The Best iPhone and iPad Apps for Entertainment and Distraction

Apps can be extremely useful when it comes to productivity etc.  But they can also be extremely useful when it comes to being distracted.  After all, who wants to actually have to think about things?  If you never want to be stuck with your own thoughts ever again, check out our list of the best iPhone and iPad apps to keep you entertained.

Infuse Pro: Best iOS Video Streamer

In today’s day, most of us stream music and video files because who wants to keep a ton of audio or video files on their hard drives?  Well, there are some people.  So if you are a collector, you will want to play them using Infuse Pro.  Why?  Because Infuse Pro dives into folders, and even grab cover art and subtitle files for you.  You can stream directly onto your TV by way of Airplay or Google Cast and cloud sync to keep your place across devices.  It also offers DVD file support, so you don’t need to bother converting old DVD rips to MKV or MP4.  There is a free version to play around with, in case you’re not quite sure.  Either way, you should check it out.

Sky Guide: Best iOS Astronomy App

Sky Guide is the app for you if you want to look at the stars on an iOS device.  Other apps may match its feature set, but Sky Guide has a kind of elegant beauty and usability that makes it a joy to interact with.  You can swipe to explore the stars, tap to get some more info and use the time-travel function to travel back or forward in time.  Pretty amazing, don’t you think?  You can also make it look like a scene from a science fiction movie with the “sci-fi swirly sky” feature.  Just don’t fall asleep while you’re doing it!

Metamorphabet: Best iOS Kids App

If you have any small children in your house, you know that you can’t use any device without them wanting to use it as well.  Which can be scary.  Especially, if they’re mucking around with something important.  But give them Metamorphabet and they will be in a continual state of glee.  It is an educational app.  It transforms letters in a way that you have almost certain not seen before.  An “A”, for example grows antlers and turns into an arch.  Then a “B” grows a beard, sprouts a beak and then spews an endless stream of bugs.  It’s a lot of fun, and a sure fire way to keep your toddler entertained.  And who doesn’t want that?

CARROT Weather: Best iOS Weather App

CARROT is a really cool weather app, which isn’t like all the rest.  In fact, it’s kind of mean.  The AI that sends forecasts your way has got a bit HAL, making threats, laughing when it’s pouring rain outside and hoping you get embarrassing tan lines when it’s sunny.  Ok, I think this is funny, not mean.  But it’s also useful.  It has a ton of colourful forecasts, data and a widget that is actually good.  And it gives you a reasonable amount of customization.

Journeys of Invention: Best Interactive iPad Book

In this app, you get to explore how science and invention interconnect.  It’s often given to you by way of beautifully photographed objects that you can rotate and study.  Unless you’re dead on the inside.  Or a climate change denier, you’re going to love this app.  I mean, you can scroll around the inside of the Apollo 10 command module or use an Enigma Machine to send an encoded message to your friends.  Ok, I did just geek out there for a minute, but it is still a really neat app.

Scape: Best Interactive iPad Album

Scape is a collaboration between ambient music pioneer Brian Eno and software designer/musician Peter Chilvers.  It’s an album that can be listed to in its entirety or reconstructed from it’s component parts.  You can also build your own “scapes” in this app, which kind of makes it a music-making app.  But it’s not.  IT’s really about subtly manipulating Eno soundscapes, which you can save and listen back to while attempting to ignore the world completely.

Oilist

At first glance, Oilist kind of looks like an artsy photo filter app, but it’s a completely different beast.  How it works – simply load a photo, pick a style and Oilist actually paints it for you.  And it doesn’t stop.  It gives you the ability to make changes yourself, if you don’t like what it does for you.  You can also take high resolution snapshots to print later, and maybe hang them on your wall?

Islands: Non-Places: Best Interactive Video

Islands is found under Games on the App Store, but it’s more a fusion of animation, filmic weirdness and subtle interaction.  There are 10 scenes which involve mundane settings and objects.  But you can take it far away from the ordinary.  For example, at an airport luggage carousel, you can tap the suitcases and they begin a Mexican Wave. In other instances, palm trees ride an escalator.  You may find that this app is a bit disconcerting and unsettling at times, but other times it can be really beautiful.  It will definitely take you away, so sit back, relax and enjoy the adventure.

Reeder 3: Best iOS RSS Reader

RSS is not exactly the fanciest of things when it comes to technology.  Because of this, people have argued that it’s redundant.  But Reeder 3 might be the end of that redundancy.  Why?  It supports a wide range of sources, including Feedly, Feed Wrangler, Feedback, Fever, and other sync-less local RSS.  The interface makes it so easy to manage and explore your favourite subscriptions.  Content is pushed to the fore front.  There is no messing around with fake page turns and dazling effects.  Reeder is all about reading.  And that’s what it’s all about.