Home Budget 

There is a free version that is basically just a teaser because it only allows five expense entries. If you only buy five things (ever), then the freeware will work for you. If not, the full version is $4.95 (or at least it was when I bought it). For me, having a budget that is absolutely customizable with a miraculously functional interface including graphs and charts as well as recurring events for income and an enticing icon has completely changed my life. See where your money is going and plan a hopeful budget. I made a category entitled vices and after two months I realized that I might be either an alcoholic or a madman. Home Budget might change your life, make you weep or both.

ZenTask

To do lists. Who keeps them? If you do, then you'll like the functionality of ZenTask. And it's free (for now). Customizable categories with project lists, priority ratings, due dates and a backlog of completed tasks to pat your back over later. The only thing that  I don't care for about ZenTask is the name, but it manages to transcend that shortcoming.

Relax Alarm Clock Lite

Maybe a great alarm clock sounds trivial, but it is not. Try waking up to the sound of birds singing or the wind through the trees or even the very same Tibetan singing bowl that I have been using. Katsu!

Zumo Drive

For those who love clouds there is Zumo Drive, a free gig of space for your files on the go. I use it for documents that need editing. Simply upload them to Zumo and see them on your mobile device without a wifi connection. The files open into a Word style editor and Zumo Drive syncs with your computer.

iCED Lite

While I know that it is not for everyone, for those of you who are set on learning a little Mandarin, there's iCED Lite. The full version is probably incredible, if the Lite is any hint, but it runs around $30.00. The Lite is excellent and puts other Chinese dictionaries to absolute shame. Draw in characters, see them broken down as well as lists of common uses. Learn Chinese and prepare for your future employer!

Chordmaster

Another realm where mediocre apps abound is in guitar chord diagrammers. In my search, I found Chordmaster to be by far the best with an easy to use interface and a full version that shows the entire fret board. Great for quick lookups.

Stanza

Getting used to reading books on the iPod can be easy with Stanza. Easy to download books, allows annotations into a Notebook style program that highlight yellow on the page. For now, Stanza is okay—but it shows promise. Overall, these type of apps, as well as the ebook world in general, is still in its infancy, but Stanza is an example of the exciting portable things to come. I read the Count of Monte Cristo (in English) on my iPod and enjoyed every word and electronic page.

Fake Conversation

It could be just for fun or it could be a life saver. Fake Conversation turns your iPod into an iPhone long enough to make your escape from a boring meeting or a bad date. There's a timer, a realistic voice and it's free.

Word Scramble 2

Last but not least, let me mention a down time game by Zynga. Scramble 2 is a word jumble game (similar to Boggle but without the rattle) with great play control, a hard thing to find on any iPod game app. Also, it's free and allows for online competition. 

There are a lot of great apps out there so I've tried to mention here some that I enjoy and that I haven't seen covered elsewhere. With so many apps (75,000+), it can be tough to sift through them. But it can also be fun. Good luck!

While you're out there, follow me on Twitter and follow Redhaus too!