The free iPhone app Taxi Magic was made for me — and anyone else who ever needs to use taxis. The radical “magic” booking is one-click taxi ordering and is supported in 25 major cities. For cities that aren’t on the list, Taxi Magic can still hook you up with the numbers.

Even if you don’t take cabs a lot, at some point you may be traveling and need transportation, and guess who’s gonna be your best friend when you’re shivering on a lonely street corner, miles from your hotel?

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Today Nico Becherer, the developer behind the hit application Face Melter, has released the first third party application to use Smule’s core technology. The application, called Electric Smoke, allows users to play with a virtual cigarette. It may not sound particularly exciting, but the technology behind it is impressive – if you’ve got another iPhone handy with Sonic Lighter installed, you can use it to light your virtual cigarette.

Using Smule’s ‘Sonic Modem’ technology, the two phones actually relay information using sound (they literally beep at each other), which means the apps will work even if there isn’t an internet connection available. Smule has lent its IP networking technology to Electric Smoke free of charge in return for promoting its Smule Sonic Lighter app.

While the technology behind it is very cool, the application itself isn’t particularly fun. After launching Electric Smoke, you’re presented with a very nicely rendered unlit cigarette.
Once you’ve got your cigarette ablaze, you can inhale and blow on the iPhone’s microphone as you watch virtual smoke fill the screen (you can manipulate the smoke by running your fingers across it). The game keeps track of how long it takes for you to burn through each cigarette, making for a mildly amusing game that will leave you both lightheaded and winded.

Because Electric Smoke is at least jokingly meant as a substitute for smoking actual cigarettes, the app offers a long listing of random trivia detailing how much money you’re saving and the time you’ve added to your lifespan (other notable factoids include how much you’ve helped the ozone layer). It also offers a smoking-related statistic every time you launch the app, likely as a way to show that it isn’t meant to promote smoking – it’s meant to raise awareness (or help you quit).

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Supported effects include:

- Realistic number flip animation
- 24 hour mode
- Stop phone from sleeping
- Hide status bar

The application is very straight forward and easy to use. Basically, the user receives 100 free iPhone tips, from beginner tips to expert tips.

Here’s an example:

special version of the service just for TechCrunch

Sign up here, or do a search for LooptTC on iTunes (links to iTunes apps currently don’t work).

The meet feature is called Mix and is shown in the video below. Once you turn it on it will show you other users who are around you, and some basic information about them. You can message those users (and you can also block anyone who’s being annoying).

This will really come in handy at TechCrunch meetups and events. The network will show you which of your friends are nearby if you are having trouble finding them. And as you meet new people you can see a little bit about them on your phone (picture, name, where they work, etc.). If you connect, you can add them as a friend.

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One does wonder then, is the iPhone capible of being a “business phone” as well ?

Mochasoft have released an iPhone Application which puts a positive score in the “yes” column. Mochasoft’s VNC client is able to connect to a VNC server (tested on RealVNC, TightVNC & UltraVNC) and allows a user to view a computers desktop remotely.

This enables people who are “on the go” to log on, from anywhere in the world, to a pre-configured computer that has an active internet connection and to interact with the desktop in a similar way as if they were sitting directly in front of that computer.

You might ask, who would use such a thing? – “I would” would be my 1st answer and here is why:

As an I.T. Support technician I am often required to be many places at the same time. The posibility would exist where I could log into my office computer, view invoices, client records, and email (even though it would possibly be easier to access it from the iPhones Email) etc – I would also be able to do the same for any remote clients who’s net work I support.

The software comes in two versions, a lite “free” version which has no support for the windows ctrl-alt-delete function, and has no right mouse click, and a paid version (approximately $6), which at the time of this article being published is currently subject to release after Apple’ software team’s review.

Read more about this at Mochasoft’s VNC page

This google app is available as a free download on the iPhone (when usingg the latest software) and the iPod Touch.

The “Google Mobile App” application allows you to do quick searches by making use of suggestive web results whilst you are searching and gives you quick and easy access to your contacts and recently searched items using search history.

Seach with my location allows you to search for businesses and services near to your current location, and displays these results on a map using Google maps. (Wanna go for coffee? – Ooh look a coffeeshop just around the corner).

Finally, you are able to launch other google apps (gmail, news, maps, goog411, docs, Google Talk, Reader, etc) from inside this app by making use of their explore page.

This is definately an extreme boon for those of you who get fed up easily trying to search on the tiny little keypad. This makes searching in general much easier.

iTunes, the online “apple shop” for music content and more recently video content is now set to offer application content too for purchase and download. Not surprising that application delivery will probably be the initial vector into the market for the new iPhone 3g through the iTunes store which is now in its early stages in South Africa.

I believe it wont be long now before music and video content is also avablable for purchase and download through the South African iTunes Store.