Necessary Apps for Your Smartphone

The Ones You Shouldn?t Live Without

I just recently made the jump to a smartphone because I loved the idea of having a backup to my Time Warner internet service on days where it goes on the fritz. I also thought that traveling would become much easier as I could access just about anything I needed without finding wi-fi as I wandered through new towns and unfamiliar airports.

However, to be able to do some of these things, I needed apps. In my quest to find ones that worked for me, I thought I would share them with you.

ESPN Scorecenter

Like there was anyway we weren't going to use this photo

I rarely watch ESPN anymore and don?t really even visit their website (especially now that Rob Neyer is gone.) However, I am still a sports fan, and not going to ESPN to get the up to the minute sports news is like not going to a Pixar movie to see the best animation. The best part of this app is that you can personalize it with your favorite teams, so if you don?t want to scroll through all the college basketball scores, you can just get your team.

Twitter

Yes, I am a convert to Twitter. I fought against it for a while, but with comedy from Rob Huebel and Rob Delaney, political information from Nate Silver and science news from Phil Plait, it?s the perfect thing to follow your favorite writers, and a phone is a great place to look at 140 character missives while waiting at an airport.

Kindle for Android

However, if your layover is three hours, you might run out of tweets to read. So, Kindle for Android will let you find a book, magazine or newspaper to help pass the time as you wait for your flight. Free books include ?Pride and Prejudice,? ?The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes? and ?The Art of War.?

The Weather Channel

Even rain hits southern California now and again. This app is perfect for keeping me updated while out and about. If I?m debating whether to go to a museum or the beach, having an instant update on the weather is key. I can look at the hourly tab or the 36-hour tab and figure out whether today or tomorrow is best for the beach.

Bank App

If you bank with one of the big banks, then you have to get their app. So, you can see your available balance without having to find an ATM and then find an ATM to take out some of that available balance.

Instant Heart Rate

Did you have a good workout? This app uses your phone?s camera to figure out just how good by calculating your heart rate.

Find a Starbucks

I love coffee. Now, I can just turn on this app and whether I?m in a new neighborhood or on the road, I can always find the nearest Starbucks and that means I?m always close to a good Caffe Americano.

Hope those suggestions help you. If you have any recommendations for me, leave them in the comments.