Expand your mind with these amazing
Android apps that will help you ace any part of your life
We’re learned over the
last decade or so to always look to the internet when we’re in need of advice.
Apart from being an enormous compendium of cat videos, it’s undoubtedly also
one of man’s greatest achievements, putting the entirety of humankind’s
knowledge into one accessible- and searchable – place.
However, with apps
taking over the web, your Nexus smartphone or tablet is now the only thing you
need if you want to soak up knowledge like an autodidactic sponge. Whether you
want to discover how to tie knots, diagnose your unusual ailments, or learn the
best way to carry out your own dry walling and room renovations, your Nexus
device is always on hand to help, and to make your life run more smoothly and
easily.
We’ve tracked down 10
essential apps that everyone should download. They’re not mind-numbing games or
cheap laughs, but real knowledge gems, which can help you in every part of your
life. Download one, and it can help you ace your exams; download them all, and
your brain might explode. You have been warned…
Ask a friend for advice
Sometimes, just
sometimes, friendships are based on trust and acceptance, rather than deception
and one-upmanship. If you find yourself in a blind and you know someone who can
help, Skype’s Android app will put you in touch. It not only looks great, but
also provides a number of new features, such as background running and major
improvements in the impact it will have on battery life. With the fantastic
camera quality you get on Google devices, Skype and your Nexus are the perfect
partners.
Skype’s Android app
Price: Free
Web: http://play.google.com
Be the next Einstein
Sometimes you need
help from someone who knows what they’re talking about. Going for a job in
quantum mechanics but failed GCSE physics? No problem! Quora is an online
community of experts, ready to answer any question in entertaining prose. From
“Could you kill someone by hitting them over the head with a pineapple or would
the pineapple just break apart? To ‘Why does my voice sound better in the
shower?’ Quora helps you answer any question.
Quora is an online community of experts,
ready to answer any question in entertaining prose.
Price: free
Web: http://play.google.com
Have the facts at your fingertips
This one is a
no-brainer. If you need to know everything about a given topic, Wikipedia will
be your first point of call. Ideal for winning arguments when you have
absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, Wikipedia is the bluffer’s Swiss
army knife. The Android app makes it easier than ever to find something quickly
and – if need be- discreetly (like the answer to that particularly tricky
question in the pub quiz). Note: we do not condone cheating, but we do condone
making your friends think you’re cleverer than you really are.
Wikipedia app
Price: Free
Web: http://play.google.com
Study in peace with Naturespace
If, like most of us,
you can’t keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, try Naturespace
for your Nexus device. The first 3D audio app designed specifically for
Android, Naturespace creates an immersive 3D soundscape to relax and calm you.
Recordings from the most beautiful places on Earth will rejuvenate you and help
stop you seeing the red mist, enabling you to sail through any stressful
situation with ease. It’s absolutely perfect for giving you a breather when you
need one.
Naturespace
Price: Free
Web: http://play.google.com
Find out how it works
If you want to know
how a hydroelectric dam works, or the world’s biggest airliners, How It Works
is for you. It’s available for a discounted price from Google Play, so you can
read it on your Nexus tablet or phone. It covers everything from science and
technology to transportation, history and the environment, so you get a huge
and varied understanding of a range of topics.
Price: $3.76
Web: http://play.google.com
Be an expert astronomer
Ever seen a movie or a
TV show in which someone impresses a potential partner by pointing out the Big
Dipper in the night sky? Ever whished you could, too? Well, with Star Chart you
can! Although it’s also available for desktop PCs, the tablet app is where Star
Chart comes into its own. The app uses GPS to pinpoint your position. Point
your tablet towards the sky, and it shows you exactly what you’re looking at,
and bombards you with all the facts you need to add a little romance to your
evening.
Star Chart
Price: $4.52
Web: http://play.google.com
Convince people that you’re cultured
It’s a fact that one
of the coolest things you can do is nonchalantly identifying a piece of
classical music (doubly cool if you correct someone who has identified it
incorrectly). If you don’t know the difference between Wagner and, well,
Wagner, download Shazam. Using very clever technology, this app can identify a
track from a 15-second snippet. Shazam Once it’s worked it out, it presents you
with the track’s name, artist, album title and more
Shazam
Price: Free
Web: http://play.google.com
Save the day in a crisis
You’re on a flight,
playing Angry Birds, when an ashen-faced flight attendant emerges from the
cockpit. “Ladies and gentlemen, the pilot is dead.” Amid the screams, you rise
from your seat, tablet in hand, and bound towards the cockpit. Hopefully, when
you get there, a passenger who knows how to fly the plane will already be at
the controls. But with the Plane Finder app, which tracks all of the world’s
flights in real time, at least you’ll be able to tell him or her where they
should be going.
The Plane Finder app
Price: $4.53
Web: http://play.google.com
Watch amazing documentaries
Google Play isn’t just
the home for apps and games, but a huge selection of films and TV programmes as
well. One look at the film part shows off a bulging documentary section, packed
with the best real-life films, opening up a new world of knowledge. From Enron
to March of the Penguins, it’s filled with films that will expand your horizons
and tell amazing true stories.
Price: Various
Web: http://play.google.com
Cure anything
In The Cure for
Everything, health and fitness guru Timothy Caulfield debunks mad health crazes
and misleading data, and dishes out real advice that can help you stay fitter
and healthier. The book covers everything, from fears associated with new
health technology to the latest supposed super-drugs. If you want to be an
armchair doctor, start here rather than Google Search.
The Cure for Everything
Price: $14.37
Web: http://play.google.com
