Three Amazing,Underutilized Apps for OS X & iphone

I can't even being to describe how overwhelmed I sometimes feel searching around the App Store. For every app I'm thinking I might need or want, there are thousands upon thousands of different options to choose from. I'll occasionally try and read the reviews of each app I'm interested in, but then I become even more torn in my efforts to choose the right ones. In fact, if you took a look at my phone or tablet, you'd be convinced I'm an app hoarder.

I like to use apps for everything: cooking, organizing, reading, recording, playing games online– for most anything really. Yet I sometimes find that the most useful apps on the market turn out to be the most underutilized. It takes a lot of money to promote, advertise, and sell apps, and oftentimes the most publicized ones aren't even the best ones out there. Truthfully, I believe that the best apps are often the ones we know the least about. For those of you who are looking to invest in a few new useful apps, I've listed three specific ones that I feel are some of the most amazing, underutilized apps.

Find My iPhone

Ever have a moment when you're about to walk out the door and suddenly realize you're missing something important? Your iPhone, perhaps? Keys and phones are two things that seem to sprout legs and walk off, but with the free Find My iPhone app, you'll be able to track down that lost phone in no time. Simply install the app on your phone – before you lose it, of course – and when you've discovered your phone is missing, use another iOSdevice to alert this app. The app will show you a map of where your phone is located, and if it's within close proximity, the phone will release a two-minute sound that will help you track it down. Believe me, this comes in handy when it's trapped underneath those sofa cushions. Furthermore, in the event that your phone has been stolen, the Find My iPhone app also allows you to erase all your personal data on command.

YummySoup!

Most of my days are spent in the confines of the kitchen, so I'm a little bias about this app. YummySoup! is not only great for storing your personal recipes, it also works as an aggregator for all those recipes you stumble upon and want to cook in the future. For years all of my cookbooks have sat on the bookshelves collecting dust, since I mostly track down recipes from the Internet now. With this app, you'll be able to divide your recipes into categories, create grocery lists, import recipes from numerous websites, search aggregated recipes through keyword searches, and subscribe to receive any updated/new recipes from other YummySoup! users. It's useful for people who utilize blogs, cooking websites, and news outlets for culinary inspiration. Don't take my word for it though. Download it and get to cooking'!

The Kindle App

Now I know what you must be thinking: The Kindle is anything but underutilized. That is very true. The $200 Kindle device is not underutilized; the Kindle app, however, is very underutilized. There is no need to go and purchase an expensive device when you can download the app for free on your Smartphone, computer, or a tablet. When I first bought my iPad, it came with iBooks – an app to similar to Kindle's. Yet I quickly discovered that many of the books in iBooks were more expensive, so I decided to go ahead and try out the Kindle app. Not only am I more satisfied with the quality of this app, I believe that the app itself rules out any need to purchase a Kindle.

There are a lot of apps out there on the market today, and it's very easy to feel overwhelmed in having to narrow down all the choices. Yet if you find yourself constantly looking for your iPhone, needing new recipes, or debating whether or not to buy a Kindle, try out these three great, underutilized apps.

Samantha Gray is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about career advice for college students. She enjoys spending time with her various pets, reading poetry, and traveling to off-the-beaten-path countries and regions.