In our world, when anything that references the number 29 comes along, we tend to make a big deal about it. With this being the 29th volume of our Creative Matters newsletter, we decided to provide another way to experience it with our shiny new iPad app. Since our last installment, we have been up to a variety of new promotions, campaigns, mobile apps, books, and much more. What better way to share it all with you than with this new interactive read? If you have an iPad, please download this app for free. We would love your feedback on it and your overall experience using it.

As we all get ready for spring to turn into summer, for our allergies to hopefully die down, and for baseball season to kick into high gear, please take some time to check out the two great ways to interact with Creative Matters®:

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The Design Monkeys from Rule29

This past Wednesday Apple had another special event. They unveiled the new iPod lineup, Apple TV, and iTunes 10. Inspired by the new updates I spent some time in the store and ended up downloading some new apps.

With all these newly acquired apps, I had to figure out how I was going to organize them on my phone and as I began designating apps to folders I started to think about how I defined their specific uses. I began to see themes to the app madness, and it seems like I break them down into the following:

Free: These are the apps that seem interesting at first glance and trigger the ”Why not download? It costs me nothing” reaction. You use it for maybe a day then never open it again. Example: Crazy Lighter, the whole purpose of the app is to make your iPhone appear to be a lighter. It can be useful to pretend your rocking out to some classic rock at a concert but ultimately provides only a cheesy, sorta-funny moment.

Social Life: For all the millions of social networking apps out there that you check multiple times a day. It’s how you stay conceted to your friends. The phone is no longer to call Bob to see how his day went but more to just check his Facebook status or twitter feed. Examples: Facebook, Twitter, AIM – we know the drill here.

iLife Apps: These are the apps that, in common with the iLife suite, run your picture taking, music listening, and video recording life. All very useful, but nothing life or death. The biggest problem with this category is figuring out which is the best Photo app out of the million available – especially when forced with that big decision of should I actually pay for the app or just download the simpler, free version. Examples: Hipstamatic, Pandora, Remote, ShakeitPhoto

Last Screen of Apps I just can’t delete: This is the shoebox in the back storage closet of apps that you still think can one day be useful and dont have the heart to delete. You can always justify why you might need that unit converter someday or the CPK app to order your food on the go but really never use it.

Actually useful Apps: These can really depend on the user, but I personally can’t live without Highrise, Shazam, Mint.com, Pandora, Google, and PayPal.

Is your phone dominated with impulse buy apps or only the select few you really cherish? Any favorites the world should know about? Do you organize by folders, screens, or is it a free for all?

How do you Define your apps?

P.S. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for some great apps R29 has in development.

One of the most enjoyable things in life to me is music. Not a day goes by without catching at least part of some melody. In fact, there is a belief held by some that music is everywhere and in everything you hear. Think along the lines of Disney’s Tarzan movie and the scene Trashing the Camp where the characters just start banging pots together. Or, there’s the famous composition by John Cage called 4’33’’ where the score (which can be played by any combination of instruments) calls for the performer(s) to remain silent for the entire duration of the piece. You might understand why it’s commonly referred to as “four minutes thirty-three seconds of silence”, and what you really end up hearing is the environmental sounds that surround you. This has become Cage’s most famous and controversial composition.

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