COP3 - Initial Research

I started looking at different apps/websites before my presentation to see what I would want to include in my essay.

Helpful Apps

Uber Taxi

• Taxi App
• Allows user to book taxi, pay through app, visually see where taxis are and can split the fare with friends
• Popular app, does improve mundane task
• Well designed interface 
• https://medium.com/@julien/uber-medium-black-holes-and-the-power-of-networks-fe0fa93bf71e
• https://medium.com/@harrisjamie42/ubers-secret-weapon-988ad34a98ba

Centralway Banking

• Manage all bank accounts from one app
• Monitor transactions in a timeline
• Automatic forecast for future spending
• Bank transfers
• Notifications
• Catergories
• Spending analysis
• Well designed interface
• https://www.centralway.com/en/features

Bill Splitting Apps 

• Split wise does the maths, shows you clearly IOUs
• https://www.splitwise.com/
• More bill splitting apps https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-genius-apps-for-splitting-bills-with-friends

Rail Passengers

• http://www.railway-technology.com/features/featurebest-apps-for-rail-passengers-smartphone-commute/

Apps that have created needs

Ref Me

• Scan barcode of a book, harvard references for you
• Is it useful, or does it make us lazy
• Takes away responsibility to learn
• http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/worklife/campus/a30449/best-apps-for-students/
• App created for something our mind can teach us

WaterLogged

• Tracks how much water you've drank
• Tells you when to drink more water
• App created for something our body can tell us
• http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/worklife/campus/a30449/best-apps-for-students/

SleepTime

• Analyses our sleep pattern
• Tells us duration of sleep, quality of sleep
• Self affirmation - makes us feel positive when we have achieved something, even though it is pointless
• This can make us feel less guilty of being dependant on apps, as we have 'achieved' something
• http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/worklife/campus/a30449/best-apps-for-students/

Dinner Time

• Ten apps to help you choose dinner - content overload
• http://www.liveinnanny.org/blog/10-iphone-apps-to-help-you-choose-whats-for-dinner/
• Instead of reading recipe book, we use recipe apps
• You can add ingredients to your shopping list on iFood Assistant https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ifood-assistant-by-kraft/id296246161?mt=8

Organising Apps

• http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-apps/5-apps-to-organize-your-life.htm#page=5
• https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tally-quick-counter/id572051403?mt=8

Apps that exist because of technology

Focus Out

• Blocks apps that are distracting us so we can do work
• Select apps, choose time, and requires a hard task to unblock them before that time
• Is it good, or ironic that we need an app to stop distraction from other apps

1password

• App that stores all your passwords - for when you are connected to that many accounts/apps you can't remember

People's Thoughts 

Medium Articles

• https://medium.com/new-media/caught-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-digital-divide-2fcbfd5a7df4
• https://medium.com/a-better-me/thoughts-from-my-annual-month-of-unplugging-e53dc4544d16
• https://medium.com/@davidmcmenemy/dear-internet-405a0262931b
• https://medium.com/@rbrtjns/pocketing-bliss-f61ed2a6b664
• https://medium.com/@nicharry/bad-battery-life-is-a-social-issue-not-a-technology-one-a9e504f459eb
• https://medium.com/@barrientosjamie/the-digital-divide-c30b44435568
• https://medium.com/mobile-first-responsive-design
• https://medium.com/technology-culture-productivity/unplugging-isnt-needed-if-you-digitally-refresh-ac7c8bc3960f

Resources

Pttrns

• Screenshots of apps
• http://www.pttrns.com/p/379

50 Apps

• Article with examples
• http://www.esquire.co.uk/gear/gadgets/5536/50-best-apps/

Books

• The Digital Diet
• The Present Shock
• The People's Platform
• The Parent App
• 100 Ideas That Changed the Web