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Corkbin updated, lets you buy wine right from the app
Corkbin is probably my favorite app on the App Store that I don't actually use that much. I've wanted to learn more about wine for a long time. Corkbin, which lets you track and rate the wines you drink, seems like a great way to do that. Unfortunately, whenever I end up at the bar or restaurant, a beer always sounds more appetizing than trying a new wine. But that's my problem, not the app's. Corkbin does a great job of cataloging your wines, and it's about to do even better, with an update that partners with two other sites for cool new features. First off, Corkbin will now allow you to buy wine. They've hooked up with wine.com to send you from the app straight into a mobile shopping cart. That means if you try a new wine and love it, you can buy some for your home right away. There's also a connection to Sincerely.com, which will send a physical postcard straight from the app, so you can send a note or picture to anyone else who might be interested in what you're drinking. There are more features coming soon, such as the ability to rate your friends' wines and get push notifications when someone you're following tries a new vintage. Corkbin is a really impressive app for such a specific purpose. Now it's up to me, I guess, to actually try some new tastes next time I'm out and about.
TUAW's Daily App: Foodspotting
We've been covering a lot of games lately (since those have been the main focus of the holiday season), so here's a non-gaming app that comes straight from Apple's best of 2010 lists. Foodspotting, free on the App Store now, actually reminds me a lot of Corkbin, except that instead of wines, you're finding and sharing information about food at restaurants near you. You can browse pictures of various foods near your location, and then from one of those, follow the user who took the picture, find out about the restaurant it was taken at, or look for other examples of the same dish from other restaurants. The interface is fast and slick, and especially if you're in a place where there are plenty of restaurants to try (I'm right in the middle of Los Angeles), odds are that you'll find something good to go taste. Unfortunately, that's the only issue with this one -- just like Corkbin, the app needs to be populated, and if no one else around you has taken any pictures, you can't really use the app for discovery. But even if there's nothing else nearby, you can at least use it as a visual record of places you've eaten out, and maybe you can find a favorite dish to save for later. Foodspotting's best of 2010 spotlight is well deserved -- bring it along the next time you try a new dish at the restaurant around the block.
TUAW's Daily App: onTap
A little while back, I wrote about an app called Corkbin -- it helped you track and share the various wines that you tasted while out and about. A few commenters asked for something similar for beer, and onTap is exactly that. It's made by the same company, and it serves the same purpose. When trying out a brand new beer (or an old favorite), you can snap a picture of it with your iPhone, log it, and even share it across Facebook or Twitter. Just for fun, the app also has a dictionary of some beer terms, and you can also browse and view brews from around your area in order to see what people are drinking nearby. Just like Corkbin, it's a solid app, especially for those of us who enjoy a tasty beverage and trying some new variants from time to time. Plus, you know, it's completely free. It's a great app to help you get the most out of exploring your favorite beers around town.
TUAW's Daily App: Corkbin
I've been trying (pretty unsuccessfully) to become a smarter wine drinker for a while now, and Corkbin might just push me over the top. This elegantly designed app is set up to help you track and chart the wines that you drink, learn how to classify them, and share reviews with friends and fellow iPhone users around you. The idea is that every time you try a new wine, you snap a picture of the label and leave a short note about what you had it with, how it tasted, or where you got it. Then, later on, at the liquor store or when out at a restaurant, you can pull up "that wine we tried last week," and you'll know exactly what it was. It's simple, but it's perfect for people like me who aren't wine experts and need a little help remembering exactly what that last bottle was called. Unfortunately, the app isn't perfect; I don't like that you must log in on startup, and there are quite a few features (like a wine database or the ability to browse friends' wines rather than just "nearby" check-ins) that seem like they would be awesome but are still missing from the app. The basic functionality of tracking your own wines is well worth the 99 cent price, though. Maybe this will finally give me the method I need to start developing a more refined wine palate.
