In addition, many handy iPhone apps are available for free, not a small consideration in these troubled economic times.

FOR FOODIES, ECO-CONSCIOUS, MUSIC LOVERS

The free Shazam mobile app is now available on the Android platform, following its successful debut on the iPhone. The program has developed a devoted following among music lovers as it seeks to solve the age-old question: "What is the name of that song?" If you hear a song playing -- on the radio, or blasting from a car stereo -- and want to know more, launch Shazam and the program will capture the song, check it against its database and display the song information.

Another popular free app for the iPhone is offered by UrbanSpoon, which features user-generated restaurant reviews, but with a twist. If you feel like trying something new, just punch in your criteria, shake your iPhone, and UrbanSpoon will pick a restaurant for you.

The clever interface looks like a slot machine, and is a good way to break out of a food rut.

Ever been at the supermarket and found yourself wondering how safe or green a certain product might be? The free GoodGuide app -- still an iPhone-only offering -- features ratings on more than 60,000 household and personal use products.

Just punch in the product name and GoodGuide gives you a ranking based on environmental safety, impact and labor policy.

Consumers can expect to see many more mobile apps in the coming months, as the sheer creativity of small, third-party software developers should keep the market buzzing for some time.