Science and technology

Monday, 12 January, 2015 - 09:27

App-tastic!

by RosemaryM

Phones are now more than just a device used to make calls or send texts. For the people of today, phones are multifunctional; besides just using them to keep in touch with others, we can take photos with them, keep up-to-date with the latest current affairs and even manage our bank accounts.

Whilst some people have tons of apps - mostly games, such as Candy Crush or Angry Birds - I limit myself to just a few. The few apps I have are those that I consider to be particularly useful to me. Here are five apps that I couldn't live without:

  1. Oxford Hachette French Dictionary: Whilst living in France, this has been my lifesaver. I have hundreds (possibly thousands) of words at my fingertips, which is so useful for those "I'm not sure what the word is" situations. It's a great app as it means I don't have to carry a heavy dictionary around with me all the time! 
  2. Scrabble: For anyone who doesn't know what 'Scrabble' is, it's a board game with words. You are given a selection of seven letters to make a word with. Once you have put a word down, the next player must try and make a word with their letters that they can link to those already on the board. I love this game and it's given me countless hours of entertainment. I often play Scrabble with my boyfriend whilst we Skype - and it can also be played using Facebook.
  3. Snapchat: This app is great for sharing photos with other people. Once you have taken a photo, you can then edit it (for example, you can change it to black and white, or add the temperature) and add a short message. Snapchat has been criticized by the media as not too long ago, a lot of photos were leaked. However, I think as long as you are careful with the app and don't send any potentially embarrassing photos, there is no need to worry.*
  4. Tube Map: This is a fantastic app for anyone who plans to visit London. Although paper maps of the Underground are available for free at all tube stations, this is still a really useful app. The app is able to tell you how long it will take to travel between any two stations, and where you need to change onto a different tube line. 
  5. BBC News: I like to keep up to date with what is happening in the world without reading long articles. The BBC News app gives me the top stories, all of which can be read very quickly. This lets me know what is going on, without making reading the news feel like a chore.

*Note from Editor: Remember never to send a photo to anyone that you wouldn't mind your parents or a teacher seeing. Think before you share photos online! 

Discussion

What are your favourite apps? 

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