Six killer iPhone freebies

NPR, e-books, and auto-repair, oh my! The fantastic iPhone (and iPod Touch) freebies just keep on coming. Here's a look at six apps that have earned a permanent home on my handset. (Note: All links go directly to the iTunes Store.)

• Kindle for iPhone Though not perfect in its 1.0 release, the Kindle app brings Amazon's 240,000-strong e-book library to your iPhone--and that alone is reason to celebrate. Don't knock it till you've tried it.
• Lose It! Trying to lose weight? Forget the diet du jour: It all boils down to math. If you burn more calories than you consume, presto: the pounds come off. Lose It! makes it a snap to set a weight goal and track daily calories and exercise.
• Public Radio Tuner An excellent companion to the NPR Mobile app I mentioned last time, Public Radio Tuner lets you stream hundreds of stations and can even zero in on local ones.
• RepairPal A must-have for car owners, RepairPal helps you price-compare repair estimates, find and contact local mechanics, get roadside assistance, and more.
• SnapTell The ultimate app for cheapskates? Might could be. Snap a photo of any book cover, CD, DVD, or video game, and the app serves up ratings, reviews, videos, and, best of all, price comparisons. (Thanks to brohan81 for recommending this one.)
• Textfree Lite If you routinely rack up massive text-messaging charges (I'm looking at you, teenagers), grab Textfree Lite. It lets you send messages free of charge (15 per day in the Lite version, so consider this a trial run). You can receive free texts as well, but only from other Textfree users. Yeah, it's a bit of a hassle, but so are big monthly bills.

In the meantime, check out my last roundup of fab iPhone freebies. And the batch before that. Talk about an embarrassment of free riches!