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TheAppleBlog
TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
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MacDeveloper Helps Mac Beta Testers and Developers Connect
It can be tough putting together a good closed beta testing pool if you’re a small developer. Perhaps especially so if you’re developing for Mac, which, despite recent advances, still has a smaller overall user base to draw from than Windows. Sure you can offer incentives, and try to use your own network, friends, and families, but there’s now an easier (if slightly more expensive) way.

MacDeveloper, a recently founded Mac testing community, wants to bring developers together with motivated, responsible beta testers. They do so through their website which allows individual testers to register and become part of a pool, which is made available to developers. Sign up is free for individual testers, but developers have to pay a $16.75 to set up what MacDeveloper calls a “Project Channel,” basically a home page and server space to house your development project.

The site is built around a rewards model for beta testers, and has a points system in place whereby you can earn free software or discounts based on your testing contribution. Testers also obviously get early looks at upcoming software, which is always a big incentive for Mac users involved in the development community.

Testers can also earn “Star Ratings” by becoming a “Quality Tester” through positive developer feedback, which grants even more benefits. If they wish, developers can limit their search to Quality Testers, in order to help ensure that those working on their product are interested and engaged.

As of this writing, MacDeveloper currently has a beta pool of 442 testers, though only 10 project channels are currently active. 88 developers have signed up. If you have a project you’d like tested, it might be a good idea to get in now, since there seems to be an imbalance on the side of available testers.

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Weekly App Store Roundup: Nov. 29, 2008
This week at The Apple Blog, like a farmer with a gaggle of turkeys in the week before Thanksgiving, we’ve caught the juiciest news and posted it here for your consumption. Early in the week we heard about how a dodgy developer has been paying for fake reviews of his app. The week improved with the arrival of a Quicktime fix for HDCP playback and we even found time to tell you how to browse the net on your iPhone securely.

While our U.S. contingent have been preparing tender turkeys (or veggie equivalents), over in the UK I’ve been taste-testing the latest scrummy additions to the App Store.

This week I’m looking at MobileLinked IM, Project Polaroid, Touchgrind and lo-fi retro freebie Fire Engine.

MobileLinked IM (free)
In terms of iPhone IM clients, everyone seems to have their favourites. I dig Palringo - being able to send voice-messages and photos to my mates while I’m out and about feels like I’m living in McLuhan’s glittering global village. On the other hand, fellow TAB writer Darrell Etherington can’t get enough of Beejive’s sweet features. Choice is a good thing, so it’s wonderful that MobileLinked IM has joined the fray, yet, despite being free, it’s lacking in the features and polish of its older counterparts.
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µTorrent Comes to Mac in Beta Form
If I’m using stuck using Windows for whatever reason, I’m probably using µTorrent. It’s fast, lightweight, and far superior in almost every way to any of the other, more bloated Windows clients. That said, I still prefer Transmission overall, and that’s what I use on my Mac machines. I love them both, for similar reasons, but luckily I’ve never had to choose between the two, since they weren’t available on the same platform. Until now. µTorrent Mac Beta has been released and is shattering my carefully divided reality.

I had to fight a little reluctance, and remove my Transmission icon from my dock so it wouldn’t see my betrayal, but I managed to download and install the new beta. I have to admit, µTorrent’s icon is very appealing. Score one for the newcomer. It also opened very quickly, revealing a minimal, Mac-friendly, attractive user interface. So this is what temptation feels like.

With the proper ports forwarded in my firewall, and running one after the other, not simultaneously, I found download speeds to be roughly the same in both applications on my test file, a (legally) free audio book of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. Both feature individual file prioritization, speed limits, peer information, and ratio monitoring and automatic stopping of seeding at customizable ratios. After I performed my brief test, I had to ask myself: would µTorrent unseat Transmission as my go-to torrent client?

There are a few reasons why it won’t. First, I really like Transmission’s automatic resizing of the application window to fit active torrents. It may be a minor feature, but I’m nuts for it. Can’t go back. Second, the Transmission icon can be badged with upload and download rate, while µTorrent’s cannot. That at-a-glance access to rate information saves me a lot of time in obsessive application window switching. Finally, Transmission supports remote control, groups, speed limit scheduling, and has an auto-add function for a folder you specify. That’s a lot of “finalies”, I realize, but I don’t want to overdo it with the feature listing. It’s probably the product of having been an actively developed app for far longer than µTorrent has, but Transmission still wins nonetheless. Recent Windows-switchers will have a familiar face to greet them when they cross over though, and that’s always a good thing.

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Secure iPhone Browsing
If you’re a security nut, browsing at a public hotspot can be like showering in a public bathroom. You might have no other option, depending on your circumstances, but you’re bound to feel a little creeped out and you’d probably rather have some flip flops on. Think of Hotspot Shield as flip-flops for your computer. And now for your iPhone, too.

AnchorFree’s Hotspot Shield for computers installs a client on your desktop or notebook that sets up a virtual private network, helping to ensure that you stay anonymous and secure while browsing. Hotspot Shield for iPhone employs the same concept, minus the client, allowing you to browse securely from your mobile device.

I’ve used Hotspot Shield with my MacBook before, and found little cause for complaint. There are some hiccups when streaming large media, and an ad is displayed at the top of your window, though Hotspot Shield itself is free.
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Mac of All Trades II: Return of the Mac
It’s time for some more alchemy involving your beloved laptop or desktop companion. Just like last time, we’ll look at a few different apps that allow your Mac to perform some unusual tricks. That Apple is far from a one-trick pony, so forget about boring old internet browsing/photo and video editing/word processing. Prepare to add a “daddy” to the end of your Mac, and show all your friends just how cool you are. This batch will really help you “Bond” with your computer.

Saltwater Aquarium

Nothing says “international man/woman of mystery” like a saltwater fish tank. Whether you’re plotting to destroy the world, or just aiming to become a master of seduction, your lair should definitely house Finding Nemo and his buddies. Real aquariums are expensive and hard to maintain, but your Mac has you covered.

I know it has been around for a while, and it might not be the most useful software on the planet, but I still can’t get enough of SereneScreen’s Marine Aquarium. It comes in both pay and free editions, with the free version lacking the fish variety and customizability of the paid-for software. I set it up on my 32-inch LCD TV and let it run while working or entertaining.
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Final Vinyl Makes Sound Routing and Recording Surprisingly Simple
Being a big fan of my Griffin radioSHARK I was disappointed when the developers dismissed all plans on cranking out an HD Radio version of the device. Given the extensive source tagging in the digital stream, they could have integrated both recording to iTunes and purchasing from iTunes with little effort.

Still wanting to experience HD Radio as inexpensively as possible, I recently purchased a Sony XDR-F1HD HD Radio Tuner and, despite owning every cable known to human-kind, I lacked the RCA-male-to-3.5mm-female cable required to directly connect the tuner to my desktop speakers. Not wanting to trudge down to the family room to hook it up to the stereo for testing, I got out my trusty Griffin iMic but did not want to crank up anything as complex as Garage Band just to do listen to the radio. While I could have used something like Audacity, that program is overkill for the task I wanted to perform.
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Apple Pushing Green Notebooks in Ad Campaign
With their latest lineup of products, Apple is pushing the new environmental features in an aggressive way. Rightly so, they are proud of their achievement — going from a heavily criticized Mac and iPod lineup a few years ago, to a set of very environmentally friendly products today.

Their environment page states, albeit in a typically corporate way, a commitment to creating ‘green’ gadgets:

Apple recognizes its responsibility as a global citizen and is continually striving to reduce the environmental impact of the work we do and the products we create.

The new U.S. ad campaign was launched on Monday night, and is coupled with a new page on the Apple site providing more environmental information. Not only is it the first TV spot Apple has released heralding environmental progress with their products, but it marks the start of any major campaign for the new MacBook lineup.
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Black Friday for Apple Fans
On Tuesday, Apple sent out emails reminding everyone that the “best shopping event of the year” is coming up in the United States this Friday after Thanksgiving, traditionally referred to as “Black Friday” by retailers.

Past Black Friday deals at the Apple Store have been limited to modest ($50 to $100) discounts on computers. Special pricing should be available in the online store and in retail stores around the U.S.. No word yet on what Apple plans, but we will post an update here as soon as the announcement is made. In the mean time, here are some other sales going on this week for the holiday shopping season.

Best Buy is having a sale on Apple gear through Wednesday, November 26. These deals to get $50 to $150 off a new Mac are available online and in retail stores. You can check the story on AppleInsider to get all the details.

MacMall is also running two sets of promotions — a Thanksgiving Blowout Sale and a 3 Day Black Friday Sale.

If you’re having trouble deciding where to shop, MacRumors has put together a nice chart showing the best discounts on Macs between the two sites.

If you’re shopping for discounts on accessories for your Mac or iPod, check out the great web site, bfads.net for searchable listings and scans of all the major retailers. For example, check out these hard drive, printer, and digital camera deals. Online, newegg.com and Amazon.com are having some great sales too.

If you know of other great deals, please share links in the comments below.

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Aurora Feint II: The Arena Arrives in the App Store
I’m a huge fan of Aurora Feint: The Beginning for the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s just the right blend of nerdy and casual for a mobile platform, and I could spend either hours or just a few minutes with it, depending on my schedule. And I did spend hours, which either proves that Aurora Feint is based on a solid concept, or that there is a certain type of person who will play any game that allows them to gain levels, regardless of how meaningless new levels actually are.

Given my affinity for the original, you’ll understand how excited I was as I downloaded Aurora Feint II: The Arena last Friday. The sequel to the popular puzzle RPG promised asynchronous online multiplayer play, and enhancements to the existing character and leveling system. How could you go wrong by bringing more awesome to an already awesome game? The answer: you can’t.

There are so many additions its hard to know where to start. Let’s start with basic game play. Even in the Mine, arguably the central component of the Aurora Feint world, there are noticeable improvements. The core play that makes the game so addictive is still there, but now animations are smoother, and you receive better, more visually pleasing tutorial tips throughout. Colors are brighter, and special combo animations are completely revamped. At any time during the game, you can press the arrow at the top of the screen to review your progress, go to the main menu, and return to the world map.
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Smartphones and Wi-Fi: Why This Should No Longer Be An Option
I was surprised when I first learned that the Blackberry Storm would not have Wi-Fi. This was especially surprising to me since the other recent new Blackbery, the Bold, does have Wi-Fi.

It seems more and more of the upper-tier smartphones include this feature, and it got me wondering if it should be a feature a potential user should insist on. For me it definitely is.

Keep in mind that if you think Wi-Fi as just a high-speed data pipe, then I believe you're underrating what Wi-Fi can do for your device. Here is why I'd insist on Wi-Fi in what, let's face it, are hand-held computers that happen to make phone calls.
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Nimbuzz: Free Multi-Service Messaging/VoIP Client for the iPhone
I have to admit, I paid 15 bucks for Beejive Messenger for the iPhone and haven’t looked back since. That said, I realize that not everyone has the budget or inclination to spend that much money on a mobile messaging app, nor should you have to. Free clients are also available, and the newest addition to the list is Nimbuzz! That’s not me getting really excited, there’s an exclamation mark in the product name. Not that I’m unfazed by Nimbuzz! either. The app supports all major messaging (text and voice) clients, and VoIP protocols as well, including Skype, so that’s promising.

At first, I mistakenly inferred from the app description that it supports only Wi-Fi connections. Not so. For voice chat and VoIP functions, you must have a Wi-Fi connection, probably to comply with carrier-imposed limitations, but for text chat, 3G and EDGE are fine. Like Palringo, Nimbuzz! requires you to sign up for a master account, but the process is relatively painless. You can do it from within the application, and the only information required is your desired username, password, and a valid email address. Nimbuzz! uses the account to store your saved services, so you can sign in to the PC and web versions with a single login and access all your IM networks.
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Quicktime Update Brings Intermittent HDCP Fixes
Apple has released another update to Quicktime that should be a small bit of good news to unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro owners. Bringing its version number up to 7.5.7, the new Quicktime removes the HDCP playback restrictions from standard definition movies purchased and rented from iTunes. According to the release notes:

This update is recommended for owners of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with Mini DisplayPort. The update addresses an issue where some standard definition purchases from the iTunes Store do not play on some external displays.

It should be emphasized that this only resolves issues with standard definition versions of purchases. So, if you were having troubles before and are now hoping to watch that download in all its high definition glory, you are still out of luck.

The update is currently only available via Software Update for all Mini DisplayPort equipped systems.

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Sick of Your Dock's Animated Poof? Change It

Most people know that when you want to remove an app from your dock, you simply need to right click it then drag it to the desktop. The first few times it disappeared in a puff of “smoke” you probably thought it was cool but if you’re over it now, it’s possible to change that “poof” to a twirl, fade, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

First, locate the file that contains the animation. Navigate to /System/Library/Core Services. Hold down the control key, then click Dock and choose Show Package Contents. When the Dock window opens, select Contents > Resources.

Locate the file called poof.png and click to open. Gasp in surprise when you find out that it’s really just a five-frame graphic that can easily be replaced with your own file.

Use Photoshop, Seashore, Comic Life, or the image editor of your choice to create a cool new graphic that, like the existing file, measures 640 pixels tall. Then just save the new file and restart your system.

Poof, now you have yourself a new dock animation!

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Handbrake 0.9.3 Brings New Video Sources

The video encoding and transcoding tool, Handbrake has been updated to 0.9.3. This latest release brings a number of substantial changes to this excellent video utility.

The two most fundamental changes make Handbrake more flexible and also more limited. First flexibility — Handbrake will now accept many different video sources and does far more than just DVDs. The second change is that DVD decrypting has been completely decoupled from Handbrake and you’ll need another app to do perform that step in the conversion process. This version has a number of other improvements for Mac, Apple TV, and iPod users. Read the release notes to get a full list of changes.

Video Cornucopia

Just in time to help us deal with our grief at the passing of Techspansion and its seminal video converter, Visual Hub, Handbrake now has the ability to convert all sorts of different source material to H.264 or MPEG4 video. This potentially allows Handbrake to transcode AVI video from digital cameras and other such files. This new flexibility comes as a benefit of incorporating the libavcodec and libavformat libraries from the FFmpeg project. Unfortunately, the AVI file from a Canon P&S camera I used to test this on resulted in great looking video with a bunch of static in the audio track.
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Laptop: The Computer to Have in a Power Blackout
One of the reasons I’m a die-hard laptop aficionado is that I live in a rural area where power blackouts are not uncommon. Late November usually brings at least one with the arrival of the first major winter storm. This year proved no exception, with a major gale roaring in off the Atlantic last Friday evening.

I was prepared, but by the time I went to bed, although the lights had flickered a couple of times, the power was still on, and I was beginning to be a tiny bit optimistic that we would dodge this bullet. No such luck. I woke up around 4 AM, and the wind was screaming. Gusts had been forecast to about 45 MPH, but I would estimate we were getting more like 60 MPH sustained for about half an hour, at which point the lights died. I called the power utility and went back to bed.
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Why Make a Good App When You Can Just Pay People to Say You Did?
While annoying, the tactic of offering your app for free for a limited time prior to making people pay for it at least has the nice benefit of allowing a number of customers to actually get the software without paying for it. App Store manipulation hit a new low, recently when someone went a step further: paying people for high review scores.

Yes, in a frightening new low for Apple’s iPhone software distribution system, Wired is reporting that the developer of Santa Live, a Christmas-themed application aimed at children, seems to have been offering $4 in exchange for every 5-star review posted by people who download the $1.99 app. Since the Santa Live folks would be losing money in the deal, the obvious goal is to fix the ratings to encourage unwitting downloaders to fork over real, non-reimbursed cash.

The offer was listed on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and has since been taken down. Luckily, a TUAW reader snagged the screenshot above to preserve evidence of the shady move. The Turk listing even describes a sneaky secret code system by which plant reviewers can identify themselves without drawing undue attention, by including an extended, five-period ellipsis (…..) somewhere in their review. Six of the 22 reviews for the app at the time of this writing contain the code.
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Examining the Battery/AC Performance Gap on MacBooks and MacBook Pros
Back in the dark ages, when I used to have a Toshiba laptop, I would always remove the battery when running off of AC power, out of what may have been misguided superstition. I was told, and I fervently believed, that doing so would extend the life of my battery considerably by reducing the total number of cycles. When I got a MacBook, I just stopped the curious practice cold turkey. I didn’t have a reason for it at the time, but it looks like I was right to do so, as users are reporting significant drops in performance on Apple notebooks with the battery removed.

This issue is getting a lot of virtual ink around the blogosphere. Most of the scuttlebutt is actually misleading, too. ZDnet blogs, the Apple Gazette, and TrustedReviews all feature articles that reference the problem as affecting new model MacBooks and MacBook Pros, which is true, but only tells half the story. In fact, the issue is not limited to the aluminum and glass model machines. Gearlog, who ran the tests, doesn’t mention any limit to the models affected, and the Apple Support article officially noting and explaining the issue is actually dated from before the release of the new notebooks, so it must reference previous models as well.
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9 iPhone Apps to Keep You Fit
You may have caught our round-up of iPhone apps for your car from a few weeks ago. Well, it's time for another batch, so here's our our list of 9 fitness-related iPhone apps. Once again, each item on the list links to a full review with feature and pricing information. Enjoy!

Nutrition/Weight/Health Information Apps

Restaurant Nutrition
If you eat a lot of fast food, but you're morbidly curious and you want to know what you're putting in your body, then this is the app for you. I like it because it helps me eat reasonably well when I'm on the road.

LIVESTRONG.COM Calorie Tracker
You probably recognize the Livestrong name from Lance Armstrong's charitable organization that made yellow bracelets omnipresent. Well, now they've given us an app that keeps track of your daily calorie intake/burn.

Weightbot
An adorable robot that keeps track of your weight for you. A great app that's beautifully designed, in addition to being useful, with nice sound effects, graphics, and animations.

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Carbon Copy Cloner Makes Creating Bootable Backups Easy
One of the things I loved about the old Mac OS Classic was that to create a bootable disk, all you had to do was make a folder named System Folder, drag in System and Finder files and an Appearance Folder, then drag your bare-bones System Folder to a disk — hard drive, Zip, floppy, CD-R, etc — and voila! you were in business. Usually one would add a few more items like Control Panels and Extensions folders, Preferences and Fonts folders, but it was a simple, quick and not-too-dirty way to make bootable disks.

Alas, you can’t do that with OS X and its thousands of tiny, usually invisible files, but the next best thing is disk cloning, which is to make a copy of an existing bootable volume on another disk or drive. This is excellent for backups, but has the added advantage of allowing you to create bootable disks without going through the hassle of running an OS X installer program.

There are several software utilities available that can clone drives, but it’s hard to go wrong with Mike Bombich’s Carbon Copy Cloner, which is offered as uncrippled shareware, with donations suggested if you like the software and decide to continue using it once you’ve checked it out.
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Fitnio: Fitness Tracking App for the Rest of Us
Overwhelmed by the detail, options, and information available in most run and bike-tracking apps? Then you might find the simplicity of Fitnio, a relative newcomer to the scene, refreshing. Fitnio uses GPS to track your walk, jog, run or bicycling trip and provide you with basic, useful fitness-related information about the workout.

Like other apps of this kind, the GPS-tracking function of the app requires the iPhone 3G in order to produce accurate results. Also like other apps in this category, GPS is not 100% accurate all of the time. When I originally started Fitnio for testing, it found satellites without much trouble, but immediately began calculating my run at speeds of around 30 to 40 km/h (I'm Canadian, so I chose the "Metric" setting, but Imperial is available as well). Since I am not the six-million dollar man, these speeds seemed unlikely. As my location became more accurately pinpointed, speeds dropped to a much more reasonable 10+ km/h.

What I liked about Fitnio, despite the skewed numbers that GPS hiccups resulted in, was how easy it was to use. From the launch screen, which offers you an odometer, calorie counter, and "Start Running" and "Start Riding" buttons, to the run view, which just shows your time in large, easy-to-read numbers, and your distance travelled, your speed, and calories in slightly smaller font. It lacks the depth of other apps, maybe, but it also doesn't intimidate with a laundry list of functions. And it provides a couple of great features: an emergency contact button from the workout view screen, and a cool down timer for safer and healthier workouts.

You can also track your progress online through fitnio.com. The site right now offers only basic listing of your past workouts, but according to the developer, this is only the beginning. Future iterations of the Fitnio page will introduce additional features.

For a free app, Fitnio offers all the functions most people will need in an exercise tracker in a well-designed, easy to use and understand package. It's available now in the App Store.

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FitView: Achieve a Wide-Angle Outlook on Your Fitness
Sometimes, all you're looking for is a quick, accessible way to review your workout history and progress. If that's what you need, and you don't mind doing a little data entry to get it, FitView might be the iPhone/iPod touch app for you.

FitView allows you to store a wide range of fitness-related information in one, convenient location, right on your iPhone. Initially, I thought it was similar to RunKeeper and other apps that use GPS to track your fitness activities and provide information like speed and calories burned. This is not in fact what FitView is meant to do. Instead, you enter information about aerobic workouts, weight, height, etc. and it keeps a log for you.

When you first open FitView, you set up a profile to tie your logged activities and vital stats to, which are then used to generate user-specific trend charts. FitView supports the creation of multiple user profiles, so you and your significant other can set up accounts on the same device. Once your profile is set up, you can add activities, which involves choosing the activity type and filling out a number of fields with info like distance, heart rate, time, and calories burnt. I should note again that you must provide this information, it is not recorded by the app, and only a few fields are automatically calculated.

The Vital Stats menu allows you to monitor weight, body fat, calories consumed, cholesterol, and more. As with the activities, most of the information required by each of these stats must be gathered manually and then entered into the app. On the bright side, you can create your own custom stats using the "Unspecified" category.

Charts that monitor your logged activities are the only truly automated part of the app, and they do provide a good, visual way to evaluate your progress at a glance. This is definitely not an app I'd recommend to someone just getting started with a fitness regimen, or to more casual users. The sheer amount of data you can track with FitView, however, makes it a very useful application for users with more advanced needs, and people who's health depends on a high level of detail. FitView will cost you $3.99, while FitView Lite, which limits your profiles, activities, and stats, is available free of charge.

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Keep Track of Your Runs with RunKeeper
It was one of the first, and it continues to be one of the most popular aerobic exercises tracking apps in the App Store. Raizlabs' RunKeeper uses the iPhone 3G's built-in GPS to track your progress during a workout, and provide you with a range of data based on your results. In addition to presenting your results on the iPhone, RunKeeper allows you to map and view your progress at runkeeper.com as well. It's similar, overall, to the Nike+ system, but without the need for additional hardware.

Despite its name, RunKeeper is not just for running. The app allows you to select from a variety of physical activities. In addition to running, you can track hiking, bike riding, walking, or even skiing. All tracking activities require GPS, and as such the developer recommends that RunKeeper be used exclusively with the iPhone 3G, since results on the first generation iPhone or the iPod touch will be inaccurate.

RunKeeper tracks durations, distance, speed, pace, rise, and altitude data, and provides a map that shows your traveled path. I tested it using both running and walking modes. In both cases, initial pick-up of the satellites took a while, and readings were initially confused even after GPS positional data was acquired. Speed readings were way off, and changing directions (ie. turning left at a corner) resulted in an adjustment period during which the information did not accurately reflect reality.

Once a solid lock was established, however, and I'd been outside for a while, information was generally reliable. Inaccuracies might also have been due to my being located downtown in a large city, where skyscrapers often prevent a clear path to sky. Run tracking worked better than walk tracking, perhaps because running was, overall, a much more consistent and uninterrupted activity, conducted at a public park with a relatively clear skyline.

RunKeeper is a useful application if you need to keep track of your exercise info. For me, such detail isn't really necessary, because I run casually just to keep fit and because I enjoy it. People training for marathons or doing other semi-competitive running will probably find the app more useful. Users should also be warned that RunKeeper prevents the iPhone from sleeping, and uses battery at an alarming rate. It's a free download from the App Store, so if you're looking for a Nike+ alternative to use with your iPhone, there's no harm in giving RunKeeper a shot.

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GymGoal Lite: Trainer App and More for Those Who Need It
When embarking on a fitness regimen, it helps to have a goal. It also might help to have GymGoal Lite, a personal trainer app for the iPhone and iPod touch. GymGoal Lite puts a massive workout encyclopedia in the palm of your hand, allowing you to control and customize every aspect of your gym-based fitness routine.

GymGoal Lite's home screen is divided into Workouts and Exercises. Each section contains subcategories, and both offer you the ability to assign favorites. The bottom of the screen is occupied by the "Tip of the day" field, which provides useful tidbits of information about either keeping fit, or building muscle. From the home screen, you can also access various fitness-related calculators, and an online glossary of workouts housed at GymGoal.com.

In the Workouts section, you can either find a pre-set workout by selecting from a variety of criteria, including type of equipment and difficulty, or you can choose one from your favorites or history. Each workout can be copied so that you can have a basic template to work from when creating your own custom routine. Once a workout is selected, you can view its subsets and select individual exercises from a list to view more info.

Exercises can be found using the useful Body Map, which allows you to pick specific muscles or muscle groups from an anatomical drawing of the human body. It's definitely a nice feature for those who know what they want to work out but don't necessarily know its name. Alternatively, you can search by name, or select from a list of all exercises arranged in alphabetical owner. Unfortunately, you can't add custom exercises to GymGoal Light, but the included library is extensive.

The calculators included in the app are a nice addition to the basic personal trainer functions. GymGoal Light allows you to calculate your maximum single repetition, body mass index (BMI), basal metabolic rate (BMR), body fat percentage, and track your weight history. You'll have to do the measurements yourself, of course, but all the math is taken care of. Your weight history is displayed only as a simple list, and the lack of even a simple graph takes away from the feature.

This app has a lot of nice features for beginner to moderate users. The body map exercise locator is a great help if you're not sure exactly what you're looking for, and the calculators allow you to monitor your fitness in a number of useful ways. At $4.99, it's a little on the pricey side for this category of app, but its unique feature set make it worth the money for users with very specific needs.

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Testosterone for the iPhone: iPump Total Body
Anything that makes going to the gym easier has to be a good thing, right? The iPhone might be just the kick in the gym shorts you need, depending on how you equip it. iPump Total Body aims to provide you with a pocket-size personal trainer, via an iPhone app that allows you to plan and log your workouts.

PumpOne, makers of iPump Total Body, have a clear interest in promoting the iPump brand on the iPhone/iPod touch platform. There are no less than 16 apps bearing the iPump name currently available in the app store. Since iPump Total Body claims to provide a more balanced approach, I thought it the best candidate for review. I couldn't help but wonder whether PumpOne might've spread themselves too thin with so many apps.

Total Body provides 4 levels of pre-set workouts, each intended to be a step up in intensity. An individual workout is basically a rich-media slide show, combining pictures, audio, and video to guide you. I opted for Level 1: Foundation, for my trial, since I was intimated by all the pictures scattered throughout of intimidating hardbodies.

Level 1 is broken down into a four-week cycle, and each workout is meant to be prefaced by a 5-minut cardio warm up of your choosing. The workout features 10 exercises, spread out over a variety of body areas such chest, legs, abs, and back. Individual exercises feature photographs of models demonstrating the workout, along with detailed text instructions. You swipe to move to the next exercise, and at the end you can press "Complete" to log the workout. Rotating the iPhone enables landscape view, in which the photos are displayed, with the text instructions overlaid when you tap the screen.

Truth be told, I was not very impressed by iPump Total Body. The information was useful, yes, but it was presented in a drab way that feels canned and doesn't, in my opinion, take advantage of the unique characteristics of the iPhone/iPod touch platform. I also didn't once find an exercise that had a video demonstration. Finally, it was incredibly annoying that I couldn't customize workouts according to my preference, which is going to be a deal-breaker for more advanced users. At $2.99, you probably want to skip this one unless you really need the reference material.

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Weightbot: I Wish My Bathroom Scale Was This Cute
Who says watching your weight can't be fun? Weightbot, one of the most popular paid applications currently in the App Store, says it can. I honestly believe that a lot of users were (like me) initially drawn to the app because of the icon's beautiful design, and the attractive UI revealed by the screenshots in the app's info page.

Weightbot is much more than just a pretty face, though. Not that it doesn't have a gorgeous kisser. And fun sound effects. Loading screen, animation, screen transition, and all sounds are very polished and tailored to the overall robotic theme. Even the settings screen is designed to look like a robot's maintenance panel, right down to an ID plaque that identifies your unit as one of the "original" production run units.

I can drool all I want about the app's design, but what about functionality? Again, Weightbot doesn't disappoint, depending on what you were expecting. It admittedly doesn't do much, but what it does do, it does very well. On first launch, you configure the app by entering your height and weight goal and the date you want to reach it by. Once that's set up, any time you launch Weightbot, you can click on the main read-out and enter your weight for the day.

The app will automatically calculate your body mass index (BMI) for each day, although it doesn't provide you with a reference of what constitutes healthy range for your age, sex, and height. Turning the iPhone sideways while on the main screen will display a line-graph charting your progress towards your goal. Weightbot also allows you to use either Metric or Imperial units, lending it some international appeal.

Again, Weightbot doesn't aim to do much. It allows you to set and track your progress towards a weight goal. It doesn't help you decide what that goal should be, nor does it interpret any of the data you provide in terms of health ramifications. Despite not being terribly ambitious, it does what it does extremely well, and with unbeatable style. The polish that went into this app is well worth $1.99 if you want a quick and painless way to track your weight.

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