7 Brilliant Free Apps That You May Be Missing Out On

PayPal

Okay, you’ve most likely heard of this one. Many retailers throughout the web mean you can pay for issues utilizing PayPal, however have you ever ever used the app? 

I discover it to be the simplest technique to ship and request cash from family and friends, no matter the place they financial institution. To seek out somebody, you solely want their identify, username, e mail deal with or cell quantity – no type code or account quantity is required. 

PayPal

And, when you hyperlink your PayPal to your checking account, the method of sending cash and withdrawing it’s completely seamless. There are a great deal of different options within the PayPal app, however this primary performance makes it virtually indispensable for me.

Instapaper

Once I heard that my favorite read-it-later app, Pocket, was shutting down, I used to be actually annoyed. In spite of everything, I’d spent the previous few years constructing a set of fascinating articles from throughout the online, and I actually didn’t wish to lose them. 

Fortunately, shifting them throughout to rival Instapaper was easy and solely took a couple of minutes. After creating an account and logging in to the app and Google Chrome extension, including new articles that have been accessible throughout all my gadgets turned a bit of cake. 

And when you personal a Kobo e-reader, it’ll quickly get even higher. Kobo has introduced a partnership with Instapaper that, later this 12 months, will permit articles to be synced mechanically with all Kobo gadgets, similar to you would with Pocket. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Sadly, I’ve a Kindle as a substitute, however I’m already getting quite a lot of profit from the free plan on my telephone and laptop computer. Instapaper Premium provides a strong search function, everlasting article archive (even when it’s taken offline) and limitless notes for £5.99/$5.99 monthly or £59.99/$59.99 per 12 months, however I don’t assume it’s price it for most individuals. 

And, when you’re involved about it probably being owned by Meta, don’t fear. Regardless of the identify, Instapaper isn’t affiliated with Instagram in any approach. 

Bandsintown

Dwell music is one in every of my favorite hobbies, however preserving observe of all of the artists that I wish to see could be a ache. There are solely so many e mail newsletters you can join earlier than your inbox turns into a cluttered mess. 

Fortunately, I’ve discovered an answer within the type of Bandsintown. Because the identify suggests, it lets you understand when bands (and solo artists!) are taking part in a present in your space, notifying you each time a gig is introduced.  

Beforehand, I used Songkick, which works very equally. However I discovered it was usually a day or two late in notifying me, by which era the tickets had typically gone on sale. Against this, Bandsintown persistently lets me know inside hours of the official announcement. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The app isn’t good – a few months in the past, six artists that I comply with have been introduced for ‘Plein Air’, regardless of no proof of an open-air live performance – but it surely does a fantastic job most of the time.

Libby

I’ve had a library card for a couple of years, however have by no means been in a position to construct a constant behavior of borrowing books, regardless of at the moment residing only a five-minute stroll away. 

Studying digitally has all the time been extra handy for me, with downloads to my Kindle able to learn in seconds. I’ve usually seemed enviously at Kobo, which helps you to borrow e-books straight on its e-readers. 

Nevertheless, because it seems, I may nonetheless profit from quite a lot of free digital content material utilizing my library card and the Libby app. A variety of e-books is joined by a strong number of audiobooks and among the greatest magazines all over the world. A devoted article view makes the expertise rather more intuitive than studying a PDF. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

For much more content material, you’ll be able to hyperlink your library card to the PressReader app and entry a digital model of many newspapers. It truly is a treasure trove of free content material. 

Meetup

After shifting to a brand new metropolis final 12 months, I didn’t know many individuals. And, as somebody who lives alone and works from residence, the normal strategies of assembly new individuals don’t are inclined to work, so I turned to Meetup. 

Basically, it’s a social media platform devoted to assembly new individuals and attempting new actions. And whereas there are many digital occasions, it’s the in-person facet that appeals to me essentially the most. 

Fortunately, town I’d moved to has a vibrant scene on Meetup – I recognise that this isn’t the case in every single place. Inside a couple of minutes, I’d joined round a dozen teams that appealed to me, with actions together with a pub quiz, language alternate, riverside walks and pool. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I’m not going to lie, committing to show as much as one in every of these occasions was daunting, particularly the primary time. However I by no means regretted it, and sometimes had a very optimistic expertise. 

Now, virtually 18 months later, I’ve a vibrant social life with different locals. Meetup has performed an enormous function in that. The corporate aggressively promotes its premium subscription, particularly on the cell app, but it surely’s actually not crucial for most individuals. 

HappyCow

As a vegetarian, it could possibly typically be arduous to seek out meals I can eat whereas out and about, particularly when travelling to an unfamiliar nation. Google Maps has traditionally been my first port of name, however that usually results in quite a lot of time wasted trawling via menus. And does the general ranking even replicate the standard of the vegetarian choices? 

Fortunately, there’s an app that permits vegetarians and vegans to seek out precisely what they’re on the lookout for. HappyCow works equally to a Google Maps seek for ‘eating places’, besides solely these which have meat-free choices are displayed. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Inside the app, you’ll be able to select whether or not you’re on the lookout for a devoted vegan or vegetarian eatery, or only one that has appropriate choices. There’s a powerful vary of filters obtainable, plus evaluations and the choice so as to add locations to a saved checklist. You possibly can even join with different customers by way of the ‘Group’ tab, though I haven’t tried that but. 

Rocketbook

I usually flip-flop between taking bodily and digital notes. I desire the expertise of pen on paper, however the comfort of notes that may be simply accessed from anyplace can’t be denied.  

The Rocketbook is the most effective hybrid resolution I’ve discovered up to now. Utilizing one in every of their sensible notebooks, I could make bodily notes utilizing a particular pen, then scan them utilizing the Rocketbook app and save them anyplace I like (my choice is Google Drive). 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Extra lately, Rocketbook has added OCR help, permitting you to transform these handwritten notes into textual content and make them simply searchable, although I haven’t tried this. 

Even in its most simple type, Rocketbook is a simple technique to digitise my handwritten notes. And whenever you’re carried out, the pages will be cleaned with a moist microfibre material, that means you don’t create a lot of paper waste.