Seniors Site

Useful Internet Apps for Seniors

First of all, internet apps are tools. The word “apps” stands for “tools”, in other words, when you say internet apps, you’re talking about internet tools. Tools that will help you make your computer days easier and enjoyable. Before we move on further, I would like to warn you that there are thousands, if not millions, of internet apps to date. Whether you’re using a Mac or running on Windows, a tech-savvy senior can indeed find useful internet apps to suit their needs—some are paid and others are for free.

However, no matter how good it sounds like, you don’t need them all. Plus, it is impossible to download them all as well. My advice is, stick with the popular ones and read reviews. Find out if it can do you more good than not since internet apps are not without glitches, especially free ones. Aside from that, you might want to practice safe downloading measures as some of them contain harmful viruses that can ruin your computer system—worst, a spyware which steals your personal info.

Like I said, it is important that when you look for an internet app, you must have an idea of what you want and need. Below are what I think will benefit seniors tremendously but safe enough to be downloaded or used.

•    Google Earth:  Planning to see the world without ever leaving your chair? Or perhaps experience running a plane via a flight simulator? Even better, watch the stars and celestial bodies realtime? All these things and more, you can do with Google Earth. Yes, there’s a free version.
•    Google Maps:  Stuck in the middle of nowhere during a supposedly fun road trip? Consult your Google Maps and you’ll be amazed how far it can take you with little planning! Basically, it works similarly to a GPS when installed to your mobile phone but it doesn’t require a receiver but you still need an internet connection, of course.
•    Skype:  Looking for ways to cut on your phone bills? Then download Skype! Everybody is on Skype, you just have to ask your friends’ and relatives’ Skype IDs, find them over Skype and add them to your contacts. Now you can talk with them for free! You can also use it to call landbased and mobile phones, of course you need to pay for those.
•    PayPal:  PayPal offers apps which you can access from your mobile phone, enabling you to send or transfer money from almost everywhere. PayPal is important for those who are planning to start their own online stores and even to those who loves shopping online as it doesn’t expose financial details on transactions.
•    Remember the Milk. I soooooo love this one as it keeps me in track. Basically it is a task manager. Think of it as your personal assistant reminding you of your priorities. It can also be integrated to popular online services such as Google calendar and Twitter.