My (so far) Favorite Apps

Not all of you have the same phone I do, but don't go running away quite yet.

A lot of the same apps I'm learning to love on my iPhone are available, or will be soon, on other phones too.

Several of my friends have recently purchased new phones and asked me to share with them which apps I find myself using the most.  Since I've had the same conversation four times in the last month, I thought I'd write my thoughts here.  Next time someone asks me what apps I like, I'll just send them a link.

Just kidding!

Of course, I always love to hear what other people like too.  I've found all my favorites from friends and readers.  

You people are the best!

I use the Twitter app a lot, Facebook less, and the Weather Channel at least once a day.  Go ahead and laugh at me about using the Weather Channel.  (I want to know if it's going to be in the 70's or 80's ... is that okay?)

I've, of course, tried a lot of photography apps.  I know Instagram is the trendy social media photo app right now, but it doesn't thrill me the way it seems to thrill everyone else.  I think it's great for sharing photos, but the photo quality doesn't do a whole lot for me.  Photo quality is important to an obsessive photo person like me.

So?

My favorite photography app right now is Camera+.  I love the ease of use with it, and I love the variety of filters, etc.  It was initially recommended to me by a Twitter friend who is a professional magazine photographer and editor.  It's the photo app I come back to most frequently.  (My second favorite is 100 Cameras.)

If you're new to photography and want a basic how-to guide, Photo Caddy might be a helpful app.  It gives tips, suggestions, and typical settings for different situations.  

The app I use the most every day, however, is a productivity app called Things.  Things is expensive as apps go (I think it was $9.00), but I live and breathe it - all day, every day.  Things is, so far, the best to-do list, get yourself organized, don't forget anything, app I've seen.  Are there better apps out there?  Maybe, but I haven't found them.  (I have, however, found several productivity apps which don't work as well for me.)

I've had an insanely busy few weeks and Things is the thing keeping me on track.

My two favorite music apps are Pandora and Shazam.  I don't think I need to explain those, do I?  (Maybe I do?)  Briefly, Pandora is like a personalized radio station in your pocket and Shazam identifies music and tells you what you're listening to.

My favorite vice app is Wine Ratings.  Oh, how I love this app.  I used it when BevMo recently had their five cent wine sale.  It's worth every penny if you like to try new wines and step out of your wine rut.

You ARE in a wine rut, aren't you?

(I knew you were!)

I keep a running grocery list on Grocery Gadget and do my grocery (and pharmacy) shopping off of it.  I no longer make a "regular" grocery list ... it's all done through this app.  I love using it when I'm out and about and suddenly remember I need something on my next trip to get groceries.  I add it to my Grocery Gadget list immediately because it's always with me.  (Fewer forgotten items means fewer trips to the store.) 

I'm really not that much of a game player, but when I'm waiting for PR to come out from baseball practice, or sitting in a waiting room somewhere I'll play them.  What am I playing?  Well, most of the time it's Angry Birds, Tiny Wings or DoodleJump.  Again, I don't play games enough to need a lot of them.

I find myself using Lifestyle apps a lot on the weekends.  I like Yelp, AroundMe, Wikihood, Where and YPmobile best.  They each have different strengths, and all of them have been valuable to me at different times.

FlightTrack is a must-have travel app if you, or someone in your family, travels by plane a lot.

Educational.  My dad spent his career working for NASA, which rubbed off on me a little.  I like both the NASA app and Star Walk.  I realize these are nerdy apps, and not everyone would be interested in them.

I have other apps I like a lot too, but the ones I've mentioned today are the ones I use the most on a day in, day out, basis. 

What am I missing?

What are your favorites, or the ones you rely on the most? 

I love hearing from you, because you have the BEST ideas!

© Twenty Four At Heart

Comments

[karen]

Well.. um.. I have the same phone as you..and... I don't use any of the apps. I know..wasteful!... but I do love this phone, especially the camera ability and texting.

[WebSavvyMom]

-->I got an iPhone last week for my birthday and am slowly getting the hang of it.
I had it on my blackberry but my husband and I love Our Groceries (free!) because it syncs between our phones automatically. I click on Costco, grocery, Target and see things he may have added.
On the iPad, I like to play Cover Orange.
I need to find a good google talk app. The IM+ is sub-par for me.
Another one I'm going to use at the beach this weekend is Passometer to track how many steps I took.
Love Netflix too because you can stream on demand.
Also, if you have Fios, can use your phone as a remote and play back photo albums to your television.

~deb

[Jan]

I don't use my Droid to it's fullest potential, I'm afraid. I use the browser a lot, the GPS whenever we're traveling and the camera occasionally, but that's about it. Now, if an app comes out so I can access my Kindle and Netflix accounts, I may never put the damn thing down.

[Jenny in MN now AZ]

Thanks. I've been meaning to look for more apps and actually use my phone to its fullest potential. I liked your comment about checking the weather. A few years ago our internet was down for the day. My mom happened to be over and I said UGH... I need my computer, how am I going to know what the weather is going to be later? She laughed and said - turn on the tv to the news or weather station? I looked at her and laughed! I don't normally watch TV so I completely forgot it gave 'the weather'.

I need to have my son (I probably should too) check out the NASA app if he doesn't have it already. He is still talking about wanting to be a theoretical physicist... so I love finding science(ish) things for him. Thanks!

[Issa]

I just got the NASA app last week. Also, I adore Camera+ although I also love Instagram. You can take a photo on Camera+ and share it on Instagram though...did you realize that?

I also love DiceMatch, Bookworm, Bejeweled and Kindle. Oh and AllergyCast...because apparently I like to torture myself and see how bad my allergies will be tomorrow.

Let's see....Dragon Dictation is good when my shoulder is being a pain. You talk into it. It's good for emails...just makes sure to re-read it first. I love OpenTable for restaurant reservations.

That's all I can think of that aren't kid games.

[linda]

I have a vortex (lower than a droid) and I can view my kindle on it and even download a book I have on my kindle from Amazon to my phone. (no charge because I already own it) Never tied for netflix though. just search Kindle on your browser- bet it is there?
I also like google maps and slacker radio. I am going to check out the Pandora and shazam. Angry birds rocks- I just need my nephew to get me past the next level LOL

[Shannon]

I also use TWC regularly - 10 day forecast at my fingertips for ANY city = priceless!! I also love iheartradio, tmz(nerdy), cardmunch, bump (great for sharing contact info between iPhone friends), scanner (scan items and it comparison shops for you), Starbucks, familyfinder (shows registered sex offenders in an area and links me to my Childs phone- plus has a panick button that alerts my designated contact of my location)!! I love my iPhone and apps. I am glad you are enjoying your phone as well. Icant wait to check out the grocery list app! Thanks for the post.

[Suzanne Young]

I was interested in the Grocery List App you mentioned, but couldn't find it on the Apple Apps store. (I searched for it as Grocery List as you called it.) Is it called something else?

Thanks!