Will Anema finds 15 apps in 3 categories that might help you
Apps are everywhere. Businesses use them, students use them, kids use them, even the government uses them. There are over 700,000 apps available for Apple devices.
Unfortunately, not all of them are very good, and since there are 700,000 of them, it would take too long to sort through them all.
I’m giving you three different categories; productivity, entertainment and academic.
Productivity covers the apps that help you do things faster and easier. These apps can als0 improve your cooking and biceps.
Entertainment focuses on less useful and more relaxing apps. There’s an app for watching talks about new technology and world problems, an app for memes, and of course, games.
The academic category is all about learning and making learning easier. Spark Notes is included here. This is a warning to seniors: Spark Notes is not allowed for use in any senior projects. Ask your teacher if it’s all right to use for your class.
Here are the apps. They aren’t necessarily the ‘Top 5’ but they’re some of the best that can help you study, find places to eat, or relax.
Productivity
1) Around Me
This app is for the active. Like Google Maps it has the option to search things like “coffee shops” or “restaurant” and the nearest ones will be shown with directions alongside them. It also has the option to select whether you are walking, running, biking or driving. The app helps on vacation but is especially useful for people who get lost easily. Free.
2) Printer Pro
This app is just a wireless printing app. But it’s from your iPhone or iPad! Make sure that your printer is either wireless or connected to a Mac before buying the app. If you’re really cautious, download the free version and test your printer with it first. The app prints almost any kind of document , in color depending on the printer. $4.99.
3) Food Network in the KItchen
This is an all around cooking app. It has instructional videos to take you through recipes. There are thousands of recipes with more added every month. You can even add your own personal notes to the recipes you “favorite”! So if you need to make dinner for that special someone, and you feel completely lost, use the app. $1.99.
4) Nike Training Club
Are you one of those people who needs other people to tell you what to do when you exercise? Well, I’m not. But if you are, the Nike Training Club app is probably something you’d like. It’s completely free but has hundreds of workouts that you can set. The virtual trainer talks you through them and makes sure you actually lose some calories. Free.
5) Walker: The Smartest Productivity App
Despite having a long and boring name, this app is really actually pretty great. It can be used as a grocery list, a project organizer, or just organizing your life in general. You can put appointments, meetings, and assignments into it and it will make sure you don’t forget. It’s like an assignment notebook for your iPhone. $1.99.
Entertainment
1) Ted Talks
Who is Ted?? Ted is an acronym for technology, entertainment, and design. The speakers are very eloquent and professional. Ted Talks go into detail about some new technology that will bounce light off walls to see around corners, or even just talk about a new way to make glasses in 2 minutes so that everyone around the world with eye impairment can see. Free.
2) iFunny
iFunny is all about making people smile. Make sure to ask your parents before downloading the app; the iFunny team does a good job of screening inappropriate things, but nothing is perfect. The app is about its users publishing funny pictures, comics, and memes. Users can like or dislike them and the popular ones get ‘featured’ for lots to see. Free.
3) Words with Friends
Scrabble is good. Words With Friends is better. You take turns playing online scrabble with a friend. But the scoring is done for you. It gets very competitive — especially when you actually know who you’re playing against. You can play against random people, or compete against a friend. Games can go on for a couple of days, or be over in a few minutes. Free.
4) Pinterest
Pinterest was originally a website where people went to search for food items, things to do, or just cool photos. Now it is in app form. If you’re a guy, Manterest might be better. The creators of Pinterest realized they didn’t really have a male audience since their website was kind of feminine and men don’t like being told what they like. Free.
5) Hedgehog Launch
This crazy game is one of the most addicting that I’ve encountered. The point is to launch your hedgehog and try to get it into space by bouncing off of things. It can even use retina display if your apple device has it. If you don’t like these type of games, don’t get it. But if you do it’s probably perfect for you. $0.99
Academic
1) Google Drive
This is an app that allows you to access Google Drive wherever you are. “I like the iPhone app Google Drive because if I’m not around a computer and I have a paper due the next day, I can get it done wherever I am,” said freshman Chris Schold. Many people don’t know about this app that could make their lives a lot easier. Free
2) SAT Question of the Day
The SAT Question of the Day app takes real SAT questions and quizzes you with them. You can always check the answers on the app and look at the previous questions if you want more than one a day. Don’t only use this app to study, but if you’d like a little more laid-back way to study for the SAT, try out this app. Free.
3) BBC Earth Wonders
Learn about the most exotic and interesting animals and landscapes around the world. When entering the app, you start with a 3D world. You can tap anywhere on it to zoom in and discover what’s so interesting over there. Once you have chosen a place, animals and landscapes pop up with facts alongside them. $3.99.
4) Spark Notes
Spark Notes is notorious for helping English students in dire situations. It helps to grasp complicated topics and give different angles on things. This app has poetry, Shakespeare, Philosophy, Literature, and more subjects. There are summaries of things and different ways of interpreting the text of the book of your choice. Free.
5) Quizlet
Quizlet has more than 2.1 million flash card sets to help you study from. It has vocabulary for many languages like Spanish, Latin, French, etc… Instead of hand-making your cards, look up a set on Quizlet and you’ll definitely find one with most of the words you’re studying. Free.
Most Overrated App of All Time
Angry Birds
I was late to buy the notorious app known as Angry Birds. I had heard that it was so much fun and no one could stop playing it. So I paid the insanely overpriced amount of $4.99 for it; most rival app games are $0.99 or free! I went into the app and played the first few levels 
until I got to a level that was tricky. It took about 10 minutes to beat — not a fun 10 minutes, though.
It was repetitive and boring. The next level was exactly the same but with a couple more barriers. The same thing happened. Unfortunately, millions of other people don’t feel the same way about it.
If I go on vacation, I spot Angry Bird pillows on the airplane. There have been Angry Bird posters put up by bus stops. Even on the buses!When I stop in Apple stores, the icon of gaming on your Apple device is the little red bird who has teeth … even though birds don’t have teeth. I even overheard a little kid buying an iPod Touch ask the Apple salesman, “Are you sure I can get Angry Birds on this?”Angry Birds isn’t really a bad game. The problem with it is that it isn’t a great game, not even a good game. And yet America seems to think that it’s one of the best of all time.