The SoapBoxers

I got an iPod touch a few years ago, and I absolutely love it. I wanted one because it was the next greatest thing for music storage….way better than just a plain old classic iPod. Then I discovered the App Store. I think now I use the iPod more for the apps than I do to listen to my music.

Below are my top 5 apps, in no particular order:

1. Angry Birds (all versions) – I’m no longer addicted to the original version of Angry Birds, but I am addicted to Angry Birds: Seasons and Angry Birds: Rio.

The point of the game is to destroy the green pigs on each stage (there are several stages) and to do it by using the least number of birds possible. There are different “types” of birds that do different levels of destruction. On each stage, you get a certain number of birds, and you get 1 to 3 stars based on the amount of points you accumulate. The overall object of the game is to get 3 stars on every stage. I have yet to do this, but I’m close. There seems to be an update with new levels every few months, which keeps you coming back for more!

2. Bejeweled 2 Blitz – See my review of this app here. This could be my all-time favorite app. I’ve been playing it for a couple of years, and I’m still addicted.

3. Yahoo! Fantasy Football – I know, I haven’t used this app in a few months, and might not be able to use it for several more months with the upcoming season in jeopardy due to the lockout. But, if you are involved in a Yahoo! Fantasy league for football, this app is for you. All you have to do is login, and your roster is right there at your fingertips. Need to make a quick change and can’t get on the computer, a couple of touches to the iPod/phone and your roster move is complete. Need to check the scores of your current head-to-head matchup? It’s all right there! Definitely an addicting app during the football season.

4. Tiny Wings – The objective of this game is simple….you’re a bird, but you have tiny wings and can’t fly on your own. So, the game is filled with hills, and the objective is to touch the screen at the right time to make your bird “dive” on the down slope of a hill, which in turns uses the up slope to “fly”. It’s a very simple game, but it is fun and my newest addiction. The longer you fly, the longer it stays daylight. Once nighttime hits, your game is over!

5. DirecTV – of all the apps, this one is definitely the most boring (especially if you aren’t a DirecTV subscriber!). Download and login to the app using the same login information that you would use on the site to pay your bill, view your account, etc, and your DirecTV viewing guide is right there at your fingertips. Have a DVR and forgot to setup a recording before you left for work or to run that errand? No problem, just find the program on your guide in the app and hit record. It’s as simple as that. It’s very convenient, especially if you always forget like I do!

Those are my top 5 most used/favorite apps…..what are yours?

This article mentioned … the iPod Touch

 With last weeks iPad release and iPhone OS out there, I thought I’d share my top 10 favorite apps for the iPhone.

1. Meebo – Meebo to me is the definitive chat client for the iPhone. I’m a big fan of their web based chat client, and when I saw they were releasing a version for the iPhone I jumped on it. Who wouldn’t love a single sign on chat client to AIM, MSN, YIM, Google, etc.?
2. Kindle – If you’re a big reader like me there’s pretty much no reason to not have the Kindle app, except for maybe if you have a Barnes & Noble Nook. Some may complain that it’s tough to read on such a small screen, but with all the settings I find it to be an enjoyable experience.
3. Pandora – Even with gigabtyes upon gigabytes of music on my iPhone, I still find myself spending more of my music listening time on Pandora. It just makes listening to music easy.
4. Facebook – The best social networking app for the best social network. Pretty much everyone now a days has a Facebook account, and having an app on your phone to keep yourself up to date is a must.
5. Dropbox – Want to access a file on your PC from your iPhone? Dropbox is the answer. Not only is Dropbox great for keeping data in sync and transferring data between computers, but this app also allows you to access all those files from your phone.
6. Plants vs Zombies – This is my current favorite game on the iPhone. It’s a simple tower game, but it’s the simplicity that I love. Who doesn’t love killing zombies?
7. MLB.com At Bat – I’m a big White Sox fan and I’m a big fan of this app because of it. This app allows me to watch every White Sox game I want and keep up to date with the latest stats from around the league.
8. Marvel – I’m not really a big comic book guy, well at least I wasn’t until I tried this app. This just makes it so easy to read comic books, that it seems to me that I might finally be pulled into the comic book world. May I recommend the Astonishing X-Men from Joss Whedon of Firefly fame?
9. CardStar – Pretty much everyone I know has a wallet full of frequent shopper cards. They’re a must now a days, every grocery store, pharmacy, and even sporting goods store has them. I don’t cary any, with this app on my phone I can just punch in the number on the bar code on the card and it acts as the card for me. It can even be scanned by cashiers.
10. TV Guide – Sure every cable and satellite box now has a TV Guide built in, but I sometimes find myself wondering if there’s anything good on TV while I’m not at home, at a restaurant perhaps. This app lets me know.