Must have apps

[Kendhni]

What are your 'must-have' apps for your new tablet/ipad/smartphone?

I keep hearing of stores with hundreds of thousands of apps but am struggling to find useful stuff to fill my tablets with.
I have the usual documents to go, browsers, cloud access, angry birds, spirit level etc. but still have loads of free space.

[Silver_Shiney]

For me, a decent satnav app (Navfree), Kindle, Bible, Virgin TiVO remote programmer, London Underground route planner, BBC News, eBay.

My beef with all these tablets and smartphones is that they come hard-wired with loads of apps, like the obligatory link to Facecloth, that are of no use to man or beast but cannot be removed. Why can't manufacturers let us choose what we want or at least allow us to uninstall the ones we don't want?

[Stephen]

What are your 'must-have' apps for your new tablet/ipad/smartphone?

I keep hearing of stores with hundreds of thousands of apps but am struggling to find useful stuff to fill my tablets with.
I have the usual documents to go, browsers, cloud access, angry birds, spirit level etc. but still have loads of free space.

Ken

'Skype' is a good app to have. As the tablet already has a built in camera and microphone, you just download the app and install and it's ready to go.

'AroundMe' is another useful one, especially if you are in an unfamiliar area. The map shows exactly where you are and a display list of all sort sort of places nearby, such as pubs, restaurants, parking, petrol stations etc etc.

And they are both free.


If you are into barbecuing the 'Weber's On The Grill' app is a great on one for recipes. But it is a pay for app.

[Peter D]

One of the Apps I use the most is the Free Wifi App. Once installed and used it will search for free wifi locations near your location and worldwide.

[Delboy]

Three Apps I find very useful on my IPad are

Flipboard
Flipboard is your personal magazine, filled with the things you care about. Catch up on the news, discover amazing things from around the world, or stay connected to the people closest to you—all in one place.

Pocket
When you find something you want to view later, put it in Pocket, can be viewed even when you have no broadband or Wi Fi connection.

Kindle
Buy Once, Read Everywhere: You don't need to own a Kindle device to enjoy Kindle books.

Other useful apps are FilmOn Free for TV, plus TV iPlayers, BBC News and Sport apps, BT Sport. Another useful App is Tapatalk, if you use a number of forums. I often view this forum via Tapatalk, it notifies me when somebody has posted on a thread I have contributed to, both on screen and by sound.

[Delboy]

Just thought if another couple Polkast, lets you listen to music you have downloaded on your computer, via your tablet.

Flik'r, or even better Flickstackr is another one I use for my photographs.

[Manoverboard]

Have no interest in them at all but do have a Recipe Book for barbecuing on my ' Weber '

[Andrea S]

There are some which I find extremely useful.
Although these are on my I Phone which gives access anywhere they are also on the I Pad.

TAPTALK For various forums ( any subject )

GP SURGERY For appointments and prescriptions

SOUNDHOUND For the title and recording artist you can't think of plus the words.

NEWS - BBC and SKY
SKY SPORTS
TV GUIDE

LOTTERY
BETFRED

SKY SCANNER Brilliant for comparing and booking flights from all airports
FLIGHTSTATS Up to date info on flights and current conditions.

SUPERMARKETS to check weekly offers

When I am going away I add local maps and places of interest .

Most of my others are for organisations and recreational places where I am a member.

I also have loads of recipes which I see in magazines and 'scan' them ready to try.

[david63]

I find that I come across apps that I think will be useful one day and download them and then forget about them only to come across them some time later and wonder what they are for!

[Mervyn and Trish]

I have a National Trust one which locates their properties near you and gives info about them.

I also have an AA one that gives locations of car parks and petroil stations near by, along with a guide to their latest prices. If you are a member it also have a function which you can use if you breakdown. It sends them the SOS message, with information about your precise position (often hard to explain if you are in the middle of nowhere when something breaks), and they then call you back for details of the problem.

As a cruising nerd of course I also have a ship tracker one to see where my favourite ships are and what I'm missing!

[frintonite]

If you have Sky at home, then Sky Go is a must, along with find my Iphone / Tablet for if it gets lost

[haveabeer]

My Favs are
Sky go
BBC i player
Heart Radio
Bank
Instant messenger
Twitter
Facebook
Real Racing 3 (love it)
find my iphone/ipad
Free wifi
Have loads more grandchildren have downloaded

[GillD46]

My fitness pal - I have lost 22lbs using it!

[Stephen]

My fitness pal - I have lost 22lbs using it!

Could have been worse. Lost £22 and found a fiver

[GillD46]

My fitness pal - I have lost 22lbs using it!

Could have been worse. Lost £22 and found a fiver

It would have been worth the fiver to lose the 22lbs believe me

[Not so ancient mariner]

My phone is...................well, - a phone. It's around 10 years old (was 2nd hand when I got it),has been dropped innumerable times - sometimes disintegrating into its component parts - but has always worked fine when re-assembled. It does have a camera (of sorts) and - I believe - is capable of internet access; though I have never used this facility as the screen is too small to be of practical use for this purpose. I have a perfectly good computer at home, and a sat-nav in the car - though even that has never been used in anger so to speak, as the mk1 nose invariably gets me to my destination - even if when repeating the journey I may well go a different way.

Smart phones - that die if you drop them, and are obsolete in 2 years anyway - who needs them? I don't go on holiday to read books I could equally well read at home, so that facility's not needed either!

Luddite? - not me; I just don't have the need for one - even having a basic phone with me all the time is a mixed blessing!

[Silver_Shiney]

Notso, as the proud(?) owner of both a smartphone and a tablet, I actually agree with you. I use my phone mainly for listening to music and keeping in touch with the Lady C and the SIL via occasional texts. It's loaded with apps that I don't use and can't uninstall. These gadgets are becoming too sophisticated for their own good, IMHO.

[Delboy]

Not so

My phone is also 2nd hand pay as you go, (£10 lasts months) and is out of the ark, only used for emergency. Very rarely take it out with me, but I am nearly always out with Lorraine.
She has her IPhone, which she never goes anywhere without, always texting our Son and Daughter on it, checking her EMails, and friends and family on Facebook.

However, my IPad never leaves my side, other than when I am out, but take it with me when visiting either our son or daughter. It has made our home computer virtually obsolete. There are a few of the original apps which I don't use, but cannot erase, most of the other apps are in constant use.

[Stephen]

My phone is also second hand. I'm not saying it's old or nothing, but It should have a Nokia logo, but it reads 'Noah'

[Not so ancient mariner]

Perhaps I was a bit strong about the features my phone doesn't have...... so I will now mention its plus points: Yes it can send text messages, and furthermore it has a keypad with all 26 letters and the most commonly used punctuation marks: - unlike many more modern devices it would appear

When I am out walking the music I much prefer to listen to is the old Simon & Garfunkel number........The sound of silence.

[Frank Manning]

I didn't pay much attention to this thread since my reasonably modern Sony Ericsson phone always seems to struggle to do anything I want it to. I have a desk top PC (hangover from finding HP the best provider in the workplace), and Sue has a Sony lap top. Sue has Skype and uses it a fair bit. However I digress, I was amazed to catch some of Channel 4 Racing this afternoon and to see the Bookies all offering downloads for betting apps! Whatever next!

[Onelife]

Hi Frank, happy new year to you and your family.

Not that l have ever used "betting via the phone apps" to place bets but they have been around for a couple of years now. I suppose it's a sign of the times, but not somthing l would recommend, less of course you have no other way of placing bets. Responsible betting takes self control if it is to be enjoyable.....betting via your mobile will only end in tears....its so easy to chase your loses.

The only reason l've mentioned this is because you sound like a chap who knows how to lose a few lbs

Regards

keith

[Frank Manning]

Yes thanks Keith, I have to say I'm not a betting man. My wife Sue though, being the daughter of a professional groom, who had looked after National Hunt horses, and Sir Alfred Munnings horses, she can quite often pick winners when watching racing on TV.

Not me. I fancied 'Pickamus' in the 2.30 at Cheltenham (it was a sympathy thing), he put up a good fight but was fourth of only four finishers Sue picked the winner Double Ross so she says, just by the look of it. As she said at the time the odds were not good, I'm glad she doesn't bet or we would lose more than a few £'s!

Happy New year!

[Mummykins]

I find this app very useful when cruising. Maps are available for most cities and there is no need to be online to use them. It works by GPS and shows exactly where you are on the map, very useful if you get lost! It is free to download and I think you can have 5 maps, for £1.99 you can have unlimited maps.

Just remember to download the maps you want whilst still at home. If the map you want is not on the list, you can email the developers and they will make one available. They are very obliging and when I couldn't find a map I wanted they informed me where to find it.

It is a brilliant app and amazes me every time I use it lol.

City Maps 2go is the free version. City Maps 2 go Pro is the paid version

Worth downloading the free version to see how it works. Just download a map for your home area.

[JoanneB]

TuneIn Radio so you can get any radio station on wifi
Living Earth weather app beacuse it is beautiful
puniverse to see what the sky above should be showing!
Touchnote to send "postcards' home of your own photos