Compared to past generations, does “curiosity” still have the same power to “kill the cat”? Not in today’s society. With user-friendly, multi-functional iPhone apps, the modern curious cat can quickly stimulate that sudden urge to know the latest news, catch up on gossip, check the calendar and bank balance, and hunt for Disney’s “Perry the Platypus.” The real challenge is navigating the endless options when it comes to iPhone apps. Here’s a list of top five must-have iPhone apps that effectively feed your curiosity and enhance your daily activities.

WhatsApp Messenger by WhatsApp Inc.
Today’s varied social networking sites create endless networking opportunities. The WhatsApp Messenger allows you to integrate your social circles into one program. From your home screen, you can broadcast a status message, start a group chat, send a video or voice message, or keep up with individual chats. Instead of keeping up with usernames and passwords, the program works off of your phone number and connects you with the contacts in your address book.

Pulse News by Alphonso Labs Inc.
The internet is ripe with high-quality sources of news, magazines, and blogs, but it can be cumbersome to search each source individually. With Pulse News, you can quickly skim through the vivid, eye-catching displays of all your favorite sources to get the real pulse of the day. You can save favorite stories and sync your sources to other devices. There’s “more reading than I have time for, from a huge variety of credible and respected sources, over a wide spectrum of categories,” writes an iTunes app reviewer.

Weave by Intuit Inc.
With all this fun, when does the work get done? The Weave app is a multifunctional life organizer. Essentially, your life becomes project oriented, and your daily task list moves you toward those project goals. You can easily monitor your progress, anticipate deadlines, watch your budget, and share projects with other team members. Quite simply, “nothing falls through the cracks,” according to one satisfied app user.

Camera+ by tap tap tap
The Camera+ app, one of the best iPhone apps of 2011 according to TIME magazine, does an exceptional job of photo taking. It has a 6x digital zoom feature and provides artistic scene settings such as sunset, backlit, and portrait modes. You can explore your emotion and personality with effects like “Grunge” and “So Emo” and then share those artistic creations through Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

Wipeout by Activision Publishing Inc.
According to Apple, the game Wipeout topped the list of app downloads at the start of September. When you’re curious to know if your gaming skills have what it takes, this addictive game will have you racing through obstacles and bouncing over challenges. Featuring themes from the ABC hit TV show “Wipeout,” the game is stimulating both to your senses and to your ego. The screen shots taunt: “Are you brave enough to face the dreaded big balls?” Aren’t you curious to find out?

Chuka Udeze is passionate about Technology & Social Media. He is currently associated with TechTalkAsia where you can find a wide range of Technology Articles