If you got a new Windows-based handset for Christmas, then you'll likely be interested in exploring the content Microsoft has ready and waiting for you in the online Marketplace app store. Here's five apps we think are worth the download...

Bing

Bing for mobile helps you find local shops, restaurants and other services, get directions and see weather conditions, all optimised for your handset. It also offers general web search and claims to boast "instant answers when you need them". Best of all, it's a free download. 

Cost: Free

Microsoft My Phone

Microsoft My Phone is a practical option that you'll be more than glad to have if you lose your shiny new handset. It lets you sync information on your Windows phone to a password-protected web site where you can access, edit and share it, or even restore it onto a new phone.

Cost: Free

MoTweets

MoTweets is a popular Twitter client for mobiles which offers the usual - ReTweet, Follow, Unfollow, Direct messages, Replies, Favorites, Conversations - as well as the ability to upload pics from your phone's camera and post your location via the handset's GPS.

Cost: £2.69

YomoMedia Reader

YomoMedia Reader is an RSS reader application for Windows Mobile devices that automatically retrieves any RSS feed, audio or video podcast and stores the content on the device enabling offline viewing and listening. You can set YomoMedia to update feeds when suits you as often as every 5 minutes or once a day.

Cost: Free

Microsoft Office Mobile 2010

This beta app is free until April 2010 and claims to bring "the powerful Microsoft Office 2010 tools you use every day to the screen of your Windows phone with rich interfaces especially designed for small devices". If you need to stay productive when you're on the go, then this app, that lets you view and edit your Microsoft Office documents on the move, will certainly help.

Cost: Free