Apps that make your life easy

Technology has been designed and redesigned to make our lives simpler and the same goes for apps as well. With the number of apps reaching an exponential curve, it’s hard to keep a track of the ones that are truly worth your time. Bringing the two together, here’s our list of free apps that are guaranteed to make your life easier and better.

LBB: Your go to guide for everything

Friday night and have no plans with your gang? LBB is here to the rescue! Little Black Book is a one-stop shop for everything awesome to do in the city.

From discovering nearby restaurants, bars, spas and fitness studios to marking our interests for future updates, this app has it all.

It also lets us post our local discoveries for others to check out. All in all, you shouldn’t have an excuse to not go out this weekend.

This app is available in Delhi, Gurugram, Bangalore, Mumbai, Goa, Pune, Chennai and Calcutta and now in Hyderabad as well Available on: Available for Android

Watch: TV Guide India

After a long way at work and a painful journey, most of us like to come home and settle down on the couch watching our favorite TV shows. While, there are web sites offering a TV schedule for the channels, it’s hard to find a single, simple page that has all the information you need.

Fortunately, there’s app called TV Guide India, so you know what to look forward to, when you get home.

The most important feature of this app is its large database of channels being broadcasted around India.

You can check your favorite TV shows and even look at a brief of it. IMDB links are also present in the app.

unfortunately, there’s no way to set an alarm to remind you when your favourite show is being aired. However, you have the option of choosing your favourite channels. Available for Android.

Pocket: Read on the go

We’re used to using many devices in our lives - there’s a smartphone, a work PC, home PC and sometimes a notebook or a tablet.

Syncing all of your browser data between them is a problem.

There are browsers though, like Chrome that now offer synchronization features where you can simply access all your bookmarks across devices If you like keeping up with the latest buzz and stories, an app called Pocket is a must.

The app is free for download and allows you to bookmark pages across all these devices.

Those using the iPad would know it by the name - Read It Later.

The app also picks up all the content from these web pages, putting it in a very simple, magazine-like format.

It’s even more convenient, as there are plugins available for browsers and adding bookmarks takes a second. Available for Android.

Taxy: Hail a cab

Taxy will help you find a taxi -¬ private as well as the good old black-and-yellow -¬ in your vicinity at the best rate possible.

This app tracks information from services like Uber, Ola Cabs and TaxiForSure to find all the cars around you, sorting them into two columns -¬ cheapest and nearest.

Additionally, it will mention the taxi service, type and estimated the travel time. You can even configure the app to alert you at a preset time and show you the best cabs available at that moment.

At present, Taxy can be used in 52 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Goa, Kochi, Bhopal, Chandigarh and Surat.

You can also try Voodoo; it pops up when you launch a taxi service app -¬ say, Ola Cabs -¬ to inform you about alternate transport options. Available for Android.

Smart Spends: Track your finances

Keeping a tab on your income and expenditure requires discipline.

Thankfully, Smart Spends makes life easier with an automated process.

It reads the transaction SMSs you receive -¬ from your bank, online retailers and other such merchants -¬ to make a note of the amounts you have spent or received.

Smart Spends compiles this information automatically into easy-to-read accounts and visual charts.

It can also decipher bill notifications and create due date reminders, so you don't face late payment charges. During the time of purchase, this app will even suggest which debit or credit card you should use so as to avail of a discount or an offer.

This could potentially result in savings for you. That said, it does not let you attach photographs of receipts -¬ in case you need to file reimbursements -¬ with an expense.

For this, you can consider Walnut, which also comes with good search capabilities. Available for Android.

Recipe search: End all kitchen issues

Food, another important aspect of your life - because you are what you eat, right? Nobody wants to look like a jackfruit anyway! This recipe app lets you discover new recipes, save your original recipes in the cloud and cook great food - with detailed instructions.

Over 70,000 recipes means you’ll never get bored of your food. Oh, and if you have a specific diet, the app caters to include diabetic, baby food, vegetarian and gluten free food as well.

This app is definitely a must have for bachelors or students living away from home.

We all know the benefits of eating healthy food. So, how does this make your life ‘easier’? Firstly, the search gives you a list of recipes you can make based on the ingredients you have, saving you a lot of trouble.

Secondly, it helps you plan your food habits - what’s good and what should be avoided in an orderly yet fun fashion.

Even if ‘Maggi’ is all you can cook at present, rest assured this app will help you become a pro in cooking! Available for Android.

Haptik: Ask a personal assistant

Haptik is an incredible resource to have at your fingertips.

You get to chat with a personal assistant, in real time, who can give you almost any kind of information you seek.

You don't need to use special keywords or know about search operators; queries are handled by human assistants, not bots.

Let's say you are want to know how to get from Mumbai to Coorg or need a local fridge technician.

Fire up Haptik, tap the relevant section, message your query and continue doing your chores.

The online assistant will get back to you with an answer in a few minutes.

For common queries, you can also refer to preset forms in the app to find information in a jiffy. Available for Android and iOS

Pocket Yoga: For good health

The mind and body yearn for peace. But in today’s crazy crazy world, man has forgotten to keep touch with the basic essentials of life.

As cliché as it may sound, there’s a reason why health comes first in healthy, wealthy and wise.

With Pocket Yoga, you have a personal yoga instructor wherever you go.

This app shows you instructions and images for different yoga poses and guides you through the entire course.

So, how does it make your life easier? For starters, yoga helps you release the intense anxiety and stress you put your mind and body through.

With all those features packed into an app, you can now practice it in a quiet zone in your office, your balcony or your nearby park or garden.

here’s no stopping you from your peaceful life now! Available for Android.