With more and more people switching to the iPhone, many are unaware of the various applications that are available, and that’s saying it lightly. There are literally thousands of apps to help make our days easier and more efficient. Whether for work or play, Release has put together a list of some useful and fun apps for the Binghamton University student.

WORK:

Awesome Note

Although there is a default program for Note on iPhones, all you get is a list of your notes and it doesn’t let you categorize. However, by using Awesome Note, you can put your notes in different folders as well as color code each folder. Another beauty of the application is that it lets you set reminders. If you have a Gmail account, you can even import from and export notes to your Google Doc. It also can back up and restore your notes using Google Docs — this is especially useful if you lose your iPhone. Use this application to be organized and never forget a note or what’s on your mind, as well as remind yourself of tasks you need complete.

Fluent News Reader

Basically, this app collects news articles from the most credible sources (i.e., The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, etc) into a well-structured single-page layout. But wait, there’s more. It also allows you to customize which way you want the layout to be organized. You can form your own three sections relating to the kind of articles searched for. Plus, if you don’t want a certain source to show up upon opening the app, you can deactivate it. Through viewing one article, this app gives you the option of viewing similar articles with the touch of your finger. You can also save stories, view news offline and spread the word to friends on Facebook and Twitter.

PLAY:

Maze Finger

Essentially, the object of the game is to navigate your way through countless mazes that increase in difficulty (avoiding traps and blockers and accumulating energy pickups), with merely the touch of a finger. In addition to the progressively more intricate levels, you have to race toward the end quickly enough before your energy level depletes itself. I’ve had this app for a little over a year now and it continues to impress me. It has exceeded my expectations recently by including a new “challenge mode” which allows you to play against other friends through the “Plus+ network.” The major benefits of joining the Plus+ network are that you can compare your high scores with others via the online leader boards, improved visualizations/audio and, most importantly, you can finally save games. The bottom line is it’s addicting, free and fun, so get it!

Lemonade Tycoon

Aside from the nostalgic effect, it is a great free app because it puts you in the position of managing your own business by cleverly selling your lemonade to customers in a variety of different environments. What makes this game unique is that it’s objective is not simply selling lemonade on the corner of a suburban street; rather, it is a fast-paced, imaginative game that allows you to do the following: decide on different places to sell your lemonade, change and improve your special recipe, allocate money toward putting out ads, and even hiring workers. Also, you can make six files, which is awesome. Other than those factors mentioned that you control, you will have to skillfully use the weather and knowledge of customer preferences to your advantage.

TweetDeck

Twitter is an essential tool to tell the whole world what you are doing at every minute of your life; if you have an iPhone, you can share every second. The platform contains All Friends, Mentions, DM (Direct Messages), Favorites, Twitter Trends, Tweets Nearby, Sent DM’s, User Group and Twitter Search. All these features are essential when you want to see what’s on your main page, check on what your favorite Tweeters are saying, see who wrote on your wall and keep up with current trends. Most Twitter applications won’t give you an update on who mentioned you, so you’d have to go through the entire list of posts; this one will notify you as a pop-up. Moreover, the application has a browser integrated so you can view a link someone posts without actually opening Safari.