Daily Finance for the iPhone and iPod Touch Review

So maybe, just maybe the financial markets are starting to turn a corner. And maybe you actually feel like checking out your stocks again. Well, if you want to check your portfolio on the iPhone, Daily Finance is the way to go.

Powered by AOL's Money & Finance page, Daily Finance provides news, market sector information, "real time" stock quotes, and some dandy looking charts. The only point of contention would be the real time quotes. The NASDAQ and NYSE quotes are delayed but for those of you trading on the BATS exchange, those are real time quotes.

Here's a look:

Diffle For The iPhone and iPod Touch Review

With Diffle, it's what's different that makes a difference. Unlike games like Bejeweled, based on finding similar shapes and colors to clear the board, with Diffle, you're looking for differences in shapes, colors, and patterns, with the most differences being worth the most points.

Each round is timed, and you must complete 7 matches (or anti-matches, I suppose) before running out of time in order to go to the next round. This is unique because it's both timed, and a problem solving game: Only having 90 seconds to complete even the easiest game board means you make snap judgements, rather than thinking through the best match each time.

It's strange but it seems our brains have been wired to find similarities, and in playing this game, sometimes it feels like I can feel the new synapses firing in my brain, as I look at the pieces in a different way from the norm.

That's not to say it's overly difficult, it just makes you look at things a little differently than you might expect in this kind of game. Here's a look at our video review of Diffle: 

Anatomy of a Killer App: Taxi Magic

We've reviewed hundreds of iPhone app reviews, and to be completely honest, there are far, far more misses than hits. Taxi Magic though, could revolutionize getting a taxi. Depending on your city and location, getting a taxi can be daunting, Taxi Magic allows you to use your iPhone to take the headaches out of hailing a cab.

We recently interviewed Ridecharge co-founder Toby Russell to find out the details of this transit revolution:

First, tell us a little bit about Ride Charge, the company behind Taxi Magic.

RideCharge was founded in 2007, is based in Alexandria VA, and started by providing technology to corporate travelers. The technology made it easy for business travelers to book taxis, pay by credit card and get expense documentation for travel reimbursement.  In late 2008, RideCharge launched a consumer version of the technology to allow anyone to take advantage of the 'secret sauce' -- RideCharge's Direct Connect Taxi booking and electronic payment engine.

This came in 3 flavors-- RideCharge.com, RideCharge technology that powers taxi company websites (e.g. www.dallasyellowcab.com), and Taxi Magic for iPhone and Blackberry -- smartphone interfaces. 


Give us an overview of the Taxi Magic app.

There are four value propositions to Taxi Magic:

1) BOOK--Taxi Magic makes it easy to book a taxi instantly without making a phone call.  People have been very excited about the instant taxi reservation with just a tap.

2) TRACK--You can then track the car to know when it is coming, because Taxi Magic connects you directly to taxi computer dispatch systems, and gives you real-time GPS information about when the car is on the way.   It is very cool technology and extremely conveninient for people who don't like wondering whether a cab will come.

3) PAY by Credit Card / CHARGE: No one likes carrying cash to pay for taxis, so Taxi Magic makes it easy to pay for the taxi with a credit card, right through the application.  It's the fastest, most secure way to pay for taxis. 

The app is free and booking with the app is free.  If you pay by credit card, there is a small fee ($1.50) added to help support development of the application. 

You get an electronic receipt by email for the amount paid.  And, if you're traveling for business, or need to keep track of your receipts, this is particularly convenient because tracking paper receipts is a real drag. 

Take us through the workings of the app for the end user. Is the app intended more for an immediate need for a cab, or a scheduled pickup later? How does the payment system work? How does the cabbie  confirm you've made a payment?

The Taxi Magic app was originally designed to get a taxi fast-- 'right here, right now'.  When a user opens the app, it uses the iPhone's location based services to present the user with local taxi options.  In the major US taxi cities, the top of the list has direct-connect options, aka 'Magic Booking' options that you can tap to book directly in the taxi company computer dispatch system.  It works 24/7 and is instantaneous-- faster than making a phone call.  

Then you choose how you'd like to pay for the taxi at the end of the ride-- A) hand the driver cash, or B) store a credit card and pay through the app.    With that, your reservation is submitted to the taxi dispatch system.

You get back status updates on your taxi -- when it is assigned, what the car number is / driver name + how far away it is.  Very cool stuff.

When you're in the cab, and if you chose to pay with credit card through the app, at the end of the ride you just enter the amount you want to pay into the app + it sends a message to the driver's computer screen in the front telling him how much you've paid.   It's SUPER fast and a really neat experience.

You're done and you get a receipt emailed to you automatically.


What kind of volume are you seeing from iPhone users?

In terms of iPhone usage, it has definitely exceeded expectations.  There's been a groundswell of downloads and usage with very fast growth-- tens of thousands of downloads in just the first few months, and consistent ongoing usage.

What are some of the challenges to implementing this system?

Some cities, e.g. Miami don't yet have taxis with technology in them, so when you open the app, we present local phone numbers for taxi companies that you can call by tapping the options.


Can you take us through development of the app. How long did it take? Did you develop in-house, etc.

We did all the development in-house and the heavy lifting was integrating to all the different computer dispatch systems of each taxi fleet in each city.  That took many months.  Development of the first version of Taxi Magic (1.0) for iPhone took a few months, and is ongoing.  We're adding new features like the ability to schedule a future reservation. 


Any feedback you can share from the taxi companies? How about cabbies?

Taxi companies have been very excited about Taxi Magic.

A quote from a press release we did when it went live in Dallas Texas is: "With Taxi Magic, our customers can now quickly book a cab and pay for it with just a few easy clicks of their phone. Customers no longer have to wait in the ever changing Texas weather for a cab to drive by. Now anyone can book one of our 1,400 cars simply by punching a request into their iPhone or Blackberry -- now that's convenience!"
-- John Donor, Manager of Dispatch Operations, Dallas Yellow Cab. 

Cabbies have been excited too-- recently we got word from a customer that a driver had said Taxi Magic was game changing for his industry.

How do you get Taxi Magic?

iPhone users can download Taxi Magic from iTunes, and Blackberry users can download Taxi Magic from Blackberry App World, or just send a blank email to get@ridecharge.com for download link and instructions.

iQuarterback For The iPhone: A Pass-Rush of Fun

Many of us in our youth fantasized about being the quarterback, throwing the perfect pass to win the big game. Well, there's a lot of practice that goes into making the big throws, and rather than portray that epic moment in the the game, iQuarterback takes the task of learning to be a better quarterback, and makes it fun.

The games consists of a quarterback (you) trying to hit a series of targets as they cross the field. You have to remember to lead the receiver, and test your accuracy to score a bullseye, and additional points. There are three skill levels: college, pro, and all-star. Essentially, the skill level determines the speed of the targets as they cross the field. (It would've been funny if the all-star setting showed the quarterback not really trying, like the real pro-bowl, but I digress) You hold your finger on the screen to increase pass distance, and move it left and right to aim your throw. The time allotted in each round is the same, which can make it monotonous after awhile. With that said, I still found myself playing for longer periods of time than most iPhone games, especially games from the dollar bin.

It's a solid 99 cent game, but I'd like to see a pro version with obstacles, players instead of targets, and time extensions for reaching certain point totals. With those features, it might just become a $2.99 game worth having.

Here's a look at iQuarterback for the iPhone and iPod Touch:

LightSource for the iPhone Brings Lighting Versatility

LightSource, at first glance, looks like several of the silly flashlight apps we saw when the app store first went live. However, in reality, it's a clever tool for photographers and videographers who need small amounts of matched light.

Essentially, LightSource turns the face of the iPhone or iPod Touch into a (very)low wattage lighting panel. You can choose from 18 different light types like candle, blue sky, several fluorescents, and the gas-based lights (like sodium vapor) often found outside. It's just enough light for photos of models, or can be used as fill in larger productions. No need to use a large studio light just to cast a bit of color-correct light on an object. Take a look at LightSource for the iPhone and iPod Touch: