8 iOS, Android Apps That Are Strangely Useful

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(Image source: Google Play)

It's hard to imagine a time when phones were solely used for calling and texting -- when they didn't take pictures or videos. I remember thinking that my first cell phone, a pay-as-you-go trinket from Virgin Mobile, was on the cutting edge of technology because I could change the colored tint of the screen.

Now, it seems the phrase "there's an app for that" has always been a part of the English language. With hundreds of thousands of apps available for iOS and Android, it seems like there's one to help with just about every aspect of day-to-day life.

For some apps, it's easy to see the value. Apps like Skype and WhatsApp make it easy to keep in touch friends and family across the world. Photo apps like Flickr can store years of memories. Some are purely educational; I've been using Duolingo to brush up on some long-forgotten Spanish skills.

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No doubt that IT pros keep their smartphones stocked with apps that assist with everyday responsibilities. In addition to essential apps like Google Maps and Accuweather, there are apps for productivity (Evernote) and storage (Dropbox).

Of course, there is an excess of useless programs clogging up app stores. There's a game that records the amount of time that extraordinarily bored people can hold their finger on a button, and another that serves as a vast source of information on celebrity heights. You know, in case you have a date with Alicia Silverstone coming up.

Fortunately for professionals and consumers, there are plenty of apps that bridge the gap between essential and useless. These are the apps you didn't know you needed, such as the one that switches your phone to vibrate when it senses you're at work, or the app that provides a color-coded calendar for when to book cheap flights.

Click through the gallery to browse some apps that are a little strange, but still pretty useful. Any suggestions that aren't on our list? Share them in the comments.

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