As of March, Android users were able to choose among 2.8 million apps while Apple’s App Store offered 2.2 million options, reports Statista. Techcrunch.com indicates 50 percent of app use happens on a smartphone, and 49 percent of smartphone users download at least one app per month.
There are apps for practically every purpose, and new ones enter the marketplace regularly. Six obscure but novel ones to try include:
— The Moovit public transit app is designed for business travelers, the directionally challenged and urban adventurers. It navigates public transportation options in thousands of cities and over 80 countries by offering how to get from point A to point B, alternative routes, alerts when nearing destination, time tables and offline maps.
— Hologo launched in April and is an augmented reality app for use in schools, colleges and by lifelong learners. Projections of lifelike virtual images and animations are customizable, shareable and interactive. View the inside of a heart or explore the inner workings of a plant or animal cell.
— Quello Concerts is for music lovers, especially those who enjoy documentaries, concert films and episodes of live music shows.
— Memrise is a high-tech way to learn a new language, based on gamified techniques intended to enhance vocabulary recall through mems — or mnemonic devices — such as etymologies or association; think “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” to remember the pre-algebra order of operations: parenthesis, exponent, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction.
— RunPee was made specifically to provide hints about when is the best time to visit a restroom during a movie so that no critical scenes are missed. Enter the movie title and learn “pee times” when there are no crucial plot twists, exciting action sequences or key humor moments.
— Cairn is for those who like to hike alone but whose loved ones are a little nervous about the idea. It shares location with others, provides downloadable maps to use offline, and finds cell coverage areas.