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Does the iPhone need Java and Flash?
Posted by Angus Kidman at 7:06 PM on August 27, 2008
In the UK, Apple has just been busted by an advertising standards body for claiming that the iPhone offers "all the parts of the Internet", despite the conspicuous absence of support for widely-used technologies such as Java and Flash. Advertising regulations aside, the Safari browser on the iPhone is a major selling point, but there's no doubt it doesn't render everything perfectly. How have you found the iPhone browsing experiences? Do you find yourself cursing the absence of Flash, or is a Wi-Fi screen in your pocket more than ample compensation? Share your thoughts in the comments. (I prefer a browser that more actively reformats for mobile screen sizes rather than relying on a zoom feature, but that's probably a question of taste.)



iPhone/iPod touch only: Free iPhone application Dual Level uses your iPhone or iPod touch's accelerometer to turn your device into a dual-bubble level. That's really all it does, and though it's a bit jumpy at times, it seems to work pretty well. You probably shouldn't trust this level with building your home, but for a quick and crude leveling job, it seems like it could come in handy (hopefully it'll only improve with updates). This is one app that probably works best with iPod touches and first generation iPhones, since the iPhone 3G's curved back doesn't really help with leveling. Dual Level is a free download from the iTunes store.
We've shown you how you can turn your (non-DRM-protected) music collection into custom iPhone ringtones using
iPhone/iPod touch only: Free iPhone app Wikipanion searches Wikipedia through a fast, native interface. Complete with autosuggest, landscape mode, and large, readable text, Wikipanion offers a fantastic way to browse Wikipedia on-the-go. The application's bottom row of buttons provide simple navigation (back and forward), links to sections for quick navigation of large articles, and access to every link on the page, including Wikipedia category links or external links. The free Wikipanion is simple, but does exactly what it promises.
One intrepid (and open-source-minded)
If you're one of our commenters who feels overwhelmed with iPhone news, you'll have absolutely no use for a new service offered by the got apps? blog. But for those intrigued but overwhelmed by the iTunes App Store's multitude of apps, it's as simple as entering your email address and a keyword you're interested in, then clicking "Create Alert." The site does hourly scans of the store and mails out the matching results. Helpful if you're looking for programs related to your field, or, say, praying for the day when synchronised Notes becomes available. The got apps? blog says it won't spam you and posts their privacy policy at the link below.