Editor’s Note: 5 to Try is a new weekly feature of Information Space. Have an app you think we should share? Leave your comments below and we’ll check it out!
If you’re like me, you love finding new apps. But who has time to sift through the hundreds of thousands of apps in your respective ‘stores’?
I’ll save you the trouble by sharing five apps I think are worthy of attention every Monday, here on InfoSpace. Let’s get started!
1. LinkedIn Jobs (iPhone only, Free)
Launched in June, the LinkedIn Jobs app is a great way to search for jobs on the go, whether or not you’re in the market. The key feature here is your activity on the mobile app will not be share with your network, thus allowing you to discreetly job hunt.
Beautifully designed, with an intuitive interface, LinkedIn Jobs allows you to search for specific types of jobs by keyword in any location you choose. I tried it out in Syracuse and was amazed at the types of jobs available that I was unaware of.
Full job descriptions and requirements are available as well as an easy way to submit your application, i.e. your LinkedIn profile. The app allows you to edit your profile on the fly in order to target the specific position you are applying to, and lets you know who the recruiter is, along with their contact information. Job search made easy? I think so.
2. Dark Sky (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, $3.99)
Who doesn’t love a great weather app? Granted, I don’t necessarily like to pay for my apps, especially when I have several of the same genre already. But knowing down to the minute when it might rain at your exact location? That’s worth it.
Whether you’re walking to work, heading out for a day on the boat or just wondering if you’re going to need to water your plants before leaving the house, Dark Sky is a winner. It tells you when it is going to rain, how hard it will rain and when it will stop. It also tells you how far the closest rain is.
But this app isn’t all about rain, it also gives your information on the temperature throughout the day with a graph, as well as sunrise and sunset times.
You can also set notifications to alert you when rain or snow is coming your way.
Dark Sky is known for its beautiful visualizations. You can watch global weather patterns based on radar data or see how a developing storm is approaching your neighborhood. Visualizations can move forwards and backwards in time so you can see if and when it’s raining or snowing at your destination.
Dark Sky has become my go-to weather app, replacing my beloved Weather Channel app, which is a great alternative if you don’t want to pay the price for the data contained in Dark Sky.
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3. Cody (all Apple devices)
There are tons of fitness apps out there, but I really like Cody. Geared towards a variety of sports and practices including Yoga, strength training, hiking, swimming and barre, Cody is made up of video fitness programs from some of the world’s best coaches and teachers.
Instead of buying a gym membership that may expire before you ever get into your spandex, Cody allows you to watch and re-watch short videos at your own pace, in the privacy of your home (or office?). The cost of programs ranges from $14.99 to $49.99 each includes a variety of videos. For examples, Advanced Yoga Detox (intro above) has eight videos, and Olympic-Style Lifting Starter has 12 videos. Others have up to 17 videos.
So that’s great, but what else does this app have to offer? A sharing community for encouragement and inspiration, a tracking feature for your workouts, great descriptions on what you will find within each program, along with information on the teacher, and brief preview videos of the programs you’re considering. Once you buy a program, it’s yours. Which means you can collect programs and have your own personal workout library at your fingertips.
If you’re a fitness coach or teacher, Cody is a great way to build your personal brand. Apply to have your fitness program featured on Cody .
4. Frontback (Available on Google Play and on the App Store)
Frontback bills itself as ‘The World’s Most Entertaining Photo Community.‘ Launched a little more than a year ago, Frontback is a photo app that allows you to show not just what you’re doing or seeing (using the back camera), but also your reaction to it (using the front camera). Hence the name, Frontback.
Created on the premise that we always get to see people’s photos on Instagram and Facebook, but rarely do we get to see their faces in anything other than their profile pic. Of course, selfies. But this is selfies with a back story. People have come up with some really creative ways to use this app, and it can be addicting just scrolling through other users pics.
Built as a social network, you have a profile, followers, the ability to connect the app to your social accounts (Facebook, twitter and Instagram) and see which of your friends on those networks are using Frontback. It really is a fun photo app, check this one out!
5. Fantastical 2 (iPhone and iPad, $4.99)
If you’ve never been in love with the stock Apple calendar app, be prepared to fall in love with Fantastical 2. More like a virtual assistant than a calendar app, Fantastical uses natural language parsing to create your calendar entries, whether you type then in or use the voice function to dictate.
What I really love about Fantastical is that it includes your iOS reminders right within the calendar app. And it’s so simple to add a reminder or event. Just type in something like ‘Lunch on Friday at 12:30’ and it appears on your calendar.
When adding an event or reminder, you go to the same screen and pick which one this is. For reminders you can set a day and time you want to be reminded, give it a priority and choose between a one-time reminder and a repeating reminder. Add a URL and notes and you are good to go.
Turning your phone sideways gives you a whole different week view than holding it upright. It’s a flexible and fun app, and that’s saying something for a calendar.
That’s all I have for you this week! While this week was heavy on iOS only apps, it won’t always be that way. I’m just out there looking for new and interesting apps to try, but since I have an iPhone, they need to have a presence on the App store in order for me to check them out for you. Visit InfoSpace again next Monday for another 5 to Try!
Have a suggestion for 5 to Try? Leave it in the comments below or tweet me. Happy downloading!
