This post is a third in a series which outlines the iPhone applications that I find most useful. Check out “My Favorite iPhone Apps” (October 14, 2008) and “5 iPhone Apps That Rocked My World” (February 3, 2009) to see my previous recommendations.

CardStar	My wallet is filled with membership cards, which is super annoying. It means that I either have to make sure to bring it out or risk not having a specific card (and getting the membership benefits). With Cardstar, you simply enter in the number on your membership card and it creats a scanable barcode, effectively allowing you to leave the clunky cards at home and ensuring that you’ll always have the informatin (and the discounts) with you.
foursquare	My friends frequently ask me why I would share my whereabouts with the world (through Twitter, mostly). Now I have an answer: To unlock badges, become mayor and beat my friends at “nights out”.In Foursquare, I get “points” for checking in at different restaurants, bars, attractions, etc. Each Foursquare user starts out with just a “newbie” badge but things like 4 nights out in a row, checking in at three places in one night, checking in past 2am on a school night, will “unlock” other badges. I can “compete” with my friends (which can be added by scaning an address book, looking up someone by phone number, or finding Twitter friends who are using the service) to see who has the most check-ins or just as a way to see where they are.If you are a big going-out person and are maybe a tad competitive, you will be HOOKED on this app! (Add me on Foursquare!)
Photogene	Photogene brings photo-editing capabilities to the iPhone. I snap and upload pictures (to Twitter, to Facebook, to Flickr, etc.) on the go all the time so I think this app is completely worth its $2.99 pricetag. I use it mostly for cropping my pictures, but it has many more capabilities like adding special effects, straightening tilted pictures and correctiong the color.
PPB (Photo Phonebook)	This app is simple yet genius. Download up the app, create a user account and when someone calls you who you are Facebook friends with, their Facebook profile picture will come up. Did I mention it’s simple yet genius?
SnapTell	See a book (or CD or movie, for that matter) that you are interesting in buying but not ready to buy it at the moment and/or don’t want to overpay? Simply “snap” a picture of the cover and SnapTell will not only show you prices at other stores, but it will also save your query, effectively creating a wishlist on your iPhone that you can come back to later. For indecisive folks like me, this is great (or dangerous since it means I can put off making the decision)!
TweetDeck	I was a big, big fan of Twitterfon — until TweetDeck came out with an iPhone app earlier this month. Anyone using Twitter who has a smartphone needs an app to Tweet on the go. Tweetdeck originated as a robust desktop application in which users can create “groups” of Twitter contacts, searches by keywords and otherwise segment Tweets. Using the iPhone app, users get all that functionality on their mobile phones and it syncs to a user’s desktop instance of the application.
Yelp	Yelp is a phonebook, a map, and a guide book all in one. If I’m out somewhere and need to find the closest sushi restaurant, let’s say, Yelp will locate me and with a simple search provide me with nearby sushi restaurants, complete with reviews, addresses pinpointed on a map and phone numbers to call ahead. And after I’ve eaten, I can pull the app back out and write a review right then and there. In my opinion, its the reviews and other helpful information (like business hours) that helps Yelp trump other location-based restaurant/services apps like AroundMe and Urbanspoon.
DC Bonus: inauguration	This app was created to help visitors navigate around DC for Barak Obama’s Presidential Inauguration. Five months later, it’s still installed on my phone. I use it primarily to find out which Metro station is closest and the upcoming train schedule (Do I have 2 or 20 minutes to catch the Red Line train to Glenmont?). I know other Metro apps do exist, but whether it’s laziness or an unwillingness to pay for an app when I already have one for free that will do the trick, I’m sticking with this one for now.

If you’re an iPhone owner and I’ve seen you recently, you’ve most likely already heard about my two new favorite applications. I figured it’s about time to spread the love to the rest of the world… So, without further ado, here are two iPhone applications that have rocked my world recently:

1.  Movies by Flixter – With this application, you can check to see all movies that are currently out in theaters, find nearby theaters with address and phone information, find upcoming showtimes (by movie or by theater), see upcoming movie releases or recent DVD releases, get to review sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB with just one click…

In the words of George Gershwin:  Who could ask for anything more? (Interestingly enough, this application was created by a Jeffrey Grossman, a sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University, and it became the first acquired iPhone app when Flixter bought it in August 2008. Read the full story here.)

2. Fring – Fring brings instant messaging to the iPhone – which isn’t that impressive since other applications can do that as well – and do it better, I might add. The IM Plus application allows the user to sign onto MULTIPLE instances of different Instant Messaging platforms like Google Chat and AIM.

But what sets Fring apart is that it enables you to use Skype from your phone and have it count as a (free) computer-to-computer call. This means that Micki in Israel will be getting to hear my voice a lot more frequently now.  Is your best friend studying abroad this semester? Have family overseas? All I’m saying is, you can thank me later.

Back in October,  I made a list of my favorite iPhone applications. I’d like to call out my favorite three that aren’t newly discovered (and therefore don’t qualify for the preceding list) but are now tried-and-true staples that deserve mention just the same.

3. Sportacular. Pro: Allows you to get updated scores for a variety of sports. You can even set it up to see all your favorite teams in one view. Con: Means that I know right away when my Red Sox and Pats aren’t doing so well. Ignorance is bliss sometimes, my friends.

4. Shazam. Pro: Hear a song on the radio, at the gym, during a night out, etc, and don’t know what it is? Shazam will tell you the title/artist and save it for you to view/listen to later. Con: Sometimes it does get stumped. (For example, it didn’t recognize Christina Arguilera’s “Keeps Getting Better”)

5. Twitterfon. Pro: Allows me to update my twitter status from my phone and shows my friends’ statuses. UPDATE: Allows me to see top trending twitter terms, locates nearby users and makes it super easy to reply, retweet and load others’ timelines. Perfection. Con: I’m not convinced that it provides any additional functionality that twitter.com is lacking. Sometimes, my friends remind me that I MUST put my phone away when I’m with others.

So, there’s my five. Now, what have I missed? What’s the iPhone application you just couldn’t live without?

On his blog, Tom Raftery contemplates what Social Media will be defined by as we look back at 2008…

According to him, in 2004 we had blogs, 2005 brought audio podcasts, followed by video podcasts in 2006, and finally, 2007 was the year of microblogging.

He asks: “We are in November now of 2008 and I still don’t see any big transformative Social Media technology which has occurred this year. Has it stalled? What am I missing?”

This got me thinking… and I have two very different answers:

1. I disagree that 2007 was the year of microblogging. I would counter that 2007 was the year of the social network, with Facebook opening its doors to the general public in late 2006, and the continual growth of other sites like MySpace and LinkedIn.

That being said, I think 2008 could be the year of microblogging. It seems that everyone and their brother (and their brother’s business) has become a Twitter member, and the role of the site in the recent tragic Mumbai terrorist attack highlighted the platform’s reach and influence. And when Facebook comes knocking, to the tune of $500 million, and YOU TURN IT DOWN, you know you’re doing something right

2. Okay, so I know that I just told you that Twitter was the IT thing this past year, but there’s the thing, I don’t think it’s hit its peak yet… All though it has become a central part of my world, and probably yours, it still hasn’t been fully embraced by the public as a whole.

Given that, I really think that apps will be social media’s legacy in 2008. Seriously.

Think about it: Apple unveiled its app store for its iPhone, Facebook has been inundated with its app add-ons, and even LinkedIn has jumped on the bandwagon.

Companies realized that doing things the closed-off, aloof way is just sooo 2007. Instead, 2008 brought a spirit of openness and partnership… or at least the realization that it might be worth it to disclose some proprietary knowledge so that developers, both amateur and professional, can learn your product, become an evangelist, and help your site extend its capabilities — for free! Pure genius.

So there you have it. That’s my take.

Now it’s your turn: What do you believe to be the definitive social media aspect of 2008?

When Will Apple Catch Up?

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about whether smartphones will soon be replacing laptops for those on the go – and eventually, overall.

My personal computer is unbearably slow so I rely heavily on my iPhone to get me through my evenings, but I think one key thing that is missing is a compatible full keyboard.

The MacAlly BTKey mini, a wireless keyboard first seen at the MacWorld Expo, was supposed to be released in March 2008, but obviously, that date has come and gone. There are many reasons why a Bluetooth keyboard hasn’t been released, but if you believe that they eventually will be put into production, you can pre-order one here.

But how about a full keyboard that can fold up and be plugged into the iPhone, similar to the ones that exist for the  Blackberry? I think this is an untapped marked with a huge potential! Think of all the add-on sales!

Only once Apple takes my advice (Ha!) and creates a iPhone-compatible keyboard will I really be able to leave my laptop behind…