Chicago pre-trip #2: the essential apps and tweets

Chicago 2Go: the appy city.

Last year I went to Chicago with my lap and laptop.

This year, I'm going with my lap, iPhone, and Echofon app, which means there's a whole online world of Chicago I have yet to experience in person.

Here they are: the essential apps and essential feeds you need to be following on Twitter:

Chicago Twitter feeds:

1. Chicago Tribune
2. Chicago Sun-Times
3. Red Eye Chicago - Chicago arts and entertainment
4. Michael Phillips, movie reviewer for the Chicago Tribune
5. Chaser Chicago - Chicago nightlife
6. Chicago Art Magazine
7. Chicago Magazine
8. Roger Ebert
9. Chicago Art Institute
10. Broke Hipster - Chicago on a budget
11. Chicago Architecture
12. Chicago Current - politics
13. NBC Chicago
14. Navy Pier
15. The Second City - Sketch comedy
16. Time Out Chicago
17. Oprah (of course).
    

Free apps:

1. Chicago 2Go
2. Chicago Map and Walking Tours
3. Lollapalooza '10
4. Foursquare (but will it work with a Canadian iPhone? TBD!)
5. Yelp (ditto)
6. Chicago Maroon - University news app. Projector take note!
7. Chicago Tribune Newsreader - not the best app in the world, but it'll do in a pinch.
8. Broadway in Chicago - musicals, etc.
9. CBS 2 Chicago - local news
10. The White House - a cheat, sure, but talk about a classy and expensive-looking app. Nice work, Barack!
    

There are more apps you can get for cash, but why pay for the milk app when you can get the cow app for free?