Words With Friends
Here’s an oldie but goodie. Words With Friends (WWF) is an awesome game for killing time between classes but even better for those few minutes in class after you’ve caught up on the notes but don’t feel like paying attention for a few minutes. WWF is a Scrabble-type game that pits players against friends with iPhones or iPod Touches. Players take turns making connecting words with letter tiles, making use of rare letters and bonus spaces to earn the most points and best their opponent. The app is a perfect game to keep running in the background as users make short plays and then wait for the push notification indicating their turn. It’s a well-built app free of bugs and glitches that provides you with continuous entertainment (games can last days).
WWF comes in both a free and paid version and has been a staple of the app store for over a year. If it’s not already on your phone, check it out and start challenging your friends in the ultimate competition to determine the nerdiest of your friends.
–Tim
Instagram is the love child of your inner hipster and social media guru. The app has a built in interface to the camera and a series of filters you can apply to make your pictures look as if they came from something you bought at Urban Outfitters. Once you’re happy with your artwork you can automatically share it on Instagram’s site as well as your social network of choice.
While Instagram might not be as powerful as say Hipstamatic, it’s a great option if you like the deep social media integration and, you know, your money.
–Isaac
Skyfire
There’s an answer to the problem of Flash on the iPhone now. Skyfire ($2.99) brings flash video capability to the iPhone through a special Web browser that uses Skyfire’s servers to convert Flash videos into a format the iPhone can play. With Skyfire installed, any Flash video link can be opened with the app. It’s a really cool idea and a simple solution to Apple’s refusal to support Flash on its devices.
Unfortunately Skyfire’s servers can get bogged down during periods of high traffic, but delays can be expected to diminish as Skyfire ramps up its service. Additionally Flash games and apps are not supported due to the nature of the service. It’s got kinks, but the idea is sound and this new functionality opens up a new world on the web for the iPhone.
–Tim