app store

app store

The app store celebrated its 10th anniversary this week, and it’s hard to think about our lives before apps were a thing.  Not only that, but it’s almost impossible to think that some of the most popular apps in 2010 are still in the top 10 charts today.  That’s insane, isn’t it?  If I reflect on how apps have changed my life, it’s pretty incredible.  From writing to communicating, to being able to clear my head – I can do almost anything in an app.  When the app store first became popular, the joke was “there’s an app for that”.  If there wasn’t an app then, there’s certainly one now.  Let’s look at how apps have changed our lives.

To start – apps have given us the ability to be more mobile and take more with us whenever we go.  Think about your calendar in the old days.  Maybe you had a desk calendar, but you also probably had one of those large binder-like day planners.  They were a great invention as it allowed you to keep track of everything, but now there are apps for keeping your life organized.  Even if it’s just the iCal app on your iPhone.  It doesn’t have to be complicated, fancy, or even cost you anything.  It just has to work, and technology has given that to us.

Google Calendar

The other side to this is the ability to carry different devices.  Maybe you don’t need to lug youMacBookok with you everywhere, because you can use your iPad for the same tasks.  While I’m not going to get into the advantages of the Apple ecosystem, the general premise is – it makes your life a little bit easier when everything is connected.

As someone who writes a lot, having different apps to be able to write in when I’m on the go is incredible  – and a life saver.  If I’m writing for this blog, I might use the WordPress app itself.  Or maybe I scribble something in Notes, Pages or even OneNote.  Regardless, these apps let me keep my life organized, and they’re also available across all of my devices.  If I get started writing a post while on the train, and I don’t have time to finish it, I can save it and bring it up on my laptop when I get to my destination.  Again – I wouldn’t be able to do this if it wasn’t for the App Store and the invention of apps.

One thing that I think is overlooked by a lot of people is podcasts.  I mean, podcasts wouldn’t be what they are today if it wasn’t for the App Store.  There are so many things that you can listen to and be part of, thanks to the Apple Podcast app, Overcast, and even Spotify.  Which, of course, allows you to listen to music, but they also offer the ability to stream podcasts.  Yes, I could listen to music and podcasts before the invention of the app, but it was a lot harder.

overcast

Think about all the other great things that you can do with apps.  Whether it’s messaging your friends, or keeping in touch with old friends via social media – apps keep you connected.  Another great way that apps have improved my life is thanks to different Photo apps.  Again – even if that’s just the ability to store and sort in iCloud, I no longer have to keep them in albums or boxes in my house.

Apps have also given us greater control over our environments through Smart Home devices.  This has given us great freedom to leave our houses and not worry about what’s going on with them.  Maybe you’ve got a smart doorbell that lets you see who’s at your door.  Or maybe you’ve got a smart temperature gauge that lets you control the heat when you’re away?  Whatever it is you can’t argue that this makes your life a heck of a lot simpler.

This list could go on.  I mean, I could spend an entire day writing about how apps have changed our lives and improved them.  Sure, there are apps out there that take up all of our time, but that’s the trade-off I guess.  If we didn’t have these apps, we would still be finding ways to waste time, but at least we have the benefits of the apps as well.  Tell us how your life has been changed or improved and which apps contribute to that.

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