Apps can be useful for a a countless number of things. From making a new parents life easier to finding new music, there’s are apps fit to help make things nearly effortless. This week, we have a couple great new (to me, at least) apps, and a really solid update to one of my favorites. As usual, I’ll put out the call for other suggestions as well. If you have something you want us to check out for a future Awesome Apps post, be sure to email your suggestion or tweet them over!
Nara Baby Tracker
Photo: Nara Baby Tracker/App Store
New parents have plenty to worry about and remember. Feedings, naps, diapers, baby milestones and even their own personal well-being. Nara Baby Tracker takes some of the stress out of trying to remember all those details, and puts a baby log in your pocket and on your wrist.
Designed to allow you a customized baby-tracking experience, Nara allows you to choose the metrics you need to track. Whether you’re exclusively nursing, bottle feeding, or mixing the two, Nara puts tracking how much or how long right at your fingertips. And when it comes time for naps, simply start or stop a nap log and Nara will record how long your baby slept.
For the postpartum parent, there is also tracking for important metrics to make sure you are adjusting and caring for yourself as needed. A mood tracker, hydration and medication log, and journal make it easy to keep track your recovery and be more aware of your postpartum experience.
Where Nara really shines, though, is with its Apple Watch app. While there are plenty of baby-tracking apps on the App Store, Nara is one of the only to put an app on your wrist. This means that new parents don’t need to be scrambling to remember where they last had their phone when it comes time to track things. Simply pull up the Nara app on the watch, choose what to record, and log it right on your wrist.
Whether you’re a new parent, an expecting parent, or a care provider, Nara Baby Tracker is a great app to have on hand. Save yourself the stress of keeping track of it all, and let Nara do the work for you.
Price: Free
Download from: App Store
SPRK Music
Photo: SPRK Music/App Store
Sponsored: I’ve always considered myself “ahead of the curve” when it comes to discovering new musicians and bands. Whether it’s lesser-known bands that open for larger acts, or up-and-coming artists featured on local college radio, I’m always trying to find new groups. For those less dedicated to finding new performers, SPRK Music is a new social platform to make discovering new bands a breeze.
SPRK Music is designed for two distinct groups: musicians and fans. Fans can search for musical acts (solo artists, bands, etc) based on genre, proximity or overall popularity. From there, the app serves up updates from artists users follow. You also can comment and interact with other fans, similar to other social networks.
For musicians, SPRK Music offers an easy way to share updates and interact with fans. Additionally, the app lets musicians connect with each other, as well as with producers and labels. With SPRK Music, discovery could be just a post away.
Whether you’re a musician or a fan, SPRK Music takes a different approach to social media. With a focus on direct connections between artist and listeners, SPRK Music is a great way for musicians to get discovered, or a great way to discover new musicians.
Price: Free
Download from: App Store
Day One
Photo: Day One/App Store
I’ve been a Day One user for a number of years. And while the app isn’t new by any stretch, it is definitely awesome, and some of its new features make it even better than before.
First off, there’s quicker access to creating new journal entries. I personally never found the “old” way that challenging — just hit the big(ish) button and start recording your thoughts. But now, with the new UI, you can quickly view the media within your posts, a map of locations, or start a new entry, all within a comfortable thumb’s reach.
Second, the quick start menu has been moved into the new post screen. This helps reduce clutter on the journal timeline, and plays off the first update to make starting a new post easier. This is one of the best “quality of life” improvements I’ve seen in Day One in a long time.
The final big update is the increased prominence of the daily prompt: It’s been moved into the side menu for near-instant access. This is great for quickly capturing a unique or different post each day to keep things fresh and fun.
If you’re already a Day One user, you’re sure to appreciate these updates. If you’re not a Day One user, why not? It’s a great app for capturing your thoughts, saving important or memorable moments, and keeping a journal of your life.
Price: Free (with premium subscription available)
Download from: App Store
