Communication

iTalk Recorder Lite

iTalk Recorder Lite is a free app with full recording features. Created by Griffin Technology, it makes recording easy thanks to its intuitive interface. The app is also incredibly easy to use; to record hit the red button and press it again to stop recording.

GateGuru

It comes as no surprise that GateGuru by Mobility Apps LLC is one of the top rated apps for the iPhone and Android. Pertinent information like airport amenities, push notifications and data about flight is within your reach. GateGuru has four modules namely Airports, High Flyers, Account and Trips. Most of the time you will be at the airport section. Its coverage is extensive; you can search the entire list, by city, airport code or location. Favorite amenities and airports can be bookmarked. You can even track your flights in real time.

Offline Gmail

Offline Gmail by Google gives you access to your mail even without an Internet connection. At first this seems unnecessary; aren’t we always online with desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and Wi-Fi hotspots? Actually, it is necessary. Web connections are plentiful in the US and many other countries. But what if you’re traveling to a place or country where Web access is choppy?

Cobook

Cobook is an app that enhances your Mac Address Book. Basically what it does is make the information more accessible. With Cobook, the information is linked to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It is a totally enhanced, more powerful version of the Mac Address Book. You get more images and details as well.

Foursquare

Foursquare is an app that lets you record the places you’ve been to and share them with friends. Developed by Foursquare Labs, you will also get recommendations based on the places you and your friends have been to. The app is not just a basic travel companion. It’s a tool for finding promos and sales close by. For the budget traveler, this can be a real lifesaver. Foursquare’s interface is simple enough that new users will have no problems learning. Clear explanations are given as to why they point to a particular recommendation.

UberSocial

UberSocial for Twitter has been called the Swiss Army Knife of Twitter apps. This nifty little software from Ubermedia, Inc allows you to create a "favorite users" list. You will never miss a tweet from your friends again. For those who get a lot of tweets, this feature will save time scrolling through hundreds of messages. But the app has many other features. You can mute users or hashtags for a specific period (or permanently). Menus can be customized so only the most used items appear. Facebook users will be glad to know that they can post Tweets there.

Feedreader

There are a lot of RSS feed clients, and it can be hard for an app to stand out. Feedreader fortunately has features that make it simple to follow news. It will notify you when articles come out. The interface is easy to work with too. You can change views with one mouse click. Feedreader has a useful search feature to find keywords. It also has folders that will organize news. The pop-up notifier ensures you are always on top of the news. As an RSS client, it works pretty well. The program uses a three pane to display news contents. All the news items are available for offline viewing. You can set up the program to remove old news.

Between

Between is a social network app for couples. It was created by VCNC, a South Korean company. The app was boringly designed for the Asian market but its popularity has caused it to spread throughout the US and the rest of the world. In a nutshell, Between is a social network for couples. Unlike other social networking apps where everything you post is there for the world to see, Between is private. You can share photographs, messages and memories with your special someone. There is real time chatting. Plus there are a lot of emoticons, hearts and smiley faces you can use.

Urbanspoon

There’s no shortage of places to eat, but how do you know which ones are good? Well you can try Urbanspoon, a free app (Android / iPhone) that allows you to search for the best restaurants around you. There are several ways to filter your searches. Once you register for free, you can look for eating places that have entered the Village Voice's "Best of" lists. You can also look for restaurants with a James Beard Foundation award, or those that made it into the dining blog Eater’s “essential” restaurants. This new option is great if you want to find out the places the food critics are raving about.