iPhone Apps – A Forest and Trees Perspective

Image © 2009 Robert Lachman

OK, the AppStore has over 10,000 apps for iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s a nice round number, impressive even. But it’s kind of like saying there are over 10,000 medicinal plants in the rainforests of the Amazon.

That’s great, but how do I find them and which ones are good for me?

I’m not paid enough, nor am I interested in wading through all 10,000 iPhone apps to cull pearls from the sea of fart and ringtone gems on offer, but I am happy to pass on a bit of wisdom published by the editors of Mashable, who’ve gone to the trouble of picking out 70+ free social media apps. Since the iPhone is essentially a mobile communication device, it seems to me social media is at least a good place to start.

Follow me after the jump for my picks of the best from Mashable’s list.

Among the multi-protocol Instant Messaging programs available, Nimbuzz seems the most versatile and functional. You can use it to chat with your friends on AIM, Facebook, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, MySpace, Skype and Yahoo. Also provides VoIP calls via Wi-Fi.

iPhone’s location aware capabilities make it possible to stay connected to friends and share information in real-time like never before. There are literally dozens of location-sharing apps out there that let users find and connect with one another locally and even globally. An important heads-up about these apps is that they are very processor intensive and using them liberally will drain your device’s battery with breathtaking efficiency. That said, one I like alot is Loopt. It’s compatible with over 100 different mobile devices and uses detailed maps to show you where friends are, what they are doing, places and events they recommend, and more. Updates Twitter, Facebook and MySpace easily and claims if you use it you’ll never be lonely, bored or hungry again.

When it comes to microblogging, there’s Twitter and a few others you’ve likely not heard of. Unless you’re a huge fan of Rejaw or Koornk, you’ll choose from 15 or 20 apps that connect you to Twitter, where you can tweet your every moment away from home base. Twitfire has a built-in web browser, URL shortening, Google Map insertion capabilities and more, plus it lets you erase a blown tweet by shaking the phone.

ShoZu – Send & Share is a handy little all-in-one app that lets you interact with over 50 sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, Twitter and more from within its UI. You can use it to send photos and video to your online social communities, email distribution lists, blogs, photo sites and other popular web destinations.

So there you have it. 10,000 applications whittled down to 4 free ones that can help you make the most of your iPhone’s capabilities as a mobile communication device. Who loves ya, baby?