In this week’s installment of Fresh iPhone Apps of the Week, check out The Daily Show app and its collection of video clips from the show, as well as updates from Facebook and Loopt.
The Daily Show (iPhone, iPad) Free
Get your fix of Jon Stewart and some fake news no matter where you are with The Daily Show’s official app. It’s filled primarily with video clips from the show, which you can check out in various forms: going along with a “Daily Show Quote of the Day” and taken from the show’s most recent episodes, or from a video archive you can search through by category.
The app also has some cool social networking features. In addition to being able to share your favorite clips on Facebook and Twitter, it also funnels the Twitter feed of several people affiliated with the show. And if you want to participate in the discussion, you can use your own Twitter account to send messages or otherwise join in. Plus, the app has obligatory show schedules so you know what’s coming up on future episodes.
Facebook update (iPhone, iPad) Free
Not too long ago, Facebook’s iPhone app received a subtle but important update, fixing a photo uploading glitch that actually drove some users to find alternative apps for sharing photos. After the update, you can now upload photos on the mobile app directly to specific albums, which makes sharing groups of photos a whole lot easier and more convenient, especially if you’re snapping them with your phone on the go.
The app also was updated to give users access to their account information and privacy settings, which is a big deal especially when you consider that the app makes use of Facebook Places, the location-sharing function that has received quite a bit of attention for potentially invading people’s privacy. At least now, you don’t have to be at a computer to adjust who can see what portions of your online profile.
Jawbone Thoughts (iPhone) Free
Sometimes, sending a text or making a call can be a pain. Dropping what you’re doing to put your attention into a keyboard, or potentially getting caught up in a lengthy conversation, can be a pretty substantial interruption. Jawbone Thoughts excels in taking that potential irritation out of communication — you can record short voice messages, up to a minute, and send them to anyone in your contact list from the app. It’s basically a text that you listen to.
While Jawbone Thoughts might be convenient as a replacement for texts or calls, it really shines when you apply it to helping you keep up with colleagues or collaborators. You can quickly send a message to multiple people through Thoughts without typing it, conveying a quick idea or update. To me, that sounds like the best use for this app: as a means for sharing ideas and keeping multiple people running at the same speed on a project.
International Herald Tribune (iPhone, iPad) Free
The New York Times lends its global reporting to the International Herald Tribune, which takes a global slant on news, sports and business. You can nab this app for free until early next year, with full access to all sections after you register from inside it.
The app features international news stories from all over the world, plus a sports section that includes coverage of soccer, tennis, Formula One racing, plus U.S. mainstays like baseball and football. You’ll also get complete access to the Tribune’s columnists, plus its “Day in Pictures” section, which puts together a slide show of interesting images to go with the day’s news, and a featured videos section that does the same thing, but in motion.
Loopt update (iPhone) Free
Social networking and location-based check-in app Loopt just got a big update to its services, upgrading your ability to find and connect with your friends wherever they are, and wherever you go.
The new Loopt features: location-aware texting (for free) based on the app’s previous “Ping” feature; a new user interface design; real-time location tracking of friends to see where they’re gathering; the ability to Ping all your friends in a single location; check-in rewards; new notifications for nearby places that feature rewards; and persistent location tracking that you can share with a small group of friends. That enough for you to go check it out? Oh, and it’s free, too.
