Apple Inc.’s iphone is a well-executed device, but what makes it particularly valuable are the applications that you can download to it from the iTunes App Store. Some of these applications could prove to be lifesavers for busy advisors on the move.

Investment Executive browsed through some of the latest applications and found 10 that will turn your iPhone into a productivity powerhouse. Look for these applications using the App Store button on your iPhone or by searching within the iTunes Store.

> Evernote. As a busy advisor, you end up with notes everywhere — in your pockets, on your computer’s hard drive and on your smartphone. Evernote marshals them together in one place.

The online service lets you enter text, record audio, even take a snapshot. It then synchronizes the information to a central server, meaning that all your notes are in one place. Software for Windows and Mac can then be used to synchronize notes to desktop computers; the service can search for text within images, meaning that it’ll easily find the business card you photographed with your phone. Cost: free.

> Netnewswire. This program is handy for advisors who need to keep up to date with the news while on the go. It is a companion program to the NewsGator RSS service, which uses a central computer on the Internet to store all of the news feeds to which you subscribe. NetNewsWire lets you read all the news feeds in your account in a specially designed iPhone interface. The iPhone tells the central computer what you’ve read and it then hides those articles so that you don’t have to read the same thing twice.

Beware: the application slows down significantly if you use lots of feeds. You can select which feeds are displayed on the phone by logging into your central NewsGator account at www.newsgator.com. Cost: free.

> Locly. One of the iPhone’s more attractive features is its assisted global positioning system function. This enables the phone to know exactly where it is geographically and locate itself on a map. Locly uses that information to look up local restaurants, cafes and shops, among others. The application becomes a virtual concierge service for advisors who find themselves in a different town. Locly, which uses a built-in Safari Web browser to display its search results, also lets you enter your own search terms so that you can look for particular things online, such as “fancy + Thai + food.” Cost: free.

> Ixpenseit. Gathering your paper receipts at the end of the month so that you can work out your expenses can be a difficult and annoying task — especially if they’re faded or torn. IXpenseIt lets you take pictures of the receipts with your iPhone and enter text notes and amounts, creating an ongoing list of expenses that will always be up to date. Features include graphic expense reports, full text search for finding expense data, as well as the ability to export to .CSV files, which are compatible with a wide variety of programs, including Microsoft Excel. Cost: $4.99.

> Bloomberg Mobile. Bloomberg LP’s iPhone-based news and quotes application provides the latest business news while also giving you a look at equity indices and bond, currency and commodity markets. The program features the ability to track specific stocks and will calculate cost basis and profit/loss estimates. You can also find company descriptions, market leaders and laggers, and market trends analysis in this handy little program. No advisor with an iPhone should be without this application. Cost: free.

> Keytasks. Busy professionals can find themselves spinning many plates at once as they try to keep track of growing to-do lists. KeyTasks is a program that lets you enter tasks in a to-do list on your iPhone; the subscription-based service then lets you synchronize your tasks wirelessly with a PC running Microsoft Outlook. The synchronization means that whether you enter tasks within Outlook on the desktop or on your iPhone, both lists will always be up to date. Cost: $9.99 a year.

> Note2self. This audio recording program is perfect for recording memos, tasks or other thoughts that you need to capture while you’re on the go. The program lets you e-mail audio files to a default address or to anyone in your address book. The feature we liked best about this program was its use of the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer. So, if you lift the phone to your ear while the program is running, it automatically begins recording. Cost: $2.99.

@page_break@> Saphir. The iPhone may have some fabulous features, but it is far from perfect. For example, the lack of built-in encryption means that if you lose the phone, the data on it could be open to prying eyes. Saphir lets you store log-in information for countless Web sites, along with personal notes and other data. You can also encrypt photos taken with the built-in camera or from the iPhone’s library, and its use of an image-based password system makes it easy for you to get at your information (while stopping thieves from doing so). This is a useful application for advisors who want a single place to store all of their sensitive data. Cost: $7.99.

> Datacase. Another iPhone shortcoming is its inability to function as an external storage device and file viewer. DataCase solves that problem. It lets you synchronize files wirelessly between your iPhone and your Mac or PC, so that you can take your desktop files with you when you travel. The built-in file viewer supports Microsoft Office, PDF, text, html, audio and video files. Cost: $6.99.

> Writeroom. The iPhone’s virtual keyboard is OK for typing a quick e-mail, but you wouldn’t want to write a lengthy document on it, and the notes application is designed for short notes only. However, the WriteRoom mini-word processor features a keyboard that can be used in the iPhone’s horizontal mode, giving you plenty of room to type long documents. There are drawbacks — you can’t select and copy text, for example — but it does turn the iPhone into a useful writing tool. WriteRoom also lets you send documents wirelessly to your Mac. Cost: $4.99. IE