Apps You’re Apt To Love (Some For Free!)

Apps (or applications) are programs that can be added to your smartphone or tablet. Some are free and some are not. You’ll shop for apps using the “store” provided by the manufacturer of your device which can be found on your the screen of your smartphone or tablet. There are hundreds of thousands of apps available – so shop around!

Here are my top ten favorite (FREE) apps:

Sit or Squat – Find public bathrooms all over the world. This bladder relieving app not only directs you to public bathrooms wherever you are around the world, but each bathroom is described in detail – the clean, the dirty, and the co-ed.

Kindle – Even if you never intend to purchase a book from Amazon, you’ll want this app because it allows you to borrow public library books wirelessly. When you renew your library card be sure to make a donation to your local library!

Units – Have you been wanting to convert feet to kilometers, pesos to rupees, ounces to drachma, or whole notes to quavers? This little app will do it for you in a second (or 0.016667 minutes).

UrbanSpoon – In a new city and have no idea where to eat? Craving Indian food and can’t remember that great local place? Want to take your sweetheart to dinner but on a limited budget? You can search by neighborhood, type of food and price or any combination thereof. I also dig the slot machine sound effects!

iTranslate – Ever have a non-english speaking Polish fellow standing on your fire escape cleaning your windows and not knowing how to offer him your bathroom without humiliating charades? I did. iTranslate to the rescue. Need I say more?

Pandora – This music app is a lot like having a customized radio station. The app allows you to search by artist, song, or composer. When you hear a song you like, let the app know and it will then make a suggestion of the next song which will be similar in nature.

QRReader – Have you been seeing those strange black and white boxes springing up all over the place – in magazines, on the side of Herman Cain’s campaign bus, at the grocery store? It is called a QR code (sort of like a barcode) that allows you to gather information (pricing, address, phone number) or link you to a website when you have a device that can read it.

StumbleUpon – My Goddaughter turned me on to this fun and informative distraction. You choose topics of interest and this app will randomly share what it finds online – some of which is mind boggling and a total hoot. You can “like” what you like so the app customizes it’s results more specifically to what you enjoy.

TapWord – There are 10s of thousands of game apps. This one is similar to Boggle. I like this app because I learn new words every time I play. Search for your favorite game and I’ll bet there’s an app available.

CheckPlease – Don’t let a lovely evening out with friends become awkward when the check arrives. Let this app figure the tip and per head cost of that yummy meal. The only thing better is if it would pay the bill.

Here’s a list of many more for you to investigate:
ABC, Amazon Prime , Dragon, Find My iPad, Flightaware, GoodReader, HBO, iFlashlight, iLevel, Instant Heart Rate, iTunes University, Kindle, Micromedex, MyRadar, Netflix, Noteshelf, NPR, Numbers, Pages, Retirement Planner, Seamless, Shazaam, SilverSurf, Skype, Subway, TED, Touchnote, The Weather Channel, Units, WebMD, Whatsapp

Now, I have a favor…If you find an app that you love, let me know and I’ll share it on the website.