I have to admit that I'm sort of a technology and social media geek. I adore all things digital. I'm that girl people come to with their tech questions regarding the social and mobile space. I can't help but get all nerdy about it. It's just my thing...
I recently attended a "
tweet up" here in Atlanta and found myself talking about my blog and then my favorite foodie mobile apps. Many of the people had not heard of these amazing apps, so I decided to put this shiny new blog post together with my faves. All of these apps are free!
Foodspotting
I've "spotted" over 100 dishes in less than a year with this handy app. It's
slick interface makes finding and recommending great dishes fun and easy to do. You can browse photos, ratings and descriptions of eats people have spotted to see what looks good at local restaurants. It's a cool way to discover new places to grub! Here's a little blurb from the app store:
As seen on The Today Show and in Travel + Leisure Magazine's Top Travel Apps, Foodspotting is a visual guide to good food and where to find it. It’s the leading app for finding and rating dishes, not just restaurants.
The fun part about this app is the social component. When you spot a dish, other users can "want it", "love it" or compliment you on your "great shot!" or "great find!" It's interesting to see what your friends are eating and what experts are spotting.
Go download it and find me on
Foodspotting!
Scoutmob
Ode to the Scoutmob app! This is one of my personal favorites because it lets you
explore your city with amazing deals at local venues. Scoutmob is an Atlanta-based start-up that is spreading like wild fire throughout major American cities. Currently the deals are only available in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., but they are ever expanding to new cities. Here's their blurb from the app store:
Say, you’re out on the town. You’re in the need of finding something new, something different, something local, and maybe just maybe, something that comes with a sweet, FREE incentive for being curious. Enter Scoutmob: your mobile guide to local deals, happenings, and whatever else is worth exploring in your city. Think of us like a pocket guide to finding out what’s awesome near you.
The Scoutmob app has some awesome features! You can sort by "deals near you" and discover local businesses close by ranging from restaurants to bars to boutiques. They have incredibly detailed, interesting reviews with photos for each venue that make you want to check them out. The recent Android update is gorgeous -- I'm loving the new look!
In addition to the deals, Scoutmob posts a weekly roundup of cool events worth attending in your city, so there's always something new to do with friends. And they have Hand-Picked Deals that are really hard to pass up. These are special events like super clubs, rock star yoga, cooking classes, craft nights and more. Scoutmob keeps life interesting! Here's the rundown:
What is Scoutmob? from
Scoutmob on
Vimeo.
LevelUp
This little app is
revolutionizing the way I pay for things. With LevelUp you connect your credit or debit card and pay at participating vendors using your smart phone. It's super fast and easy to do, plus very secure with an option to password protect your account. The best part is, the more you use LevelUp you get rebates at your favorite venues. The first time I used the app my $7 meal was only $2 because of the instant rebate!
Currently Level up is available at thousands of businesses in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. I'm sure they will be expanding to more soon too.
This is how it works... once you register, you get a unique QR code that's stored in the app. When you're ready to pay, show your phone to the merchant and they'll scan it (either with their smart phone or a special device). You'll get an instant digital receipt (save trees!) and it's just like using your card, only faster. Each time you go back to a merchant you unlock rewards and can earn cash rebates, aka instant discounts!
It's pretty awesome and definitely worth a try.
Sign up for LevelUp today!
Starbucks
Everyone knows Starbucks, the international coffee king. If you're a fan, their mobile app is the
fastest way to pay, reload your Starbucks Card and track your Stars. The app will display a barcode that you scan (or the barista punches in) just like your card to make purchases at Starbucks. You can check your balance, reload your card with any major credit card, view your transactions and conveniently track your Stars in the My Starbucks Rewards program. The more stars you collect the more free stuff they give you, like free syrup, soy milk and a birthday drink. It's been a helpful little app and keeps my Starbucks
addiction budget in check!
Yelp
Good old Yelp! I have to say that I'm pretty new to the Yelp community. I find their weekly local emails helpful for discovering review highlights of new places I need to check out. I mainly use it to
search local businesses and browse reviews to see what people like (and what I should avoid). You can also search nearby places to find a bar, cafe, etc. and find out if a venue is actually open before you trek all the way over there. Here's a blurb from the app store:
Looking for a burrito joint open now? An Irish pub nearby? A gas station you can drive to before your tank hits empty? Yelp for Android is here to help. Use us to search for places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play then read reviews from an active community of locals in the know.
Not many people realize it, but Yelp also has deals. The best one in Atlanta is the FREE SIDE at Yeah! Burger with every Yelp check-in! Other app features include posting quick tips, photos and reviews, the ability to make reservations on OpenTable, check-in and map out locations for thousands of businesses. Super useful app!
Now go download these apps and have some fun!
heart rate monitor pictured above and The Beauty Detox Solution book. I'm ready to roll!
