I’ll admit it. I just didn’t understand what was cool about the iPad at first. However, I’ve found more and more plenty of times where I don’t need/want to use my laptop but my smartphone just doesn’t do the job well either and I’d be quite pleased if I had an iPad available.

It’s the kind of device that I would say isn’t the perfect device for any one task. For example, I can write a blog post using it. I can read a book on it. I can watch a movie on it. Heck, I could record, edit, and publish a movie in HD using just an iPad.

And while having a laptop, Kindle, HDTV, and video camera with wireless microphones, are better suited to doing each of those tasks, respectively, the iPad is good enough to get the job done in many cases.

The beauty of the iPad 2 really is in how well it can do so many tasks.

It’s the perfect in between device!

No, I don’t plan on replacing my TV, laptop, GPS, or anything else and using just my iPad, but its plenty good enough to get the job done and get it done well when I don’t want to use a specialized device. Add in the fact that it’s lightweight and portable and it’s really a hard to beat device and while I’m an avid Android fan and don’t want an iPhone, I do love the iPad and don’t want an Android powered tablet.

So without further adieu, here are my favorite, must have, iPad 2 apps.

As is my custom, I don’t have any games on this list and will leave that up to other gaming enthusiasts.

Netflix / OrbLive – Love watching movies or TV shows on your iPad? Then one of these apps will be perfect for you. If you only have Netflix for movie streaming then just download the free Netflix app. If you enjoying watching from Hulu, Netflix, and others, then the OrbLive app might better suit your needs. My recommendation is to start with Netflix since its free and if you need more capabilities, get the $10 OrbLive app.

FX Photo Studio HD – Sure, you iPad already has pretty good photo editing capabilities. However, FX Studio HD really takes things up a notch. It brings tons of effects and filters to the party. Check out the demo video below to see some of it’s features in action:

Google Earth – The iPad 2 and Google Earth were made for each other. Some have called this app the best you can get for you iPad. It seems like the perfect fit for exploring the planet you and I live on, Earth.

iMovie – iMovie makes editing and publishing videos a piece of cake. Record a video on your iPad, edit it, and publish it to Youtube without ever needing to tranfer the file to your Mac. You can’t get the same degree of polish as you can with Final Cut but you probably don’t need to for most things.

GarageBand – GarageBand is a great choice for composing as well as recording your own music and it’s all optimized for touchscreen only inputs. Whether you’re using it for Podcasting, recording your bands music, or just adding special effects to your audio, GarageBand makes it easy.

Pandora – I think just about every top 10 list I’ve ever made on this site mentions Pandora. There are plenty of other similar services that have popped up over the years but none has worked as well as Pandora. I highly recommend it and if you love it as much as I do, upgrade to Pandora One – the $3/month for commercial free music is well worth it.

Djay – If you ever have parties or do entertaining, this is a fantastic little app. It brings many professional DJ features straight to your iPad and for a fraction of the price.

Epicurious – This is a fantastic little recipe app. And the nice thing about using an iPad for recipes is that you can just set the iPad in your kitchen and check off steps as you go along. Epicurious can also create a shopping list for any of its recipes and it’ll sync with your iPhone so you don’t have to lug your iPad into the store or write things down separately – just bring up the list on your iPhone and use it as your grocery list. Think of all the trees you’ll save!

Instapaper – I probably learned about this app backwards. I downloaded an App for my Droid Bionic called Read It Later and thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I didn’t now that it was largely the same as an iPad/iPhone app called Instapaper. It’s a simple app but it’s tremedously useful. If you’ve ever been reading a news story, magazine article, or blog post on your iPhone or iPad and not had time to finish it, this is the app for you. It saves the article you’re reading, stores it for offline reading and syncs it to all your other devices (iPhone, iOS, Mac) so you can read it on whatever device you’re using later in the day.

Blogsy – Composing a blog post on an iPad was inconvenient at best before this app came along if you wanted to do anything other than compose text. If you wanted to embed media, upload pictures, etc, then you were really in for a lot of trials and tribulations. Fortunately, Blogsy is optimized for iOS and touchscreens and adding media is as simple and pleasurable experience.

Bonus Apps I Really Like That Didn’t Make The List

Credit Card Machine – I’d have made this a “must have” app if everybody needed the ability to accept credit cards. They don’t. However, if you have a retail shop setup, you can turn your iPad into a point of sale device. There’s a chocolate shop I love to go to and they have three iPads all setup to function as cash registers. And when you consider how much traditional cash registers cost, it makes using the iPad a low cost and just as functional alternative.

TWCable TV – This one is just for people with Time Warner Cable, but if you have it, the free TWCable TV app will allow you to watch live TV on your iPad. Not all channels are available but a lot of them which means you’re no longer tethered to the living room for watching TV.

There are a lot of magazine apps available for the iPad but rather than putting specific newspapers and magazines in this list, I’ll leave the up to personal preference. I do recommend trying them out even if you only subscribe to free ones.

The Pocket Projector turns your iPhone into a 50" projector!

A couple years ago I wrote about a phone called the Samsung Galaxy Beam (Halo).    It sure was a neat idea.  It was an Android powered phone with a built in pico projector.

Unfortunately, the phone never made it to the United States and while phone with built in projectors are expected to be released in the coming years, there isn’t a single phone you can buy right now with this capability.

However, you can add this funtionality to your phone right now… with the Pocket Projector for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

With this adapter you no longer need to have all your friend huddle around your tiny little screen to see that hilarious Youtube video and while it’s no pro level quality, it’d certainly do in a pinch during a business meeting.

For example, I know I could use then when doing an app demo with a prospective client, especially when I have two or three people in the room and we all have to huddle around my iPad.

The resolution is only 640×360 but the 15-lumen bulb is bright enough to display images clearly in a darkened room.

One nice extra perk is that the battery on the projector will charge your iPhone when it’s not in use as a projector so even when you’re not using the projector function, it will serve as a backup battery for your iPhone.

It’s priced at $229.99 when your order it directly from Brookstone.

This is one of the nice things about being an iPhone owner – all of the extra accessories you can get since the form factor is the same for millions of phone meaning it’s cost effective to develop technologies like this for third party companies.

Watch the demo video for a lot of cool use suggestions (my favorite was the watching movies in your tent while camping).

Meet the Kogeto Dot - a 360 degree video camera for the iPhone 4, 4s, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus

360 degree video is actually a lot more disorienting but strangely cool, somehow.

Of course, up until now the technology has been prohibitively expensive, requiring expensive cameras, lenses and often times even more expensive processing software.

But a New York City based company called Kogeto is working to change all of that with Dot.

Dot is a 360 degree video camera adapter that snaps on directly to your iPhone 4, 4S, and now the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Android users are no longer left out in the cold).

Here’s a short demo video just so you can see it in action.

While the technology isn’t perfect and the videos didn’t work well (they require Kogeto’s proprietary player and don’t work on Youtube) on my phone, they did play nicely on my computer and have plenty of potential.

And the nice thing is that they work break the bank. The Dot adapters cost a mere $79 so they’re extremely affordable if you want to try one out.

What do you think? Useful tool or fad? Post in the comments to let me here about it.

While hardware specs, screen sizes, and resolution all do have an effect on the user experience, the biggest differences are in the operating systems themselves.

So I thought I’d do a detailed comparison video comparing Google’s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) against Apple’s iOS 5.

It’s about 20 minutes long and I go into detail about things like:

• Cloud Services
• Visual Voicemail
• Flagship Apps and App Stores
• Voice Control
• Navigation
• Video Chat
• Instant Messaging / Text Messaging
• Mobile Payments / NFC Chips (Near Field Communications)
• Customization Options / Creativity
• Facial Recognization
• Location Awareness
• Adobe Flash and HTML 5
• and a few tips for those considering switching – Constrained vs Confused

But this could be good news for Android phone manufacturers: Samsung’s brand new Galaxy SII is making major waves with specs that rival the new iPhone. And Android phones are already outselling iPhones by a healthy margin. Could Apple’s latest iPhone iteration help widen that margin? And what will that mean for the smartphone market in the future?

Great Expectations

What happened with last week’s iPhone presser wasn’t an outright PR failure by Apple, but perhaps the company didn’t help matters. Before the iPhone 4S announcement, Apple aficionados were eager to switch out their 3G’s and 4’s for a brand new iPhone 5—and Apple did nothing to discourage the hype. But when it was discovered that the press conference wouldn’t be livestreamed, chatter spread; and as Twitter feeds and tech site liveblogs outlined the new features, enthusiasm began to wane. Of course, this may not lead to new sales for Android phones—Apple’s customers tend to be fiercely loyal. But for smartphone users considering buying an iPhone for the first time, this small stumble could sway opinions.

A New Android Market

Android phones have gotten faster, smaller and cheaper in a very short amount of time: from HTC’s Dream to Samsung’s Galaxy SII, the hardware and operating system have both improved quickly and exponentially. Apple’s iPhones are still the smartphone standard, but by opening Android to app developers, Google’s made Android phones a more democratic OS. That can translate to mobile phones being used for more than playing games and sending texts: while Apple’s command of the educational market extends to their iPhones, the Android Market now has thousands of phone and tablet apps that can be used for teaching and learning.

With a steady increase of people using their smartphones to access the Internet, apps and other programs are becoming more integral to education. For students working on an online degree program or using their phones to stay in touch with instructors and classmates, this makes price, app selection, and carrier availability important factors in choosing a phone. And while Sprint has been added to iPhone’s list of carriers, comparable Androids can be found with even the smallest mobile providers.

The latest iPhone news doesn’t mean that consumers won’t by the iPhone 4S by the millions—and it doesn’t mean that a true iPhone 5 isn’t in the works. It does mean, however, that Apple may need to think carefully about how they introduce their next big product. Apple still dominates the premium electronic hardware market, but as Android’s hardware gets slicker and more sophisticated, they may have serious competition in the near future.

Skyscanner All flights, Everywhere
For the best flight prices to Vegas, this app is essential and free to download. It allows you to search for flights on flexible days and within seconds, displays the cheapest flights available. It?s fast, easy to use and you can save search details or book directly with the relevant airline or travel agent straight away. The app is produced by Skyscanner, a company of the same name who provide the same flight search facility (example: Vegas flights from the UK) on their website. Available in 23 different languages.

Vegas Mate
This interactive app provides comprehensive listings and up to date information on the best places to eat, drink and be entertained both on and off the Strip. It also gives hotel information, weather forecasts, local news as well as top tips for tourists. It enables you to create and plan trips as well as read, write and share reviews with other Vegas Mate users. It?s the best-selling Vegas app costing £1.49.

Vegas Reality
If you?ve got an iPhone 3GS or iPhone4, the first reality app, Vegas Reality can be downloaded for free. It merges the real Vegas with virtual Vegas. You can map out the city, virtually walk the strip, point your camera at resorts, hotels and attractions to get information on them and what?s around you, find out what shows are in town, book tickets and get details on art galleries and exhibitions.

VelvetRope
This app is the gateway to Vegas nightlife. It let?s you check out what?s going on at various venues around town plus gives you direct access to guest lists and table reservations.

Card Counter
It won?t come as a shock to hear that whipping out your iPhone at the casino is prohibited, so brushing up on your card skills is recommended. If you?re interested in learning the techniques card counters use to increase their odds in Vegas, this app is worth downloading for £1.99. It?s part lesson and part game and teaches you everything you need to know.

A Vegas Veteran James writes about travel thoughout Vegas and California. An Apple addict he never leaves for a holiday without his iPhone, armed with the latest apps for travel and leisure.

There is nothing worse than working on projects for school knowing that the best thing a break can give you is another cup of coffee.  It is important to get in a solid break periodically where you can remove yourself from what you’re doing.  Not only will it relieve your mind, but you’ll come back to it much more relaxed and ready to keep working.  One great way to do this is to whip out your iPhone and find a game that you can play for 5-10 minutes to distract you from that online MBA you’re trying so desperately to get.  So sit back relax and maybe download a few of these games for your breaks…

New games are emerging everyday in the Apple App Store. These are five of the newest games to make it into the App Store we like.

Hard Lines

Hard Lines is a fairly addictive snake game. The game follows Lionel, a line on a mission to kill all other lines and collect their data points that they leave behind. Hard Lines is different from the first snake games. It is very color; it looks much like Tron light cycles. Also there are many different game modes for everyone including a Gauntlet, Survival and Pinata mode. Lionel also says little quotes as he snakes around, making him one of the most talkative yellow lines out there. Hard Lines is a fun game to play that doesn’t take a lot of time to master and it only costs $0 .99

Match Panic

Match Panic is a matching game involving a line of silly objects and time limits. The controls are simple: tap left or right arrows to get the object into the right pile. However you have to be quick before you here the annoying time limit beep. This game is also very addictive. Its simplistic game play makes it a fun time waster. The graphics are nice too and at 99 cents it’s a must.

Joining Hands

Joining Hands is a goofy strategy game where you make all the characters happy and, consequently, hold hands. Not all of the characters are happy in the same places. So much of the game is trying to figure out where to best place them so that they are all happy. As the game goes on, more characters are introduced and the game becomes more challenging. This game is beautifully animated and very addictive, however it can be very frustrating at first. It only costs $2.99.

Pudding Panic

Pudding Panic is a game where you are a pudding riding on a track in a haunted house. The object of the game is to maneuver the tracks without being scared off your cart. It’s tough being a pudding in a room full of monsters! Luckily there are a couple of ways to avoid the monsters and ghosts and make it to the end of the ride. As the game progresses, you receive more options. Some of the options are to change the tracks so you avoid the monsters. Others will allow you to scare the monsters away. Another graphically pleasing game with relatively spooky characters and it only costs $0.99.

Fantastic Knight

Fantastic Knight is an awesome RPG that allows you to choose from two characters: a male knight and a female rogue. The game is about the fall of a corrupt government and the two protagonists who bring it down. A very fun game and just like any other RPG. With the ability to use spells and customize your character, Fantastic Knight is a fun game to try over and over again. The gameplay is astounding. Tapping the attack button will allow constant attacks on all enemies in sight. And the spell buttons are right next to it for instant power-ups and mega attacks. Ultimately Fanastic Knight is a crisp, fun game at only $2.99.

With all the new games that come out for the iPhone, it’s good to have a little extra time to play them. Whether you’re taking a study break or passing time in your day, it’s nice to find some cheap games to play and waste a little time.

I recently had a friend turn her back on her iPhone (which she loved) because the $100 a month she had to shell out was straining her budget.  She ultimately went back to a standard cell phone (the kind with just a number pad) and with her eschewing such fantastic technology, I think she secretly wants to be Amish (kidding… sort of).

So I’m on a mission today – if you have a smartphone, I’d like to help you keep it.  If you don’t have one yet, hopefully I can help you justify the purchase of a new one.

Today I’ll show you all of the legitimate ways that a smartphone, whether it be an Android phone or the Jesus Phone iPhone, can truly help you save money.

1) You Don’t Have To Buy So Many Gadgets

While you may not have ever been a Star Trek fan, you’ve certainly seen or heard of the tricoder used on the show.  It’s pretty much a “do everything” gadget.  With recent advances in smartphones, it’s getting closer to becoming a reality and the Life Sciences Prize Group just commissioned an “X Prize” and a $10 million reward for the team that can build one.

While today’s smartphone still can’t operate as a medical scanner, there are several legitimate gadgets you no longer need to buy:

GPS Navigation Device

Before I got my smartphone, I had three GPS devices, two handhelds and an automotive GPS.  Since I bought my Droid in November of 2009, they’ve been sitting in a drawer collecting dust.  I haven’t found any need to use any other GPS device and with Android you get the pretty darn good Google Maps Navigation Beta.  Sure, Navigon Mobile Navigator is better, but you probably don’t need it.   If you have an iPhone you may want to spend the $50 or so on it, but it still saves you from spending $150-$300 on a dedicated unit you’ll only use once in a while.

Music Player / iPod

I still have a 2^nd generation iPod… in a drawer… somewhere.   While I think my iPod is a superior music player than my Droid, I haven’t used it in the past six months – it’s so much easier to just take my phone with me and it does the job just fine.    And with apps like Double Twist for Android that will sync your iTunes playlists and music, there’s really no need to keep an iPod handy.  And since the iPhone is an iPod, there’s no excuse there unless you really want a little music player to strap to your arm while you’re working out (personally, I just make sure I wear a pair of shorts with pockets).

Digital Camera

Yes, a modern smartphone can replace a digital camera, but with a couple caveats.  First, if you’re used to a digital SLR, then I lied – you can’t.  However, if you typically use a pocket digital camera for pictures, high end smartphones like the iPhone, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC MyTouch Slide 4G, and Samsung Galaxy S 4G all have really good digital cameras built in and with onboard editing,  easy uploading to photo sharing sites like Facebook and Flickr, their ease of use easily compensates for the slightly (emphasis on slightly) higher quality you can get out of a digital camera.   I’m not going to include a video camera in this list yet since handheld video cameras can still outperform a smartphone video camera by a significant margin but the day is coming when your phone will be a perfectly good camcorder as well… give it a year or two.

And there are professional photographers who have shown that you really can take professional quality photography using an iPhone and a good eye for the right shot.

Alarm Clock

Okay, so most phones have a built in alarm clock, but apps like Gentle alarm are a whole lot nicer than that incessant buzzing your standard cell phone alarm or regular alarm clock is going to give you.  My alarm clock plays music, starting quietly and slowly getting louder over the course of 10 minutes to make waking up easier and more pleasant.   I don’t like alarm clocks in the first place and don’t really see the need to ever buy a new one.

Voice Recorder

I know that a lot of people don’t carry a voice recorder with them… but I used to.  However, my phone has made that thing obsolete as my phone has a large storage capacity and it’s even easier to transfer those files to my computer than ever before.

Stop Watch

Okay, so a stop watch doesn’t cost much to begin with and they last forever once you have one, but if you put a stop watch app on your phone, you’ll always have it with you and they really do work just as well as the real thing.

Nintendo 3DS / Sony PSP

If you like having games with you when you’re on a road trip, sitting in the airport, or riding the bus to work, you have to really be into games to bother buying a handheld gaming device like the 3DS or PSP when the iPhone has thousands of fantastic games that are a lot cheaper (most games cost between $.99 and $4.99)   Heck, on Android, you can even get a Playstation Certified smartphone (the Xperia Play) that has a real playstation controller built in – just slide up the screen and your controller is revealed.    If you like gaming on a portable device, get a smartphone.

Calculator / Graphing Calculator

I remember that in college I needed two calculators – a graphing calculator ($120) and a scientific calculator ($20).  My roommate needed a specialized finance calculator ($30).   There are free or very cheap apps that’ll run on your phone that can replace every kind

Cargo Pants

Now that you don’t need to carry all this junk around, you don’t need a pair of pants with a ton of pockets anymore, either.

2) Never Buy Another Ringtone

Ringtones are a racket and there’s really no good reason to buy one anymore when smartphone apps will allow you to turn any song into a ringtone… for free!  And you can completely customize the ringtone to be just what you like all on the phone – you don’t need to do any editing on your computer first.  On Android I use RingDroid – for the iPhone I recommend Ringtone Designer.

3) Stop Paying ATM Fees

It’s a fact of life that most banks are going to charge you to use their ATM if you’re not one of their customers and there are plenty of times where you just don’t know where the closest ATM for your bank is.  However, your smartphone can save you from getting fleeced for $2-$5 at the ATM by locating the closest one.  If you do business with a large bank, they probably already have an app out for your phone.  If you bank with a smaller bank, just bookmark their ATM locator page on your phone.

There are also apps likes ATM Hunter and Allpoint which can help you find ATMs in the area that are surcharge free (there are 37,000 free ones in Allpoint’s database).

4) Carry Your Coupons With You

Now as a guy I’m the first to admit I don’t clip coupons… ever!  I’m not going to spend any time with a flyer I got in the mail with a pair of scissors clipping coupons and putting them in my wallet.  However,  if coupons are easy to put on my phone, I’m okay with using them since they don’t take much time to find, access, and use.  For the iPhone, the best coupon app is probably Coupon Sherpa – for Android go with The Coupons.    There are plenty of store specific apps but to be honest, I’m too lazy to use those – if you’re a little more motivated, you could certainly save a bunch of money every month.

5) Compare Prices – Avoid Buying Crappy Products

A few months ago I was in Sears with a friend of mine and we saw a product that looked really interesting but the claims seemed a little “too good to be true.”  So since I had my smartphone with me, I just scanned the barcode and we were able to pull up several reviews of the product indicating that it didn’t work and it’d be a waste of money.    Saved us from wasting $15.

You can also use the barcode scanner on your phone (it scans by using your phone’s camera in case you’re not familiar with them) to compare prices.   While I wouldn’t bother on low priced items like groceries, I’d certainly be willing to use it to compare prices of power tools or electronics.

6) Store Discount / Loyalty Cards

I can’t even tell you how many discount or loyalty cards I’ve lost over the years.  There are a lot of stores I go to that give them out that I only shop at a few times a year and when I do go back, I’ve either forgotten the card in my desk drawer or it’s lost or been through the wash a few times.

However, your phone can help you manage all those cards to make your life easier.  Just download the app CardStar (they have an Android, iPhone, and Blackberry app) and you can store all of your discount cards on your phone.

Now it’s no sweat to keep all of those cards with me when I’m out shopping.

For shopping for groceries, there is an app called Grocery IQ that is really cool.  First of all, whenever you run out of something or you’re getting low, just scan the barcode at home and it’ll put the item on a list so you actually remember to buy it when you to got the grocery store.  That feature alone makes it worth it to me since it often takes me two or three trips to the store to remember to buy items that I’ve run out of.   It also stores you’re the discount cards to the grocery stores you go to and keeps you up to date on sales and coupons.

And while we’re saving money, let’s not forget about gas.  If you live in a city, even a small city, there are probably several choices of gas stations that are all convenient for you to visit.  However, since gas prices literally fluctuate daily, knowing which station has the cheapest gas that day is a pain unless you’re going to drive by all of them… and you’re not going to do that because that’d waste more money than you could ever save.  So just download the app GasBuddy and it’ll help you find which gas station has the cheapest gas that day.

7) Unlimited Calling… Without An Unlimited Plan

I know I know – phone calls are so last century… but I know a lot of people do spend quite a bit of time on the phone and will burn through their anytime minutes quickly.

However, there is a workaround you can use to hack your Android phone and make unlimited phone calls as much as you want.  The only thing you need to make sure you get is a cell phone plan that has a friends and family option.  You really only need one number to make this work so get the cheapest plan.

Then you just need to make sure you have a Google Voice account setup and then you need to download an app called Google Voice Callback.

Next, setup one of your “friends and family” numbers to be your Google Voice number.  Remember that Google Voice makes long distance calls to anyone in the United States for free.

When you use Google Voice Callback, you end up using your cell phone to call your Google Voice number, then the app uses Google Voice to place the long distance call.    The end result is unlimited long distance even on a much cheaper plan.

You can also use Skype to make phone calls so if you don’t want to setup the system I just mentioned, then just use Skype to make calls.

Either way you slice it, the only time you should be using anytime minutes is when you’re receiving phone calls… all your outgoing calls can be placed without using any of your minutes.

8 ) Tethering / Mobile Hotspot Without An Additional Charge

I remember a few years ago getting a mobile broadband card for my laptop.  I traveled a lot and needed to be able to get on the Internet in more places than just airports and coffee shops so I paid the $60/month it cost.

These days the cell phone companies are happy to let your share the Internet connection from your smartphone supply an internet connection to your laptop or any other mobile device… for a fee – usually $30/month.

That’s still ridiculous especially if you have an unlimited data plan considering you can do it without paying an extra dime.

Disclaimer: The following information isn’t exactly approved by the cell phone carriers – in fact they’re very much against this so remember you could be violating the terms of your contract if you follow any of the advice below.  The consequences of following my advice are unknown but could result in your service being terminated, or additional charges being added to your bill, or you might be placed in a burlap sack and beaten with reeds – I really don’t know.

What I do know is that I’m already paying the cell phone company over $100/month to begin with, I’m not going to lose a wink of sleep over not giving them even more money every month, but ultimately the decision is up to you and if you feel it’s morally wrong or you can’t handle the potential consequences (known or unknown), then don’t do it – nobody’s twisting your arm.  The information below is for informational purposes only – you take full responsibility for any consequences that come from putting it into practice. [/disclaimer]

AT&T and Verizon have been cracking down on unauthorized tethering apps like PDAnet and Tether lately since they only want you to use their apps that they’ll charge you an arm and a leg for.

While you can still find those apps, the easiest way to future proof your phone is to root it if you’re an Android user or Jailbreak it if you’re an iPhone user.

Just Google it for directions (try “root + your phone’s model” or “jailbreak iphone”).  The process is different for every phone and changes frequently for may phones which means that how to do it is well beyond the scope of this already lengthy article and would require yet another lengthy disclaimer.

Once you’re rooted or Jailbroken, you’ll able to download apps like Wireless Tether for Android (free) and MyWi 4.0 for the iPhone ($19.99 on Cydia or Intelliborn.com).

Then you can use your phone as a Wifi hotspot for no additional charge and power your iPad, Android tablet, laptop or whatever the heck you want.

Conclusion

So there you have it – several ways to justify the additional cost of a smartphone.  Have any other ways you can use a smartphone to save money?  Just post in the comments – we’re always looking for more cool tips.

1. Aha – Aha is a downright brilliant app designed for people stuck in traffic. The coolest thing about Aha isn’t the fact that it provides real-time traffic info, can help you locate bathrooms, coffee stops or diners – it’s that through Aha you can talk to other users on the network. You can chat with other drivers, play karaoke with them, or scream and rant about your frustrations through Aha. The only problem is that if there’s no one else on the network nearby, well then you’ll be ranting to yourself. Learn more about Aha at http://ahamobile.com/.

2. Zipcar – For people who do not own cars, Zipcar is an incredibly nifty service. Zipcar is a car sharing service where for an annual fee, you can rent one of their many cars parked throughout several major cities. With the Zipcar app, you can find available Zipcars on a map, browse through car types, make and cancel Zipcar reservations, open your Zipcar with the iPhone and honk your Zipcar’s horn with your iPhone so you can find it in a sea of cars. Get more info about Zipcar at http://www.zipcar.com/iphone/.

3. iTransitBuddy – If renting a car is not for you, then check out the world of mass transit through iTransitBuddy. iTransitBuddy is currently designed only for trains and has access to schedules for more than 20 transit agencies through the country. What’s really nifty about iTransitBuddy is that it actually loads the schedules onto your phone, which means if you’re trapped in an underground station with no WiFi, you can still search through the train schedules! Learn more about iTransitBuddy here at http://iphone.itransitbuddy.com/.

4. Transit Maps – Similar to iTransitBuddy, the Transit Maps app lets you download and save things to your iPhone in case you don’t have WiFi access. Like the name suggests, Transit Maps lets you download, save and view large format maps. You can zoom in and out of the maps, drag them in any direction and scroll through locations. Find out more about this incredibly helpful app at http://www.felttip.com/maps/.

5. Bike Your Drive – Available from REI, this is an app designed for all those bike commuters out there. With Bike Your Drive, you can use the built in iPhone GPS to calculate your distance. It also allows you to calculate how many calories you have burned by biking and how much gas and money you have saved by biking instead of driving or using public transportation. Check it out at http://www.rei.com/bikeyourdrive.

Ryan Embly writes for the cheap car rental website http://www.carrentalexpress.com.

Zynga’s popular Facebook game is now available for play on your iPhone. Although you must be a registered Facebook user to plant and harvest crops, signing up for an account and downloading the game is easy.

2. Gun Bros.

If you’re looking for an action-filled game with a lot of weapons, you’ll do yourself a favor by downloading this game. In addition to being able to shoot robots in the face, you also get your fair share of cool armor and gear to battle with.

3. Mega Jump.

Crazy looking creatures get propelled upward by collecting coins. If you’re a fan of adventure themed games, this one’s for you.

4. Paper Toss.

Enjoy the same sort of boredom that office workers face daily by shooting crumpled up balls of paper into a wastebasket. The real challenge relies on your ability to defeat the evil office fan when it blows in the direction of your paper basketball.

5. Solitaire.

If you love playing cards solo, this is the game for you. It also comes packed with a bunch of different options including draw-3 and draw-1 modes as well as Klondike.

6. Texas Poker.

Who doesn’t love playing group games? If you’re serious about poker, this should be one of the first free games that you download. It connects to the Pokerist Facebook game, which has over 125,000 active users making it easy to find people to play against night and day.

7. Touch Pets Dogs 2.

If your landlord won’t let you have a pet, get the next best thing–a game onthe iPhone that allows you to care for a slew of virtual animals. Walk and feed your dogs so you can fully furnish your minimalist home.

8. Words With Friends Free.

Use your love for words to compete with your family and friends in this fun, interactive game. Although the free trial version does include advertisements, there really isn’t much difference between it and the paid version.

9. DizzyPad.

If you like games that are simple in appearance but challenging in execution, you should try your hand at this app. Leap from lily-pad to lily-pad without falling into the pond.

10. Lil’ Pirates.

Satisfy your urge to go off to sea with this customizable, interactive game. Select a crew, perform tasks, gain some loot, and get bigger ships. You can even select your captain’s hair color and the color of your vessel.

You don’t have to go far to find free games for your iPhone. Once you download and play them you can decide whether or not you want to keep them. From shooting robots to enjoying a pirate’s bounty, these games are worth their weight in gold because they won’t cost you a dime!

Nicole Rodgers has been in the tech industry for 3 years; she currently contributes to blogs that deal with how to build websites and how utilizing click tracking can increase customer relationship management.