10 Smartphone Apps That Everyone Can Use

A lot of times, we cover applications that are specific to the health care industry so that you can utilize your smartphone to do your job better (in fact, you’ll find a regular feature called App Wrap; check out the latest roundup here). However, even health care professionals need downtime too, or so we hear. So, with that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of applications that can be used daily by just about anyone. Some of the selections here are ubiquitous and very well known, but we hope that some of the others will enhance your collection of apps on whatever smartphone you are carrying.

Music

1) Pandora — Like music? Of course you do. It doesn’t matter what kind. Just start with a band/compser/songwriter that you like and let Pandora take you through a musical journey that will likely end with you jotting down a few new groups or artists to check out. After selecting a starting point, Pandora will play music that is similar to what you’ve chosen; if at any point you don’t like what you hear you can choose to skip to the next song. If you like what you hear, click the thumbs up. By doing this you’ll help Pandora further refine their selections to accommodate your taste. The app is free and available on all major smartphone platforms.

2) Radio Companion — Pandora is great because it helps you find new music that otherwise may not have found. However, it isn’t radio. Most people have a favorite radio station or two, and maybe it’s a station that is talk radio station that doesn’t even play music. Or maybe you’ve recently moved to a new location and you miss that radio station you grew up with. Well, no need to worry; Radio Companion is an easy way to bring along all your favorite radio stations in your pocket. It’s completely free, and you can quickly and easily search for radio stations based on location and then stream them right to your phone. The app is currently designed for BlackBerry phones, but can also be available for jailbroken iPhones and iPod touches.

3) Wolfgang’s Vault — Like classic rock? Have an iPhone? Then this is the app for you. It’s not a music discovery app like Pandora or an app to let you stream live radio. However, this app will give you unprecedented access to a bevy of classic rock concerts from the 60s to today. For $50/year, you can have unlimited streaming of some of the most well revered concerts from your favorite classic rock bands. The collection here is truly amazing. Rolling Stone has declared Wolfgang’s Vault one of the best music apps today and Macworld UK named it the best app of 2009 — time to find out why.

Sports

If you are a sports fan, then this is a must have app. ScoreMobile brings you the up-to-the-minute information about whatever games interest you. Box scores, scoring summaries, and statistics galore right at the touch of your fingers. Need we say more?

5) NFL Mobile App — First, the bad news; the magnificence of this app is available for free, but only for Verizon users. Now, onto why every Verizon user who likes football should have it: free streaming of games, free NFL Redzone, and a plethora of other multimedia features.

Social Networking

6) Facebook — This one is painfully obvious. If you have a Facebook account and a smartphone, it’s a perfect marriage. Carry your newsfeed wherever you go.

7) LinkedIn — The social network for working professionals has seen several makeovers since its mobile app has been released. The layout is much improved and navigation is simpler. If you haven’t downloaded it yet or haven’t updated in a while, be sure to check it out — you won’t be disappointed.

8) UberTwitter — If you use Twitter and you have a BlackBerry, this is the mobile app for you. Twitter’s official app is ok but lacking some of the interface and functionality of UberTwitter. Searching, hash tags, and user profiles are easily navigable. With any luck, this app will be available for all smartphones soon.

Other

9) Weather Channel Mobile — There are a lot of weather apps out there, but this remains the premier one because the interface is clean and it’s available on all smartphones. We’re all affected by the weather. Stop waiting for “weather on the 8s” and be able to access the current temp and weeklong forecast at your convenience.

10) Flixster — Movie apps are also aplenty, bit Flixster separates itself by being user friendly and having a lot to offer, such as user and critics’ reviews.