Here’s exactly what the iPhone ought to be really, really good at: apps from trusted brands that take the wealth of information and expertise they have and offer it up to you, exactly where you are.

Time Out does it. It’s ok – but it’s weighed down by some pretty clumsy functionality and thumpingly heavy Smirnoff branding.

Nike’s done it with True City and in a rare mistep they’ve made something pretty much useless that’s not even that cool.

And now the National Trust does it. And they’ve done it right. Who’d have thought.

The app is great, so far as I can tell. I’ve already discovered a whole bunch of places nearby that I never knew existed, like this amazing 1930s house, and reminded me of places I’ve been meaning to go for ages, like William Morris’s Red House – which is exactly what it ought to do.

The app’s got all the basic information you’d need to plan a visit. And in fact it’s much easier to use than even their website, which is totally hopeless.

It would be great if there were more information about the properties: more photos, audio guides and so on. Maybe that sort of thing is in the pipeline, who knows.

Anyway, I’m sold.

So why didn’t we present anything like this in our Post Office pitch?

Ken, of the People’s Post Office, doesn’t really compare.

Nice design work from this German chap

Move over mass-produced wall wotsits made from peely plastic. Look at all these wonderful wall vinyls, created by Hu2, a London-based company comprised of four crazy dudes (and one dudette!). They have some simply awesome ideas when it comes to creative uses of vinyl. And they hark back to some of Banksy’s pieces too. I fink they’re just brilliant!

Right now there’s a small exhibition of photographs by William Eggleston on in east London. Eggleston was one of the first people to get colour photography recognised as ‘proper’ art, in the 60s – up till him, you had to shoot in black and white to have your pictures taken seriously. Colour? That was the medium of advertising…

Well Eggleston is still at it. The saturated tones of his photos and the off-kilter framing look pretty familiar now, but he’s still got a pin-sharp eye for an image amongst the suburban detritus he takes as his subject.

The exhibition is just up the road from Old Street, at the Victoria Miro gallery, and it’s running for a couple more weeks (until 27 Feb). It’s really worth a visit.

andrew.

This banner actually made me laugh. I really like it.

By John

12 photos show the development of the mobile phone from a gigantic car battery sapping behemoth to svelte touch screens.

There’s also an article about the development of the mobile phone industry in the UK here on the Guardian website.

Also check out da damn JIBE translato’ t’jazz down bo’in’ wo’k emails.