Best apps for the iPod Touch

And what better way to start the year than to show you my list of the best apps you can install on your iPod Touch. Keep in mind that this list is exclusive for the iPod Touch and not the iPhone. Since the iPhone has some features that are not available on the iPod Touch (such as GPS and phone capabilities), the advantages that could arise from apps using those features are irrelevant for the Touch. Hence, the warning of iPod Touch exclusivity.

Basically, this list comprises the set of apps that "survived" on my iPod Touch. Since the app store is easily accessible from the iPod Touch, I spend quite a long time browsing the latest available apps and try them out. I basically install everything with a slightly interesting description, but only those worth keeping, "survive" the "cleaning phase".

Because so many apps in the App Store are free, I seldom found the need to actually buy an app to get some interesting functionality running on the iPod. So, with fairness in mind, this list reflects (almost) only free apps and, thus may obfuscate some interesting apps that are really cool but that I didn't try because I'm too cheap :-)

It's also easy to perceive why so many of the chosen apps are games: the iPod Touch is in fact the funnest iPod ever :-)

Enough said. Off with the list (in alphabetic order):

• AppVee (free) - With the ever-growing number of apps available at the App Store it's quite difficult to keep track of the ones that are really worth it. AppVee, with insightful reviews and videos, is a great resource to know exactly which ones to install and try.
  

• Black Gold (free) - With the price of Oil behaving like a roller-coaster it's always interesting to keep an eye on the market value of these resources. Black Gold provides updated access to the current price of Crude Oil, Gold and Fuel prices.

• Blue Skies Lite (free) - This game is absolutely fabulous when it comes to using the acelerometer. The helicopter is controled by tilting the iPod in the desired direction and missiles and bombs are fired by touching the screen in certain areas of the display. This free version only includes a few levels, but it's enough to get you hooked on it.
  
  
• Brain Tuner Lite (free) - If you want to keep your brain in tip top shape then this game is for you. Basically, you only have to say whether or not each row represents a true statement. But you need to do this in as less time as possible. This way you can keep improving your scores and train your brain.
  
  
• Cannon Challenge (free) - This game is very addictive. It's one of the first games that I installed and I'm totally hooked up on it. Mainly because it's so simple and yet somehow challenging. The goal is simple: destroy the yellow targets using the cannon on the left. All that you can control is the angle and speed of the cannon. Simple, right? Yeah, but it takes some time to master it...
  
  
• Dactyl (free) - Just click on the bombs before they explode. Looks simple, right? Well, let's just say that the speed at which new potentially exploding bombs appear is close to a rat's heartbeat (in case you're wondering: 500 beats/min).
  
  
• Facebook (free) - If you're into Facebook, one of the most popular social networks in the web, then this app is mandatory. It gives you clean and simple access to most Facebook features.

• Google Earth (free) - that wonderful Earth navigability that you have on your computer is also accessible on the iPod Touch. And it feels even better with the multi-touch display.
  

• iPint (free) - Totally useless, but since this was the first app I installed on my iPod Touch it's hard to let go. Plus, it's always fun to use when showing off the iPod Touch to nearby people. This app simulates a pint of beer that behaves pretty much like the real thing, except this one won't actually leave a stain on the floor when you spill it :-) It also includes a cool game for you to guide a pint from one side of the bar to the other, all by using the accelerometer.
  
  
• Labyrinth Lite Edition (free) - Another game to show the excellent feature brought by the accelerometer. You just have to control the ball through the maze to reach the goal and avoid the holes. It feels just like the real thing.
  
  
• Loops of Zen Lite (free) - Another Puzzle game. Simple, yet sometimes quite challenging. Loops of Zen requires you to connect all the symbols together so as to create a figure where all lines end in a circle.

• Lumen Lite (free) - Excellent puzzle game where you only have to find ways of turning all the lights on. The free version only include a few levels but some are quite challenging.

• Lux Touch (free) - If you like the board game Risk, then you'll love Lux Touch. That's it :-)
  
• MazeFinger (free) - This cool game is very simple: just use your finger to go trough the maze as fast as possible. As it gets harder and harder, new obstacles will appear and the path will become more difficult. Plus, the visual and sound effects are stunning.
  
  
• NetNewsWire (free) - For a long time now, I've been using NewsGator as my RSS feeds reader and, on my Mac, I use NetNewsWire to access those feeds (for offline viewing) and the synchronization process is quite good. Most naturally, on the iPod Touch I also use NetNewsWire. This way, no matter what channel I use, the feeds I read are always in sync.

• TapDefense (free) - If you're into tower defense-like games, then you'll love this game. You have to defend your gate against the evil beings from Hell and for that you'll need to place towers across the path to slow them down and eventually destroy them.
  
  
• Tap Tap Revenge (free) - Are you a Guitar Hero fan? Tap Tap Revenge is the solution for the iPod Touch. Just tap tap the dots at the sound of music and try not to miss :-)
  
  
• Tweetie (2,39€ - $2.99) - I tried every free Twitter app available at the App Store and none (with the exception of Twinkle) is enough for the average Twitter user. While Twinkle may actually do the trick for most Twitter users, Tweetie is more complete allowing you to easily keep track of everyone you're following by clearly separating tweets, replies, messages and other parts of this social network (such as location-based tweets, trends and access to profile information).
  

This list is obviously incomplete and as I have the time, I will be updating it with new apps. So, keep tuned. Also, I welcome your suggestions and I thank you in advance by any help you can provide in improving this list.