GREAT Twitter Client for your iDevice, this is it!
You can download Twitter here from the App Store:
Follow me on Twitter here.
Yes I Tweet! I'm on Twitter and you can Folllow me here. I mostly tweet when I'm on the road and my iPhone is my main Twitter tool. On the iPhone my Twitter client of choice is Tweetie 2. However, although Tweetie 2 works just fine on the iPad, I prefer to have a full-sized Twitter client. One that really takes advantage of all that extra screen real estate. I'm sure that Tweetie 2 will be upgraded for the iPad at some point, but I wanted something NOW! So I decided to try out the FREE alternative in the interim.
TweetDec for iPad shows it all in one view
The nice thing about the iPad is that you do have that nice big display at 1024×768 resolution. So I'm totally addicted to Apps that take advantage of it. I had tried TweetDeck on my MacBook Pro and while the client worked perfectly it was actually too distracting. I would see new messages pop up during the day and immediately want to see what they were. I wasn't getting any work done. However, on the iPad that's less of an issue and I must admit I do like TweetDeck's ability to show the 3 main columns that I care about all in one view. I can see the tweets of the people I follow, I can see the Mentions of me or my tweets and I can see the Direct Messages too if I turn the iPad landscape. You can customize which columns you see and with a flick of your finger you can get to the next page of columns. I have two Twitter accounts so this is a nice way to flip between them. TweetDeck also takes advantage of the the latest Twitter technologies including Geotagging and Lists. So you can even have a column of say a list of your buddies or colleague's tweets. You can rearrange the columns by simply holding down your finger on a column header to get into the mode of rearranging.
You can get it here from the App Store
Chances are you've heard of social networking site like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. All of these sites let you post status updates or "tweets" to tell your friends or followers what your'e doing. Gowalla takes it up a notch by being geared more towards letting your friends and family know where you are. So instead of posting a status update of "watching TV on the couch", you actually GET OUT OF THE HOUSE and go places. Once you get to a destination like a restaurant, bar, airport, mall, pub, famous landmark, coffee house, museum or other hangout, you "check in". The App detects your current location and lists the surrounding places. You simply tap on a known location and Check In. All of your friends will see this when they look at the recent activity or even better when they get a push notification. If the location you're at hasn't been added to the list yet, you can be the first to create it!
It's not for everyone
Since this App is geared to let people know where you are RIGHT NOW! I don't use this with just anyone. I use it with "known" family and friends. In other words people that I actually know and have no problem if they knew where I was. It's also kind of fun to go beyond checking in and play along by picking up and leaving virtual items in locations for others. If you don't want yet another thing to have to update, this App can also (Optionally) post to Twitter and Facebook for you too. So you could in theory use the one App to let EVERYONE know where you are 
Get it here:
