How to cram the entire Internet Movie Database (IMDb) into your iPhone

The Unofficial Apple Weblog ^ | Dec 9th 2009 at 5:00PM | by Steven Sande

[Swordmaker]

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb), an Amazon.com company, has just released a free iPhone app [iTunes Link] that puts the power of the huge repository of movie facts, fables, and trivia into the palm of your hand.

I use IMDb regularly, so when I saw that the app had been released, I downloaded it immediately. Upon launching, the app will ask if you wish to let it use your location -- this is used to display show times and movies for local theaters. While IMDb doesn't exactly have a beautiful interface, it's perfect for navigating the huge amount of information that is available.

The first page of the app displays three major areas: Movies, TV, and People. There's also an Application area, which is used only to display information about the App. Movies is subdivided into Showtimes, Coming Soon, US Box Office Results, MOVIEmeter, and the Top 250 Movies. Tapping Coming Soon brings up details about upcoming movies releases, including trailers that can be viewed on the phone. I love the Top 250 Movies, which is a list of the movies rated highest by IMDb readers. It's a treasure trove of information about many of the classic movies of all time.

IMDb's TV section is split into US TV Tonight, which is a schedule of upcoming shows on the major networks, and US TV Recaps, which provides full text synopses of what has happened on top TV shows during the previous week. Under the People heading, there's both STARmeter, which shows a listing of the top 25 stars as measured by the number of times that they've been searched for on IMDb, and Born Today, which lists actors (living and dead) who were born on the current day.

If you love movies and TV, or searching trivia about roles, actors, and directors, then you probably already spend a lot of time with IMDb. The iPhone app is just the icing on the IMDb cake, and as a free app it should be on the home screen of every movie fan's iPhone. Check out the gallery for screenshots of IMDb in action.

[Swordmaker]

IMDb App now available for FREE for iPhone... PING!

Gallery of iPhone IMDb pages.

iPhone IMDb App Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Cyropaedia]

Already got it! Cool app.

[itsahoot]

I guess I need an exact Name, or direct link, cant seem to find it on the APP store.

[Slings and Arrows]

I already have an application that lets me access the entire IMDB from my phone.

It’s called a WEB BROWSER!

[6SJ7]

I guess I need an exact Name, or direct link, cant seem to find it on the APP store.

Go to IMDB.com. There is a link at the top of the page that will take you directly to the iTunes Store for this app.

[TXnMA]

That is a very deceptive title. The IMD database is no more "crammed into" the iPhone by this app than it is "crammed into" my MacBook Pro by Safari.

Without all the hype, the title should be something like "iPhone App Provides Customized Interface to Links to IMD Database". (But that wouldn't sell very many apps -- to folks who are already accustomed to using their browsers for that purpose -- would it‽

[Swordmaker]

I guess I need an exact Name, or direct link, cant seem to find it on the APP store.

Do an app search for IMDb... then download the app.

[Swordmaker]

Without all the hype, the title should be something like "iPhone App Provides Customized Interface to Links to IMD Database". (But that wouldn't sell very many apps -- to folks who are already accustomed to using their browsers for that purpose -- would it‽

Ah, but the app is much more convenient to use and it works faster than the website and is easier to navigate through.

[itsahoot]

I got it thanks, no clue why it didn’t come up when I looked for it.

[TXnMA]

"Ah, but the app is much more convenient to use and it works faster than the website and is easier to navigate through."

The that is what Sande's title should have reflected. Providing convenient, direct links is nowise akin to "cram[ming]" the database itself into your iPhone (which implies not much room left for anything else...)

IMHO, hype is not helpful -- especially when it misrepresents actuality... (Is my prejudice against "journalists" -- who depart reality to grab attention -- showing?)

'-)

[Star Traveler]

Some previous Apple articles posted on Free Republic...
at least by Star Traveler

• Who Can Kill the iPhone?
• Apple's iTunes overtakes Amazon in overall music sales
• Apple iPhone expected to drive mobile phone industry toward fancier touch screens
• Apple devotees rush stores for iPhone
• Mac users 'ecstatic' about new Apple Store
• Jobs Is Back, Apple's Still Standing, Life Goes On
• Out with Treos, in with iPhones
• Letters from Microsoft: An Employee Tosses His Zune
• Apple's 99-Cent Apps Are Too Cheap, Microsoft Says
• ONE IN FOUR SONGS IN U.S. BOUGHT ON iTUNES
• "APPLE HAS CHANGED THE WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED", says MSFT Win Mob chief
• iPhones Cause People To Talk Less
• GROKLAW’S EXCELLENT TAKE ON THE RECENT PSYSTAR SHENANIGANS (Apple Computer)
• PSYSTAR HIT WITH $5K FINE FOR DISCOVERY ABUSE (Apple Computer)
• INTEGO SPOTS MALWARE BLOCKER IN SNOW LEOPARD (Apple Mac OS X)
• Parallels to make switching to the Mac easier, safe and painless
• THE IPHONE & STEVE BALLMER: IT’S TIME FOR HIM TO EAT SOME SERIOUS CROW
• An in-depth look at Psystar’s legal defeat at the hands of Apple
• Has Palm finally given up on the great cat/mouse/iTunes chase of ‘09?
• Jobs’ Personal, Terse Reply to Developer [Apple Computer]
• Android goes for iPhone weak spot: porn apps [Porn is iPhone Killer?]
• Mac sales projected to grow 26% in 2010, outpacing PC market
• Apple's iPhone On Its Way To Becoming The Microsoft Windows Of Mobile
• Is Apple the Mobile Walmart?
• Apple's Base Stations Have Three 802.11n Streams [Faster WiFi on Apple]
• Analysis: Apple Embraces The Cloud, Positions Mobile With Lala Deal [Extends iTunes]
• Forget The iPhone: The iPod touch Is Where It’s At
• >All Hail the iPod touch
• Apple Bans Another Developer, 1000+ Apps Pulled [Developer scamming reviews]
• Lala purchase may hint at the coming of the rumored iTunes Replay service
• Dragon Dictation comes to the iPhone. Wow. [iPhone Talk-to-text]
• Apple can be copied, but can it be beat?
• Why Apple succeeds, and always will
• Apple Says Nokia Missed The Boat And “Chose To Copy The iPhone” Instead

[Star Traveler]

Some more previous Apple articles posted on Free Republic...
these by Swordmaker

• Parallels 5 boasts huge speed improvement
• Bizarre lawsuits connect Apple with Sarah Jessica Parker, Lil' Wayne
• Amid Transition, Rivals Are Descending on Apple
• First iPhone [Jailbroken] worm discovered - ikee changes wallpaper to Rick Astley photo
• Apple releases Mac OS X 10.6.2
• Is Snow Leopard the new Vista?
• Apple tablet could cement Jobs' legacy
• Apple releases Safari 4.0.4 for Mac and Windows
• PEDRAZA VS. MACINTOSH: WORMS IN THE APPLE
• Microsoft Patents Sudo?!!
• Apple Crushes Clone Maker [Psystar] in Court
• Apple Wins Like a Champ - Psystar is Toast -- What? You're Surprised?
• AT&T, Apple Accused in suit of misleading consumers
• Tests: Windows PC "crapware" adds 2 minutes boot time Apps on Win 7 PCs still slow vs Apple
• iPhone owners demand to see Apple source code
• Apple Set to Propose Damages in Psystar Case
• Another iPhone worm, but this one is serious
• Apple Moves for Permanent Injunction in Psystar Case
• Nearly half the money spent at US retail on desktop PCs goes to Apple
• Failure to launch: Would-be ‘Mac cloner’ Psystar sold just 768 PCs with Apple’s Mac OS X installed
• The Apple Tax Revisited
• Apple moves to kill second Psystar lawsuit
• Psystar, Apple enter partial settlement to cease clone Mac sales
• Psystar agrees to pay Apple $2.7M in settlement
• The great iPhone death watch
• Apple releases Java for Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.5 updates
• Apple Told To Pay Patent Troll OPTi $21.7 Million (AAPL)
• Verizon Droid ad calls Apple iPhone "tiara-wearing digitally clueless pageant queen"
• Attention Apple legal: Kuhgar tries selling Dell Mini 10v preloaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard
• The Causality Behind Apple's Success
• Windows 7 Family Pack Dissapears For the Holidays
• Apple sued for infringing digital camera patent with iPhone
• Apple and Google and Microsoft sued over icon issue
• Danish Police Department depending on Macs to manage the Environmental Conference
• VisiCalc creator Dan Bricklin: From killer app to iPhone app
• Google releases Google Chrome for Mac beta
• Apple releases FOUR updates... time to see if your Mac is included by clicking on Software Update
• Apple Argues to Include Rebel EFI in Psystar Injunction
• THE MURDER OF MY NEW COMPUTER
• Two cool iPhone apps: one you want, one you need
• Microsoft: Do not mention/use Apple products at our events
• Global CIO: Steve Jobs Is Bugs Bunny But Microsoft Is Elmer Fudd
• How to cram the entire Internet Movie Database (IMDb) into your iPhone
• Truth about the new German xPhone...