It’s been about 6 months since I “sold out” and joined the cult of the iPhone.  Over that time I have used a lot of various applications that you can get from the famous App Store.  Today I’m going to be looking at some of the most used FREE applications.  All the apps below can be downloaded from the App Store and cost a whopping zero dollars.

USA Today – While I hold that the printed newspaper will go the way of the dodo eventually, I feel that it will be a long time before it happens.  However, with apps like the USA Today app on the iPhone, it could happen just a hair sooner.  This app completely removes the need to buy a copy of USA Today from a newsstand or vending machine.  You get all the latest news that you would get from USA Today right on your iPhone screen.  It’s easy to navigate, and the text is fairly easy to read.  You also get quick access to weather, sport scores, and headline photos.  A great app if you want to keep up with the news.

Alternatives: Associated Press App if you want local coverage and more news.

Evernote – If you’ve never heard of Evernote, you’re probably trying to remember too much stuff in your head.  With the Evernote iPhone app, you can completely remove (or move them off your main page) two default iPhone apps; Notes and Voice Memos.  The Evernote app connects with your Evernote account and allows you to create, manage, and sync your notes.  You can turn photos or voice memos into notes that get uploaded to the Evernote servers for future reference.  It makes organizing thoughts and information easy.  Trust Evernote to be your memory and with the iPhone app it’s just that much easier to do.

Shoutcast – It’s no secret to anyone that reads this blog that I like music.  I like finding new music I haven’t heard and sometimes I like a radio format.  The problem is that I hate regular radio.  But I’ve long loved internet radio, and I’ve been using Shoutcast since when WinAmp was still the top music player for Windows.  The Shoutcast app for the iPhone makes it easy to find streaming stations that fit your musical tastes, plus if you get tired of listening to your limited collection on your iPhone it’s a great way to add some variety.

QuickTip – My wife and I eat out a lot, mainly due to our 5 month old son having lots of doctors appointments which leaves us with a lack of time to fix meals at home.  I hate figuring out the tip, I had been working  a pretty decent system of just doubling the tax and then rounding up to the nearest whole dollar.  That gets expensive and if you had a bad waiter, you’re over tipping if you do that.  QuickTip makes it easy, you can set a default tip amount and then have it round up/down to the nearest dollar.  A great app for those that eat out frequently.

Zynga Live Poker – The only game on the list (I have more actual applications/utilities than games on my iPhone) is Zynga’s Live Poker app.  This app will allow you to connect to your Facebook account (where Zynga has a Texas Hold’em app) and play against your Facebook friends from your iPhone.  Also the app is gorgeous, and is fun to play even if you aren’t playing against your friends.  Plus, you get free chips just for logging in once a day, nice incentive to get people coming back routinely.  Plus its Texas Hold’em which is like the most popular card game in the world right now.