I have listed below some of my favorite tools. The best part is that they are all free! Sure there are plenty of expensive tools that do amazing things, but when I find a free piece of software that makes my life easier, that is truly something that I cherish.

Mobile Devices

Here is a list of my favorite software that I use for my Blackberry 8310 Curve. And yes it is all free. These are not mobile websites but actual applications that run on the device. This is way faster and definitely cooler. Most of it will run on other mobile devices but please check with your device maker first. As a business traveler I look for productivity apps more then free games but your usage may vary.

I complied a complete list of my favorite free mobile software with some images but here is the quick list.

 

You want me to browse on what?

What's internet access without an internet browser? Opera Mini gives you some powerful features for free on your mobile device.

 

 

But I don't have a Google Phone

Yeah, neither do I but Google Mobile has some great mobile applications for lots of phones. Gmail and Google Maps are my favorites, but the SMS and 411 services are well worth checking out.

Google Talk is available for the Blackberry only, but man is it great! Conversations move from desktop to mobile. And if you have a little techie time you can even use Talk with MSN, AIM and Yahoo.

 

Trip Itinerary and Travel Info

World Mate Live is a really nice blackberry app with a website input interface. Just add the flight # online with your PC and it send stats and details to the mobile app. The world clock and weather are nice too. You have to check out SunTracker too. Its a great graphical way to know where the different timezones are currently. Project page: sunclock.midlets.eu  OTA download: sunclock.midlets.eu/dwn.

Perhaps not the usual travel item, Trapster has a Blackberry app that will display the local police speed traps. aaaaah... can I say must have?

 

When Turning on your XBOX takes too long

Then here are the apps for you. They tell me if my little brothers are online playing games:

Zumobi and xberry (OTA download http://jxl.me/downloads/xberrylive.jad)

 

Crackberry Addict meets Health Nut

Okay here are a few apps for the time and health focussed crowd. I really like GPSed (OTA download wap.gpsed.com). It uses the GPS unit to track and record your time. I also love this free little Chronograph app for my Blackberry - BB chronograph/timer (OTA download michaelportfolio.com/chrono/chrono.jad)

 

Mobile TV Schedules

TV Guide offers a mobile application to check movie and TV schedules. Very nice.

 

Show Me the Weather

Just in case you can't look out a window, or have the need to plan your outfit days in advance try this awesome weather application by XSYS Weather. Okay it is a web based tool but the search function IS an application and the resulting Radar map is just too cool.

Too lazy to load a website? Try WeatherEye from The Weather Network (they are Canadian but can deliver weather anywhere with the internet - cool yeah?). The icon will give the current weather and 2 or 5 day forecasts are availabe in the mobile application.

The same people that created SunTracker (listed above) also created this great weather app. It  is a Java application for mobile devices to check the weather conditions in different locations. - http://weather.midlets.eu/dwn/

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Metro-xual? More than a fashion statement

Subway maps for famous cities on your mobile! Here are several solutions for varous devices.

iSubwayMaps - As the name implies this site is intended for Apple devices. Check the airline seat pocket if you do not already have one.

CrucialSoft offers MetroMaps for the Blackberry.

NYC MTA mobile website okay this is a mobile website and not an application but it is still nice and very useful.

 

Productivity that Blackberry Forgot

I love OnToCalendar. Life saver in simplicity's form. It allows you to move an entire email message into the body of a calendar entry from the menu button in your inbox.

I saved this image on my Blackberry so I can convert alphbet phone numbers into regular numbers.

For those of us who never leave home without a your AMEX card or Blackberry, American Express Mobile now has an even better way to keep the two connected: with a free homescreen shortcut. Checking your American Express card account has never been easier when you're on the go. Just visit the AMEX mobile site, use the 'Download Mobile Shortcut' link and you'll be prompted to start the download. Once completed, you'll see the familiar blue box with the American Express logo on your homescreen.

Okay this calendar upgrade called CalendarPro does cost but its pretty cool so I will include it too.

 

My Social Mobile

Facebook has a slick mobile application that lets you reads updates and change your Facebook 'status'. Its great but I just wish I could see what people post as comments to my status and that I could also post comments. I use this primarily to upload photos from my Blackberry. To post updates I use a Blackberry Twitter app like Tiny Twitter. Then I have Twitter feed the update to Facebook so it hits both sites with one update.

 

My iBerry Media Player

I love Slacker Radio. It uses the 3G network to stream free music to your Blackberry device. Its fantastic and did I already say free?

 

My Blackberry brings out the Geek in Me

Now this is just too cool if you are techie. MidpSSH offers free remote Telnet access to your server from your mobile device.

J2ME VNC offers you one step up by giving you actual desktop access. If you have the cash there are better solutions but this one is free.

Every wondered exactly which cell tower droped your call? Use SignalLoc to track that bad tower down. How about checking the speed of that internet connection you are so proud about? Then try out BerrySpeed -You can pick up the application OTA free at ota.deltatech.com.mx

 

 

Blackberry Shortcuts

Use these shortcuts to quickly launch Blackberry services and apps from the Blackberry homepage.

• M: Go to the Message List
• E: Go to the BlackBerry Messenger
• P/SPACE: Go to the Phone
• A: Go to the Address Book
• L: Go to the Calendar
• W: Go to the WAP Browser
• B: Go to the BlackBerry Browser
• T: Go to the Tasks Application
• D: Go to the Memopad Application
• O: Go to the Options screen
• S: Go to the global Search Application
• F: Go to the Profiles screen
• C: Go to the Compose Message screen
• V: Go to the Saved Message List
• K/Alt + ENTER: Lock the BlackBerry
• R: Go to the Alarm Application
• U: Go to the Calculator

Okay this is a list below of some of my favorite desktop software.

Desktop Internet Browser

Mozilla Firefox Faster, better and much more productive. But you already knew this so here is a list of my favorite extensions for Firefox:

• I am a little 'bloated' because I have 42+ extensions installed on my Desktop FF. Here are some of my favorite Firefox extensions, but I love all 42 of them equally!
• All-in-One Gestures - Great stuff, forget the keyboard, use your mouse
• All-in-One Sidebar - I use a widescreen monitor and ths keeps important items out of the way on the left side.
• Web Developer - Simply a must if you create web pages.
• Colorzilla - Another must if you create web pages. This little tool tells you the color of anything on the web. Is Paris really blonde?
• Gmail Manager - The perfect tool for the email crazy
• QuickProxy - One easy click to turn the proxy on/off and with a visual light to let you if it is running.
• IE View - For those sites that only run on Internet Explorer just right click and choose "View this Page in IE"
• Duplicate Tab - It copies not only the website into a new tab but the tab's history as well.
• FireFTP - quick and easy access to my FTP servers.

Office Document editors and viewers

• Currently I use Office 2003 for work related document creation but,
• I have started using Google Docs for managing my personal reference and research.
• Wikipedia offers a list of free and commercial word processors
• Microsoft Office File Viewers - allow people to open and view documents created with with MS Office products
• Vim - This handy tool will read just about any text based file

Misc and Everything Else

• Video LAN - Will play just about everything and runs on Windows, Pocket PC, Mac OS, Solaris and Linux
• Media Player Classic - What WMP should have been, small light and fast!
• Foxit PDF Reader This is the fastest PDF reader I have ever seen. Simply a must have for people that regularly read PDF files.
• Unlocker - A mystery this doesn't come with XP. Ever had a file you couldn't move/delete? Just right click and "unlock"
• Ping Plotter - Constantly pings domains and IPs and gives you a graphical feed-back
• 7-Zip - Free software - can unpack: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, RAR, CAB, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM and DEB
• RocketDock - Free software launcher that just plan works and looks great!