iPhone Woodworking Apps

[Mark Roderick]

Just got an iPhone and it's the most incredible electronic device I've ever seen. The interface and email and so forth are fantastic, but what really distinguishes the iPhone are the incredible applications people have developed, everything from GPS-based subway directions to an application that identifies music on the radio to a bird-watching app where you can hear the bird's song (I'm not a bird-watcher, but one of my partners is and showed it to me).

Which is the point of this thread. The applications available for the iPhone are so amazingly cool and productive, I'm wondering, has anyone found any great woodworking apps? I've found just a couple, one for calculating board feet quickly and another for estimating, but are there others?

I can't think of what a great woodworking app would do or look like, but that's the point with the iPhone apps - I am constantly amazed at the great ideas other people come up with.

[jason lambert]

No apps but some of the wood working pod casts are really good. Check out the wood wisperer

[Mike Heidrick]

The best iphone app for woodworking would be the one that turns it off and lets you get in the shop faster.

[Glenn Clabo]

There are a few like Icarpenter...but the best app is Pandora. It gives you the ability to create personal radio stations that reflect a particular type of music by plugging in your favorite artist. www.pandora.com (http://www.pandora.com)


And YES Mike...and you can use it in your shop.
I have the Bose Ipod SoundDock Portable for when I'm doing stuff quietly...or the sound damping earplugs when machinery is in use.

[John Schreiber]

There's a level application, http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/09/five-iphone-app/ (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/09/five-iphone-app/)that link also has a hammer application, but it's not optimal.

[Philip Rodriquez]

Sirius Satellite Radio aplication. I love it :D

[Jeff Wright]

Let's see . . . woodworking iPhone aps . . . O yes! Try LoseIt! It's the neatest (free) ap that helps you lose weight. How does this relate to woodworking? I can now get my Kelly Mehler woodworking apron on and over my once bulging belly! And, I can bend over and reach the floor to pick up dropped dominoes.

Wish List Aps:

1] iPhone Optimizer for laying out pieces from 4x8 ply panels.

2] an iPhone version of the program I have for calculating the sizes of five-piece panel door parts.

3] calculator for adding/subtracting fractional sizes.

[Kris Koenig]

Let's see . . . woodworking iPhone aps . . . O yes! Try LoseIt! It's the neatest (free) ap that helps you lose weight. How does this relate to woodworking? I can now get my Kelly Mehler woodworking apron on and over my once bulging belly! And, I can bend over and reach the floor to pick up dropped dominoes.

Wish List Aps:

1] iPhone Optimizer for laying out pieces from 4x8 ply panels.

2] an iPhone version of the program I have for calculating the sizes of five-piece panel door parts.

3] calculator for adding/subtracting fractional sizes.

For 3] http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=316961758&mt=8

Not necessarily an endorsement as I haven't tried it yet. But, there's an app for that.

:D

Kris

[Jeff Wright]

Thanks Kris. I'll give that fractional conversion ap a try.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Anybody tried the Blackberry 8900? I'd think you could put Cutlist on one of the Windows phones. No iphone service out here, so having never tried an iphone, how would you guys that have tried both compare them? I know that the apps that have been mentioned are also available for the Blackberry.

[Mike Heidrick]

Forgot about Mp3 portion. I think we need the ITape.

[Chip Lindley]

IMO far too many of today's generation function at a level around 50% less than previous generations, due largely to that cellphone implanted in one hand! Tantamount to being an amputee or at least having one hand tied behind their back.

Also, IMO one little box cannot do it all as well as several small boxes! I still use the old wireless Dell laptop for email, SMC (of course!) and other woodworking apps. I authored my own program in Microsoft Excel to calculate cabinet carcasses, faceframes, drawers, and raised panel doors. It prints everything except shop drawings. I'm not that *swuft*! But, I know those in my head by heart!

I carry a ProjectCalc Plus in the left bib of my overalls that does any offhand shop calculation needed. My archaic Razr phone is in the right bib pocket--for making and receiving Phone Calls! My 60 Gig iPod (41 Gig of mp3s) can be slipped into the cradle of a FM broadcaster. My Music emminates wirelessly, from either ear protector/headphones, or the old Sony boombox!

I listen to My Music all I want, hands-free!

[Mark Roderick]

No comparison. I switched from Blackberry to iPhone and it's night and day.

The iPhone, or devices that mimic the iPhone's capabilities, are the future. We're in the post-personal computer world.

Example. You know those "frequent shopper" tags you get at lots of stores, with a little bar code that gives you discounts? There's an app for the iPhone that allows you to download those bar codes, meaning you don't have to carry around or fuss with the tags.

I imagine there will soon be an app to replace your plastic credit card, your driver's license, your car registration.

I bought a Hewlett Packard 12C financial calculator for $15 on the iPhone that replaces my actual HP 12C, which cost a lot more. There's a new $69 application that replaces my $350 car GPS system.

I'm a history buff, and my iPhone now contains hundreds of the most important documents in American history, from the Magna Carta to Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech to every inaugural address of every President.

To check the weather forecast or last night's Philly's game, I use my iPhone even when I'm sitting here in front of my computer because it's faster and easier.

My wife and I went to New York City on Sunday via public transportation and we didn't even have to take directions because everything's available on the iPhone, and the iPhone knows where you are.

I can find the cheapest gas station in my area at any time, constantly updated by other users buying gas.

Many of the apps are absolutely genius. And more flood into the market every week!

That's why I asked about woodworking applications. Wood identification? Ideal angles for planing different wood species? Downloadable plans for jigs? I'm eager for the geniuses out there to surprise us all.

[Craig Coney]

I'd like to see the i-board stretcher application

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Mark, I've been through a couple generations of Blackberries now, and the new Curve, not the 8300, is way better then the old one. That big screen on the iphone looks good.

That aside though, I actually found apps on the Blackberry Appworld to do most of the things that you described. Pretty clever stuff out there! I would like to see a cutlist app though.

[Mark Roderick]

I downloaded the Pandora app last night. It's terrific.

[Matt Haus]

there is a level application, but I am protective of my iphone and wouldn't touch it when I am using things in my shop. just too dusty.

try mobileme. you can sychinize all your outlook calandars and contacts on any PC with your iphone. Any changes on one calandar is reflected on all devices. You can also find your iphone by GPS when you loose it and send it a message for a person to return it or erase all your data on the phone so noone can access it. There is a 60 day free trial. I've tried the lost function, it's cool. I might just slip my iphone into my wife's purse to see what store she is shopping at. Hopefully Lowe's or Home depot:D

[Ben Hatcher]

There are some great bar code reading aps out there that allow you to take a picture of or type in the upc and find online prices and reviews. The one I've used is pic2shop. It seems to work pretty well.

As for internet radio, give Stitcher a try. Unlike Pandora, Stitcher allows you to pick news and talk radio in addition to music. I can even get some of my favorite NPR programs.

[Dave Sharpe]

how 'bout a built-in plane blade so you can use the iphone to check grain and figure at the lumberyard........

[jason lambert]

I have the crackberry works supplies me one. I have a personal i phone. I-phone wins for over all convience and the amount you can do with it fast. Blackberry wins for busness basically because of the keyboard and the push (instant) email. Apple can't get this right!

Blackberry:
Better faster email by far

Iphone 3gs:
More apps
Better Camera, real autofocus, enough resulation and focus to read bar codes (this is the only phone to date that can do it)
Better intragration with bluetooth, wifi and it's envirnment, Thinner
GPS is awesome, real compass, etc.

Pandora is great I have a doc for my iphone in the shop and that is what I listen to.

[Eric DeSilva]

Jason-

It may be dependent upon where you are in terms of coverage strength a what your email server interface is. I use my iPhone to get emails off a work exchange server as well as a mail server for my domain hosted over at enom. Mostly I'm in the 3G coverage area and I've never had a problem with delayed email.

As far as the keyboard goes, I can type as fast on my iPhone as I ever managed on a blackberry or Q. That is not blazing fast, mind you. But, their algorithms work pretty well--even better now that I can go landscape.

[Eric DeSilva]

You know those "frequent shopper" tags you get at lots of stores, with a little bar code that gives you discounts? There's an app for the iPhone that allows you to download those bar codes, meaning you don't have to carry around or fuss with the tags.

I wouldn't count on it. I had a confirmation email from a conference w/a scannable bar code and I thought it would be great to hold the iPhone up to the scanner--didn't work. I've heard others have had issues with discount cards as well. I can't vouch for that, considering I find my existing solution (just giving them my phone number) a lot easier.

[Mike Sandman]

Kris Koenig's post (above) with the link to FracCalc -- Thanks, Kris.

it's a free app, and it works reasonably well. Just be aware that to enter 3/4, you press 3, then the OVER key, and the 4.

If you add a string of fractions you get a fraction as the answer even if the value is greater than 1. So 3/4+3/4=3/2. That's correct, but it's not as useful as it wuld be if it read "1-1/2". My $10 fractional calculator reads 1-1/2, but then I paid ten bucks for it.

[Carlos Alden]

another very cool app for the iPhone is a wind gauge for sailors. You hold the thing up and the microphone determines the wind speed by the sound.

http://goingapps.com/images/Wind_Meter.png

Carlos

[Wayne Watling]

This would be good for setting a saw blade angle, jointer fence etc.

[Craig Coney]

how 'bout a built-in plane blade so you can use the iphone to check grain and figure at the lumberyard........

With the optional moisture meter app

[Ryan Stagg]

With the optional moisture meter app

There already is one!

Phone stops working == Very moist.

:D

[Craig Coney]

There already is one!

Phone stops working == Very moist.

:D
How far do you have to shove the i-phone into the board before it registers a reading?:D

[Chip Lindley]

How about a *BS* app, for the *very naive* !!

[John Twesten IV]

Anyone try this app? I just downloaded it and it is a nice little resource.

http://wordtwiddle.com/apps/idwood/index.html

[John Loftis]

I just participated in a market research focus group last month. The company that sponsored the research remained anonymous, but they are actively developing a cell phone card/chip that will:

1) serve as cash (debit directly from your checking account)
2) serve as credit (tie in to your CC account)
3) tie in to all your frequent shopper accounts (e.g. grocery, barnes & noble, gas)
4) allow you to transfer funds person to person, cell phone to cell phone
5) allow for ticketless travel

etc.

The tech for this, apparently, is already in place. Purpose of focus group was to determine which features are most important to end-users and how much (if any) customers would be willing to pay for those services.

I'd guess it's coming soon...

[Glenn Clabo]

Cool..thanks!

[David DeCristoforo]

There is one in development right now called "iThink". It is intended to supplement the most important woodworking tool of all... I think....

[Keith Outten]

There's an app for the iPhone/iphone Touch that allows you to run a ShopBot CNC router. It sends wireless comands to your computer connected to the ShopBot.

[Brandon Shew]

here's one:

http://paratime.wordpress.com/

[Bill ThompsonNM]

For 3] http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=316961758&mt=8

Not necessarily an endorsement as I haven't tried it yet. But, there's an app for that.

:D

Kris

Try searching the AppStore for Inchcalc. It's a nice construction calculator with feet, inches and fractions calculations along with pitch, etc
It's not free but the pro version does everything an expensive
construction calculator does for $6 if I remember correctly.

This is sent from my Ipod touch - it's a poor location here for anything

[Bill ThompsonNM]

ID Wood $2.99 shows pictures and details of about 65 different woods. Handy for planning a project while riding the train...:)

[Wade Holloway]

There are lots of good apps out there for either the Iphone or a android phone. Most if not all apps are out in either format. I currently have a Iphone and I am not a real big fan of the phone, I do like my Ipad and my Itouch but not the phone to much. I am trading it in for the G4 that will be available next week. The only advance for the iphone that I have seen is how easy it will synch with your music and contacts but other than than the are better phones out now than the Iphone, IMHO. :)

[johnny means]

Prepare for the zombie apocalypse! The dead are rising:)!

[Jim Barstow]

woodworkercalc

It is a fractional calculator that tracks the error in calculations do to round of of fractions. This round off can screw
up repetitive layouts like spindles on a headboard.

[Charlie Watson]

I like Woodmaster. Also have and use occasionally ID Wood, Woodoworkers Dictionary, TWW and Wood Forum

[Frederick Skelly]

Had an iphone for several. Hated it. Even with good bars, the reception was poorer than I thought it should be. Plus, parts of the vaunted user interface just didnt suit me. I went to an android. But Im definitely in the minority. Most people LOVE their iphones.

[Peter Kelly]

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cpro-craigslist-client-for/id310947683?mt=8