As 2008 draws to a close I present to you my list of Top 10 Free iPhone Apps. Coincidentally, all these apps will work on the iPod Touch as well. So, in no particular order, here we go!

1. NYTimes – This app courtesy of the New York Times makes it super easy to browse through the paper. I especially like the browse by photos section. Articles cache for easy offline (airplane) viewing.

2. Locly – Awesome for finding out what’s nearby when you travel. I’ve tried a few other apps of this sort, but Locly is the best. The current version allows you to search for: Flicker Images*, Local Twitters*, Wikipedia Articles*, Local Events, News from outside.in, Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Shops and Supermarkets, Taxi Firms, Films and Movies, Museums*, Hotels, Banks and ATMs, and Gas Stations. I starred (*) the ones I use Locly for the most.

3. Wikipanion – I like to reference the Wiki a lot, and this app makes it a much more plesant experience than going to Wiki via Safari. It’s a must have.

4. Sol Free – Every iPhone needs a good solitare game, and this one is the best free app available. There’s a paid version of this app, but the free one comes with a few styles of solitare including the classic “Klondike Deal 3″, which is really all you need to pass the time.

5. Shazam – I had this app for awhile before I actually used it, but when I did I was amazed! It listens to the music that’s playing around you, and then tells you the name of the song, artist and album. Shazam easily picked out “Bad Up Your Betterness” by the Presets in a sushi restaurant in Austin, and B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” from radio in the car.

6. MiniPiano – A one-octive mini piano, plain and simple. Sounds great and plays easy. Unlike other piano apps, you can slide your finger down the keyboard to produce a glissando effect without having to press each key individually. Fun for kids!

7. TwitterFon – Everyone (including me) uses Twitterific, but here’s a shout out to another app I use called TwitterFon. It’s easily just as good as Twitterific PLUS it lets you Search for tweets (even based on your current location), so it’s easy to see who’s tweeting around you.

8. Chess – This app lets you have a game of chess with another iPhone-based player. Play someone sitting right next to you, or someone around the world. I had been looking for a free chess app for awhile, and this one takes the cake.

9. Pandora – Pandora is totally awesome. Enter a musician or band name and Pandora will create and endless stream of music from that artist as well as music by other artists that share the same genres. It’s completely commercial free (except for a small on-screen ad), and the music plays uninterrupted. Vote each song Pandora plays thumbs-up or thumbs-down and Pandora will customize the music it plays. It’s a great way to find new music. And it even sounds great over a 3G connection.

10. Showtimes – The mission of this app is to show you what’s playing at nearby movie theaters. Showtimes’ interface is super easy to navigate and includes results from multiple theaters, movie ratings, summaries, and trailers. Great when traveling and when at home.

Honorable mentions:

Video Poker – simple and fun!

Tangrams – 70 puzzles in this holiday edition.

Mobile News – AP newswire, includes local search.

Hanoi – the deceivingly difficult game I love to hate.

Blanks – fun word definition game.

FlyCast – streaming radio of all sorts (how I get WEFUNK on the road).