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Ever since Apple finally lifted the NDA covering the iPhone SDK, a small number of developers have started to open source their native iPhone apps. Today, Freshbooks, a popular online time-tracking and invoicing service, joined this group by open sourcing its native iPhone application.

Some iPhone apps are beautifully designed, a joy to use and a positive force in every iPhone owner's life. Others aren't. Come with us as we discover the iPhone apps whose best features are their icons.

And, in case you really want to look, the links in this article will take you to the app in iTunes.

148Apps, which tracks and reviews iPhone Apps, says 10,000 applications have now been released on the iPhone App store (the site is named after the fact that you can add up to 148 applications to an iPhone or iPod touch).

A tribute page shows a mini icon for every application. And it also gives some interesting data. About 24% of apps are free; 35% cost $.99.

BGR has the goods on a proported $99 4GB iPhone going on sale at Walmart on Dec 28th. Sounds good initially. You can still keep the high ground with your 16GB monster while the unwashed masses go about with thir $99 - can barely hold the Star Wars Trilogy - handset. More marketshare, more potential customers for apps, more websites designed for iPhone.

When I was at Macworld a couple of weeks ago, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I had my eyes peeled for upcoming iPhone apps. Certainly the new 17-inch MacBook and the updates to iWork and iLife were at the top of my priority list, but once I started walking around the show floor, my mind quickly turned to iPhone apps.