iPhone's i-centric programs: It's about you 24/7

iBubbleWrap: A pop notion
Among the stress-relieving programs for the iPhone — and there are several — this one uses virtual bubble wrap for popping to do the trick.

"Just swipe your finger to reveal more bubbles and pop them all," says developer Lima Sky of its 99-cent program that debuted Oct. 24.

Among the upsides: "Unlike real bubble wrap, iBubbleWrap never runs out of bubbles to pop and you always have it with you." Not recommended for symphony- or library-goers.

iClouds: Breezy and easy
Get your head in the clouds instead of out of them with this 99-cent relaxation program that debuted Oct. 20 from Studio-Kura of Japan. The program shows floating clouds. That's it. You can choose daytime, evening or night clouds, and view them at various speeds and angles. A similar program is iDaydream (also 99 cents).

Take A Chill Pill: Very safe and non-narcotic
This, too, can help relax you and give you a virtual fix of Advil or Tylenol with more pleasant results: the sounds of rain, birds, chimes, crickets, clocks, bells — whatever floats your boat (oh, and there's an ocean sound, too). The 99-cent program from Gabe Jacobs Productions launched Oct. 23. There are also similar apps, but the idea of popping a rain pill is quite appealing.

Exitstrategy: The art of the fake phone call
"Ever been stuck somewhere you don't want to be? In a meeting? An uncomfortable social gathering? Your in-laws' family reunion? On a date gone bad? Exitstrategy can help." So says developer Maglevity Labs of its 99-cent "phoney" program.

"When your phone rings, you can show the caller information to anyone around you. Once they're convinced, you can then choose to either decline or 'answer' the call, speaking into the phone in an appropriate tone … as you step outside to talk."

Executing Exitstrategy is a little tricky, and you have to make sure you're not caught in the act pressing the icons to activate it. Otherwise, your frantic effort to exit will boomerang swiftly with dagger eyes and social ramifications.

This program is not recommended for those who blush easily or who have honest faces. But then, if that's you, you would just suffer the insufferable until you could no longer bear it and say: "I gotta go. No, I really gotta go." Now, that's an exit strategy.

Excuses, Excuses: More lame social engineering
"Need an excuse to skip work today? How about school? Or a family event? This app can help and it has a funny new excuse for you to try every day," says the developer of Excuses, Excuses, a 99-cent program that launched Oct. 31. (It's to be confused with another 99-cent program — Excuses — that basically does the same thing.)

Caution: Excuses, Excuses crashed as it tried to install on my iPhone. What's its excuse?

DaysTo Concert: No applause necessary
This 99-cent app and its siblings, "DaysTo Festival" and "DaysTo Barbeque" from ZATZ Publishing launched Oct. 30. Pre-Halloween trick?

DaysTo Concert, for example, tells you "how soon you'll be attending that rock concert you've been anticipating … Find out how many days you have to get ready for that all-important concert …strategize for what you're bringing."

And it's much the same for "Festival" and "Barbeque." "DaysTo Barbeque, for example, "gives you the instant gratification of knowing exactly how soon you'll be at that exciting BBQ you've been anticipating."

Naughty Nuts Mobile Solution Regular phone dialing too boring for you? Employ The Dialing Cat, a "copy cat" who will "follow your actions and press the buttons," as well as " 'talk' when she dials," say the developers.

Instant gratification? This one's an instant insult to anyone with half a brain, no matter how big your ego.

iDinnerParty: For overachieving iPhone users
If you're planning a wedding or big event, you may find this $1.99 app appetizing.

The program, launched Oct. 29 by Serendipity App Company, gives meal and event planners more data fields to fill in than the IRS.

Not only can you record whether your guests are attending, you can record their meal choices, and e-mail that information to a restaurant. The program also has a "table organization" feature with up to 10 tables for seating charts.

The Dialing Cat: Might be purrfect for you
If the idea of having a cat dial your phone numbers makes you laugh — repeatedly — and if you don't mind allotting more than 12 megabytes of space to this program (that's a lot for an iPhone app), The Dialing Cat, released Nov. 1, may be the cat's meow.

And, yes, the cat can meow when dialing. The $1.99 program, from NaughtyNuts, was released Nov. 1. There's also a Dialing Frog app for $1.99.

The Frog is cute too — for about five seconds. Then all the flies flittering around the keypad as you press each number quickly become annoying.

That's when you definitely need to reach for an iPhone Chill Pill — or an iLife (your own).

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