Smartphone apps are more than just social media black
holes for frittering away long train rides with Facebook, Snapchat
and Tumblr.
If you've ever stared into a mirror and asked yourself
how to be more adult, look no further.
The Straits Times rounds up seven free apps to take
control of your life, from organising your to-do list to shopping
smart.
Free on iOS and Android
Android users should take advantage of this free
app, which is just as helpful as it is simple when it comes to
keeping track of tasks.
Like a virtual collection of sticky notes - with
customisable colour-coding for individual entries - Keep stores
photos and to-do lists and has an option for setting reminders.
The checklist feature is a nice plus. There's nothing
more satisfying than ticking the little box and seeing a task
crossed off.
Free on iOS, Android, Windows Phone
and website; comes with in-app purchases
This
budget planner comes with slick graphs to track your
income and expenses using tags and categories, the option to plan
monthly budgets and adorable cartoon demons that nag at you with
passive-aggressive questions like "How's those textbooks you're
spending all your money on?".
Frequent travellers and online shoppers who make
purchases on overseas marketplaces like Amazon and Taobao will
appreciate the ability to enter sums in 172 currencies which update
with the latest Singapore dollar exchange rate.
Free on iOS, Android and Windows
Phone; comes with in-app purchases
If you were looking for more motivation to stay on
track with your exercise schedule, Zombies,
Run! makes pounding the pavement - dare we say it -
fun.
This augmented reality mobile game has users in the
role of a zombie apocalypse survivor who must outrun zombies and
collect supplies.
At the very least, it's a somewhat more
cardio-intensive alternative to Pokemon Go.
Free on iOS and Android
Clue is possibly the most informative menstrual
calender you'll ever download.
This app allows users to take control of their
fertility by tracking everything from their mood and energy levels
to pain symptoms like tender breasts.
Those trying to conceive will appreciate the option to
track signs of ovulation, while those who are avoiding pregnancy
can opt to be reminded to use their preferred contraception
method.
Fact sheets explaining different aspects of human
fertility are available in-app - complete with medical journal
citations - and will be e-mailed to you as well, if you choose to
sync your data to the cloud. You can also share your calendar data
with other users, such as a family member.
Free on iOS, Android and Windows
Phone
Looking to pick up a new language on the go?
Enter Duolingo, an app developed by computer science
professor Luis von Ahn, who grew up in Guatemala, and Swiss
computer scientist Severin Hacker.
It jazzes up the language learning process through
gamification features like "points". English speakers have the
option of learning 21 languages on the platform, including Danish,
Turkish, Hebrew and Welsh.
Free on iOS and Android
Shoppers with a conscience can use Buycott, an app that allows users to scan barcodes
with their phone to find out more about a product.
Buycott will display the product's manufacturer and all
its parent and associated companies - which can be an eye-opening
lesson on the extent of mega-corporations' dominance in the retail
market.
Users can join crowdsourced campaigns to eschew
products with controversial backgrounds - for example, those
containing palm oil.
They can also join campaigns to purchase products
linked to certain causes, such as fair trade or manufacturers which
support LGBT rights.
Free on Android; available for a fee
on iOS and Windows Phone
If you're worried about how much time you're spending
with your handheld demon, you can kick your smartphone addiction
with - ironically enough - another app.
Forest is a countdown timer that lets you set
aside "away time" in 30-minute bursts. Over the course of half an
hour, an animated tree starts to "grow" on your screen.
If you leave the app, the tree dies - but if you are
patient, you can end up with a sizable virtual forest... and a
peaceful state of mind.
ST