Whether you are using iphone, ipad or itouch, finding iphone apps should not be a problem these days. This is because hundreds if not thousands of iphone apps are now ready for download from iTunes. Though many think that downloading apps from iTunes would cost them money, surprisingly, a lot of iphone applications today can be had for free. Some of the best free iphone apps for 2012 include the following:

• Skype – If you like having face time with your friends or family, then downloading skype is a must. What’s great about skype is the fact that it is very easy to use. Moreover, you can make cheap phone calls anywhere but you have to create your own skype account to be able to do so.
• Dropbox – This free app for iphone allows iphone users to easily transfer files from their computer to their device.
• Tonepad – This app used a grid-based interface enabling users to turn the notes on and off. With the help of Tonepad, one can also create harmonious and pleasing music compositions which can be saved, edited and shared to others.
• Around Me – This app is definitely worth downloading. With this app on hand, you can easily find petrol stations, bars, banks and retail stores. Having Around Me installed in your iphone will also allow you to easily find your way around unfamiliar surroundings.

Text messaging could put quite a toll on your tab. With the numerous mobile applications where consumers can avail text messaging services for free, the texting frenzy continues.  Applications that offer free communication among users have become rampant nowadays. There are several applications that are hot on the list right now. Some of my favorite texting apps include:

• Group me -  This app is like a private chat room in your mobile phone.  You have an option whether to send private messages to one person, send messages to a specific group of people or send a common text to the contacts in your mobile phone. You can even use this application for conference calls, polling and group messaging.

• Text free – It offers two alternatives for its users. It features direct messaging for Android and Apple devices. And for your contacts and friends who don’t have the application, text free has a direct Facebook chat.

• Google Voice – Google Voice has become very popular due to its numerous features. With Google Voice you can send texts for free, forward messages to other phones and email addresses, you can check your texts online, you have the capacity to block unwanted users and it has push notifications. What is even more exciting is that you can sync the Google Voice to some other operating systems.

• Viber – With Viber, you can make calls and send texts for free all over the globe. It even has a clearer sound quality and has no usernames or registrations.  Viber is also void of any annoying ads that pop out of the screen.

• Ping chat – Using Ping chat, users can send messages, pictures and videos for free via WiFi connection.

• Kik Messenger – For real time chat, the Kik Messenger is considered as one of the fastest messenger services out there. It also lets users text and share photos for free without the annoying ads.

• IM+ – This application is probably one of those that started the texting application frenzy. It is an all-in-one messenger that allows users to send messages and access social networking sites free of charge.

• Whats App - This application allows users to exchange messanges for free and it is available to almost every type of mobile phone from Iphone, Blackberry, Android phones to Nokia. It is a cross platform messaging application, which allows users to exchange messages from different mobile phones.

Payment services which are performed through a mobile phone or simply referred to as mobile banking, or the pay by text technology, are now being utilized by several large companies and institutions.  This mode of alternative payment utilizes a mobile phone to transact payments instead of handing over cash, check or credit cards. Nowadays, consumers can use mobile banking to perform services, pay transportation fare and parking meters and purchase several goods that they can get their hands on.  It is a hassle free mode of payment that is being utilized globally.

Mobile text payments have four primary models-direct mobile billing, mobile web payments, and premium SMS based transactional payments and Contactless Near Field Communication.Transactional payments have been used by Asia and Europe, but today, mobile web payments are preferred over the other models of mobile banking. WAP or mobile web payments are more reliable and messages are sent faster. Transactional payments have several disadvantages. Payments made through this type of mobile banking gets lost easily and there is a high cost involved in setting up short codes.

Initially, a consumer arranges the payment by sending a payment request code via his mobile phone. A premium charge is then credited to their phone bill or online wallet. The merchant is then informed of the successful payment and the goods are then sent to the consumer.  Furthermore, MMS services send out barcodes to the merchant that serves as confirmation of payment by the consumers.

Direct mobile banking is often used to settle payments in online games and other e- commerce sites. This type of mobile payment provides maximum security with its two-factor authentication that prevents fraud. Transactions are completed in 10 seconds and there is no need for pre-registration. Mobile web payments make use of WAP or wireless application protocol. This type of mobile payment has a higher follow on sales and is equipped with a URL where search engines can be found and makes revisiting more possible. Consumers are also satisfied with its fast and predictable payments.  WAP payments has some disadvantages as well, it has a lower payout rate compared to the other models of mobile payments.

Contactless Near Field Communication is utilized when purchasing goods from a physical store.  The consumer uses a mobile phone equipped with smart card waves. In order to pay for a purchase, the consumer has to wave his mobile phone near a reader. Some would require an authentication PIN to complete the purchase.  The payment is then deducted from the consumer’s pre-paid account.

While mobile payments are not new trends, pay by text technology still need a lot of improvement especially in terms of payment security and reliability. But rest assured that even though, there are other forms of mobile payments being used today, a growing number of people prefer the pay by text method due to its ease of use and undeniable convenience.

It is no doubt that Facebook is the most famous social networking site up to date. Recently, Facebook Messenger for both iPhone and Android phones has been released. The versatility and efficiency offered by text messaging apps like the Facebook messenger would made one think if Facebook messaging have completely beaten mobile phone texting. To answer this, let us first know what the facebook messenger can offer us.

The new and enhanced Facebook messenger is a free app that also comes with SMS capability, apart from its innate ability to send instant messages. Since the FB messenger is also designed to allow users to send SMS, a lot of mobile users today particularly those who spend a lot of time texting and instant messaging on their phones are delighted with its release. When compared to mobile phone texting, facebook messaging is a lot more advantageous since you have the option to chat with your online friends without worrying about text messaging cost. In addition, this free mobile texting app from Facebook offers dedicated tools for instant messaging and SMS texting.

Facebook messaging also handles group messaging better than mobile phone texting. This means that you can seamlessly chat with two or three friends simultaneously. The SMS texting feature of the app, meanwhile, allows you to get phone numbers directly from your Facebook connections. Because of this, you are sure that when you send an SMS message to a friend via FB messenger, you will have access to their current contact number and not the outdated one. Unlike with mobile phone texting, unless you update your contacts, you will only have access to the number stored in your phonebook.

Another great thing about facebook messaging is that it showcases a host of other great features that mobile phone texting does not offer. For instance, if you don’t have the number of a facebook friend stored on your phone, you can send a quick message via facebook messenger or if that friend has listed his/her number on his/her facebook account, then you can pull up your friend’s contact number so you would be able to send a SMS message granted you have obtained the appropriate permissions to do so.

With the intuitive design of facebook messenger as well as its amazing and very personalized instant messaging as well as SMS texting feature, I won’t be surprised if it completely beats mobile phone texting. But as of now, I think that a lot people still uses mobile phone texting when sending SMS messages to friends especially if internet connection is not available to establish connection to Facebook.

Speed and connectivity – these two worlds seem to sum up the popular demand nowadays, where almost all aspects of daily life and society is heavily reliant upon on technology. It has become imperative for business, politics, culture and even leisure, to the extent that many people feel disadvantaged or deprived if they are forced by circumstances to survive without a computer or a phone for even a single day. So much has indeed changed from the earlier decades when it was still possible to live without the internet or a mobile phone.

Fortunately, because of the boundless technological advancement that has taken place during the last millennium, there has already been a wide variety of mobile phones and computers that are readily available on the market. There are even several attempts to develop a cross-over device between a mobile phone and a computer, most famous of which is the Smartphone, which boasts of having almost all of the features of a personal computer infused with the size and portability of the mobile phone. In fact, two tech giants, Apple, Inc. and Samsung are currently engaged in a bitter rivalry over who is the better or more original developer of the smartphone or the tablet PC.

In a calculated move interpreted to further intensify the rivalry between the two tech moguls, Samsung has recently launched a new device called the Samsung Galaxy Note which boasts of having nearly all the features of a tablet personal computer within the size of a typical smartphone. Here are some of the features of the Samsung Galaxy Note, for the benefit of techies and geeks who are eagerly awaiting its release into local markets.

Launched last September at the IFA 2011 opening, the Samsung Galaxy Note is supposedly equipped with the largest HD display (SUPER AMOLED) among all smartphones available in the market today, with 5.3” display @ 1280 x 800 pixel, 285ppi resolution and a touch screen capacity that will surely delight all users worldwide.

The Galaxy Note is also equipped with a 1.4GHz dual core processor, and with 1GB of RAM that is sure to provide ample storage space for all your audio, video and document files. Those who are fixated with photography and images will also be glad to know that this device is also equipped with an amazing 8 megapixel camera that will make taking pictures a delight.

The device also has a 2 megapixel front camera for businessmen who need to make video calls while travelling. Social networking fanatics and internet addicts are also sure to appreciate the Samsung Galaxy Note’s Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, GPS and HSPA+ features which will make connecting to the internet as easy as 1-2-3. The gadget also has a powerful 1,200mAh battery that ensures longevity and power.

With the growing number of people switching to the use of smartphones, mobile app developers are quite busy creating new and exciting smartphone applications that will capture the attention of mobile users. From maps,gps locators, games, antivirus, photo editing tools, video players, music players, messengers, and travel apps, both iTunes and the Android Market offers all sorts of apps possible. But, although there are now a wide variety of mobile applications available today, there are still a lot of potential apps that are yet to be developed or are already under development. I am personally curious what kinds of applications are bound to emerge in the mobile texting scene. What do you think is missing from the existing roster of texting apps?

Some of the new mobile texting apps that will likely be made available to everyone in the not-so distant future include the following. Most of the mobile texting apps that I will be mentioning below might already exist but are not yet fully explored or developed.

• Mobile Text Banking App – I would love to find an app that will allow me to do my bank transactions by simply sending an SMS or text message. Although such mobile texting app technology is not at all new, I think that there is still a big room left for improvement. For instance, a mobile text app that is can allow us to securely transfer money not just locally but also internationally would surely be a welcome addition. It is possible that this kind of text app is already in the works or might already be in existence, but I think such kind of text app has still a long way to go in terms of reliability, security and dependability.

• Texting Apps Supporting Big File Attachments – I have yet to find an app that can support attachments that are bigger than 5mb. Most of the time when you attach files that are more than 1mb, it takes several minutes before the entire file can be uploaded. In addition, I hope to see a mobile texting app that will be able to transfer bigger video files. Since people these days like to document everything they do, there has been a surge in file exchanges online. Although cloud storage has made file sharing more convenient, don’t you think it would be a lot cooler to see texting apps that are capable of smoothly transferring big files?

• Text Apps That Offer Super Clear Video and Voice Calls – I have used to a lot of text messaging apps but none of them offer super clear video and voice calls. Skype, for example, still experience video lagging, although it offers far better video call quality compared to other text or mobile messaging apps out there. But I would so love to see developers create a text app that can offer excellent video and call quality with minimal to none lag time. That would be amazing especially for those who use messaging or texting apps to communicate with friends and family living abroad.