iPhone Article Zone

PopCap Games Announces Plants Vs Zombies for iPhone. Hits February 15th.

Popcap Games is known all over the world for a wide array of flash-based games. From the incredibly successful colorful match-em’ Bejeweled, to the marble-smashing Zuma, Rocket Mania and Bookworm. Their portfolio of games is, all in all, quite impressive. Today though, Popcap Games announced via their Twitter stream that their well-loved plant-munching, zombie-infested tower defense title Plants Vs Zombies, which is available for both PC and Mac, is coming to iPhone February 15th.

The game involves using a variety of plants including potato mines, peashooters, cattails and hypno-shrooms (to name just a few), to repel an army of zombies led by “Doctor Zomboss”, a giant machine with zombie commanding it. The homeowner, along with a neighbor (called Crazy Dave), must defend the homeowner’s house during day or night, in the front yard, the backyard, and even on the roof!

“Several plants are nocturnal, like mushrooms, having a lower sunlight cost and are ideal for nighttime levels, but will remain asleep during daytime levels unless startled by a coffee bean. In the “back yard” levels that includes a swimming pool, seeds must be planted atop lily pads on water spaces, while on the roof levels, all seeds must be planted in clay pots. The various plant abilities range from firing projectiles at zombies, turning zombies against each other, quickly exploding and wiping out an area of zombies, and slowing down zombies through a high defensive value. Certain plants are highly effective against specific types of zombies, such as a magnet-shroom that can remove a bucket or another obstacle being used for defense from a zombie’s head.”

Alongside the announcement, the company also released the game trailer below, showing for the first time actual gameplay footage of the iPhone version, and I have to say, being an avid fan of the Mac version, this is one iPhone game I’m looking forward to. We’ll be sure to snag a copy on launch and give you our full opinions soon!

iPhone OS SDK 3.2 Beta Lifts VoIP Over 3G Restriction. AT&T and O2 Say “Wahh?!”

As you probably already know by now, last Wednesday Apple unveiled to the world its new “tablet computer” – the Apple iPad. Shortly after the event came to a close, like always, Apple issued registered developers of it’s ADC network the next beta of the iPhone OS SDK. Version 3.2. Now among trivial changes, like this version of OS only being compatible with the iPad, one change has been uncovered which is slightly confusing.

If you’re not familiar with VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol, the technology allows for telecommunication using the internet. Take a service like Skype, for example. It uses VoIP to connect its millions of users to other users around the world at very little, or no cost at all. Ever since the introduction of the iPhone SDK, Apple has stood by the fact that its partnering mobile networks, AT&T in the US and O2 in the UK, weren’t so keen on the fact that developers could (if they wanted) use VoIP to circumvent monthly call plans. So, Apple being Apple and wanting to keep relations sweet put a restriction on the iPhone SDK stating that use of VoIP over a 3G data connection was prohibited.

Late Wednesday night though this all took a turn around – for the better, with the introduction of the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK Beta – as now, this SDK does support VoIP over the iPhone’s 3G network. In fact, a few applications, such as iCall and Fring, are already supporting this new rule, ultimately saving you money on phone calling through local and international ad-supported calling. This all leaves me to ask myself one question .. What must AT&T, O2 and the other mobile networks selling iPhone call plans around the world, think of this move? Did they sanction it? Maybe they believe they’re going to make so much of a killing off 3G pre-pay plans with the iPad this Spring, that they don’t care about loss of revenue in regards to call plans on the iPhone?

Anyway, It’s not exactly clear if the same SDK rule will make the jump over to the iPad, but to be honest, I can’t exactly see myself holding that 9 by 7 inch device to my ear without losing some serious street cred ..

Google Voice Arrives for iPhone .. Well, as a Web App.

It’s pretty common knowledge now that Google and Apple aren’t getting along as much as they used to. In fact, when Google’s native ‘Voice’ application, which mainly allows users of Google’s far-reaching social network to send voice-like emails to anyone with an account, was kinda rejected from the App Store, the world reacted.

Just like when Google’s native Latitude app was rejected though, the firm took no time over announcing its “slap you back in the face” course of action against Apple, publicly stating its plans to bring the service to both the Apple iPhone and it’s android based devices in the near future, via the web. But with no official release date, people (including myself) started to ask when it would happen.

Today, Google have announced its Google Voice web app now works on the iPhone. Using HTML5 the web app provides a clean, crisp and user iterative native-esque experience, providing easy access and Voice functionality you’re probably all now familiar if you’re lucky enough to have a Google Voice account. The web app centers around a virtual keypad just like you see in Phone.app, and works as expected. Although, with the app being totally web based, the necessary iPhone OS pop-up confirmations are still present. With the app, you can either dial Google Access numbers, or international numbers and pay Google’s low cost rates. Need to see who’s been sending you voicemails lately? Just switch to the inbox tab. Here, just like as you would if the app were native, you’ll see a list of voicemails, as well as the ability to view or play the message in full and call or text the original sender.

Need to send a message to one of your contacts? Tap compose, and the HTML5 powered web app will bring up the necessary compose tools for you. Maybe you want to easily access certain sections of the web app directly from your iPhone’s homescreen? As you would with other sites you can add a webclip icons which lead directly to these sections the usual way, from Mobile Safari.

Finally, Google Voice on the iPhone .. even if it is a web app. Yes, I’m looking at you Apple.

Google Voice Arrives for iPhone .. Well, as a Web App.

It’s pretty common knowledge now that Google and Apple aren’t getting along as much as they used to. In fact, when Google’s native ‘Voice’ application, which mainly allows users of Google’s far-reaching social network to send voice-like emails to anyone with an account, was kinda rejected from the App Store, the world reacted.

Just like when Google’s native Latitude app was rejected though, the firm took no time over announcing its “slap you back in the face” course of action against Apple, publicly stating its plans to bring the service to both the Apple iPhone and it’s android based devices in the near future, via the web. But with no official release date, people (including myself) started to ask when it would happen.

Today, Google have announced its Google Voice web app now works on the iPhone. Using HTML5 the web app provides a clean, crisp and user iterative native-esque experience, providing easy access and Voice functionality you’re probably all now familiar if you’re lucky enough to have a Google Voice account. The web app centers around a virtual keypad just like you see in Phone.app, and works as expected. Although, with the app being totally web based, the necessary iPhone OS pop-up confirmations are still present. With the app, you can either dial Google Access numbers, or international numbers and pay Google’s low cost rates. Need to see who’s been sending you voicemails lately? Just switch to the inbox tab. Here, just like as you would if the app were native, you’ll see a list of voicemails, as well as the ability to view or play the message in full and call or text the original sender.

Need to send a message to one of your contacts? Tap compose, and the HTML5 powered web app will bring up the necessary compose tools for you. Maybe you want to easily access certain sections of the web app directly from your iPhone’s homescreen? As you would with other sites you can add a webclip icons which lead directly to these sections the usual way, from Mobile Safari.

Finally, Google Voice on the iPhone .. even if it is a web app. Yes, I’m looking at you Apple.

CauseWorld: Changing the World One Mirco-Donation at a Time

Let’s take a step back from this materialistic world for a minute, and put things back into perspective. It’s time to give something back people. If you’ve ever made an excuse not to donate to charity .. (do you stamp on little kittens while you’re at it?) .. well, frankly, now you don’t have one. Launched on Monday, ShopKick Inc have announced they’ve partnered with both Citibank Inc and Kraft Foods to bring a modern charitable experience to the iPhone that you’ll just want to get involved with – and trust me, you will!

Available for FREE from the App Store, CauseWorld allows you to collect “Karma” when you either come close to, or on entering a retail store. Here’s how it works. On your trip into town, or into the city, you visit a bunch of retail stores and open the CauseWorld app near or inside the participating store(s). By doing so, you’re rewarded with a certain amount of “Karma”. This “Karma” actually represents a small chunk of the $500,000 fund both Citibank and Kraft have each provided together. You the user then get to spend this virtual “Karma” on real world charitable actions, and the best bit is, you get the choose which ones.

I know what you’re thinking .. I have to buy products at the store to gain this Karma, right? Wrong! Simply opening the app at any participated store will result in receiving a whopping chunk of Karma. So far, there are nine charities taking involvement in what CauseWorld is trying to achieve, including the likes of American Red Cross, Feeding America, American Forests, GlobalGiving, DonorsChoose.org, Prevent Child Abuse America, Carbonfund.org, American Humane Association, and Room to Read.

Recap: You get to help real-world cause by simple walking into a store. It’s not even your own money and you get social credit for doing so. So, If you do do one thing today, make it this: CLICK HERE to re-tweet this and spread the word about CauseWorld to your followers on Twitter. Heck, why not put a link to it on your Facebook profile? If only a small amount of you download and start using this app in your day-to-day routine, the world could be seriously better off for it.

You must download this app.

CauseWorld

Category: Lifestyle
Released: 2009-12-23
Price: FREE

Outside

There’s no doubting that Outside for iPhone, visually, is quite stunning. Using the age-old concept of opening a physical window to see the current conditions outside, the app offers a quick overview of current weather conditions dependent on your location with a modern twist, the real question is: Does it compete enough with Apple’s own built-in Weather.app to replace it completely? In short, it comes very close but having used the app for quite some time now, there are definitely some noticeable omissions.

When you first open Outside, the app will gather up-to-date weather observations for your current location, from a number of online and well trusted sources. Surprisingly, even though the app works off location data, you won’t need “Location Services” activated most of the time. In fact, I found Outside will find weather information for manual locations, too. What this means is, you can input your own location, and as long as your connected over 3G or Wi-Fi outside will return the necessary data. The app is designed to give you local forecasts for the next 5 days.

So, What aspects of the weather does Outside report back on? I hear you ask. Well, the app is first set out to display the current temperature. This is seen right on the center of the window interface. Cold temperatures are signified by blue, and hotter, orange to red. Underneath the temperature you’ll find a ‘Feels like’ reading. This is the current wind chill factor. These are then offset on a backdrop of matching visuals. Whether it be a cold rainy day, or a sunny but cloudy afternoon, Outside will have an animated backdrop for you to gaze upon. In the top left you’ll find a little calendar-like info pane. This will display weather the information is current or a future forecast and the time the information was last updated. Now although the app doesn’t have a noticeable way to force a refresh of weather data, I found that as long as I was on a 3G or Wi-Fi connection, the app updates immediately on launch.

The real aspect which makes Outside unique though, is push notification. Yes, Outside will notify you of when it’s safe to go outside, and not get drowned while doing so. Or, if you just fancy sunbathing, the app is designed to let you know exactly when it the best time for throwing on that T-Shirt. See, Outside for iPhone includes the ability to set notifications for one of four weather outcomes. Whether that be Rain, High UV, T-Shirt or the Cold, the app allows you to set notifications for each. The idea being, the app will inform you when weather conditions outside are just perfect for the activity you want to perform. It’s a novel idea, but certainly not a first for the iPhone. In fact we’ve seen a number of apps try it, including Umbrella and Umbrella – The Simplest Weather Forcast to name just a few. But, in my testing it’s not a concept which held up. In fact, I was lucky if Outside notified me about the weather at all.

Outside works on a in-app purchases, with the first 4 weeks of ‘Push Notifications’ included in your purchase of Outside. Afterward, if you’d like to buy more notifications, 90 days will set you back 59p. All in-app subscriptions are manageable and displayed in the app’s Preferences, under Subscriptions. Of the notifications I did receive, these were viewable in Outside’s ‘Notifications’ tab. From here I could also turn off any impending notifications I wished, and turn on others.

Apart from the app not seeming to notify me some of the time, I also found Outside only has the ability to gather weather information for one location at any one time… a disappointment when compared to something like Apple’s weather app. I’d like to see Robocat add this ability to Outside. This feature alone could see me using Outside more often than Apple’s weather app.

Overall, I have to say I like Outside. Yes it does have its issues and it clearly has some basic feature omissions, features you’d probably expect from any good self-respecting weather client, but both it’s polished animation and realistic sounds really do make for a great weather experience, and with the push notification aspect of the app being an optional extra, Outside is a well-designed weather app. It’s by no means a full weather client. You won’t find radar or satellite imagery here, instead Outside takes weather back to basics, offering essential 5-day weather forecasts in a user intuitive and graphically playful interface.

Pastebot

Designed and developed by Tapbots, Pastebot is the third in a series of what the studio dubs “robots for your iPhone and iPod touch”. It was really in October 08 when Tapbots debuted Weightbot that the App Store crowd stood up and realized how good this start up handled iPhone development. I think it’s fair to say Tapbots approach as a studio to user interface design on the iPhone shook the App Store sideways. The studio has 3 apps on the store to date, Weightbot – a weigh management application which helps you keep on top of your current weight, Convertbot – a general unit converter for working out equivalents and their latest, Pastebot. I got the chance to be involved with Tapbots as they beta tested this in private, and I’m now here to give you my opinion of it.

Pastebot is a system utility for iPhone OS for managing and editing items on your iPhone or iPod’s clipboard. What this basically means is you can manage anything you copy and paste with iPhone OS 3.0 or later, and store it in Pastebot. When Copy and Paste was first introduced onto the iPhone with the introduction of iPhone OS 3.0, the majority of people liked the feature, and most of us I imagine still use it today. The only problem is that from an iPhone OS users point of view, this only allows access to the last item you cut or copied. Picture this, you go to a website, and copy the URL, and then go to a note and copy a section of that note. But then you needed to e-mail these to a friend or client, in this case you’d be able to paste the section of the note quite easily, as it’s the last item you copied, but you’d have to go back and re-copy the URL.

It’s a little known fact, but the iPhone’s clipboard can hold much more than just one item, and Pastebot proves it. Pastebot temporarily stores everything you cut and copy within iPhone OS, in one tidy interface. Opening the app you’ll be greeted with two sections. One stores all the current content of your iPhone’s clipboard, the other is entitled ‘Folders’ and allows for custom specific folders to be created by you, to store your clippings. Pastebot supports the copying and pasting of both text, and images. Tapping ‘Clipboard’ will bring up a list of individual items you’ve happened to cut or copy recently, along with a with a partial 5 line summary of that clipping (although it’s worth noting that if you choose to add a title to your clipping(s), the summary will be reduced to 4 lines). To add a clipping manually, simply tap on ‘Edit’ and then ‘+’. From here you can Add a text clipping, take a photo, or choose an image from your iPhone’s on-board photo library.

Tapping on the LCD-like part of a clipping will drop down a small context menu below, giving you on-the-fly previews and controls. From here you can use the clipping’s contents as a Google Search or move the clipping to a custom folder. But maybe the clipping you’ve taken isn’t in the right text format? No worries, Pastebot allows on-the-fly editing of your items, with a few presets, including: Convert to Lowercase, Convert to Uppercase, Decode HTML Entitles, Encode HTML Entitles, Find and Replace, Quote Lines, Smarten Quotes, Straighten Quotes and finally, Wrap in HTML Tags. This context menu also shows you an overall character count, word count and date and time the clipping was archived. Tapping the ‘More’ arrow next to each clipping though will throw you into the full editor. Here you can ad a title to manipulate, as well as freely edit your clipping. Once you’re done just hit ‘Save’.

So, How do you pick up a clipping from Pastebot to paste into … say .. Mail.app? Well, it’s pretty straightforward. Simply tap the clipping you want. Once the blue indicator in the top right of an item turns blue, this signifies the item is now ready and on your iPhone clipboard ready for pasting elsewhere. To move an item to a folder, or remove an item from Pastebot completely simply tap ‘Edit’. Just like in mail you can then select the items you wish to take action on, and hit the appropriate action button(s). That about sums up Paste for iPhone, but it gets better.

Pastebot can interface with Mac OSX too. In order to do this you’ll need to download Pastebot Sync available here, for FREE. Once installed, open Pastebot for iPhone and tap settings then Sync. In true Tapbots fashion Pastebot will reveal a sync combination code, simply match this with Pastebot Sync, and you’re ready to go. What’s great about this is, everytime you select a clipping or item from Pastebot on your iPhone, it will automatically be added to your OSX clipboard, meaning you can wirelessly transfer your clippings. Once connected, tapping CMD + C on your Mac’s keyboard will result in the copied item being auto-imported into Pastebot on your iPhone.

Here’s the really cool part! – Try holding a clipping down. See that? Tapping and holding any clipping down will automatically paste that clipping on your Mac (as long as you have Pastebot Sync installed and paired with your iPhone). My only little caveat with the Mac OSX Sync software is it currently only allows one device to be paired to it at any one time. While you can add multiple computers within Pastebot for iPhone’s settings, I can’t help but think you should be able to connect multiple devices to your Mac, too. And yes, it’s Mac. Unfortunately Pastebot Sync isn’t available for Windows users, however Tapbots stress that OSX interfacing is optional, and is not actually needed to use Pastebot.

Overall, after using Pastebot for a good number of weeks my verdict is – it’s fantastic. Yes it has its issues, but as a clipboard management utility for iPhone, it really does work as advertised, and in my opinion it’s a cut above the rest (see what I did there?). Of course, with Tapbots being Tapbots you won’t find a shabby interface here, either. It’s clear to me at least, that a lot of attention to detail has gone into making Pastebot for iPhone what it is. From the slick robotic sound clips when clicking and tapping, to the sheer polish of the UI itself, Pastebot falls sweetly in line with Tapbots previous two robotic-themed apps, and fills a void in the iPhone and Mac ecosystem, which in my opinion, needed filling.

Microsoft’s Bing Arrives on the iPhone

Search is a big business nowadays, and up until today there’s been one prominent search engine giant which has dominated the App Store in it’s entirety. I am of course talking about Google. They first covered the need for immediate search by introducing Google Mobile on the store, which also included the ability to search by voice. Later, we then had them introduce a mobile version of their widely popular Google Earth software.

With Apple having partnered with Google in the past to bring Google Maps out of the box on the iPhone, by all accounts it seemed Google had (and still has) things pretty much sown up! .. But let’s not forget, Google aren’t the only ones who want a piece of the iPhone’s ’search’ market share. After all, Microsoft had already created numerous version of Bing for other mobile devices, however as noted earlier in the year it was clear if Microsoft wanted to complete with the major search giants like Google, they’d have to bow down to the iPhone – and they have ..

Yesterday, having already released a mobile version of their Seadragon software earlier this year, and later introducing their Tag reader software, we saw the debut of Bing. Microsoft’s own relatively new search engine. I have to say, I was surprised. Not by the fact we now have Bing on the iPhone; Surely that was inevitable, right? No, What surprised me the most is how well designed it is. It’s clear it was thought about beforehand, and I like that in an app.

Quite simply, Bing lets you search – and just like Google it does so in various ways, not surprisingly one of them being of course – voice. According to Microsoft, it’s key features on the iPhone are the displaying of the daily image from Bing.com, easy to access voice search, tips and tricks on the home page, “Locate Me” functionality, the ability to add pushpins and save locations. Represented by little Grey squares, Bing’s homescreen is home to some of the news latest stories of the hour, alongside some interesting facts, off set on the ‘Pic of the Day’.

The app lets you search by Images, Movies, Maps (which ironically uses Google Maps), Businesses and Directions. Search results are displayed in-app, with the app featuring a built-in browser. Sadly though, no option to switch out to Safari. Figures much? Searching for businesses is pretty cool. If the business has been rated by Bing users, Bing will display and break down it’s rating for you. For example, say you’re searching for a coffee shop, if it has the data, Bing will display rates for aspects like the atmosphere, drinks and menu quality. A nice plus. Directions in-app feature full Google Maps, plus location (if turned on), along with manual directions and the option to manually step through each turn on your journey.

I must say – it’s a good start Microsoft. One which I wasn’t expecting and definitely a pleasant surprise from you of all people. That said, I do have a small caveat. Turn by turn directions with voice overlay would have been nice.

Bing

Category: Reference
Released: 2009-12-16
Price: FREE

Labyrinth 2

If you ever got the chance to play Labyrinth by Illusion Labs, you’ll have probably noticed how polished and rounded off it actually was. Using the iPhone built in accelerometer the game brought those age-old wooden maze puzzles with the metal ball-bearing, to life! The original aim of the game was to get the ball-bearing from point A to point B, without falling down any holes – it was great and felt like a real, true classic, but at the same time a lot of people thought it could do with something more.

At the start of December Illusion Labs released Labyrinth 2, and wow was I impressed this time. I can only sum this feeling up in a sentence; forget everything you ever knew about the original. Labyrinth 2 is a rustic modern take on the original, and contains a ton of new features! For starters, this new version introduces a mirage of new obstacles that you’ll have to overcome in order to reach that that all important end point.

These new obstacles are as follows:

There are in fact probably more than those listed above, but that will give you a taster of what to expect. Alongside all these new obstacles though is an even bigger improvement. The integration with an online level creator. Yes, in Labyrinth 2 you can now create, save and share levels with your friends. To do this you simply tap ‘Create’ at the top of the main menu. Here you’ll see you’re given a user ID and pin code. This is for levelpack.com. Once you’ve entered this information the site will ask for a username, and what you’d like to name your first level pack. From there out you can create as many levels as you like, simply by dragging obstacles and in-game objects onto the puzzle floor.

Again, this level creator is web-based, and so isn’t accessible on your actual device, but once you’ve finished just hit save and the levels you’ve created will become available to play almost instantly. There is one restriction and that is if you’d like to share a level pack, the minimum requirement to publish a pack is 5 levels. People will then be able to download, play and rate your level pack.

But it gets better. Labyrinth 2 also has multiplayer over both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This allows you to play against up to 4 players on any level you wish to battle on. Or, maybe you don’t fancy playing with other people, maybe you’d like to beat yourself? With the game’s ‘Ghost ball’ option turned on, you can play and replay a level to try and beat your previous progress time.

Overall, I honestly can’t fault Labyrinth 2. As one App Store review said: “Take note developers. This is how you make an iPhone game.” – and I totally agree. They listened, and the result is a fun, enjoyable and feature packed puzzle game. With gorgeous graphics (which when tilted take on a 3D-like form all on their own), realistic ball and wood like sounds and huge re-playability, Labyrinth 2 is highly recommended.

HootSuite

If you’re familiar with Twitter or indeed have an account yourself, it’s more than likely that you’ll know about or use Hootsuite. Hootsuite is a web-based service provided by Vancouver-based interactive agency Invoke Media, which unlike Twitter.com, provides tools to allow you to add schedules to your tweets. In the beginning, Twitter was seen as “instantaneous thoughts” .. meaning you didn’t think about what you were putting down beforehand, you just did it. Off the cuff, with not a care in the world.

Hootsuite destroys this “old” way of thinking, and instead replaces it with one which allows you to think about a tweet in advance, save it and then set it to be published at a later date. Yesterday, Hootsuite announced Hootsuite for iPhone, and as of now, it’s officially the first iPhone application to allow the scheduling of tweets. Set to hit in a few hours in the US, but already available in Europe, Hootsuite is a well designed version of the online interface we all know and love. In order to use the app though you’ll first need an account at Hootsuite.com. If you don’t already have one, you can create one straight from within the app. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll then have to add your Twitter account(s), and once that’s done you’re ready to roll. The main screen of Hootsuite is just like any other Twitter client. It has various options which allow you to see different sections of your Twitter account. These include: Home Feed (the global timeline of people you follow), Mentions, Direct Messages (Inbox), Direct Messages (Outbox), Sent Tweets (your stream) and Favorite Tweets (tweets you’ve favourited). Tapping any of these sections will display the information in a timeline-like view, similar to that of Tweetie. Talking of similar to Tweetie, remember Tweetie 2’s signature ’swipe down to refresh’ timeline refresh mechanism? Well, Hootsuite for iPhone has that too. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, but yeah.

See the thing is, Hootsuite isn’t just for scheduling, it’s a basic Twitter client too. In my opinion, they should have left Hootsuite at scheduled tweets, because even though they’ve attempted to incorporate the basic functions of a Twitter client, it’s lacking. For one, it doesn’t show conversations. It doesn’t have landscape, and it’s probably not as customizable as many would of liked. On the plus side, it does incorporate the official re-tweet API, and you can burrow down into your timeline to singe tweets and single out options for these individual tweets.

Navigation within the app is simple but elegant. For example, entering ‘Mentions’ you can swipe right to enter ‘Direct Messages (Inbox),’ or swipe left for ‘Home Feed’. The position of where you are in the app is shown by a set of ‘homescreen-like’ dots, located just above the apps tab bar. Along the bottom you’ll find four tabs. These include: Streams, Stats, Search and Settings. Starting with Streams, this is the ‘main screen’ of HootSuite for iPhone, providing the sections we talked about above. Next though, is Stats. This is really nice. By default, Hootsuite uses it’s universal URL shortening service ‘Owl.ly’ to shorten links within tweets sent from the Hootsuite web interface .. and the iPhone app is no different. What’s great though is the app actually sniffs out Owl.ly URLs in your steam, and displays graphic-based stats based on the amount of clicks and ratings you got for that particular link. These stats include a graphic of clicks, total clicks, user ratings and the date that tweet was created. Something which I think every iPhone based Twitter client should incorporate in the future. It’s slick.

The search tab on the other hand allows you search for keywords, surf the current Twitter trending topics, as well see your recent searches. The settings tab allows you to modify your Hootsuite account details, as well as any Twitter accounts you have configured. You also have the option to send out various ‘Hootsuite Love’ tweets, expressing your love for the app, as well as send Feedback to the developers.

Hootsuite for iPhone could have been great, but with it’s intermittent crashing and basic Twitter client feature omissions, I can’t help but think it’s not worth it’s price, yet. That said, it is what it’s good at – scheduling tweets – and with that, its it’s own App Store first right there.

Summing up, in my opinion Hootsuite is for the general Twitter power user. For someone who cares about the content they publish to their stream daily, Hootsuite will allow you schedule when and how that happens. The best use of Hootsuite I can see is setting tweets up to publish when you’re away from or can’t access your usual Twitter client. When you’re asleep, for example.

But, I really think this was intended to be used alongside your favourite client, rather than become a stand-alone client itself. Currently, it won’t stand up to something like Tweetie. To be frank, it’s just too buggy! Hopefully we’ll see an update shortly, as I think the potential this had is just great.