Sunday, February 1, 2009

My Favorite (Free) iPhone Apps...So Far

I've downloaded a boatload of apps on my iPhone over the past few months and thought I'd share a list of my top 5 favorites. They're all free, btw, partially a sign that I'm such a tightwad (I've only downloaded 2 paid apps so far) but mostly because there's so much great free stuff out there.

OK, here's my top 5, in no particular order:

TwitterFon -- I had been using Twitterific and several people told me about TwitterFon. It definitely loads tweets much faster than any other Twitter app I've tried for the iPhone.

USA Today -- I've always looked forward to the copy at my hotel doorstep when I'm on the road, but I don't feel that way anymore. Now I just pop open my USA Today app and read it on the go. Sure, some of the cheesy graphs and charts don't make it into the app version, but the stories all seem to be there. And as an added bonus, I don't get all that ink on my hands!

The New York Times -- I currently pay $13.99/month to get the Times on my Kindle. If they'd just add a "download" button to the app I'd cancel my Kindle subscription and just read it on my iPhone. And, I'd gladly pay Apple the $13.99/month I'm currently paying Amazon. I stick with the Kindle version now because I often find myself reading it on a plane and I can't do that with the iPhone version.

Instapaper -- This one sort of addresses that download issue I mentioned with the Times app. Have you ever found yourself reading a lengthy article in Safari and wanting to download it for later reading, especially if you expect to be without a wireless signal (e.g., on a plane)? If so, Instapaper is for you. It allows you to quickly download the current page you're viewing in Safari and read it later. Very handy.

iheartradio -- Apps like this and AOL Radio are further nails in the coffin of satellite radio services. I'm listening to WDVE out of Pittsburgh on it right now and I've also used it in my car and at the airport. The "portable" XM Radio device I used to own was never able to pick up a signal without the docking antenna. The iheartradio app gives you live access to loads of radio stations anywhere you can pick up a cell signal.

P.S. -- I bought my iPhone after baseball season but I suspect the mlb.com app will slide into my top 5 later this spring...

3 comments:

  1. My favorite right now is Feeds. The only app I've found so far that syncs with Google Reader, allowing offline reading.

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  2. I've realized that Feeds isn't a free app. Neither is Air Sharing, another favorite of mine, so.. yeah, I guess TwitterFon is my favorite free app too :)

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  3. Great post! No list of good iPhone apps can ever be compleat and it us always personal but I would include Shopshop which is a free shopping list app. Check out my top fav iPhone apps on my blog www.appertunity.com Jas

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