Best of 2013 Guide - Netted
Guide • January 2, 2014

Best of 2013 Guide

Our favorite apps, sites, and services we covered in the fun, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious tech landscape this year
  • 12. What3Words

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    This site did something amazing: It gave every two-square-meter piece of Earth a unique, three-word nickname. (The Tower of London is swift.blitz.funds.) Say hello to precise navigation with no need for addresses.

    Go to What3Words

  • 11. RouteHappy

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    There are plenty of places on the Internet to find deals on air travel. But this booking site also uses a “happiness” rating, so you can choose your flights based on seat size, amenities, Wi-Fi availability, and other creature comforts.

    Go to RouteHappy

  • 10. Glide

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    2013 was a year when exchanging photo messages came en vogue. This app for iPhone and Android one-uped everyone with the next evolutionary step: video messages. It works just like texting, but with the bonus of your handsome mug.

    Go to Glide

  • 9. Calm.com

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    Your kids are screaming at you. Your boss is screaming at you. For some unknown reason, your mailman is screaming at you. Take a deep breath and enjoy some guided meditation from visit the Internet’s version of a chill pill.

    Go to Calm.com

  • 8. Fotor

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    Mobile photo apps have become a cliché. But photo editing on your computer? For that, this program takes the cake. It’s downloadable, not web-based, and as easy to use as it is powerful. It’s also the cheapest (at going rate of free).

    Go to Fotor

  • 7. Clippick and DeskConnect

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    In The Matrix, the Oracle declared, “There is no spoon.” These two apps declared, “There is no clipboard.” Not as deep, maybe, but these two game changers broke down barriers, letting you seamlessly share files and copy and paste text between your phone and computer.

    Go to Clippick

    Go to DeskConnect

     

  • 6. Blue Apron

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    It’s not often we get an entirely different way to eat. Like the Ikea version of home-cooked meals, this service delivers fresh ingredients along with recipes to assemble them into chef-designed meals for your whole family.

    Go to Blue Apron

  • 5. Giphy

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    Thanks to Tumblr, Buzzfeed, Reddit, and of course Steve Wilhite, 2013 was the year of the GIF. And this all-GIF search engine is the pinnacle of the zeitgeist trend. It’ll make you as happy as cows getting let out to pasture in spring.

    Go to Giphy

  • 4. Mailbox

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    When Dropbox dropped $100 million on this gesture-based email app a mere month into its existence, we were skeptical. But the final tally is in: Minus 1 point for inventing the app “waiting line” (ugh), but 100 points for elegantly unclogging our inbox in a matter of moments.

    Go to Mailbox

  • 3. Forecast

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    Your friend told you, thinking she was being helpful, that it’s supposed to rain sometime today. Now you can’t walk out the front door without an inner tube and a snorkel. Get the weather down to the minute with this slick (ha!) weather site.

    Go to Forecast

  • 2. Moves

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    2013 saw an explosion of connected devices, but apps like Moves were ahead of the game by turning your smartphone into a hyper-aware sensor that exposes how active your life is, even when your phone is passively sitting in your pocket.

    Go to Moves

  • 1. MyShoebox

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    If the point of taking photos is to look at them (and we think it is) then this app deserves “must have” status. It automatically back up every photo you take then categorizes them by year, location, camera type, and more. Looking at the “This Day in History” category has become part of our daily routine.

    Go to MyShoebox