Saturday, May 2, 2009

An iPhone App for the Unemployed

We all know that unemployment is at its highest level in decades. For many people this means cutting back on unnecessary expenses like eating out, that deluxe cable package, or new tech toys. But what about that $80+ iPhone bill? There isn't too much you can do about that, right? You've got to take that hour long phone interview, call in to an audio conference, or network with former colleagues. If your cell phone is your only phone, job hunting can quickly drive up your bill. Although you may be stuck with your iPhone (for better or worse), there are a few ways to keep your bill in check.

This week I've been using an iPhone app called talkfree (iTunes), which goes through your phone address book and identifies all your contacts who are also on AT&T. This is great because now you know who you can call without burning through your daytime minutes. The app adds (in) next to the contact name, making it easy to surf your address book and figure out who to call next.

Obviously, talkfree will be useful for many people, and at $0.99 you can't beat the price. However, for people that are currently unemployed talkfree will give you the piece of mind you need to waste the day catching up with friends (or networking with former coleagues).