iPhone Applications

For those who remember the good old days of video gaming on the Atari 2600, the most comprehensive retro gaming collecting to hit the App Store is finally here. Atari offers 100 games in total, some which emulate arcade versions of these classics, and others just like the cartridges for Atari's home Video Computer System (VCS). The app, Atari's Greatest Hits, comes with the 1972 arcade version of PONG, with other games available for in-app purchase.

Different packs of four games organized into categories run $0.99 each, but the entire collection of 99 additional games can be had for just $14.99. Downloading the complete collection requires Wi-Fi as the file is 68 megabytes. One modern feature to be added to select games is Bluetooth multi-player functionality so you can compete against others who also have a mobile device running iOS 3.0 or later.

Hasbro is launching the MY3D handheld viewer this weekend for the iPhone and iPod touch. The accessory converts your mobile device screen into a three-dimensional entertainment and gaming platform thanks to stereo viewing. Eight free apps from Hasbro are already on the App Store and can be used with the MY3D.

The concept is a 21st-century version of the View-Master 3D viewer from Fisher-Price. The View-Master has been around for 65 years, and features circular reels of 3D scenes. MY3D takes advantage of the accelerometer and graphics capabilities of the iPhone to produce a 360-degree 3D viewing experience. The apps simply render graphics in stereo vision, and the viewer tricks your eyes into seeing in three dimensions.

Video and film enthusiast site Vimeo has developed its own iPhone application, available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. The application is free and includes features such as access to your Vimeo account, browsing videos, and editing and sharing video created on your mobile device.

Many of the features of your Vimeo account can be opened from the iPhone app, such as liked videos, account information and access to the huge library of Vimeo content online. What makes the app different is the video shooting and editing features built into the software. Vimeo has come up with a credible free video editing alternative to the $4.99 iMovie app from Apple.

Bing has further improved its mobile search tools thanks to better HTML5 support and some other refinements. The new version is available using mobile web browsers on both iOS and Android platforms. Microsoft's own Windows Phone 7 will have to wait until the Mango update later this year, which will add HTML5 compatibility.

In a bonus for iPhone users, searches will now automatically show relevant App Store applications in addition to normal results. Microsoft previously added an iPhone apps tab to its visual search on desktop web browsers. Top apps can be browsed by category or organized by search criteria.