The iPhone Mom

News Addict is a slick looking app that gives you access to fourty-one websites for news sites, magazines, network channels and major newspapers.  The app is designed to look like a newsstand with the icons for the different websites spread across it.  Tap on the website you’d like to read and the it will open within the app. From here you can navigate your way around the site. There is a feature called “tilt scrolling” that allows you to tilt your iPhone to scroll down/up the screen. At times I really liked this feature but at other times it drove me a little crazy. There were times when the websites took a minute to load up in the app but I like the way News Addict gives me access to so much in one place.

Price when Reviewed: $.99 (special introductory pricing)

Seller: TapMode

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this app for review purposes.

Noteworthy Places is an app that I could really use. When you are out and about and you discover a place that you’d like to remember you use this app to mark it down. The app notes the location’s address and it’s place on a map. You can add in comments, a phone number, a rating, or even a voice memo to the location’s information. You can also snap a picture and add that too. Now you have the location noted down and it shows up on your personalized list. Once you’ve added in entries the list can be searched, viewed by categories and sorted by name, distance, rating and date. Find the location, tap on it and all the information you entered is right there.

Noteworthy Places doesn’t come with any preloaded applications and I think that’s fantastic! Instead of having to wade through locations that other’s think are important I keep the list limited to what I know I need. It’s my own personal list that I’ve created. I also think this app would be a great one to take on vacation. As you’re out and about exploring you could keep track of your favorite spots. Then if you ever happened back that way you’d know exactly where to go.

Noteworthy Places is currently free for a limited time. I’d suggest grabbing it and giving it a try.

Price when Reviewed: FREE (limited time)

Seller: Oblik Systems

Version 4 of Mom Maps was released last week. I given it an authentic test run yet because my schedule has been too tight and I’ve had no time for any fun outings. I’m looking forward to breaking out of my drive to school, WalMart, Costco, home and repeat  rut and finding some fun things to do here in Boise.

Jill from Mom Maps wanted me to let you know that they appreciate all the feedback from users regarding location information. When I was writing my original review and requested information on good ol’ Boise, Idaho they were terrific and added it into the app.  The new version now includes more than a dozen metro areas and they’re adding more all the time. Vancouver was just added as well – hooray for the Olympic spirit!

The new maps on version 4 have worked great for me so far. Now you can also enter in your own kid spots as you’re out and about. This means that the locations featured in the app will continue to grow even more. There’s also the ability to add pictures and search within the app. Mom Maps also has several travel bloggers who are adding in reviews of their favorite spots.

Last, but definitely not least in my opinion, Mom Maps is now free. Hopefully more people will grab this app and we can all contribute and help it’s content to grow and grow and grow….

Price when Reviewed: Free

Seller: Family Travel Tools

Siri Assistant is billed as your new personal assistant, who just happens to be an iPhone app. It combines a smorgasbord of different information into one app that is also very easy to use. You can ask Siri to do all sorts of things for you. Find a restaurant, check the weather, book a taxi, find an ATM and more. It pulls in search information from bing, yelp, Yahoo, Citysearch and movietickets.com just to name a few places. You can type in what you’re looking for or say it out loud to the app. Siri uses dictation software from Nuance and it worked like a charm for me. It even deciphered what my 5 year old was asking for and we can’t even do that much of the time. Tonight I was looking for an alternative to cooking dinner so I told Siri I wanted to find a take out restaurant nearby. It used my location to pull up a list of choices along with their addresses and phone numbers. Some restaurants even had reviews that were pulled from the web. If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for then you can let Siri “guide” you. The main screen provides a list of things that it can help you with. Restaurants, movies, events, local businesses, taxis and weather. You can tap on one of these and then continue to make selections that will narrow down your search results.

Siri keeps a running list of what you’ve used it for. This way you can scroll up and down the screen to look things over again. This list disappears when you shut down the app but the next time you open it the searches will be available via the “Recents” button at the bottom of the screen. Siri also has the ability to send you email reminders about anything you like. You simply set it up, choose when (and how often) you’d like to be reminded and the next thing you know you’ll have a friendly reminder in your inbox.

It didn’t take me much time to learn how to use Siri but I’m still discovering all the things it can do.  I’m impressed with how quickly it pulls up information and how relevant that information is. There’s no need to visit Safari and click through search results anymore. Throw in the app’s solid dictation ability and I’m sold.

Price when Reviewed: Free

Seller: Siri

The last time I studied Geography was in college but that knowledge is unfortunately long forgotten and I’m sorry to say what I retain now is thanks to my viewing of the Amazing Race. Because my geographical aptitude is so sorry  this app had me all worked up. GeoMania tests your knowledge of world geography. It asks you to find locations on a globe. The globe is a really neat feature. You can spin it and zoom in and out. When you’ve found the location that’s asked for tap it on the globe and you’ll find out if you were right. I did not get a single answer right but I did get close. A few times. Points are scored for the accuracy of your answers and the time it takes you to figure them out. In the settings you can change the globe from a satellite view to a night or political view. You can also turn off the borders. I am nowhere near hard core enough to attempt that. I selected the political view because the countries show up in different colors. That helped me out. A little.

If you are a geography nut then you’ll enjoy this game or if you have older children this would be a great way for them to practice their geography. It’s been a great long while since I was in high school, and an even greater, longer while since junior high and I can’t remember when the serious geography studies begin. I can’t suggest an age range for GeoMania but I wouldn’t have your children try it before they’ve got a good knowledge base. Otherwise they’ll end up frustrated. It’s a tough app! At least it was for me…

Price when Reviewed: $1.99

Seller: Tritap

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this app for review purposes.

I’ve never been to New York City.  From what I’ve seen on TV and in the movies I’m sure the city would completely overwhelm me.  I can’t imagine navigating those busy streets (not to mention the subway) with all my kids.  I think we’d never leave the house. Well, Lara, a smart mom from NYC, sent me her app, iKidNY to check out. She created it to make maneuvering through the city with little ones easier. Bless her.

The app features five different location categories: Outdoor Activities, Indoor Activities, Restaurants, Changing Tables and Subway Elevators. Seems like a pretty good list to me. To use the app you simply tap on the category you want and then choose to see a list based on your GPS location or search a map of NYC. The list will pull up and then you’ll tap on the location you want to investigate. You can see this information on a map, get directions and put it on a favorites list.

I can imagine that this app would be a lifesaver for NYC parents. I go into a bit of a panic when we visit a store for the first time and I don’t know where the restroom is. I  know that if I stay in the store for more than five minutes it’s inevitable I’ll soon be literally running around, trying to get someone to the bathroom. The thought of walking down a busy street in New York and hearing the words “I need to go potty” makes me sick to my stomach.

My one suggestion for iKidNY would be to make the location information “pop” off the screen just a little more. I’m not sure if it’s the font size or color but it seemed to blend a little too well with the background.  Minor, minor thing though and not nearly as important as being able to find a changing table after a diaper explodes. Those of you living in New York City would be wise to check this app out. Well done Lara! I have a feeling you’ve eased the mind of quite a few of your fellow city dwelling parents.

Price when Reviewed: $2.99

Seller: Kid Friendly, LLC

Mom Maps name says it all – this app gives you maps for moms. It uses your iPhone’s location to give you lists of “kid spots” that are nearby. These locations are divided into different categories: parks, restaurants, playgrounds, museums and indoor playareas.  Select your category and the app pulls up a list of what’s around. From that list you can select a spot to see more details. You’ll get the address, phone number, a website, a rating and reviews. (The last three show up if available.)  You can also choose to see the location on a map or get driving directions.

Right now the app supports 8600+ different kid spots and they’re adding more everyday. The ladies behind Mom Maps were able to quickly add in my city so that I could test out the app.  It pulled up a ton of good stuff. Places I knew about and lots I didn’t. So any other Moms out there in Boise, this app is ready to go for you!

I asked Alesha from Mom Maps how they’ll be going about adding all the new locations and this is what they told me. “We are adding a couple new cities every week. We are working from a list of cities as we get requests and then we going to get all the major US cities. Anyone can add locations from the website, so if someone wanted it in their area before we get there they could help populate it by spreading the word to other moms in their area. Our ability to locate really great spots outside of SF is automated and still very much relies on great moms(and dads) contributing content.  We can find the basics, but if there’s a restaurant, store or indoor playspot you love that is not there, or rated properly, please let us know and we’ll fix it!   Right away!”

As Alesha mentioned we regular, ol’ moms play a key part in getting great spots into Mom Maps. There is a website, www.mommaps.com that you can join and then use to recommend locations you want to see added. Here you can also rate and review different places and those ratings will show up in the app. You can also search for kid spots directly from the  website. So like Alesha said, if you live in an area that they haven’t added yet you can add your own locations from the web and tell your other iPhone lovin’ moms to do the same.

I think the idea behind Mom Maps is fantastic and the app is very well done.  I’m looking forward to using it in my city as well as when I travel. It’ll be a wonderful thing to be able to find a park without having to use a google search in Safari or the antiquated yellow pages. I also like having the ability to add reviews for a kid spot right from my iPhone. So if I find myself coerced into taking the kids to a fast food playarea and it smells strongly of stinky feet instead of fresh sanitizer, I can let other moms in the area know to steer clear.  We have to look out for each other you know.

*According to iTunes Mom Maps already covers the SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City and their surrounding areas. If you want to see if your area is covered visit www.mommaps.com and type your city/state into the search feature and check it out!

Price when Reviewed: $2.99

Seller: Family Travel Tools

What an awesome app!! Catalista connects you with local nonprofit groups who are in need of volunteers. It brings opportunities that you might not know about right to your iPhone. I was a little skeptical about finding anything in my area. I live in the largest metropolitan area in my state but I wasn’t sure if it was large enough to show up on the app’s radar. I was wrong. There was a wide variety of needs listed for my community. Everything from tutoring to being a Girls on the Run coach to a reader for the library’s books on tape. Not just random volunteer assignments but things that I could actually see myself doing.

Catalista is extremely easy to navigate. You can view a list of all the opportunities for your area. Or you can select areas that you’re interested in and search within those parameters. You can sign up through the app (it will direct you to the appropriate websites), share the information with friend, rate the volunteer experience or add it to a favorites list. The app itself is very nice looking and the developers have done an excellent job keeping it clean, easy to read and fun to use.

If you’re looking for chances to get out and help your community then you must get this app. It’s free and the opportunities it can provide will be priceless. Well done Catalista.

Price when Reviewed: Free

Seller: Catalista, LLC

Summer road trips are now a thing of the past but soon it will be time for the holidays. Before we know it we’ll be back in the car heading over the river and through the woods with bored children in the back of our van. The Fun Kids Car Travel Game is an app designed for keeping your kids entertained AND interacting with each other in a non-combative way. With this app they can work together and play as a team against the clock or they can play against each other.

Begin by entering a team name (if you’re playing against the clock) or the names of up to six players (if playing against each other). Next choose “Town” or “Country” questions. This means the questions you’re given will relate to where you’re traveling – in the town or in the country. You can also select how many seconds are allowed between questions and what the winning score needs to be. Once the game has begun questions will appear on the screen. They’ll ask you to look out the car window and find different things. One person needs to be in charge of the score keeping. It will be their job to tap the team name when the object has been spotted. If you are playing against each other then the score keeper taps the name of the first person to spot the object. For each tap the app will keep score. When someone reaches the winning score the game is over.

The Fun Kids Car Travel Game is an app that will keep your kiddos entertained on a road trip and hopefully co-existing in peace in the back of your car.

Price when Reviewed: $.99

Seller: Mark Sanchez/Notion Arts

I dash around town in a trusty 2002 Toyota Sienna van.  It’s a no frills model but it gets the job done, delivers us safely to our destinations and has been well loved. A few years ago my husband had to give up his trusty Corolla and he traded up (way up) to a tricked out Camry Hybrid. Red no less. It’s a terrific car. One of the many features it came with is a navigational system. He can view maps on a screen in his dashboard and has a voice that will guide him around town.  Handy.  I won’t deny that I’ve often been jealous of his fancy car with it’s fancy voice. Especially when I’m downtown trying to find someplace I’ve never been before.  It can be tricky to drive safely, referee kids in the backseat and read printed out MapQuest directions all at the same time.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by TeleNav, the company behind the AT&T  Navigator app. They asked me if I’d like to try out their app and it’s accompanying service so that I could let you all know what I think. The app itself is free but in order for it to work you have to subscribe to the service which costs $9.99 a month, it becomes part of your AT&T bill. Full disclosure here, TeleNav provided me with the service for free. But even though I didn’t have to pay for it I promise you if the app stunk and guided me to the local strip club instead of the local strip mall I would tell you. Promise.

When you start the app up you have to promise not to use it while driving. Safety first. Now you can choose from Drive To or Search.  Drive To will let you choose from your favorite locations, locations stored in your Contacts or the most recent places you’ve been to with the Navigator. I tried it with my sister-in-law’s address from my Contact list. It pulled up a map and had me headed 700 miles away. You can also enter in an address, search for a business, choose a nearby airport or intersection.  On the Search screen you can type in a business name and search from a wide variety of categories. Once you’ve chosen where you want to go  the app will figure out your directions. On your iPhone you’ll see a visual representation of your route. It tells you how many feet until you change directions, the total route distance and an ETA. As you drive this information will change. When you start moving the app will speak to you, giving you driving directions as you go.

There are also Maps & Traffic options but I haven’t fooled around with those too much. Most of my driving is done during the day while the kids are at school and the traffic isn’t too rough. Tools & Extras allows you to change settings on the app. I liked having the ability to choose the type of route Navigator selects – fastest, shortest, traffic optimized, highway or street  and even pedestrian. Going to have to try taking a walk with my talking Navigator sometime soon.

So how did the app perform? Last week the kids and I headed downtown to our local children’s discovery museum and I decided it’d be a perfect chance to try out the Navigator. I searched for my destination and the app set my route. Off we went listening to our step by step directions. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hear the voice over my car and it’s passenger but it wasn’t a problem at all.  Then I decided to try and trick the app so I took a different route. The app responded by “rerouting directions” and was soon guiding me again. I tried that a few times on our trip and it figured me out every time. After the museum we needed some ice cream so I reprogrammed the app and off we went. Excellent directions again. It even guided us successfully home which was a good thing because my brain was toast after a museum outing with all the kids.

How did AT&T Navigator compare to my husband’s Camry navigation? The app operated smoothly and kept up with my erratic driving. It has an edge over the Camry because that operates off a CD that only works in our region. The AT&T app will always be up to date and relevant to wherever you happen to be. I found it easy to use and I like it’s overall design and feel. I’ve put it to good use around town and it’s been spot on every time. Something that I’d like to see is a way to put my iPhone on my dashboard so I can see the maps while I drive. Listening to directions works fine but it’d be nice to be able to see a left turn coming rather than wait for the app to announce it. Just in case I needed to switch lanes. I hate waiting until the last minute to switch lanes.

So to sum it all up, if you’re car doesn’t come with navigation and you’re looking for something to fill that void and give your car a voice, the AT&T Navigator worked great for me.

Now for some great news. TeleNav is allowing me to give away three 6-month subscriptions to the AT&T Navigator app. If you’re a winner you’ll have a chance to try the app out for no monthly cost for the next six months. The giveaway is going to run for a full week, ending on September 14th. How do you enter? Just leave me a comment. Doesn’t have to be long, just your first name is fine. If you send someone a link to the iPhone Mom and tell them about the TeleNav contest you can enter another comment that says “Told a friend”. The contest will close at 10:00 MST on September 14th and three winners will be randomly chosen. Now let’s see those comments and thank you TeleNav!

Click here to learn more about TeleNav’s AT&T Navigator

Price when Reviewed: Free for app, $9.99 for monthly service

Seller: TeleNav, Inc.