A world of information is literally at our fingertips – only an app* away. Recently I was startled to read about Blinkist, a new book-synthesizing app. My curiosity aroused, I wanted to learn more about apps – some free, others not – each offering to bring information as close as the smart instrument you’re using to read this blog.

DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ?
Want instant insights from books that escape your attention? Join the new book reading revolution and connect with a community of over 11 million people worldwide who read synthesized book messages. Blinkist is the darling of these apps. Their ads say:

“Get the key ideas from bestselling nonfiction distilled by experts into bite size text. Blinkist lets you read lessons from more than 3000 nonfiction books in 15 minutes or less. Explore the vast library and stay up-to-date thanks to the 40 new titles that are added each month.”

Blinkist specializes in nonfiction books. Other apps focus on fiction, or any single subject of your choice like science, history, physics, fashion, and politics. App advertisers invite us to download them to be part of “an educated, informed world.”

PREFER TO LISTEN RATHER THAN READ?
Apps are available to talk to you in every language about every subject. An extensive number teach vocal pitch, how to sing harmony, tune and play an instrument, or take better photos. There are news apps, books on tape apps, and education apps on every subject – including how to choose and use apps.

WATCHING AND LISTENING MORE APPEALING?
All subjects come in all formats. “How to” apps are most plentiful in watch and listen mode. Instructions on every subject are available with the tap of a finger or the click of a mouse. Kids and adults use Google and YouTube to answer where, when, why, and how questions in the moment.

Many of us consult recipe apps when we prepare something for the first time. A picture is worth a thousand words when it comes to braiding a challah. Recipe apps also include information about helpful kitchen tools and even unusual ingredients:

There are cartoon apps, medical apps, and relationship apps. It’s amazing to see the long list of app categories:

 Books, business, education, entertainment, finance, food and drink, games, health & fitness, lifestyle, magazine & newspapers, medical, music, navigation, news, photo & video, productivity, reference, shopping, social networking, sports, stickers, travel, utilities, and weather.

When you select one of these categories, you’re not done. You will be led to specialty sub-headings. For example, if you select games as the app category you’re interested in, the subcategories are: action, adventure, arcade, board, card, casino, family, music, puzzle, racing, role playing, simulation, sports, strategy, trivia, and word.

We’re fortunate that many apps are free, but often we pay by sharing our attention with unwanted advertising. We need to be cautious about misinformation and unscrupulous sources. Whenever possible, choose apps associated with notable experts — and even then, we can’t believe everything out there.

Every day creative innovators are developing apps to serve our unmet needs. We can only imagine which app-etite our smart devices will satisfy next.

As convenient and informative as apps are, I retain a healthy appetite for personal interaction. Whenever possible, I want the real you – live eye contact, your expressive voice coming closer as you approach, and your opinions and emotions dancing with mine in real time. Even the cleverest emojis are never as satisfying as real in-person communication.

*An app is a software program we use online or on mobile devices. The word app is a noun, short for application – in this case, software application.

 Source: myspicesage.com