Skype’s big update tops our Fresh Apps of the Week list, but we also have some other great offerings for both iPhone and iPad, including an update to Reeder for iPad and CBS Sunday Morning.
Skype update (iPhone, iPad) Free
Used to be, users of the Skype mobile app could use the voice over Internet provider to call Skype users on PC for free, but for making calls to other mobile phone users, you had to pay. That’s not the case anymore — Skype has been updated to allow free Skype-to-Skype calls, on Wi-Fi and 3G, no matter where you or the person you’re calling is.
It’s a pretty great update to a service that was already great in a lot of ways. Skype allows users to send text messages and make video calls to one another using the front-facing cameras on the iPhone 4 and the iPad. You can also send text messages and make calls to landlines and mobile phones that aren’t using Skype, but you’ll have to pay by the minute.
VLC Streamer (iPhone) $0.99
It can be tough getting all your movies, music and photos crammed onto an iPhone, especially with one of the smaller storage models. VLC Streamer helps with that, at least a little, by allowing you to stream your videos from an online server over a Wi-FI connection.
After downloading some software to your PC, you can use it to load-up videos and send them along to your iPhone. The only drawback is a need for an Internet connection to watch your media, but the tradeoff of keeping your phone’s hard drive free is generally worth it.
Reeder for iPad update $4.99
Reeder brings the simplicity and user-friendliness of Google Reader to your iPad in an easy to navigate app that lets you page through items in a grid system rather than a list. It’s a highly useable way to access the news feeds and articles you read regularly with your iPad, but in a more visual way.
The recent update to Reeder adds the ability to read articles without pulling open the iPad’s browser to access them. It’s a lot like apps like Instapaper and Read It Later, which allow you to see just text versions of articles — making the whole experience cleaner and faster.
CBS Sunday Morning (iPhone) Free
The official app of CBS’ popular news show is free and features articles from the show that don’t show up on other news shows or apps. It brings all the good things about the show to your iPhone, allowing you full access anytime you want.
You’ll get videos and articles from the show and the staff there, as well as the ability to see segments from the show featuring CBS Sunday Morning’s commentators and correspondents. It’s also filled with image galleries and the tranquil videos that make CBS Sunday Morning such a great show.
GasBuddy (iPhone, iPad) Free
GasBuddy is a simple but useful concept: users log-in and find gas prices they’ve seen in their areas, allowing other uses in the community to pull up their neighborhoods and exploit the best price at the pump around. The app does the same thing as the GasBuddy.com website, allowing you to search by zip code to find prices in your area, and encouraging you to log any you see yourself in order to help others save when they fill-up.
You can get your prices delivered in the app in either a list format, which includes the gas station’s name, location and price, or see all prices and locations pinged on a Google map for you to follow. GasBuddy is simple, and best of all, free — which is exactly the best price to help with the whole “saving money” theme the app is going for.
