The slacker's guide to iPhone apps

I downloaded the new iPhone update yesterday, and immediately added most of the social networking apps to my menu. Facebook, Twitterrific, MySpace, Pownce, and Kyte are all great if you want to stay on top of what your friends are doing, but the iPhone should also be a tool that makes your life easier, and the Apple Apps Store is full of programs to help you do just that. So sit back, relax, and let the iPhone do all the work for you. Check out the list of helpful applications below:

Remote: Having a party? Control your tunes from your iPhone. This free application syncs up with your iTunes library or Apple TV and turns your iPhone into a wireless remote control. Setting up is as easy as entering a four-digit passcode for authorization, which literally takes less than a minute. Once your library is setup, you can sort through music by playlists, artists, albums, and so on. If you're expecting to play music from your iTunes library via your iPhone, you'll be disappointed. Remote is exactly what it sounds like, and only lets you control media playing on your computer or TV. Price: Free

Friends: I've been somewhat frustrated by the way you have to scroll through names in order to find a contact, so I just had to download Friends when I saw the interface. I had some problems installing the program, but once I re-installed it, it worked like a charm. Friends basically displays photo icons of the people you call the most, and instead of scrolling through a list of names on your iPhone, you simply tap a picture button to place your call. I personally wish there was a way to make the icons a bit smaller so I can fit more than six in one screen, but perhaps they'll fix this in the next version. You can create a total of 90 buttons, which I'm sure will be plenty for the average person. Price: $4.99  Note: Also see Favorater.

SpeechCloud: Finally, a way to add voice dialing to your iPhone. As of this post, I was having trouble downloading this application, but it sounds like a must have. The description says you simply speak the name of a contact to call, and the app looks up the name for you. Should be great for drivers with hands-free laws like California. I'll bring you a quick review once I can download it.

Jott: Remember Jott? Well the speech-to-text application has finally come to the iPhone. You'll have to create an account with Jott, but once you do, you can start recording voice memos that are then transcribed and stored in your notes application. It's great for taking notes at school, or just making to-do lists. The application is free, so go ahead and give it a try.

iLoveControl: This is the ultimate do-it-all must-have application that ever existed for any phone. This basically turns your iPhone into a wireless remote control that gives you total control of your IP enabled home theater and home automation system (if you have one) so you can turn on the lights, change the temperature, and control your media devices (TV, satellite, projector). Price: $2.99

Dial Zero: Everyone needs help at one time or another, but many of us would rather suffer than call customer support. It's not that we are too proud to ask for help, but waiting on the phone and dealing with automated systems is just too much for anyone to handle. Dial Zero will search for customer service numbers for you and tell you how to get a person on the phone without listening to voice prompts. It reminds me of No Phonetrees.

Know of any other cool apps? Let us know in the comments below.

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