Article in Mobile, Technology, New York City, Humor, App Review, iPhone categories.

7 APPS YOU NEED FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, OR THE NEXT HURRICANE

Yes, today is the final day in the 13th 144,000-day cycle of the ancient Mayan Long Count Calendar. Will the world end in 12 hours…

Yes, today is the final day in the 13th 144,000-day cycle of the ancient Mayan Long Count Calendar. Will the world end in 12 hours as the Mayans predicted? I don’t know. But, I do know that for a pessimist, I’m pretty optimistic. Luckily, my phone is still functioning right now, so I’ve decided to build an end-of-the-world survival kit on it.

Here’s a list of the apps I downloaded, JUST IN CASE the Mayans were right:

THE WEATHER CHANNEL

The world may or may not end by tomorrow, as predicted, but the weather in New York City makes me wish for the end times to come already. This morning’s storm makes me feel listless and depressed. But, I guess it’s always good to have The Weather Channel app on my phone –– at least it will send me a severe weather alert if brimstone and fireballs start raining down from the sky.

FLIPBOARD

As the world is falling apart, I would probably be hiding in my apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. And Yet, I would still want to stay tuned. Flipboard is my go-to app for all the latest news updates. The app creates a digital journal that’s customized to meet your own needs and aggregates top content from media outlets of your choice.

GOOGLE MAPS

Thank God that Google Maps has made its way back to the App Store just in time for the end of the world, so I don’t have to be anxious to death if I have to figure out which MTA line can take me to a safety zone. And, I assume that Noah’s Ark is considered a public transportation service too, right?

SURVIVAL GUIDE

What if I can’t make it onto Noah’s Ark and have to save myself on the deserted Manhattan streets? Let’s hope that technology won’t brake out in the wild so I can still make some use of this free Survival Guide. It’s basically a Survival101 textbook on your phone, providing instructions on how to find water, food, shelter, and the need to think straight when the end of the world is coming your way.

FLASHLIGHT

There’s no harm to have this handy app on your phone, even if the world doesn’t end. Not only can it turn the flash on your phone into a flashlight, it is also the only flashlight app that comes with a compass and a built-in SOS signal. So if the sun doesn’t shine tomorrow, this app can help you navigate in the darkness.

TALKBOX

I’ve been using TalkBox as a walkie-talkie to stay in touch with my family on the other side of the globe, and I strongly encourage you to have it in your survival kit too. After you download this app, invite your dearest friends to chat and share your the-end-of-the-world pictures with them. If somehow you manage to survive, you can use its location sharing feature to find each other and gather together to rebuild the society. Oh and send a romantic confession voice message to any crushes or long lost loves since there might not be tomorrow.

ZOMBIES SURVIVAL HANDBOOK LITE

Did I say that I’m a huge pessimist? That’s why I’ve downloaded this app to get myself prepared for a zombie apocalypse. This free app offer “useful” tips on how to avoid zombie outbreaks, how to defend yourself against zombies bare-handed, as well as first aid instructions on mending wounds and saving your own life.

If the Mayan Calendar has it right, this will be my last blog post. Nice knowing all of you.

My last thought? Since I don’t want to risk draining my battery, I will probably delete all the other apps on my phone, ONLY IF THE WORLD DOES END.

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