My favourite apps

On this page I recommend some Apps that I use on my Android mobile and tablet and on my iPad and iPod.

Note: All brand names mentioned here belong to the respective owners.

If you are interested to download any of these apps, just search for them in Google Play on your Android platform or in the Apple AppStore. Some of the apps are only available on one platform.

My Favourite Apps

  1. Pray-as-you-go – Pray-as-you-go by the British Jesuits is designed for use on portable MP3 players to help you pray whenever you find time, but particularly whilst travelling to and from work, study, etc. The daily meditative pieces are less than 10 minutes in length and it is a super tool to draw one into daily reflection with Scripture.
  2. Google Keep – somewhat like a Notepad. You can share items using other apps.  I like Google Keep because I could set up one ID and my notes are synced across all my devices, for example, I typed a note on my Android and I have the same note on my iPad.
  3. WriterP – for writers.
  4. Speechnotes – for audio recording.
  5. EverNote – cloud storage but you need internet access to view your stored items, not unless you are willing to upgrade and pay for a premium account. I would pay if the cost of the premium account is more affordable for the general masses.
  6. Pocket (formerly Read-It-Later) – as the name Read-it-later suggests, you can store stuff you like from an internet browser to read or view (video) later. Fantastic place to store web articles for read later.
  7. CamScanner – wonderful help. I use this to scan almost everything – newspaper articles, recipes, notes, powerpoint presentations, whatever I need to remember or want to keep on file. I found it so good that I was willing to pay for a Full Version. All scanned materials can be saved as a .pdf (Acrobat Reader) document. This makes it easy to share items with friends.The good thing about the apps mentioned above is that you can set them up with one account ID and then download the app to all your devices such as mobile, iPad, tablet, etc, and all your items are synced to all devices. Great stuff!
  8. BooksApp – I use this to keep a list of books in my library, so no more buying an extra copy because I have forgotten that I already got the book! In the beginning when I first downloaded the app, I had lots of fun scanning my books at home and I now have a list of every (almost!) book that I own. Older books that are out of date may not be searchable but I can always manually create a book title with description. I can also add notes. It therefore serves as an effective way to build bibliographies of the books that I have read. The list can be exported to a spreadsheet as well; very handy indeed.
  9. My Library – when I changed mobile phone, I had an issue with BooksApp, so I found My Library as replacement. However, I think BooksApp is still superb.
  10. Memoires – a diary/journaling app. Fantastic app. I don’t keep paper diaries anymore. Memoires has become my diary, dream journal, wishes and prayer journal. Entries can be backed up in Google Docs or export as a RTF file to a SD card. Another great feature is the ability to add images/pictures to an entry.
  11. Diaro – another diary app. I use this to keep favorite bible verses because “DailyBible“, a daily bible reading app that I use daily allows sharing with Diaro. Makes work so simple; no need to copy and paste. If I want to store, say, a particular verse of the day, I just need to call for sharing in the DailyBible app and then click on Diaro. In Diaro I could add my own reflections and text.
  12. Daily Bible – allows me to share bible verses to Facebook, SpringPad, Evernote, Google+, and many more. I could also share a verse via email.
  13. Mindjet Maps – for mindmapping. I use this app to brainstorm ideas and thoughts, for example, I was working on my Masters thesis and I used Mindjet Maps to sort out and to link ideas. Mindjet Maps had also helped me to clarify thoughts on other issues.
  14. iTunes U (on Apple devices) and iTunes Viewer (on Android) – great app to access free online learning.
  15. Podcast Player – lots of free audio teachings.
  16. Calendar Pad – I like this because it shows my appointments at a glance without having to click on a date each time to view what appointments I have.
  17. Shopping List – this is good because I can share my list with someone else, for example, when I am out grocery shopping with my husband, I could share the items that we need to buy so he can go get some of the items while I check on others in the store; speeds up shopping!

Favorite ebook reader apps

  1. Kindle on my Android tablet
  2. Kobo

  3. Aldiko

Favorite magazine reader apps

1. Zinio

2. Flipboard – you can also create your own ezines to share on Flipboard.

3. Issuu

Favorite timer

1. Insight Timer – a meditation timer app. Beautiful Tibetan singing bowl sounds will peacefully and serenely guide you though your meditation session. I also use this to sound prayer sessions during workshops.

Favorite drawing app

1. Sumi-e painting – a simple calligraphy-type of drawing app but it suits my purpose because I like “free-flow” drawing. Making wild strokes on this app brings some form of centering to me.

2. Simply draw – another simple drawing app. Nothing fanciful but it suits my purpose of “free-flow” drawing.

Other apps that I use

1. Laudate – comprehensive free Catholic App with Daily Mass Readings (with Saint of the Day and Reflections). Liturgy of Hours, New American Bible, interactive Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Latin Rosary, Stations of the Cross, searchable prayers and Latin prayers with English translation. Douay-Rheims Bible for offline use.

2. Verbum

3. Rosary Player – for praying the Rosary.

Apps to download Asian movies for offline viewing
for example, movies/serials from China, Hong Kong and Korea (these three countries are my favorite staples). If you have not followed any serials from China, I encourage you to try them because I have found the ones from China to be really good.

  1. Viu (only available in Singapore) – subscription required
  2. Funshion 风行电影
  3. LeTV 乐视影视


An App that deserves praise and mention, albeit it is now defunct

SpringPad – somewhat like a filing cabinet for you to store notes, images, recipes and great for sharing your stored items using other applications. You can of course keep your items private if you like. I love SpringPad because it’s free and your items are available even when you are offline! It is easy to install and to use. Setting up a public SpringPad Notebook could be your blog link to the world. SpringPad is so versatile that you can choose which Notebooks or notes you want to share. For the other stuff that you created, you can choose to keep them private.
[An update: Alas, SpringPad is closing down in June 2014. I’m so sad because SpringPad is really a wonderful storage platform. I wish someone had bought over SpringPad. I have moved my stuff to EverNote but the downside with Evernote is that documents are not available if I am not connected to the internet. This is a big bugbear since I prefer to use WiFi connection rather than on my mobile data.]

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