Capitalizing on the popularity of the Apple iPhone, newspapers and vendors released free applications aimed at the second-generation model released this summer.

The New York Times, for example, launched software that gives readers offline reading capabilities, a photo browser with links to related articles and personalization options for users of both the iPhone and iPod touch models.

It syncs via Wi-Fi or the user’s cellular network and downloads the latest news directly to the device, giving readers access to content offline and in airplane mode.

NewsGator Technologies Inc., meantime, released its NetNewsWire app that syncs with its suite of RSS readers, including NetNewsWire for Macintosh, FeedDemon, Inbox and NewsGator Online. The application is available from Apple’s App Store, which was launched in conjunction with the retooled iPhone.