10 favorite apps for iPhone and iPod Touch, many are free

Here are 10 of the best recommendations. Dozens more are listed in a growing archive on the Technobabble blog (www.startribune.com/technobabble/?s=apps), along with a link to my original column. All of them are available to download from the iTunes App Store for free or just 99 cents.

With Friday's introduction of a new iPhone and an improved operating system for all models, these apps should really come in handy.

Skype (free) has made reader Roger Jones so happy that he called to rave about it. "It's very nice to have it on the iPod Touch, because it turns it into a telephone," he says. Note, though, that you need a headset with a built-in microphone to talk on the iPod Touch.

Point Don't Shout (99 cents) was hailed by Jonathan Symons as "a great travel and language learning app." Pick a word and a language, and the app not only shows the translation, but also a picture to show to a foreigner. (Symons is an exec with Shazam, the United Kingdom maker of the nifty music-identifying app I covered in my first column.)

Evernote (free) is "the one app that sees more action on my Touch (after Mail)," said online commenter RVM4. "Install it on your desktop, too, and your notes are always synced. ... This app has made me at last (almost) paperless."

Textfree Lite (free) appeals to Jonah Edelman, who calls it "an amazing texting app." The free version allows a maximum of 15 messages a day. The full version ($5.99) offers unlimited messages and a landscape keyboard. "This app is totally worth buying and great for text messaging!" he says.

Google Mobile (free) might seem like an obvious choice, but Marty Andreasen and Kimon Swarts pointed out that it has voice recognition, too. It's "quite accurate," Andreasen added.

iHandy Level (free) is one of those off-the-wall apps, turning your device into an electronic carpenter's level. Amy Grady said she used it to help a friend hang pictures in her office. "They were perfect, with the iPhone level keeping them straight," she said.

WhitePages (free) gets the nod from Susan Austin and Jay Pfaender as an indispensable phone directory. It "provides normal residence and business look-up," Pfaender said, "but the real value is the reverse look-up capability to help decide whether to answer incoming phone calls."

Take Me to My Car (free) is a gee-whiz app that uses mapping technology. "You mark your position when you park," Melissa Prusi explained, "and then it will help you find your way back later!"

Lose It (free) is a weight-loss aid that got recommendations from many people, including Austin and Star Tribune video producer Shari Gross. "It's not much more than a calorie tracker, but it succeeds in increasing your awareness of how many calories you consume each day," Gross said. "It's guilted me into losing 1 pound in a week." Online reader PatGLex said, "I've already lost 7 pounds, as I learn to make good choices."

Animatch (99 cents) is a top-selling matching game for kids. "This is fabulous fun!" Kathy Cormier said. "My kids love it when they introduce a new animal -- cute graphics and sounds. Even adults find themselves playing more than one round."

Finally, Dan Grigsby of the Minneapolis-based Mobile Orchard app-news site (www.mobileorchard.com) chimed in with details about two must-have entertainment apps mentioned in my original column: Pandora Radio was written by Neil Mix, a Minnesota native who lives in Wisconsin. And the Public Radio Tuner was created by Bill Heyman and Damon Allison of Minneapolis-based CodeMorphic.

Randy A. Salas • 612-673-4542