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SO IT’S A NEW year and chances are you’re thinking of starting a new resolution. That’s great, but maybe you need some help getting you started or a way just to keep you on track.
If that’s the case, you should know that there are numerous apps out there that will help you out. Since you have your phone on you at all times, it makes sense to use it to help develop good habits over the coming months. It’s tough but if you have a specific aim, these apps can help.
Note: all apps below require willpower.
Couch to 5K
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €2.99
If you’re starting from square one and you want an accessible routine, Couch to 5K is the closest thing you will get to that. Breaking it down into manageable goals over nine weeks, it’s great for getting you active and get you ready for a 5K run.
RunKeeper
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
While there are many running apps out there, RunKeeper is one of the older but better ones out there. With tracking features, training schedules for 10k, half-marathon and full marathons, it’s handy for those who are a little more serious about their running.
Calorie Counter by MyFitnessPal
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
We could always do with improving our diet, but if you need to fine tune it, Calorie Counter can really help. Keeping a database of more than five million foods, it also includes a recipe importer that allows you to save and track any recipe you see online. Also, it connects to most fitness apps giving you a more comprehensive activity feed.
Duolingo
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone (Web)
Cost: Free
It’s hard to argue against DuoLingo. It’s been around for so long yet it sets the standard for learning a language on the go. Breaking it up into manageable games, it’s great for getting the basics down and can even help you get into the advanced stages of a language.
CodeAcademy
For: Web
Cost: Free
Covering a wide range of coding disciplines, CodeAcademy is a bit like DuoLingo in that it breaks up lessons into easy to manage chunks. So long as you have a bit of free time most days, you’ll be able to pick up on the basics of C++, Javascript, HTML and others.
You Need a Budget
For: iOS, Android (PC and Mac)
Cost: €50
One of the most comprehensive budget apps out there, You Need A Budget works best on desktop but it’s incredibly useful to have when you’re on the go. The price may seem steep but if you give it the time it deserves, it can help you save money in the long-run.
Headspace
For: iOS, Android (web)
Cost: Subscription (10-day trial)
While there are many quality meditation apps out there, Headspace is a good place to start. Starting off with 10 minute segments before increasing it to 15 and 20 minutes, it’s a gentle introduction for anyone new to meditation and mindfulness.
Smoke Free (iOS) or Quit Smoking (Android)
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
There’s no consistent app across all platform but both Smoke Free and Quit Smoking focus on how you benefit from quitting. Giving you details like how much money you’ve saved, how your health is improving, and also giving bite-sized challenges for you to keep focused, it will ensure you stay on track.
I want to manage my time better
Way of Life (iOS) or Habit Bull (Android)
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
Granted, certain apps already offer a reminder feature, but if your resolution is more obscure, then Way of Life or Habit Bull will help. Both require you to log in your achievements but each one will remind you about tasks and build up a picture of how well (or badly) you’re doing.
This piece is part of 12 days of tech, a series offering quick tips and tech advice for you during the Christmas holidays. You can view previous entries here.
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Privatisation of waste was wrong another rush to monetise what should be a state controlled job
Here, some “rural” households don’t even get a bin collection service, as a result of private company’s taking over the job. Sort that out! Try carting black bags 20 mins away to the amenities centre in the boot of your car,with the kids and then hefting them (bags not kids) over a railing more than half the height of yourself. Not for the faint hearted! Where is out public services!
@Marie B: within a year of privatisation we went from 4 bins (waste, recycling, compost,glass) with three operators to choose from to 1 operator and just waste,recycling bins now.
I pay a flat rate of just over €80 every 3 months.. I get charged extra for exceeding my weight allowance on recycling.. I went to my recycling plant 20 min away with cardboard, plastic , tetra and payed €2 entry.. actually felt good doing a small bit for the environment.. my recycling bin is now 1/2 full every two weeks.. I asked for a reduction in charges and the advisor actually laughed down the phone at me.. no incentive to do the right thing at all.
@Kenny Malone: So cancel your contract with the bin suppliers and continue to bring your rubbish to the recycling plant. Money is better off in your pocket than there’s
Waste avoidance would also be a good starting point. Almost none of grocery packing is recyclebal.
@smatrix mantra: Don’t know what you are buying but most of the packaging on the stuff I buy is recyclable. Boxes, bottles, tins, plastic wrap, meat trays, all can be recycled as long as they are clean and dry.
handing bin collection over to private companies like we did with other utilities has been a real treat for Ireland. Overpriced, very little decent services in return. And to think some clowns actually wanted the same thing to happen to the water in this country
You think the so called greens would have sorted this but they have been too busy destroying the city and imposing taxes
Those figures are set to get considerably worse.
Panda (Now a subsidiary of a massive Canadian vulture fund) have a monopoly on collections in many areas and have now introduced a charge on compost lifts, increased the charge on recycling lifts, and added a per kg charge on top for recycling. End result – No incentive to segregate anymore. Everything just goes in general waste now, have contacted them to collect the Green and Brown bins as I don’t need them anymore.
Almost zero recycling bins in our capital city, let alone across towns and villages. Communal bottle banks and clothes banks are few and far between. You have to pay (!) to use the few small recycling centres there are.
Household waste…speaking for Dublin, even if they gave us more bin types (most countries go with plastic, paper, compost and other) theybsit on the street. Why the city can’t install underground communal bins is a mystery, instead we waste money on ‘strong’ plastic sacks to stick on the pavement for the seagulls and foxes to get into each week.
Meanwhile bin collection fees are high and no discount if you have less waste.
It’s not hard…we need to look at other countries in Europe and how they recycle, learn some lessons and then implement them.
I always segregate my waste, yet I read recently that only 20% of plastic in domestic bins, is fit to be recycled. Is it any wonder people aren’t bothered about which bin their waste goes into
If plastic was banned to begin with there would be no issue. Glass bottles, paper bags, keep cups. Cardboard packaging only. Unwrapped fruit and veg. Oh and using local fruit markets and butchers if that’s your thing. And stop eating processed and froxmzen foods. Some containers are nearly impossible to clean due to design oversight.
@Monty Carlow: To be honest, I sometimes rinse salad trays and stick them in the top shelf of the dishwasher. It melts them flat & gets them clean :-)
@Monty Carlow: Glass? I would buy more products in Glass containers if it was easier to recycle them. It is one the most recyclable products going and yet we are not allowed put it in our recycle bins!
It wasnt just Fingal charged €3.80 per Compost bin lift, it was the whole country? I’m in Wexford and i get charged it now too by Panda…Got emailed about it 3months ago.
We use the brown bin all the time but lately , especially during the really hot spell we had a dreadful problem with maggots in the bin. We are very careful with what we put in the bin and with sealing items which provoke these horrible things. We wash out the bin every time it is emptied and use a bin liner (Eco) but leaving collection of this bin for two weeks at a time is ridiculous, it needs to be emptied weekly. The charges have escalated and on a fixed income these charges are substantial, they should be tax deductible to encourage compliance but better yet the service should fall under the cover of our property taxes (home tax).
@Eileen Kelly: In other countries, they have a regular service to clean the bins as well. I don’t see why they can’t offer that here, monthly maybe, steam them out? Often those flimsy overpriced bags tear while they’re being emptied. I’m not sure what facilities apartments have for cleaning bins either.
Used to fastidiously separate my waste, until the brown bin charge came in. Why pay for 3 bins when I can pay for 2.
@Sean Wilde:
Agreed, it’s now about the cheapest option, not necessarily doing the right thing.
Charging for recycling and/or organic waste should be illegal. It is counterproductive.
As long as plastic is produced it will be a problem.
I am just confused over what can and can’t go in the bins especially when it comes to plastics.
@S Os: Check your collector’s website (we are with Wiser), they will have all the info you need.
I live on the Copper Coast. Most people around me just burn their rubbish.
I think Ireland is already one of the best countries in Europe for recycling but there’s still no thanks for it.
Price increases coming on cans and plastic btls to pay for recycling vending machines in February. Return and u get coupons for cash to get increases back.
Must have been horrible to go through it all to find out!
It had been so mismanaged through privatisation that I one gives a damn anymore.
If the rubbish could have been put into Eamon one end it could have come out the other green,or even the other way round cos what comes out of his mouth is similar to it why not try clone him and we all have 3 eamons as bins recycling, waste and garden then it can be evenly spread throughout green areas to enhance growth
Ye, there collection companies have a lot to answer for so…We pay them for 3 bins. Up to them to process the yrash and make sure its recycled or composted. Done our job our end
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