Some Innovative iPhone (and Android) apps:

Ever since downloadable apps were popularized by the iPhone, this space has grown pretty much.
Many innovative applications have come up. These applications have made good use of sensors inbuilt with the  device. They are also well integrated with the web.  Such apps were not done prior to the iPhone and their ilk.  This is a post on few apps that I liked for their innovative use of available information on smart phones .

1. OCarina:
The best app in this list would be Smule’s OCarina . This application simulates the Ocarina, an ancient flute like instrument on the iPhone .

The application converts the iPhone into a true musical instrument. Its quite  amazing to see how gestures, tilt, touch and breath are fed into the device to create some good music. Some videos here .

Its not surprising that the application made it to the list of entries contending for the  ‘Best Mobile App’ category at the Crunchies 2008 event .

2. Google Mobile App
The next application is Google’s mobile application for the iPhone. Especially the voice search.
The application makes use of an undocumented API that allowed access to the proximity sensor of the iPhone . With this information,the application would automatically activate voice search when appropriate. Users have found this app quite useful and the voice search ‘really works’ .This app has got good reviews from many.  Here is a video that shows this app in action.

3. Textecution:
This is an Android application that automatically disables texting while you are driving.
The application reads the GPS information of the phone to find out if the phone is moving faster than 10mph.
If the phone is moving faster than 10mph all texting is disabled on the phone! A simple idea that brings in
a lot of safety. For more,have a look at their site here .

4. Pandora :
Pandora was one of the first applications to come to the iPhone. This application allows users to stream music from Pandora Radio directly to their iPhone . The service plays new songs based on earlier songs played by the user. This application is quite popular and there has been  over 2 million downloads of this application since its launch on July 2008.

5. Shazm :
Talking of Pandora,here is yet another music application that is equally innovative. Shazm is a music discovery service . Bring your iPhone close to any tune that is played now, and Shazm discovers the tune and  shows the name of the song!

Its quit interesting to hear of these applications .I am curious to see how all these apps work internally.Hope someone is magnanimous to open up the source code of these apps!