5 iPhone Apps You Should Go Download Right Now

When it comes to apps, my usual supergeek tech-savviness breaks down into a kind of stubborn minimalism. I tend to stick to the app-essentials, like Yelp, Tweetie and you know, the calculator.  Beyond these, I’m pretty resistant to expanding my collection of tiny-squares-with-rounded-edges- I don’t know why! But somehow a few of those sneaky little things found their way onto my home screen!

So here’s the 5 new apps in my life. I haven’t made any of them them dance for their lives  (you know, when they wiggle desperately to appease me so that I don’t click the little “x” and poof them away forever!), so they must be really good. These apps are for a weird, random assortment of occasions, so I won’t even try to find a lucid theme uniting them. Just check ’em out!

1. To look like an unforgivably pretentious hipster with very minimal effort:  Hipstamatic

This app makes any picture you take with your phone instantly hipsterized. It does that funny thing to your iPhone photos where you get tricked into thinking a shitty photo is actually a cool, good photo by amping up the contrast, putting a border around it and making it look all dreamy. There are different “packs” you can purchase (on the cheap) that make your photos look all different kinds of deceptively cool. And it’s fun to use because you actually swipe around to select your “lens” and your “film.” Just like real photography! Browse the hipster pics on the Hipstamatic Flickr gallery for further evidence.

2. To pass the time: Plants Vs. Zombies

 

I don’t generally play games on my phone, nor do I usually gravitate toward anything involving zombies. That said, this is the best iPhone game I’ve ever seen! Plants vs. Zombies is fun, easy to pick up for a few  and it’s really hilarious. Also it’s kind of a huge game that keeps building on itself without growing repetitive. I’m still not super clear on why the zombies and the plants are at odds, but that’s a question best left for another time.

3. To get shit done: Awesome Note 

I spend a lot of my time making to-do lists about how to make better to-do lists. The bare-bones default “Notes” app is sufficient for jotting down an idea or two, but Awesome Note lets you make surprisingly sophisticated lists, and it’s even got a pleasant, intuitive interface! Which is more than I can say for most apps I happen upon.

4. To get laid on a full stomach: Whole Foods

Recently I’ve been trying to “eat healthy” which basically just means I eat really intensely bad-for-me things but I cook them myself. So if you are similarly epicurious and indulgent and sometimes find yourself lost in the grocery store, this app is for you!

Or maybe you’re on the eve of a romantic time with a hungry lady?  Type any ingredients and see what you can make! Stuck at home with only a zucchini to speak of? Type in the ingredients you have and this app will guide you to culinary glory. Or if you’re out shopping you can automatically add any recipe’s ingredients to your list. It’s also great for keeping track of dietary restrictions, so you can feed all your vegans and your other new-age weirdos too.

5. To fingerpaint your way to greatness: Layers

This app lets you draw and paint using a variety of brushes, kinda like a mini Photoshop! And by using layers (lowercase), you can create MUCH more elaborate drawings and doodles by stacking different individual creations on top of one another. To form your MASTERWORK that is. This shit is pretty impressive for a phone. Check out this Flickr Layers gallery to see for yourself. You know, if you aren’t an impulse buyer.

So those are my latest and greatest app finds! Now go forth, download and prosper and stuff. Because I can say, with 99.9 repeating percent certainty, that you won’t regret it!

 

Did any new tiny wiggly squares worm their way into your heart lately? Don’t keep your app secrets to yourself! That’d be all sneaky and elitist-like!

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!
Related:

taylor

Taylor has written 136 articles for us.

32 Comments

  1. I love the look af all these apps and I have Plant vs. Zombies on my computer so I know it’s awesome…now all I need is an iPhone! I shall have one soon…ohhhh so soon…

  2. I heard that there’s going to be an app soon that just like Grindr for the gay boys, except it’ll be for lesbians! If you turn Grindr on it shows you where other Grindr people are and how far away they are from you. Although I know Grindr is used for cruising mainly, but it’d handy all the same if you wanted to know if the cute girl you’ve been staring at is actually gay or if she’s just staring back because she thinks your crazy! Anyway, I digress, apologies.

    • When that app happens, and once I hear if it actually works, I may have to reconsider my ‘I dont like iPhones and I dont want one’ policy…

    • Dude! This will be a lifesaver in the ‘short nails, comfortable shoes, alt lifestyle haircut = STRAIGHT’ Midwest town I live in!

      …stinkin nurses…

  3. Oh those are great!!! Thanks for making this list.
    Had already ‘Awesome Note’ and it’s really awesome! Beautiful design to keep your ideas well organized.
    Just downloaded ‘Whole Foods” and I like it… Love the fact that you can find recipes based on what you’ve got. hmmm now I’m hungry!

    • the whole foods app does get me into trouble. when i go to the store for one thing and end up with fifty bucks worth of food I didn’t need. But hey, I love food so that works out!

      • Oh I know what you mean!

        I always end up buying a lot of food when I go grocery shopping while I’m hungry.

  4. Plants vs zombies is the most addictive game of all time. I played it nonstop in class until I beat it and as a result am not exactly sure what has happened in the past few days of uni. Aaaargh. Awesome note looks good though!

  6. I wanted to get Plants vs Zombies, but my ipod touch got stolen at school today. :[ Also, Colors is a good drawing app that’s pretty simple and has a good gallery where you can rate pictures and get yours rated and oh god run on sentence.

  7. i have a game called oven breakout or something like that and you get to be a gingerbread man who eats jelly beans and swings from chandeliers with a candy cane. CAN I MAKE IT ANYMORE ENTICING THAN THAT.

  8. Pingback: Autostraddle — 5 iPhone Apps You Should Download Right Now – iPod Central

  12. Pingback: 3/24/2010 Update « iPhoneNews

  13. Words With Friends wins my personal award for Best Social Distraction. Also, “it’s Words WITH FRIENDS, so I’m not really, completely withdrawing from soci- Oh hang on, it’s my move.”

    My username is taylurk if anyone has it already.

    • I am currently playing in 3 hugely different time zones and running on about 3 hours sleep a night because of it. WWF has taken over my life and I admit it, freely. I don’t have an addictive personality but I do get easily attached.

  15. My only feeling post reading this article is: “Wait. Wait. I’m not the only math nerd + lesbian in the world? Yes! I knew it was possible! I don’t have to feel so alone anymore!”

    your 99.9 repeating joke = awesome.

  16. The Whole Foods app is my favourite! I’ve had it for a few months now, and it’s so fun just to go through.
    I made the pumpkin chocolate cake on there once; it came out well.

    • I love grindr, it is the best app. I do not have an iPhone, but my friend does and I use it to send nutty messages to local gay males. They either have a great sense of humor about it or get insanely angry if I am obstructing their hookup efforts.

  19. does anyone have a find car app? I can’t tell you how many times i have lost my car in the parking lot. that is the one app that makes me want an iphone. so any reviews of find car apps?

Comments are closed.