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Crazy for apps Teens share their favorite app choices
BY KELSEY WETTIG, 17, AND SAMANTHA WEISS, 18, Freestyle Staff Writers
With smartphones becoming everyday items, apps are the newest trends among teens.
Today teens share apps as frequently as they share gossip, and app trends change from one day to the next. From games like Fruit Ninja to business aids, such as QuickBooks, apps span all interest and age groups.
The iPhone alone has more than 700,000 available apps for sale. Some become instant cultural phenomena; others are discussed only within the field that utilizes them.
With fads phasing in and out, it is hard to keep up with the current popular apps. Here are some tips: Snapchat has already lost most of its following, Facebook is still the No. 1 download and Angry Birds has spawned an entirely new generation of child-oriented games played by adults.
High school and college campuses are crawling with tech users who are dying to share their favorite weird app obsessions.
There are plenty of free apps that can be quickly downloaded and put to use, along with some cheap ones that are usually priced less than $1.99. But just because one app isn't as widely known as another doesn't mean it won't keep you as captivated as Tetris would.
Lyndsy Shaubach, 17, of Landisville, says one of her favorite "under the radar" apps is Songza, which is a free music app similar to Pandora. You select what music plays based on the occasion instead of an artist or genre.
"I like it because the music fits what's you're doing at that moment and it's a great way to discover new songs and artists," Shaubach says.
Eighteen-year-old Mountville resident Lindsey Evans is fond of Gifboom.
"I think it's fun to use because GIFs express how you're feeling and they are used to advertise. I've met a ton of great people!" GIF stands for graphics interchange format, and the app allows you to create an animation of still frames that plays out like a movie. Gifboom allows you to share your creations through the visual arts app with your friends.
Here are some other apps that teens are finding fun:
·Dropbox
The purpose of Dropbox is to allow the convergence of one's photos, documents and videos on all of the user's devices. Files saved using this program can be accessed from all computers, smartphones and tablets.
·Tune In Radio
Parker Wishick, American University graduate student, likes Tune In, which is like Sirius Radio for a smartphone. More than 700,000 stations from all over the world are available with this app.
·Hill Climb Racing
This addictive game has only one goal -- defy physics in an attempt to climb impossible hills with Newton Bill and his Land Rover.
·Wanelo
Jazmine De Jesus, Elizabethtown College sophomore, says that Wanelo is a shopping app that works in a fashion similar to Pinterest, tracking likes and dislikes. A constant flow of products is available for users. Wanelo warns users that the app is "dangerous for your free time and your wallet."
·Flow
Tatem Burns, Elizabethtown College freshman, says this "simple, yet addictive puzzle game" is designed to create a flow of colors covering the whole screen. Don't be fooled; it isn't quite as easy as it sounds and once started, it is hard to stop.
·SAT UP
No, it isn't exciting, but preparing for the SATs with multiple, cumbersome prep books is a hassle. But what if practice questions were always in the palm of one's hand?
·Icon Pop Quiz
The game challenges players to name famous people, hit movies and TV shows and characters using imaginative, handcrafted visual clues. And playing against friends worldwide is another plus.
·Werdsmith
Ally Darhun, a St. Joseph University freshman, enjoys this app that turns a smartphone into a portable writing studio. Are you a budding wordsmith? Then this app's for you.
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