Home » Library » Information for Students » The 100 Best iPhone Apps To Make Your Commute More Productive (and Fun)

The 100 Best iPhone Apps To Make Your Commute More Productive (and Fun)

Published on Wednesday July 8th , 2009

The iPhone has quickly proven itself to be one of the most revolutionary, and profitable, gadgets to ever enter the marketplace. One of the iPhone's more appreciated innovations is the App Store, offering clever programs capable of performing everyday tasks and great for ingenious games. Sitting will never be the same again. Here are the 100 best iPhone apps to make your daily commute more productive (and fun.)

Work

Sometimes people need to catch up on yesterday's workload and the iPhone has quickly become the salvation of slackers everywhere.

1. iCons: This great little app allows users to optimize and segment their iPhones depending on what they're doing. Icons for work, play and whatever else you may need.
2. steecky notes: Choose your backgrounds, note and text color. Write a note then preview it, when done, one touch saving. Simple and easy to use.
3. Torch Project Management:: Links together co-workers working on projects, easily shares documents and sends reminders of important deadlines to anyone working on the project.
4. HiTask : Free, simple web-based task management app great at keeping personal to-do lists or managing projects.
5. DecisionMaker: Seriously, this app does just as its name implies. It helps make tough decisions by weighing the pros and cons against users' weighted importance for each reason. It's pretty clever really.
6. Noter2 Lite: Manage appointments, day-to-day assignments and to-do lists all with a beautiful, easy-to-use interface.
7. Time2Time: Create projects or routes to work and time how long each takes. Track productivity and efficiency in all areas of life from the daily commute to working out and watching television.
8. Noter2: Efficiently create, edit, prioritize, and manage notes. This app groups items into lists that can be managed from an iPhone or computer.
9. Heap CRM: Ties together simple functions like customers and calendars into a reliable and simple customer relationship management (CRM) app.
10. e-Task: A one-size-fits-all app for business from mega corporations to cottage industries. Track leads, maintain contacts, create projects and tasks, track employees' time and attendance, and create invoices.
11. AirToolbox: Allows a user to interface and control their Windows PC remotely. Perfect in case you forgot the work you took home last night.
12. Zoho Office Suite: A bundle of six online apps including Email, Calendar, word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and database capabilities.
13. Attendance Countdown: Keeps track of your arrival and working time. Use the information for your own personal use or send it to your boss/accounting department as a time card.
14. Get a Web App for Your Business: With literally thousands independent developers, it was only a matter of time before someone developed an app to help develop apps. Get a quote on an iPhone app for your business or self.
15. nobosh Answers: A forum for business and finance collaboration answering questions ranging from company morale to complicated tax issues.
16. Job Tap: Access millions of job listings from career sites, newspapers and job boards. Search by job, location or source.

Personal Management

Modern life has been made both easier and more frustrating by personal electronics. Fortunately the iPhone is remarkably helpful with day to day activities.

17. MyBudget.Com Personal Budget Tracker: Creates accounts to track finances, expenses then creates categories to assign expenses.
18. Bill Pal: A great bill reminder application which sends emails as your various bills are due. Also includes a calendar for easy viewing of past, present and future bills.
19. My Bank Tracker: Excellently consolidates extremely useful bank information like rates on checking and savings accounts from all major banks as they change daily. The app also has website and customer service information.
20. Receipts: Keeps track of all common receipts such as your morning cup of coffee.
21. Financer: Easily reach your financial goals by tracking spending and managing your checking account. Records withdrawals and deposits and protects your financial information.
22. BudgetBuster Daily Expense Tracker: This app keeps track of daily, weekly and monthly spending goals. Especially good for keeping track of the small items that ruin budgeting attempts.
23. iCoffee: The Starbucks app. Full menus, nutritional information and news before the first cop of the day!
24. Budget: A great budget application for household budgets, it allows for budgets to be shared across iPhones. Tracking spending against budget with colorful graphs is a great way to stick to those budget goals.
25. Weight Tracker: Tracks weights on a daily basis. Also sets weight goals in addition to calculating body mass index.
26. Weight Loss Tips: A truly beautiful goal/life habits tracker. Offers a calendar of activities users check off as they are complete.
27. Recipe of the Day: A new recipe delivered daily will have anyone you cook for marveling at your creativity in the kitchen.
28. Credit Card Debt Helper: Keep track of credit debit. The app totals the entirety of all inputted debt (including interest rates) giving users a look at a real time exact total their debt.
29. Loan Calculatro: Helps calculate how much a specific loan or mortgage will cost based on specific terms.
30. The Student Loan Insider: An app to keep up with all news, laws and issues regarding student loan industries.
31. My Marks: Track grades, credit and overall progress in school. Perfect for high school or college students.
32. How Long Until You're A Millionaire?: To be fair, this app can be frustrating. Input a value of money you're saving monthly along with your current savings and how long you plan on adding to your nest egg. Then discover the amount you will hypothetically have in the future.
33. iGrapher: This web based market visualization tool can help anyone keep track of their investments, big or small.

Commuter Assistance

Making your way thru traffic or public transportation can be extremely frustrating but the iPhone is practically tailor-made for navigation. While phones are in general known to distract drivers, GPS only works when the device is moving, making traffic apps inevitable. These are the best navigation apps in the store, use them wisely.

34. Google Maps: One of the most comprehensive road and direction apps available. The fact that it's free is almost unbelievable.
35. The Road Helper: Based on user location find emergency or helper services that could help you on the road. Returns a list of services including phone number, street address and the ability to map the location. Amazing when the unexpected flat tire happens.
36. Fuel Cost Comparison: Tracks fuel efficiency, cost and your car's consumption trends.
37. My Mile Marker: Simple and easy-to-use app for tracking tax deductible mileage to and from work.
38. iPilot: Get maps and driving directions with one hand.
39. iMetro: A comprehensive collection of subway, train and bus maps from cities all over the world.
40. Mileage: Track your mileage and associate it with specific activities to increase fuel efficiency.
41. Local Gas Prices: Input a zip code or city and state and view a local map. Details include current price, price averages and exact address.
42. Gas Prices: Finds the cheapest gas station nearest you. Provides accurate online maps, driving directions and gas station phone number.
43. National Weather Maps: This great app taps into the resources of the National Weather Service. Access radar and Doppler systems right from your phone.
44. MPGFacts.com: A free app providing mileage information on vehicles from the EPA. Works on vehicles between 1984 and 2009.
45. USA Weather Maps: Quickly find a map of the weather for your area.
46. Mycarparkspace: A coordinated community of members seeking to avoid tickets. Users let you know if parking enforcement is active in any particular area.
47. Carpool Calculators: Calculate the potential savings in gas and money carpooling offers. Even finds people to carpool with you.
48. Me2Bus: Get bus schedules and stop times from cities across the United States such as Boston and San Francisco.
49. Me2Sub: This app displays local traffic conditions in most metro areas. Finally avoid unexpected bottlenecks.
50. Metroliphone: A bit limited in its coverage but still great, Metroliphone offers complete schedules for buses, trains, ferries or any other type of mass transportation. Works in 60 cities across the world.
51. iPhodometer: Some people actually walk to work. Who knew? For those lucky enough to skip the commute almost entirely, here's an app to help calculate distance and the number of calories burned along the way.
52. Interstate Highway Travel Guide: Provides interstate highway maps, exits, rest areas/rest stops info and travel service info along interstate highways including hotels/motels, restaurants, gas stations, points of interest, city guides and landmarks.
53. Severe Weather News: Weather updates immediately available from the National Weather Service.
54. The Amazing Excuse Maker!: A simple random excuse generator, in case you're late for work.
55. Weather: Get quick and easy access to weather in your city.

Games and Time Wasters

Not everything on the iPhone is meant to improve your life. With some of the most creative and fun game play on virtually any platform, iPhone games are a must for bus transfers or playing games on the sly at work.

56. Facebook: Another must for iPhone owners, the popular social networking site is brought to convenient size for your on-the-go needs.
57. iTalk: Talk or chat with users around the world for free.
58. Castle Feud: Build your own castle and defend it against attack. Includes networking ability enabling play against friends.
59. Radio Hog: A nifty app that shows what is currently playing on any radio station in the US. Never listen to commercials or annoying DJ banter ever again.
60. iTookThisToday: Take pictures or shoot movies then share them with users at iTookThisToday.com. Almost like a photo Twitter.
61. Chess: Just as promised, the classic board game. Play against a quick acting program but don't worry, this version lets you take the occasional move back.
62. Bejeweled 2: One of the most popular iPhone games yet, Bejeweled 2 has improved by allowing music from your library during gameplay.
63. iSpot The Difference : A simple game where users look for the differences between sets of photographs.
64. Word Search: A fast paced word puzzler that challenges players to finish in less than 45 seconds.
65. WordBreaker: Finish one puzzle to get clues to figure out another. Simple but, somehow, still complicated.
66. iDuck: The classic hunting game popular to generations of carnival-goers.
67. Crazy Mazes!: Find your way through an unlimited number of mazes. The fun never ends!
68. A Pirate's Game: Follow treasure maps to the booty. Solve puzzles to find the lost riches.
69. 38i Sudoku: A number pad for easily entering your answers and three levels of difficulty make this version of the popular Japanese number game fun and easy.
70. Fun Facts: Did you know there's no word in the English language that rhymes with orange? Keep this fact and 1999 others with you for quick reference anytime.
71. GetMeOuttaHere!: A random excuse generator but use at your own risk, some suggestions are a bit outlandish.
72. weR Music and Movie Trivia: Hundreds of questions on movie and music trivia.
73. Songwriter Showcase: A neat website where up-and-coming songwriters upload their music for sale. Browse songs from other songwriters and support the community!
74. iTrailers: A database for movie trailers both new and old.
75. Horoscope: Find what the stars hold for your with horoscopes for every day, month or year.
76. Gossoup: Keep up with celebrity gossip whenever, wherever. Updates and stories on the salacious scandals from your favorite celebrities.
77. Towers of Hanoi: Like most simple games, the rules are simple but victory is far from easy. Three rods, and disks of different sizes that slide onto any rod. The goal is to move the stack to another rod in the same order as at the beginning.
78. iSlots: A pocket slot machine for when you need Vegas action during the morning commute.
79. Hang MonsterStickWars: A twist on the classic game. The answer is a monster and so is the character hanging from the gallows.
80. Free Typing Test: Gauge how fast you can type on your iPhone. Improve your ability and save time!
81. Space War: Wave after wave of aliens are attacking and it's up to you to defend earth.
82. Tic Tac Toe: A game so classic it just might be the first one. Play against a computer or friends.
83. Checkers: Another simple, classic game from childhood. Not quite as complicated as chess, harder than tic tac toe, checkers is a game everyone knows how to play.
84. NPR Headline News: An app from the highly respected National Public Radio. Connect to broadcast and read text articles on your way to work.

Self-Improvement

Bettering oneself is a continuing process of practiced skill and education. Amazingly, the iPhone offers hundreds of applications perfectly suited to hone brain power, help you learn CPR or refresh your grade school basics.

85. Cup O' Joe Lite: In just 45 seconds warm up your brain for the entire day.
86. Arithematic Problems: Train your mental calculation abilities. This app offers an unlimited number of questions at a number of difficulty levels.
87. Daily Calorie Counter: Keep track of the number of calories entering and exiting your body. Also makes helpful suggestions.
88. Skinnr Weight Graph: Allows users to track their weights on a graph. Keep different records for weight loss goals.
89. Limeade Goal Tracker: Track your progress to those elusive goals relating to your well-being and health. Quit smoking, manage stress or just getter a better night sleep.
90. Fit Reach: View gym training status, diet progress and weight goals. Individual personal accounts keeps your information personal.
91. LifeTick: An easy way to organize the things you care about, uses for this app seem endless. Follow work out routines, quit smoking or track your vices and virtues with a simple interface of tabs important to the user.
92. Progio Mobile: An app containing videos and advice from fitness experts.
93. SpellGood: An app aiming to correct commonly misspelled and misunderstood words.
94. Workout: This handy app keeps track of your sets and rest periods during workouts. No more uneven counting and conveniently forgetting you missed 5 sit ups.
95. Blood Pressure: The iPhone is great for keeping track of information you might not otherwise think about. Blood pressure is important your heart so it couldn't hurt to keep track, especially with this easy app.
96. BMI Calculator: According to some trainers and experts, the body mass index is the only really important gauge of fitness and appropriate weight.
97. Word of The Day Lite: Builds your vocabulary one day at a time.
98. easyTouch Dictionary: Enter a word, find the definition. The interface is even kind enough to correct any misspellings that may occur along the way.
99. Thesaurus: Find the synonyms for words. Keeps a history of searched terms to help build your vocabulary.
100. This Day in History: Discover unique historical facts and build your knowledge of the trivial and obscure.

Add this to del.icio.us | Add this to reddit | Add To Google Bookmarks | Subscribe to our Feed