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10 Free Pedometer and Step Counter Apps for Android

Step counting, pedometry, whatever you want to call it, is something that everybody’s talking and walking about these days. As GPS tracking and phone movement sensors have improved over time, so, too, have the apps that help you keep track of your daily steppage stats. These are our favorite pedometer apps that will be with you every step of the way. Related: 8 of the Best Launchers for Android 1. Google Fit Google’s official pedometer app can be used to sync up with several other apps on this list, but there’s a good chance that you’ll find everything you need right here. Google Fit… Read more

Wake up to a puking pup with Odd Alarm

NEWS – Anyone that ever has had a pet knows that nothing wakes you up faster than the sound of your pet about to do the technicolor yawn all over your cream colored carpet.  If you’re a deep sleeper and need that kind of rise-and-shine motivation, Odd Alarm may be for you.

Odd Alarm has a series of non-traditional, yet extremely effective alarm sounds like pet vomiting, pet licking, slamming doors, gunfire, and breaking glass designed to rouse you from dreamland into a quick entry to the wide-awake world.

If you’re really hard to motivate, the app includes difficult methods to silence the alarm, like solving math problems (although that option doesn’t appear in the Android version). You do have to chase a moving sun icon to silence the alarm.

Setup is straightforward:

  • Swipe Up to create a new alarm
  • Swipe down to save a new alarm
  • Select an alarm
  • Choose the snooze duration
  • Set alarm volume
  • Chase a moving sun to turn off the alarm

The app is free and comes with three alarms, cat fight, dog barf and, glass breaking. Other sounds are offered as individual options for sale in the app for $0.99 each.

If you’re the type of person that needs a bucket of cold water dumped on your head to get you up in the morning, this app might help keep your bedding dry and get you to work on time.

To read more and watch a video about the app. visit OddAlarmApp. Download the Android app from the Play Store and IOS version from iTunes.

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Wake up to a puking pup with Odd Alarm originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 1, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Apple’s reworked TV Remote app is still as minimalist as the real thing

NEWS – Anyone familiar with Apple’s products knows that they value form over function.  Their interfaces tend to be no-nonsense and minimalist, sometimes too much so.  The remote for the Apple TV is a perfect example of this design philosophy.   It has a trackpad-like area, a few buttons, and nothing else.  Despite its simplicity, it manages to work, at least until you have to enter a long WiFi password.  But what if you’ve lost your remote?  There’s an app for that!  Apple recently refreshed their Apple TV Remote app, which basically turns your phone into an Apple remote.  To set it up, you pair it with your Apple TV.

Once paired, it works just like an Apple remote.  You slide your finger around the top, tap it to select, and press the buttons when needed.  Easy.  The recent refresh is mostly under-the-hood performance and stability improvements; nothing to write home about.  Oh, and there’s a new icon, one that looks like a remote!

The Apple TV Remote app can be downloaded for free from Apple’s App Store.

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Apple’s reworked TV Remote app is still as minimalist as the real thing originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 29, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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7 Gamification apps for every situation

ARTICLE – Gamification apps allow you to combine routine life situations with role-playing games (RPGs) that will keep you engaged while you work to accomplish your goals. If you struggle with self-discipline and motivation, then gamification apps are for you.

These apps give you the opportunity to earn points, badges and other incentives by challenging yourself and being able to compete with others.

Gamifying your life can be done both at work and at home. By using gamification for everyday to-dos, you can transform the way you get stuff done. Gamification can also be an effective tool for at work to impact employee productivity and increase workplace engagement.

These seven apps can help you turn routine life events into the fun situations you wish they were.

1. Habitca

Habitca provides you with a simple and fun experience, while you strive to accomplish your goals. With Habitca, you can input your to-do and task lists into the app to keep track of everything you want to complete. From there, you will create a custom avatar and earn points to upgrade your character as you finish items from your lists.

This app is great for motivating yourself to get tasks done as you go about your day. Habitca will allow you to stay on track as you seek to develop new habits.

2. Do It Now

Struggling to motivate yourself to get those boring to-dos on your list completed? With the Do It Now gamification app, you can track your own personal growth as you develop a routine for those less exciting tasks. This app gives you the mental boost you need to get things done.

Do It Now allows you to create a virtual character and develop your online self as you complete items on your list. It’s a classic RPG that motivates you to move forward with your personal tasks as you look to level up your online character.

3. MeetingPlay

The MeetingPlay app allows you to transform the way you run events and engage your audience. Gamifying your events can be done at work and other social situations when you need to get people involved and engaged.

With this custom event app, you can use gamification to your benefit when you host your next event. Using gamification at work can go a long way in boosting the motivation and productivity of employees.

4. Thirty – Get Inspired

Building habits and breaking habits can both be difficult if you try doing it on your own. The Thirty app allows you to try new things so that you can develop healthy habits in your every-day life. Create challenges within the app and track your success as you keep up your habit day by day.

Another great feature of the Thirty app is that you can easily share your success with your friends to let them know how you are doing. Complete daily, weekly and monthly challenges to ultimately better yourself and improve your lifestyle!

5. SuperBetter

SuperBetter offers a gamified way to help you conquer your to-do list or break from habits that are unhealthy to your well-being. This app can help you become the person you want to with an RPG theme designed to help you overcome setbacks and take on new experiences.

Gamification is used in this app by taking the goals and tasks you input and developing quests and challenges for you to overcome as you track your personal progression. This app checks all the boxes in a gamification app that is built to help you become the best version of yourself.

6. Forest

Do you tend to feel less productive every time you pick up your phone? It is common to lose focus and concentration when you are on your phone scrolling through apps. The Forest app is designed to help you concentrate when your mind is bouncing all over the place.

This app allows you to plant and build your own virtual forest. To keep you around, the app is designed to “kill” off your plants when you leave the app and lose focus. Forest allows for you to reach the sense of achievement and responsibility as you plant and grow your own online forest.

7. Zombies, Run!

Gamification apps have even been developed to help you achieve your fitness goals. With the Zombies, Run! running game, enter into a zombie-filled world that forces you to keep running as you develop your virtual “safe space.”

This gamification app is perfect for you if you want to try a new way to motivate yourself to get outside and exercise. Enjoy a fun and thrilling experience the next time you go for a run.

Who says playing isn’t productive? With these apps, adding a little fun into your day can give you the boost and focus you need to get your to-do list done.

Image via Freestocks.org

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7 Gamification apps for every situation originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 18, 2019 at 12:24 pm.

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6 Awesome travel apps to use for your Spring Break trip

ARTICLE – The information age has opened new avenues when it comes to travel. You can choose to stay in someone’s home in a foreign country to fully immerse yourself in the culture, or book an inclusive resort vacation, with a few keystrokes from your smartphone or laptop.

There are so many travel apps out there it can be hard to choose the right one, so we’re here to help. We’ve gathered a list of apps you’re probably missing out on.

For the sake of this piece, we’re going to focus on lesser-known apps, so you won’t see Priceline, Travelocity or Airbnb on this list.

1. Tripit

When you’re planning a vacation, whether you’re heading across the county or around the globe, you probably have dozens of emails to sift through.

You’ve got booking confirmations, hotel and flight information, not to mention any dinners, tours or activities you may book in advance. Even in a clean inbox, it’s easy to lose a vital piece of information, or accidentally delete it.

Tripit is a free app that links to your email and collates all that information in one simple, user-friendly program. It picks through your email to find the relevant information and pulls it together for you in one place. Never lose a digital hotel reservation or boarding pass again.

2. PackPoint

Just about everybody loves to travel, but far fewer of us enjoy packing before we do! If spring weather rolls around and you’re ready to “spring” out your front door, pause for a beat and ask yourself: do I have everything I need? In three hours’ time, will I be wishing for my neck pillow on the flight — or thinking about looping back home to grab my travel-sized Waterpik? If you want to take the guesswork out of packing for your next getaway, consider enlisting PackPoint.

PackPoint is a free app for iOS and Android that brings some intelligence to the process of packing.

All you have to do is input your destination, length of stay, and a couple of other details, and the app generates a surprisingly inclusive packing checklist for you. After the list is complete, you can add or subtract items as needed.

3. HotelTonight

There’s nothing worse than showing up for a hotel reservation, only to find the facility is overbooked and you have nowhere to stay. It can put a damper on even the best vacation. HotelTonight takes all the hassle out of finding a last-minute hotel room when you’re far from home. Enter your destination and dates of your stay, and the app does the rest.

There is a web version of HotelTonight too, but if you’re on the road, download the app, and you’ll have all the local hotels and the best deals right at your fingertips.

4. Dark Sky

Most people manage to squeak by with the stock weather app on their tablet or smartphone. But whether you travel regularly or you’re proudly sedentary, Dark Sky is a great ally to have on hand. The Dark Sky API is built on open-source code and serves as the foundation for other weather apps and services.

More importantly, its feature set won’t leave you wanting. For travelers, the ability to save multiple destinations is handy for planning your next jaunt around potential foul weather.

Dark Sky’s marquee feature is probably its “hyper-local” forecasting and down-to-the-minute push notifications for precipitation and other weather events. Wherever life takes you, grab a companion who can tip you off about what the sky has in store for you.

5. Rome2Rio

Once you get off the plane at your destination, getting from point A to point B can be challenging. The bus and train schedules are probably in a different language, and figuring out which bus to get on, or which subway you need to ride to get to your hotel, can be a nightmare.

Rome2Rio does all the hard work for you. It has databases of bus, train, driving and ferry schedules, instructions on how to ride and tools to help you map your way to your destination.

You can plan your whole trip itinerary in the app, and follow it to help you make it where you’re going safely. It will even tell you how long your trip will take, and the approximate cost!

6. Detour

Walking tours are an incredible way to experience a city from the ground, but they can be expensive, and you might find yourself left behind if you prefer a stroll, but your tour guide is into power-walking. Instead of booking a tour, download Detour.

This app provides immersive self-guided walking tours, and all you need is your phone and a pair of earbuds.

Audio giant Bose bought Detour in 2018, which means the app may soon be coming to Bose’s AR glasses, which would take these walking tours to a whole new level.

Go off the Beaten Path

While mainstream apps like Priceline and Travelocity can be useful tools, they’re not your only option when it comes to travel apps.

These hidden gems might help you find an affordable flight, a last-minute hotel or a new hole-in-the-wall restaurant you never knew you needed in your life.

Image via Roman Carey

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6 Awesome travel apps to use for your Spring Break trip originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 15, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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