The original Dinky Ball mixed accelerometer steering with a screen-tap jump and increasingly difficult tower levels.

A 2009 commentary considered why anonymous anecdotes and text-message humor suited the mobile screen.

A historical look at the Speeek name and a practical checklist for evaluating spoken translation on a phone.

The old FeedCount app tracked a publisher’s feed audience. Its historical metrics need to be read in the context of later FeedBurner…

The history of Admovi’s mobile phrasebook and a practical way to prepare a small, useful vocabulary for a trip.

Revisit Impetus mLabs’ Green Charging and separate a full-battery reminder from measured energy savings.

The original Symbolism post paired a short recommendation with an iPhoneApplicationList video review.

The historical MIZO app combined a reference-tone generator, a microphone tuner and a configurable metronome.

The original Spins put faces or options around a wheel for lightweight party games and choices.

What Ad-ology’s early iPhone app delivered and how to evaluate a marketing statistic before building a decision around it.

The original iGarageSale listing connected searchable local-sale notices with a map and list view.

A historical look at Quickoffice and Documents To Go, with practical questions for evaluating mobile document work.

How Shazam brought music recognition to the early App Store, what audio matching does, and where to find the current official app.

Revisit the original Free Books reader, its catalog model and the distinction between an app’s price and the books inside it.

The historical comparison shows three different approaches to internet calling, pricing and messaging on the early iPhone.

Bitrino’s WifiTrak did more than list nearby networks. Revisit its connection tests, signal details and the reason it disappeared from the App…

The 2009 mobile announcement brought Bumper Stars’ pinball, pool and shuffleboard influences to iPhone and iPod touch.

What the original iFitness app combined, and how to assess the record-keeping side of a fitness app without mistaking it for personal…

Revisit the 2009 Dictionary.com app and the difference between finding a word’s meaning and choosing an alternative.

A historical list of unusual phone uses captures the playful side of the early App Store.