Ten Best Ten Dollar (More or Less) Apps for Summer

With so many great free apps to choose from, who would have thought there was any reason to actually spend money on them, let alone ten dollars? It turns out there are indeed a bunch of apps worth paying for and here’s a list of some handy iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Palm apps for summer vacation travelers or even those staying home that cost about as much as going to see a movie.

FlightTrack (Apple, Android, BlackBerry, Palm $9.99 for Pro Version) This versatile tool is not only for airplane travelers but even friends and family of travelers who want the latest status on a flight. It provides all kinds of real-time information including tracking maps and weather conditions at 35,000 feet. You can buy the basic version for $4.99 but for $9.99, FlightTrack will synchronize your itinerary with Tripit.

Backpacker's GPS Trails (Apple, Andriod $9.99) Backpacker magazine created this GPS-enabled backpacking app for anyone hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, trail running, mountaineering, or just looking to learn more about the space they were wandering around in. It offers tons of useful features like saving topographic maps, geotagging photos, keeping stats on your travels or just providing help for navigating trails. Just remember to bring along your solar charger so you don’t run out of juice.

Zagat To Go (Apple, Android $9.99) With summer in full swing, it is time to get out and enjoy the local cuisine wherever you find yourself. Zagat To Go offers professional reviews of eateries in major cities worldwide. With easy offline browsing, maps (including a sweet augmented reality view), and filters, you can find the perfect place for the foodie within. It’s also available for BlackBerry, WinMo, PalmOS for $19.99.

FitnessBuilder (Apple $9.99) If you are looking to get your body beach ready but don’t know where to start, then pick up FitnessBuilder for in depth, custom workout creation and tracking, goals, and exercise descriptions with videos and lots of pictures. FitnessBuilder can create the best set of exercises for burning fat or toning a specific muscle group without burning you out on one exercise, all while listening to your own music.

MLB At Bat 2010 (Apple, Android, BlackBerry $14.99 for Full Version) We know, the full version is more than $9.99 but if you are passionate about baseball then you won’t mind paying $14.99 for the full version of MLB At Bat 2010. The free version offers real-time news, scores, schedules, and standings. However, for $14.99 you can upgrade to the full version which buys you pitch-by-pitch updates, box scores and live game audio from the home or away announcers. Even more impressive is the live game video offered for select games daily. Forgot your team is playing today? No problem, because push notifications keep you in the action when you can’t be at the ballpark.

Lonely Planet’s City Guides (Apple $5.99, Android $4.99 Per City; Nokia Free) Headed to Munich this summer to take in the famous beer gardens and gawk at the impressive Neuschwanstein castle? Pick up Lonely Planet’s City Guide for Munich, or any other major world city, and instantly find places to stay, eat, and play. With built in maps and historical tidbits you can stay inconspicuous while wielding the complete power of the Lonely Planet’s years of experience without the weight and bulk of a book. And at just $5.99 per major city, it won’t cut into your lederhosen budget. While you’re being an undercover tourist, pick up the local language phrase book from lonely Planet for just $2.99/language.

CoPilot Live USA (Apple $4.99, Android $29.99) It’s a little more expensive than most iPhone apps but CoPilot’s turn-by-turn directions app should keep you from resorting to asking for directions and is still way cheaper than a GPS. The new version, optimized for the iPhone 4, not only offers higher resolution images but provides turn-by-turn navigation even while you’re on the phone.

Distant Suns (Apple $6.99) If you find yourself stargazing on a clear summer’s eve, invest in Distant Suns. With an augmented reality feature for the iPhone 3GS and 4, it couldn’t be easier to identify planets, stars, and constellations. This app even includes the mythology associated with constellations for your reading pleasure in addition to beautiful telescopic images of thousands of celestial bodies. Also of note is StarMap which shares many of the features of Distant Suns for $11.99 but pro versions offer advanced tools for amateur astronomers. If you are an Android user, check out Google SkyMap for free.

Gas Cubby (Apple $4.99) Whether you are a hypermiler trying to squeeze out every last mpg or just want to keep track of your vehicle related expenses, Gas Cubby will help you save a few bucks here and there during the drive-happy American summer. Whether you want to track gas mileage with detailed stats or keep track of vehicle maintenance, including service reminders for multiple cars, this app can help you.

Catan (Apple $4.99) Need to kill some time on a flight or while kicking back on a lazy summer Sunday? The board game Settlers of Catan is now transformed into a perfect i-version in Catan. Compete with up to three friends, or the AI, for the largest number of settlements, cities, roads, and other accomplishments in this modern classic strategy game.

Bonus App: Frozen Yogurt Locator (Apple, $0.99 – cheap!) The summer heat will likely have you looking everywhere for your next fix for cool treats. Making the search a cinch is Frozen Yogurt Locator which will point you towards the nearest frozen yogurt depending on your location. With options to search by chain or peer added locations, this app will meet your every froyo needs.

How to Use There, Their and They're

1. 1
   Use there when referring to a place, whether concrete ("over there by the building") or more abstract ("it must be difficult to live there").
   
   
   Ads by Google

   IELTS British

    Aim for a high IELTS Score. Online study course and practice tests.
   www.scottsenglish.com
   • There is an antique store on Camden Avenue.
   • The science textbooks are over there on the floor.
   • There are many documents that are used in investigations.
2. 2
   Also use there with the verb BE (is, am, are, was, were) to indicate the existence of something, or to mention something for the first time.
   • There is a picnic area over here, and a campground across the river.
   • "I see there are new flowers coming up in your garden." "Yes, they are the ones my grandmother gave me last year."
3. 3
   Use their to indicate possession. It is a possessive adjective and indicates that a particular noun belongs to them.
   
   
   • My friends have lost their tickets.
   • Their things were strewn about the office haphazardly.
4. 4
   Remember that they're is a contraction of the words they and are. It can never be used as a modifier, only as a subject (who or what does the action) and verb (the action itself).
   
   
   • Hurry up! They're closing the mall at 6 tonight!
   • I'm glad that they're so nice to new students here.
5. 5
   Test your usage. When you use any of these three words, get in the habit of asking yourself these questions, but remember that they will not work in all cases though:
   
   
   • If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here? If so, you're using it correctly.
   • If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our? If so, you've chosen the correct word.
   • If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are? If so, you're on the right track!
6. 6
   Recognize incorrect examples and learn from the mistakes. By looking over others' work with a critical eye, especially by offering proofreading or copyediting help, you can become more sensitized to correct usage and practice it yourself.
   
   
   • Wrong: Their is no one here.
   • Wrong: Shelley wants to know if there busy.
   • Wrong: The dogs are happily chewing on they're bones.
   • RIGHT: I can't believe they're leaving their children there, alone!
7. 7
   Practice, practice, practice! Get your English teacher or friend to say several sentences aloud that include one of these three words and write down which version they are using. Hire a private English tutor if you're still having trouble.

Thanks to www.wikihow.com 

Read This Before You Buy an iPhone 4

Whether you have an iPhone or some other phone, now is a great time to move up to a new smartphone like the new Apple iPhone 4, new Android based smartphone like the HTC EVO 4G or HTC Incredible, or even a new BlackBerry, Samsung, LG, or Motorola smartphone. However, before we get into our iPhone 4 vs. Android and others evaluation, we can probably save you some time by offering this recommendation: if you have an AT&T phone then an iPhone 4 is the obvious choice especially if you already have an unlimited data plan. Otherwise, the HTC EVO 4G on Sprint or the HTC Incredible on Verizon is a very tempting alternative to the new Apple iPhone 4. Here's our analysis based on what we feel are the most important considerations.

 Screen Size, Pixel Density and Multitouch

Apple has squeezed 640 x 960 pixels into the iPhone 4’s 3.5-inch display which should make for finer details, smoother text, and amazing image quality. The HTC EVO has a larger, 4.3-inch screen with a respectable 480 x 800 resolution which makes for a great viewing experience whether you’re watching videos, browsing the web or looking at a list of tweets. The HTC Incredible offers 480 x 800 resolution in a 3.7-inch OLED display. The rumored BlackBerry Bold 9800 will be a very tempting alternative. It will help keep RIM the king of hill for messaging devices with both a slider QWERTY keyboard and touchsrceen 3-inch (480 x 320) display. Apple is still the king of the soft keyboards and early reviews of the iPhone 4 indicate that Apple will continue to do multitouch and soft keyboards better than Android however, some say the new Android 2.2 version offers some improvements in the touch department and for now, there are some good third-party Android keyboard alternatives like Swype.

 Long Live Your Battery

Apple claims to have extended the iPhone 4’s battery life by 40% over the iPhone 3GS for talk time. We'll reserve judgment until we get some real-world reports from users but if the claims turn out to be true the iPhone 4 could raise the bar on smartphone battery life especially in light of the criticisms HTC phones like the EVO have been getting for their less than stellar battery life. However, we can say from personal experience it's possible to dramatically extend the EVO battery by judiciously turning off apps and "radios."

You Can't Beat a Replaceable Battery

Despite Apple's work on longer lasting batteries, you still can't swap out the battery with a fully charged spare. The EVO's back cover is easy to open and you could be up and running on a fresh battery in minutes.

Camera and Camcorder

                     

We are tempted to call the camera/camcorder duel a draw. Both the iPhone 4 and some new smartphones like the EVO offer lots of megapixels, tap to focus, a front facing camera, 720p video and a flash. The EVO has an HDMI port for watching the HD recordings on your HDTV but the iPhone will have some impressive on-board editing with a special $4.99 version of iMovie. We'll be interested to see how the cameras' image quality compares as the Apple ipPhone 4 might have an edge with a better sensor.

Cool New Smartphone Features

Apple has added some very cool new features that could have your friends and co-workers drooling over your new iPhone. The gyroscope adds one more sensor along with the current iPhone’s compass, accelerometer, proximity, and ambient light sensor. The gyroscope will literally add new dimensions to apps especially game apps, game controllers or other remote control application. FaceTime, Apple's new video conferencing app could make social interactions (with other iPhone 4 owners only) more fun and intimate with Apple's knack for making applications easy-to-use. On the other hand you'll find cool features on other smartphones too. We like the kickstand on the EVO, the navigation buttons on Android phones and many of the useful interface features found on HTC's Sense user interface like the pull-down notification page.