Looking for a lowdown on how perfect or disturbed your sleep cycle was last night? New in town and unsure about which restaurants are nearest to you? Curious to know if you can carry off the ‘shag’ haircut? Guess what! There are quirky apps for smartphones that deal with all your queries. They are equipped
to make you wide-eyed with wonder, at the creativity that has gone into them and sure to leave you impressed.
Techie Vishy N is a huge fan of the Google Sky Map app that transforms your phone into a mini-planetarium. “When you point the phone at the night sky, the app helps you identity the planets, stars and constellations above. One of my friends is an astronomy aficionado. I took her to the terrace on a clear night and surprised her with this application. She was delighted and spent an hour exploring the sky!” he says, adding, “The Mixology app is a lifesaver when you’re throwing a last-minute house party. It helps you concoct exotic cocktails with whatever ingredients you have!”
Fun apps are the best way to break the ice while meeting new people. Realty professional Kiran V swears by the apps on his iPhone. “Girls love the Hairstyle app that tells them what haircut or hair colour will suit them best. The Palm Reader app reads your fortune after taking a picture of your palm. Guys will know that “palm reading” is the oldest trick in the book to hold a girl’s hand and flirt with her. Technology has taken things one step higher,” jokes Kiran who relies on the Backpa-cker GPS Trails app during roadtrips.
There are apps that help you connect with friends that happen to be hanging out in the same locality. Software professional Biswa-kesh Praharaj is in awe of foursquare. “Every time I enter a restaurant, I ‘check in’ with the help of this app. It informs my other friends of my location and the ones who are in the vicinity drop in to meet me. I also dig the LED Light app. It is of great use when there is a blackout and I am walking back home in the dark. I simply use this app to create a torch. It also has a police lights option,” he says.
Some apps are a boon for photography junkies like Janardhan Rao. “The DOF (Depth of Field) Calculator app is a must. It helps you adjust settings to perfection before clicking a picture. When I travelled to Gokar-na, it helped me understand how my brand new camera works!” says the investment advisory.
So, fish out your smartphone and explore the apps. You never know what you will find.