Top 5 Apps You Should Have!

This week for Appy Friday, we’re letting you know all the apps you should have on your phone. There really is something on here for everyone to try from genius alarm clock apps to the best ways to take notes efficiently. So why not give one a go?

Evernote

Platform: iOS and Android

Cost: FREE

The Evernote app helps you to stay organised effortlessly with notebooks, checklists and to-do lists. You can also take notes in various different forms. For example; text, sketches, photo’s, audio, video, PDF’s and web clippings to make the best notes for you. The app allows you to scan and digitise your paper documents, handwritten notes and drawings.

Overcast

Platform: iOS

Cost: FREE

Overcast is a podcast app which allows you to find new podcasts and see recommendations via Twitter, from there you can then create playlists of your favourite podcasts to listen to. The app will also send you notifications when a new episode of your favourite podcast is released. There is also a feature where you can download the podcasts so you can listen to or watch them on the go.

Camera+

Platform: iOS

Cost: £2.99

This is a great app to take and edit incredible photos. The app has features which let you remove red-eye issues, change shooting modes, adjust clarity, add effects, and digitally zoom so there’s something on there to help everyone.

Sleep Cycle

Platform: iOS

Cost: FREE

This app is quite possibly one of the best alarm clock apps on the market, as it doesn’t just sound out your alarm at a certain time, but it gets to know you and your sleeping patterns so that it can analyse when is the best time for you to be woken up. It aims to wake up in your lightest sleep phase within a 30-minute window that you set for you to be woken up in, it is said to therefore, make it much easier to wake up feeling relaxed and rested.

Grammarly Keyboard

Platform: iOS and Android

Cost: FREE

Grammarly is a great thing to have ticking over in the background of your keyboard on your phones to help get rid of any of those embarrassing spelling errors in messages and posts. This app looks for grammatical errors, contextual errors, and has advanced punctuation correction built in.

So, there are this weeks top 5 apps you need to try this year. My personal favourite is the Grammarly keyboard as it helps to avoid any awkward spelling or grammar errors at all times. Let us know if you have any of these apps already or if you’re going to try any of these!

Top 5 Phones To Try In 2018!

For Appy Friday this week, we’re giving you a rundown on the top 5 smartphones that you should potentially try this year. From some of the most expensive phones on the market, to more affordable devices to suit your needs over the year.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is said to be one of the best Android phones available in 2018. The phone has a great 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera so it’s great for those who love taking photos on their travels. As well as this the S9 Plus has a great screen size and resolution for watching high-quality videos and images. So this is a great phone to try this year.

iPhone X
One of the big releases of last year was the iPhone X, with its great camera and screen. It’s just a great gadget to have if you don’t mind spending a bit extra on a phone that looks super slick. Although the phone is very expensive, it’s a great device to have with you at all times.

Google Pixel 2 XL
This phone is an excellent alternative to an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy as it has a great 6-inch screen with high resolution so you can carry out all the daily tasks you need to on this device with ease. Also, this phone is much cheaper than the iPhone and Samsung phone, however, it still doesn't have a headphone port which seems to be getting phased out across lots of phones, unfortunately.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro
This device is great for anyone who needs their phone to last a long time between charges, as this phone has one of the best batteries on the market. As well as this, the phone has a 20MP rear camera and 12MP front-facing camera. The Huawei Mate is also quite affordable in comparison to some of the others on this list but still has a list of great features.

LG V30
The LG phone has a great high-quality camera however it does struggle with low light photography so that’s something to bare in mind. As well as this, the device has excellent battery life and amazing audio performance along with its affordable price point.

So, there are our top 5 smartphones on the market. The one I'm personally thinking of trying this year is the iPhone X or the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus as both these devices seem to have the best specifications for my needs. Let us know what phone you’ll be trying this year or if you have any of these phones already.

Top 5 Finance Apps!

For Appy Friday this week, we’re helping you get on top of your finances, by giving you a list of the top money managing apps available at the moment. There’s something on here for everyone. From apps that help you save your change, to apps to help you pay off debt.

Mint
This is a free money managing app that you can use to track all your bank accounts and balances. You can also keep on top of your credit score so you always know where you stand. Within the app, you can set budgets for yourself that are easy to follow, making it easier to stick to them to help you save and spend.


You Need A Budget
This app allows you to view all your accounts in real-time and helps you with paying off debt. It does this by letting you know how much you need to cut back on each month, and what you need to put aside in order to pay off the debt. The app also produces a report on your spending habits and where the majority of your money goes.


Wally
The Wally app gives you a clear view of your accounts while allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of your spending habits. It displays all this information in simple, easy to read charts to help you adapt the way you spend your money. On this app, you can also have groups so you can share financial accounts, payments and plans with people. For example, if you need to share payment plans with people you live with for household bills.


Acorns
This app is great for investing all your spare change, when you buy a product that costs you £2.60 then the app rounds the price up to £3.00 and puts the 40p in your savings. Over time you’d be surprised how much you could save. This app acts like another bank account that will store that spare change that you can withdraw at any time.


Yolt
Yolt is a great app to track your spending and recent transactions on all your accounts in one place. The app also predicts your spending for the following months, once it has been installed for a few months and has learned your spending habits. This app also gives you the ability to set yourself budgets for the month, and lets you know how much money you have left to spend that month.


So, there are our top 5 finance apps to help you stay on top of all your accounts. My personal favourite app is Yolt. I use the app regularly to check all my balances in the same place and to help me set budgets for the month. Let us know if you use any of these apps or are going to download them!

Top 5 Gadgets To Try In 2018!

This week for Appy Friday, we are going to give you the top 5 gadgets you should try this year. There are a range of different pieces of tech on this list from phones to TV’s. So if you’re looking to invest in a new bit of tech this year then why not try one of these.

Samsung Galaxy S9

The S9 and S9+ aren’t too different from the S8 devices, the only key difference being the improvement in the camera, so if you’re interested in a phone with a great camera then this is the device for you. However, if an excellent camera doesn’t really bother you then maybe just try the Samsung S8 or S8+ for the other great features of this Samsung phone.

Philips 9000 Series 4K OLED TV with Ambilight Technology

This TV from Philips is a great gadget for 2018 with its unique Ambilight technology that makes the screen feel much wider. As well as this the edges of the TV are lined with small LED’s that emit vivid colours which are said to make an extension of what's happening on screen by subtly illuminating the surrounding area of the TV giving a relaxing glow.

Ultimate Ears UE Blast Bluetooth Speaker

If you’re looking for a great all-around portable speaker, then maybe give this one a try. These aren’t the cheapest speakers on the market as they start at £99 and go up from there. However, this is a great speaker if you’re in the market for a high-quality portable speaker. Also, the speaker has heavy bass levels and is completely waterproof so you can literally take it anywhere.

Nuraphones

Nuraphones are very clever headphones, they adjust to your hearing by learning and adapting to your hearing, making them great for your hearing health. The headphones learn about your hearing by measuring your hearing in 60 seconds, by monitoring otoacoustic emissions and uses this information to mould the sound to your match your hearing. It all sounds very scientific!

Fitbit Ionic

The Fitbit Ionic is the strongest smartwatch from Fitbit and anyone who loves health and fitness is guaranteed to love this new smartwatch. The new Fitbit has the ability to track any workout with ease, and all these abilities of the smartwatch are encased in a stylish but comfortable design.

So, that's this week’s Appy Friday. Hopefully, we have given you some inspiration for some new bits of tech you may want to get your hands on this year. Let us know if you have already bought any of these or you’re planning on buying any of them!

Apple HomePod - All You Need To Know!

Apple has finally entered the smart speaker industry and is releasing it’s very own ‘HomePod’. So, this week we’re giving you a rundown on everything you need to know about Apples smart speaker with its release date being today. This rundown will give you all the information you need from the prices to what the specs of the device are.

Release Date
The Apple HomePod was available for pre-order from Friday 26th of January and is actually released on the Friday 9th February (yes, today!). The HomePod will be available first in the US, UK and Australia with France and Germany getting it in spring.


PriceThe HomePod will be on sale for £319 in the UK and $349 in the US. You will be able to buy the HomePod from Apple’s online store as well as their high street stores. Also, the new Apple HomePod can be purchased from places such as John Lewis and other Apple stockists.

With the new Apple HomePod being so expensive in comparison to other smart speakers on the market today, for example, the one smart speaker seen as most similar to this one is the Amazon Echo which is priced at £149.99 with the smaller Echo Dot selling for £49.99.

P.S. If you're interested, read our MD, Richard Eaton's initial review of the Amazon Echo on his personal blog here https://medium.com/@richardjeaton/amazon-echo-an-initial-review-e02a1dd06cdd


What To Expect From The Apple HomePod?
The Apple HomePod is mainly a music speaker, with high-quality audio that is comparable to the Sonos wireless speakers. However, since this comparison was made between the HomePod and Sonos wireless speakers, Sonos have announced they are in the process of creating their own smart speaker. The HomePod has the ability to still hear your voice over the top of loud music that is playing from the speaker, but not only does it respond to sound but also touch. Various tap sequences instruct the HomePod to do various different things like pause, play, skip or activate Siri. The HomePod not only has high-quality audio but also answers all your questions with Siri and sends messages and makes calls.

The HomePod has an A8 chip which allows spacial awareness capabilities so that the HomePod is able to analyse the room which gives it the ability to provide the best audio for its surroundings. Apple has said that the HomePod brings together Apple Music and Siri in order to learn your music taste. The HomePod has a very simplistic minimalistic design as it is covered in a seamless mesh fabric, it comes in two different colours white and space grey and is only 18 centimetres tall.

So, there’s everything you need to know. Personally, I think the HomePod is a good investment if you enjoy playing high-quality music throughout your house. However, if you’re just looking for a smart speaker which you can ask questions and get the answers quickly then I think there are better, cheaper alternatives for that use. Let us know what you think about this new release from Apple and whether or not you’ll be buying one.

Top 5 Health And Fitness Apps!

For this weeks Appy Friday, we’re giving you our top 5 health and fitness apps to help you reach your health and fitness goals. There are a range of different apps here which are suited to a range of different people and their needs, from healthy eating apps to apps to help you with your workouts, whether that’s in a gym or from the comfort of your own home.

MyFitnessPal
Cost: FREE
Platform: iOS, Android
This app helps you to track your calories and everything you eat without it being a massive hassle as they have more than 3 million branded food products included. As well as this, it allows you to keep on top of a healthy diet with a lot more ease. There are also sections in which you can track your weight weekly.

Nike Training Club
Cost: FREE
Platform: iOS, Android
The Nike Training Club is a great app which is preloaded with a range of workouts that have different ranges of ability while also targetting specific areas of the body. As well as this, if you workout on the Nike Training Club app from a range of 15 minutes- 45 minutes, it will unlock different recipes, regimes and fitness tips to help enhance your health and fitness journey.

Pocket Yoga
Cost: £1.99
Platform: iOS, Android
This Pocket Yoga app helps you to build up your strengths in yoga without having to face an actual yoga class. This yoga app uses visual and audio guidance to help you through the 27 routines built into the app with different difficulties so there is something for everyone's abilities. As well as this there are over 200 positions which the app will guide you through.

Strava Cycling
Cost: FREE
Platform: iOS, Android
This app is a GPS for your cycling journeys and it allows you to track not only your speed but also the distance and elevation. Another that this app is good for is analysing your overall performance and you can also engage with friends by riding with friends in order to unlock achievements.

DietBet
Cost: FREE
Platform: iOS, Android
This app is quite unique in that it puts your money at stake by allowing users to add a financial incentive to their dieting. The DietBet app allows users to buy into a ‘money pot’ along with many other people, then when they hit their weight loss targets then they share the winnings. The money that could be won isn’t massively life-changing, however, it is still an incentive.

So, there are the top 5 health fitness apps we think can help you. The one that I personally use regularly is the MyFitnessPal app and the Nike Training Club app as they are easy to follow and stick to. Especially with the push notifications form MyFitnessPal alerting you to add in your meals of that day. Don’t forget to let us know what your favourite app is and whether or not you’re going to try one of these apps!

Is The Future Of Charging Wireless?

Since all the new releases in 2017 of new devices that can be wirelessly charged there have been an increase in charging mats to make charging your devices easier and quicker. There’s a range of different companies which have come out with various different versions of their own charging mats.

One of the charging mats on the market is the Mophie wireless charging base, this charging mat is one that was released in conjunction with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X release meaning it’s perfectly suited to the new iPhones and it retails for £54.95 which can be found on both the Apple and Amazon website. This charging mat has one downfall though as it doesn’t allow you to charge multiple devices on this mat so that can be somewhat irritating if you have multiple devices to charge up at the same time.

Another charging mat available is the Ikea NORDMÄRKE triple wireless charging pad, this charging pad can be very useful as it allows you to charge up to 4 devices at the same time. Another good thing about this charging pad is that it's £60 and therefore quite reasonable with its ability to charge 4 of your devices. There is one downfall to this charging pad and this is that with it being so large to charge 4 devices means it’s quite large and not very portable.

If you’re looking into getting a wireless charging mat then why not try the Samsung multi-wireless charging tray, this charging mat allows you to charge up to 3 devices. The Samsung charging tray retails for £51 from the Samsung website. This charging mat has a very simplistic but stylish design and has an LED charging light to make it easy to use and suit your room with its minimalistic design.

One to watch out for is the Apple AirPower charging mat which is due to be released at some point this year it’s designed specifically for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X without there needing to be a wireless charging case on the device for it to actually charge. The AirPower charging mat also allows you to charge multiple devices at the same time and has a sleek, minimalistic design to suit anywhere you put it. The Apple AirPower charging mats are also compatible with the airpods case, Apple Watch and iPhone 8, iPhone 8+ and iPhone X, however, they have not yet released a price of how much their charging mat will retail for.

So there’s a rundown of the latest updates on wireless charger mats on the market and they could be the future of all charging. Although these charging mats are very appealing some have their downfalls of not being a fast charging product however they are still very useful for day to day use. Let us know if you use a charging mat and if you do which one do you use?

Thanks,

Emily. 

Top 5 Apps To Make Christmas Easier!

In order to make this Christmas less stressful and more enjoyable, we have compiled a list of apps which will help you with your Christmas shopping and planning for Christmas. Whether you have already bought all your Christmas presents or haven’t even started doing your Christmas shopping yet, then there’s defiantly something on this list that could help you out this Christmas.

Santa’s Bag

Cost: FREE

Platform: iOS (similar for Android is “Christmas Gift List”)

This app is super helpful when setting a budget for all the gifts you need to buy at Christmas. The app allows you to set yourself an overall budget and break your budget down into specific gifts for specific people, within this, you can set a price for each gift and say whether you have purchased the item or you still need to buy the item. Then once you have entered all your gifts, it gives you your overall costs of the gifts and says whether you are in budget or over budget.

Not on the High Street’s Gift Finder

Cost: FREE

Platform: iOS

This is a great app for finding ideas for gifts for people that you don't know what to buy them. The app allows you to select what type of person you are looking to buy a gift for i.e. "A Top Chef" or "A Style Icon" along with many more options then from here it will suggest a range of gifts that could be suitable for that type of person, then it allows you to either save the item to your favourites or buy the product straight from the app.

Amazon

Cost: FREE

Platform: iOS and Android

Amazon is one of the most useful apps to have when it comes to buying Christmas gifts with there being almost everything you could ever want available to order on there at your fingertips. Also, by having the app it allows you to track your orders and make any last minute gift purchases you need to.

Pinterest

Cost: FREE

Platform: iOS and Android

Pinterest is a great app if you’re in need of some inspiration this Christmas, Pinterest has a wide range of images and post on there to give you some ideas for gifts, decorations and DIY’s to help make Christmas that little bit easier. Not only is Pinterest helpful at Christmas, it’s a helpful app all year round.

Depop

Cost: FREE

Platform: iOS and Android

Depop is a lot like Etsy in that its a place to buy unique and interesting gifts for your family and friends or treat yourself to. However Depop is slightly different to Etsy in that is it more fashion, design and vinyl based, so for all those fashion lovers you know, you’ll be likely to find something perfect for those people on Depop.

So, there are some apps that could help you have a less stressful Christmas. My favourite app for helping with Christmas is the Santa's Bag app, as it helps you to budget your Christmas presents and compile a more accurate list of what you're getting all your friends and family for Christmas. Do you have any top tips on keeping your Christmas planning as easy as possible? 

Top 5 Free Apps

There are many free apps available on Apple and Android phones that range in quality some being more useful than others. Therefore, we thought it’d be helpful to put our most useful free apps in one place.

Google maps

Possibly the most useful free app to have on your phone for all those times you’re in a new city or town and don’t have a clue where you’re going, then this app is great for directing you to those places.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-maps-gps-navigation/id585027354?mt=8

Paper

A great note taking app where you can combine images and text to make your notes more visually pleasing and can help make more in-depth. Not only this but you can save your notes up as PDF’s, Keynotes and PowerPoint Presentations making it easy to share your notes in a clearer way with co-workers.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/paper-by-fiftythree-sketch-diagram-take-notes/id506003812?mt=8

Google Translate

Another great app for travelling is the Google Translate app, it’s always a good idea to have this app on your phone for when you’re in other countries and don’t speak the language. Although Google Translate has its downfalls it’s still a very useful to have for emergencies.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/google-translate/id414706506?mt=8

Skype

Skype is a great app to connect you to friends, family and co-workers whether that’s for getting in -contact with people when they’re on holiday or for meetings with co-workers. The app is just a great one to have especially because it’s free.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/skype-for-iphone/id304878510?mt=8

1Password

This is a great app for remembering all your different passwords. 1Password keeps your password for all your accounts safe in one place with one overall password to keep all the other logins safe. This password manager is simple and effective to use.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/1password/id568903335?mt=8

So, there are our favourites personally I like Paper app for more creative note-taking. What’s your favourite?

Top 5 Music Apps!

We thought it may be helpful to separate the great from the good with the amount of choice you have from the range of music apps available on the app stores. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of our top 5 music apps.

Apple Music
Apple music is one of the best music apps available with the membership not being too pricey at £9.99 a month, you get a lot for your money with over 40 million songs to download, stream and listen to you've got a lot of choices no matter what your taste in music.
https://www.apple.com/uk/music/

Shazam
Another great app in the music genre is Shazam, for all those times you hear a song you love but have no idea what the song is or who its by, this is one of the best for recording a little snippet of the song and telling what the title is and who the artist is.
https://www.shazam.com/gb

Spotify
Spotify is also a great music app for everyone, like Apple Music just more widely available as it can be found on both Android and Apple devices. Not only this is that it has a free option which has limited uses or monthly memberships which start at £9.99 where you can have many more options. 
https://www.spotify.com/uk/

Soundcloud
Soundcloud is a great free app for unsigned music artists and listeners. It also helps incorporate a more social aspect to music apps where you can interact with your friends and send them music and only have playlists between a group, making it great for parties.
https://soundcloud.com/

Garage band
Garage Band helps enable you to make music by turning your phone into a variety of instruments. Not only does this app help you create your own music but it also helps you to DJ with live loops and other useful tools to help you improve your musical ability.
https://www.apple.com/uk/ios/garageband/

So, there's our list of top music apps my personal favourite being Apple Music as I think it's the most effective music streaming and downloading App, not only this it is easy to use and understand. What's your favourite music App that you can't live without?

Thanks

Emily