Are You Really Using Your Smart Phone?

It’s a good question, isn’t it?  I wonder this sooooo much.  We spend so much money buying the best and latest smart phone.  We are always looking for the best data plans and are always asking people, “Do you like your cell phone carrier?”  But why?  I think, truthfully, most of use our phones for texting, taking pictures, one or two apps, and for actually talking to people.  Man, let me tell you, once you get involved with your phone….it’s amazing!

Let me start by saying, you must first come to grips with the fact that your smart phone is a computer.  Yes, yes it is.  It took me a while to understand that this hand-held computer was also my phone – and I can do the same things on my iPhone as I can on my desktop computer.  Seriously.  …that blows my mind!  But I digress.

The great thing about it all, though, is your smart phone is customizable.  In fact, the “i” in iPhone stands for individual.  No two phones will be set up the same way.  They are customizable based on what each individual user wants to download to the phone (music, apps, wallpaper pictures, etc.).  But the apps…that’s where it gets interesting.

Visit your app store and search for any interest, medical condition, game, newspaper, store…whatever!  Chances are there’s an app for it.  Have a green thumb?  There’s an app to help you decide which plants to grow in YOUR yard and how to best care for those plants.  Have a list of spring “things to do”, download a DIY app or the app from your favorite chain hardware store for tutorials.  Have diabetes and want to keep track of your glucose reading?  There’s an app for that!  Prefer to practice yoga at home? Yep, there’s an app for that, too!  There are literally thousands of apps!

That being said, we wanted to share some of our favorite apps with you.  These are apps that we use on a daily basis and find extremely useful...or just fun!  All of us in Family & MWR Marketing have iPhones so the apps listed below are presented from an iOS (the iPhone operating system) perspective.  However, most (if not all) of these apps will be found in any smart phone app store.

1.  Waze

With real-time help from other drivers who share traffic and road info (like accidents and cop-sightings!), Waze will get you to your final destination in the quickest and least stressful way possible.

2.  OpenTable

Treat yourself to a delicious meal and use OpenTable to make the reservation—it's a million times easier than trying to look up individual restaurants, and if you need to cancel, you can do so with the quick click of a button!

3.  1Password

Passwords require special characters, capital letters, numbers, DNA, biometrics, eye of newt and more and every site has different requirements, making it impossible to remember them all! 1Password saves all your passwords in one place, saving you the time and frustration of trying to remember each one.

 4.  Retail Me Not

Skip the coupon clipping and check for coupons as you shop, saving you time and money!  Or, select your favorite stores and be notified of any deals and discounts when you’re in close proximity to that store.

5.  CamScanner

The app turns your smart phone into a portable scanner.  Scans are saved into your phone as images or PDFs—no bulky machine required.  Scan receipts, notes, invoices, whiteboard discussions, business cards, certificates, etc. then share those files via text, social media, or email attachment.

6.  Pocket

Instead of emailing yourself countless links every time you stumble across an interesting story on the internet, save them to Pocket, which stores all your content in one place so you can view it anytime, anywhere (even without WiFi!).

7.  BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed has it all: the stories and quizzes buzzing on social media, the news you want now, and the recipes and life tips you didn’t know you needed.  It’s a great place to get a little read on everything.  …it’s like a pop-culture news outlet.  It’s awesome.

Smartphone Games for Adults

8.  4 Pics Puzzle

This game displays 4 picture clues and a number of squares below them.  Your job is to figure out what the pictures have in common and enter that word, letter by letter, in the boxes below.  Get them all right and you move on to the next level.

9.  Piano Tiles (Don’t Tap the White Tile)

Watch your step, DON'T TOUCH ANY WHITE TILES! That is the rule of this addictive game. Sounds easy? Give it a try, and see how well you do.  In the meantime, listen to calm - and way cool - piano soundtracks.

10.  Colorfy: Coloring Book for Adults

Adult coloring books are all the rage right now! Put a digital twist on this calming and meditative diversion.  Color images range from flowers to animals to famous works of art.

These are just a couple of the apps we use every day.  We also recommend you try out some of the stock apps that came pre-loaded on your phone.  The Calendar, Reminder, Maps and Notes apps are also very handy.  In other words, if you truly use your smart phone, you will always have a personal assistant right at your fingertips!

We’re sure you have your favorites, too!  Leave a comment down below and let us know which apps we should try!  We’re always looking for cool and useful apps!

~pmjp