This is a novel idea. You're driving, yet you still would like to access your Facebook friends updates, Twitter tweets, podcasts, and more. Aha Radio (free) turns it all into radio stations so that you can listen to this content as you drive. Plus, it gives you reports on nearby traffic based on your location.

INRIX TRAFFIC! was given the Macworld 2010 Best of Show award.  This isn't your normal navigation app.  It's used to predict your travel time on your normal routes based on real-time and historic data. It lets you know when to leave to reach your destination at your desired time.

I recently had the chance to chat with Zvika Ashkenazi, the CEO of MobileAppLoader.com and I was able to learn some very interesting things about his company, the services it provides and I also learned how to track App Store sales.

Zvika sent me a graphic detailing January 2010 metrics for DIY iPhone apps. According to the graphic, MobileAppLoader was responsible for creating 436 apps for their customers which include realtors, auto dealers, restaurants, and hotels to name just a few categories.

In case you were not aware, TomTom and Magellan have previously released versions of their GPS car kit that turns your iPod Touch into a navigation device, as well as making their GPS software compatible with it. One of the downsides is the cost, as it can be argued that you can buy a standalone GPS unit for much less. Cost may not be an issue for those wanting to add more functionality to their device but one of the drawbacks I see is that their car kits are for in car use only via the car power adaptor. In my opinion, this limits some of the payback use / value, especially if you only need GPS navigation occasionally.

Waze is a neat app that not only offers GPS navigation but also uses "crowdsourcing" to help make available real-time traffic updates. Users can send alerts as they drive so that others can avoid problems. The recently released holiday version of Waze offers a holiday theme with a treasure hunt that gives you the opportunity to win real prizes. According to their press release, they added what they call "road goodies" – small icons worth bonus points – to the map in areas where the waze system has identified map problems.

There's not much need for this in Fairfield, Iowa, but if I were a city guy I'd depend heavily on this app. Am I the sort of person who'd forget where he parked his car? Not really, but I'm the sort of guy who worries that he will forget where he parked his car. An app like this lets you relax and forget. Park'n Find uses GPS to mark where your car is parked. It then guides you back to your parking location using a satellite image that automatically pans and zooms to show where your car is parked relative to where you are. You can optionally attach photos, voice memos, and notes.

I badly want Waze to be a success because the idea is just so perfect: a free navigation app that integrates user-generated traffic information. So, you're stuck in traffic someplace, you whip our your iPhone, and let the world know that they ought to take a different route if they're traveling the same road that you are. It's a wonderful example of crowdsourcing. The trick is to get lots of people to use it. And increasingly people are. But if you live someplace where there's not much coverage, the app has less value than other places where it's really caught on.

Spyglass ($0.99) is yet another creative use of your iPhone's camera. You can view your environment via the iPhone camera and digitally zoom in in up to 5x. In addition, the app uses augmented reality to superimpose compass and GPS information as well as horizon tilt right over the live camera feed. You can also enable the maps feature and have the same information superimposed on a map.You'll need an iPhone 3Gs plus an Internet connection to use the maps feature.