Tue, November 03, 2009
China’s iPhone launched last week. Whether you are using a China iPhone or an international one, these 16 apps will change the way you experience Beijing. By Charles Silverman
Accuweather Don’t get stuck out in the rain. This application from Accuweather.com is an improvement on the iPhone’s built-in weather widget and includes humidity readings, maps and 15-day forecasts. Simultaneous readings from up to three cities are also available. No word yet on if pollution readings are in the works. Price: Free
CityFu The ultimate mobile utility for English speakers in Beijing, CityFu includes real-time, up-to-date information about the city around you, as well as City Weekend’s entire database of venues. Maps are GPS-enabled, centered on your location and show you nearby search results. Keep an eye out for events and more functionality in version 2.0 later this year. Price: Free
Buddha Machine The Buddha Machine iPhone app is a virtual version of Beijing based band FM3’s popular ambient sound generator. The app plays all nine original loops in high-resolution audio and is good to get you into a Zen state of mind after your morning commute down the grid-locked ring roads. Price: US$2.99
Evernote For staying organized in bustling Beijing, this application is a must. It supports Chinese text and is an improvement over the Notes app that comes with iPhones. With Evernote, you can capture text, photos and voice notes and reminders. Evernote even uses your iPhone’s built in GPS to track where you were when you captured a note. Price: Free
QingWen Among the numerous Chinese-English dictionary apps on the market, this one stands out for its ease of use. Search in English or pinyin and create word lists to organize the vocabulary you are mastering. Plus, all words are recorded for your listening—and pronunciation—pleasure. Price: US$4.99
gFlash+ Easy for use in trains or taxis, this free flashcard app helps you improve your Chinese and memorize important information, as well as have fun with wacky trivia quizzes. You can edit your flash cards directly from your iPhone, auto-shuffle through your cards and set it up to focus on the cards you have the most difficulty with.Price: Free
LP Mandarin Phrasebook For newcomers developing their everyday Chinese phrases, this app from Lonely Planet is a must. Master the basics of getting around Beijing without looking like a tourist (even if you are). Plug your headphones in and listen to more than 600 phrases to shop, socialize and shout like a local. Price: US$9.99
Pee Monkey This hilarious game was created by Beijing’s own Happylatte design studio, a division of Exoweb. Tilt your iPhone to aim the wacky monkey’s pee into the toilet bowl. Miss the bowl and the water levels in the bathroom will rise, which of course, will cause him to be electrocuted. Weird? Yes. Fun? Definitely. Price: Free
Google Maps Ever suspect your cabbie was trying to increase his income by driving in circles? You won’t have to worry about that anymore with Google Maps. Most large Chinese cities have a pretty good system of maps that you can search with pinyin. Google Maps is expected to come included on the China iPhone.Price: Free
Nimbuzz A free text and voice chat application for virtually every major instant messaging service. Nimbuzz synchs MobileMe, AIM, GoogleTalk, Skype, MSN and Nimbuzz’s proprietary service into an app you can carry with you. And yes, you can even circumvent the Great Firewall to connect to Facebook chat. Price: Free
QQ The most popular, free instant messaging program in Beijing needs no introduction. With over 800 million users, QQ is the IM program of choice on the Chinese mainland, and now it’s available for your iPhone. Finally, you no longer need to be at your office desk to socialize. Price: Free
Shazam This app lets you hold your iPhone up to a music source and within seconds it tells you the artist and track name. The track is tagged and stored for later use and you can even buy the song from iTunes directly. Whether listening to the radio in the cab or bootie dancing at VICS, you’ll always know what the DJ’s throwing. Price: US$1.99
Skype Calling friends and family back home ain’t cheap for Beijing expats. With Skype on your iPhone, however, all you need is a WiFi connection to make calls and send SMS messages for a fraction of the price. We’re hoping that a future version will allow cheap calls on the WiFi-gutted China iPhone. Price: Free
Starmap For many of us in Beijing, it’s been a long time since we last saw stars. This “pocket planetarium” displays and identifies the constellations and stars exactly in the portion of the sky at which you point your iPhone at. It’s perfect for Beijing’s smoggy skies. Just point it up to see what you’ve been missing. Price: US$11.99
XE Currency Many apps are great for currency conversions, but this one is our favorite for two reasons: 1) It’s free, and 2) It lets you do multiple conversions simultaneously for over 180 currencies. The latest rates are stored on your iPhone, so you can calculate prices even when you’re in remote areas. Price: Free
