# Good free or low cost apps on the ipod touch **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 23, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500 "2010-05-23T21:27:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/1 "2010-05-23T21:27:22Z")
I got an ipod touch and they are pretty cool. I will probably get some good use out of it. After getting it I downloaded a couple dozen free apps including weather apps (I don’t like the default one), medical encyclopedias, first aid instructions, games (sudoku, chess, checkers, a few others), alarm clock, stanza ereader, a few news feeds, traffic and yellow pages data, a language translator and a few other things. Are there other outstanding or extremely useful apps that are either (preferably) free or cheap (under $2-3) that are worth installing? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/2 "2010-05-23T23:25:09Z")
My friend has a police scanner app on his that seems it would be worth the $1 he paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/3 "2010-05-24T01:08:20Z")
My husband loves his Lose-It calorie tracker app - he got it on a whim, I think, and it worked so well for him that he started losing weight without really trying. It was working so well for him that I hunted up an online calorie tracker, and I’ve lost 20 pounds now too. 🙂 He also loves his whoopee cushion app and his firing guns app. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/4 "2010-05-24T01:23:21Z")
I just got a 32 gig touch about a month ago. The main reason I got it is that I wanted more space for music than my ancient 4 gig Nano, but I’ve ended up enjoying the apps and wireless capabilities even more than having the larger music library. Some favourites are: - The Weather Network’s “Weathereye”. Much better than the default app. - Same with “Bloomberg” for stock quotes and business news. - “Google” is a great one-stop app for accessing gmail, rss feeds, docs, etc. - “GoogleEarth” is almost as much fun as the full-blown computer app. - “Flixster” is great for movie reviews, showtimes, etc. and “IMDB” is a handy gateway to the website. - “Epicurious” is a nice cooking app that nicely complements the website. The shopping list function has already come in handy. - “How to Cook Everything” is a pay app which, at $4.99, exceeds your budget but it’s fantastic if you’re into cooking. Unlike all the other cooking apps I looked at, the database is local so you can browse it offline. It also includes shopping list functions and cooking timers. - “Wikipanion” makes accessing wikipedia a breeze. -Every space geek should have “NASA”. Keep up to date on missions, news and cool space photos. Some cool games: “Angry Bird Lite”, “Jelly Car”, “Tap Tap Revenge”, and “Trace”. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/5 "2010-05-24T01:37:11Z")
First off: [AppMiner](http://www.appminer.com/default.psp?lc=en-us); aside from recommending new and cool apps, it lets you log apps you are interested in and lets you know when they go on sale/available free. How much battery time left? [BatteryMagic](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=326132785)! This one’s $1.99 but it’s my favorite hands down: [Zombieville USA!](http://itunes.apple.com/app/zombieville-usa/id304871622?mt=8) [lite version too](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombieville-usa-lite/id307416345?mt=8) Like environmental noises? [Ambiance Lite](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ambiance-lite/id305373796?mt=8) lets you download (I think) 5 mellow-and less than mellow- sounds. Play Operation! [Amateur Surgeon Christmas edition](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=339993249) is free and fun. [File App](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=297804694) lets you swap files (pdf, specifically) to the itouch. I use it to store bus schedules, but books in pdf format work great too. [Galaga!](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=310690138) [Great Solitaire game](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=287197884). [iTranslate](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=288113403) ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/6 "2010-05-24T02:11:09Z")
To organize contact info and dates, I use a combination of the built in Calendar and Contacts apps, as well as one called Occasions. For login/password info, I have mSecure. It can sort all your online ID/password information, categorized by type or name. I have some travel apps, such as Gate Guru, Flight Update, and Packing, so I can find ways to kill time at airports, keep updated on my flight status, and pack efficiently, respectively. I also have Lose It for weight loss, which I use in conjunction with Convert measurement converter and Fast Food Cal to see calorie counts from chain restaurant foods. Quickly going through my screens, I have the ones I mentioned plus Opera Mini (I don’t use Safari), my bank’s app, Meebo and a free text message app, Solitaire and Bejeweled, ESPN ScoreCenter, NY Times, Flixter, Pandora radio, a wi-fi finder, IMDB, [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com), a Marvel comics app, a LA transit map, a city map app, a mall directory app, a lunch truck GPS locator app, Urbanspoon restaurant picker, USPS’s app, and the Apple MobileMe app. I’d say 3/4 of them were free. The flight tracker was $4.99, Bejeweled and mSecure were $2.99. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/7 "2010-05-24T02:11:14Z")
[http://www.freeappaday.com/index.php](http://www.freeappaday.com/index.php) - mostly games but not always. I use the the [Pandora Box app](http://itunes.apple.com/app/pandorabox-download-paid-apps/id309326551?mt=8) for keeping wish list of apps and keeping track of sales and such. (Not to be confused with the [Pandora Radio app](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pandora-radio/id284035177?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2) - a free internet radio app.) ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/8 "2010-05-24T02:29:54Z")
In no particular order: AppBox Pro GoodReader Flight Control Zen Bound iBlast Moki Plant vs. Zombies Angry Birds Doodle Jump Monster Pinball Labyrinth GeoDefense Swarm All are excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Brunhilda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@Brunhilda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brunhilda)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/9 "2010-05-24T02:38:00Z")
If you are into Greek language, there is the Liddell Scott Jones, and there is another one (I haven’t downloaded it yet, but I intend to) which includes the Autenreith dictionary. Normally, i get most of what I need through perseus or the thesaurus lingua greca. The other ones that work well: batterymagic (the lite is adequate for my needs) tapdefense backgrounds whitenoise (awesome for bus trips, van rides, etc) also, there are a number of great subway apps as well, depending on your city. most are pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Macnbaish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Macnbaish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macnbaish)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/10 "2010-05-24T19:10:57Z")
My recommendations (apps I use on a regular basis): eSleep The Weather Channel Shazam Pandora Wikipanion Speed Test Stanza Dictionary Lose It! USA Today Waze (LOVE THIS ONE) Road Trip PapiJump PaperToss What’s On Flixster PhoneFlicks FlightControl Unfortunately Waze is a GPS based app - which I don’t think the iPod touch has. Still gonna leave it on the list for all the iPhone users out there… ---
**Author:** ![Brunhilda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@Brunhilda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brunhilda)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/11 "2010-05-25T03:56:45Z")
Found the best app last night. $4 but worth it. Awesome notes. I think i’ve replaced my filofax. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/12 "2010-05-25T05:57:24Z")
The apps that let you navigate other apps are proving really useful. Pandorabox and Appminer are both really good. ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/13 "2010-05-25T07:30:12Z")
If you don’t already have it, the BargainBin app is only 99 cents and tells you when apps go on sale. Many go on sale for free, as well! It may be worth it, it was for me. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/14 "2010-05-25T15:06:04Z")
Most of the apps on my iPhone are free, and if not, the most expensive ones are not more than $5.99 Here’s what’s made the cut so far Page 1; The Weather Channel Free Skype Motion-X GPS Drive Urbanspoon Page 2; AIM Free Echofon Yahoo Messenger AirMouse Pro (the most expensive app on my iPhone, but very cool, use the iPhone/Touch as a remote Air Mouse/trackpad/keyboard) WritePad Shop Savvy eWifi Dragon Dictation Fandango Page 3 Sneezies Pocket God (well worth the money) Spore Tap Tap Revenge 2 and 3 Asphalt Free Call of Duty Zombies Plants Vs. Zombies (another one well worth the money) Page 4 Amazon Kindle Stanza iSeismo G-Meter Trapster RunKeeper ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/15 "2010-05-27T02:40:14Z")
> [@Annie](#): > > [File App](http://www.appminer.com/detail.psp?lc=en-us&id=297804694) lets you swap files (pdf, specifically) to the itouch. I use it to store bus schedules, but books in pdf format work great too. That one is really helpful. I have been trying to convert PDF files into formats supported by Stanza ereader, which is a time consuming 3 step process and screws up all the photos and diagrams. Fileapp is just click & drag for my PDF files and images are clear. It makes it much easier to store scientific papers and ebooks I’ve downloaded from other sites. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-free-or-low-cost-apps-on-the-ipod-touch/540500/16 "2010-05-27T03:11:45Z")
Is there a free (or cheap) app that provides a road map to the entire united states and one that provides a yellow pages directory that will work offline, or does that require too much storage? I have yellow pages and the map app on the front page of the ipod works, but both require internet access to work.