Apple releases first iOS 5 apps -- "Find my Friends" and "Airport Utility"

iOS 5 may have only just been released, but Apple wasted no time whatsoever in releasing apps that have been designed with the new version of the operating system in mind. First off the starting blocks is Find My Friends which, as the name suggests, makes it possible for a group of friends to share their location with each other with a view to meeting up -- or just tracking where everyone is.

You can adjust privacy settings so that your location is only shared when you want and with the people you are happy to share with. Should you decide you want to discover where your friends are -- if you need to meet them in an new town, for example -- you can send a request from within the app and, assuming they consent, their location will be displayed on a map for you. Find My Friends can also provide you with directions so you can meet up as quickly as possible.

Apple’s second iOS 5 release is AirPort Utility which is essentially an iOS port of its Mac utility. The app can be used to adjust the settings of your wireless base station from the comfort of your iPad or iPhone. This includes basic options such as restarting your AirPort and viewing a network maps of currently connected devices.

There are also more advanced options such as the ability to update firmware away from your Mac or PC as well as adjusting port forwarding and IP address settings. For quick network fixes from the sofa, this is a great tool but there is a fairly limited range of hardware that it is compatible with.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the AirPort Utility review page. If you’re more interested in hooking up with your nearest and dearest, pay a visit to the Find My Friends review page.