IMPROVE retiree resources
go digital!
FIVE APPS TO INTEREST RETIREES BY A L E X A N D R A R E Y N O L DS
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pplications, commonly called “apps,” are software programs that can be downloaded to mobile devices, like phones, tablets, e-readers, smart watches, and smart TVs. If you own an Apple device, the Apple Store is your go-to electronic shop for exciting new apps that can help train your brain, plan your next vacation, track your finances, and more. If you are an Android user, Google Play is your digital marketplace to explore. HOME has discovered a few fun, helpful apps that may be appealing particularly to retirees—but possibly to people of all ages!
Lumosity
Lumosity is a popular brain-training app that offers daily brain games to users of all ages. The games aim to improve and maintain the user’s cognition, memory and mental agility, which can help you keep your brain on its toes. The brain games are divided into the categories of memory, attention, problem-solving, flexibility, speed and language. The app is free to download, with in-app subscription purchases available, and compatible with Android devices, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. When you download Lumosity and create your account, the app will administer a “Fit Test” to calculate a baseline score for your mental fitness with three brain games. After the test, you will have the option to choose between Premium Training, a route that offers more tracking tools and control over your regimen, or Limited Training, which offers a smaller assortment of daily brain game workouts without customization or tracking. If you sign up on your first day using the app, Premium Training costs $11.99 monthly, or $4.00 per month if you commit to a yearlong subscription. NYT Cooking
The New York Times Cooking app will help you impress your guests or mix up your everyday cooking routine with over 17,000 recipes at your fingertips. The app offers instructional videos to help users refine and master new culinary skills. Users will appreciate the streamlined layout of the recipes and the
scrumptious photographs that accompany them. The app will keep your phone awake when a recipe is on-screen, so you won’t have to reach for your phone with sticky fingers. The convenient “Recipe Box” feature allows users to store favorite recipes and organize them into collections. Keep expanding your repertoire by trying the app’s personalized recommendations for you, inspired by your saved recipes, as well as its unique “Recipe of the Day” that will appear on the app’s home screen. Users may leave public comments on recipes for fellow cooks or private notes for their own reference. Share your favorite recipes via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or email. NYT Cooking is available to download for free on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple Watch. Eyereader
Save yourself from squinting at your menu, book or receipt next time you realize you forgot your reading glasses. Download the Eyereader app that transforms your mobile device into a magnifying glass. Open the app, hold your phone above your reading material, and see the text magnified on your phone’s screen. The app uses the LED iPhone light to brighten small text in dark settings, while the camera captures and magnifies the text on the screen. The app costs $1.99, and is compatible with iPhone (iPhone 4 or higher), 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and iPod Touch. For Android users, some comparable apps include Magnifier and Magnifying Glass + Flashlight, both available for free download.
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