Meditation Apps

Buddhify [4.99 iOS, 2.99 Android] The app has 80 custom guided meditations; tracks 14 activities that affect mindfulness; has a meditation timer; a check-in timer allows Think you to reflect on what you are doing; great statistics tools that create charts and graphs. The interface is bright, colorful, and easy to use.

Insight Timer [Free. iOS and Android] - This app provides several guided meditations by Eckhart Tolle and others, there are 600 total but many of them are available as in-app purchases. The app provides a Tibetan singing bowl sound, you can choose from 8 different ones, to end your session, which you can set to desired length. There are 1,000 discussion groups and 2,000 local meet-up groups to discuss meditation and related topics.

Meditation Timer Free [Free. iOS only] Very nice user interface that is easy to use. Users choose the length of time that they want to meditate, set reminders, choose a background image, and access statistics.

Mindfulness [2.99 iOS, 1.99 Android] With a wide array of features such as guided meditation, silent meditation, reminders, statistics, mindfulness notifications, and more the app is highly rated by purchasers. The app has a simple easy to use interface.

Mindfulness Training App [Free. iOS only] A great app for those that are new to meditation it has lessons from some of the most respected names in meditation and mindfulness. Users familiar with the practices and terminology of meditation will enjoy the discussions on the science of mindfulness. The only disappointing part is that the first two lessons are free but users must purchase packs afterward.

Omvana [Free. iOS and  Android] Simple interface with a huge library of guided meditations, many of which require purchase, that cover a large spectrum of mindfulness topics. The app integrates with Apple watch and the iOS Health kit. Users can record their mood and find the meditation that is right for them. Users can also select background music and track progress. One of the most popular and highest rated meditation apps available.

Relax Melodies [Free. iOS , Android, Windows, Amazon] The app provides a variety of sounds that users can choose from or even mix; sounds include white noise or zen sounds. Using binaural beats the sounds are supposed to be proven to help users relax and fall asleep in 20 minutes.

Stop, Breathe & Think [Free. iOS and Android] Nice collection of basic meditation exercises with a variety of lengths. The app asks a series of questions to get a comprehensive picture and then suggest a selection of meditation practices to help you. For a small fee users can download a pack of meditations narrated by KD Lang.

Take A Break [Free. iOS, Android, Amazon] Beautiful backgrounds, calming music, nature sounds and a custom time that allows users to select between 7 and 13 minutes. For the times you just want a short relaxation period instead of focused meditation.

Honorable mentions that you might want to check out: Calm, Headspace, Mindbody Connect, and Smiling Mind

Apps for Entreprenuers

Fuze: The Small Meeting Multi-Tool

Fuze allows you to set up quick videos. Users can host and manage up to three participants, 12 video feeds and 1GB of cloud storage. The best part is that it allows content sharing, you can send and received PowerPoint presentations, Word docs, PDFs and high-

resolution images from the app itself. There are some really cool features such as smart white board that allows users to write on pictures and videos to better communicate their ideas. You can record your meetings and share them later.

If you need to scale, check out Fuze Premium, which can support up to 250 participants and has enterprise management features. The app is free and is available for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Android.

For more information check out: https://www.fuze.com

Flyp: Multiple numbers or Multiple Countries

Flyp allows you to get multiple numbers for your phone. You can make calls or send texts to the U.S. and 15 other countries where Flyp is available (more countries added soon), all within one app.

It works over cellular channels, so it turns all your calls into local calls, covered by your current service plan. It does not incur data charges.

This app is a great help if you have clients across the world, and you need something more reliable and professional than VoIP solutions and at a good price.

Users get one phone number for free and then each additional line is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Available for iPhone and Android. More information available at: http://getflyp.com/

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=flyp.android
iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id940678351


City Maps 2Go Offline Maps: Traveling Without a Data Plan

One of the issues with foreign travel is expensive or nonexistent data, with this app you can download maps of the cities you plan to visit and it will incorporate your GPS to help you get around.

It can still help you find the bars, monuments, restaurants with out needing to connect to Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Only a few maps are available on the free version, so you may have to pony up for the map you need with the premium app.

iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/city-maps-2go-pro-offline/id327783342?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ulmon.android.citymaps2go&hl=en

Duolingo: Learn Foreign Languages

Do you have clients, customers, or friends that speak Spanish? Chinese? Japanese? Dutch?

The app allows you to learn languages in a game style fashion that makes it fun. The app will remind

you to practice and if you have friends that use the app you can have some friendly competition.

The website has some additional tools and a section where users can read and translate articles to hone their skills.

Learn more or sign up at: https://www.duolingo.com/
iphone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-learn-languages-for/id570060128?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.duolingo&hl=en


OFFTIME: Eliminate the distractions

There are times that we need to focus and eliminate all the distractions that our smart phones provide.
OFFTIME allows you to block your calls, texts and notifications, send auto-replies and restrict access
to distracting apps.

The app also tracks phone usage, app usage, and other smartphone activity, but you have to keep the

app running which may decrease battery life.

Some people need the monitoring and assistance to focus, some may just be curious about their phone usage.

Unfortunately for iPhone the app costs $2.99, it is free for Android but only certain features work to

unlock all the features there is a charge.

Learn more: http://offtime.co/
iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/offtime-light-track-how-much/id974022309?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.offtime.kit

Three Apps to Help You Get Organized

Subject: Three Apps to Help You get Organized

Organizing Photos with Google Photos
You know all those photos you have taking up room on your phone. Do you really need to hang on to the picture of the dog in his Halloween costume from last year? I know he looks super cute but you don’t need to carry it around with you. Download Google Photo it has unlimited storage as long as your choose “high quality” instead of “high definition”. It allows you to organize your photos in a bunch of different ways, it can also create videos from your pictures called “stories” and its “assistant” can create stylized versions of your photos. Since it is Google you can access your photos on virtually any device.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-photos-store-search/id962194608?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.photos&hl=en

Organizing Your Thoughts with Evernote
Do you have documents that you start typing on your work computer, but you would like to keep working on using your tablet, phone, or personal laptop? Evernote is a great multiplatform app / website that will allow you to type a document, add pictures or sound, doodle or draw diagrams, and so much more. It is available online and as an app on pretty much every device. It also has companion apps and web browser plugins to help you add additional functionality.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote&hl=en


Organizing Your Files with Google Drive
Do you work on files with a group of people? Would you like to share a form or file with others but don’t want them to edit or copy it? Would you like a way to easily store e-mail attachments? You can do all of this and much more with Google Drive which is available online and as an app on almost every device. Users can create permissions on files allowing everything from view only to full access. Collaborative files and folders will show you version control which means when others made changes and what those changes were. Google has integrated Google Drive with Gmail and other products so you can easily attach, access, share between apps / programs almost seamlessly.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-drive-free-online-storage/id507874739?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs&hl=en

Most Notable Apps of 2015

So I have decided for the sake of brevity and my sanity to not try and give a long discussion of what makes an app "best" or what would make it on to a "best list" instead I decided to point out notable apps. For each of these apps to simply say what it does or why it is notable.  Most, if not all of these apps, are available for both iOS (Apple) and Android. They are all free unless I list a price. I did not include games because that is an entirely different animal. They are listed in no particular order.

Circle of 6 - A safety app that sends friends or family a pre-written emergency message if you are in trouble to up to six people it includes your current GPS coordinates.

Facebook - The king of all social media, if you are into that kind of thing.

Youtube - Watch videos of all kinds: instructional, music, clips from TV or movie, classics, independent movies, video game play, and so much more.

Facebook Messenger - Also one of the most popular / used apps, you can message people that you don't have a phone number for. You can video or voice call and there are lots of cute stickers / GIFs.

Google Hangouts - Video chat with up to 12 people at once or use it as a messenger that is accessible by computer and phone.

Hootsuite or UberSocial - For Twitter power-users or people managing multiple social media accounts.

Signal - send encrypted text messages and make encrypted VOIP (voice over internet protocol) calls has some other hand privacy features.

Wickr - encrypt messages and files and set a deletion date to any file, picture, message that you send.

Periscope - Twitter posted videos, most of the time they are live, comedians and musicians have posted some great stuff.

Bandcamp - find some really interesting independent musicians and purchase directly from the artist

DeaD BeeF Player (Android only) - for audiophiles or people that take their music very seriously, extremely customizable and tons of features.

Hulu - There is some free content but subscription necessary for most things. Great television show coverage and movie selection getting better.

Netflix - Subscription necessary, known for movies but have created some great original content.

Sling TV - Watch 65 cable channels for $20 a month on all your devices.

Slacker Radio - Music streaming, curated by a combination of computer algorithm and human selection.

Spotify - Subscribers get almost any song they can think of and even an offline mode. The free route requires you listen to playlists, artists, albums, etc in shuffle mode and commercials every 30 minutes.

Songkick Concerts - Import your favorite artists from other music apps, then find out when they are playing near you, buy tickets in-app, and even see what time musicians are playing at a festival.

Google Play Music - Allows you to play all music you have purchased (with Google or elsewhere) in a cloud playing account, access user and algorithm generated radio stations. If you subscribe access to most songs  and You Tube Red a new service that gets rid of commercials and allows music to play in background so that you do not have to keep the app open.

Aviary or Snapseed - A photo editor that allows for some interesting effects.

VSCO or Effects Studio - for people who really want to get their photos just right, users can do a lot with this photo editing app and can share their creations with other photography fans, hobbyists, and professionals.

Flickr - It has photo taking / editing but it is most useful for cloud storage / photo sharing.

Instagram - Picture based social media platform.

Instacollage - Make a quick collage out of pictures to share with others or for personal projects.

Vine - Fascinating, funny, weird, eight second videos.

My Fitness Pal - Track your calories, exercise, and weight, connect with friends that can cheer you on to a healthier you.

SleepBot / Sleep Cycle - These apps tracks how well you sleep and will wake you around a certain time based on how lightly you're sleeping. There are premium features that can cost $2.99 - $4.99.

Nike Running - Track your running, see how many miles your friends have run, track the mileage on your shoes, integrate your music into your running, set and break personal records, and more.

Run Keeper - There are two running apps that are used by runners, this is the other and it does all the same stuff.

Yummly - A cooking and recipe that has a really slick layout and some nice features.

Untapped - If you like beer this helps keep track of what you've had, reviews of ones you're considering, and it has some cool social features.

Yelp - Look at reviews for everything from book stores to water parks. Best known for restaurant reviews you can check out reviews for service providers and other business types.

Duolingo - An amazing app that helps you learn any of 26 languages through games. The app will remind you to practice.

Google Maps - one of the best map apps allows users to find pedestrian, bicycle, mass transit, routes in addition to driving directions. It also shows a good amount of location information: hours, pictures, reviews, and more.

Waze - find the best route; get information about accidents, obstacles, speed traps, closed roads, etc. Users can find the best price of gas and location information.

Google Translate - Take a picture of a sign or page from a book and it will translate it. Two way voice translation. Type translation for 90 languages!

Pinterest - A social media platform where users  create boards that have pictures of items that represent websites with more information. Good for finding ideas, recipes, art, and so much more.

Shop Advisor / Red Laser- These shopping apps help you find the best price and the best time to shop and get the best deal.

Calibre Companion (3.99) The best eBook / eReading app, you can organize and customize more than any other app of its kind.

Comics - The go to app for reading digital comic books.

Flipboard - Find great news stories about topics that you are interested in and curate categories for further reading or for others to browse / follow.

Pocket - Save webpages and articles for future reading, including offline.

OverDrive - The first and best library eBooks and electronic audiobooks app.

Axis360 - Library eBooks and digital audiobooks, it is very good at digital picture books.

Stitcher / Pocket Casts ($3.99) Both are for listening to podcasts, and Pocket Casts is the best and it has some really great features including the ability to listen on multiple platform where you left off but for those people that do not want to have to pay Stitcher works really well and has some cross platform support.

Firefox - One of the best mobile browsers, it supports extensions and has helpful privacy tools.     

Chrome - What I really like about Chrome is the ability to have bookmarks and historical look ups available on my laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet.

Weather Underground / Yahoo Weather - There are a lot of really good weather apps, these just happens to be my favorite.

Wikipedia - There is so much you can learn from Wikipedia and for basic fact checking they are really good. {Full disclosure: I donate money to the Wikimedia Foundation}

Astro File Manager (Android only) - Delete, move and organize files within your device or import items from other media on to your device.

Google Photos - Back-up an unlimited number of photos, and what is really cool is Google will create videos or edited versions from your photos using its "Assistant" feature.

Microsoft Office Lens / Cam Scanner - These scanning apps make it possible to send people PDF versions, make copies, and use the Optical character recognition (OCR) to edit or import text.

Swift Key Keyboard - Some people find it faster / easier so swipe type. If you do not like the stock keyboard on your device try this one.

Push Bullet -  Share files between devices or with friends easily.

Seconds - Create timers for exercise or projects, if you want the ability to save them for repeated or future use it costs $4.99 for that feature.

Charity Miles - If you are a cyclist, runner, or walker, this free app logs your miles and donates money to a charity of your choice.

Shopkick - If you shop, window shop, or have to go with your significant other this app gives you "kicks" for going into stores, scanning products, and/or making a purchase. The kicks are redeemable for gift cards.

iBotta - Get rebates for buying things at stores (most of the items are grocery store related).

Star Wars - There was a lot of great content for fans of the series on this app. If you have a Google Cardboard there were some amazing virtual reality videos.

Last Pass / One Password (subscription costs vary) - These apps provide users with the most secure ways to make passwords, store them, and have form fill capabilities.

Evernote - Users can type notes / documents, hand draw, record audio, take pictures, save content from websites, and so much more. The more you learn how to use it, the more you will love it.

Google Drive - Save your files and make them accessible to yourself or others on almost any platform. Users can set permission on files to limit what others can do with a file. Integrates with other Google products seamlessly.

Khan Academy - Learn art, business, economics, math, science, and much more with videos and interactive activities.

True Caller - shows you the name and information of people that are not on your contact list, shows you when numbers are from "spam callers", has some other helpful tools

So I have been thinking about what my predictions are for 2016 technology-wise, here is a list:

Virtual Reality will begin to become mainstream

Internet Speeds will start to drastically improve in major metros

Battery life / charging will become a focal point for smartphone innovation

Hybrid devices (think Surface Pro) will continue to be pushed more by tech companies

Gaming hardware makers will continue (maybe more so) to try to make money on backward compatibility

The wearables market will lose some device makers that just could not cut it

- So, this time next year we will look back and see how accurate I am.

Calendar Apps

People are busier than ever, families and couples have to stay on the same page with so many activities going on. I present four of the best calendar apps that can help you stay on schedule.

Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Business Calendar 2 (Free. Pro: $4.99. Android only) Great selection of colors. Year, month, week, day task panes that have a cool slider. Five easy to use widgets to stay informed about your upcoming events. Syncs with Outlook and Google calendar. Heat map shows when you're busiest and when you might have free time to schedule something. Pro version gives weather, connects to your contacts, schedules missed calls automatically, light and dark themes, multiple fonts, and much more. I liked that you can customize the colors, assign each day of the week a different color, and do all kinds of cool customizations.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appgenix.bizcal&hl=en


Cal - Google / Calendar Exchange (Free. Android and iOS) Brought to you by Any.do the company responsible for a very popular task productivity app. This calendar has a very nice daily agenda. Suggests people in your contacts and social media you might invite to events. Integrated map for directions or to suggest a nearby place for your meeting. Attach notes to events. Big bright buttons, nice background images, easy to read landscape mode, beautiful at a month view, and a very slick interface that's easy to use. I found it to figure out certain tasks and impossible to add multiple calendars but I will say it is very readable with big fonts and bright colors.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anydo.cal&hl=en
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cal-shared-calendar-daily/id648287824?mt=8

Boxer Calendar (Free. Android only) Runner-up for a webby award for productivity. The app does day, month, year views. Users have 20 colors to choose from for events. Incorporates material design which means it is more intuitive and user friendly. Users can easily send their availability. Date picker makes navigation easier and the seven day agenda allows a nice chronological run-down of the week to come. Syncs with all calendar programs including Outlook and Google. Nice Boxer widget shows the days events at a glance. If users have the Boxer e-mail app it will find events and meeting in your e-mails to automatically add to your calendar. I found it very intuitive and easy to add multiple calendars.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.boxer.calendar&hl=en

Sunrise (Free. iOS and Android) Currently owed by Microsoft this calendar app is the one that I use on my iPhone and I usually recommend. You can add multiple calendars easily, add widgets on both OS systems, invite event attendees, add location, set reminders, make notes, it will automatically add events from your e-mail, easily edit events, horizontal and vertical views, daily or monthly view, sync all types of calendars, and it has a clean intuitive interface.
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sunrise-calendar-outlook-app/id599114150?mt=8
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=am.sunrise.android.calendar&hl=en

Apps for Children with Autism

I was asked by a reader recently to review or list apps for children with special needs or autism. I did some research and read some articles poking around to learn the landscape. I could put some of the apps through the usual tests of design, interface, ease of use, and features, but I wouldn't know if it works well for the intended audience or accomplishes what it seeks to help the end user do.

What I decided to do was compile some resources that I felt could help the parents of autistic children find apps that have been discussed or reviewed by competent authorities.

First is a searchable database of apps for persons with autism spectrum disorder created by Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-apps the website gives all pertinent information but what stands out is that they give it a research rating of anectdotal, research, or evidence.

A website called Autism Plugged In http://www.autismpluggedin.com/ does reviews of apps, toys, and provides links to grants for iPads. The website also earns, raises, and donates money for Autism research. With thorough review, screenshots, and videos they show test drives of the apps by the intended audience to make sure they are a good fit.

The website Best Apps for Kids has very thorough reviews of apps for all children. They did a special review of apps that are meant to help autistic children communicate and learn. http://www.bestappsforkids.com/category/kids-apps-by-category/special-education-apps/autism-apps/

Care.com has a great article about Autism apps that discusses the myriad of special need apps and the problem of trying to discover the ones your child needs. They explain a lot about apps that I think is important for everyone to know. All the apps that they focus on in the article are the best for what they do and have been recommended by experts in that category of helping children
https://www.care.com/a/22-best-mobile-apps-for-kids-with-special-needs-1205211605

Smithsonian Magazine did an interview with a company called Infiniteach about their app called Skill Champ. They questions about their app, it includes screen shots and a video showing it being used. It sounds like a useful app and it is a great read
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/these-apps-help-kids-with-autism-learn-basic-skills-180954400/?no-ist

Finally, I do have one app to suggest. It is an app that has reviews of other apps. It is called Autism Apps by TouchAutism.com available for iPad and iPhone. It gives all the basic information: description, features, platform, price and links to reviews from Autism Epicenter, Autism Plugged In, and Squidalicious. Users can sort apps by platform, price, or rating. Screen shots and videos of actual users test driving the apps help parents make an informed choice.

Fashion apps

Shopping

Cute (Free. iOS and Android) Beauty and hair supplies at discount prices.

Gilt (Free. iOS, Android, Amazon, web) A big name in high-end fashion deals, they run a 24 hour sale that begins each day. Get notified of a brand, designer, or piece that you’ve had your eye on. They will have an Apple TV app so you can one touch buy from the screen of your television.

Mallzee (Free. iOS and Android) Called the “Tinder of high fashion” users can swipe left or right on items to record what their tastes. Style feeds like “date night” or “work out” help users organize their collections. App also allows users to be notified of deals from over 100 retailers.

ModCloth (Free. iOS and Android) Accessories, clothing, and shoes for young ladies. Make wish lists or pin your favorite items to Pinterest.

Polyvore (Free. iOS and Android) Shop and style the latest fashion trends. Create outfits, shop for clothes, find deals, discover hot fashion, and spot trends. Get fashion inspiration from curated collections, express your style by “liking” items, share what you find on social media, and follow fashionistas and brands.

Spring (Free. iOS and web) Over 800 brands, exclusive deals, and once your share all your details, one touch purchasing. Free shipping and amazing selection are their hallmarks.

Stylect (Free. iOS and Android) Much like Mallzee and in Tinder-esque fashion users swipe left or right on shoes to find the right ones and let the app know their style / preferences. Filter by color, fabric, style, brand, price, etc.

Zulily (Free. iOS and Android) Fashion and home décor items from high-quality brands at up to 70% off. Sales run 72 hours and notifications can be set for your must have items.

Fashion

ASAP54 (Free. iOS only) Called “the Shazam for fashion” it is a photo reverse search to find what and where for your fashion want to have. You can take a picture of someone wearing an outfit or shoes or some accessory you like and it finds out what it is and where you can buy it.

Covet (Free. iOS and Android) The app asks users to vote on designs and rewards them by giving them tickets to enter into contests. Winning a contest gives you “in-app cash” to make purchases for your collection. Create designs with your items to win fashion shows / contests.

FAD – The Ultimate Fashion Dictionary ($3.99 iOS and web) Over 1300 fashion terms to help understand everything from accessory names to types of wedges.

The Hunt (Free. iOS and Android) Much like ASAP54 it allows you to take pictures to try and figure out what the articles of clothing and accessories you like are using a reverse photo search but it also includes the community of users in figuring out what it is and where you can purchase.

Pose (Free. iOS and Android) A weather app that helps users decide what to wear. Giving users pictures of collections to inspire an outfit for the day. Users can help guide the app by choosing from destinations like office, gym, or wearing skinny jeans.

Poshmark (Free. iOS, Android, and web) Resale for high fashion, users can buy, sell, comment, and share items. Poshmark takes a 20% cut on every sale over $15.

PS Dept (Free. iOS only) Have a personal shopper available 24 / 7 tell them what you are looking for and they will find you one or more options. They can help find things based on your tastes or show you what is new or trending. They handle all the transaction details from shipping to returns. Similar app ShopStyle (Free. iOS and Android) does the same thing includes men’s attire.

Stylebook / Stylebook for Men ($3.99 iOS only) Add pictures of your items to create a virtual closet. Layout an outfit as a collage, make a packing list, create a calendar of what to wear, or record what you wore. Helps users purchase items for their collection, plan, and create. Similar apps that do the same thing Closet (Free. iOS only) and Mix Me (Free. Android).

Whisp (Free. iOS only) Described as a “messaging app for fashion lovers only”, it has a beautiful interface that allows users to drag and drop photos to share their designs and outfits.

Men’s Fashion

ASOS (Free. iOS and Android) See photos of collections, watch cat walk videos, view material from the print publication, and you can sync items you see with your account so you can buy it through website.

Cool Guy (Free. iOS and Android) Virtual closet allows users to see how articles of clothing look together. Shop with the ability to see how it works with pieces you already have. Create packing lists and share outfits you have created to get feedback.

Mr. Porter (Free. iOS and Android) Shopping, fashion advice, interviews, and pictures of trending outfits.

Necktie Deluxe (.99 iOS and Android) Learn how to tie all those different knots and what knot is best for an occasion or what you are wearing.

Style.com (Free. iOS only) Read industry news, watch videos, read articles, and look at back issues from 2000 to present.

Swackett (Free. iOS and Android) A weather app that tells you what to wear based on conditions. It will show you what people in the area are wearing

Valet Mag (Free. iOS and Android) Fashion handbook, style tips, back issues of the print magazine, grooming tips, local concierge, and much more.