10 must-have iPhone apps for geeks

1. Speedtest from Xtreme Labs Price: Free One of the most important things today’s geek is the speed of his connection. Wherever the geek connects, he wants to make certain that the Wi-Fi is running at the best, fastest, cleanest speed possible. Xtreme Labs Speedtest keeps stats and maps of all tests run too.

2. Analytics App from Inblosam LLC Price: £3.99 Managing and running several websites can be a headache, especially when you need to analyse all the visitor stats. The Analytics app has the best integration with Google Analytics, with support for multiple logins, and best of all, the ‘today’ report.

3. Dropbox from Dropboxinc. Price: Free Dropbox is the simplest way to synchronise and share files across your and indeed, anyone else’s gadgets, with the ability to view photos, videos, documents and presentations on the go via its built-in reader function. You will need a Dropbox account, but the app will help you set one up.

4. LogMeIn Ignition from LogMeIninc. Price: £17.99 A bit steep pricewise (you can get 3 Double Whoppers with cheese for the same cost), this app works with LogMeIn’s free remote control software tool allowing you to remotely access your PC or Mac from anywhere. So if you forgot to send that report to your boss, or you need those government access codes sitting on your desktop at home, help is at hand with LogMeIn.

5. Articles – The Wikipedia App from Sophia Teutschlier Price: £0.59 Wikipedia is, for many, the first port of call for information about just about anything. Articles is a neat little app that presents the information in a iPhone-friendly way. It also makes use of the GPS, so you can look up stuff about your current location.

6. The World Factbook 2011 from jDictionary Mobile Price: £0.59 Providing valuable, up-to-date data for more than 250 countries, The World Factbook is a well-organised and concise gazetteer of interesting stuff  about the geography, people, governments and economy about practically anywhere.

7. Starmap from FruduricDescamps Price: £6.99 Utilising the GPS and compass, Starmap displays an annotated, augmented reality space atlas on your iPhone screen, giving you a complete planetarium in your hand. It’s a fascinating use of the technology, and is beautifully put together. There’s also a Pro version for £11.49 aimed at astronomers.

8. Molecules from Brad Larson Price: Free This is an app for viewing 3D models of various molecules. You can rotate the view and manipulate using gestures, and download more molecules straight to the iPhone.

9. Merck PSE from Merck KGaA Price: Free An interactive periodic table of elements, useful for any science or chemistry student, or anyone interested in the universe’s building blocks. A simple interface with lots of data, sorted into various classifications.

10. Evernote from Evernote Price: Free Saving the best ‘til last, Evernote is an absolute must-have for geeks and non-geeks alike. It turns your iPhone into an extension of your brain allowing you to create text, photo and audio notes which are stored locally, then synced with your computer when available. A true memory aide for capturing inspiration and ideas, and sorting them into a searchable format.