Apps I can’t live without!
Apps, apps, and more apps. When I first got my iPhone in 2007, I don’t think the world knew anything about “apps”. Now I am sure the App Store has nearly a billion on offer. So how do you determine which are the best for you and more importantly for jetsetters and citizens of the world. Below I have detailed the apps that I can’t live without, by category. I hope you find it useful!
iKeepintouch
Having lived in five countries and traveled to numerous others, I have met people all over and maintain friendships across continents and timezones. There are a few key apps that make this happen:
Whatsapp: This is probably my most used app to keep in touch with people. It is available on iPhone, Android and Blackberry and is a free text messaging service. With this app I can text friends in the US, Nigeria, Lebanon and England all in the same minute. It is an absolute must for anyone with friendships spanning the globe.
Skype: This app goes without say. But if you are looking for ways to maximize the benefits of Skype when living abroad, buy a monthly subscription rather than paying per call and purchase a phone number so that people can save money when calling you. Any time my mother calls me, no matter where I am, she never has to memorize a new number, she simply calls the same 313 number that I have had since 2008, through Skype. And when you buy a subscription, you get a discount on your phone number.
Others: Another service that I simply love is iMessage which is Apple’s answer to BBM. Using your Apple id, you are able to text any iPhone, iPad or iPod user for free. If you have never used it or have no clue what I am referring to, go into your settings > messages > iMessage > on. The best part of this is that it is over the network so for people like me (and most people in Europe) you get a very small amount of text messages so this helps to save money.
iSocializethroughmedia
Having grown up during the creation/explosion of social media (Zukerburg is my age mate) I use the various mediums a lot in order to keep abreast of the lives of friends and acquaintances.
Instagram: This is hands down still my current obsession. I prefer it to Twitter and it is definitely giving my Facebook time a run for its money. I just love the visual capture of everyday moments. Prior to Instagram I very rarely used my camera phone and now I use it ALL the time. I love it because I am really starting to take snapshots of my everyday life! If you want your timeline flooded, add me! @jnambowa
iTRAVEL
The iPhone is one of the best things to happen to my international/constant traveling life. Below are the travel apps that I simply cannot live without.
Fly Delta: Any frequent flyer knows the benefit of airline loyalty problems and I am no different. Sky Team is my go to for travel. I always fly Delta when in the US and KLM and Air France are my go to for transatlantic flights. Sadly they let Alitalia into the mix, so given that Italy is my based I fly this substandard airline more than I would like to. The Fly Delta app is awesome because it sends notifications when you can check in and tells you the gate. It even updates you with time and gate changes and most importantly, they offer electronic boarding passes. What more do you need to make flying a smooth process!
Quid: £, €, and ¥ oh my! Whether I am spending Omani Rial, Swedish Krona or Ugandan Shillings, I always need to be able to convert the currency to dollars and euro to get a clear idea of cross country spending. This USD0.99 app is easy-to-use and does just that!
Weather: This very basic app is one that I use EVERYDAY. Not only when I am at home do I check the weather in the morning to properly plan my outfit for the day, but I always consult the app in order to pack weather appropriate clothes when heading anywhere. And recent updates of this preinstalled apps allow you to track the weather by the hour allowing you to see if it will be clear skies for that 3pm picnic.
Clock: Another preinstalled app that is worth its weight in gold, I use this app to keep up with the various timezones of my friends and families. Though sometimes I am too lazy to check and call friends in California at inopportune times, I keep six timezones in the queue. It is also my alarm and on occasion I use the timer and stopwatch function.
AppBox Pro: How many feet equals 30 meters? What is 15 degrees Celsius in Fahrenheit? These questions come up nearly everyday because I am an American living outside of America, i.e. in the metric world that the other 6.6 billion people on the planet live in, well except for the UK because they use some strange mix of measurement systems. Needless to say, this app is chock full of all of the tools you need to do unit conversions, translations, sale prices, and loads of other things that I do not use it for. But looking at it now, I might need to use it more often.
iLOVEcities
Constantly traveling to cities across the world generally means that I often find myself taking buses, trains and metros/subways/tubes. A helpful thing to do when you go to a new city is to download bus or subway maps in order to ensure that you do not end up in the Bronx when you’re trying to get to Brooklyn. Two staple apps for me are Roma Bus (sometimes doesn’t work, but when it does it is very accurate) and Subway Map (an NYC subway map). Another staple when in most major world cities is Yelp (useful when you’re looking for a dry cleaner in Paris) and the preinstalled Maps app (always useful when I am looking for the nearest Starbucks). The search function on Maps is powered by Google and GPS ensures that you will never get lost, well unless you’re in a city that has yet to be mapped out, such as Dassa-Zoume, Benin.
Honorable Mention
EPTrackerLite: I had to mention this app! This is an app that helps you to keep track of the TV shows that you watch. If you are like me and fall in love with TV series long after everyone else and generally after they have gone off the air, you can keep track of which episode you are on, so you never have to ask did I last watch S05E11 or S05E10. If the show is still on the air, it also alerts you to the date in time of the latest episode. I LOVE IT!
