The iPhone and iPod Touch are powerful computers that fit in your shirt pocket. Out of the box, they do a lot -- e-mail, Web, music, videos, and more. But they get even more powerful when you download and install third-party applications.

Stay connected with your network of friends using the official Facebook app for iPhone.
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Developers have been hard at work producing applications for the devices, which add capabilities that give users easy access to popular social networking service, news, Internet radio, business applications, and more. You have to pay to get many of the applications -- but many are available for free. The free apps aren't low-quality, developers are giving away some of the best and most useful iPhone applications.

The only place to get the apps is from Apple itself. You can download them from the App Store section of iTunes on your desktop, or using the App Store app that's on the iPhone itself. The App Store now includes more than 5,700 applications, and growing.

What are some of the best free apps for your iPhone or iPod Touch? We're glad you asked. Read on.

1. Facebook
Keep up with Facebook while you're away from your computer. The official Facebook iPhone app lets you do many of the things you can do from your desktop, including checking out your friends' status updates, use Facebook Chat, upload your own photos, read your News Feed and comments, run a search, manage friend requests, view your in-box, and more. Download Facebook from the App Store.

Turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a wireless remote for your iTunes or Apple TV using the Remote app.
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2. LinkedIn
The official LinkedInapp lets you tap into your professional network on the go. Get updates from your network, find needed contact information, read profiles, update your status and review your own profile. The iPhone app integrates with your address book -- you can find a contact on your network, then quickly. copy their contact information to your address book. Download LinkedIn from the App Store.

3. Pandora
The official Pandora: application lets you build and listen to free, streaming radio stations on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Just input one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers, and Pandora will create a station that plays that music and more like it. Rate songs as they play to fine-tune Pandora's selections. Download Pandora from the App Store.

4. Remote
Apple Inc.'s Remote lets you turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into a remote-control for your desktop iTunes or Apple TV. You can select music, play, pause, skip, shuffle, view album art, edit playlists, search your iTunes library, control AirTunes speakers, and more. Download Remote from the App Store.