When I finally caved and bought myself a smartphone I really thought it would just be a new toy. But to my surprise I’ve discovered that it’s one of my most used tools of the day. I check ballgame scores, weather, listen to music, email on the go, pay bills, and it’s even a flashlight—oh and yes a phone too; just to name a few This is all because of the thousands of apps (applications) available. Most are FREE. Some charge a small fee to upgrade to more features. Try the free one first to see if you like it. Why not? It’s FREE! Most apps are available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android and Blackberry. Here are a few that many 50 Something Men are using. If you have any you can recommend, please email them to us and we will put them in our next article.
ESPN Score Center
With ESPN Score Center you’ll know about every stolen base, touchdown, crash, or pitch throughout the game day. Get scores, news, and standings from hundreds of sports leagues around the world. Stay on top of your favorite team with personalized scoreboards, live game details, boxscores, game summaries and more.
iKamaSutra-Sex positions from Kama Sutra and beyond Kamasutra
Try iKamaSutra Lite for FREE. If go through that you can upgrade to the full version for $0.99. Designed for couples who want to get inspired. Hundreds of positions with soothing music. Track your progress or go for random positions and see what comes up (no pun intended).
GasBuddy.com
Find the cheapest gas price wherever you go – for free! GasBuddy locates gas stations near you and displays their current gas prices. It even gives you directions and a map to help get there. For every gas price your report, you’ll earn points towards prize give-away.
Pandora
Enjoy your favorite music with your own FREE personalized radio. Enter the name of one of your favorite artists or songs and Pandora creates a station that plays their music and more like it.
Shazam
Well Golly! They should call this app “Name That Tune.” Just hold your mobile phone to listen to the music and Shazam…it will tell you the Title and the Artist in less than a minute. It even knows 60’s and 70’s tunes so it’s perfect for the 50 Something Man. It names 5 tunes a month for FREE or pay $3.99 for unlimited service for 1 year.
Your Bank
Citibank, Chase, Wells Fargo, BOA: Most banks have their own free app to give you banking on the go. Great way to pay bills and credit cards, see account balances, transfer money and more.
Skype
Make video calls right from your mobile phone—mobile phone to mobile phone or mobile phone to computer. Great for personal and business use. Works over the 3G network or WiFi.
Medscape
The #1 downloaded FREE medical app. Get fast and comprehensive drug information, check to see if the medicines you take interact with each other, look up disease information and treatment options. It includes an easy-to-use physician and hospital finder.
iTriage
Created by two emergency room doctors to help people answer health questions such as “What do I have?” and “Where do I go for treatment?” This FREE app has information on thousands of symptoms, diseases, and medical procedures. It even helps you locate a doctor or hospital from anywhere in the United States. Great to have on hand in an emergency.
Mixology
Browse through thousands of drink recipes with this ultimate bartending guide. Create your own drinks or let the FREE Mixology app create them for you. Step up to Mixologist for $0.99 and also get the “Liquor Cabinet” where you enter all the liquor and ingredients you have in your liquor cabinet and the Mixologist tells you what drinks you can create.
StubHub
Get great seats for sporting events, concerts and theater performances right from your phone. The FREE StubHub app puts the largest fan-to-fan market place in the palm of your hands.
Translator
Translates up to 50 different languages. This FREE app even speaks the translation aloud. Incredibly useful for travelers.
AroundMe
How many times have you found yourself looking for a gas station or a quick bite to eat? AroundMe identifies your location and quickly finds out information about your surroundings including: banks, bars, coffee places, gas stations, hospitals, move theaters, hotels, parking, restaurants and much more.
iHandy Level
Turn your iPhone into a carpenter’s level. It’s part of the iHandy Carpenter Toolkit. A flashlight app is also available FREE!
The Weather Channel
This FREE app puts full interactive radar maps, current weather, extended forecasts, severe weather alerts and more right at your fingertips. It’s a must have for all you weather bugs.