VANCOUVER VOICE: Ring a cowbell from your own sofa

IN the modern age of mobile gadgets, a number of companys have launched a series of iPhone applications to keep everyone connected with goings-on at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

GET RINGING: Cowbell 2010 is set to revolutionise mobile coverage of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver (www.cowbell2010 / Rage Digital)

Whether you are travelling to one of the nine Olympic venues in Canada or are on the other side of the world wanting to find out the latest results, apparently there is an app for you.

Free apps such as the free Canadian Olympic channel (CTV Olympics 1.5.1) and the free official Vancouver 2010 guide (Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: The Offical Guide 1.0) have benefits that speak for themselves.

And while the only sport to have its own app is ice hockey (Vancouver 2010 Hockey 2.1), the stand out app must be Rage Digital's Cowbell 2010 (Cowbell 2010 1.1).

For generations, ringing cowbells has been a favourite way for fans to cheer on cross-country and alpine skiers and now you can do it from the comfort of your own sofa, without even having a bell.

It's a noisemaker that does exactly what it says on the tin and will be the perfect weapon to annoy anyone in your immediate vicinity.

So we say, get ringing! Just be careful not to drop your iPhone in the snow. 

Follow Sportsbeat's James Toney and Ryan Bangs from Vancouver via twitter.