Free App Junkie

When it comes to the iPhone, I am a free app junkie. Maybe it's the thrill of the hunt, but I love thumbing through the App store, and trolling for the next hidden jem. In fact, since I got my iPhone 3G, I have probably tried over a hundred various ones. And over that span of time, a few have risen to the top...

So in no particular order, here are the top 16 as of April 9th, 2009. (Most of these are still free, but there's always a chance the owners will start charging for them. All the more reason to download them now.)

Facebook - This app is an addictive time killer for me. So addictive in fact, that I gave it up for Lent. It's an easy interface and let's me post a status from anywhere.

Pandora - Some people have griped about the iPhone not having a built in radio? I say, "Who cares?". I can get free streaming radio customized to my taste with no commercials. Love it. (And it's great on your desktop too.)

Shazam - Wanna know what song is playing over the speakers at the grocery store? With this app, raise your phone to the heavens, and in 15 sec, you'll have your answer.

Stanza - A customizable reader that I use to catch up on some literary classics. Plus, it's a lot easier to carry than a backpack full of books.

Backgrounds - I often use my own pictures as my iPhone wallpaper, but this is a great app for finding a variety of diverse themes. There's sure to be a background to fit your mood.

Palringo - If you like Instant Messenger, but have multiple accounts with various systems (MSN, Yahoo, Gmail, etc), this is an app for you. It combines all your accounts into one platform.

Skype - I don't use Skype very often, but free (or very cheap) international long distance over a clear connection? Sign me up!

Holy Bible - There are a bunch of Bible apps with multiple translations out there, but this is the only one that provides NIV, NASB, and the Message for FREE. Sure, you need a connection, but on a daily basis, I always have one. If I anticipate going somewhere without a mobile signal, there's an easy fix. I bring my real Bible.

Wikipanion - A simple Wikipedia search app. You can find out if Greenland is part of North America or Europe in jiffy. (BTW, physically, Greenland in NA, but politically, it's a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Go figure.)

Sportacular - Sport scores in a easy to use app. Go Huskies! Go Mariners! Go Seahawks! And yes, the Thunder lost again!

Easy Wi-Fi - Starbucks gives registered card members free wi-fi. But what a pain to connect to it... that is, up until this app showed up. Now, instead jumping thru Starbucks' text messaging login hoops, I'm literally online with a touch a button.

CountDown to Events - A simple countdown tool which you add your own events. It then calculates how many days are left... You better believe both my sabbatical and Antarctic trip are already loaded!

ShopShop - a straight-forward app for shopping lists. I also use it for any other type of list where I like to cross things off (packing, to do, etc).

Bloomberg - Granted I haven't used this very much since the economy (and my stocks) went down the toilet, but if you're curious how much money you've actually lost inthe stock market, this app is great. Financial news, current share prices, stock trends -- it has it all.

Light - As simple as it gets. I've tried the fancier flashlight apps -- sure, if you want various colors, strobe ability, numerous options, then this is not your app. All this one does is shine a white screen. For me, it's perfect. I can find my way, my keys, or the monster beneath my bed with no fuss.

KOMO Traffic - Ok, so this isn't an app per se. But I use it ALL THE TIME. I simply bookmarked the traffic page on komotv.com's site as a Home Screen link icon. Now, I can check to see how bad 520 is before I head to the Eastside.

So there you have it. My personal app freebie fave's. Of course, there are new apps being released all the time, so I'll probably periodically update this list. And of course, if I missed your favorite app, let me know in the comments below...