The first iphone I had was a 3g and I was able to purchase it because of my grandmother’s cousin. Mother and I were on a super tight budget and we never would have splurged on such a thing as a PHONE if we didn’t have help. Because that is really all we thought we were getting – a phone. Big deal.
Except the iphone was beyond that. As I kept vigil by Millie’s bed at home and later at the nursing home I used the iphone to keep in touch with (and grounded by)friends. I used it to play word games with Mom. Mom used it to job search and apply for jobs.
There were lots of apps in the early days that wowed us and helped us through.
W now uses my old iphone (I’ll tell you how to make a kid-friendly iphone later in this post.) and I have a 4g. Mom uses an ipad (yup, the one that I won for her last year) and pretty much only uses her “old” iphone as, well, a phone.
We are ALL about the apps. Three generations of app lovers. I asked Mom to share with me her favorite ones and I will also share W’s favs as well as my own.
1st generation: Lolly’s favorite apps
• Mahjong Towers
• Photogene
• Songza (new favorite)
• Netflix
• SEPTA
2nd generation: Dresden’s favorite apps
• Tweetbot
• Realtor
• Pulse News
• Around Me
• Waze
3rd generation: W’s favorite apps
• Toca Boca apps (especially Robot Lab)
• Stop & Go
• Talking Carl
• Stella & Sam Stories
• Garbage Pickup
I know not everyone is an app person or a mac person, but if you are I’d love to know what your favorite apps are in your family. If you are not in the app world – what do you imagine would be your “dream app”?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Elizabeth just got two new free Disney apps, a Jake and the Neverland Pirates one and a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse one that she looooves. She also really likes the Sandra Boynton apps and the Eric Carle apps.
I like the blogging/Twitter apps and I also use my Sudoku app a lot. I also have a grocery app called Grocery IQ that I love and I use Find a Friend to watch Matt drive home from work so that I can time dinner properly.
Great post idea! Leo loves Doodle Buddy – which is a painting/art app and off to check out Around Me. Thanks!
I’m eligible for upgrade in December, and I’m debating on whether to get on iPhone or stick with an Android.
My ideal app would make me burn calories just by holding my phone.
Dude! You find that app, please let me know!!!
My favorite apps:
Facebook/Facebook Messenger, Bag It, Twitter, Mapquest, Cozi, Timer+, iHome Sleep (for a dim bedside clock and bonus sleep tracker), Flipboard, Pandora, Dropbox, eWeatherHD, Wordpress, KeyRing.
The Who’s favorite apps (on my phone):
Cupcake Maker, Donut Maker, Puzzles n’ Coloring Sea Life, PBS Kids PhotoFactory, Moogies, Phone4Kids
Viggle (a new app for me but I’m liking it so far)
Shazam
Realtor
Words with Friends
Draw something
And of course : Facebook and Google
I have a ton of other apps but those are the ones I use all the time. I also have to admit when I can’t sleep at night I browse through the App Store and when I wake up I have a bunch of new apps that seemed like a good idea at 3am…then I delete, delete, delete
I don’t have an iphone yet, but will be upgrading shortly. I play Words With Friends on my kindle, so I know I’d use that one all the time. Otherwise, I’m ignorant but ready to learn. I’ll definitely check out the apps y’all are mentioning here.
I LOVE the This American Life app. One Bus Away – tracks Seattle Metro buses by schedule and rider alerts/input if they are running late. Also, my Group Health app, Spotify, My days, and Sleep Pillow.
I don’t have an iPhone nor will I ever probably get one. I have a Droid though. Due to my old age of 45, my favorite app is Out of Milk. Yes, a shopping list app. I downloaded it after forgetting to buy ink for my printer for weeks even though I had been to the store at least two a week! I don’t leave home for the store without having added my items. I haven’t forgotten something since until this week, when I forgot to buy a non-textbook book twice. Of course, it wasn’t on my shopping list.
Please hold …. Thanks. I just added it to my shopping list.
Val
I love INSTAGRAM. I really can’t live with out it. I check it many many many times a day. My son lives in Alaska and this totally keeps us in contact as we can comment on each others photos. Plus I have made some really cool friends on Instagram.
Snapseed is a super awesome app for editing iphone photos. LOVE!!
RED STAMP -awwww another I can’t live without. I make all of my cards now threw Red Stamp. I print them right off my iphone to my wireless printer and wal la. OH and an added bonus you can make and send your photos right from your phone. Yes, it is true. LOVE this also. LOVE like..with a big fat puffy heart and an arrow threw it .. LOVE!
Words with friends – Holla @Shari Yelton Fox
Draw Something – @OMGShari
The Weather Channel I like also that I can see what the weather is in Alaska where my youngest lives.
Oh yeah – Sound Hound – Can’t remember the name of that song or who sung it? Sound Hound is the app for you. Ha! You can even get the lyrics to that song.
My most used apps are: ghostfinder (cuz it’s fun), netflix, pinterest and the weather channel.
W has a nook and likes: plants vs zombies, angry birds space, and netflix.
Cale likes: band of the day, pandora, and angry birds.
NY Times
Irecorder (no time limit voice recorder that you can synch with iTunes or your desktop-great for taping parent orientations at camp and sharing with Narda, kind of stuff!)
CTA Train tracker
LED flashlight (I use it to get from living room to bedroom after turning out house lights!)
Still love angry birds
Malka’s into the where’s the water game
Internet
Netflix
My son is close to W’s age and he loves Monkey Math and Monkey Lunchbox. Really cute math games for the pre-school set.
Another app that W likes now is Nighty Night (has a sheep icon) – very sweet.
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