There are some pretty weird and wonderful apps that have been released since midnight struck on the 1st of January; some nice, some not so nice – let’s be honest. But all of them nonetheless illustrate the creativity and ingenuity of our species. We have compiled the top five of the year so far; all totally, uniquely amazing and helpful in their own way. Bless.
The Drinking Mirror
The Scottish Health Survey suggests that 1 in 3 women regularly drink too much. According to official estimates, 1 in every 30 deaths among women is related to alcohol, while in the past 20 years there’s been a trebling of cirrhosis and liver disease among the fairer sex. Bit of a downer, I know (excuse the pun) but important because this app is part of a campaign directed at all you naughty ladies between 31-44 out there who like your liquor.
The free Drinking Mirror app shows how too much boozing will affect your beautiful face over ten years; deep wrinkles, weight gain, red cheeks and bloodshot eyes all feature. Niiice.
We’ve voted it an amazing app of 2013 because it is doing good as well as being entertaining and freaky (surely the best app characteristics). It’s available in both the Apple and Google Play stores, so put down your wine glass for one second, woman and getting apping ;)!
CouchCachet
CouchCachet is for all you slacking-socialites out there who are ashamed to say that you would rather stay in and watch Downton Abbey than go and see the newest indie band in town. This absurd app checks you into venues and then posts, tweets and comments about how delish your teriyaki salmon is or how crazy that new club is, while you are sitting on your sofa, eating ice-cream, make-up free alone.
But how will you not get caught? I hear you ask. Well, CouchCachet will analyse the profiles of your friends (if you have any) to make sure that it doesn’t check you in somewhere that a chum is currently inhabiting.
This has been voted an amazing app of 2013 purely because of its ridiculousness. It encompasses the absurdities of modern life and the perplexing insecurities which riddle the western world. It’s sheer gall is wonderful. And for all you odd-balls out there who can’t bear the thought of people not thinking you’re the coolest bean in town take a look here!
Uchek
Uchek is a forthcoming Apple and Android app which analyses your pee, checking for a range of medical conditions.
Invented by Myshkin Ingawale, TED fellow and co-founder of med tech company Biosense Technologies, the app can test the glucose, protein and nutrient levels in your wee to pinpoint conditions from bad diet, to kidney and liver disease.
"Everybody pees, and everybody carries a cellphone," explains Ingawale, "We figured we had to be able to do something with this." Wise words, indeed.
All users need to do is pee and dip in a standard test strip (which comes with the app) which you then place on a map (also provided with the app); you then take a snap of the strip and your phone will normalise the colours to check for the 28 different conditions identifiable from urine. Simply ingenious.
This app has been chosen as an amazing app of 2013 because it could help to diagnose and treat diseases in the developing world. Not only is it available to individuals for £13 (a bit above the average, I grant you, but not much to save your life) but it is also being tried and tested against laboratory machines in the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. If it works the app will be rolled out across mobile clinics throughout the developing world. Three cheers for Uchek – what a lifesaver! For a closer inspection just click here.
The Sun Smile
The Sun Smile app is brought to you by the nation's favourite rubbish newspaper, The Sun, bringing you a selection of the day's funniest stories, for free; ‘giving you that feel good factor’ everyday, apparently.
The app is part of a three month campaign by News International to raise the nation's spirits and that must be applauded. The campaign features 'Big Smile Giveaways' such as cheap holidays priced from £9.50, family days out at top UK attractions, money off shopping, family cinema tickets and two free tickets to Alton Towers in March. Wow.
This wins a place in our amazing apps of 2013 just because in these dull winter mornings before the clocks go forward, we all need a little funny-injection and gossip. So, for the sake of the nation’s mood, The Sun Smile is in our list :). Oh and it's only available until March 31st so get downloading, people!
Scream in Space
Scream in Space is a bizarre app that will contribute to answering one of the most advanced scientific questions of our time (inspired by the 1970s sci-fi thriller, Alien) – can anyone here you scream in space?? The theory goes that sound cannot travel in space because space is a vacuum and there are no molecules to carry the vibrations.
Earlier this week a Nexus One was launched into orbit by a group of scientists from the University of Surrey. Uploaded onto the handset was an app full of screams submitted by the public, such as this from Year 6 at Chudleigh CE Community Primary School or this from Richard Barrington. The Nexus will play these screams and monitor if the phone’s on board speakers pick up the noise.
Ok so, it’s a little late to get involved now, but this great app definitely deserves to be in our amazing app list of 2013 down to its contribution to scientific discovery.
So, there you go, dear readers. We do hope you have enjoyed our round-up of the most amazing apps of the year so far. They vary in importance, revelance and minging-ness, sure, but I think we all agree they are truely unique. Can you think of any wonderful ones we have missed out?
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