• Cartoon Roach is a great game for whenever you’re stuck on a train (or in a meeting).   The only goal is to smash the bad roaches while avoiding the good ones.  Ninja Roaches and Spartan Roaches, among other varieties, mix up the fun.  For only a $1.99, it’s a tough one to pass up.
• Pulse News Mini Review is a unique RSS feed that includes pictures and summaries along with text.  This makes it easy to quickly find what you’re looking for, and also makes interesting articles stand out.  Set-up is easy and lets you either add news sources or search for certain types of articles.  On the iPhone 4, it runs like a charm.
• Nubi Do promises a lot with its $6.99 price, but somehow manages to deliver.  This task manager combines all the features that are usually left out, including calendar viewing, prioritizing lists, and syncing with Google doc spreadsheets.  If you’re a fast-paced liver that benefits from organization, Nubi Do is a powerful tool to have on your side.
• Pro Zombie Soccer is the latest entry in the undead (and undying) genre of zombie games, but the game-play actually delivers as you get the chance to launch soccer balls at the heads of zombie marauders.  Like Cartoon Roach, PZS doesn’t amaze with story or deep thoughts, but for a time-waster that’ll keep you continuously entertained, it passes with flying colors.

Additional features of the iOS4 update include an iBooks app that allows you to browse and shop for books, then read them from your iPhone like an eBook, the ability to create custom playlists directly from your phone, a 5x digital zoom for your camera, and a tap to focus option for video shooting. For better organization, the update also comes with a tool called Faces and Places that allows you to sort your photos based on who’s in them and where they were taken. You can also change the background wallpaper of your home screen, send apps as gifts to your friends, spell check your emails and texts, and use a wireless keyboard via Bluetooth. If the iOS4 update sounds like something you’re interested in—its free, why wouldn’t you be interested—visit the Apple website to learn how to download it and update your iPhone from the comfort of your own home.

Though it may be small, the possibilities that come with the Mac Mini are huge—the well thought out design includes numerous ports (4 USB, an SD memory card slot, a HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a Mini Display Port, audio in and audio out ports, a built in power supply, and one FireWire 800 port) plus a slot-loading SuperDrive for CDs and DVDs. Additional features include 8GB of memory, the latest 802.11n wireless technology, and the Mac OS X Snow Leopard (the world’s most advanced operating system). Equally as impressive, the Mac Mini is the world’s most energy-efficient desktop computer. In addition to being made out of highly recyclable materials and using fewer toxins, the Mac Mini is up to 90% efficient in terms of energy supply.  It meets the Energy Star low power qualification and high efficiency limits—with an 80% margin. Furthermore, the Mac Mini won the EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Gold rating thanks to its environmentally friendly design and energy reducing qualities.

Among the most popular basic apps is Slacker radio. This free music streaming service has nearly four times more music in its library than other music-streaming apps. You can choose to customize your own station or listen to one of hundreds of pre-programmed genre stations. Another must have app is Yelp. This food friendly app uses the iPhone’s GPS capabilities to connect you to user reviews of restaurants, bars, and other businesses. The coolest part—you can point your iPhone’s camera in any direction and the Monocle feature provides you with a street view vision of nearby eateries and establishments. Before you spend all your money at Yelp approved restaurants, you can use Mint, a money budgeting app, to manage all your financial accounts. Mint will warn you if you’re close to over drafting or alert you of any suspicious activity. Lastly, the Photoshop.com Mobile App lets you crop, touch up, edit, and apply special effects to the photos you take on the iPhone then save the edited versions directly to your phone.

While the app store may be filled with thousands (200,000 to be exact) of apps to make life more interesting, the aforementioned apps are sure to come in handy no matter what lifestyle you lead. For a full listing of available apps, check out the Apple app store on iTunes or access it directly from your iPhone.

On a more humorous note, many sites have posted ideas or hosted contests about what Apple will come up with next. Some interesting ideas include the iPiano, the iRide or iCar, an iPottie with a touch toilet seat, an iWatch, a Washing Mac-Chine, an iTan tanning bed, and an iHop (a high tech jump rope of sorts). While many of these ideas are ridiculous to say the least, it seems fitting to imagine a world dominated by Apple iProducts.

On a realistic note, we can probably expect newer and improved versions of preexisting Apple products to hit the market next. In fact, they just released the highly anticipated iPhone 4—a new version of the popular iPhone 3G with additional features that contributed to over 1.7 million sales in the first three days. Though it’s impossible to say what the next iProduct will be, you can be certain it be a technological invention sure to change the face of technology yet again.

If the iPhone 4 sounds like something you’re interested in, check with your cell phone provider to see when your plan is up or if there are any deals available for a new phone if you’re already an AT&T customer. The iPhone 4 costs $199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB. Shipping dates are close to 3 weeks after purchase. Check out the Apple online store for more detailed information if you’re serious about getting a brand new iPhone—you won’t be sorry you did.