25 Definitive iPhone / iPod Apps

In a world where media is converging at astronomical rates, we have come to control and monitor our lives through the use of relatively few digital technologies. With the advent of the iPhone and iPod Touch, vast power lies at our fingertips (quite literally). We are all aware of the immense quantity of applications available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but who really has time to sort the valuable ones from the less useful? We do! And we’d like to share our top picks with you…

Shazam

You know those times when you’re out with the boys and suddenly the DJ drops a killer track and you have to know what it is and who sings it but you’ve either had too much to drink or have a sieve for a brain? Well fortunately for you Shazam will keep you in the know. This app allows you to ‘tag’ whatever music is playing around you (or you can even hum a tune into your iPhone), it then retrieves the artist info and song title within seconds, even the most obscure music information is store in the Shazam database. It’s great way to impress your mates and yourself from time-to-time. If you decide the song you’ve tagged is so good you just gotta have, the program will allow you to access and buy it from the iTunes store. The icing on the cake is that Shazam is free from the iTunes store, so it’s really a no-brainer.

Price: Free

AP Mobile News Network App

This app lets you look up news from the Associated Press wirelessly with your iPhone / iPod Touch. The app allows users to customize their own mobile news experience by offering news that you decide is important to you. Local news, sports, entertainment, politics, this app has it all and it gives users access to AP sound and video clips for a full news experience. Without a doubt, this is the most comprehensive news app available.

Price: Free

Things

If you are one of those guys who has a million things going on in his life and needs to take control, then ‘Things’ is the ideal app for you. This productivity-enhancing tool helps to organize and schedule your hectic life by prioritizing tasks, setting important dates, and organizing your daily projects. Things will keep you on track whilst on-the-go and also syncs your iPhone / iPod Touch to your computer so you can exchange important info as soon as you have a moment to breathe. This app is well worth the price if you live in a whirlwind of business, social and romantic responsibilities.

Price: $9.99 US

Jaadu

Experts have called The Jaadu VNC from Jugaari one of the best apps for the iPhone / iPod Touch. Why, you ask? Well for one, it lets you control your computer from your iPhone / iPod Touch from a few feet away, or halfway around the world. With Jaadu you could be on business in Chicago and still able to view your computer’s screen whilst it’s on your desk in your New York office. Furthermore Jaadu allows users to take control of the mouse, keyboard and any application remotely…

Price: $24.99 US

Skype

The popular communication tool Skype is now available to iPhone users. This app allows you to see who is on your Skype list and instant message them, as well as perform Skype-to-Skype calls for free on your iPhone. You can also use the Skype service to perform cheaper calls to landlines and mobile phones through a pay-as-you-go service offered by Skype. Overall, this is a great app for those who use “Skype” as a verb. (Note: Skype for iPhone is only available in specific regions)

Price: Free (some restrictions apply)

Pano

Pano is a cool little app for taking and making panoramic images with your iPhone. Simply shoot away and it it will seamlessly and automatically combine up to 16 normal shots from the Camera Roll. Impress your friends and make excellent photos for only $2.99, check it out today!

Price: $2.99 US

Darkslide

A free and quick way to access your Flickr photo stream through your iPhone / iPod Touch, this application is perfect for those who love digital photography. Darkslide puts the entire Flickr website at your fingertips allowing you to view photos, compatible videos, post comments, and see your friend’s recent uploads. If you use Flickr, this is worth a look.

Price: Free

iPump

iPump is part of a series of applications for the iPhone / iPod Touch that are 99 cents each. These programs offer a virtual guide to working out and getting healthy, with separate applications dedicated to different types of workout. There is a yoga app, total body app, power workout app, etc. Get fit and look good doing it with this easy to use app that helps establish a productive workout routine.

Price: $0.99 US for each workout plan

Remote

Control your iTunes content remotely through your iPhone / iPod Touch. Create playlists and control volume levels via an existing Wi-Fi connection. The only snag about this otherwise sweet little app is that it sucks the life out of iPhone / iPod Touch battery if you opt to stay connected to your computer. Otherwise the program is great and definitely worth a look considering it’s offered free of charge and will absolutely amaze your guests – especially those poor saps who still rock a Blackberry. Better yet, if they have an iPhone / iPod Touch of their own, you can utilize the new ‘iTunes DJ’ function and really kick up a storm at your next barbecue.

Price: Free

Sonic Lighter

Next time you’re at a outdoor festival or live show and want to show your appreciation or request an encore raise your Sonic Lighter aloft and let Dave and Co. know. Other cool features allow users to blow out the flame, make it bigger or small by pinching the touch screen. Best of all is when you tilt iPhone the flame ‘fries’ your phone. Sonic Lighter also comes with a global map to track ignitions around the planet – why? Well why not! This is a great party trick and a sure-fire way to impress that little hottie in the crowd – considering it’s only 99 cents, if it gets her talking, you have that much more money, and reason, to ply her with drinks.

Price: $0.99 US

Air Sharing

This is a great app for anyone who is constantly on-the-go and who needs to take important documents with them. The app effectively allows you to mount your iPhone / iPod Touch as a hard drive on your Mac or PC (who still uses those things) through its wireless functionality. This allows you to use your iPhone / iPodTouch as a portable hard drive without the use of cables. Air Sharing supports numerous file formats for your computer generated documents and features a unique pinch-to-zoom function.

Cost: $6.99 US

Style.com

Never doubt your fashion know-how again with this extensive app. View the latest fashion and runway show updates in the palm of your hand, read style.com reviews and blogs or watch entire slideshows whenever you wish. New features include the ‘Look of the Day’ and the app is constantly being updated so if you are into the world of style and fashion, you’d do well to download this app now.

Cost: Free

Blackbook Guides

Get up on all things related to your entertainment and dining needs. Whether in LA, Miami, New York or Toronto, Blackbook Guides communicates in real-time to give users the inside scoop on bars, clubs, restaurants and hotel as curated by Blackbook. All with the simple touch of a button – sometimes life is just too easy!

Cost: Free

iHandy Carpenter

The iHandy Carpenter application for the iPhone / iPod Touch includes five virtual carpenter tools including a plump bob, a surface level, a bubble level bar, a steel protractor and a steel ruler. These tools can either impress your friends, or if you’re the handy DIY guy around the way, they can help you with your next project! Easily worth the $1.99 as the look of the app itself is also stunning.

Cost $1.99 US

Urbanspoon

Forget Shake ‘n Bake… now you can shake n’ dine with Urbanspoon. This app allows you to simply shake your phone to find restaurants in your area. If the iPhone doesn’t suggest anything that you like the first time, simply shake it again and a whole new bunch of other options will appear. A great application for when your looking for a place to dine, or can’t decide what you want to eat. Feeling adventurous? Shake the iPhone and try the first place that appears.

Cost: Free

Knot Guide

You may not remember everything you learned back in your Boy Scout days. Fortunately there’s the Knot Guide app. As the title suggests, this app can help you learn to tie a variety of different knots including bends, binding knots, climbing knots, decorative knots, hitches and lashings. This is the perfect guide for outdoorsmen, boaties and weekend campers. The application covers a total of 62 different knots, so you won’t run out of ones to learn. The application also features clear, high quality photos of each knot as a reference.

Cost: 3.99 US

Bo Golf

This program takes care of the bothersome task of trying to keep the score when you are playing a round of golf. The program makes it incredibly easy to keep track of everyone’s score, so you will never dread the usually time consuming task again. The app also lets you easily share your best golf scores with friends wirelessly so you can brag effortlessly.

Cost: $7.99 US

ESPN Cameraman

This free game from EPSN has been called wildly addictive by critics and sports fans alike. The premise of the game is simple, you are shown a sports photograph, and then you are shown the same photograph again but this time with five small differences. Find and poke the five differences on the photo before the time runs out or lose a life. You have three lives, and when they run out it’s game over. Compare your top scores with other players from the around the world as well if you think you can match up.

Cost: Free

WebMD Mobile

Put a little doctor in your pocket by downloading WebMD Mobile. This great (and free!) app features a simple, user-friendly symptom checker that allows you to point to the part of your body where a symptom is occurring and describe that symptom in detail. WebMD will then provide an in-depth explanation of all possible causes of your symptom(s) as well as suggested treatment methods. Another great feature is the Drugs & Treatments section that offers a detailed analysis of the uses, side effects, interactions, and warnings for most drugs on the market. Finally, the first aid section includes information about a variety of emergency situations. This is a must-have.

Cost: Free

Swimsuit Calendar 2009

Since paper calendars have become obsolete in an increasingly digital world, many of us find ourselves missing our old swimsuit calendars of yore. Never fear! The Swimsuit Calendar 2009 app lets you carry one everywhere you go! You can’t actually write anything on the calendar, but hey… there are other apps for that.

Cost: Free (for a limited time)

Super Street

For daily updates on car news from around the world, don’t miss Super Street, an app for iPhone and iPod Touch. Stay in touch with the latest in cars, technical information, car part reviews, industry interviews, video game reviews, and of course, the sexy Super Street models.

Cost: Free

Gas Cubby

It can be hard to keep track of everything you need to do to properly maintain your car. Thank goodness there’s Gas Cubby (and Gas Cubby Lite)! This amazing little app allows you to track your gas mileage and vehicle maintenance, chart your gas expenditure, schedule service reminders, store vehicle data (including VIN and license plate number) for multiple vehicles, and much much more!

Cost: $9.99 for the full version, free for the lite version (five record maximum)