Nothing funny about feldspar

It’s been a few weeks since I reported what iPod Touch applications I’ve been toying with, so here we go with another (gratuitous) listing of what’s on my iPod. Unlike the previous posts, I’m only going to say what’s on it now not what I’ve tried out. The list would be Way Too Long.

• Remote — Still my favorite all around app.
• WeatherBug — Handy to have.
• Bloomberg — It’s a bit slow, but I’ve found it useful in the recent weeks of market turmoil.
• AirSharing — A great way to use the iPod Touch for emergency sneaker net. I’ve put a web archive of our (HTMLified) DVD list so that I can always know what we’ve got without needing a wifi connection, which is useful at the Friends of the Library sale.
• FiatLux — Great for those insomniac nights, so I can walk through the house without turning all the lights on.
• MachDice — I don’t play D&D (or its ilk) but I really like the dice. This app does a respectable job of replicating a well-stocked dice bag.
• reMovem free — A simple little “I don’t want to think much” game.
• Trace — This is a very recent game. It’s using stick figures and cartoony drawings, and the idea is a basic “get your guy from here to there.” However, you get to make up the path the guy takes (accounting for any obstacles, etc.). It’s quite fun learning if the guy’s going to make it up the hill I’ve drawn, and while there’s some sort of timer, it’s not the main part of the game.
• Solebon — Something like 30 solitaire card games. I waste the most time with this app, but I do wish I could replay hands without using the undo button all the way to the beginning. I also wish there was some sort of “no more moves” indicator so I don’t search for the unfindable.
• Urbanspoon — This local restaurant randomizer isn’t bad on the iPod Touch, but it’s not nearly as nice as it is on the iPhone (with its real-time location finder). We’ve used it, but often we say “not that! Try again.”
• Rolo — I play this every so often; it’s on still because I bought it.
• Galcon — Here only because Plagioclase insisted. He loves the game.
• Everest — A “hidden picture” game. You remember those from your childhood, don’t you? “Find the wolves hiding in this picture of the desert.” This is like that, wrapped up in some sort of archaeological storyline (or maybe it’s anthropological, it doesn’t really matter). It’s reasonably interesting if you like detail work. The pictures are pretty darn good, and each “level” gives you different targets even in pictures you’ve already done once. However, I’m not sure that I could keep playing this after I’ve gone through it completely. We’ll see.
• TiltMeter Pro — totally random cheap (99¢) app. It uses the accelerometers to act as a leveling device (vertical and horizontal). Since I no longer have access to decent metrology equipment, I’ve got crap calibration, but it’s fun to play with every so often.
• Google Earth — Slow, but fun for a while. It works best when there’s an active internet connection, but it can work with saved data (whatever you were looking at last). And when you tilt the iPod Touch, the world tilts! I probably won’t keep this on for long, unless I’m planning a trip somewhere. I know pretty much where everything is I’m needing to go around here.
• JellyCar — A soft physics game. Everything is squishy and slow-bouncing. I’m not particularly good at making the car go, so I don’t play it often.
• iBowl — In theory, you’re supposed to make movements like you’re really bowling (ala Wii). I have been so far unsuccessful in getting that to work properly. I’d rather go bowling for real.

And that’s it, other than the apps that come with the iPod Touch and a few bookmarks I’ve got saved (Plurk, Twitter and Google News). I’m listening to tons more music than I used to, and I’ve even tried watching a movie! (Thanks to HandBrake) I don’t see me watching many movies — they take up a lot of space, and my elbows get sore holding it up

Plagioclase would like me to install the Brian Eno app “Bloom.” However, since I don’t usually wear headphones, I would simply be playing with silent ambient music. Now that’s a concept!