I recently shared my top ten list of Apple and non-Apple tech. This time I’m following up with some of my favorite third-party apps for iPhone and Mac.
In putting this piece together, I realized that I don’t often use apps for entertainment. On iPhone and Mac alike, the vast majority of my choices perform a useful function …
iPhone
CityMapper
Both Apple Maps and Google Maps have gotten better over the years at helping navigate cities using public transit. There are also individual transit authority apps available for many cities around the world. But when it comes to travelling, you can’t beat the convenience of a single app with a familiar user interface that works in many different cities.
Citymapper supports walking and cycling as well as all the various types of public transit options available within a city. It has also proved extremely reliable in my experience in its awareness of delays and closures that might affect your journey.
Beeline
My one exception is that I use Beeline for cycling. This uses crowdsourced ratings for cycling routes in order to find out which ones are preferred, and this can make a big difference.
I also love compass mode for when I have a destination, but want to allow serendipity to take me there. In this mode, you just get a single arrow pointing directly toward your destination and can then wind your way through the back streets, knowing that you’re always heading in roughly the right direction, but without having to follow turn-by-turn directions.
Blackmagic Camera
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