Installous wins our top prize this year for being so versatile. The main function of Installous is to find *.ipa files, or the application files that the iPhone uses. Everything from your games to your Safari app is an ipa file on your iPhone. To that end, this search engine can find any and all ipas that have been published and cracked for use on your phone. While the piracy aspect of this application is rampant, it is also great for finding apps that Apple has taken off the App Store or finding ones that are relatively obscure. While the Installous app still needs some performance tweaks and a better layout, if you are looking for free applications while expending minimal effort, this app is for you.

Note: To install Installous, you need to add the hackulo.us repository to Cydia. Simply go into Cydia, navigate over to Manage, then click on Sources, and click Edit in the top right hand corner, then Add on the top left corner, once you’ve clicked add, type in “Cydia.hackulo.us” into the http repository screen. Then tap on Add Source and it’ll give you a message about piracy. Click OK on the message and download Installous through this new repo!

Cycorder is one that got by me last time, but not this year. I recently attended a concert where I had forgotten my camera at home – luckily, I managed to download Cycorder on the way. If you don’t have a 3GS and wish that you had the ability to record video using the iPhone’s better-than-it-seems camera, you’re in luck, that’s exactly what Cycorder does.

Cycorder is a video camera app from the Cydia repo that functions like a lower-end version of the higher-end 3GS’s camera. For those that aren’t into such luxuries, this is a free alternative that gets the job done consistently. Add to it the ability to SSH into the iPhone and you’re looking at a great alternative to an expensive phone or video camera with the phone you already have.

Note: REMEMBER TO FILM YOUR VIDEOS IN HORIZONTAL MODE! If you don’t, you’ll have to change the orientation of the videos in a very roundabout way.

dTunes is one of those programs that I’m sure I could get into more if I could only work it properly, unfortunately, as with most Jailbreak apps, you don’t get the benefit of a clean, easy to use user interface.

dTunes is a cross between iTunes and a bittorrent client. There are other features to the program, but the clear winner is the ability to download bittorrent files on the go, even on a 3G connection. You can instantly download any music files available through bittorrent and listen to them on the go at no cost. Of course, the connections can be pretty bad from time to time and the interface is anything but intuitive, however, if you’re willing to overlook all that, you will essentially possess a mobile BT client that can download music and movies wherever you go.

Cylay rounds out the bottom of our list as a security app that is good for those paranoid about losing their phones, yet too cheap to actually pay for the Apple MobileMe security features. Cylay incorporates servers and passwords to allow you to access your iPhone remotely in the event that it’s stolen. With that in mind, I’m not 100% sure that I’d want to trust my iPhone’s security to a jailbreak program, even though from what I’ve been able to test of it so far, it seems to work fairly well.

Again, if you feel like it’s only a matter of time until your phone is forcibly taken from you, you are probably better off investing in Apple’s security package for the iPhone. It is obviously more legitimate than the jailbreak program, but at a substantial cost.

These two are not Cydia Apps, but their usefulness increases substantially when using Cydia’s Wi-Fi trick to make your iPhone think it’s operating on Wi-Fi while still under 3G.

Orblive

You can get this one for free through Installous, and use its streaming capabilities to launch your iPhone into new territory. Finally, feel free to not carry your ENTIRE music collection with you – rather, just stream it over 3G to your phone when you feel like listening to a particular song. Perhaps even more impressively, this app also allows you to stream videos of any quality and format directly to your phone, bypassing the iPhone’s proprietary format rules. If you’ve been looking for a streaming video app, look no further.

Skype

While the FCC, Google, Skype and Apple are all getting things sorted out, you can finally use the Skype app to its full potential out on the road. Simply install the app through the App Store (it’s free after all) and install VoIPover3G, the Wi-Fi trick app through Cydia. If you’ve never made an international call to a Skype-enabled PC inside a mall or other Wi-Fi-less locale, you’re missing out. The call is free and the quality is excellent – just get your relatives to also have Skype and you’re looking at free international calling from your phone!

Comments? Concerns? See an app we missed? Let us know in the comments