Smartphone Apps of the Month – July

It’s summertime and the living is much easier, thanks to a nearly endless supply of practical and useful smartphone apps. This month it is my pleasure to talk about two such apps: Flashlight and Yelp. As its name implies, Flashlight enables you to project light through your smartphone. It’s one of the most practical free apps on the market. And so is Yelp, another free app that you will quickly come to rely on. Yelp casts the light of customer recommendations on whatever plans you’re making this summer, helping you to make wise consumer choices.

Flashlight: Available on Android.

Downloading Flashlight by Intellectual Flame Co., Ltd to your smartphone means never having to say it’s too dark to see. Flashlight can outrun an old-fashioned flashlight and is designed to support all Android devices. What do you get with the app? How about a fast startup and a bright illuminator? It even comes with a Strobe mode and its own sensitive frequency controller.

The beauty is… the Flashlight app is free!

As someone who works with customers a lot, I always like to see what a smartphone app’s users have to say. And Flashlight has plenty of users, over 300,000. The result? A consensus thumbs-up from those using the Flashlight app.

One user gave it an A++++ (four pluses!). Another used all caps to say it was: SIMPLE, EASY, FAST, BRIGHT. But perhaps the best summary of what most users said was this comment: “Perfectly simple. Great tool for quickly utilizing your flash LED. Simple and effective, I use it all the time. Highly recommended.”

Yelp: Available on Android.

Yelp the app is a mobile application of the online consumer search service of the same name. Since its inception, Yelp remains one of the most popular and reliable sites on the Internet. In fact, by the end of the first quarter of 2013, Yelp had a monthly average of 102 million unique visitors.

It’s easy to see why. Yelp is used to search for places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play. You can tap quick links to find what’s most convenient to your location, as well as narrow your search by price and what’s open. Or find special, limited-time deals offered by your favorite local businesses.

You can also read reviews from an active community of locals. These folks know what they’re talking about and can help steer you in the right direction. Or you can add your own comments and photos. You can share your consumer experience on Facebook and Twitter . Plus, if you’re looking to make a restaurant reservation, you can use OpenTable without even leaving Yelp.

In short, you can look up addresses and phone numbers for thousands of businesses, then call or map them from your smartphone. The app integrates with your phone’s GPS, making it easier than ever to find a business. How’s that for convenience?

Yelp’s mobile application was used on approximately 10 million mobile devices on a monthly basis during the first quarter of 2013. Perhaps most amazing of all, “Yelpers” had written more than 39 million rich, local reviews, making Yelp the leading local guide for real word-of-mouth on just about everything.

Two words connect these two wonderful apps: smartphone and enlighten. Download these apps today to light up your life and your summer travels. If you’re not currently using a smartphone, don’t forget to check out our selection. We have an entry-level smartphone for the casual user and a feature-packed model for the power user.

Until next time, may the apps be with you!