In the AppDate Valentine’s special, SEAN BACHER highlight, Cookbook Recipes, Tinder, UberEATS, Simfy and ShowMax.
Cookbook Recipes
Nothing says I love you quite like a home-cooked, candle-lit dinner. However, not everyone is a Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver or even Julia Child in the kitchen. To help get your meal on its way, try Cookbook Recipes. The app lets one search for dishes based on ingredients, time taken to cook and cooking difficulty. All recipes are easy to follow with step by step instruction to ensure your Valentine’s meal doesn’t end up a Valentine’s disaster.
Platform: Android but with similar apps available on iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Visit the Google Play Store for downloading instructions.
Tinder
Despite some of the bad publicity Tinder has received, it is still a great app for meeting new people. Making new connections on Tinder is easy and fun—just Swipe Right to Like someone, or Swipe Left to pass. If someone likes you back, it’s a match and you are able to chat through the app. That’s a recommended process before giving out your cellphone number, aside from the obvious safety rules, like making sure people are who they claim to be, and meeting in a public space where security is available.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download with limited features is available. Tinder Plus costs R33 per month, which boosts your profile to the top of the line, allowing you to be seen by more users.
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
UberEATS
No time to cook? We have you covered. Well, actually, UberEATS does. Select your desired restaurant from the app, and then the meal. Once your selection is made, a delivery time will be given, along with the price. Should the two of you feel like different food types, thats no problem as one can chose food from different restaurants. Once ordered, your meals can be tracked in real-time on a smartphone or tablet.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
Simfy Africa
The perfect accompaniment to dinner at home for two is some ambient music. Simfy Africa offers access to over 32-million songs. Playlists can be created and songs easily downloaded to set the mood. Simfy can be downloaded on a range of devices including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and computers, so the music can follow from room to room as the evening progresses.
Although Simfy offers a great selection of songs there are numerous other music streaming services available for download.
Platform: Android, iOS and most other devices with an Internet browser.
Expect to pay: The first two weeks are free, and then R60 per month.
Stockists: www.simfyafrica.com
ShowMax
Once the food has digested, a little TV could be the perfect end to Valentine’s Day. ShowMax offers a massive selection of movies, series and documentaries. Like Simfy, ShowMax can be installed on most smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and computers – making it easy to enjoy anywhere in the house where there is a Wi-Fi signal. Signing up is quick and easy and ShowMax keeps tabs on your data usage, ensuring you don’t overdo it on a binge-watching evening.
ShowMax’s partnerships with Telkom and Vodacom also make streaming TV a little more affordable.
Besides ShowMax, one has access to a range of international and local video-on-demand services.
Platform: Android, iOS and most other devices with an Internet browser.
Expect to pay: The first two week’s of use are free after which ShowMax costs R99 per month.
Stockists: www.showmax.com
* Sean Bacher is editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter on @SeanBacher