5 Best Apps of the Week: A Selfie App You Didn’t Know You Needed + More
We know what you’re thinking — there couldn’t possibly be a new selfie app out there because the only ones you need are your camera and Instagram. Think again, app enthusiasts. Kicking off the best app releases this week is a new selfie generator that comes equipped with its own social network of hashtagged hilarity. Plus, we have an app that will raid both your Pinterest board and your pantry to help you make the best dinner ever, one for your fitness, one for your photos and another for getting your crap from A to B.
1. Kong: With a tagline like, “Play with your selfie,” what is *not* to love about Path’s latest downloadable spinoff? It takes the smartphone self-portrait that you know, love and frequently share and turns it into a movable GIF with filters and text. You can post your creation on your own social channels, but the fun in Kong is that it’s its own built-in social network, encouraging you to upload your selfies to hashtagged channels where your fellow photogs post GIFs that fit different themes.
DL It: Free on Android and iOS
2. Cookbrite: Guess who’s coming to dinner? It’s this new, amazing app who is also MAKING dinner for you. Or, better yet, helping you make dinner. Cookbrite takes you through all of the necessary steps for getting a meal from mind to table. It asks you what you’re in the mood for — something healthy, something hearty, perhaps something a little romantic — then, makes suggestions once it knows what ingredients are in your pantry and fridge. Each Pinterest-like image of your future dinner is more than just a pretty picture; the recipe card ‘fesses up and says exactly how much time it’s going to take to prep right up front. Click through and the card displays each ingredient, so you can confirm if you have it or need to add it to your well-organized ShopList, which makes trips to the grocery store far less headache-inducing. Cheers to the apps and services that want to make dinner for you, but an extra serving of dessert for an app that just makes the process better and smarter.
DL It: Free on Android
3. Kumu: It’s April, so it’s time to get real about those resolutions you made back in December and January. If your health was on the list, 2015 is your year to take your workout to the web, where you’ll find lots of apps that want to help you get healthy with bespoke, on-demand services. Kumu is a new download this week that pairs you with a wellness coach you can text and chat with straight from your smartphone. It skips the automatic messages and pairs you with someone who will work with you toward your individual goals, keeping you accountable and providing you with a direct line to an expert who will actually help you break bad habits and make healthy new life choices.
DL It: The download is free on iOS, the first week of coaching is free and it’s $19.99 for a 1-month subscription
4. BLACK – B&W Film Emulator: Yes, we’re all about color here at Brit + Co, but here’s an app worth a shout out that kicks it old school, turning your smartphone lens into an old-timey camera. Capture pictures the easy way, then use the app and its pro tools to flex your photography skills and make your images look like they were shot on a variety of film. Newly available on iOS, BLACK has been a favorite on Windows Phone for the last year.
DL It: Free on iOS and Windows Phone
5. Peership: Like Shyp meets TaskRabbit kind of meets Lyft, Peership is a social shipping service that works with you and your community to get things from A to B. You can request a delivery and let a Peership-er pick it up and get it out there for you, or you can deliver something for someone else if you’re already hitting the road. Say your neighbor needs a cup of sugar to whip up a batch of something special. He posts about it and says he’ll offer up $5 for anyone who can hook him up. You accept and you’re paid upon delivery. The site lists another example that’s a “we’ve all been there” sort of situation: Your friend leaves something at your house. Yup. With Peership, instead of having to run the errand (perhaps after a long night when Sally lives on the other side of town), you can see if someone else is up for the task. Or Sally can. ‘Cause she left it there.
Although we’re psyched about this download, it looks like the iOS app is in need of some help as initial trials won’t get you past the login page. We’ll stay tuned for a trial when it’s ready for us.
DL It: Free on Android and iOS + you pay shipping fees
What was the last app you downloaded? Share below!