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As I said in my last post, this is all stems from an idea that I had when Verizon’s iPhone 4 came out, either last week or today depending on whether or not you are just joining their services. I thought it might be helpful to some new iPhone users to point out some of the apps that have been helpful to me over the past three years or so. Keep on mind that I am in no way an expert on the topic, just a casual user. Feel free to take or leave any opinion that I post here.

The next genre of apps I’ll cover are Music, Finance, and Utilities.

Music:

• Shazam- a free app that allows the user to identify songs via the iPhone’s microphone. The song must be a prerecorded piece as opposed to a live performance. Overall, this app has been very useful in times of “who sings this?” or even trying to figure out what song is being played during an advertisement. There is also built-in iTunes integration to take you to a tagged song or album within your Shazam history.

• Remote- free, syncs with the user’s iTunes accounts on other computers and allows them to control what is being played over the computer speakers or AirTunes via a wifi network. It is quite easy to use, and is also a fun way to impress company.

• Pandora- free, allows the user to name artists or song titles to create “stations” that play similar songs and artists based upon the user’s preferences and selections. The good thing about the iPhone app is that it is not limited to a certain number of hours like some Pandora online accounts. It is now accessible via AirTunes as well. It has become one of my staple apps when it comes to study time and ambiance, and has broadened my horizons in regards to new artists.

• WhiteNoise- $2, a handy app for ambiance as well, and includes several preset background noise tracks. We use it quite a bit when our daughter is napping in a setting where she does not have her normal radio background noise. The only issue I’ve had with this app is that it is rather large and takes up a good amount of memory space, and the updates can take a while to load.

• I Am T-Pain- $3, this app is clearly a novelty item, and more than likely an impulse purchase. Unless you plan on using the auto-tuner on your voice more than once or twice, save yourself the $3 and don’t buy it. I’ve probably used it less than five times since I purchased it.

• Amplitube- free or $20 (or somewhere within that range, I’ll explain), this app operates as a guitar amplifier emulator. It models different amps and microphones, as well as allows the user to purchase effects pedals that can be added to the set-up. I installed the free version and spent, I think, somewhere around $3-$4 on a couple of pedals. It is fun, portable, and fairly intuitive, though you have to buy the iRig interface which can run you anywhere from $30-$40 retail. I was fortunate to receive the iRig as a Christmas gift from my brother-in-law. If you are a hobby musician or a serious musician, I think this app could be very useful to you as well. It also include a riff trainer that allows the user to slow down or speed up songs and play along with them, and other purchases such as 4 and 8-track recorders are also available.

Finance:

• PayPal- free, requires a free PayPal account. This interface is very easy to use and will probably become one of the standard ways of transferring funds between individuals in the near future, even more so than it already has by way on online auctions and stores. I would recommend it, though sometimes the merchant fees and other fees can seem a bit steep.

• Mint.com- free, build by Intuit, which makes a plethora of finance software. This app syncs with the users online banking accounts and allows expenses to be broken down, organized, tracked, graphed, etc. This app has been helpful for my family as we are trying to shrink down our student loans and monitor our spending as much as possible. Highly recommended!

• I also use an app that is provided by my personal bank, and I am sure that many larger banks have similar apps available that can be very useful.

Utilities:

• ESPN ScoreCenter- free, provides to the minute score updates, as well as push notifications for sporting event scores and news. At times it can be unstable and crash, but upon reopening, it usually works fine again. A great number of sports and leagues are available in the app. I have found few other score apps with as many options as ScoreCenter, and I recommend it to any sports fan.

• Find My iPhone- free, though it was originally only available to those who pay for MobileMe services. The user must create an iTunes account, which is also free, in order to use the service. Simply activate the “Find My iPhone” setting under the “General” tab of the “Settings” app that is native on all iPhones. I’ve never had to use this app, but a friend recently lost his iPhone and I’m guessing that he wishes he would have had the service activated.

• Gallery/iDisk- These free apps are available to give easy access to certain feautres within one’s MobileMe account (which is, again, not free). I use them frequently to access documents and photos within my MobileMe info.

• Flashlight- free, very useful. With the debut of the LED flash, the LED can now be activated within the Flashlight app to function as a constant light. While it is not as bright as a full-fledged flashlight, it is great in a pinch. Be careful though, as it can drain the battery rather quickly depending upon use.

• Red Laser- free, though it was $2 when I installed it. It works some of the time, though it can be somewhat limited on the product codes that it can access. This app uses the camera function as a UPC scanner. Once the UPC code has been scanned, it searches the internet locally and globally for the best prices available for the given product. Again, it can be somewhat limited.

• Others that might be of use: Dish Network DVR Control, Free Memory, Key Ring

My final iPhone App entry will most likely cover Games, Photography, and other notable apps that I might have left out. I hope this is helpful to you in some way if you’re looking for any info on these or other apps.