When it comes to apps, my usual supergeek tech-savviness breaks down into a kind of stubborn minimalism. I tend to stick to the app-essentials, like Yelp, Tweetie and you know, the calculator. Beyond these, I'm pretty resistant to expanding my collection of tiny-squares-with-rounded-edges- I don't know why! But somehow a few of those sneaky little things found their way onto my home screen!
So here's the 5 new apps in my life. I haven't made any of them them dance for their lives (you know, when they wiggle desperately to appease me so that I don't click the little "x" and poof them away forever!), so they must be really good. These apps are for a weird, random assortment of occasions, so I won't even try to find a lucid theme uniting them. Just check 'em out!
1. To look like an unforgivably pretentious hipster with very minimal effort: Hipstamatic
This app makes any picture you take with your phone instantly hipsterized. It does that funny thing to your iPhone photos where you get tricked into thinking a shitty photo is actually a cool, good photo by amping up the contrast, putting a border around it and making it look all dreamy. There are different "packs" you can purchase (on the cheap) that make your photos look all different kinds of deceptively cool. And it's fun to use because you actually swipe around to select your "lens" and your "film." Just like real photography! Browse the hipster pics on the Hipstamatic Flickr gallery for further evidence.
2. To pass the time: Plants Vs. Zombies
I don't generally play games on my phone, nor do I usually gravitate toward anything involving zombies. That said, this is the best iPhone game I've ever seen! Plants vs. Zombies is fun, easy to pick up for a few and it's really hilarious. Also it's kind of a huge game that keeps building on itself without growing repetitive. I'm still not super clear on why the zombies and the plants are at odds, but that's a question best left for another time.
3. To get shit done: Awesome Note
I spend a lot of my time making to-do lists about how to make better to-do lists. The bare-bones default "Notes" app is sufficient for jotting down an idea or two, but Awesome Note lets you make surprisingly sophisticated lists, and it's even got a pleasant, intuitive interface! Which is more than I can say for most apps I happen upon.
4. To get laid on a full stomach: Whole Foods
Recently I've been trying to "eat healthy" which basically just means I eat really intensely bad-for-me things but I cook them myself. So if you are similarly epicurious and indulgent and sometimes find yourself lost in the grocery store, this app is for you!
Or maybe you're on the eve of a romantic time with a hungry lady? Type any ingredients and see what you can make! Stuck at home with only a zucchini to speak of? Type in the ingredients you have and this app will guide you to culinary glory. Or if you're out shopping you can automatically add any recipe's ingredients to your list. It's also great for keeping track of dietary restrictions, so you can feed all your vegans and your other new-age weirdos too.
5. To fingerpaint your way to greatness: Layers
This app lets you draw and paint using a variety of brushes, kinda like a mini Photoshop! And by using layers (lowercase), you can create MUCH more elaborate drawings and doodles by stacking different individual creations on top of one another. To form your MASTERWORK that is. This shit is pretty impressive for a phone. Check out this Flickr Layers gallery to see for yourself. You know, if you aren't an impulse buyer.
So those are my latest and greatest app finds! Now go forth, download and prosper and stuff. Because I can say, with 99.9 repeating percent certainty, that you won't regret it!
Did any new tiny wiggly squares worm their way into your heart lately? Don't keep your app secrets to yourself! That'd be all sneaky and elitist-like!
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