a little app-titude

Okay okay, I know, the subtitle might be stretching it a little, but a girl's got to try, eh? For Christmas, we got a great deal on iphones, and as we were in need of a switch (my refurbished Blackberry had cracked in three places and was aesthetically deplorable, though in great working condition) and our contract was up for renewal, it seemed like a no brainer. At first, I wasn't interested. The whole iphone - and - app thing appears rather faddish from the point of view of those not directly involved. But once we decided to go for it, I was all in.


The first question Hawk asked me was, "What apps are you going to get?" It took me a full minute to grasp what he was referring to, though not because I'm unfamiliar with their appeal. It just hadn't occurred to me, you know? And how does one begin searching for "their app"? Well, the many hours I spend in glorious peace either nursing or cuddling Ace provided me with the perfect opportunity to review a few apps and find my way into the vault of app fun.


Let's start with my favorite. I'm addicted already and even writing about it here makes me want to cease writing and snatch the phone to use the app. Yes, I'm a dork.

8mm

It's like it was made for me. I wish we'd had this at our wedding last year. (wait, two last years ago, now!) The effects are simple and fun; I can't stop following Mac around with shots like this. It also eerily reminds me of the hotel room from the movie-mini-series The Lost Room.

Here's a great clip to give you an idea.

baby connect

Because we nurse on cue (rather than a schedule) and he has had his days and nights sorted out from the start, I didn't think I would appeciate something like this app. I started out using Similac's free version, which in some ways was easier in that there were fewer steps to recording/timing data, but I wanted a better summary system than it has (the graphs aren't conducive to my brain's way of working). Thus far, I really like how with babyconnect I can automatcally sync Ace's info with Hawk, graph observations more effectively, and record pumping, medications, etc. I would think this would be an especially helpful app for those with colicky babies, medical issues, or sleep challenges.

white noise lite

Free app! And would still be worth a price of $2.99. Some babies need the white noise to sleep well. Ace wasn't too restless before we began including white noise into our nightly routine, but with it, I've noticed a marked calm through the night. We originally used my old portable humidifier as white noise and, well, a humidifier, but the water expulsion is just too strong for our hardwood floors to handle much longer. The ONLY downsides to this app are that if used every night, it would necessarily decrease the longevity of battery life, and one can't switch to other phone mechanisms and keep the white noise going. Aside from these two things, the multiple sounds, the schedule and fade out and shut down are convenient and particularly helpful. I also like how on "sleep" mode, it displays an old-school digital clock in a variety of colors.

momento

I've been keeping a journal for little C the past month and using momento makes it easier to complete. I record throughout the day and later write them by hand in the little brown moleskine cache. Another top app for a reason.

fruit ninja

Sword, flying fruit, glowing bananas. Enough said. o yes, it is a time waster. But it is the best one I've found, especially for free! I've never been a big gamer, so I only play when I'm desperate to stay awake while nursing the little boy at 3am or when I need a mental break and he's sleeping in my lap. It's just too fun, high on the most-downloaded list for a reason.

I only choose apps that receive a rating of 4-5 stars, and I read reviews carefully and with a discerning eye.

Question for you:
What other apps would you recommend and for whom would they be best?

icj,
~j

tweet