You can’t beat free. Now that companies are releasing phones pegged as providing consumers with a way into the next generation, such as T-Mobile’s HTC 4G Android phone line up, the level of app sophistication is going to rise considerably. So will the price of these apps. It’s a good thing then that many useful ones continue to be free of charge. The following are five that were worth rounding up:
1. Tweetdeck
Social networking can be particularly time-consuming with profiles on multiple sites. Tweetdeck enables you to see updates from your favorite networks, from Facebook to Twitter to Buzz, all at once on a single window. You can forget about the chore of switching through different apps or relying on annoying email alerts.
2. SoundHound
If you’ve ever listened to a song on the radio you never heard before just let your phone hear it and SoundHound will search its extensive audio database to find what you’re hearing. Humming works too, just make sure no one’s around to listen to you try. It beats calling the radio station or having to memorize lyrics or worse, write them down in the middle of rush hour.
3. Barcode Scanner
The barcode scanner app produced by the Zxing Team is neat not just because it’s free but because it also scans QR Codes and competing Data Matrix. That’s going to come in handy as we cross over into 4G.
4. RealCalc Scientific Calculator
For anybody that deals with complicated arithmetic this app is essential. Whether you’re a kindergarten teacher or a tenured professor, a nurse or a doctor, you’re sure to find a pocket sized scientific calculator handy.
5. iTriage Mobile Health
Speaking of doctors wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take one around with you wherever you went? We aren’t quite there yet but the The iTriage Mobile Health app comes close. It lets you search a list of thousands of symptoms cross referenced with ailments, plus hundreds of thousands of listings of pharmacies, doctors, and hospitals all across the country.
The saying “In life nothing is free” is more or less accurate but every now and then you get lucky. Free apps are something to take advantage of. It won’t be long until the complexity of our phones and service make free apps uncommon, at least practical ones. Enjoy them while supplies last.
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