New iPhone app to send Deadheads over the edge

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I have a rather intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Deadheads. This may or may not have to do with the fact that I am related (closely) to more than a couple of them. And if I know anything about this particular community, it's that they are fanatical, which is why they are the perfect audience for a $6 photo app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Of course, this is not just any photo app, it's the new Grateful Dead Photomosaic App and it is awesome--and I'm too young to be a Deadhead, so don't go getting any ideas about my bias (although...I was involuntarily exposed to a scary amount of the Dead's music at a very tender age).

San Francisco rock photographer Jay Blakesberg has teamed up with a digital media company called Mosaic Legends to create the super sweet app, which when downloaded mashes up the 450 photographs Jay took of the Grateful Dead into a photographic mosaic of Jerry Garcia.

You can then tap to zoom in on the photos, and--eventually, when you've zoomed in enough--read the photographer's notes about where and when the picture was taken. Once you want to back up to see more shots, you can use the pinching motion to zoom out.

After a few zooms, you can also drag the mosaic around to browse through the photos and see which you might want to learn more about. Some have more in-depth info than others, with commentary as well as the time and place the photo was shot. If you have an Internet connection, you can also see others' feedback on the image. In addition, the app includes a "chapters" page where you can read fun facts about the Dead, their shows, and their fans.

All in all, the app provides a great experience for the die-hard fan, and it's well worth the $5.99 for any iPhone-toting Deadhead. Now, if you'll excuse me...I just got the overwhelming desire to hear "Touch of Grey."