Free App Friday (1/13/12)

It's Free App Friday, which means we're going to be talking about free or near-free apps that are either practical, fun or both.  I skipped my Free App Friday post last week because, well frankly, Shabbat came really early, and I was rushing around like a crazywoman.  Bad, bad Cheapskate.  I'm posting early this time.

Let's start out with The Coupons App, which is available for free for both Iphones & Ipads and Android devices.  I'm posting it because I've seen so much positive raving about it online, but the jury is still out on this one.  I know that they accept advertising from vendors, which in itself is not bad, but I wonder if some of the deals and coupons they post on this app are nothing more than paid ads.  I've only used this for a day or two, but so far, I'm not bowled over.  The deals are good, but most of them are ones that are already out there.  More on this app as I use it (or delete it).

The next app, also a freebie, is called Evernote and it was suggested by DailyCheapskate reader Caroline B. (thanks Caroline).  It's available for Iphone, Android, Blackberry, tablets and for both Macs and PCs.  I have not personally tried this app yet (I do plan on it), so here is the description from the website.  So far, I'm impressed with the sharing and travel features:

• Keep everything in sync: with Evernote, all of your notes, web clips, files and images are made available on every device and computer you use.
• Remember things you like: save everything cool and exciting you see online and in the real world. Snap a photo, record some audio and save it.
• Save favorite webpages: save entire webpages to your Evernote account with our nifty browser extensions. You get the whole page: text, images and links.
• Take notes anywhere: You’re always moving, your notes should be too. With Evernote, your memories are on every computer, phone and device you use.
• Work with friends and colleagues:  share your notes and collaborate on projects with friends, colleagues and classmates.
• Plan your next trip: keep all of your itineraries, confirmations, scanned travel documents, maps, and plans in Evernote, so you’ll have them when you need them.

Caroline also recommended GroceryIQ, which is available for free for Iphones, Ipads and Androids.  It's an app that allows you to share shopping lists (which is convenient if you and your spouse share the shopping), and enter items from a huge million-item database.  It's also got an integrated coupon feature, and you can organize the items on your shopping list by aisle.

Next:  CloudOn is only for Ipads.  It's basically Microsoft Office for Ipads, and it's free. Create, view, and edit files directly in Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint and use Cloud storage as your filing system.

Now for the fun stuff:

Here's a wonderful classic game (thanks MAS):  Planet Minesweeper.  It's the classic game of Minesweeper on a spherical surface and, yay, it's free.  Ah, this one certainly has brought back the warm fuzzies...remembering playing Minesweeper on my Gateway 2000 486 at work when my boss wasn't looking.  Misty water-colored memories....   This is available for Iphone and Ipad here.

Finally, here's a great game for Androids that is free today, 1/13/12 only:  Word Ball  provides a fun, brain-training exercise by making you focus and think on your feet while building words as quickly as possible. By concentrating on the letters as they shrink and bounce, the game allows your cognitive senses to react in a manner that reinforces word and pattern recognition.

Got a free or near-free app to recommend?  Please let me know!  I'd love your input.

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