The number and variety of apps available for your smartphone can be overwhelming; here are five that are especially useful.
By Katrina Caruso
If you download only one new app this year, it might well be one of these.
Google Trips
Planning a trip in 2018? Google’s app for trips might just become a new favourite. It can help to organize your itinerary, collating all the details and sorting your hotel, tour, and transportation reservation emails by trip. Through the app, you can also receive recommendations and suggestions—some based on your interests and preferences—for thing to see and do, and everything can be saved onto your phone so that you can access all these details without requiring wifi or using up your data allowance.
Housecraft
Housecraft is an app for the iPhone that can help you redecorate. Through augmented reality software, it lets you choose new furniture such as couches, tables, chairs, desks, and beds and “place” the object right where you want it, using your iPhone as a viewfinder. You can adjust the size of the item and view it from any angle, as if you were walking around it, and when you’ve got in just the right spot, you can save the layout for later reference.
LastPass
Always forgetting the password to your bank account or Facebook? Controlled by one master password, LastPass is an Android app that manages all your passwords for you so you don’t have to remember them or write them down. It can also generate new, hyper-secure passwords, and the app can be used with smartphones, tablets, and computers.
OpenTable
OpenTable can make reserving a table at a restaurant easy and convenient. Locations can be searched using a variety of filters including cuisine, reservation time and date, and proximity. The app also offers a discovery option, allowing users to find new places to try. Other features include restaurant menus and reviews. It can also be a useful tool when travelling, as it includes international restaurants in many cities.
Pocket is a tool that saves articles and other web content (including videos). It’s like bookmarking a website, but Pocket lets you access saved content offline, without using wifi or data. Content can be organized and tagged—useful when working on a number of projects or activities.
Photo: iStock/AndyOdo.
