I finally broke down and bought a smart phone. Boy do I feel stupid. I just forked over a few hundred dollars for an iPhone with access to hundreds of thousands of cool applications, known as apps, but all I ever use if for is to call people because I don't know what apps I should put on my phone.
It got me to ask the question, "What good is my smart phone if I'm not smart enough to fill it with the right apps?
So I started scrolling through the various possible apps to download. I went to the most popular apps first and none of them seemed to interest me. So then I went to the free apps and found a couple that looked useful. Then it occurred to me that I just didn't have a clue. Plus, I don't have the hundreds of hours it would take to look at all the apps that are available just to find the ones I might need.
Thank you, Bob Tedeschi. Bob writes for The New York Times and he has generously written an article in which he has done the app search work for you in order to come up with ten "must have apps that may not solve all of your problems, but will save you time, make your life easier and as Bob puts it "make you smile.
Unexpected
It's interesting that Bob doesn't have what you'd expect on this list. For example, there is no Twitter or Facebook app, although if you use these regularly you might want them for your smart phone.
Bob's top 10 apps are a little different. In fact, he says they have to deliver an experience you couldn't find on your computer and only with a smartphone. So here they are:
First is Google and it's free. Wait, didn't you say you could not have this experience on your computer? So what's the big deal with Google? On your smart phone, the Google experience is different. The voice search function is seamless. As Bob points out, if you ask it for specific Wikipedia entries, for instance, and it complies. Or just say "Starbucks" and the app uses the phone's GPS to find the nearest location.
A recent update put the "Goggles" service within the app, so you can snap a photo and let Google search for information on that object. And given Google's emphasis on mobile, the app will continue to improve.
Second is SoundHound. There are two versions -- a free one and one that costs $5. It's a little like Shazam, the app that identifies songs. Only SoundHound is faster, and it offers a broader range of ancillary features. You can hum a tune into the phone and it'll find the song, look up lyrics and run YouTube videos of song performances. The $5 version lets you identify an unlimited number of songs. Users of the free version get five tags monthly.
Third is Hipstamatic and costs $2. There are numerous photography titles in the App Store, but none according to Bob matches Hipstamatic's blend of simplicity, serendipity and art. At heart, the app is a filter that will unpredictably saturate, blur or discolor your images, among other things. The results are always surprising and often stunning. You can add packs of lenses and film effects for $1 apiece.
Fourth is Evernote and it's free. The company advertises this as a personal digital assistant. It's a traveling notepad that synchronizes with desktop and browser software which is also free. Use your iPhone to copy an image, take a photo, record a voice memo or jot down a note, and it appears on your computer and vice versa. It also recognizes your written text, within limits. The free version stores a fair amount of information, but for $45 a year, you can store unlimited data.
Fifth is AngryBirds for $1. It's a favorite game among the iPhone crowd that tests your ability to break down the barricades that protect green pigs. Personally, games aren't my thing. But it's one of Bob's favorites so you may want to try it. The weapon: flightless birds, launched by catapult. No wonder they're angry. The game is easy to learn, yet challenging to play, with witty touches throughout. You can try a limited free version, but if you do, good luck resisting the paid version, with more than 800 possible scenes.
Six is Urbanspoon and it's free. If you're not sure what to eat, or where? Spin Urbanspoon's slot machine and it will dial up a suggestion. You can also select certain attributes " Japanese food, for instance, or inexpensive food " and local eateries appear. The app includes user reviews and contact information, and you can press a button for a map and directions.
Seven is Star Walk for $3. Just point your phone toward the heavens and this app identifies all you see " constellations, planets, individual stars " in brilliant clarity. If you pivot in another direction, the app follows. It's an astonishing app that's great to pull out during dinner parties, beach walks or sleepless nights in bed. You don't even need a clear view of the sky to experience the starry night. Hmmm. Seems like a lot to pay for star-gazing. Hey, astronomy buffs, have at it.
Eight is Firefox Home and it's free. Firefox Home is a way to synchronize your desktop and mobile lives. Once you load the app and register, Firefox Home will show your browsing history and bookmarks. If you're reading an important document online when you leave the office, you can start the app later and pick up where you left off.
Nine is QuickOffice Connect Mobile Suite and it costs $5. The next time someone e-mails you a Word, Excel or Powerpoint document, Quickoffice will open it and allow you to make quick edits from your iPhone. Otherwise, you can open, but not edit, Microsoft Office files. You can also create documents with the app, but it is far less useful for that purpose. Rather, Quickoffice offers a way to complete small work tasks easily while you are on the move.
And tenth, is RedLaser and it's free. It may not tell you if a clothing item makes you look fat, but otherwise RedLaser is a perfect shopping companion. Scan a bar code and it retrieves product information, including prices at online merchants and local stores just in case you are in the mood to haggle. Or follow a spouse or child around a store, scan what they like and you have an instant gift list. The app's scans sometimes fail, but more often than not RedLaser works smoothly.
