Now that there are almost 142,000 approved iPhone applications, finding useful software has become difficult if not impossible. The App Store is projected to keep growing at breakneck speed. Now developer Hello, Chair has released a thesaurus for apps dubbed Appsaurus.

Appsaurus goes beyond the capabilities of Apple's Genius to bring you iPhone apps most similar to those you already find useful and enjoy. Appsaurus can be trained to learn what kind of apps you prefer, and makes it possible to search the App Store with specific filters.

The most popular posts of 2009 show that demand for tethering on the AT&T network is strong despite a lack of official support. The following list focuses heavily on Apple's upgrades to the iPhone operating system and issues encountered by some users with firmware 3.1.

As always, there's heavy interest in jailbreaking every new iPhone OS. Another story that made the top 10 was the delay and subsequent launch of MMS in the US.

Not long after Apple counter-sued Nokia, the stakes of the battle have increased. Nokia is now claiming that Apple has violated its patents in almost all of its consumer electronics products. The US International Trade Commission has received word that Nokia believes Apple's iPhones, iPods and computers are all abusing Nokia's intellectual property rights.

Initially, Nokia claimed that Apple had violated patents including GSM and UMTS communications standards as well as security and encryption standards in its iPhone. Apple countered the lawsuit by saying that Nokia illegally copied 13 of its own patents and named the Nokia E71 as a device that completely mimics the iPhone.

Turns out you can't download that Dalai Lama iPhone app if you live on mainland China. Interested in Rebiya Kadeer, the exiled leader of China's Uighur minority? If you live in China don't look for any apps on your iPhone that mention that person, either.

You won't find them because Apple is likely complying to local laws banning specific political or religious beliefs in the Chinese version of its App Store. The Chinese government is infamous for its "great firewall" and routinely blocks large portions of the Internet with which the governing party disagrees.

Since surpassing the two billionth download mark this September, the App Store has seen an amazing increase in downloads over the holiday season. New iPhone owners are certainly involved, but iPod Touch users have surpassed iPhone downloads for the first time in late December.

With over 100,000 applications to choose from, owners carrying iPod Touch devices downloaded 1,000% more apps on Christmas than they did on the previous three Fridays. Yes, one thousand percent more downloads.

You may not want to know how much you've spent on apps since you picked up your first iPhone. After all, most of the cost in owning an iPhone is in the monthly data plan, right? App Store Expense Monitor will calculate your app total automatically.

The program is free and runs on Mac OS X 10.5 or later. Simply run the program and it scans your iTunes library to determine what apps you've already bought. The software then checks the current price of each application and outputs a total cost.

Gained a few pounds over the holiday season? Your iPhone could help you shed some weight next year after you've made the annual New Year's resolutions.

Lose It! tracks calorie consumption, nutrition and progress towards your weight goals all in one handy, free iPhone application. There's even a feature where you can connect with friends for support and motivation.

Waterford has been in the news lately as they have redone the crystal on the famous New Year's Eve ball for Times Square in New York. What you may not have heard is that the company has developed an iPhone app called Waterford Clink-Clink.

Believe it or not, the application is more useful than it sounds. Besides displaying a virtual glass of champagne that tilts when your iPhone tilts, the app can be used for sharing contact information and social networking.

New information has surfaced indicating that Apple will market the 10-inch tablet computer as an e-book reader in 2010. The latest buzz surrounding the device focuses on domains and trademarks registered indirectly by Apple such as iSlate.

However, if the Apple tablet indeed has its own App Store specifically for e-books, magazines and newspapers, why not revive the iBook name? With the iTunes platform Apple has already changed the face of digital music, and has recently moved into distributing film and television content.

Rumors of an 8GB iPhone 3GS were shot down this summer after Canadian carrier Rogers accidentally made the nonexistent handset available on their website. Now an iPhone user in Germany claims to have received this packaging label on his refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G.

This may be evidence that Apple plans to ditch the 8GB 3G model for an 8GB capacity 3GS. The move would make sense as a new iPhone 4.0 model is expected in summer of 2010.