There was a lot of uninteresting stuff on the MacWorld show floor (a gazillion iPad and iPhone cases) but we managed to find 5 iPad and iPhone apps that look interesting. We haven’t tried any of these out yet, but are planning to do it soon.
1) CineXPlayer, $2
This app for iPad plays movies in multiple formats, including AVI, MOV, M4V, and MP4. They’re in HD, and the film plays smoothly, none of that jerkiness that can drive you crazy. And it’s got Dolby 5.1 surround sound (on the headphones; not so much on the built-in speaker).
2) Beat the Traffic, free
This app for iPhone has been downloaded 1.8 million times. It’s got live traffic maps, traffic cameras that show you the roads in real time, and it can estimate traffic for your commute home even if it’s only 2 pm.
3) iPresent, $30 per user per month
This iPad app is designed as a presentation tool for sales teams. You upload your own content to iPresent’s website, where you can create custom presentations out of your raw materials. They’ve got a series of templates and style guides for use. Then every iPad linked to your account can download your presentations, so they can be used even when offline. Great for a larger team with people in the home office creating content and others out on the road giving the presos.
4) WritePad, $4
For iPads and iPhones. It converts your handwriting into computer text, so you can take handwritten notes with a stylus on your iPad, convert them to type, and then save or send them.
5) TurboViewer, free to $25
This app allows you to view CAD files on your iPad. You can “pan, zoom, and 3D orbit” around your CAD documents. And it supports 2D and 3D CAD files. There are Free, X, and Pro versions, each with different capabilities and price points.