Last.fm iPhone app - where have you been all my life?

It's very easy to convince oneself that you know more about something than you do. When you're trying to keep abreast in a world of 'Web 2.0' where new sites, social media fads and applications are popping up at such a ridiculous rate, the boundaries between fact and fiction can become blurred.

Last.fm is probably nothing new to most people. It turns out that, until I randomly downloaded onto my spanking new iPhone 3G the new free Last.fm iPhone Application
, I actually had no idea what Last.fm was. I am incredibly impressed.

The Last.fm iPhone application, which was announced early this year and which created a lot of buzz among users, looks great. It's not available everywhere, particularly in Australia, much to the chagrin of some, but the fact that it is genuinely free and, in my opinion, adds value to the user, is a major bonus of the Last.fm iPhone application.

This is more than can be said for the Shazam iPhone application. I was excited by the possibility of having access to Shazam for free, but the terms and conditions state that they can start charging you for it at their discretion. For iPhone 3G users it would appear to be advisable to check the conditions of license for all applications prior to downloading. What initially may not cost a bean could end up milking you.

This could be the case for Last.fm, but largely because it offers the chance to buy your favourite tunes direct from iTunes onto your iPhone 3G, and also tells you when and where your top bands are appearing next. I'm sorely tempted to head over to Canada to see Oasis perform, but will have to wait until they are here. Until then, enjoy the Last.fm iPhone application, and this: