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How to Transform Your Apple Device Into a Sound Machine

February 19, 2015 by

Sound machines are smart devices that provide unassuming, natural background sounds to lull you into sleep or to create a relaxing environment for meditation. Although these types of machines can be pricey purchases, your iPhone or other Apple device can work just as well if you have the right apps. Here are three affordable (or free) apps that will transform your Apple device into a sound machine:

Relax Melodies
This app offers more than 50 soothing sounds that promise to help you fall asleep in 20 minutes or less. Users can combine sounds or melodies into a customized mix, or choose from the pre-made sound combinations that are already designed to relax your mind and body.

Rain, Rain Sleep Sounds
If you prefer the natural sound effects of a classic sound machine, this app is for you. It uses the sounds of rainfall, ocean waves and even the outdoor experience of rain against a tent to turn your bedroom into an oasis of whatever is most relaxing to you.

White Noise Ambiance
White noises are unobtrusive background sounds that fill the silence without sounding distracting. If you have trouble falling asleep in a silent room, this app offers 21 common relaxing sounds like campfires, floor fans and even a summer thunderstorm.

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Love to Ski? Download These Apps Before You Hit the Slopes!

January 2, 2015 by

Whether you live in a ski town or you only get to the slopes a few times per year, you want to ensure that you plan your ski trip in order to make the most of your day on the mountain. These two helpful skiing apps enable users to check things like snowfall, trail maps, and other valuable information before setting out onto the lift.

SkiResort
The SkiResort app uses high-quality images, detailed maps, and up-to-date weather reports to provide information about more than 4,800 ski resorts worldwide. Zoom in on different parts of the trail map for the ski resort in your area, and even plan your driving route to maximize your time on the trail. Test reports, snow depths, and webcams also enable you to get a feel for the slopes before you even arrive at the resort.

Liftopia
Using an interactive map of resorts near your current location, the Liftopia app helps users to decide which one has the best conditions on any given day. Check out snow depth and the number of trails open at each ski spot, and even read up on which resorts are offering deals on things like memberships, packages, and lift passes to save you a bit of money along the way.

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Love Birdwatching? Download These Apps!

July 24, 2014 by

Are you an avid birdwatcher who’s always looking for new birding resources? Lucky for tech-savvy birdwatchers, smartphone apps can help you identify birds, keep track of birds you see on your watches, and even record particularly interesting calls. Here are two great apps for birdwatching.

Peterson Backyard Birds
The Peterson Backyard Birds app is a complete field guide to the birds of North America, enabling users to identify more than 160 common types of birds. This app is ideal for the beginning birdwatcher because it helps to identify the most basic types of birds seen from most backyards, and it provides detailed illustrations of each bird’s appearance. There are even samples of each bird’s call for further help identifying it in the wild.

BirdWatching
With gorgeous nature photography and a magazine-style layout, the BirdWatching app is perfect for the more experienced birdwatcher. Lengthy, detailed articles provide information on the migration patterns and natural habitats of many interesting types of birds, while the ID Tool Kit offers helpful tips and tricks for identifying birds in your watches. If you’re a fan of BirdWatching magazine, you’ll love getting the same wonderful content right on your smartphone.

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Listen to Podcasts on Your Mobile Device with These Apps

November 29, 2013 by

Podcasts are an interesting, informative way to pass the time while driving or commuting to work, and they’ve also become extremely portable because of the large number of ways to listen to them. These three apps will make finding your favorite podcasts even easier than ever before.

Stitcher
Stitcher is an app that contains over 20,000 radio shows and podcasts. By downloading this app on your iPhone, Android, or iPad, you’ll have full access to the latest episodes of all of the most popular podcasts without even downloading or syncing with your computer.

PRX Public Radio Player
The Public Radio Player app is one of the simplest ways of streaming shows and podcasts from public radio stations like NPR, PRX, PRI, and APM.  The app is available completely free of charge, and it even allows you to listen offline when you’re not in an area with Internet service.

Swell
Swell is an innovative streaming app that learns which subjects you’re interested in, and provides content based on those preferences. With the goal of providing only content that you want to listen to, Swell delivers podcasts and news radio shows that you might enjoy from sources like NPR, PRI, This American Life, and Comedy Bang Bang.

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