Average Jane’s Favorite Apps

IMG_0033I saw a post the other day where someone listed the web and smart phone applications they like the most, so I figured I'd do the same. I'm certainly not saying any of these things are the best–they're just what I like to use.

My browser of choice is Firefox. I know Yvonne just tried it and hated it, but I've been using it for years and I'm very comfortable with the tabbed browsing. I don't use any of the add-ons, but I have tweaked it a bit to go faster.

For e-mail I use Gmail. I actually have a bunch of different Gmail accounts and I funnel them all into my main account. At first it was a little challenging to get used to the lack of folder storage, but once I got the hang of doing searches of my archives, I loved it.

My favorite Twitter app is Hootsuite. It's easy to use, there's nothing to download, you can monitor multiple Twitter accounts with it, and I like being able to have lots of search columns to track hashtags, etc.

For my feed reader, I used Bloglines until their downtime issues got to be too egregious. Now I use Google Reader and absolutely love it. The social aspects of it are great. My favorite aspects of it are sharing things I've found and reading other people's shared items. It's also really handy that you can "star" things to keep them stored for later.

When it comes to games, I have two favorites in Facebook and one iPhone obsession. On Facebook I play Bejeweled Blitz and Lexulous. Cagey got me hooked on Angry Birds, so that's what I mostly play on my phone. It's a fun and sometime frustrating way to kill time.

The photo in this post is from the Magic Artist app on my iPhone. I play with it from time to time. I also have ShakeItPhoto, which comes out looking like a Polaroid (and you shake your phone to "develop" it). I've avoided Hipstamatic like the plague because I was already tired of seeing its photo style before I even got an iPhone.

I recently downloaded the Poynt app, which is useful for finding nearby restaurants and also the cheapest gas in your area. It has movie and business search capabilities as well, but I haven't used those yet.

The final app that I use quite a bit is the one for IMDB. You never know when you might want to find out how old or how tall an actor is.

What are the apps you use every day?

Comments

4 responses to “Average Jane’s Favorite Apps”

  1. cagey Avatar

    I am SO frustrated because I finished Angry Birds and need a new addiction. There is a serious pouty face going on here, can you see it?
    In other news, I feel as if I got my life back. So there is that, I suppose.
    With Gmail, I use filters and labels. It’s interesting because labels are basically folders, just an odd way to go about it. And now that I have figured out the ingenious use of filters, I can never go back. It saved my butt when we were doing our last business and I needed to sort out all my different types of mail.
    Also, ditto on IMDB – I use it all the time now on my phone, mainly because my butt is firmly planted in my chair when I watch TV and the phone is quite handily sitting there on my side table. Lazy, FTW.

  2. cagey Avatar

    Oops, meant to mention that the other app/site I use frequently is TweetMe on my phone. I’ve used TweetDeck and hated it, so TweetMe is my first “real” use of a Twitter app and it is a game changer for me. Previously, I had sworn off of Twitter a bit, but TweetMe is making me reconsider my Twitter Diet. I might be diving back into the Tweetle again.

  3. mayberry Avatar

    This is boring, but I use the NPR app ALL the time. I can choose what segments to listen to, and when and where. I’ve also discovered new shows/podcasts through the app (Pop Culture Happy Hour!).

  4. Diana Avatar

    I use ESPN ScoreCenter all the time. It’s especially great for keeping up on other games while you’re at a game.
    The Goodreads app is another favorite. It very user friendly.
    Walgreens is an essential for me. I have a number of chronic illnesses, so being able to request refills on the go is great.

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