It's an App World

I have an iPhone.  I use apps for many things – news (CNN, NY Times, Time, Reddit), RSS (Engadget, Mashable, Reeder),  social networking (Facebook, Twitter), music (iPod, Pandora, Digitally Imported, Tunein Radio, WunderRadio, NPR Music, DubSiren), reviews (Yelp, Trip Advisor), reference (Wikipanion, The Weather Channel, StillTasty), money (Mint, Tip), shopping (GroceryIQ, Amazon), reminders (mSecure, Occasions), location (Google Maps, Siri, FedEx, UPS, Flight Update, OpenTable, GasBuddy), games (Words with Friends, Madden NFL, Texas Hold'em, Tiger Woods), movies (Netflix, Flixter, IMDb), work (WebEx), photography (CameraBag, Adobe Photoshop Express, StopMotion, Photoburst, Hipstamatic, Pano), books (iBooks, Kindle) and the usual (phone, camera, email, SMS and YouTube).

It got me to thinking… what if I could use an app for everything? What if my phone controlled my entire universe?  Yes, I'm that lazy.  Here, then, are a few ideas:

• Keys (Bump technology for your home/car/hotel rooms.  Never carry a key again.)
• Credit Cards (imagine paying at Nordstrom with your Visa app)
• Magazines (Rolling Stone, Condé Nast Traveler, Entertainment Weekly)
• TV Remote (actually... Apple TV is going to address this very soon)
• Menu Finder (menus for every single restaurant on Earth... with pics for all dishes)
• Wanderlust (pick a spot on the globe and spend an hour there; people watch at a cafe.)
• Live Traffic (what if you could watch a live video stream of your local highways?)

What about you?  What apps would you like to see?

Comments

[me]

You are the ultimate consumer. I mean, wow. I am seriously impressed. I don't even have 1/5th of the income it would take to consume as much as you do. Not to be too nosy or direct, but do you get kickbacks for mentioning these products/companies? If you genuinely like them, fantastic. It's just a comment, not a criticism. (I use to create printed advertisements, that's why I ask).

[Buddha]

No. In fact... I've turned down tons of offers to place ads on this site. I just spend way too much on iPhone apps. It's just amazing to me what can be done on a cell phone these days. I remember how cool I thought my Treo was years ago. That thing had no apps, a shitty camera and was pretty much useless. I'm going to wait to get the next iPhone, but for now... I'll keep checking out new stuff.

My new favorite... Instagram. Nice little camera app.

[me]

The iPhone seems fun. I have the iPod Touch. I like it. The economy seems weird so I decided not to get the iPhone. I estimated that it would cost a grand a year to purchase the phone and pay for the bills. I'm pretty sure I sound very stingy, but it is what it is :) I like the iPod Touch because it was a one time cost. The only thing is, I am dependent on Wifi to enjoy it.

I always go to coffee shops and places that have Wifi, so that's how I roll.

[Buddha]

I held off on getting the iPhone 4, too. It's too similar to the 3GS for the money. I'll wait until the next version comes out (same with the iPad). Yeah... don't live beyond your means just to have the newest gadget. There will always be another one.