KISS MY APP: Manage my media

Staying on top of news and commentary isn't an easy business. But believe it or not, in addition to the supreme mother of all news apps – of course I'm talking about Business Spectator's own app – there are a few great apps out there that can help keep you up to date.

Instapaper

This is probably the best app Kiss My App has downloaded in the six months this column has been in existence. It was recommended by the good people at Apple.

Instapaper is a tool that allows you to bookmark articles to read later. You set up a free account on the website and install a little button on your web browser, then you just click "read later" and all the stories aggregate in a folder for you to browse through at your convenience.

The app for this website allows you to access your account on your iPhone, without using a browser. It downloads the articles so you can read them offline. It's great for gathering reading material for later when you feel like skimming but not going into a lot of detail.

Beware – the bookmarking portion of the app can seem a bit tricky to install, but it's really not that bad. Just follow the instructions and it's absolutely worth the trouble.

Toutiflux RSS

If you don't make use of RSS feeds generated by your favourite websites, you're missing out. RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a feed often produced by frequently updating websites, like news sites and blogs. It lets you know when a site has been updated via a list of expandable headlines. The best way to access RSS feeds is through a reader – you may have heard of Bloglines or Google Reader, two of the most popular options available.

This app, dear friends, is a free RSS reader for your phone. And if you have already got a Bloglines or Google Reader account, you can import the details automatically into your Toutiflux Lite account.

It is great for monitoring news and knowing when your favourite websites have been updated, making you look both extremely well-informed and well-read. Which of course you are, now.

TuneIn Radio

It wasn't easy to find a decent radio app for our loyal readers. Most of them get really dire reviews and, just like our last three boyfriends, simply don't do what they say they will. This app does exactly what you want it to. Out of 75 reviews, the app, which costs $2.49, gets 55 ratings of five out of five stars. And it's not hard to see why.

Using your location, TuneIn Radio gives you access to all the local stations, so Kiss My App can happily listen to commercial radio (yes, we like Fox FM, so SUE us, OK?!) or ABC News, at our desk or while we run in the morning. Or when our boss is shouting at us and we don't want to listen. For this, small headphones are suggested.

If you want to take a trip overseas in your lunch break, use a geographic browsing tool to listen to international stations. Or if you want a break from your mother tongue, why not browse radio stations by language? Meraviglioso!

If you have an application, for any device, that you'd like to suggest for review, please email us at kissmyapp@businessspectator.com.au . Also, be sure to check out Business Spectator's own free iPhone app at iTunes.

To read all Kiss My App reviews, click here.