Apps

If you came of age in the pre-smartphone era, you already know the basics of phone etiquette. But now that texting and messaging apps have overtaken phone calls as the preferred method of staying in touch, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the dos and don’ts of texting as well. Here’s how to avoid being the bane of the group chat, telling someone it’s funny that their loved one died, and snubbing someone just by letting them see that you read their message!

App Saturday: Overcast

By Hallei Halter

I habitually autoplay hours of Netflix or Youtube because I like the sound of people talking while I'm puttering around my apartment. Podcasts naturally fill that need with the bonus that I'm not missing any context since there's nothing to watch, only listen to. But even when I'm only listening, I still want to personalize my choices. Overcast is a podcast player app that gives me as many choices as I want when it comes to selecting content and how I want to hear it.

A big theme at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was "Retro" and yet the cutest item I saw was both retro and futuristic at once. The folks from Divoom gave me a Tivoo ($59.90) to try and I love it. It looks like a small, old-fashioned CRT television set from the 50s or 60s, without the rabbit ears. It's sold in assorted colors for a reasonable price.

App Saturday: Amazon Music

By Hallei Halter

While you may think of Spotify or Apple Music when it comes to streaming music, if you're wanting to stay up to date with new music or browse your tried and true favorite albums, Amazon Music just about has it all. And you already have access to it if you are an Amazon Prime member. With the ability to find and listen to thousands of hours of music, you won't have to search for long to settle on something you enjoy.

App Saturday: Grubhub

By Hallei Halter

Looking up your choices for "Food delivery near me" and not happy with the results? You can place a takeout order on Grubhub for restaurants (even those that don't offer delivery) and a driver will pick up your order and deliver it to your address. Grubhub orders can also be placed for pickup, but the real advantage of Grubhub is having the menus and pricing of local restaurants all on one app.  

App Saturday: Lyft

By Hallei Halter

On vacation or a business trip and hate trying to maneuver your way around unfamiliar territory? Lyft is a rideshare app that employs local people as an alternative to conventional taxis, and provides discounts for cheap fares. To save time and hassle, Lyft can get you to your destination with just a few taps.

Apple News Plus, Apple's premium news membership that lets you access over 300 magazines and at least 2 newspapers, is here! Here's how to subscribe to Apple News Plus on your iPhone or iPad. There's no risk in giving Apple News Plus a try; you'll be able to browse the titles Apple News Plus has to offer before confirming your subscription and you can cancel any time during the 30-day free trial.

Last week, to very little fanfare, Apple released the iPad Mini 5, the next generation iPad Air, and the new AirPods. Apple’s reason for the quiet soft-release of its new hardware was to avoid robbing attention from the March 25 announcement today in Cupertino, California. But was Apple’s services-oriented announcement worth quietly releasing the highly anticipated iPad Mini 5 ahead of the event? We’ve got all the details on Apple’s new subscription-based services, from the Apple TV Plus collection of original content to the brand new Apple Card. Read on to learn all about Apple’s pricing for their new services, availability, and all of the relevant details Apple didn't share today.

Apple finally announced its rumored TV streaming service at the March 25 event in Cupertino. The tech giant is branching out in a big way and bringing other streaming and cable subscriptions under the umbrella of a completely redesigned Apple TV app. As well, Apple will offer original content through its premium Apple TV Plus service. Let’s go over everything we know so far about the updates to the Apple TV app and Apple TV Plus streaming service.

Today during its services announcement, held at the Steve Jobs Theater in its Cupertino headquarters, Apple announced a new premium magazine subscription service called Apple News Plus. With the Apple News Plus membership, readers can access thousands of articles by hundreds of publications in one place. Having a single digital subscription to several magazines and newspapers can make it easier for you to read and know more about current events, be it news or upcoming trends. The service is available today with the iOS 12.2 update on both iPhone and iPad, and on macOS 10.14.4 on Mac. With the $9.99/month price, you'll have access to 300 magazine titles, which includes content from back issues, and at least two newspapers. You'll be able to share the subscription to up to six people at no extra cost with family sharing. 

App Saturday: GoodRx

By Hallei Halter

Seeing the price of a medication at the register can cause a sudden case of sticker shock. GoodRx is an app that compares prescription prices between pharmacies and provides manufacturer prescription coupons. GoodRx can be used by anyone with or without insurance, including Medicaid, to help save money.

Having trouble making it to the gym on time? Peloton Digital is an exercise app that provides workout routines for beginners or any level no matter where they are. Created by the same company that sells the Peloton bikes, you don't have to use their exercise equipment to use this app. Think of it as mobile workout classes, you can select a variety of exercise classes for one person or routines for workout partners. Every class is either live or recorded in an actual studio, so even if you're working out at home you can still feel like you're part of a group.

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