A few iPhone apps I installed this week

1Password 4 is as gorgeous as it is indispensable. The UI is more polished than ever, and the new built-in browser is going to fundamentally change how I access secure sites from my iPhone. Being able to fill-in passwords the same way I can on my Mac is sublime.

Google Maps is back on the iPhone.[1] While I’ve been more than satisfied with Apple’s Maps, I’m a bit of a navigation nerd. The new Google Maps app strikes me as very well designed. It’s fluid and fast. I’m also happy to have transit directions back on my iPhone—something that Apple’s Maps app lacks for now. I prefer Google’s presentation of traffic data, too. Bottom line: mobile and GPS technology are a match made in heaven, and we’re just at the front gates. It’s sorta ridiculous that we’ve had so much drama with maps, but I can’t complain about where we’ve landed.

Calendar Paste solves a recurring problem I wasn’t even conscious of. It’s basically an event template builder. You can predefine events, complete with name, duration, alert, and notes. You can also specify the calendar you want the event to be added to. When you’re ready to schedule, all you have to do is select the date, and tap Paste. It’s perfect for irregularly recurring events, especially those that don’t belong on your default calendar. While Siri, for me, has largely obviated the need for calendar add-ons, this is one I know I’ll use.

Flickr just woke up and realized they needed a good iPhone app. Shawn Blanc has a nice review. 2.0 is worlds better than its predecessor, which I deleted from my phone a few months ago in favor of FlickrStackr, an app whose UI I don’t love, but has some really nice batch upload features. I’ve immediately re-adopted the Flickr app thanks to 2.0, though. Tip: press and hold the camera icon to bypass the camera and go straight to your Camera Roll.