One of the great things about the iPod nano is that you can use it with Nike+ to track your workouts. Or you could, if the fitness center would let you bring the media player in to the gym. Life Time Fitness, a U.S.-based gym chain, is officially blacklisting the device according to TwinCities.com, and others will likely follow suit.

The reason, of course, is the recently introduced video capture capability the nano now sports. Yes, it allows the iPod to compete with devices like the Flip pocket camcorder, but it also raises privacy concerns in environments where video and image recording devices traditionally haven’t been permitted.

Life Time has already put a restriction on the books banning the nano from its 84 facilities, spread across 19 states. Others are considering a similar move, or argue that the device is already covered by their existing regulations. The YMCA, for instance, already restricts photo and video gadgets to lockers, and argues that this applies to the new nano, too.

Of course, the problem with any such ban is enforcement. Are gym staff really going to stop each patron each time they visit to make sure that nano they’re wearing on their arm isn’t a current-generation model, especially when the average person probably couldn’t spot the difference unless the device is removed from its case?

As someone who already visits a gym daily with an iPhone in an armband case, I doubt new anti-nano regulations will end up having much of an effect on the average fitness center attendee. But in order to protect yourself, it is a good idea to be aware that less scrupulous individuals might be using the new iPods for nefarious purposes, and keep an eye out accordingly when you’re working out or in the locker room.

Ever since the release of the 2G iPod touch, I’ve been tempted to pick it up just for one feature alone: Nike+ integration. As a runner, I’d love some way to track my progress, and the iPhone apps that work with the device’s GPS would be great, except I don’t want to strap my iPhone to my sweaty arm, for obvious reasons.

If AppleInsider is correct, Nike+ integration might be on its way to the iPhone, too. If the new model also comes with improved moisture resistance, then the ability to take advantage of the sporting giant’s fitness tracking system will add much to the device’s appeal, at least for me. I’d love to be able to drop everything and go for a midday run without worrying about being unreachable for work or other emergencies.

Nike+ has been a frequently requested feature for inclusion in the iPhone since the release of the most recent iPod touch model, though it does present some unique hurdles on the platform. For it to be really useful, the system would have to have the ability to continue running despite the interruption of incoming calls. Background tasks, as most of us are keenly aware, are not allowed on the current or upcoming iPhone software.

Except, that is, when it comes to Apple’s own built-in software. Both Mail and iPod apps, for instance, still manage to gather and send data in the background even when not the primary app in focus on the platform. Apple could, in theory, make yet another exception for Nike+, since the app would likely be built into upcoming devices as it is with the iPod touch, rather than be something you could just download via the App Store. That’s because it requires specialized hardware to communicate with the transmitter you use in your shoe as part of the Nike+ system.

The source of the Nike+ rumor is the newest version of Apple’s iTunes software, which came out earlier this week amid other updates. Alongside this discovery came hints of a new ability to tag songs listeners hear on the radio for later purchase through iTunes. The tech isn’t necessarily iPhone-specific, but in light of recent rumors of a built-in FM radio transmitter being a part of the new iPhone’s makeover, chances seem to favor iPhone applications for the new features.

So many new transmitters, such a small device. I’m all for more and better features, but pretty soon I’m gonna start getting nervous about holding this thing next to the ol’ thought-melon for any length of time. Maybe Apple will take this opportunity to re-introduce its Bluetooth headset to allay such fears?

My friends over at Crossfit Virtuosity recently posted a 100-day six-pack challenge. After I committed to the program, it only took me a few minutes to set up a way to track my progress and have a new workout sent to me everyday. Oh, and it only cost me 99 cents and can all be managed from my iPhone…awesome.

Tumblr

First, as suggested, I went over to Tumblr and set up a blog to monitor my progress. After I had my Tumblr rocking a theme I liked, I clicked on the “Goodies” tab to retrieve my Tumblr blog’s email address (you can email posts directly onto the blog). I took this email address and entered it into a new contact on my iPhone called “Tumblr.”

iPhone

I’m using three iPhone apps to help me make/track progress:

1. The Tumblr Application — Cost: Free. Used to post pictures of the foods I eat and make general comments.
2. Workout of the Day application — Cost: 99 Cents. Sends a new workout to my phone everyday and no equipment is needed for any of the workouts, so they can be done literally anywhere…again, awesome. Also, when you’re done with the workout, click the “Send to a Friend” button, and send it the Tumblr contact we created earlier. This will post the workout to your log. I change the subject of the email to “Workout (Date).”
3. Lose it — Cost: Free. Used to track weight loss and look up foods.

I know that there are tons of fitness iPhone apps out there, but I like the simplicity of my setup. If you’re joining the challenge, post your setup in the comments!

It should be obvious that the blogging elves at The Apple Blog care about the fitness of our readers, especially at this dessert-laden time of year. If you managed to stuff yourself as much as I did at Thanksgiving you may be in need of some extra assistance ensuring that the only thing that gets blown away in December is your budget. With that in mind, TAB takes a look at four OS X applications that can help you kick start a fitness program and track almost every detail of your workouts.

Meet the Contenders

Since the iPhone apps have some built-in advantages, I chose four programs that work with GPS devices, heart rate monitors or other accessories – such as the Nike + iPod kit – to even the playing field.

Garmin Training Center
Maker: Garmin
Price: Free
Compatibily: OS X 10.4+/Universal
Hardware Support: Garmin GPS

rubiTrack
Maker: toolsfactory
Price: $39.00
Compatibily: OS X 10.5+/Universal
Hardware Support: Garmin GPS, Nike+iPod, Amod GPS

Ascent
Maker: Montebello
Price: $40.00
Compatibily: OS X 10.4+/Universal
Hardware Support: Garmin GPS

TrailRunner
Maker: Berbie
Price: Free
Compatibily: OS X 10.5+/Universal
Hardware Support: Garmin GPS, Nike+iPod/Sportband, iPhone/iPod

NOTE: Real world workout data from Garmin and Nike+ devices were used in testing all four applications.

Garmin: Late to the Gate, Still in the Running

First up is Garmin’s flagship OS X offering. Fitness Center for Mac (GTC) is designed to be the way to get data from your Edge or Forerunner onto your Mac, and both device families offer GPS-tracking and optional heart rate monitoring, with the Edge also featuring cadence & power tracking for cyclists. The sampling from these sensors can be imported, reviewed and displayed in tabluar, graphical and cartographical format. GTC does a good job figuring out which activity (cycling or running) you were engaged in when it auto-classifies your imports.

You can customize user profile settings, including heart rate data and speed zones along with gear details and information on other activities, such as hiking, skiing or kayaking.

Workouts can be reviewed by date or type, and you can schedule, group and categorize them via recorded sessions or from various online sources. Any workout you define or find can also be uploaded to most Garmin devices.

If you have full Garmin map data sets, you can use other Garmin Mac utilities to get them onto your Mac (which will help GTC route maps look a bit nicer).

GTC will import and export TCX (a Garmin-originated XML format describing GPS and “fitness” data) files which many programs and web applications can work with, so you are not locked-in to them by any means.

Striving for Peak Performance with Ascent

While Garmin may be a bit generic, Ascent definitely has the feel of a more seasoned OS X application.

Most of these fitness-tracking programs provide a similarly paned “browser” to access your activities. Ascent kicks up the visual display a bit with map data from either VisualEarth or USGS, both of which have multiple feature display options.

Ascent provides more fields to describe your activities and has an amazing replay mode that will animate your recorded workout, showing key data in a “HUD” as the points move along. While it will sync from your GPS device with ease, the Montebello developers also added a wide assortment of import and export options, including reading data from Polar heart rate monitors, full manual entry of activity information and sending data out to Google Earth for a very spiffy fly-by.

Unfortunately, while the program provides many ways to view and analyze your workouts, you will not be using it to push data to your GPS.

TrailRunner Charts Your Path to Fitness

This once commercial offering is now free and takes a unique approach to tracking your training. As the name indicates, it is geared more for running, but can handle other activities.

If you are truly dedicated to your training program, TrailRunner will be a great digital partner and includes a highly-detailed diary view (that lets you post activities right to your blog) and an “event planner” (for that upcoming marathon).

TrailRunner also has a playback mode, but the most differentiating feature may be the ability to easily share your routes with other athletes and also find new routes (i.e. escape the rut). It also works with iTrail (for you iPhone-wielding fitness geeks) and can store routes notes and route “snapshots” to your photo-enabled iPod, which is especially helpful if you are racing un-tracked or with a non-GPS-enabled device (such as the Nike+ iPod kit).

To get the full feel for TrailRunner, you really need to download it and play with it a while. New features keep popping up as you explore the application and it will definitely have you looking at your workouts in a very different way.

One Step Ahead: rubiTrack Tracks With Style

Despite having a Leopard-only offering, the talented folks over at toolsfactory managed to make the most modern, Mac-like program of the bunch, which is evident right from program launch.

Map data crisp and the view options are abundant. One feature detail that I considered truly innovative was historical weight tracking, making the workout details very accurate over time.

Activities are auto-grouped by category on import and can be manually tweaked. rubiTrack also has “smart groups” (think iTunes Smart Playlists) which can auto-classify by any combination of activity details.

While it lets you review past workouts and activities, you will not be able to schedule a workout routine with this application and you will not be creating tracks to bring back to your training devices.

The Final Analysis

GTC is the least “Mac-like” application out of the four and is not even on equal footing from its PC counterpart. While it is completely functional for basic operations, it is obvious that Garmin wants you to continue to invest in their online offerings and map products to get the most out of your fitness routine. However, if you want to plan new workouts and have seamless integration with your GPS devices, GTC will have a place in your Applications folder.

Ascent was my primary tracking tool prior to rubiTrack (I paid for both programs). I would definitely pay for an upgrade if they keep enhancing both the visual elements and the core feature sets. It is also very geared towards cyclists and I expect enhancements to continue that focus.

TrailRunner is a must have for the avid runner. It does rely on many helper apps (including GTC) to import data. The blogging feature is something I wish more fitness apps thought to include. TrailRunner also has the most diverse maps and is perfect for those who wish to be part of a community of folks interested in fitness.

At the end of a ride, however, rubiTrack is the application that I fire up first. If you are just getting into a fitness routine and want some positive, visual reinforcement this will be a very easy program to get started with and will definitely help motivate you to constantly do better.

Despite all four applications being “made for Mac”, none of them auto-sync weather details and none of the ones with workout scheduling capabilities integrate with iCal. Even with those missing features, you now have no excuse to shake off that tryptophan haze and shed some of that holiday poundage. If you do receive Garmin or Nike+ gear for the upcoming gift-giving season, definitely give these programs a workout.

You may have caught our round-up of iPhone apps for your car from a few weeks ago. Well, it’s time for another batch, so here’s our our list of 9 fitness-related iPhone apps. Once again, each item on the list links to a full review with feature and pricing information. Enjoy!

Nutrition/Weight/Health Information Apps

Restaurant Nutrition
If you eat a lot of fast food, but you’re morbidly curious and want to know what you’re putting in your body, then this is the app for you. I like it because it helps me eat reasonably well when I’m on the road.

LIVESTRONG.COM Calorie Tracker
You probably recognize the Livestrong name from Lance Armstrong’s charitable organization that made yellow bracelets omnipresent. Well, now they’ve given us an app that keeps track of your daily calorie intake/burn.

Weightbot
An adorable robot that keeps track of your weight for you. A great app that’s beautifully designed, in addition to being useful, with nice sound effects, graphics and animations.

Personal Trainer Apps

iPump Total Body
The perfect app for the meat-heads in the crowd. Not my personal fave when it comes to this category, but it might appeal to people who are just making the jump from more traditional workout aids like videos and DVDs.

iFitness
The best fitness app for general users, since it gives you all the basics, but you can also customize it as much as you need to.

GymGoal Lite
Whether you’ve set a serious goal to meet, or you just want to keep track of your workouts, this iPhone app can help you. Has some nice extras that may or may not suit your particular needs.

Run/Walk/Bike Tracker Apps

RunKeeper
A perennial favorite in the App Store, RunKeeper is definitely more than capable of keeping track of your runs. Good integration with an online site makes it an inexpensive alternative to Nike+ for iPhone users.

FitView
Store all of your aerobic workout information in one convenient, portable location with this app. It might not record the info for you, but it does do a good job of organizing and analyzing it.

Fitnio
Sometimes you don’t want all the bells and whistles, just a clean app that monitors your progress when you’re out for a run. Fitnio fits the bill, giving the casual runner or biker everything they need at a price that’s unbeatable.

Overwhelmed by the detail, options, and information available in most run and bike-tracking apps? Then you might find the simplicity of Fitnio, a relative newcomer to the scene, refreshing. Fitnio uses GPS to track your walk, jog, run or bicycling trip and provide you with basic, useful fitness-related information about the workout.

Like other apps of this kind, the GPS-tracking function of the app requires the iPhone 3G in order to produce accurate results. Also like other apps in this category, GPS is not 100% accurate all of the time. When I originally started Fitnio for testing, it found satellites without much trouble, but immediately began calculating my run at speeds of around 30 to 40 km/h (I’m Canadian, so I chose the “Metric” setting, but Imperial is available as well). Since I am not the six-million dollar man, these speeds seemed unlikely. As my location became more accurately pinpointed, speeds dropped to a much more reasonable 10+ km/h.

What I liked about Fitnio, despite the skewed numbers that GPS hiccups resulted in, was how easy it was to use. From the launch screen, which offers you an odometer, calorie counter, and “Start Running” and “Start Riding” buttons, to the run view, which just shows your time in large, easy-to-read numbers, and your distance travelled, your speed, and calories in slightly smaller font. It lacks the depth of other apps, maybe, but it also doesn’t intimidate with a laundry list of functions. And it provides a couple of great features: an emergency contact button from the workout view screen, and a cool down timer for safer and healthier workouts.

You can also track your progress online through fitnio.com. The site right now offers only basic listing of your past workouts, but according to the developer, this is only the beginning. Future iterations of the Fitnio page will introduce additional features.

For a free app, Fitnio offers all the functions most people will need in an exercise tracker in a well-designed, easy to use and understand package. It’s available now in the App Store.

Sometimes, all you’re looking for is a quick, accessible way to review your workout history and progress. If that’s what you need, and you don’t mind doing a little data entry to get it, FitView might be the iPhone/iPod touch app for you.

FitView allows you to store a wide range of fitness-related information in one, convenient location, right on your iPhone. Initially, I thought it was similar to RunKeeper and other apps that use GPS to track your fitness activities and provide information like speed and calories burned. This is not in fact what FitView is meant to do. Instead, you enter information about aerobic workouts, weight, height, etc. and it keeps a log for you.

When you first open FitView, you set up a profile to tie your logged activities and vital stats to, which are then used to generate user-specific trend charts. FitView supports the creation of multiple user profiles, so you and your significant other can set up accounts on the same device. Once your profile is set up, you can add activities, which involves choosing the activity type and filling out a number of fields with info like distance, heart rate, time, and calories burnt. I should note again that you must provide this information, it is not recorded by the app, and only a few fields are automatically calculated.

The Vital Stats menu allows you to monitor weight, body fat, calories consumed, cholesterol, and more. As with the activities, most of the information required by each of these stats must be gathered manually and then entered into the app. On the bright side, you can create your own custom stats using the “Unspecified” category.

Charts that monitor your logged activities are the only truly automated part of the app, and they do provide a good, visual way to evaluate your progress at a glance. This is definitely not an app I’d recommend to someone just getting started with a fitness regimen, or to more casual users. The sheer amount of data you can track with FitView, however, makes it a very useful application for users with more advanced needs, and people who’s health depends on a high level of detail. FitView will cost you $3.99, while FitView Lite, which limits your profiles, activities, and stats, is available free of charge.

It was one of the first, and it continues to be one of the most popular aerobic exercises tracking apps in the App Store. Raizlabs’ RunKeeper uses the iPhone 3G’s built-in GPS to track your progress during a workout, and provide you with a range of data based on your results. In addition to presenting your results on the iPhone, RunKeeper allows you to map and view your progress at runkeeper.com as well. It’s similar, overall, to the Nike+ system, but without the need for additional hardware.

Despite its name, RunKeeper is not just for running. The app allows you to select from a variety of physical activities. In addition to running, you can track hiking, bike riding, walking, or even skiing. All tracking activities require GPS, and as such the developer recommends that RunKeeper be used exclusively with the iPhone 3G, since results on the first generation iPhone or the iPod touch will be inaccurate.

RunKeeper tracks durations, distance, speed, pace, rise, and altitude data, and provides a map that shows your traveled path. I tested it using both running and walking modes. In both cases, initial pick-up of the satellites took a while, and readings were initially confused even after GPS positional data was acquired. Speed readings were way off, and changing directions (ie. turning left at a corner) resulted in an adjustment period during which the information did not accurately reflect reality.

Once a solid lock was established, however, and I’d been outside for a while, information was generally reliable. Inaccuracies might also have been due to my being located downtown in a large city, where skyscrapers often prevent a clear path to sky. Run tracking worked better than walk tracking, perhaps because running was, overall, a much more consistent and uninterrupted activity, conducted at a public park with a relatively clear skyline.

RunKeeper is a useful application if you need to keep track of your exercise info. For me, such detail isn’t really necessary, because I run casually just to keep fit and because I enjoy it. People training for marathons or doing other semi-competitive running will probably find the app more useful. Users should also be warned that RunKeeper prevents the iPhone from sleeping, and uses battery at an alarming rate. It’s a free download from the App Store, so if you’re looking for a Nike+ alternative to use with your iPhone, there’s no harm in giving RunKeeper a shot.

When embarking on a fitness regimen, it helps to have a goal. It also might help to have GymGoal Lite, a personal trainer app for the iPhone and iPod touch. GymGoal Lite puts a massive workout encyclopedia in the palm of your hand, allowing you to control and customize every aspect of your gym-based fitness routine.

GymGoal Lite’s home screen is divided into Workouts and Exercises. Each section contains subcategories, and both offer you the ability to assign favorites. The bottom of the screen is occupied by the “Tip of the day” field, which provides useful tidbits of information about either keeping fit, or building muscle. From the home screen, you can also access various fitness-related calculators, and an online glossary of workouts housed at GymGoal.com.

In the Workouts section, you can either find a pre-set workout by selecting from a variety of criteria, including type of equipment and difficulty, or you can choose one from your favorites or history. Each workout can be copied so that you can have a basic template to work from when creating your own custom routine. Once a workout is selected, you can view its subsets and select individual exercises from a list to view more info.

Exercises can be found using the useful Body Map, which allows you to pick specific muscles or muscle groups from an anatomical drawing of the human body. It’s definitely a nice feature for those who know what they want to work out but don’t necessarily know its name. Alternatively, you can search by name, or select from a list of all exercises arranged in alphabetical owner. Unfortunately, you can’t add custom exercises to GymGoal Light, but the included library is extensive.

The calculators included in the app are a nice addition to the basic personal trainer functions. GymGoal Light allows you to calculate your maximum single repetition, body mass index (BMI), basal metabolic rate (BMR), body fat percentage, and track your weight history. You’ll have to do the measurements yourself, of course, but all the math is taken care of. Your weight history is displayed only as a simple list, and the lack of even a simple graph takes away from the feature.

This app has a lot of nice features for beginner to moderate users. The body map exercise locator is a great help if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for, and the calculators allow you to monitor your fitness in a number of useful ways. At $4.99, it’s a little on the pricey side for this category of app, but its unique feature set make it worth the money for users with very specific needs.

In the words of the immortal Hans & Franz, “We’re Going to Pump You Up!” Or at least, iFitness for the iPhone and iPod touch is going to. The personal trainer app has enjoyed a lofty position on the Top Paid charts in the iTunes store, and I wanted to find out why. I’d been disappointed before, so I hoped that iFitness might restore my faith, and get me back in the gym.

From the start, things were looking up with iFitness. The UI, while nothing special, was clean, simple, and dialed-down, which strikes me as appropriate for an application that I’ll be using at the gym in between exercises. From the home screen, you can access individual exercises, your custom workout, pre-set routines, and your log from the bottom navigation bar.

On the Exercises screen, you can browse by categories organized according to muscle group. You can also search for an exercise by individual muscle, or browse the list in its entirety alphabetically. One of the key features of iFitness is the ability to add and edit custom exercises to the already extensive list that comes with the app. Clicking on an exercise shows its details on the home screen, initially displaying just an image series showing you what to do. You can press a button at the top to display text instructions, add to your workout, or add to your log.

My Workout displays your custom workout, which you can build by adding exercises from their information screens. You can also add dividers to separate muscle groups or sets. My Workout adds a degree of customizability that makes iFitness a must-have for more advanced users. The only downside is that you can only create one workout, so the list could get unwieldy if you want to keep a variety of custom routines.

The preset routines are good starting points for novice users. Each has an extensive description to tell you just what the workout is meant to do, and a list detailing number of sets and repetitions.

iFitness has definitely found a place as my app of choice for workout management, since the ability to add custom exercises and your own routine is crucial to my fitness habits. At only $1.99, it’s a steal for beginners and more advanced users alike.

Anything that makes going to the gym easier has to be a good thing, right? The iPhone might be just the kick in the gym shorts you need, depending on how you equip it. iPump Total Body aims to provide you with a pocket-size personal trainer, via an iPhone app that allows you to plan and log your workouts.

PumpOne, makers of iPump Total Body, have a clear interest in promoting the iPump brand on the iPhone/iPod touch platform. There are no less than 16 apps bearing the iPump name currently available in the app store. Since iPump Total Body claims to provide a more balanced approach, I thought it the best candidate for review. I couldn’t help but wonder whether PumpOne might’ve spread themselves too thin with so many apps.

Total Body provides 4 levels of pre-set workouts, each intended to be a step up in intensity. An individual workout is basically a rich-media slide show, combining pictures, audio, and video to guide you. I opted for Level 1: Foundation, for my trial, since I was intimated by all the pictures scattered throughout of intimidating hardbodies.

Level 1 is broken down into a four-week cycle, and each workout is meant to be prefaced by a 5-minut cardio warm up of your choosing. The workout features 10 exercises, spread out over a variety of body areas such chest, legs, abs, and back. Individual exercises feature photographs of models demonstrating the workout, along with detailed text instructions. You swipe to move to the next exercise, and at the end you can press “Complete” to log the workout. Rotating the iPhone enables landscape view, in which the photos are displayed, with the text instructions overlaid when you tap the screen.

Truth be told, I was not very impressed by iPump Total Body. The information was useful, yes, but it was presented in a drab way that feels canned and doesn’t, in my opinion, take advantage of the unique characteristics of the iPhone/iPod touch platform. I also didn’t once find an exercise that had a video demonstration. Finally, it was incredibly annoying that I couldn’t customize workouts according to my preference, which is going to be a deal-breaker for more advanced users. At $2.99, you probably want to skip this one unless you really need the reference material.

Who says watching your weight can’t be fun? Weightbot, one of the most popular paid applications currently in the App Store, says it can. I honestly believe that a lot of users were (like me) initially drawn to the app because of the icon’s beautiful design, and the attractive UI revealed by the screenshots in the app’s info page.

Weightbot is much more than just a pretty face, though. Not that it doesn’t have a gorgeous kisser. And fun sound effects. Loading screen, animation, screen transition, and all sounds are very polished and tailored to the overall robotic theme. Even the settings screen is designed to look like a robot’s maintenance panel, right down to an ID plaque that identifies your unit as one of the “original” production run units.

I can drool all I want about the app’s design, but what about functionality? Again, Weightbot doesn’t disappoint, depending on what you were expecting. It admittedly doesn’t do much, but what it does do, it does very well. On first launch, you configure the app by entering your height and weight goal and the date you want to reach it by. Once that’s set up, any time you launch Weightbot, you can click on the main read-out and enter your weight for the day.

The app will automatically calculate your body mass index (BMI) for each day, although it doesn’t provide you with a reference of what constitutes healthy range for your age, sex, and height. Turning the iPhone sideways while on the main screen will display a line-graph charting your progress towards your goal. Weightbot also allows you to use either Metric or Imperial units, lending it some international appeal.

Again, Weightbot doesn’t aim to do much. It allows you to set and track your progress towards a weight goal. It doesn’t help you decide what that goal should be, nor does it interpret any of the data you provide in terms of health ramifications. Despite not being terribly ambitious, it does what it does extremely well, and with unbeatable style.  The polish that went into this app is well worth $1.99 if you want a quick and painless way to track your weight.

It’s been a chart-topper for a little while now, so I decided to check out LIVESTRONG.COM’s Calorie Tracker. I have to admit, I was a little put off by the use of all-caps in the app’s name, but I suppose it’s primarily meant as a promotional tool for “LIVESTRONG.COM”, and if aggressive branding is the price you pay for an otherwise free app, it’s no big deal.

I was greeted with another minor nuisance when I opened the app for the first time, since I was prompted to sign up for a LIVESTRONG.COM account in order to use the Calorie Tracker. Registration grumbles aside, once signed up I began to see why the app had climbed to such heights in the iTunes rankings. Calorie Tracker does much more than its name implies, and actually combines the functionality of a number of other apps in the same category.

First, the app does indeed track calories. At the “My Plate” or home screen you can see your progress towards you daily calorie total, as established by your height, weight, activity level, and weight loss/gain/maintenance goal, which you enter when you set up your account. The progress bar is calculated based on foods you’ve eaten and exercise you’ve done over the course of the day. Foods and exercises logged are displayed underneath the calorie tracker.

The app also provides weight monitoring, charting your progress towards your goal. You can see your graph in the “My Weight” screen, accessible through the bottom nav bar.  Each day you can return to the app and enter your current weight, accurate up to one decimal point.

Calorie Tracker provides two more functions as well: nutritional and workout information. For both, you can search for items using LIVESTRONG.COM’s online database. From your search results, you can choose an item, review its details, and select the one that most accurately reflect the food you actually ate or exercise you actually performed.

LIVESTRONG.COM’s Calorie Tracker app has a lot going for it. It combines the functionality of a lot of other individual applications, provides access to a large database of foods and exercises that is constantly being updated by users, and presents all of this in a package that is pleasing and user friendly. Still, it has its downsides as well. You must register for an account, something I’m really tired of doing for iPhone apps, and the app places annoying calls home to update information far too regularly. Also, if you’re not able to connect to any network, you’re out of luck, as none of the information is stored locally. While I can see how useful this is for people looking for an all-in-one solution, it will never have a permanent place on my home page because of usability issues.

Have you ever been curious about what’s in that burger you’re about to bite in to? In general, I’d probably rather not know, but if you’re watching your waistline or concerned about the possibility of potentially serious medical problems, Restaurant Nutrition for the iPhone (FREE) could be the app for you. It provides nutritional information for 37 popular American restaurant chains, allowing you to browse a list of menu items from each.

The sheer volume of information stored in this app (which is kept locally, so network connectivity is not required) might seem intimidating, but good organization and accessible design makes it a simple and easy to use program. Upon launch, you’re asked to enter a user name, which can optionally be linked to an online account at the Personal Health Record online site. Linking your account can allow you to tie your information to a prescribed diet and health plan. Don’t worry if you don’t have a thePHRnetwork.com account, you can still use Restaurant Nutrition in standalone mode.

Clicking on any restaurant’s name brings up a list of general categories specific to each chain. For example, McDonald’s list contains things like “Beverages,” “Breakfast,” and “Sandwiches,” but not “Appetizers,” which you can find under “Chili’s” and other more sit-down type restaurants. Once in the “Sandwiches” sub-menu, I quickly navigated to the Quarter Pounder with Cheese entry, since that’s always been my go-to Mickey Dee’s burger. I was actually expecting far worse. The number of “Calories from Fat” was the most terror-inspiring figure.

From this screen, you can adjust the quantity of items to multiply the informational totals. You can also record the mean using two buttons at the bottom of the screen, specifying that you ate this either today or on a past date, and the meals are then recorded in the log attached to your profile. You can access your history from the button in the upper left corner of the home screen or from the bookmark icon on the bottom navigation bar. It’s organized by date, and lists the nutritional information for every food item you recorded for that day.

Overall, it’s a handy app, especially if you eat a lot while traveling or just love fast (and medium-paced) food. There’s multi-user support, and the item database is regularly maintained. You can download updates from within the app through the settings screen. Of course, it only tells half the story, since it only tracks the food you eat at the restaurants listed. If you’re concerned about your chain restaurant eating habits, this is good download, especially since it’s free, but if you want the total package, Restaurant Nutrition alone won’t cut it.