As smartphones become more and more common, developers are coming up with all kinds of innovative and ingenious apps, not just  to entertain people, but also, increasingly, to make them more intel- ligent. Here we discuss three apps that will help your exercise those  ‘little grey cells’, as Hercule Poirot would put it.

 

Memrise

Price Free (ios/Android)

 

Memrise is a language learning app that supports over 100 languages, including Japanese, Arabic and Spanish. Besides languages, it also has other fun courses. Memrise focuses heavily on learning words and phrases though flash cards and videos. The videos are probably the main hook of the app. They feature native speakers, so you know exactly how you’re supposed to pronounce them. This also makes the app feel more familiar and lively as you have a human teaching you.

 

To get you on track, there are three free modules: “Learn new words”, “Classic review” and “Speed review”. You learn new words in the first, strengthen already learned words and phrases in the second, and play a game of ‘quick answers’ in the third. You can also mark words and phrases you struggle with so that you can master them later. The app also has a paid version for more advanced learners.

 

Peak

Price Free (ios/Android)

 

 Peak-Brain Training is a mobile app that focuses on cognitive agility using short interactive games. When you start using the app, you are asked to set personal goals you would like to work on: memory, linguistic skills, focus, problem-solving, mental agility, or emotional processing.

 

 Following the selection, a virtual coach guides you through the program. An initial assessment is conducted, followed by feedback on your  performance, which includes comparisons with a particular age group  or profession.

 

There are more than 30 games to play, with enough variety to stop  your daily session from becoming a chore. The developers recommend  training three times a week for optimum results. 

Of all the brain training apps out there, this one is easily the most fun.

 

Reddit

Price Free (ios/Android)

 

Are you getting bored of Facebook and its lousy newsfeed? Want to feel a little more productive? Then go download the reddit app. With over 100K active communities, you can laugh, think, discuss and dig deep into topics that fascinate you.

 

 Yes, you can subscribe to topics that interest you and only these will appear in your newsfeed. You stay anonymous on reddit so you can express your opinions without fear of someone knowing it’s you. From history and politics to videogames and make-up, there are discussions on countless topics. And the best thing is that it is powered by the users themselves, called a subreddit, so for every question you have, someone has an answer.

 

 Western media use it as a tool to dig up interesting stories. It creates lots of controversies but also starts  many conversations. So be a part of the global conversation and download reddit today!