http://tidbits.com/ Apple makes some amazing apps, but some of the iPhone’s default apps aren’t among them. Josh Centers examines five that few people would miss if Apple canned them, and tells you how to replace them or at least make them more useful. en-us Copyright 2012 TidBITS Publishing Inc. Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 EST Mon, 17 Dec 2012 00:00:00 EST editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Editors) editors@tidbits.com (TidBITS Editors) http://tidbits.com/images/tb_logo_152x55.png http://tidbits.com/ 55 152 TidBITS badge http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16998 Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:27:01 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16998 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16964 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:44:17 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16964 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16944 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:52:05 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16944 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16943 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:30:48 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16943 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16942 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:20:41 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16942 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16941 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:16:53 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16941
I would keep game center though I'm not really sure why. And I use the weather app daily but all the rest can simply go away. Compass? Really? I actually have one magazine stored in newspapers but I don't like it and I only downloaded it as a free companion to the paper version. Something else I would delete in a heartbeat if I could.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16937 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 02:27:38 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16937
I use the Stocks app. It is everything I want. I am not an active investor, and just occassionally want to see what is going on. It's lightweight an esay to use. As far as I am concerned, there is NOTHING wrong with it.

Weather? I want better, and I got better. But for most people, I am sure Apple's app is fine.

These apps are clean, free, incredibly easy to use and are ad free. Those are great attributes.

Should Apple delete them? OF COURSE NOT!

The premise of the article, that these apps are inadequate for (most) users and that there are unambiguously superior alternatives is simply false.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16935 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:02:53 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16935
Game Center is a bit of a weird one (not exactly replaceable per se), but I have used it to setup networked games of Carcassonne with friends.

The one App I have bought a replacement for is the Weather App. Actually I've bought several over the years. It's hard to find ones that are well designed, accurate, and work well here in Canada. Currently my Favourite and in my opinion by far the best I have used is Check the Weather. That being said I still have most of those other weather apps on my iDevice's (anyone else have a Weather folder?) And find myself occasionally checking different ones. I like to tell people that if I don't like the forecast I just keep checking different App's until I find one more to my liking :-)]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16930 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:35:08 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16930
In the Maps app, tap the button that shows you where _you_ are on the map, tap the resulting pin, tap the Info icon, and then tap (scroll down if needed) Share Location. Send the location via Messages. The recipient can tap to open the location in Messages, tap the map URL, and then they'll get your location Maps.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16924 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:45:34 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16924 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16922 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:37:05 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16922
That's a pricey method compared to transferring them with regular syncing (at least over USB) for free (to a Voice Memos playlist).

Edit: Oh, maybe you mean transferring voice memos created with 3rd party apps (e.g. Audio Memos)?]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16923 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:31:51 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16923
Regardless, I think one thing we can all agree on (at least I hope we can) is that we would all like more control over the default Apps, and specifically the ability to delete Apps that are not needed to support the core functionality of the device.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16921 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:29:14 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16921 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16915 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:21:28 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16915 ]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16914 Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:19:53 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16914 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16912 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:33:14 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16912
Voice recording: To transfer voice memos from iOS device to a Mac, use PhoneView (a Mac-only program; nothing is installed on the iOS device).]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16899 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:55:06 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16899 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16898 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:49:29 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16898 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16893 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:08:01 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16893 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16887 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 06:06:02 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16887 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16886 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:39:27 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16886 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16883 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 01:49:54 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16883 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16882 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:18:18 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16882 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16880 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:01:06 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16880
I'm curious how much of this was Jobs/Forestall, and if we'll see a change when Forestall is completely out the door?

Finally, I agree. There are apps I want to delete from my iPhone but cant'.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16878 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:07:30 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16878 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16877 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:49:43 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16877 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16876 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:33:35 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16876 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16871 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:32:46 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16871 http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16870 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:15:14 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16870
Also, for stocks from outside the US, 0005.HK will give you HSBC on the Hang Seng Index, for example.]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/13437?rss#comments_16869 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:49:22 EST http://tidbits.com/article/13437#comments_16869