Apple : Apple set to buy Redmatica start-up to boost GarageBand

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Apple set to buy Redmatica start-up to boost GarageBand Posted: Apple may have bought a small music editing company to boost its own GarageBand and Logic Pro software offerings. TechCrunch reckons Apple has earmarked some of its massive cash-hoard to buy Redmatica, an Italian start-up that creates digital music apps. The company's most notable product is the Keymap Pro Advanced Sampled Instruments Editor which it describes as "photoshop for sampled instruments." However, the company which pushes four Mac-centric products in total, is still in its early stages and only brought in income of about £20,000 ($32,000) last year. Mac-centric If the reports are true, it may be that Apple plans to integrate some of the features into its own popular pieces of editing software. Beyond that, it may be an acqui-hire, meaning Apple has taken a fancy to one or more of Redmatica's workforce. Apple is yet to confirm the purchase.

Steve Jobs was a 'control freak' but 'not intellectually insecure' Posted: Former colleagues have reminisced about Steve Jobs at the D10 tech conference, and the picture that emerges is of a passionate man who was just focussed on making the best products. According to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Jobs was like the Henry Ford of the tech industry. "That was Steve, until it was perfect. And then once it was perfect. And then he moved on to the next problem," Ellison said at the D10 conference in California. Hence Jobs was "a bit of a control freak," Ellison said. "He wanted to control every aspect. Including how your pay for an item in a store. Or what it looked like in a box." But despite this incredible attention to detail, Jobs was open to other people's ideas. "Steve was one of those people where the best idea won," Ellison said. "But you had to persuade him, and he was a smart guy." All about the product Pixar's Ed Catmull said Jobs could quickly change his mind about which direction to go in. "It was amazing to see him flip," Catmull said. "But he wanted to see you argue back." "Steve was not intellectually insecure," Ellison said. "When he decided someone had a better idea, he moved on immediately. He didn't care. All he cared about was building the best product." Catmull told a story where Jobs argued with the director of A Bug's Life (made by Pixar) over whether the film should be widescreen. He reportedly did it purely to see the director's passion in arguing against him. But he mellowed in his later years. "The Steve I knew in the last few years was very kind," Catmull said. "There was a notion of fairness. That wasn't there in the early years."

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Software : Exclusive: Google explains why Chrome OS needed windows

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• Exclusive: Google explains why Chrome OS needed windows
• Exclusive: Offline Google Docs arriving 'in coming weeks'
• Best online photo editors

Exclusive: Google explains why Chrome OS needed windows Posted: Google has explained the leaps and bounds that Chrome OS has performed in arriving at its latest stage, and given an insight into some of the changes in the latest devices. Chrome OS has had a limited impact in its time, but has certainly come a long way and Google's vice president of engineering Linus Upson told TechRadar, in a briefing with a handful of journalists, that the company has been working frantically to make things better. "It's been about 9 months since we launched first Chromebooks with Acer and Samsung and we've been busily working to make Chrome OS better and better in that time," said Upson. "In fact we've done eight releases of the software to make user experience better and faster for all of the people who have the first gen Chromebooks. "Some of the major accomplishments that we've had in the first year include speed...making the javascript, webkit and the browser as a whole faster. "We've added GPU acceleration so graphics run much faster. When we pushed out an update recently with accelerated graphics a lot of our users started sending email saying their computer had got way faster overnight and that had never happened before!" File types As well as making sure that Chrome OS is capable of dealing with any file type thrown the arrival of a more coherent system to sync with cloud storage Google Drive is clearly a major box ticked for Upson. "The exciting thing is we've worked really hard to enable access for more file types," he added. "You have always been able to click on web docs of course and pdfs would open in the web browser...but now you can open all Microsoft Office file formats. It's all built in, you click on a link and use instantly online or offline. "In the release that's coming next we will have integration with Google Drive and that effectively becomes the file system for your Chrome OS. "Across your PCs, phone and ChromeOS you access all your docs in the in the cloud, sync them and work with them offline." Windows homage? The arrival of a desktop, including a taskbar and multiple windows, will be a major talking point of the latest Chrome OS, and Upson talked about the need to change the UI to make multi-tasking easier. "We had feedback that it was hard to multitask and people wanted to run two windows at the same time," he explained. "At the same time we started to look at larger screens for the Chromebox and we wanted a more elegant windowing system so that people could use one window or run full screen if they wanted. Upson: "...mail, documents media, music photos movies, we've nailed all of those offline use cases for people and then the online experience is second to none." "We've revised the core user interface of Chrome OS and people have responded positively to that as we rolled it out. "The package of all these things together has taken us to a point where we are all very excited." One major criticism of Google's Chrome OS has been the lmited functionality offline - but Upson believes that the company has "nailed" that in the improvements. "For all the common use cases of offline: mail, documents media, music photos movies, we've nailed all of those offline use cases for people and then the online experience is second to none."

Exclusive: Offline Google Docs arriving 'in coming weeks' Posted: Google's vice president of engineering, Linus Upson, has told TechRadar that full offline Google Docs functionality will be available in the coming weeks. In a briefing to a handful of UK journalists, including TechRadar, Upson talked about the burgeoning offline capabilities of Chrome OS, and also a massive and critical new arrival in editable offline Google Docs. "In the coming weeks we're going to be launching Google Docs offline," confirmed Upson to TechRadar. "You've been able to view Google Docs offline or a while but now you'll be able to do full editing of docs while you are offline and when you comeback online it will sync up and resolve all the conflicts. Upson: "Now you'll be able to do full editing of docs while you are offline and when you comeback online it will sync up and resolve all the conflicts." "While you're online you have all the great collaboration tools of Google Docs." Gmail wins Upson believes that offline Gmail - now a longstanding part of Chrome OS was a key addition to the functionality of the device. "So offline is very important and another area we have been working on," he added. "We have offline Gmail and mail's one of the biggest things in common use case where people want to work offline."

Best online photo editors Posted: Editing your shots is a necessary evil, but you won't always have your computer with you. Worse, it's entirely possible that the computer you have with you won't be fast enough or have sufficient disk space for both a decent library of photos and a photo editor. Luckily, help is at hand, and browser-based image editors can offer a surprisingly well-balanced set of powerful tools, and you won't have to spend a penny. Here's our pick of the best free online photo editors. Photoshop Express www.photoshop.com We'd expect nothing less from Adobe, but Photoshop.com is a refined, powerful set of tools that serves those with mid-range ambitions perfectly. The actual number of tools is relatively limited - you won't be chucking away your copy of Photoshop Elements. However, all the bases are covered - you can re-compose shots using the Crop & Rotate tool, correct under- and over-exposure, and undertake subtle tasks such as editing in Highlights and dodging and burning your shots. There are a few neat filters included such as the ability to "pop" a single colour in your shots while leaving the rest monochrome. We like: Elegant, easy to use, and advertising-free. We dislike: Selection of tools could be a tad broader. PicMonkey www.picmonkey.com "Staggeringly great photo editing tools", boasts the front page of this image editor, and for once we're inclined to agree. PicMonkey offers a larger selection of filters than Photoshop Express, and for those who don't want to delve into technical terms, its plain English approach makes it approachable and easy to get to grips with. That's not to say it lacks technical chops - dig in and you'll find highlight and shadow sliders, plus sharpening and saturation sliders, but it's PicMonkey's selection of pre-built filters, frames and overlays that really impresses. If it all rings a faint bell, it's because PicMonkey was started by a group of ex-Picnik engineers, the online image editor, so it's got plenty of heritage. Better yet, it's (currently) entirely free and doesn't ask you to register. We like: Absolutely stacks of features, easy to use yet almost endlessly customisable. We dislike: Slightly twee interface for serious users. Pixlr www.pixlr.com Pixlr is less touchy-feely than Photoshop.com and PicMonkey, but it's a great showcase of what's possible in a modern browser. You get a familiar-feeling interface with a toolbar at the top of the screen, and Photoshop-style windows adorning the sides, giving you access to your editing history and, impressively, the ability to create layers, complete with layer masks and adjustable opacity. You also get clever features such as graduated fills, a dedicated red-eye reducer, a clone stamp and a healing brush, which all add up to a full-featured editing package. It's less ideal for those looking for one-click presets to give their photos (for example) Instamatic-type styling. But for control freaks or those who want to learn the ropes of proper image editing without splashing out on standalone software, it's superb. We like: Amazingly full-featured, smooth performance, standard desktop-style interface. We dislike: Daunting for the uninitiated. Phoenix www.aviary.com Like Pixlr, Phoenix takes the Photoshop-in-a-browser approach rather than attempting to make image editing a one-click process. This cuts down the number of users that can simply pitch up and start churning out finished images, but it means those who know what they're doing - or want to figure it out - get more control. You still get layer control, including layer styles, making it possible to create complex images, but compared to Pixlr there are fewer tools. There's no clone or heal tool, for example, and those working with flat, unprocessed images will miss the curves tool as well. The interface on the whole is just slightly less graceful than Pixlr's as well. It's certainly worth investigating both, but Pixlr is our current pick. We like: Lots of flexibility, refined, smart interface. We dislike: Relatively few tools. FotoFlexer fotoflexer.com In this round-up of free photo editing services it's no surprise to find that FotoFlexer supports itself through advertising, but the decision to use pop-up advertisements borders on the unforgivable. The ad at the top of the editing screen never quite fades into the background, although switching to fullscreen mode kills it off. Move past that and there's a good editor lurking beneath. It never quite matches PicMonkey or Pixlr in terms of the quality of its output, but there's a strong range of adjustable filters, plus a curves control and even a decent layers tool. Add some neat typography tools and the ability to outfit your shots with animated stickers and the such, and it becomes clear that FotoFlexer has some undeniably neat touches, even if it's not quite as refined as others. We like: Decent set of tools for a good range of abilities. We dislike: Pop-up ads. What is this, 1998? Verdict It's great to see a return from some of the Picnik team - whose excellent product was cruelly shuttered by Google in April - in the form of PicMonkey. It's the best all-round free online image editor we've seen, but that's not for a lack of ambition or quality from its competitors. For a more technical approach, Pixlr is a very worthy second place, meaning both serially ambitious photographers and casual snappers have powerful tools to tempt them away from standalone software.

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Apple : Apple rumor roundup: June MacBook Pros, iOS 6 Maps, new iPhone parts

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• Apple rumor roundup: June MacBook Pros, iOS 6 Maps, new iPhone parts
• Apple's WWDC 2012 keynote confirmed for June 11
• Updated: iPhone 5 release date, news and rumours

Apple rumor roundup: June MacBook Pros, iOS 6 Maps, new iPhone parts Posted: What's better than a juicy new Apple rumor? Well, how about a trio of them? If you're in the market for a new MacBook Pro or just curious about the iPhone 5 and what iOS 6 might bring, we've assembled some of the latest hubbub. There's already been quite a number of predictions about a new MacBook Pro with updated Ivy Bridge processors, Retina Display and possibly USB 3.0, but the latest report pins a date on its arrival: June. The bold prediction comes by way of RBC Capital, who issued a note to investors claiming that new MacBook Pros would arrive soon after WWDC 2012, which kicks off in San Francisco on June 11. Countdown to iOS 6, new iPhone 5 As if that's not enough, iOS 6 is widely expected to be previewed at the same developers conference next month. It's likely to arrive with a completely new built-in Maps app, which kicks Google to the curb in favor of Apple's own. Leaked photos promise 3D maps with a completely redesigned interface, a new navigation bar and even a fresh new look, replacing the standard iOS blue with a new silver color. Last but not least, there's the next iPhone expected to be released this fall when iOS 6 actually hits the street. A new report reveals what the sixth-generation handset could look like. Based on images of a new back plate, we may see a smaller dock connector, and it could come in additional colors aside from black or white. The new design also relocates the 3.5mm headphone jack to the bottom of the device, and yes, it appears to be taller than the current iPhone, in keeping with recent rumors that the next version will introduce a larger screen.

Apple's WWDC 2012 keynote confirmed for June 11 Posted: All's been quiet on the WWDC 2012 front since Apple announced the week it would take place, but now we know exactly when that all-important keynote will take place. It's in the diary for June 11 according to the official event app released by Apple today. And at what o'clock should you down tools and train your eyes on TechRadar for all the latest Apple-flavoured news? The keynote kicks off at 10am Pacific time (6pm UK time). Appletiser We're expecting Apple to make several announcements at the sold-out developers' show, including the first unveiling of iOS 6.0 as well as some OS X Mountain Lion updates. There's also a chance that Apple will bust out some new MacBooks at the keynote, although WWDC is a developer conference so it's likely to be more software-focused. Rest assured TechRadar will be on hand bringing you all the news as it's announced – and you can join us on Twitter for the blow-by-blow updates.

Updated: iPhone 5 release date, news and rumours Posted: iPhone 5 news and rumours Although widely expected, there was no iPhone 5 in 2011 after all, though the company did announce the iPhone 4S. So we'll surely see a total revision of the iPhone during 2012. We've gathered together all the latest iPhone 5 rumours to give us a reasonable picture of what Apple's latest handset might be like. brightcove : 1212352584001 iPhone 5 release date Given the pattern of Apple's iPhone launches, we're expecting the next-gen iPhone 5 release date to be mid to late 2012. It could possibly be shown off at Apple's Worldwide Developer Event (WWDC 2012), which usually takes place in early June - even if the focus of the 2011 event was software. We are expecting iOS 6 and more on OS X Mountain Lion this time around so it could be that hardware is further down the list again. Apple WWDC 2012: what to expect We reported in February that the new iPhone would be launched in October, falling into line with the same release schedule from last year, and Macotakara 'sources' confirmed the Cupertino brand would be honouring the same upgrade cycle from now on. According to analyst Shaw Wu, the Cupertino firm has reduced the number of iPhone orders by 20%-25% for the next quarter ahead of the release. But rumours have persisted that the iPhone 5 release date is June 2012. It seems Foxconn was even gearing up for that date. Production was reported to be very close in late March 2012. iPhone 5 form factor Unlike the iPhone 4S, the new iPhone will be a completely new design from what has gone before, so that means an entirely new casing as we saw with the iPhone 3G and, later, the iPhone 4. Interestingly, someone who claimed to have seen a larger iPhone 5 prototype said in November 2011 that Steve Jobs canned the new size and opted for the iPhone 4S. According to Business Insider, it was feared that a new size would create a two-tier iPhone ecosystem. Beatweek also claimed in November 2011 that the 5-inch was scrapped "because Apple wouldn't be able to do it properly" this year. However, the Daily Mail (make of that what you will) then suggested that a four-inch version was likely and that Sony has already shipped top secret demo screens to Apple. The Taipei Times reported at the end of May 2012 that Stone Wu, senior analyst at IHS Displaybank, reckons Sony began production of in-cell touch panels back in February, as it readied stock for the next generation of iPhone. iPhone 5 specs Based on the roadmap of mobile chip design specialist ARM (of which Apple is a licensee), we'll see a quad-core processor debut in the new iPhone 5 - probably called the Apple A6. We've seen other quad core handsets debut in 2012, so it's not too much of a stretch to say that the iPhone 5 will be the same. We had expected some kind of help in terms of predicting the iPhone 5 CPU from the launch of the new iPad, but the announcement of a slightly tweaked A5X processor really didn't help things there. In terms of other specs aside from the screen (more on that below), rumours are persisting that the iPhone 5 may have a new dock connector. Well, it had to happen sometime didn't it? iPhone 5 will have 4G/LTE support After the new iPad's launch brought 4G to an Apple device, it's widely expected that 4G will come to iPhone 5. And with many 4G handsets already announced in the US, it can't be long before the iPhone supports 4G technologies - even if we won't even have a UK spectrum auction until late this year or maybe early next. Because of the 4G fuss over the new iPad in the UK, we'd expect this to be played down in any UK handset - or the UK might get a different version entirely of course. 4G mobile broadband and LTE explained Steve Jobs' iPhone 5 legacy Many sites have reported that Steve Jobs was working hard on the iPhone 5 project, which will apparently be a "radical redesign". We shall see... but the fact the iPhone 4S was so similar to the iPhone 4 suggests that Steve was working on something pretty special before brightcove : 1161523880001 The Wall Street Journal has previously reported that: "Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers." This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'. iPhone 5 screen Various sources claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger, 4-inch screen. Digitimes quotes the source as saying that Apple is expanding the screen size "to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market." On 23 May 2011, we reported on rumours that the iPhone 5 could feature a curved glass screen. These rumours also came from Digitimes, which said that Apple has purchased between 200 and 300 special glass cutting machines because they're too costly for the manufacturers to invest in. In March 2012, new reports suggested that the new iPhone 5 would come sporting a larger 4.6-inch retina display, while April rumours even suggested the next iPhone will use new touch technology and will be encased in something called "liquidmetal." During May, The Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying the device will definitely sport a 4-inch display. iPhone 5 digital wallet - NFC There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card. However, with the tech being inside the Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy Nexus, as well as a host of other top smartphones, the time for NFC may finally be here. On 24 June 2011 it was reported that the Google Wallet mobile payment platform could feature on the new iPhone. Eric Schmidt admitted that Google is looking to port the software to other manufacturers. However, on 31 January 2012 9to5Mac claimed to have spoken with a well-connected developer who disclosed information received from Apple iOS engineers saying they are "heavily into NFC". The developer in question has not been named, but is working on a dedicated iOS app which includes NFC reading for mobile transactions. When questioned how confident he was on the information he had received his reply was "Enough to bet the app development on". On April 30 2012 an Apple patent filing reinforced the idea NFC in iPhone 5. iPhone 5 camera Sony makes the camera for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Speaking at a live Wall Street Journal event, Sony's Sir Howard Stringer was talking about the company's camera image sensor facility in Sendai, a town that was recently ravaged by the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami. According to 9to5Mac, he said something along the lines of, "Our best sensor technology is built in one of the [tsunami] affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn't that something? They buy our best sensors from us." Sources have also suggested the new iPhone could have an 8MP camera. Indeed, Sony announced in January 2012 that it had developed new back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensors which are smaller in size. iPhone 5 price If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag. It's pretty much nailed on that the new iPhone will cost around £500 for a 16GB / 32GB model (depending on the capacity Apple whacks in there) and unless the iPhone 5 comes with some truly next generation technology that pricing model should hold firm. iPhone 5 review TechRadar is renowned for its detailed phone reviews where we look at every aspect of a handset, and we'll be bringing you a full, in-depth iPhone 5 review when we get our hands on one. As for the name, well it looks like it will be called iPhone 5. Apple has certainly been trying to protect the name iPhone 5 - and has even launched a claim over the iPhone5.com domain name.

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Apple : Competition: WIN! An iPad 3 with Parallels Mobile app and Desktop 7

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Competition: WIN! An iPad 3 with Parallels Mobile app and Desktop 7 Posted: TechRadar has teamed up with Parallels to offer one lucky winner the chance to win an iPad 3, a copy of Parallels Desktop 7 and Parallels Mobile app. Parallels Desktop 7 lets you run Windows and Mac applications side by side on a Mac without rebooting. It is faster than ever with 90 new and enhanced features, including Mac OS X Lion integration and a Parallels Mobile app. New iPad support Used in conjunction with Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac, the Parallels Mobile app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch enables users to remotely access and run their Macs and all of the operating systems, applications and files they need right from their iOS mobile device. And now with support for Retina Display, new iPad users can do all this without sacrificing image quality. Parallels is the number one selling desktop virtualisation software in the world. Get a free trial at www.parallels.com/desktop. Click here to enter the competition.

Updated: 60 best free iPhone apps 2012 Posted: Best free iPhone apps 1 - 20 There are now hundreds of thousands of apps available for your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and, surprisingly, many of the best are free. The following list showcases our pick of the 60 best free iPhone apps, and includes iPhone applications for social networking, travel, news, photography, productivity and more. Most of these apps are also suitable for the iPod touch. If your top free iPhone apps aren't covered, tell us all about them in the comments. And don't forget to check out our iPhone 5 release date, news and rumours article for the latest on the next iPhone. You can also take a look through the top 10 free iPhone apps with our nifty video. brightcove : 968441173001 1. Facebook The world's biggest social network brings a tightly honed experience to the iPhone and iPod touch, but nonetheless still enables you to access your contacts, feeds and other important information. This sense of focus makes it in many ways superior to using Facebook in a desktop browser. 20 Facebook privacy settings tips 2. PhotoSynth We did a bit of a double-take on seeing Microsoft's name attached to this, not least given the lack of a price-tag. But PhotoSynth is a really great panorama app; it's user-friendly and fun to use, especially when watching your panoramas take shape while you capture them. 3. RunKeeper The prospect of Nike+ but better and for free might sound unlikely, but that's what RunKeeper provides. Previously split into 'pro' and 'free' versions, the developer now generously includes all the features in one free app. That means you can spend no money, yet use your iPhone's GPS capabilities to track your jogging and cycling routes, and examine mapping and details of your pace and calories burned. Activities can be shared online, and treadmill runs and other exercise details can be entered manually. If you like this then make sure you read 10 best iPhone and iPad apps for keeping fit and 5 sports headphones for iPhone and iPod touch. 4. Pulse RSS has a reputation for being a rather dry technology, feeding you dull lists of headlines. Pulse flips RSS on its head, providing streams of feeds that grab your eye with photographs. It's perhaps not for the hardcore RSS crowd, but if you follow a small number of feeds, it's a great choice. 5. Dropbox Plenty of apps exist for transferring content between your computer and your device, but Dropbox is free and easier to use than most of its contemporaries. Dump files you want to sync in a folder on your computer and Dropbox for your device will enable you to access them, download them for offline viewing, and, in many cases, view them. Love Dropbox? Then check out our article Essential tips for every Dropbox user. 6. thetrainline For anyone commuting by train, thetrainline is the free app to beat all others. Journey planning, offline results, timetables and a location-aware 'next train home' option are available via a clean, streamlined interface. The app's not quite as good as UK Train Times, but it is very similar - and five quid cheaper. 7. Skype FaceTime is a great alternative to standard voice calls, but it's no good if you're trying to contact someone without a Mac or compatible iOS device. Therefore, Skype remains an essential download. The interface is simple and usable, enabling anyone with a Skype account to make free calls to other Skype users and cheap calls to anywhere in the world. If you're on Pay and Go, this is particularly handy, but the app also enables iPod touch users to utilise their devices for calls. 10 handy Skype tips and tricks 8. Movies by Flixter Although some aspects of cinema listings app Movies by Flixter are disappointingly US-centric (notably regarding details on upcoming movies and DVDs), it succeeds where it matters. Select a film and the app figures out where you're located, lists nearby cinemas, and displays times your chosen film is showing. Efficiency can be further increased by pinning favourite cinemas to the top of the list. 9. TonePad Virtual pianos and guitars are all very well, but purely digital musical toys are more suited to Apple handhelds. TonePad is the best of them, using a grid-based interface that enables you to turn notes on and off and compose pleasing and harmonious loops; your creations can be edited, saved and uploaded to share with other users. 10. Thomson Reuters News Pro There are many free news apps, but Reuters News Pro offers a breadth of coverage that makes it a winner. Preferences enable you to tailor the app's output to the UK, and the toolbar provides swift access to news, pictures, videos and stock markets coverage. 11. Twitter The official Twitter app might lack some of the features found in the likes of Tweetbot, but it does provide a sleek and simple means of using the service. It also directly mirrors (for better or worse) the latest navigational scheme on the Twitter website. Check out 10 best iPhone and iPad Twitter apps for alternative Twitter apps we recommend. 12. Comics In all honesty, Comics is a little awkward compared to using it on an iPad, but you won't find a better comics experience on an iPhone. The app is free, as are dozens of downloadable comics - and once you run out of those, many more are available to buy. Reading works on a frame-by-frame automated 'zoom' basis, and is surprisingly usable. 13. Wikipanion The Wikipedia website works fine on iPhones, but a dedicated app is a better bet. Wikipanion is a freebie which gives you quick access to article sections, in-article search, viewing options, bookmarking, and the ability to tweet about whatever odd fact you've just unearthed. Also, wonderfully, there are no ads. 14. Evernote Clients to access the popular Evernote service for storing notes and ideas online are available for so many platforms that we half expect a ZX Spectrum app to be announced tomorrow. On the iPhone, Evernote is efficient and usable, enabling you to rapidly scan your notes and also create new ones. 15. Kindle With iBooks on the iPhone, you might wonder why you should bother with Amazon's Kindle. After all, the app's not as pretty as iBooks, nor is there an integrated store (you buy in Safari and sync purchases to the app). However, Kindle offers a massive selection of books compared to Apple's app and the reading experience is great. 16. Around Me Around Me figures out where you are and lists local stuff - banks, bars, petrol stations and, er, Apple Retail Stores. The app's reliance on Google Maps info means there are gaps, but it's nonetheless handy to have installed when in unfamiliar surroundings, and the 'augmented reality' landscape mode is amusing, if flaky. 17. Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus A million definitions and 90,000 synonyms are available in the palm of your hand with this free, offline dictionary and thesaurus. The app is fast and efficient, includes phonetic and audio pronunciation of words, and its interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone. 18. Air Video Free Air Video Free can stream (and convert as necessary) video from any computer running the free Air Video Server. You only get access to a small number of items per folder or playlist, but some careful planning can get around that limitation. 19. Adobe Photoshop Express If you're looking for Photoshop-style power, Photoshop Express won't impress. However, if you're after a quick, free, highly usable tool for making edits to your iPhone photos, Adobe's app is ideal. Use it for cropping, straightening, exposure adjustments, colour effects, sharpening and more. For more cool iPhone image editors, check out 10 best iPhone and iPad photo editing apps. 20. iHandy Level Free One of the tools from the excellent iHandy Carpenter toolkit app, iHandy Level Free turns your iPhone into a spirit level. By default, it'll show just how wonky your device's accelerometer is, but tap the calibrate button and you get an accurate and great-looking level. Best free iPhone apps 21 - 40 Before reading on, why not check out TechRadar's top 10 ebook reader apps for iPhone: brightcove : 971998869001 21. Read It Later Free Read It Later is an astonishingly handy service that enables you to save pages from the web, to read them later, typically bereft of advertising and other junk. The service is free, as is this app, which downloads stored articles for you to read offline. 22. PCalc Lite "But I've already got a calculator on my device," you might argue. True, but we'd recommend stashing the default Apple app in a folder and replacing it with PCalc Lite. The reason: this is without doubt the finest free calculator for iOS, with a great interface and plenty of options. You can also bolt-on features from the paid version via in-app purchases. 23. iBooks Effectively iTunes for books, the app combines a reader and store, in Apple's typically usable and integrated fashion. Usefully, iBooks includes PDF support and bookmarks automatically sync across devices. 24. Red Laser The Red Laser bar-code scanner is pretty accurate, even if you're still saddled with an iPhone 3G. It's great for checking prices while shopping, and also enables you to get your media collections into Delicious Library if you make use of AppleScript. 25. eBay Mobile On using eBay Mobile, there's a good chance you won't go near the eBay website again. The app is fast, has great saved searches (which flag new finds), and enables you to create listings. The last of those things is also improved by the built-in bar-code scanning. Before reading on, why not check out our demos of the best photography apps for taking pictures and editing them on your iPhone: brightcove : 1107468154001 26. Tube Map At its most basic, Tube Map is a London Tube map on your device, for free. In landscape, even the ads get out of your way, which is rather nice. And if you've a web connection, the app also provides live board info, a station finder and a route calculator. 27. Google Earth "Hold the world in the palm of your hand," says Google about Google Earth, which enables you to fly across the planet by swiping your finger. More integration with content and features from Maps would be good, but Google Earth's Wikipedia articles and a Panoramio layer at least ensure it's a great app for seeing the world from your living room. 28. XE Currency XE Currency is a fine example of an app that does what it needs to, without fuss. You configure a list of currencies, and it shows current conversion rates. Double-tap a currency to set its base rate or to define values for custom conversions. 29. Shazam Shazam is an app that feels like magic when you first use it. It's deceptively simple—hold your iPhone near to a music source, and wait while the app listens and tells you what track is playing. But the sheer technology behind this simplicity is mind-boggling, and while Shazam doesn't always guess right, it's worth a download. 30. Bump Another contender for the 'surely, that's witchcraft?' award, Bump enables you to select up to four contacts, then 'bump' your device into another iOS device running Bump to transfer details, or to compare contacts. And, yeah, we know there's an email-based 'share contact' option in Contacts, but where's the fun in that? 31. Yell.com As you might expect, Yell.com enables you to find local stuff. Select from a bunch of built-in categories or type in your own term for a list of local amenities, and use the map to navigate. Avoid the clunky augmented reality view, though. 32. BBC News BBC News has a mobile website that works very nicely in Safari. However, the BBC News app is designed to give you quick access to breaking stories, complete with playable videos and zoomable text. The navigation's a tad on the quirky side though. 33. Find My iPhone For the paranoid souls out there (or the unlucky ones who've had their devices pilfered), Find My iPhone is a must-have download. Assuming you've a 2010 or later iOS device, you can set up a free account and locate your devices within seconds. (Note that older devices can also be added to Find My iPhone - you just need a recent one to get things going.) 34. Dragon Dictation Fed up of typing on the tiny iPhone keyboard? Use Dragon Dictation instead, which happily converts your speech into text (with slightly spooky levels of accuracy for a freebie app). You can even punctuate ("Comma! Full-stop!"), and when you're done the app enables you to fire your thoughts at Facebook, Twitter, Mail or the iOS clipboard. 35. iHandy Torch Free It's a torch! It's a cheesy neon light! It's a hypnotic spiral effect! With slightly annoying ads! (In reality, iHandy Torch Free is a mostly a handy app to have installed in case you get up for a midnight snack or toilet visit, don't turn on the light and want to avoid smashing your toe annoyingly hard into an unruly cupboard.) 36. TVGuide.co.uk TV Guide TV Guide is an app that's come a long way. At one time, this was a disappointing UK TV listings app. Today, it boasts now-and-next and scrollable listings views, reminders, and calendar, Twitter and Facebook integration. Only avoid if you hate TV or don't live in the UK. 37. Zoopla Property Search There are loads of property search apps on the App Store, but Zoopla is the best of them. Its listings are comprehensive and there's also local market data, including local sale prices and estimates on market value. The location button is a bit rubbish, but the app soon finds properties when you manually type a location. 38. IM+ If you're an instant messaging fiend, IM+ gives you access to GTalk, Yahoo, MSN/Live Messenger, AIM/iChat, ICQ, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and Jabber. With multitasking and push notifications in iOS 4, IM+ has been transformed from a curiosity into a must-have freebie app. 39. Atomic Web Browser Lite The lite version of Atomic is missing quite a few features that are found in its paid-for version, including even basic multitasking support and content resumption on reopening the app. However, for times where you need a single-session browser that automatically dumps everything on exit, such as when buying gifts, this is a handy app to have installed. 40. Virtuoso Piano Free 3 Virtuoso Piano Free 3 won't turn you into a virtuoso, but it's a perfectly serviceable mini piano. You can amend the number of keys shown on screen, and buttons enable you to rapidly navigate the full keyboard. You get two built-in voices for playback, to which you can add variable levels of sustain. You might also like: Best alternatives to the default iPhone apps Best free iPhone apps 41 - 60 41. TuneIn Radio Don't bother buying a DAB radio - just install TuneIn Radio instead and plug your device into a set of speakers. TuneIn Radio has a great interface for accessing over 50,000 digital stations; it also has AirPlay support, and you can use it as an alarm clock. 42. 4oD Catch Up Technically, more like '4oD Catch Up With A Specific Chunk of Channel 4's TV Shows Only' (archives are minimal in the iPhone version); also 4oD Catch Up lacks subtitles and AirPlay support. But it's free, unlimited, and gives you a month to catch up with Channel 4's programming on your device. 43. Jamie's Recipes More a gateway drug for the tasty treats of Jamie Oliver, this IAP-infused app nonetheless flings ten freebie recipes your way and a few videos. The interface in Jamie's Recipes is lickable, and there's a handy shopping-list feature, for those of you who don't fancy arriving back home after fighting the crowds in the supermarket, only to find you accidentally picked up 500 lemons and forgot the chicken. 44. Instagram Take a photo, smash a filter into it, and upload it. Instagram's service is now used by millions of people to share nuggets of visual loveliness, and the app itself is a pleasure to use, and also to browse during moments when you're not feeling quite so inspired. 45. Google Translate Assuming you're online, Google Translate is a great app for translating text between 64 different languages; handily, 17 of the most popular also enable you to speak into your device and listen to translations. It's also considerably cheaper and more portable than 63 translation staff. 46. iMotion HD We say a big PFFT! at CGI. Real animators use stop-motion, until they inevitably go crazy at only being able to craft about three seconds of footage per week. iMotion HD enables you to create such painstaking animations with your device. The sting in the tail: a £1.49 IAP for export, but if you don't care about that, you can play your creations on your device to your heart's content. There's also the free iMotion Remote to use as a remote controller over Wi-Fi for iMotion HD, to avoid you accidentally moving your 'camera'. 47. TED TED is brain food. The app provides access to talks by insanely clever people, opening your mind to new and radical ideas. You can also save your favourite talks locally, for even easier access, or ask the app to inspire you, based on your mood and available time. 48. Remote The remote for Apple TV is a bit of a joke when you need to do anything more than play or pause. Remote is a free app which provides much better control and the ability to stop yourself going mad when typing things into search fields. It'll also happily use Home Sharing to pull content from computers on your network to your device, or fire said content at your Apple TV using AirPlay. 49. Skyscanner Skyscanner's a great website, which enables you to punch in airports and find out the cheapest way of getting from A to B. The Skyscanner app is the same, but it's on your device and with a spiffy AI. Well worth a download, even if only to check flights for an upcoming holiday. 50. Apple Store Apple fans with a lack of self-control should steer clear of the Apple Store app, which enables you to buy shiny Apple products directly from your device, and also to locate your nearest shrine of tech loveliness (aka Apple Store). 51. BBC iPlayer Listen to live radio, watch live TV and browse featured and recent BBC shows in the BBC iPlayer app. There's a favourites section to get easier access to your top shows, and AirPlay support for firing footage at your Apple TV. (This uses the system AirPlay functionality - start playing a show, double-click the Home button, swipe right twice, then choose 'Apple TV' from the AirPlay button.) 52. Netflix Brits might rightly grumble that the Netflix selection leaves a little to be desired, but it's still a very affordable way to get a ton of TV in front of your eyes. The app works much like you'd expect: browse, watch, realise it's three in the morning - again. 53. Camera Awesome Sounding a bit like a rubbish superhero, Camera Awesome is in fact a tool for powering up your device's camera. You get some useful adjustment and composition options, and a load of varied filters are available via IAP. 54. Amazon Mobile A great app for anyone regularly suckered by ads but also afflicted with impatience, Amazon Mobile enables you to browse and buy from the mammoth online store with ease. You can also sneakily scan bar-codes in brick-and-mortar stores to see how much cheaper the attached goods would be online. 55. TVCatchup In all honesty, we're a little surprised TVCatchup still exists, but here it is, in app form. It's not so much TV 'catch-up' as TV 'watch what's on right now', but that's good in itself with support for over 50 channels and AirPlay. 56. SoundCloud SoundCloud is becoming one of those indispensable online services, storing a huge range of songs and audio clips. Although this app is suitable for browsing and playing, you can also use it to record and upload your own sounds. 57. Flipboard It would be a hard ask to expect the Flipboard experience on the iPhone and iPod touch to match that of the iPad version, but it nonetheless has a good go, transforming your favourite feeds and news sources into a tiny, beautiful digital magazine. 58. Wunderlist The App Store has so many to-do apps that it's in severe danger of tipping over, due to the sheer weight of digital checkboxes, but Wunderlist is one of the very few that really stands out. The interface is very usable, and the app's ability to seamlessly sync across devices and platforms makes it a great download. 59. Wikihood This location-aware sort-of Wikipedia client figures out where you are and fires local knowledge at you. Naturally, Wikihood can be a little scattergun in terms of information, but it's handy for when you're in an unfamiliar place and have a few hours to kill. There are also offline packs available via IAP for regular users. 60. AirPort Utility Apple's increasingly freeing its iOS devices from any reliance on a Mac or PC, and this utility continues the trend. If you've some shiny white wireless kit at home with an Apple logo, use AirPort Utility to see what your network looks like, muck about with settings, and troubleshoot. For more great free iPhone apps, check out 50 best free iPhone games on the planet

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