We all love our gadgets, and there's probably no other gadget more popular than the iPhone. With apps for just about everything you could imagine, these smartphones are quickly making themselves a vital part of our everyday lives. Here's my selection of the best iPhone apps for Sydneysiders.
TripView Sydney, $2.49
This may be a pretty boring app to start the list, but it's one you'll get a whole lot of use out of.
TripView Sydney displays train, bus and ferry timetables on your iPhone. It's quick and easy to use, and the convenience of knowing exactly when your train comes - so you can perfectly time your exit from the pub so you don't have to spend half an hour standing on a freezing platform - will come in handy more times than you'd think.
Sydney Cafe Culture, $3.99
If you're constantly hunting for that perfect cup of coffee,
this app is a must-have. It features 200 of Sydney's best cafes that have been selected and visited by experts. From trendy inner-city establishments to laid-back suburban spaces, you'll never have any trouble finding somewhere to satisfy your caffeine craving. While half of the cafes are within a few kilometres of the city centre, it's pleasing to see it also features cafes located in places like business parks and quiet suburbs.
Sydney Morning Herald, $2.49
Who buys newspapers anymore? If you want to stay up to date with the news in our city,
this app gives you access to all the news published on
smh.com.au whenever you want it. It's now much quicker and easier to use than earlier versions, but remember that you do have to pay more to renew it every 31 days.
Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2011, $4.99
It's pretty easy to see why this one makes the list. Featuring reviews of
Sydney's best restaurants from the highly respected book of the same name (the book will set you back $30), it's the ideal app for those who love fine dining. You can scroll through the restaurant listings from A-Z, filter search results by a range of useful parameters such as price or rating, and even search for the closest good food guide restaurants around you.
Sydney Morning Herald Good Pub Food Guide 2011, $4.99
If you prefer your dining a little less on the fancy side,
this app will be more to your liking. Just as easy to use as the above app, this one features Sydney's best pub grub. With nearly 400 of the state's best pub dining rooms, this app will soon have you tucking into the city's best hearty steaks and schnitzels.
Sydney Kids Activities, $2.49
Keeping the kids amused each and every weekend can be as hard as finding a taxi on New Year's Eve. This app is a great little addition to any parent's iPhone, profiling more than 130 of the
best activities for kids in Sydney. You can locate activities by distance, region or alphabetically, and each venue profile comes with a photo and details. As with any app, it's good to see that the venues aren't confined to a small part of the city centre, with options for entertainment right across the wider metropolitan area.
Pocket Weather AU, $2.49
This may not be a Sydney-specific app, but it's definitely one worth having. With weather sourced directly from the Bureau of Meteorology,
this app is streets ahead of the iPhone's standard weather app. With the weather forecast sitting snugly in your pocket, you'll be able to plan all your weekend activities with ease.
So, what do you think? What's the one iPhone app you can't do without?
