I am proud to say that I have never paid for an application for my iphone.  I am, after all, the queen of cheap.  That being said, there are hundreds of free applications out there for your iphone that are not worth your time downloading, in my opinion.  Here are some that I am glad that I downloaded and recommend:

1.            Pandora – radio music from the Music Genome Project

This application is very easy to use, and there is not the long wait while the music loads.  After you establish your account, all you do is enter an artist.  The application then supplies songs that it thinks you will like based on your selection.  You give each one a thumbs up, or thumbs down, and the application tailors the songs you hear based on those ratings.  As an example, the first artist I entered was Peggy Lee.  Pandora served up three songs from Peggy Lee, none of which I liked.  Then, it played a Billie Holiday, “It Had to Be You.”  That definitely got a thumbs up, and then, to my delight, it played Carmen McRae, an artist I never heard before, but will definitely add to my playlist.  All in all, this application is easy to use and a true pleasure.  Thanks to Mark Ishman for recommending it to me.

2.            ISlots

I am not a big gambler.  Please see the “cheap” disclaimer above.  I like my money too well to risk someone else leaving the room with it.  This application is fun, though, because it mimics the Vegas slot machine fun with none of the risk.  It even lets you keep your credits between games, catering to my hoarding instincts.  The visual and sound effects are pleasing, as well.  This application offers mindless fun for hours, and even keeps the kids entertained in the car.

3.            Stanza

This application has made me swear that the iphone is the greatest invention in the history of mankind.  Forget fire.  Polio was no big thing.  Splitting the atom?  Nothing compared to being able to read The Awakening  by Kate Chopin, Gutenberg Press (1899) on my iphone FOR FREE!  Told you I was cheap.  Also available for free are Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Dante’s The Divine Comedy.  The online catalog contains newspapers, magazines, and even high school reading lists.  There are modern novels, serial fiction, religious texts, and technical documentation available.  The application loads quickly, the text is easy to read, and it is very user friendly.  I highly recommend this application to all literature lovers, and those that could benefit from a little Nietzsche (and who can’t benefit from a little Nietzsche now and then?)

4.            CoinToss

This application is brainless, but keeps the kids occupied.   Despite its simplistic premise, I actually had to read the directions on how to use it, so the application is not intuitive by any means.  However, the graphics and sound are cool.  This is the first application developed by Joshua Baran.  You can find out more about him at www.unusuallycool.com.

Applications that I have not liked, and found a waste of iphone memory:

5.            Lastfm

Now, I love me some Lastfm on my laptop.  My library is replete with all the vocals and misty music that Julie London ever crooned, so I was very disappointed when the Lastfm download for the iphone did not live up to the online experience.  I found that it took forever for the songs to load.  With gems like Pandora, there is no need to watch the clock tick while Lastfm loads between songs.  I deleted the application after three days.

6.            Crazy Mouth Lite v.1.0

This application by Ezone.com looked like it might be one that the kids could enjoy together (one iphone + two kids = lots of fighting.)  I have to tell you, though, that I just did not get this one.  You download the application and then it directs you to select a face and hold it up to your mouth.  The application then creates a life-size mouth that laughs and makes odd contortions.  Not even the six-year old liked it.  The faces never changed from day to day, and it was just not that funny.  This application was deleted on day four.

7.            Magic8Ball

You may have guessed by my music and literature choices that I am not of the Y Generation.  In fact, I fondly remember the original Magic 8 Ball.  You might imagine, then, the gleeful nostalgia when I found the Magic8Ball application by David Syzchek.  With frantic anticipation of learning what the Magic8Ball would predict for me, I downloaded the app, saw the Magic8Ball, and then shook away.  I don’t think I have been that disappointed since the wonderbra.  The weak vibration when you shook the Magic8ball could not compensate for the drab graphics.  I did not even bother trying to explain it to the kids.  This application was deleted on day two.

I will continue to download and review applications as they come out.  Please feel free to share your thoughts on these apps, or recommend applications in which you have found joy.