Recently in Software Review Category

PCMag.com has put together a list of what it considers the Top 100 Free Apps for smartphones. The list includes 40 iPhone apps consisting of "news compilers, fun games, time- or money-saving utilities, social networking services, and more," 20 for BlackBerry, 20 for Android, 10 for Windows Mobile and 10 for other specific handset models, including the Palm Pre (webOS), Nokia E71x (Symbian), Motorola RAZR (Java), etc. The top ten iPhone apps include AP Mobile 3.1, Chess With Friends Free 3.04, CNBC 1.1, Cube Runner 1.2, eBay Mobile 1.4.1, eBuddy 3.2.1, Epicurious 1.1.0, Evernote 3.1.1, Facebook 3.03, and Fandango 2.0. See here for the rest of the iPhone list. ;

PDAs and smartphones have long been used by healthcare pros to help treat patients, who have in turn leveraged these devices to try and stay healthy themselves. The iPhone and iPod touch are no exceptions. InformationWeek's Mitch Wagner recently identified what he considers the top apps (free and paid) for Apple's mobile devices in this category. The apps cited included Epocrates, AllOne Mobile, Calorie Tracker, Weight Watchers Mobile, soundAMP, iFitness, Islet, Good Food Near You, MotionX GPS Sport / Sport, Weightbot, and Lose It!. He also recommended Documents To Go and Simplenote (although they aren't healthcare apps) and the iPhone and iPod touch's native apps. See here for price, descriptions and download information.

Amos Winbush credits his iPhone with both starting his business and keeping it running. With the iPhone's built-in functionality and a few well-chosen apps, he could hold meetings, keep in touch with business contacts, and keep a close eye on his bank account. Thinking of starting your own business? The following is a list of apps that Winbush used when starting CyberSynchs, plus other apps that a young entrepreneur should have on hand. Get the full story here at Datamation.com.

If your work has you out of the office more than you're in it, you know the value of tools that help you stay in touch. With the iPhone by your side, you don't need to haul a laptop everywhere you go.

In this collection of apps, you'll find tools for getting work done on the road, keeping in touch with coworkers, and getting quick information. Best of all, every app in this list is free.

That means you can try them out at no risk: keep the ones that help your business and delete the others. Your work is crucial, and a free iPhone app is a top-notch assistant.

Get the full story by Troy Dreier here at Datamation.com.

Labor day will soon be upon us. For most students that means school is about to start up again. With that in mind, Sillicon Valley Insider's compiled a list of ten iPhone applications -- educational tools and reference guides -- it thinks every student should have in his or her backpack. Selected apps include iStudiez Pro ($2.99), AlgebraPrep Series ($2.99 each), Convert - The Unit Calculator ($0.99), Dictionary.com (free), MyHomework (free), The Chemical Touch Lite (free), Simplenote ($1.99), Amazon Kindle App (free), Free Language Tutors (free), Snood ($3.99). See here for descriptions, download links and screen shots.

It's free iPhone apps that make the iPhone's high cost a little bit easier to handle.

Yes, the iPhone is expensive, and AT&T's monthly plans are among the highest around, but c'mon, look at all you get with it. Translated: free iPhone apps. We love 'em.

In fact, did you realize that many of the best ones are free? Here are our picks for the most useful free apps available.

Get the full story here at InternetNews.com

PCMag.com reviewed the new Facebook for iPhone (3.0). In a nutshell: it's very good. "Only a few nagging issues, like the lack of push notifications and not being able to watch non-YouTube videos, keep it from giving you the full desktop Facebook experience in a mobile app. While this version is not yet available in the App Store, it has been submitted to Apple and will almost certainly appear soon," writes Sean Ludwig. Coutesy of Wi-Fi Planet.

Facebook 3.0 for iPhone is out, according the app's developer, Joe Hewitt. If you've had no luck finding it in App Store (on PC or iPhone), you are not alone. It is there, though.

You see, on the PC if you click to download the app, you'll get version 3.0 even though the App Store's Facebook app page is still for version 2.5. If, like with me, Facebook 3.0 isn't appearing as an update on the iPhone, try deleting it and then looking for it at the App Store again.

Like with the PC, the app's page will say Facebook 2.5. However, when you download and install it, what you get is Facebook 3.0.

I have to say, Facebook 3.0 is a major improvement over the original. It is elegant, easy to use and places a lot of information at your fingertips. The software is also much faster than the previous edition. It is a vast improvement. You even get landscape mode!

Below is a list of features (from the Facebook for iPhone Facebook page) that will, eventually, appear in the "What's New" text for Facebook 3.0 on the App Store:

- See your upcoming Events and RSVP
- See your friends' birthdays
- See Pages and post updates and photos to Pages you administer
- Write Notes and read your friends' Notes
- Upload videos from an iPhone 3GS
- Upload photos to any album
- Complete photo management (create albums, delete albums, delete photos, delete photo tags)
- Change your Profile Picture
- Zoom into photos
- Like posts and photos
- See the same News Feed as the Facebook website
- Visit links in a built-in web browser
- See all of your friends' friends and Pages
- See mutual friends
- Easily search for people and Pages
- Make friend requests
- Become a fan of Pages
- Quickly call or text your friends
- Create shortcuts to your favorite friends and Pages
- Friends sorted by first or last name according to your settings
- Chat friends sorted alphabeticaly

Hewitt is already working on Facebook 3.1 for the iPhone. It is expected that edition will bring Push Notifications to the app.

By James Maguire 

A truly cool iPhone app boosts the iPhone’s already exceptional form factor. Right out the box, the fashionable handheld (ever the cool kid’s accoutrement) handles everything from texting to movie downloads to shooting video. But add a few choice apps – say, a top-flight personal organizer or a cool music app – and your iPhone stretches the envelope of design coolness still more. It’s one very impressive gewgaw.

But which ones, you’re wondering, are the really cool iPhone apps? Among the ten bazillion out there, which apps need to be on my very own handheld? Ah, fret no more, here for your downloading pleasure are some deliciously cool iPhone apps:

Get the full story here at Datamation.com.

The free iPhone software update moves the handheld forward, but could have gone further. Get the full story here at Datamation.com.