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.

Chirping for the Masses

The famous Nextel walkie-talkie phones soon became the IM replacement of the cellphone world, and became very popular with many people outside the business sector. The act of talking to someone using the walkie-talkie method quickly took the name, “chirping.” How many products in the world officially had slang terms created for their products? Not many, that is for sure, but now the exclusivity is gone because HeyTell distributes an Android and Apple application for smartphones that recreates the chirping act of communication.

Yes, that’s right, now we have walkie-talkie for the smartphones, and it is just cool. Now the company is going over the top with the recent addition of group chirping. HeyTell was not one of the “winners” at the SXSW conference in early 2011, but could upset the race. Group messaging systems like GroupMe and KiK took the show at the media and technology conference. Social networking is looking to be the next big move in mobile. HeyTell, with the addition of group messaging to its direct-connect app, makes it potentially a killer group messaging app.

The service is not perfect, as it has a bit of a lag, depending on the message length, and is because the system uses an IP voicemail transfer system. You push a button to talk, the system records your voice, digitizes it, and then sends it over the Internet to the target phone where it is played back, which make s a small delay, especially if you talk a lot, but it is still very, very cool. By incorporating the concept of group messaging and the walkie-talkie, users can create groups from Facebook contacts.

Who is HeyTell?

HeyTell is an application released by Voxitale, but beyond this, very little information exists on the company home page and what you see is what you get, as this is all that is currently known about the app’s creators. The basic app is free to download and use, while revenue is generated with the addition of other app extensions such as broadcasting to multiple contacts. The Facebook interconnect is built into the basic app.

We can only imagine that the capabilities of this platform are going to increase dramatically. One reason is that the company has recently scored millions in funding. The reviews are rave across the board, both customers and the media are filled with glowing statements about how cool it is, how easy to use. The addiction will begin. This company could easily extend the functionality of the app and grow is user base at the same time. The company is already expanding its capacity to 100 million users, and has over 4 million registered users now; by the end of the year, HeyTell might just grow to outpace all the other group-messaging systems. It could add geo-location and video; can you imagine a video walkie-talkie? It could be as big as Facebook itself, as the very idea of walkie-talkie smartphones is enough to ensure this start up has a major shot at the future.

About the Author:

Jon T. Norwood is a managing partner at High Speed Internet, a site dedicated to providing information on Mobile Broadband News. Jon can be reached at jon@velocityguide.com.

If you have an iPhone and you’re having a hard time managing your money, or maybe you just want an application that can get you back on your feet.  If you feel as if you’re falling into that never ending money pit, maybe a few of these iPhone applications can help!  Trust me, I’ve been in a bad money situation before and I was willing to do anything to get myself back to the positive side, rather than in the red.

I wanted to point out a few, cool applications that you can download on your iPhone if you’re looking for ways to not only manage your money, but save at the same time.

#1 Mint – I love Mint and not only because you can use it online, but you can use it on your phone.  If you’re unfamiliar with this service, you really should get to know it!  It’s a fantastic way to budget your finances on a monthly basis.  You will give Mint your banking information, credit card info and more.  In a secure way, it will pull your data and show you exactly what you’re spending your money on.

#2 Billminder – We all get bills when we get on our own.  This is just a way of life!  This app makes life easier as it’s going to remind you when a bill is coming up.  Yes, I’m sure you forgot about that water bill coming up, but with this application, it’s going to remind you a few days ahead of time before that bill comes.

#3 Paypal – Most of us have Paypal nowadays and it’s a great way to send money to just about anyone within seconds.  If you have a Paypal account, you can not only access your account information on your phone, you can also send your money to a friend, neighbor or any relative that has an account.  In fact, you can also bump your phones together to send money instantly!  Throw in a Paypal debit card and you can use that money right away.

#4 Banking Applications – This is a generic one but check with your bank to see if they have an iPhone application.  Most of your bigger named banks such as Bank of America, Chase and more all have applications that you can use for free.  With the app, you can check your balance, transfer funds, pay bills and with some, you can even deposit your checks.  This is a great way to avoid going to the bank if you’re finding that it’s a pain to go to.

#5 Loan Calculator Pro – There are a few of these applications out there but I like the PRO version because it enables you to know what you’re going to pay over the life of a loan.  For example, if you want to get a car loan at 5%, you can see exactly what’s going to go to interest and what’s going to go to principal.  This is a great application to kick you in the butt to pay your loan off rather fast.

#6 CostCutter – This is a cool application that allows you to cut expenses on a monthly basis.  You will input your monthly expenses, you tell it what you want to save, and it will give recommendations.  It’s a really cool way to cut corners on your budget to help you save!

1. Encrypt Your Backup Information

Set your preferences to encrypt the information downloaded to your computer during sync. Though the information remains unencrypted on the device itself, the logged backup will be unreadable to those attempting to ascertain private information or past whereabouts.

2. Encrypt Your Device

Many smartphones offer data encryption options for the device itself. This prevents information from being intercepted and accessed during transmission. Check with your provider to determine if this is an option for your device.

3. Set Location Services to “OFF” Mode

iPhone and Android devices both have options to knowingly transmit location data. In the setup of Droid phones, users can opt out of transmitting information to Google. iPhone users can select to turn off location services at any time via the setup menu. However, turning off location mode has its drawbacks. Apps and maps that access the users locale to provide pertinent info and tips become virtually moot.

4. Beware of Apps

Just like a computer, a smartphone is vulnerable to viruses and malware that can easily be downloaded in the form of applications, links and ringtones. Check what others are saying before downloading via reviews and ratings. Also be wary of opening spam emails or providing apps with access to location or your contact information.

5. Use Anti-Virus Software

Downloading a TRUSTED application to guard against malware and viruses adds an extra layer of protection against malicious programs attempting to gain location, contact info and private data.

6. Keep Your Phone With You

No one wants to lose their phone, but many casually leave their phone lying about the office, on tables in restaurants and generally in spots others can access. With your smartphone in hand, anyone has access to your past whereabouts in addition to all the other information you carry with you. If your phone is stolen, call your provider immediately to disconnect service and see if they have the ability to “wipe,” or erase all its information.

7. Password Protect Your Device

Setting a complex password is the easiest way to protect your information. In the event your phone does fall into someone else’s hands you will have an extra layer of protection against their access to your data.

8. Surf Safely

Similar to on personal computers, beware the sites your visiting and the data trail you are leaving. Clear browser history and cache regularly and do not visit questionably secure sites.

9. Purchase in a Privacy Filter

We often access our information in public without thinking of the ramifications. Simply a thin shield that prevents your information from being seen from the side or at angle, privacy filters can protect you from the prying eyes of those nearby when sending an email or checking a bank balance on the bus.

10. Keep Sensitive Information On Your Home Computer

Hopefully you’ve taken the necessary steps to keep information on your home computer or laptop safeguarded. Refraining from transmitting highly-sensitive information and files to and from your smartphone ensures one less place to worry about its security.

Despite all of the controversy and anxiety surrounding privacy concerns, you can still use these methods to stay safe while enjoying your gadgets.

* FedEx Mobile
Compatibility: iPhone, Blackberry and Android
Cost: Free
A comprehensive app, this leads users to nearby FedEx locations, shows pickup schedules, allows users to access specific quotes, accesses shipping histories, designs and sends PDF shipping labels via email, and tracks any packages you may have in route.

* UPS Mobile
Compatibility: iPhone, Blackberry and Android
Cost:Free
This UPS app has mobile tracking for your packages, printing and sending labels through email, quotes and estimations for shipping costs and delivery times, as well as identifying nearby UPS locations for drop-off and pickup.

* Overnight
Compatibility: iPhone
Cost: $4.99
Here the iPhone app gathers shipping costs and locates the nearest UPS, USPS, DHL and FedEx locations. It also tracks any mobile packages.

* Delivery Status Touch
Compatibility: iPhone and iPad
Cost: $4.99
Delivery Status Touch offers package tracking for items in transit and before they have even shipped. Support for Adobe.com, Apple.com, Aramex, Canada Post, City Link, DHL, GlobalMail, FedEx, GLS, Google Checkout, Hermes Logistik Gruppe, Hongkong Post, Japan Post, La Poste, OnTrac, Parcelforce, Post Danmark, Purolator, Royal Mail, Poste Italiane, EMS, Posten, Sagawa Express, Swiss Post, TNT, UPS, USPS, Yamato Transport come with the app including  the option to add more. Packages being tracked are synced with your computer to easily be accessed when a mobile device is attached. This is an optimal app for people dealing with international shipping and/or tracking.

* Package Tracking
Compatibility: Android
Cost: Free
An Android app, this offers an integrated solution for tracking items from UPS, USPS, DHL and Fedex. It is a lot less comprehensive than the other apps but who will complain about its price?

Some of the top apps on this list are free and offered by the companies themselves. However, individuals may enjoy an integrated all-in-one solution, which will display data from multiple carriers at once. To date, iPhone users have access to the most shipping and tracking apps, but Android users also have some good options as well. Whichever smartphone you may have, managing and tracking packages have become something that may be done by phone.

Author Bio: J. Salvage is blogger and tech junkie who incessantly tracks the many packages she orders.

Congress is now demanding answers.  Specifically Republican Edward Markey has asked Apple to convey more specific information on the data collection to ensure that the iPhone “doesn’t become an iTrack.”  Further, Senator Al Franken wrote to Steve Jobs demanding details on Apple’s conduct.

The first question that comes to mind is why both companies would be interested in tracking consumers’ locations?  Many think such conduct will contribute to the companies building giant databases.  In turn, these databases may help both companies get into the $2.9 billion location-based services market.  Research firm Gartner Inc has predicted that in 2014, the location-based services market is expected to grow into an $8.3 billion market.  Considering these large numbers, it does make sense that the companies would strive to tap into this largely profitable market.

Since the tracking reports released earlier this week, Google and Apple have not released any specific statements.  Many await how both companies will respond and defend their careless conduct.

Here are some thoughts that come to my mind.  Many people voluntarily release information regarding their whereabouts via Facebook or Twitter updates.  So these same people cannot complain about their phones tracking their location information when they themselves voluntarily divulge the information on the Internet.  After all, their actions allow people to track them, just as their phones are doing.

The larger issue here is that Google and Apple failed to inform customers of this tracking capability, and did not obtain consent from customers.  If they had, there would be no issue made of it today.  These are two large companies who can probably afford top-notch lawyers to be their general counsel.  Why then did no one pay attention to the “inform and consent” issue?  Was it consciously ignored?  We would hope that both companies would always strive to behave ethically and not consciously ignore such a huge issue, but then again ethics and business do not always mix.

Alongside informing consumers and acquiring their consent, both companies should have provided an “opt-out” option, where consumers can opt-out of being tracked.  Not only would this have made consumers happy, but it would have shielded the companies from any potential litigation.  Why such approaches were not thought of is simply shocking.

However, I doubt that iPhone and Android sales will suffer due to the tracking news.  Wherever you go, people are hooked onto their smart phones and cannot imagine their lives without them.  Now, there is just a heightened awareness of the vast capabilities of these small devices.

Most likely, both companies may face a class action lawsuit in the near future.    Many people own iPhones and Androids, and are objecting to the invasive conduct by both companies.  However, each individual bringing about a lawsuit for invasion of privacy and any resulting harm is not likely.  However, once a class action commences, adding members to the group will not be difficult.  Further, it is obvious that a lawsuit against deep-pocket corporations such as Apple or Google will likely result in some form of favorable recovery for each individual, without any single person doing a great deal of work.  Therefore, people are likely to corroborate and file a class action against these two large corporations.

If it can be proven that both companies have collected, stored, and disclosed consumer location information without obtaining written consent, it is not likely that they will be pardoned in a court of law.  Although paying a settlement to each member of the suit will not be a huge burden to both billion dollar companies, nor will it likely decrease product sales, it may affect the credibility of both companies.  People may force themselves to think twice, research, and truly inquire about an Apple or Google product before taking it home.

Neha Sareen is a regular contributor to LegalMatch and the LegalMatch Law Blog.

JustAddMoney Expense Tracker

One of the best such apps for the iPhone is the JustAddMoney Expense Tracker by Rich Media Technologies, Inc. This app not only helps you keep track of your money but to share this information with others as well through its multiuser online tracker. You can track your expenses as you go along by entering in your receipts, credit card and cash outlays at the time of each purchase. And of course, the app will keep track of how much cash you currently have on hand.

You can add additional users to the tracker to see how much your teammates have spent before making the next big purchase. There will be no need to wait for your checks to clear the bank or to be surprised when you receive your credit card statement.

In addition, you can transfer money from one account to another, organize expense categories and create date-based financial reports to keep your financial data organized. This app can manage your expenses no matter how complex they may be.

Mobile Password Safe

Another great app for those who want to keep information private (in other words, everybody) is Mobile Password Safe by Market Acumen, Inc. What better place to store all of your sensitive passwords than on the iPhone you always have with you?

With this app you, and only you, will have access to your passwords. For extra security the passwords are decrypted in your browser. This means that plain text is never sent to the server. In this way, you can be assured of 100% security because your passwords cannot be hacked.

The app also allows you to create labels for your passwords so that you can search for them interactively. For any business person who has multiple passwords and other sensitive information, including online banking information that must be protected, this app is essential.

Salesforce Mobile

Salesforce Mobile by Salesforce.com allows users to access their sales force information instantly from their iPhones. There are two versions: “Lite” and “Full.” The Lite version is free for Salesforce.com customers, who will have full edit and create capabilities with the standard CRM data. The mobile Lite version can be enabled for an organization by the Salesforce Admin.

The full version allows users to build their own mobile Salesforce app, with fully customizable objects and configurations. The full version requires an unlimited edition license or an add-on mobile license.

LinkedIn

The free LinkedIn app brings the power of the professional networking site to your iPhone. It gives you the ability to look up the details of over 100 million worldwide professionals for any client meeting or interview. You can get the latest updates and news on your network, make new connections or reconnect with old ones, send invitations or check your inbox. Or keep all your contacts up-to-date with your own status while on the go. You can do it all on LinkedIn.

The smoothness and slick design of the iPhone and the over 350,000 apps that are available for it means that Apple’s popular mobile product will continue to be an indispensable business companion.

You might get the impression that the Mac is the forgotten stepchild of the Internet marketing industry. But did you know that some of the top names in Internet Marketing use Macs? Visit internetmacmarketing.com and get a FREE 75-page ebook that covers everything you need to know about running your Internet business using a Mac, iPhone and iPad here: http://internetmacmarketing.com/10tools.html

By: Timothy Arends

Softphone Apps for the iPhone can vary in service, quality and savings. Some of these apps actually run on your phone while others are internet hosted. Some VoIP providers have apps you can use for free if you are already a subscriber.

Here is a list of the Top 10 VoIP apps for your iPhone:

SKYPE

The original Skype iPhone client came out just over 2 years ago. It was awesome then, and it is awesome now. They have added a handful of new features like 2-way video calling, which makes use of the front camera on the iPhone 4. Skype lets you use both 3g and Wi-Fi to make calls, including video calls. You can mute a call, accept calls only as audio and switch between both cameras on the phone. Through the Skype app you can also instant message, and chat via SMS.

Google Voice

With much anticipation from consumers, much uproar from phone companies and a little interference from the FTC, the Google Voice app is now available for iPhone. Unlike some of Google’s other applications, the Voice app runs native on the iPhone. The app lets you thread communications, so you can follow conversations. You can look up history. The app will also transcribe your voicemails so that you can read them as texts. Importing contact from your iPhone contact list is easy. Like with Skype, you have to be set up with the Google Voice to use the app.

Truphone

This was one of the first mobile VoIP applications offered in the app store and it remains one of the bestselling. Calls you make over a Wi-Fi network are free, as are calls between Truphone users. Calls to landlines are pretty cheap, even for VoIP service, so this is a great app if you make a lot of international calls. Installation and setting up an account can be a little tricky, but the call quality and customer service are above par. Plus, the app integrates with the iPhone GUI, so accessing contact and call information from your phone is easy.

Fring

Fring is more of a mobile aggregator since the app lets you access your various communication services. You can use Fring with your Skype, Google Talk, Twitter, AIM and Yahoo accounts. You can make calls either through your Skype account, or you can use SIP (a protocol) to make calls through any of a dozen VoIP service providers. Fring has a list of VoIP providers they work with, and signing up is easy and the calls are ridiculously cheap.

iCall

iCall lets you make calls from your phone that won’t count against your phone’s minutes, when you are connected to a Wi-Fi or 3G network. One of the major advantages with iCall is that if a phone call comes in to your phone over the regular cellular network and you are connected to Wi-Fi, you can transfer the call over. iCall is one of the few VoIP apps that is fully integrated with the iPhone. So you can easily access your phone’s contact lists.

About the Author: When he’s not out skiing the Utah powder, Greg Buckskin is a writer and blogger for Comcast.USDirect.com – home to  Comcast Deals.