APPS & BOTS
Once again, the end of the calendar year brings the promise of a clean-slate and gives us the opportunity to mend our ways. The infamous tradition of New Year’s resolutions — those long mental lists of things we wished we would start or stop doing — fill our idle day dreams and dinner conversations. But by March next year who’s keeping track, right? Well, if you are serious about it, you and your beloved cell phone can.
While mighty 2016 will be remembered for probable hacked elections, 2017 can be that year you stopped wheezing after a flight of stairs or didn’t join the national statistics on diabetes. In order to keep you on the right track with a constant amount of motivation, The News compiled a list of popular resolutions and matched it with an app to help achieve it.
1. Quit Smoking with Kwit
Think of this app as a game where you win your lungs back. Complete with over 60 levels and accomplishment badges, this app also provides motivational phrases in case temptation is growing strong. Kwit also tracks the amount of money you have saved and allows you to share your progress with other kwitters. (Free/Android, iPhone)
2. Learn a Language with Duolingo
With the amount of time we spend looking at our phones, many of us could be polyglots by now. So why not ditch the zombie game and learn a language instead? The secret of Duolingo’s success is the short lesson blocks and the smart design of each lesson which renders each level absolutely hassle-free. It also offers lessons for over 20 languages. (Free/iPhone, iPad)
3. Learn Budgeting Skills with Wally
This financial app helps you keep track of your expenses and understand where your money goes, which is the first step in getting control of your finances. Wally allows you to enter your expenses manually or through receipt photos. Every currency is available from Cayman dollars to Mexican pesos. (Free/ Android, iPhone)
4. Stop Hitting Snooze with Math Alarm
Probably the first math problem that you face when starting your day is calculating how many more minutes you can afford to stay in bed. Five may be harmless, ten are okay but sometimes 45 make your day a disaster. Solution? Turn off your alarm only after you solved a simple math problem. This mental exercise will make sure you are awake enough after the ringing stops. (Free/Android, iPhone)
5. Stop Drunk Texting
You might want to try this before the new year as well. The Stop Drunk Texting App allows you to block certain numbers in your address book without deleting them. You can’t call or text until 7 a.m. (Free/Android, iPhone)
