Israeli innovation and creativity has reached nearly every industry—from
hi-tech to green energy development to—you guessed it—smart phone
applications. This week, celebrate Israel innovation by downloading any
of these great and useful apps popular among Israelis and users abroad.
Best of all: Most of them are free.
On the roadWe've
all experienced frustration with our GPS navigation systems, especially
when they lead us straight into traffic jams. Want a GPS navigation app
that doesn’t just tell you where to go, but where not to go?
Waze
is a unique GPS system that crowd sources traffic to find the most
practical, least-congested driving route. All Waze users connect to a
larger system that crowd sources and pools user information to most
effectively route you to your destination. So use Waze, contribute to
the common driving good, and get where you need to go faster.
Israelis love it. Give it a shot. It's free.
Cost: FreeSupported formats: iPhone, iPod touch, iPadAt the superMaking
the right eating choices isn't always easy; but typically, healthy
eating comes down to a question of will and knowledge. While
Fooducate can't make you decide to eat better, it can council you on whether or not a potential food is a good option.
The
app uses the camera in your phone to scan bar codes at the grocery
store, immediately generating a profile of the food in question, and
assigning it a grade between A-D. It will also notify you whether the
food contains any controversial preservatives, additives or ingredients
that you might not be aware of, even if the problematic ingredient is
going by a different name. So make like a checkout girl and start
scanning your favorite foods; hopefully you won't be too shocked!
Cost: FreeSupported formats: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad; AndroidFor the kidsWhile
we don't necessarily advocate throwing technology at your children to
sedate them, there are times when it's appropriate and even necessary.
The Israeli app
Touchoo
offers a series of interactive children's books (in Hebrew and
English!) which will be sure to quiet your unruly toddler during
important times.
Better yet, even though you're soothing them
with technology, it's still technically a book. So quiet your kids, and
don't feel guilty about it!
Cost: Prices vary depending on bookSupported formats: iPhone, iPod touch, iPadDiner's delight
Making eating choices may be a question of good nutritional education; making dining choices is inarguably a social affair.
Fiddme
allows you to connect to other enthusiastic diners and foodies to find
the best places to eat. But don't just take their suggestions, make your
own: Share photos, review restaurants, and get involved in the world of
social eating. However, remember that "being social" transcends your
presence in the virtual world—try to limit your smart-phone use
throughout the actual meal!
Cost: FreeSupported formats: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad; coming soon to AndroidTalk until you dropViber
is arguably one of the most widely used Israeli apps. This app will
lighten the toll your constant chatting takes on your cell phone
plan—especially if your cell phone plan includes a liberal data option.
Viber
allows you to chat with other viber users wirelessly, much in the same
way you would use your cell phone. Be warned, however: Ifyour internet
connection is bad, your Viber call will likely be choppy and unpleasant.
However, Viber will notify you if your internet connection is too weak
to carry a call.
Cost: FreeSupported formats: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad; Android; Blackberry; Windows phoneAppaholic
is a bi-weekly column which thematically reviews mobile apps with a
Jewish or Israeli twist. If you have an app to suggest, send details to appaholic.jpost@gmail.comThe writer is The Jerusalem Post ‘s Social Media Manager.