apps

Quickpedia isn't the only Wikipedia-scouring app for Google Android, but it's the best we've seen so far.

The free application makes it easy to search and browse Wikipedia for articles, throwing in a few tiny twists along the way to make navigating, reading, and learning interesting tidbits a breeze.

You can see it all unfold in this First Look video.

Veveo, a company that aims to provide "video anywhere" solutions through its Vtap online video service, announced Thursday that it has launched a free app called WikiTap for the iPhone and for Android-based devices that's intended to help users quickly find the most relevant Wikipedia search results.

At first glance, having another Wikipedia app doesn't sound too thrilling, but WikiTap goes beyond accessing the popular online encyclopedia. According to the company, WikiTap will allow users to use improve the experience already offered by other Wikipedia iPhone apps by uploading photos and videos to the article. That … Read more

The business apps panel at Wednesday's Under the Radar mobile conference had four companies trying to solve two big problems in business: communication and sync between multiple machines.

Of the four, one of the most attractive upcoming solutions for SMBs is Phonetopp. This takes standard desktop Web demos and meetings and shrinks them down to your mobile phone. This means road warriors could get the visual part of a Web meeting without having to fire up their laptop or hunt around for a hot spot.

Phonetopp is set to hit BlackBerry and iPhone users in early February and will … Read more

Apple's App Store rejections are making less and less sense. The latest victim, Cast Catcher, is a streaming Internet radio application in the same vein as AOL Radio and Pandora--both of which have been available through the App Store almost since its inception.

CastCatcher 1.3 was rejected, according to an Apple statement posted by return7 , because:

"CastCatcher Internet Radio cannot be posted to the App Store because it is transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15, is prohibited"

This despite the similarity … Read more

On Monday i.TV, the movie and TV show listing service for the iPhone, pushed out a really neat update that marries the idea of its live content guide with services that can take advantage of it as a platform.

The first service to be introduced into the mix is Netflix. I.TV users who are also Netflix subscribers can manage their queue right from the application, as well as start Netflix searches from i.TV's own listings.

An example of how this might work is if you're perusing the latest movie listings. If you see a film … Read more

Updated 5:15pm with comment from Return7.

The fourth time was definitely not the charm for the developers behind the CastCatcher streaming radio application for the iPhone.

Apple rejected CastCatcher 1.3 from the App Store on Monday, according to Return7 developer Amro Mousa. The reason? "CastCatcher Internet Radio cannot be posted to the App Store because it is transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15, is prohibited."

If that's Apple's policy regarding streaming radio applications, Mousa is a little puzzled, because … Read more

Part speed dial, part icon-maker, FaceCall for iPhone ($2.99) is personalized productivity at its best.

Following the app's step-by-step directions, you'll be able to create unlimited photo icons to dial your contacts with a tap. If your address book is extensive, a speed-dial app like this one saves you time. Even if it's fairly manageable, FaceCall is a fun way to dot your home screen with the faces most important to you.

Check out this First Look video to preview FaceCall and see how to get started shrinking friends' photos into tiny home iPhone tiles.

During a trip Down Under, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has had a lot to say. This week in Sydney, Australia, he stated that he isn't interested in wooing Yahoo anymore, he doesn't understand how Google plans to profit from Android, and he has confidence in President-elect Barack Obama's leadership.

And while the expressive executive on Friday also said Microsoft "may look into" using WebKit, the open-source browser-rendering technology used by Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari browsers, he mostly rejected that idea, according to a Computerworld report. Instead, he said the two prominent Microsoft … Read more

I hate to start off this week's post with a another pet peeve I have, but I must say something about a problem I have with the iPhone/iTunes marriage. As always, please let me know if I'm missing something that might help my problem in the comments!

My question is this: Why can't I buy an app from the app store through iTunes on any computer and download it to my iPhone?

Understandably, I synced my iPhone to my home computer because that's where all my music is. But when I come to work and … Read more