Total Hotspot iPhone app – your directory of free Wi-Fi

With Apple set to make an announcement of unknown proportions around the iPhone 3G within the next few hours, I thought I’d offer something to be pleased about in case the whole thing is a total let down. Let’s face it, if you don’t have an iPhone, the 3.0 version of the software isn’t exactly going to be the thing that tips the balance.

For me, it’s the apps that work the magic on my purse strings and I rather like this one from Rummble and Total Hotspots called, er, Total Hotspots. Looks like someone’s getting a bit of a raw deal there.

It’s all about Wi-Fi internet access, as the name would suggest, and it’s essentially a social directory of 170,000 hotspots all over the world. I’m not saying it pops round for tea – the idea is that the community rates each one so you can tell where to best get on the infoblob.

I’m not sure how comprehensive the coverage is. I know that London alone has 10,000 – 20,000 hotspots so I don’t hold out much hope for Dar-es-Salaam, but as Total Hotpsots is a UK company there should be a little bias towards our shores. It’s availble for £2.99 and is probably as useful at the National Rail Enquiries iPhone and iPod Touch app which is also out today.

This one will use the GPS functionality in your device to give you real-time train schedules and service information for the UK rail network. You’ll be able to save regular routes for quick access to timetables but no word of whether you’ll be able to purchase tickets or not.

The ominous part is that it can be purchased from the App Store. Notice the word “purchased” rather than “downloaded” – bit of a cheek given the service is free from your computer and presumably over your normal iPhone Safari browser too.