Sunday, January 20, 2013

My Favorite Useful Apps (So Far)

So, you get two posts from me today because I'm feeling very blog-y, if that's a thing.  Anyway, since my other post was a little more word-y (okay, so now I'm just making up my own vocabulary), I thought I'd make a nice simple-ish list for you.

As I get to know my iPhone better each day, I've been downloading a lot of free apps just to test things out.  I do have some games on there, which I may tell you about in a separate post on another day.  (If you play any of the Zynga games on your own smartphone or tablet, I play almost all of those and my username is mamaflock.  Look me up and challenge me to a game!)  But this list is the top ten most useful apps I have downloaded (and used) so far.

These are in no particular order:

1.  YouVersion Bible App

2.   CoPilot GPS App

3.   Find My Car App

4.  Key Ring App
(I thought maybe I should take a photo of my actual key ring to show you how out of hand the loyalty cards have gotten on there, but it was too heavy to be burdened with.  Key Ring App is going to save my back, for sure.)

5.  Evernote App

6.   PrayerNotes App

7.   Kindle App
(I do have a Kindle, which was given to me as a gift from my parents, but I found it was just one more thing to remember to grab or keep in my purse as I was heading out the door and it didn't get used anywhere but at home.  With my Kindle App, I can mirror the books on my Kindle and have them available on my iPhone -- which is always with me -- and read while I'm standing in line or waiting to vote, or whatever.)

8.  Instagram App (plus a boatload of affiliated apps to make better use of all those photos I'm taking with my cell phone)


9.  Daily Weather App
(This app is so much cheerier than other weather apps -- no matter the temperature, this app makes me feel sunny when I open it up on my iPhone.)

10.  Find My iPhone App
(Technically, I haven't had to use this yet.  But I did get it all set up on iCloud and I feel fairly confident that if the time comes when I misplace my phone -- or it's taken -- I'll be able to disable it remotely and/or find it before long with this app.)


It was actually pretty difficult to form this list because I've already found so many great apps.  But these are my top ten, not my only useful apps, so if you haven't tried these out, I recommend them.

If you have an iPhone, check the AppStore (you can get an app for that on your phone, too, to make downloading free or for-fee apps easier).  If you have another smartphone, you will have to find out the best way to download any of these apps (if available for your model).  I have provided links by clicking on the images above for either the product information and download page or a review of the product.

Disclaimer:  I have no official training in testing these sorts of things.  I am simply a mother to five kids and I'm telling you what works for me based solely on my own phone use.  I was not asked to write a review and am not being compensated in any way for doing so.


5 comments:

  1. How are the games not useful but Instagram is? Unfair! The word games are useful in practicing vocab. :D

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  2. My favorite app that I have used the MOST flashlight...it works great and I always have it with me for looking down throats, searching under the couch for good things, finding the bathroom when camping, finding the light switch in the basement at 5am, working in the barn at night...I could go on but I think you get the idea!

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  3. Jessica - games are useful for keeping my ol' brain active and building vocabulary and stuff, but I think I meant more like a utility. Instagram is a utility for me because it allows me to photo-journal easily and the editing apps that come with it help me make the most of cell phone pictures when I'm not using my big camera. :)

    Hope Rising, YES! I, too, have the flashlight app. It is awesome. It was one of the first I downloaded. However, so far, I haven't used it yet (for more than just showing people that I have one). But maybe over the long run, I'll use it more. In two weeks, I haven't really had a need yet.

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  4. I didn't know about that kindle app. I wonder if I could get that at some point. I don't want to bother Dad, yet; after he tried to download the other app and I worried that I'd loose my photos.

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  5. Yeah, probably good to let him have the day off from trying to put apps on your phone.

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