Mobile Apps Round-up 09/25/09: Best for The BlackBerry

I’m on a world tour of sorts with my BlackBerry Tour, so as my own travels start to wrap up I thought it would be a good time to mention some of the best apps for those using the BlackBerry on their own personal tours. Here are some apps that I found to be very helpful:

WorldMate Live -- This travel site provided me with e-mail notifications of flight changes and even delays. It provided me with access to various travel tools and made the trip a little easier. While I still showed up at the airport hours early, I was able to catch up on the news… with the Tour of course! This app is free for download.

Google Talk and BlackBerry Messenger -- While the Tour is a great world phone, I found a way to make communicating with my wife and other travel companions easier. Namely we all used either Google Talk or BlackBerry Messenger to send quick IMs to each other. This saved the cost of a more expensive SMS or MMS, and was vastly cheaper than phone calls in some parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. While Google Talk provided a few more options, BlackBerry Messenger was quite simple and direct. Either way it beat paying for expensive international roaming calls. Both of these are free so you you come out ahead either way!

Calorie Tracker by Livestrong -- I’m a health nut of sorts. Actually, my family and friends say I’m a bit obsessive. While I’m on a cruise for my research project there is no shortage of food; and even though I like to work out every day that hasn’t been possible every day. That said, I’ve been watching what I eat with the help of Calorie Tracker by Livestrong. It was certainly worth the $2.99 paid download pricetag. And since I travel a lot on business, I can see that this app will come in handy regularly when I’m on the road. Add in the free HandyLogs Body Weight App and maintaining a healthy diet while traveling just became a lot easier.

THE Flashlight -- Is it worth $2.99 to transform the light from the built-in mobile camera into a portable mobile flashlight? Probably not, but having a portable flashlight can be priceless! So I can actually recommend this one.

Personal Assistant -- While on a cruise you are treated very well, but one thing that isn’t actually provided is a mobile assistant. Instead, I had to rely on the one on my mobile phone. This one lets me watch my mobile minute usage and keep track of my spending. When I’m back in the states, it can help me watch my bank account, travel itineraries and even help me manage my bills. It is also a free app, which is perfect for control freaks like me.

One Touch Phone Dialer -- I have an excellent memory, even when it comes to numbers, but trying to remember numbers and international dialing codes is too much. So for that reason I can recommend this free app that has made dialing my colleagues so much easier on this trip.

Bubble Breaker -- And finally, I have to add my favorite game, Bubble Breaker. While it cost $2.99 (and been free on my last two Palm smartphones), it is a simple game that just lets me reduce stress while I’m on the go. And that is also priceless!

Check back next week for the latest from the world of mobile apps.