One of these apps might come in handy for tomorrow’s “Let’s Rock” SteveNote, or you can use them at your next concert. Yes, even more “useless” than the myriad flashlight apps come the various apps that turn your iPhone into a lighter.

Crazy Lighter Gold

Besides being a great lighter, this app also comes with a lesson. You see, had we reviewed this a few days ago we would have put “free” in the review. But, in its latest incarnation the app has gone “gold” and now sports a $0.99 price tag. 

Still, EZone’s Crazy Lighter is worth a look. It has the most animated flame of any of the apps we’ve reviewed. In fact, the flame moves around so much you might even call it… (wait for it…) crazy! This thing will definitely catch attention. Even better, how do you turn on the lighter or turn it off? Just shake the iPhone to clear a clickety-clack that any zippo fan is all-too-familiar with. It’s a great touch.

Useless Productivity Rating:

Cost: $0.99

Learn More:

• Get Crazy Lighter Gold from iPhone App Store

MyLite and MyLighter

If you don’t care about flashlight functionality head straight to DoApp’s MyLighter, which shows the animated lighter you see right here. A better “value” (even if both apps are free) is MyLite, an app that contains the aforementioned lighter along with a number of flash and strobelight settings (strobe, trippin, police car, emergency, traffic lights).

The animation on the lighter is somewhat subdued, and the white plastic lighter definitely feels kind of cheap compared to the coolness of Crazy Lighter. But, if you wanted to get one app with a variety of functions for all of your “iPhone lighting needs” then you could do worse than MyLite.

Useless Productivity Rating (MyLite):

Cost: Free

Useless Productivity Rating (MyLighter):

Cost: Free

Learn More:

• DoApp MyLite website
• Get MyLite from iPhone App Store
• DoApp MyLighter website
• Get MyLighter from iPhone App Store

Lights!

Here’s another “all in one” light app, though the execution is definitely lacking. The lighter is the least animated of the ones reviewed here. In fact, it’s not very bright either. The Lights! flashlight function is similarly dim (from an illumination standpoint, mind you), though the candle option might be useful to some.

Still, at $1.99, the features are not compelling and certainly not a good value compared to apps.

Useless Productivity Rating:

Cost: $1.99

Learn More:

• Lights! website
• Get Lights! from iPhone App Store

We iPhone owners are a fairly proud bunch. We love our iPhones (well, most of the time) and we love showing off the features to others. But even we feel down sometimes and for those times there is a brand new application to make us feel better. Esteem Aid is the feel-good version of the Magic 8 Ball but with some nice iPhone integration twists.

The concept is simple: load the app and see screen after screen of positive, life-affirming messages. More then sixty messages are available including phrases like “You are AWESOME,” “Keep Up the Good Work,” and “You’re My Hero.”  If one message isn’t enough, just shake the iPhone to get your next random message.  

There’s one very clever addition to the application. Some of the messages include names of people from your iPhone contacts list. It’s a hoot when the message comes up and says something like “You are ten times sexier than Steve.” Look for future app updates to include even more esteem-building messages.

Wet Leaf Software’s Esteem Aid is a fun program that leverages the iPhone functionality nicely. It won’t stop world hunger, but might make you feel better about eating that cheeseburger.

Useless Productivity Rating:

Cost: free

Learn More:

• Wet Leaf Software
• Get Esteem Aid from the iPhone App Store