App-solutely

Alamedans describe their favorite apps.

Describe your favorite apps.

John Diaz: Dropbox. It not only automatically uploads and cloud-stores every photo and video I take with my iPhone, its companion app DropVox instantly uploads any audio recordings I make—essential for a journalist; no more interviews lost to twisted tape.

Jacqueline Delaney: Venmo, an app that makes it easier to pay or request money from friends or family. For example, if I pay for a friend’s dinner, they can pay me back through the app quickly and easily. I also am really grateful for Yelp. It is so helpful when I’m deciding where to eat. It shows me places nearby, photos of the food (which is my favorite part), and includes information like noise level, health score rating, and the opinions of other people.

Laila Adranly: Snapchat because it allows me to communicate with my friends in a fun, fast, and easy way. I also enjoy using Instagram to keep up with my peers and gain insight into their lives. I also use the Apple News app because it accumulates news from various sources into one convenient place and all topics are covered.

Jemma McPherson: Facebook, WhatsApp, Uber, Snapchat, and Instagram. Other than those, I like but am baffled by Neko Atsume. You fill your “garden” with toys and treats, and virtual cats come visit you. I also like Clue, a women’s health application. It tracks everything from headaches to fertility to skin problems.

Yvonee Jackson: Relax Melodies, which offers background sounds for any setting. It’s meant to be a sleep aid but is great for creating an ambience of your choice. Whether it is the sound of heavy rain and thunder, a campfire, water flowing, frog sounds (by special order), or just a beautiful piano arrangement, they all are very calming and pleasant. The other app I’m crazy for is SkyView. You just point your phone to the sky and you can identify stars, constellations, and satellites. How cool is that?

Kelly Warner: As a recent transplant from the East Coast, it has been fun jumping on the Warriors’ bandwagon. But old allegiances die hard, and I still loyally follow my old Boston teams. For me, the easiest way to do this is through an app called BleacherReport. BR allows you to customize your feed so you can follow your favorite sports in a super user-friendly format. The app scrapes the web for news from a variety of sources, including television, print, twitter, and websites.