Late August 2009 list. Plus I actually have an iPod Touch, not an iPhone, so none of these (below) reply on GPS/compass, 3G nor camera. I use WiFi for my Internet connectivity, both at home and hotspots when out.
One big thing for me is synchronisation; having my data available in more than one place. I really like the convenience and flexibility this gives me. If I see a good book/movie/wine/song or anything, I can record the information about it on the iPod then have it available back on the (home) browser etc. Ditto if I think of something I need to do, someone to email, a general idea etc.
Ones I use virtually every day (non-games)
Contacts, Calendar and Mail are built-in apps. All sync with my Google account.
Byline gives me article summaries (aka RSS feeds). More than that, it syncs with Google Reader. Tried free version, loved it and brought full version.
Related to this is Instapaper. On PC browser I see an article I want to read later, I click on the Read Later link/button in Firefox and Instapaper saves just the text from the article per se ..and later I synch with the iPod to read the story when I want. No net connection needed after synch! Nice. Tried free version and bought full version.
WiFi Trak. Enhances built in function of finding and managing WiFi connections. Worth the small purchase price.
Metlink. Train, trams and bus timetables. Smart search. Favourite (stops) with ‘next service’ etc etc. Started as an independent app, now ‘officially’ supported by the Met people. Free and a must have.
Shopper. A very useful app for managing shopping lists. Not free, but I use it regularly, mainly for Coles. Over time you can build up your own data; what items cost and what aisles they are in for a given store. Easy to sort by aisle. When not in store it’s quick to – then and there – do the ‘I need cereal’ stuff. Easy to work out if you hit the magic $30 petrol-discount number too.
Evernote. As they say “Remember Everything – Capture what you like. Find it when you want”. Browser, stand-alone and iPhone versions all talk to each other. This is where i keep my general info (aka notes to self), list of things to buy/read/drink, plus I will use the ‘capture’ tool on the PC to grab (part of) a page, text and graphics, then it can be synched to the iPhone. Nice.
Ultimate Todos. Google have just started up a To Do list system. Still not enough function for me, so I use the web-based Toodledo. Ultimate Todos is cheap and works very well with Toodledo.
Ones I recommend (non-games)
ooTunes Radio iPods etc don’t have radios, but a lot of stations simulcast – for free – on the Internet. This cheap app let’s me listen to the ABC etc streams over my Wifi connection. Nice.
ThinkDigits. An almost-legendary mind-mapping calculator
Stanza. Most excellent ebook reader; supports lots of formats. Free!
Pocket Universe. Cheap and functional astronomy/planetarium.
iiQuotaLite. When configured, tells me my mobile phone plans current status. How much call/data etc quota I have used and how many days left. Free and well worth it.
Dictionary.com Dictionary, Thesaurus etc. Despite the name can be run ‘offline’. Don’t think it’s ‘Australianised’ but it’s free.
Games and other fun/cool/useful things
Bejewelled 2 (cheap and heaps of fun)
Crosswords from Stand Alone inc. Tried free/lite version and purchased full version. Don’t use it as much as I though I would, but great that it can grab local (Aus) crosswords too.
Deer Hunter 3D. Another free/lite test which lead to a purchase
Movie Challenge. Again started with the free/lite version and bought the full one. A great quiz for movie fans.
Ragdoll Lite. Physics-engine game. Very clever. May move to paid version.
Paper Toss. Another physics engine-game, this one free.
Shralp Tide. When are high/low tide etc and your location. Free.
What I’d Love to See
Google To Do offering ramping up to support things like priority, tags, due-by dates, context. Then a free app to support this on the iPhone.
A password manager that can sync with KeePass Safe. I understand there are US government issues with exporting ‘strong’ encryption. So how come KPS itself – on PCs, Mac and Linux - can use this already?
iPhone Contacts supporting Google Distribution Lists (aka Groups).
An official – free – Adobe PDF reader. From Adobe.
What I Don’t Use
These apps ship with the iPod and I may have used them once. Stocks, iTunes, Notes, YouTube, AppStore. Wish I could remove them, without jailbreaking the phone.