Columnist Sophie Kruse writes about innovative apps, including Plant Nanny and Nuzzle.
As I’ve written about many, many times before, I love apps. I spend way more time with my phone than most other devices, so it’s also fair to say that I use apps more than I play games or use other tech gadgets.
One of my favorite things to do is peruse the App Store when I get the chance in order to find apps and games that might become new favorites. I download a ton, but it ends up that only a few really stand out and stay on my phone.
Here are a few innovative apps that will stand out to you above probably any other app you could download.
One app that I just recently downloaded is HOOKED. It is a unique storytelling app where users can submit their own stories that are in text message format. Stories are written like a text message conversation — generally exchanges between two people. Because of the format, you feel like you’re within the story, or like it’s unfolding right before you. To advance, you continue to click to reveal new pieces of dialogue.
The stories are pretty short and only take a few minutes to read, which make them perfect for times when you just have a few minutes. Some of the stories are seriously spooky.
Additionally, I recently started to track how much water I drink in a day. Though I use my Fitbit app to do that, there are a handful of specific apps in the store that are geared toward only tracking your water.
Plant Nanny seems to be the easiest and the cutest way to do that. After setting it up with your weight and activity level, the app will tell you a recommended amount of water you should drink throughout the day. Then, you’re able to log your intake in order to take care of your virtual plant (and yourself!). I think the app is best for people who don’t want to deal with the calorie and exercise tracking that many other apps offer. It is simple and will get you motivated to stay hydrated.
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Although many news junkies already will know about this app, I couldn’t make the list and not include Pocket. The app allows you to add articles to save for later. It allows you to read them within the app, and it changes the style to be simple and non-distracting. It also downloads the articles, so you can read them if you aren’t connected to the Internet. The app allowed me to take control of my bookmarks folder.
Nuzzel is a recent find for me that also is perfect for someone who loves to read what his or her friends share. Log into Twitter and Facebook and the app will curate articles that your friends are sharing. You can scroll through and read them within the app. I follow way too many people on Twitter, so the app is great to ensure I don’t miss out on important content.
Sophie Kruse is a senior studying journalism. What are some of your favorite apps? Email her at sk139011@ohio.edu.
