The 10 best health and fitness apps of 2013

I’m not one of those calorie counting fitness fanatics. I just really hate buying clothes and don’t want to have to purchase larger sized pants. In order to stay the same size and squeeze into my two-year-old jeans, I try to keep my eating habits and exercise routine as regular as possible.

However, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, I go off the wagon in a big way. Whether I’m guzzling eggnog by the gallon or munching on Christmas cookies, there is nothing stopping me from over-indulging for the holiday season.

If you are like me, you are probably going to need to invest in some quality fitness apps to shed the extra pounds in the New Year. The writers of iDownloadBlog have created a list of the 10 best health and fitness apps of 2013. Check them out and let us know which is your favorite for our Best Apps of 2013 list…

Pedometer++

You’d be surprised how many steps per day you walk when you aren’t even trying to exercise. To keep track of your daily movement, get yourself a pedometer. Even better, download this app if you have an iPhone 5s and let it track your movement for you. You can adjust the gender and height and select a daily step goal. If you haven’t reached your goal by the end of the day, go for a special walk to catch up. You can even turn on the step counter badge and see how many steps you’ve taken without even opening the app. This app is available for free (requires iPhone 5s).

Nike+ Move

This was one of the most hyped apps to make use of Apple’s new M7 coprocessor. Nike makes it possible for you to capture your every move and keep you active. Not only can you track your steps, but with Nike+ Move, you can also measure a wide variety of activities. See when you are most active and increase movement during the slower times. Get a breakdown of running, walking, and sitting. See your movement on a map to track your most active moments. Enter your age, gender, and height to plan your exercise routine. This app is available for free (requires iPhone 5s).

Moves

I know we are going to get a bit of guff from some of you for including this app because it technically didn’t come out in 2013. However, it was so well liked amongst the writers since its 2013 complete redesign that we decided to include it anyway. What makes Moves special is that, when everyone else is making apps exclusively for the iPhone 5s, this one still makes it possible for old dogs to keep track of their movements. Using GPS and your device’s accelerometer, your running, jogging, and cycling exercises are at your fingertips. If you do have an iPhone 5s, you can also track all of your daily movement. This app is on sale for $0.99 (regularly $2.99).

Argus

Nike might have been one of the first to use the M7 coprocessor, but Argus is THE first appto use the motion detection technology on the iPhone 5s. This app features a multitude of ways to track your daily activity. You can keep track of your movement, sleep, food intake, water consumption, and more. Set a goal for maintaining each of your activities and enter pertinent data each day. See all of your health and fitness activity in one convenient honeycomb patterned display. This app includes a step tracker, calorie counter, GPS reader, food diary (including pictures), and more. As you track your activities, see your daily, weekly, and monthly trends on a graph. This app is available for $1.99.

UniqueTrainer

This specialized training app makes it possible for you to track each of your workout sessions. With an interactive real-time tracker, you’ll be able to tailor your sessions to your daily routine. The sessions evolve as you do. So, if 200 sit-ups start to get to be too easy, you can increase your workout plan accordingly. The app features motion capture 3-D animations that lead you through every exercise. You can even rotate the view to see your workout from every angle. Everyone progresses at a different rate and with UniqueTrainer, you can keep your workout compatible with your progress. This app is available for $1.99.

7-Minute Workout (High Intensity Training)

This app is based on the “Scientific 7-Minute Workout” but has been tweaked just a little. Instead of forcing everyone to fit into one workout, this app has been fine-tuned to make it possible for users of all fitness levels to take advantage of the high-impact workout safely and effectively. There are 200 unique exercises, each with its own video, coaching points, and an interactive voice coach. If you are on the road, you can still workout with more than 100 bodyweight related exercises. Personalize your workout by mixing and matching daily seven-minute routines. This app is available for $1.99.

Performance Stretching

Stretching is a very important part of staying fit and protecting your body from strained muscles. Even if you don’t exercise at all, stretching should be part of your morning routine. This app features more than 150 different dynamic stretches, which are full movement stretching routines that help increase blood flow, reduce tightness, and help you improve your athletic performance. If you are running, cycling, rowing, or following a high-impact workout regimen, Performance Stretching will help you get the most out of your muscles.This app is available for $2.99.

Relaxia

Nothing is more important to your health and fitness than getting a good night’s sleep. If you ask around, you’ll discover that the average person does not get enough daily rest. Even if you can’t sleep for six hours per night, you can keep your mind rested with daily meditation sessions. You don’t have to get on the floor in the lotus position in your office in order to relax your mind. Take 15 minutes per day to turn off your stress and go to a comfortable place in your mind with the natural sounds of Relaxia. Choose from rain and thunder, beach sounds, underwater ocean life, fire, and forests. Set a timer and either let the sounds of nature lull you to sleep or calm your mind for the day ahead. This app is available for $1.99.

Fit Star: Tony Gonzalez

Having a professional football player as your personal trainer may have been something you only dreamed about in the past, but not anymore. Even if you’ve never held a football, you can get a workout that is right for you. Start by participating in the beginning training sessions and rate each exercise based on how difficult it was for you to complete. Then, based on your activity, a workout routine will be offered to you. You can purchase workout packages based on how committed you are to spending time with the program. If you only want a five minute warm up routine each day, spend a few dollars on the “Daily Dose” program. If you are ready to turn mass into muscle for the long haul, purchase the “Get Committed” program for $29.99. This app is available for the iPad for free.

 Runtastic Six Pack Abs

One section of the body that most people complain about not being happy with on their own body is the stomach. No matter how much we workout or how far we run, it seems like our bellies still jiggle like a bowl full of jelly. Runtastic offers the perfect workout for tummy tuckers of all levels. Whether you want abs of steal, or just to stop hanging out over your pants, you’ll find the right exercise routine to make your mid section look the way you’ve always wanted it to. There are more than 50 instructional videos with dozens of pre-defined workouts. You can customize your workout to target areas you want to work on the most.This app is available for $1.99.

The 10 best weather apps of 2013

As 2013 inches closer to its last days, we take time to reflect on everything that we have experienced over the past year. With 365 days of apps and games to sift through, it is hard to figure out which ones are the best. Don’t worry, you are off the hook. We took care of it for you.

Take a look at our list of weather apps that the writers of iDownloadBlog consider the best of this year’s releases. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite one for the Best Apps of 2013 list…

Yahoo Weather

When Yahoo launched its weather app ahead of the iOS 7 release, the iOS world went wild for it. The beautiful design mixes stunning photography with minimalistic graphics and made this app more popular than Apple’s animated native weather app. You can bookmark cities to keep track of weather around the world, see an hourly prediction of the day’s temperature, and check out a 10-day forecast for future planning. This app is available for free.

Perfect Weather

The app’s description says it all. Some weather apps are designed to look pretty, but don’t offer a lot of functionality. Some are overloaded with information and don’t make it easy to look at. This app combines a little of both categories to offer a comprehensive weather tracker, while maintaining the attractive simplicity we’ve come to love. View radar maps, check detailed current conditions, and access the temperature chart for hourly forecasts.This app is available for $2.99.

Weather Line

Not everyone needs pretty pictures and simulated rain clouds in order to read the weather forecast. Sometimes, graphs and charts are better understood than illustrations of kids in hoodies and scarves. Weather Line takes the weather imagery out of the equation and replaces it with line graphs to give you a better understanding of the day’s changes. See temperature, condition, and precipitation on a single graph with a forecast from 36 hours up to 12 months. Check monthly rainfall averages for a particular region. Get severe weather warning reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This app is available for $2.99.

Today Weather

Sure, you can just look outside to get an idea of whether it is cold, hot, snowing, or windy. However, most people leave the house for hours at a time, which means they may be walking out during heavy rain, but will be sweating by the time they go to lunch because of the sudden change in temperature (it happens in California all of the time). This app gives you a simple, but useful outlook on today’s weather forecast. Check for hyperlocal precipitation information, get hourly details on weather conditions, and prepare for your day with the “Today” section. This app is available for $1.99.

Shade

Going back to what I mentioned above under Weather Line, some people prefer visually attractive weather apps with good illustrations and a minimalistic design. Shade fits right into that category with a clear overview of the day’s forecast, displayed with simple graphics and varying colors to represent the temperature. If it is hot, the screen will turn shades of red, orange and yellow. If it is cold, you’ll see blues, green, and purple. You can also see the changes in weather listed on a line graph. Tap the graph to get a look at more detailed information on weather conditions. This app is available for $1.99.

Nice Weather 2

Another example of an attractive, minimalist design with accurate weather information is Nice Weather 2. This app uses gradients and particle effects that are dependent on the weather conditions. The particles move across the screen, depending on the speed and direction of the wind. Using gesture-based controls, users can interact with the forecast. Slide your finger along the graph to watch the weather predictions evolve. Slide along the timetable to change days. Tap the thermometer, cloud, wind, or compass to change their values. This app is available for free.

Haze

You want to talk about a minimalistic weather app… this one is about as minimal as they get. You can easily see the current temperature just by opening the app. The screen is brightly colored with a hue that represents the temperature and the exact degree is displayed in the center. You can also see a five-day forecast, check out wind speed using the gyroscope, and navigate using motion. Background animations will show you the following day’s weather trends. This app is available for $2.99.

Weathertron

This is the perfect app for the no-frills business-minded user. You get a live and infograph of the entire day’s weather. You’ll be able to see hour-by-hour, what to expect in the day’s weather forecast, including clouds, rain, snow, and temperatures, all on one graph. See a seven-day forecast with visual reports and narrative summaries. Weathertron gets its data from 16 different weather data sources and statically aggregates them so you will have the most accurate weather conditions in your area. This app is available for $0.99.

Blue

This is another visually stunning minimalist app that looks great and does very little. That is a good thing for some people. Blue gives users a 36-hour forecast for their current location. Swipe upward to see the color gradient change based on the hourly change in weather conditions. Colors are based on temperature, humidity, and sunrise or sunset times for your current location. The temperature is automatically set to Fahrenheit or Celsius, depending on where you are at. This app is available for $0.99.

NOAA Weather Radar

The NOAA is the U.S. federal agency put in charge of predicting weather conditions across the nation. They use all of the resources at their disposal to predict and track weather conditions, storm activity, air quality, and more. This app lets you track storms, check weather predictions, and view radar and satellite maps that offer precise weather data. You can customize locations, see hourly forecasts, and see what the temperature feels like.This app is available for free.

The 10 best photography apps of 2013

The year is coming to a close. We’ve spent the past 52 weeks talking about jailbreaks, rumors, new products, gear, Apple news, and apps. Apps are my specialty around here. I find them, test them, and tell you all about them.

That’s why it is my job to tell you about apps and games that the writers of iDownloadBlog think are the cream of the crop for the entire year. For the rest of this year, and probably into 2014, we will have lists of our favorite apps in the most popular categories that released in 2013. This week, the category is photography…

Mextures

As soon as I tested this filter effects app, I knew it was different than the rest. The premade filters offer a wide variety of textures, gradients, and effects. Add as many or as few effects as your picture needs to create stunning, professional looking iPhone images. This app is available for $0.99.

Flipagram

Vacation slideshows will never be boring again with this fantastic photo-editing app. Grab photos from your camera roll, or take pictures using the in-app camera feature, and then set them to music from your iPhone’s music library. Once combined, you can edit your slideshow to fit perfectly with Instagram’s time limitations, or post full-length programs to Facebook. This app is available for $1.99.

Facetune

Nobody is perfect. We all know that. However, we are always looking for ways to make people think we are. Facetune is a photo-editing app that lets you hide imperfections, whiten teeth, and make your subjects look like they just stepped out of a salon. You can widen a smile, smooth out wrinkles, improve skin tone, change eye and hair color, and even reshape facial structures. This app is available for $2.99.

PicPlayPost

This app makes it possible for you to add multiple photographs, GIFs, and even videos to a single collage. Then, you can add your own music to create a mosaic of memories for your friends and family to enjoy. With 36 adjustable frames, 72 different background textures, eight imaged filters, and seven video filters, you will make any grandparent happy to see a little tyke running, skipping, and falling down to the perfect soundtrack. This app is available for $1.99.

Over

A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes it takes a little more to get the thought across. Now that social media has popularized poster-like photographs, you need an app that lets you express your thoughts better. Over offers a classy way to add text to photographs so that your newborn’s picture doesn’t look like a Grumpy Cat meme. The overlays include unique banners created specifically for the app, specially designed logos, icons, and clipart for practically any occasion, and customizable fonts to make your pictures stand out. This app is available for $1.99.

ProCamera 7

The recent update to one of the most popular photography titles in the App Store brought with it so many new features that it is considered a whole new app. This new app has been completely redesigned to take advantage of features exclusively in iOS 7.  It features 76 filters and effects that are viewable by using touch-based gestures. You can see your images in full-resolution so you can see every pixel as it will look on a larger screen. Adjust the shutter speed to get sharper, cleaner pictures at night. Rapid Fire mode lets you take up to 10 pictures per second so you will never miss a great action shot. This app is available for $2.99.

LoryStripes

A few years ago, the popular trend was to “put a bird on it.” Today, things have gone a more geometric route making circles, rectangles, and stripes the new hotness. This app lets you put stripes just about anywhere you want on your photograph. You can hide them behind objects, wrap them around subject matter, and create an explosion of ribbon-like imagery anywhere you like. There are 40 different Stripes with 120 preset styles so you don’t have to spend too much time crafting the right one, and 62 different colors with nine shades and blends. This app is available for $0.99.

Spark Camera

Capturing memories doesn’t have to take up a lot of space on your iPhone and doesn’t necessarily require a lot of editing. With this app, you can grab a few seconds of a moment, come back to it later to add more moments, and add songs from your device’s music library to create seamless montage videos that you can share with others through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and more. You don’t have to stick to one montage either. You could be simultaneously making a golfing montage and a pie eating montage and each project will be saved in a separate folder. This app is available for $1.99.

Tangent

If you want to mix the gradients and textures of Mextures with the overlay concepts of Over,this app has the right mix. It uses scalable shapes, color fills, light blends, and more to give you unique and interesting customizable designs for every picture. Pick from 35 fully customizable styles to combine shapes, patterns, and blends into a unique look. Incorporate 70 shapes, 68 patterns, and 350 combinations of blends and colors. Drag, zoom, rotate, and resize your photos to get just the right look. This app is available for $0.99.

Tadaa SLR

Sometimes, the simplest things can have the biggest impact on the outcome of something else. This app has one feature, but it is such a useful feature that you may never take another photo without it. First, take a picture or upload it from your camera roll. Then, mask out your subject. Finally, tap to focus. Tadaa. The subject that you’ve selected becomes sharply focused while the rest of the picture fades into the background, easily creating the impression of depth of field. This app is available for free.

The best personal finance apps for iPhone

As of Friday, Nov. 29, the U.S., and much of the industrialized world, will go on a month-long spending spree that will break their budgets, put them in debt, and help the economy grow, all at the same time.

We have a list of the best personal finance apps for iPhone that we think might be helpful to you this holiday season. If you are living from one paycheck to the next, you might need one of these helpful budget trackers…

Mint.com

Many people have multiple accounts with multiple bills that are automatically withdrawn each month. Sometimes, you need a complex personal finance app to help you keep all eyes on all accounts. Mint allows you to track, budget, and manage money from various bank accounts all in one place. You can add multiple banks, credit cards, loans, and retirement accounts. This app automatically pulls in information and categorizes your transactions. You can check out an overview of your monthly spending using the included charts and graphs. Let Mint customize your budget based on your actual spending. Set up bill reminders, alerts, and advice so you will never miss a payment again. This app is available for free.

Spendee

With this simple personal finance tracker, users can easily keep track of daily, weekly, and monthly spending. It is great for people who hate balancing their budget, but always seem to get behind with money every month. Instead of having too many features with too many options, users are limited to categories like car, travel, bills, entertainment, etc. Then, add an income or expense amount and you are ready to go. Thanks to the apps’ graphic chart feature, you can see where you are spending too much and where you need to cut back.This app is available for $1.99.

Level Money

If you are somewhere between needing to track multiple bank accounts and wanting a simple personal finance app without many bells and whistles, Level Money is up your alley. It allows users to add multiple accounts from a huge list of banking establishments. The app automatically detects income and fixed expenses so that you can quickly see your monthly budget. Use the at-a-glance feature to see how this month’s cash flow is doing. Set up daily, weekly, and monthly budget and keep track of when you are going over. It is like counting calories when you are on a diet. This app is available for free.

BUDGT

If you don’t need to link your bank accounts, but you still want to keep track of daily expenses, this app may be more to your liking. All you have to do is enter your daily expenses and the app will do the math for you. You can create your own budget to keep track of where you should be each month. Create and manage your own categories, set reminders, and check end of month projections. You can go back and add expenses after the fact, so you won’t feel obligated to check in every single day. This app also updates currencies when you go to a different country. You can turn on Travel mode to enable currency conversions as well. This app is available for $0.99.

Dollarbird

I have to admit that I’ve been in love with this app since I reviewed it last month. It is very similar to Spendee, but features one addition that, to me, makes it a great simplistic personal finance app. The calendar puts your month’s spending into a big picture display. Each day, you add your daily income and expenses. You can also add recurring items for future financial transactions. Then, check the last day of the month every time you add an income or expense to see what you will probably end up with at the end. If it looks like you might overspend, cut back on purchases for a few days. You can also see a chart of where your money goes each month. If you see that you are spending too much on going out to eat, maybe it’s time to start going to the grocery store more often. This app is available for $1.99.

Square Cash

I have a group of friends who pay what they owe each other in rent and bills each month using Square’s personal payment app. I’ve used Square to receive payment for working at a convention. I know people who have used it to buy and sell items on Craigslist. To receive money through Square Cash, all you need is the app, a US bank debit card or bank account number and an email address. When someone sends you money, Square will deposit it into your bank account for you. Sending money through Square Cash is just as easy. Just tap the “send cash” tab and enter at least one dollar. Then, attach the email with the recipient’s name and he or she will be sent an email with the amount attached. As long as both sender and recipient have a bank account linked to Square Cash, everything works smoothly. This app is available for free.

Pocket Expense

This personal finance app is a full-featured finance software that you carry in your pocket. It’s like having an accountant sitting on your shoulder. You can combine multiple accounts, including banks, credit cards, and loans into one convenient place. Plus, categorize transactions, keep track of bills, and set a budget so you don’t overspend. You can even set savings goals if you are hoping to set aside money each month for that new car you’ve been dreaming about. This app supports multiple budgets so you can track specific areas of finance instead of everything you spend each month. Plus, set up reminders and alerts for bills and keep track of them on the calendar to see when they are due. This app is available for $4.99.

MoneyWiz

MoneyWiz is a cross platform personal finance app, keeping all information synced over iPhone, iPad, or OS X. Using a MoneyWiz account, simply logging into the app on any device. Main sections include Accounts, Budgets, Schedule, and Reports. Accounts tracks individual expenses for checking/savings/market options with incomes, transfers between known accounts, balance adjustments, and even reconciliation options. Budgeting is account dependent, specific amounts are set for spending, and will roll remaining dollars at month’s end. Spending allowances are set on user specified times, giving a daily amount per budget. Scheduling provides a way to monitor reoccurring expenses and Reports keep things graphical with trending views and helpful charts. Offering both streamlined and spreadsheet layouts, most customers will be pleased with the operability. Locations and types of spending are added to the individual account users database, allowing autocomplete for entries across platforms. The UI, while not yet iOS 7 compliant, is extremely attractive and very Apple inspired. MoneyWiz is available for iPhone $4.99, iPad $4.99, and OS X $24.99, requiring a hefty buy-in for each device, but with syncing and many features, including export, the package is worth it for personal finance gurus.

Best travel apps for iPhone

Around this time of the year, families are preparing to hit the road, over the mountains and through the woods. Holidays mean travel. You may be only be a few hours away from the in-laws, or you may be thousands of miles from home.

If you are planning a trip this Thanksgiving, or anytime in the future, you can use your iPhone to take care of pretty much all of the arrangements. Whether you want a great deal on a hotel, recommendations on good eats, or are planning an all-inclusive trip to the Bahamas without the kids, we’ve got a list of the best travel apps that will help make that come true…

Hotel Tonight

I use this app fairly regularly to find discounts on hotels in San Francisco. The great thing about it is that you can end up staying at five-star hotels for half the price. The bad thing about it is that you have to be willing to wait until the last minute to book a room. The deals available don’t start until noon on the day they are offered. Some deals will last a few days, but others are only for the night. So, if you are willing to take the risk, you may end up in the Marriot Grand with plenty of pocket change left over for a fancy dinner. This app is available for free.

Kayak

This is one of the most popular travel apps in the App Store. Not only can you compare the prices of hotels, plane tickets, and car rentals, but you can book your hotel right from within the app. When you’ve made all of your arrangements and are ready to go, check the flight status before you head for the airport to make sure your plane is on time. Around this time of the year, flights are regularly grounded due to bad weather. You can also plan and edit your trip itinerary to help keep your activities organized. If you need to call the airport to make changes to your flight, there is a list of contact numbers too. This app is available for free.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor and Kayak compete for top spot in the App Store on a regular basis. They both offer comparison-shopping, hotel booking options, and plenty of other useful utilities for planning the perfect trip. This app also features photos, videos, and reviews from other travelers so you can see, first-hand, what your destination looks like. Using the location feature, you can discover restaurants, entertainment, and attractions nearby without having to do the legwork. If your favorite travel spot isn’t listed, add it on TripAdvisor so others will know what you think of it. This app is available for free.

Airbnb

When it comes to finding the perfect spot off of the beaten path, this user-uploaded site is where you should go first to find what you are looking for. You can browse through nearly half a million listings for one-of-a-kind accommodations. Rent a room in Downtown L.A. for a week, stay at a quaint bed and breakfast in Napa Valley, or group up with other travelers in a cabin in the woods. If you have a room to rent, why not fill it with friendly strangers? Use your entertaining skills to help a newlywed couple have their first adventure together by offering your hospitality. This app is available for free.

Flight Tracker Free

I recently flew into the San Francisco Airport and had to transfer to an international flight. I had to take a shuttle from my plane to the wing of the airport where my gate was. I got lost after about 10 minutes. Some airports are just so big that you literally need a map to get around in them. Not only does Flight Tracker give you access to departures and arrivals for flights to destinations worldwide from all the major airlines, but it also includes airport maps, which is a real time saver when you are trying to catch a flight that leaves in 20 minutes. Plus, you can see weather conditions at your destination spot, and even see what seats are still available on your flight if you want to try to get a window seat instead. This app is available for free.

Foodspotting

When I am visiting friends and family out of town, I’m always asking where a good place to eat is. When I don’t know anyone in town, I’m at a loss for where to get the best grub. Foodspotting is a user-uploaded restaurant guide that does more than comment on the overall business. If you want to know where the best bison burger in town is, you will find it in here. If you want to know what the best item on the menu of a specific restaurant is, you can find that too. Foodspotters love taking pictures of food, so you will be able to get multiple angles of each dish, as it really looks, not what it looks like on that photocopied menu. This app is available for free.

Travelzoo

If you are the kind of person who loves to take vacations and are always looking for great package deals at discounted prices, Travelzoo is a must-have. I’ve booked multiple trips from this company. Every day, you’ll get a list of the top deals, curated by a team of “Deal Experts” who recommend the best of the best. You can see local deals on hotels and entertainment, or discover all-inclusive trips to exotic locations. Find great discounts on castle tours in Ireland, golf resorts in the U.K. and beer tasting adventures in Germany. There are tons great vacation packages you didn’t even know you wanted to take. This app is available for free.

TripIt – Travel Organizer

Anyone who has read more than a few of my productivity app reviews will have noted that I love to make lists. I am a big fan of organizing things. TripIt is the organizer for the traveler. All you have to do is send along your confirmation emails for flight, hotel, restaurant, and car reservations and the service will automatically create a detailed daily itinerary for you. You can also get directions and weather conditions, and sync your plans with your Apple, Outlook, or Google Calendar. If you travel a lot, upgrade to TripIt Pro for even more features, including real-time flight tracking, seat tracking, and more. This app is available for free.