I admit that I’ve been an avid Twitter user for quite a while now. Up until today I have looked at plenty of Twitter tools – and picked my favorite ones. Today I’d like to introduce you to the App “HootSuite” – a powerful tool when it comes to scheduling and managing your tweets.

Price: $ 1.99
Would I buy again: Yes
Learning Curve: Intermediate
Who is it for: People who use Twitter and/or the HootSuite online service
Version tested: 1.0.1 on iPhone 3G, OS 3.1.3
Comparable Apps: Tweetdeck, Seesmic
Available Languages: English
This App was tested by Kira
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

This is how it works:

• On the first screen your Twitter stream overview is displayed grouped in tabs, each with the option to view your preset columns (in my case only sent and pending tweets).
• At the top of the screen you can edit these (delete or add columns and tabs).
• You can compose a new tweet by tapping the icon in the top right corner. When in edit mode, you can choose the Twitter account you want to send this tweet from, upload an image to your tweet, shrink a link or (and this is one of my favorite options by HootSuite) schedule your tweet for a certain date and time.
• Next in the nav menu is the stats tool. This is another one of my favorite functions: All clicks on the links you shorten with HootSuite are tracked! Here you can see which of your tweets was most interesting to your followers.
• Further on you find searches. You can perform a search or browse tweets to currently trending topics.
• Last but not least there are the settings in which you can easily add or delete your Twitter and HootSuite accounts.

Some people assume that HootSuite is a classic Twitter client. It is not. HootSuite is your Twitter back office.

What I like about HootSuite:

• Great features, just like the web service
• I love the options for scheduling tweets and viewing the stats on the go

What I don’t like so much:

• Nothing. I simply love it.

© Kira for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: client, hootsuite, iPad, iPhone, ipod touch, Kira Song, twitter

Wondering where all your money goes? MoneyMaker promises finance with flair.

Price: $2.99 €2,39
Would I buy again: Yes
Learning Curve: easy
Who is it for: everybody
Version tested: 1.6 on iPhone 3GS, OS 3.1.2
Comparable Apps: Pennies, Mint
Available Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Japanese

This App was tested by Richard
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

This is how it works:

• adjust the pre-set budget to you own monthly income
• edit your recurring expenses and additional incomings
• 23 expens-/income-items to choose from
• overview will no show you a gauge indication how much budget is left
• statistics in the overview will tell you how much money you ave spent in average in this month up to this day
• your expenses are filed by month
• elegant animated graph of your expenses
• export to excel

What I like about MoneyBook:

• gorgeous design
• easy and quick handling
• nice chart graphics

What I don’t like about MoneyBook:

• missing categories
• spelling mistakes
• limited features

Budget apps require a lot of discipline. MoneyBook is easy to use, which makes it most likely, that you really use it.

© Richard for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: App, budget, Business, finances, iPhone, ipod touch, moneybook, Review

There are trillions of newsreader available for the iPhone. NewsRack promises a great reading experience. Is the prize justified?

Price: $4.99 €3,99
Would I buy again: Definitely
Learning Curve: Easy
Who is it for: Newsjunkies
Version tested: 2.3.1 on iPhone 3GS, OS 3.1.2
Comparable Apps: MobileRSS, Free RSS Reader
Available Languages: English, German

This App was tested by Richard
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

This is how it works:

• NewsRack syncs with Google Reader
• Organize numerous RSS-feeds in different categories
• Change order, sync-cycle and number of stored articles
• Mark favourites
• Share articles with Twitter, Facebook etc.
• Download articles for offline-reading

What I like about NewsRack:

• browsing big RSS-Headlines in a newsstand-design
• very easy to handle
• variety of options in the settings menu

What I don’t like about NewsRack:

• minor bugs (still!) like retyping your google password
• quite pricy

NewsRack was formally known as NewsStand, had to change its name due to copyright reasons.

© Richard for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: App, Blogs, iPhone, News, Newsreader, Review, RSS

Looking for a notepad on your iPhone that does shopping lists, sticky notes and to dos? Awesome note may help.

Price: $3.99 €2,99
Would I buy again: Probably
Learning Curve: Easy
Who is it for: Everybody
Version tested: 2.0 on iPhone 3GS, OS 3.1.2
Comparable Apps: Evernote
Available Languages: English

This App was tested by Richard
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

This is how it works:

• Awesome Notes offers 3 kinds of notes
• Quick Notes (stickies)
• General Notes (for groceries etc.)
• To-Dos
• You can sync your notes with Evernote or Google Docs
• Set due dates
• Organize and store your notes in colorful folders

What I like about Awesome Note:

• great design
• all-in-one concept
• great variety of notepads

What I don’t like about Awesome Note:

• minor bugs (syncing creates duplicates)
• tiny buttons

© Richard for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: App, Business, Creative, Groceries, iPhone, Office, Review, Shopping List, Supermarket, to do list

Ever wanted to edit a more sophisticated video on the go? The ReelDirector is one of the first full feature video editor right on your iPhone! Take a look.

Price: $4.99 €3,99
Would I buy again: for sure
Learning Curve: intermediate
Who is it for: travelers, artists
Version tested: 2.0 on iPhone 3GS, OS 3.1.2
Comparable Apps: -
Available languages: English
This App was tested by Richard
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

This is how it works:

• The App gives you a few options to choose from: the opening title, the credits and where you want to place them in your movie
• you begin to select our favourite clips from your picture/video library
• you can trim the scenes by setting new in- and outmaks
• you can determine the type of transition between any of the scenes
• you can even add photos to your movie and animate them with a Ken Burns effect
• when you’re done with the video you can record a new audio track
• to render will actually take a few seconds

Considering the fact that professional card readers cost you up to 100 dollars – this app does its job quite well. You definitely get what you pay for.

What I like about ReelDirector:

• very intuitive
• complex functionality on such a tiny screen
• stunning editing and effect quality
• fast processing
• amazing results

What I don’t like so much:

• no social network-integration
• the handling of the audio timeline is confusing
• can’t choose music from your music library

© Richard for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: App, Camera, Creative, Edit, Film, Movies, Review, Video

Shopping list organizers are bound to inspire shopping races. You go in, get the job done – and get out! The App “Shopper” makes shopping more effective than ever.

Price:   $0.99 €0,79
Would I buy again: Definitely
Learning Curve: Easy
Who is it for: Anybody who needs a good laugh
Version tested: 6.0 on iPhone 3G, OS 3.1.2
Comparable Apps: Groceries, ShoppingList, ShopShop
Available Languages:  English, Dansk, Deutsch, Español, Français, Nederlands, Norsk, Português, Svenska, Русский, and 日本語
This App was tested by Kira
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

This is how it works:

• When calling up the app, I’ll be able to choose from your existing shopping lists or to create a new list (tap “+”)
• Now I can enter the name of my list.
• If I already have a saved list, I can simply copy the preferences by tapping “based on” and chose my existing list.
• I can now add items to my list by either text search (“+”) or by browsing the category aisles
• At the top of the shopping list my current store is displayed – this is the supermarket near my home which I’ve already added.
• By tapping it, the aisles re-arrange themselves to the aisle order in this supermarket. I defined the aile order when editing my stores.
• Now when I go to my supermarket, I am presented with the items I need in the order I walk past them. All I need to do is put the item in my cart an tap it in my list.
• One of the coolest features is the autmatic supermarket-recognition via GPS – my shopping list will re-order according to my current location!
• I can even share my shopping lists by email and synchronize them with my optional shopper-account online.

What I like about Shopper:

• List-sharing via email and synchronization with your optional shopper online account,
• I love the possibility to configure the aisles according to each store,
• I love the GPS-function which associates my location with the stores I am currently visiting.

What I don’t like so much:

• Comprehensiveness has its weaknesses, the app has grown and the many possibilities it have made it a bit confusing.

© admin for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: App, GPS, Groceries, iPad, iPhone, ipod touch, Isles, Kira, Kira Song, Manager, Review, Shop, Shopper, Shopping List, Supermarket, Video

The Skype mobile app for the iPhone is great for saving phone costs, especially when travelling in a foreign country. Beware that depending on your phone service provider’s contract, you perhaps may only use the phone function on a WiFi network.

Price: free
Would I buy again: Definitely
Learning Curve: Intermediate
Who is it for: Anyone who uses Skype on their computer, anyone who wants to save phone costs.
Version tested: 1.2.2 on iPhone 3G, OS 3.1.2
Comparable Apps: TruPhone, Beejive, Fring
Available Languages: English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
This App was tested by Kira
appstory.tv rating:

Download in iTunes | App Website

The Skype iPhone app is a great cost saver. You might know the program for your computer. If not: Skype is a free chat- and Voice over IP software. It lets you make free calls to the people you have added to your skype contacts. So let’s have a look at it.

This is how it works:

• When you call up the app, it will either ask you for your skype login or sign you in automatically
• If you have an account with skype, the app will retrieve your contacts and personal info now
• Next, your online contacts will be displayed
• You can tap a contact and chose to call – this will only work over WiFi – or chat with the person
• Calls might only work on WiFi for you, depending on your phone service provider
• Chatting will work over the phone network
• The skype app saves your chat conversations (tap “chats” at the bottom) and displays them in a cute speech bubble style
• You also have a dialing pad (tap), your dilaing history (tap) and the possibility to edit your skype info
• Once you close the app, you are disconnected from skype, so you won’t be able to be contcted via Skype anymore

If you’ve been using Skype on your computer, you will be a native to the app. If you’re new to Skype, you will gueranteed enjoy its cost saving quality.

© admin for appstory.tv, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: App, Chat, Free Phone Calls, IM, Instant Messaging, iPhone, Kira, Kira Song, Movie, Review, Skype, Video, VoIP