If you’re as obsessed with your iPhone as I am, you probably like to keep up-to-date with all the hot new apps. No? Just me? Dorky? Fine. Either way, keeping a screen full of useful icons can make your life a lot easier and keep you busy during potentially awkward moments. The best part about the iPhone is how customizable it is. It’s extremely rare to see two that are exactly alike. Let’s face it, none of you bought the iPhone with the intention of limiting your use of data to the basic twitter and facebook, so here are a few apps that I found either extremely helpful, super entertaining or simply just a better way to waste even more of my time!
For the Gamer:
Temple Run- If you haven’t heard of temple run, you might be living under a rock. This highly addictive game can be enjoyed by even the most modest gamer and requires absolutely no previous gaming experience. Best thing about it? It’s completely free!
Words With Friends- Yet another popular app that’s got almost everyone on campus dreaming of 7 letter word combos. Test your vocabulary knowledge and challenge some of your smartest friends to this imitation-scrabble wonder! Another freebie through the app store!
Fruit Ninja- A juicy game that will keep you occupied for hours. Slice and dice oranges and watermelons but beware of all objects that aren’t in the fruit fam! $0.99 for hours of fun
Amy’s Burger Shop 2- Satisfy your inner chef without torturing any of your friends with your sub-par recipes. You’ve got to serve a whole restaurant of customers the correct orders in a limited amount of time! $1.99 at the app store.
Cut The Rope- This tricky puzzle game will really get you thinking when you find yourself bored at home but not willing to get crackin on your calc homework. Buyer beware, this one is super addicting and totally worth every penny of it’s $0.99 price tag.
Winter Bells- Don’t be fooled by the soothing music and the cute little bunny, this game will own your life once you get playing. Guide your furry new friend through the maze of bells and win double points if you catch a little birdie! $0.99 guys!
Sky Burger- Don’t really know what it is about burger games but this one is just as fun as the one mentioned above, yet totally different. Build your burger high by catching only the correct toppings and win points/cash based on how your burger stacked up to specifications. It’s free too!
For the Photographer:
Instagram- Slowly redefining what it means to be a photographer, this app allows you to edit your photos with cool effects and share them with anyone else who’s downloaded the app. Totally fun and totally free!
Fat Booth/ Age Booth/ Helium Booth- This app will never get old for me. There’s something about turning some of my skinniest friends into total fatties that gets me laughing every time. Age booth will make you look 20 going on 75 and helium booth alters any voice to make it sound like it’s been inhaling birthday balloons for hours. Prices vary.
JB Photo Me- I will openly admit that I adore Justin Bieber so when I stumbled upon an app that allowed me to crop him into photos of me and my friends, I was all about it. Crop yourself right over Selena for only $0.99!
Photo Splash- Convert your photos to black and white but still make your firetruck red lip stain pop! Free!
360 Panorama- Take panoramic photos right from your iPhone, no fancy camera needed. Super easy to use and really fun to share with friends and fam! Only $0.99!
Pinterest- Bring your Pinterest obsession to the next level by keeping it in the palm of your hand at all times! I like to use my favorite pins for phone backgrounds! Free!
For the Superstitious:
Palm Reader- I was actually shocked with how accurate my reading was on this app. Take a photo of your own, or one of your friends palms and it will tell you everything from how nosy you are to how long you’re going to live! Best part? It’s free!
Horoscope $- Find out what today has in store for you and even look ahead into the rest of the week for only $0.99! This one is great because it also includes a love and work horoscope while others only offer one kind.
For the Movie-Buff:
RedBox- Find out what movies your local box has before you make the trip and find nothing worth watching! You can also reserve a movie in advance to ensure someone else won’t grab it before you get the chance to make down to the DMP! Free at the app store!
Movie Tickets.com- Plan ahead by figuring out in advance what time your favorite movies are playing at the local theatre and see when the latest hit is coming to a theatre near you. Another freebie!
TV Guide- Check out what’s playing on TV without having to sit and watch that boring channel-scroll. Add the Durham zip code and it will automatically show you what’s on the UNH cable network every time you log in!
For the Savvy Shopper:
Amazon- Track your packages and order right form your iPhone You can even save all of your information in your account settings so you don’t have to keep entering your credit card number! Blessing or curse? Haven’t decided yet…either way it’s free and it’s got a front page spot on my phone!
Quick Scan- Scan the bar code of almost any purchase and find out if you’re being ripped off! Can’t find a price or a price scanner? Whip out this app and impress your gal pals with how thrifty you are! Another helpful free app.
Fast Mall- This app is so cool. How many times have you gone to a new mall and had no clue where you were going to find any of your favorite stores? This guy lets you search your mall using your current location and then provides you with a map and list of all the sales at the chosen shopping center! It can even give you directions to all the malls in your area and remember where you parked your car! The absolute best part? All of it’s free!
Shopping List Lite– Going to the store without a list usually ends in either buying way more than you intended or forgetting things that you needed. If you’re only mode of transportation is the UNH bus, then you’ve got to make each trip to Walmart count. This app allows you to keep a running list of all the items you need and check them off as they are no longer needed. The “lite” version listed is free!
For the Fashionista:
iWore: Ever find yourself wondering when the last time your wore your favorite fabulous outfit was? This app lets you keep track of your outfits so you won’t repeat it to the same crowd! And…it’s free!
My Fashion Closet- This one lets you take pictures of all the items in you closet and stores them in a data base that you can return to at anytime. Mix and match those pieces to find your next great outfit! No more standing in front of the closet wondering what you’re going to wear! Yet another freebie you’ve gotta install!
For the Studious Student:
Blackboard- Don’t give yourself anymore excuses to forget when an assignment is due! This app allows you to access the blackboard sites of all the classes you are registered for and even download files right to your phone! For Free!
Evernote- With this app you can sync all the files from all the applications you use. It pretty much is a do-all application. You can draft class notes and then access them again right on your desktop or save inspirational photos into files for later use and even keep track of the lowest prices on the camera you’re saving up for. Once again, this great app is free!
eTextbooks for the iPhone- Text books cost us an arm and a leg every semester. Not to mention they’re usually bulky and annoying to lug across campus. If you create a CourseSmart account, you can search for your class’s textbooks, rent the online version and access them right through your iPhone! This app is free and will work with all CourseSmart books!
For the Calorie-Conscious:
LIVESTRONG- A diet and fitness tracker that is customizable to your goals. Track how many calories you’ve consumed and how many calories you have left based on the goals you set into the program. You can even chat with other users about your struggles and successes! Pricey at $2.99 but the best calorie-tracker I have come across.
The Eatery- Snap a photo of what you’re eating and this app will rate how healthy it is. Tell it where you are and it will begin tracking where you are most commonly eating your healthiest and least healthy meals/snacks. Have your friends join and you can rate each others meals! It’s free!
Miscellaneous:
P Tracker- Prevent any surprises by tracking when mother nature is going to send you your monthly gift! It even tells you when you’re fertile/ovulating so you know when to be extra careful around the campus cuties! Free!
Flashlight- Navigate over your piles of books and clothes at 3 AM without stubbing your toe or waking up your roomie! It even has a strobe option for when you want to liven up the boring party you’re at! We love those freebies!
Drink In My Hand- This safe drinking app allows you to enter your height and weight, select what you have been drinking from a list of over 400 choices and will provide you with caloric info as well as info about you blood alcohol level. You can also look up drinking laws based on what state you are in and even find the numbers to local cab companies! Keep yourself safe for only $0.99 at the app store!