FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
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1. Indispensible Apps
Fri, 1st Apr 2011
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Flickr Windows Phone 7 (FREE) You may know Flickr as the website that lets users upload and share photos online to be enjoyed by its vast community. Now there's an official Flickr app for Windows Phone 7. The app offers many of the same features as the website including Browsing Pictures, Uploading Photos directly from the phone via the built-in uploader, Zoom In/Out and the option to share photos through email, Facebook or Twitter. You can swipe through panoramic blades to see all your recent activity as well as latest uploads from your contacts and all your newest uploads. The app is fully optimised for WP7's hi-resolution display and tapping on a photo brings up a full-screen lightbox. You can also access photos in their original resolution on your mobile device. The official Flickr app is available now through the Zune Marketplace on Windows Phone or it can be downloaded on the Flickr website. DataMan iPhone ($1.29) If you find it hard keeping tabs on how much data you chew through on your smartphone in a day, week or month, then you should check out DataMan. This app has been designed with one thing in mind' to help you monitor your data usage in real time to put an end to any nasty over charges. This app is especially useful for those on small or limited data plans. The latest version of DataMan (3.0) can track data use every 10 minutes, which could be a godsend should you ever need to verify your carrier's records. It monitors your cellular and wi-fi data usage in the background, keeping a log of your usage. You can set the time periods so the app can track in real time what you've used, right up to the end of your current billing period. It also geotags your data activities, allowing you to see what you used and where. Windows Phone 7 Connector Windows 7 Phone (FREE) This app is designed to sync-up all your favourite media files from your Mac to your Windows Phone 7 (or even Zune HD if you have one, but you probably don't). You can also sync photos and videos you captured on your phone with your Mac, and when needed, update your Windows Phone 7 software. The Windows Phone 7 Connector allows you to sync music, movies, TV Shows and podcasts, from your existing iTunes library to your device. You can retrieve photos and videos, taken on your Windows Phone and automatically import them into your existing iPhoto library. The only real requirements for the app (aside from a Windows Phone 7 device) is that your Mac is running Mac OS 10.6.6 or higher. Orcon Broadband Usage App iPhone (FREE) Android (coming soon) Orcon has released a free iPhone app (don't worry, there's also an Android version in development) that lets Orcon customers (business and residential) track their usage. "With it you'll be able to check how your data use is tracking and avoid data cap blowouts,” says Orcon. "Just download the app, login with your username and password (Hint: your username will be in the top corner of your monthly bill), and you are away.” The application's login is set for Orcon residential accounts by default. Business and commercial customers can change to the correct unit by accessing the iPhone app settings. Updates and improvements to the app will also be rolled out in the coming months and the company is asking for any suggestions on how it could be improved.