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Whether your New Year’s plans include more exercising, organizing, traveling, reading, dieting or cooking, you’re bound to find a powerful app to help you achieve your goals. As we look ahead to 2015, we may see a future filled with apps. While the tagline “There’s an app for that” may have fallen out of favor, apps continue to be the solution for many of life’s challenges.
Now is a great time to add to your arsenal of apps. Apple recently released its list of the best apps of 2014 that includes apps for fitness, photography, brain-training, news, organization, cooking and much more.
[tip]Don’t worry if you’re an Android fan, you’ll find links below to these top apps for Android devices.[/tip]
Elevate was listed as the top app of the year. This free brain-training app is available for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and for Android.
Threes was listed as the top game app of the year. A numbers game, Threes is easy to learn but will quickly become addictively challenging for you. This image shows how to play Threes:
Threes is available for $1.99 for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and $0.99 for Android devices.
Other apps selected by Apple as the best of 2014 include:
Here’s a video showing Toca Lab in action:
This video shows Camu’s very cool features:
[note]See the updated review for Waterlogue at The Wonder of Tech to learn how to get this top app for free until January 31:
Waterlogue Transforms Your Photos into Beautiful Watercolors! [/note]
⇒ Check out my review of Uber: Uber – Your Magic Wand for Riding in Style!
- Star Walk 2 – Your Guide to the Sky
- Cinamatic
- Health Mate – Steps Tracker and Life Coach
- Paper by Facebook
⇒ See my full review of Paper by Facebook: Paper – Facebook’s 10 Year Birthday Present for You!
Android Devices
If you have an Android device, don’t fret, many of Apple’s top apps are available for you as well. Here are the links for the apps available on Android devices:
- Yahoo News Digest
- SwiftKey
- 1Password
- Toca Lab
- 120 Sports
- BuzzFeed
- Nighty Night
- Yummly
- Uber
- Health Mate
Something New – More Featured Apps
Apple is also currently featuring top apps in its Something New section on its Apple Store app. Check out:
This video walks you through VSCO Cam:
http://youtu.be/kaWQRji3fwE
On Android
The Increasing Importance of Mobile Apps
If you’re relying on apps more, you’re not alone. People around the world are using apps more to have fun and get things done.
When you look to the future to see what may replace the Internet, consider the rise of mobile apps. A decade ago very few people used mobile apps but today apps are used daily around the world. This infographic illustrates the rise of mobile apps across the globe.
Infographic courtesy of ERS Computer Solutions
New Year’s App Organization
New Year’s is a perfect time to take an app inventory and organize your apps. What apps do you have on your phone and/or tablet? Do you have your most important apps on your home page? Have you deleted any apps you’re not using any more? Have you created folders for your favorite apps?
⇒ See, How to Create App Folders for Your iPhone and iPad for more information on creating folders.
Take a few minutes to organize your apps to have them work best for you!
Your Thoughts
Have you been increasing your use of apps? Do you have any goals for 2015 you’ll be using apps to help you attain? Have you tried any of Apple’s featured apps? Share your thoughts with us in the Comments section below!
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* Tablet with App Symbols image (edited) courtesy of hywards at freedigitalphotos.net
* 2015 image (embedded in tablet image) courtesy of krishna arts at freedigitalphotos.net
HI Carol, I just got a new Droid Turbo phone and have not installed all the apps I used to have. I’m trying to cut down on them but it’s not easy! Buzz Feed and Slow Shutter Feed look appealing to me though to try out this year. Thanks for sharing these new apps with us, amazing how many new ones keep coming out.
Hi Lisa, That’s so great you got the Droid Turbo! I was a big fan of that phone when I tried it (my review Motorola Droid Turbo – A Phone that’s Fast and Formidable).
Yes, when you switch phones you should take inventory of your apps to see which ones you’re really using. Delete any that are just taking up space on your phone and possible eating away at your battery life.
But cleaning out your apps from your phone is a little bit like cleaning out clothes from your closet. Once you have extra space, why not fill it up with new stuff? 😉
You’re right, new apps just keep coming so it’s exciting to discover ones that might be a great fit for your life. Try out new ones and if you don’t like them, you can always delete them!
Really incredible blog post, I’ll have to try VSCO app at least. Thanks for sharing and God bless! Happy new years Carolyn.
Hi David, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m so glad you enjoyed this article. Yes, definitely try VSCO and then you may want to check out the other top apps as well!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless and Happy New Year to you too, David!
Hi Carolyn,
The use of smartphone apps are increasing tremendously from quite sometime. But the challenging thing to find out is which app is best. As, there are many applications that serves same thing but people don’t know how to make the best from it.
Surely 2014 was a year of some exciting innovations, but I am looking forward to the new year and what it has got to make a change in the technological world of smartphones.
Hi Aditya, Great point. One thing we can be sure of in 2015 is that even more apps will be launched to make our lives easier and more fun!