iOS has over 600,000 apps. With so many apps out there, app discovery (aka finding new and useful apps) is extremely difficult. With our iOS Apps of the Day initiative, dotTech aims to change that. Everyday we post three apps, allowing our readers to discover new apps, daily. Enjoy! [Subscribe to our iOS section to never miss an article: RSS Feed | E-mail]
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Apps for March 22, 2012
WinZip
WinZip is one of the most popular Windows programs for extracting Zip files; and this iPhone application will allow you to open any Zip or RAR file on your iDevice, whether that be a Zip/RAR you get via e-mail, download off the web, etc. Just do Open With WinZip, and the archive will be opened to show what is contained in the Zip or RAR file. You can open password protected Zip files but AES encrypted Zip files aren’t supported yet. You can view Word documents, Excel documents, PowerPoint documents, text files, image files, PDF files, web documents, Rich Text Format documents, Keynote presentations, Numbers spreadsheets, and Pages documents all from within WinZip.
Version discovered: 1.1
Requires: iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad; iOS 4.2 and up
Download size: 1.4 MB
Flashlight – Tiny Flashlight ®
Flashlight – Tiny Flashlight ® is a flashlight program that you can use on your phone in order to see in the dark instead of grabbing a regular flashlight. You can use the Screen Light function as a flashlight (which uses your screen as a “flashlight”), or you can use the camera LED flash, if you have an iPhone 4 and 4S, to light the way. Besides using the screen light, you can also use other forms of lighting in the app which are Warning Light, Strobe Light, Police Light, and even a Light Bulb that can be dimmed or brightened by dragging on the screen top to bottom. The app remembers what type of lighting you used last, making it easy to quickly reuse it. If you have an iPhone you will see a battery indicator showing you how much battery life there is left.
Even though this is a good app to light the way, it is advisable to not us this constantly since it will drain the devices battery very quickly.
Version discovered: 2.4
Requires: iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad; iOS 4.2 and up
Download size: 4.6 MB
Flashlight – Tiny Flashlight ® on iTunes
FastMall – Shopping Malls, Community & Interactive Maps
FastMall can be thought of Google Maps for malls. Many (most?) malls have digital maps. These mapscan be downloaded into fastMall to help you find where all the stores are in the mall whenever you are shopping at the mall, without checking the physical directory inside. The map that you downloaded will help navigate where you need to go whether it is trying to find a coffee shop or the video game store. If you shake the phone the app will tell you where the closest bathroom is located. You can also have the app remember where you parked so you won’t be lost trying to find your car when you are leaving the mall. The app will even help you find the elevators if you have a stroller or have a wheelchair. So long as the map is available for the mall you are at, you will be able to do what needs to be done in the mall and get on your merry way quickly.
Version discovered: 4.14
Requires: iPhone/iPod touch/iPad; iOS
Download size:
FastMall – Shopping Malls, Community & Interactive Maps on iTunes
dotTechies: We have tested all the apps listed above. However, iOS Apps of the Day articles are not intended as “reviews” but rather as “heads-up” to help you discover new apps. Always use your best judgement when downloading apps, such as trying trial/free versions before purchasing paid apps, if applicable.