March 06, 05:30 AM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 Most people do not realize they have window to the world at their fingertips with their smartphone. Each minute spent on the road/train launching birds at pigs or flying birds past pipes is a minute lost enriching your life and mind, why not put that time to good use and make yourself smarter – here are 10 apps that will help you get started:
1. TED
Need some daily inspiration and gain some insights at how successful individuals in society pull it off? Look no further than TED. TED publishes 10-minute videos of experts sharing big ideas in bite-sizes.
“But I already have YouTube, why would I need this app!?” YouTube is another big time waster. If you were to get lost in a rabbit hole, do it within an environment that just leads you to more educational videos.
Surrounding yourself with smart people is a thing of the past. Watch enough of TED and their smarts would definitely rub off; or at least their presentations skills would. Here's one video to start you off:
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2. Duolingo
Want to say croissant the French way and Volkswagon with German gusto?
With Duolingo, quickly pick up the basics of a language direct from your mobile phone. It even has alerts to ‘remind’ you that it is time for your daily session. The app structures lessons in the form of challenges and 'games' where you can earn points and rewards, so if you're someone who likes earning achievements in games this app is right up your alley.
The app lacks a Singlish module though.
3. Luminosity
A brain training app that is made by the same people who study the brain – neuroscientists!
By throwing up words such as “games”, “personalized” and “progress-tracking”, Luminosity really does work hard at delivering their promise in making a smarter individual to all their participants.
Available in bite sized portions, each challenge is aimed at giving users a sense of accomplishment without taxing the mind too much.
Luminosity for iOS
4. Evernote
Evernote is designed to help you remember anything and everything but first you will need to install all the associated add-ons and make sure the catalogue them accordingly. If laziness gets the upper-hand, Evernote allows in-app search as well.
There’s a reason why the icon is an elephant, because the elephant never…..
5. Codeacademy
Our lives are intertwined with computers yet a large majority of us do not know what makes them tick. If you can read English and have a simple grasp of languages, why not pick up a new language, one that speaks to computers!
Like all of the awesome apps mentioned so far, Codeacademy breaks up their lessons in small bite sized chunks that help individuals process the magic behind a website.
Codeacademy for iOS
6. Howcast
Everyone was a novice at some point of their lives or a lack of a better word would be the often heard label – “noob”
Instead of searching on YouTube and landing on how-to videos of questionable quality, Howcast will be able to fill that gap.
Most of the videos are straight to the point, just about the time it takes to finish your business on the toilet bowl.
7. Words-With-Friends
This is probably the most fun app on this list. Expand your vocabulary and at the same time scheme on how to prevent your opponent from outscoring you. English and math at the same time!
Not convinced? Let the scientists tell you otherwise then.
Words-With-Friends for Android | iOS
8. Quora
At the times when Google/Yahoo returns search queries that are suspect, why not visit Quora and find out if an expert in their field has already answered a similar question?
Boasting of a rich community of knowledge seeking individuals, Quora is by far the best place to obtain an answer that you might never know existed. It could also put you in touch directly with the brightest minds on the planet. Don’t forget to give back!
9. Wikipedia
The granddaddy of all information is here. For the child of the Internet, not a search entry goes by without Wikipedia turning up as one of the top few results.
Instead of only consulting Wikipedia when searching for a topic, why not check out the daily featured article for a quite dose of info. It might just come in handy during trivia night.
10. WolframAlpha
If the name rings a bell, it's because WolframAlpha powers Siri's brain and instead of asking Google questions, try WolframAlpha instead.
For more complex topics, Google often turns up a Wikipedia entry. However, WolframAlpha taps into a pool of data that is not language based to provide results that might be more accurate that Google can ever provide.
But honestly, if you need help with a math question, WolframAlpha is the place to head to.
Wolfram Alpha for Android | iOS
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