5 Best Apps to Download this Month
If you’re looking for some new apps to give your daily routine on your device a bit of a boost, we’ve found 5 great apps that will do just that, including making you a digital forester and keeping an eye on some canine cardio.
Forest
If you’re one of those people who loves using their device, but admittedly struggle to put down it sometimes, Forest is for you. The simple yet therapeutic app allows you to plant digital trees or plants, set a timer, and then… well, nothing. Refraining from using your device will then allow the tree or plant to grow. If you interfere or pick up your phone unnecessarily, the tree dies. The goal is to set time periods where you promote the positive habit leaving your phone alone and not using it for the sake of it; and the result is then a vibrant digital forest for you to check out at the end of the week. You can even team up with your friends who have the app to do a team-planting session.
Otter
The Otter transcription app, which sounds like it might just be a standard voice recognition app, but it actually promises more functionality when you take a closer look. It’s a relatively simple concept in practice, but impressive in execution. Simply start the app up and whatever conversation is going on and in listening proximity of the microphone, it’ll turn into text. This means a lot of time and effort saved for people that conduct interviews, students that want to record lectures, or anyone that needs to take notes in meetings. One of the biggest potential benefits is that it can even distinguish between different speakers, so taking minutes at an important conference or meeting should become a lot easier with an app like Otter.
Google Podcasts
A few podcast-type apps exist already, but considering Google’s size and the amount of resources they can put into providing a decent service, them launching a podcast app is a pretty big deal for those who enjoy this kind of format. After downloading the Podcasts app, users can listen to any of the available podcasts for free, and to make it more convenient, it comes with playback speed settings as well as the ability to skip over prolonged silences. As with many of Google’s other apps, it can also be synced across different devices, so that with a single profile you’ll be able to keep track of which podcasts you’ve listened to and how far you’ve gotten will be tracked across any of your devices that have the app.
Download: Android
Rundogo
Those pet-owners who love a long walk or run with their four-pawed companion will find a lot of joy with Rundogo. The app is essentially an activity tracker which will help keep tabs on both you and your dog’s exercise, so you can see and monitor what distance and workout your pooch gets from his time out-and-about. While the more common scenarios like evening strolls and light runs can be selected, the app also caters for and takes into account more strenuous activities, like canicross, mushing, and sledding. There are also social features, allowing you to share photos or statistics with other dog-walkers in the area.
Sleepo
While some need absolute silence to achieve a good sleep, there are those that love a bit of background noise in order to hit dreamland. There are a few white-noise apps out there, but Sleepo gives a lot of customisation and options as to what you’d like to hear, allowing you to customise your own soundscape, such as adding a some thunder to a bit of light rain, and throwing in the ocean for good measure. Each effect has its own volume control, and there is also a timer which will shut the app down after a set period of time.
Download: Android
