Using Your iPhone for Good (Instead of Evil)

Part Two of a Two-Part Series

In our last episode, we explored why the iPhone is the Devil, and the downfall of Western Civilization as we know it. Or is it?

Fortunately, in addition to the aforementioned tools of evil, there is a tremendous range of applications that can be used to better yourself or the world around you. In spite of having one of the many Solitaire applications, the noble stuff is what I like to show people when they ask if they can see my phone. And this category of apps continues to grow, as non-profits and other civic-minded folks realize the potential of the iPhone to help bring their message to the masses. There are even personal finance applications, which I have to imagine will advise one to stop wasting their money on virtual beer applications. (iBeer was $2.99, last I checked.) More of my amazing insights, below the fold.

If you stay away from the “Games” and “Entertainment” sections of the App Store, there is a world of benevolent possibility quite literally at your fingertips. Developers are quickly learning the educational potential of iPhone applications. As mentioned in a previous post, I’m quite keen on having the complete works of William Shakespeare available to me at the touch of a button. I’ve also downloaded the U.S. Constitution, which is great at parties. (Nerd parties full of nerds. The only kind of party I’m comfortable attending.) If you’re willing to pay, there are a gazillion applications that use the phone’s great audio to teach you the foreign language of your choosing (and while I’d love to brush up my French, I refuse to pay more than 99 cents for an application. So I’ve got the free, lite “Where’s the restroom/Which way to the train station/Call a medic, for I am allergic to shellfish” application, for my French emergencies.) There are test prep tutorials, ranging from mastering those multiplication tables go helping you get through med school. There are a huge number of early education flashcards. And I mean EARLY education, like “The cow says “Moooooooo.” Which leads me to wonder how many pre-schoolers have an iPhone and an account with iTunes. But there are a great deal of ways for folks like you and me to use this magical devise to learn some things on the Metro that we wouldn’t otherwise take the time to learn.

Much to my satisfaction, the selection of books available as applications continues to grow, leading me to believe that the primary reason for the existence of the iPhone is the promotion of literacy. For your health, the Livestrong application gets rave reviews, helping you count your calories and otherwise live strongly. You can monitor how much money you’re saving by breaking your expensive smoking habit with iQuit. (I’ve saved $0.00 since October 12^th. I plan to make better use of that application in the short-term future. Personally, I don’t think this application’s all that great, but would instead direct you to the newly-launched Feed the Pig site for financial incentives to break this and other expensive habits.)

So I guess my question to you is this: What can the iPhone do for you? If you’re reading this blog, you’ve likely got at least a marginal interest in making the world a better place through technology. Do you want iBeer and Pong to be the thing all the cool kids are using these things for? Or can you come up with an application that will give them a free daily tip on what they can do to [help DC’s homeless/make an impact on the environment/become an advocate for human rights/help with their child’s education/your cause here]? What do you want your phone to do? What do you want my phone to do? Let’s get to it, before I get distracted and start another game of reMovem!

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