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The best creative and productivity apps for students
So you've picked out a shiny new laptop, tablet or phone to take with you to school this year. Well, it's nothing without some apps. Your hardware may come with the basics, but there's a whole world of tools for creating things, getting organized, tracking your life and -- in some cases -- just staying sane. (That's easier said than done come finals time.) Our top choices here will help you get your life in order and also exercise those all-important creativity muscles. You may not be going after a degree in music production, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't stay up all night jamming in Ableton Live. All told, we've got picks for visual art, photo editing, meditating, getting better sleep, making an album in your dorm room, writing the next great novel (or term paper) and much more. We've also tried to cover a variety of price points -- in fact, many of these apps are free, at least to start. But in a lot of cases, stepping up to a premium subscription or full purchase will make them that much more useful, so we've outlined exactly what you get for your money and what you can get before you have to pay.
Sony's latest SmartBand has a heart rate monitor
Sony has revealed the SmartBand 2, a new version of its original fitness tracker that brings a much-needed heart rate monitor. That was a notable omission from the first SmartBand, a device that's mostly aimed at the sports set. In fact, the new model looks much the same as the original and keeps the same raison d'etre: it tracks your fitness levels and nearly everything else you do using the Lifelog app. While it lacks a screen, it can keep you abreast of your smartphone reminders via LED and vibration notifications.
Jawbone Up detailed: tracks activity, food intake and sleep cycles, available November 6 for $100 (video)
Back in July, Jawbone did something puzzling. The company, best known for its Bluetooth headsets, teased a photo of a colorful wristband called the Up -- a deceptively simple thing that could purportedly track your eating, sleeping and exercise habits. The outfit left out a few teensy details: the price, shipping date and, the biggest riddle of all, how it works. At last, the company's ready to talk specifics. We just got word the Up will be available in the US November 6th for $100, and will continue its world tour on the 17th. With that price, it's well-matched against the clip-on Fitbit Ultra tracker, and indeed, they have some key features in common -- namely, a step counter and a few requisite social networking features. But with a sensor that knows when you're in deep sleep and a mobile app that can identify photos of food, it has a few unexpected tricks that could give devices like Fitbit a run for their money. We'll be getting one to test very soon, but in the meantime, join us past the break to learn more. %Gallery-138250%
Lark's silent alarm clock hitting Apple Stores on June 14, promises not to wake your bedmate
Remember the Lark Up, that alarm clock that's likely to scare the bejesus out of you by sending vibrations through your unsuspecting wrist? The company's already taking pre-orders, but come June 14, you'll finally be able to waltz into an Apple store and handle one in person. For $129, it promises its silent vibrations won't wake your bedfellow, but if you've got a New Agey streak you can spend an extra $60 for one that analyzes your seven-day sleep history, including how long it took to fall asleep and how many times you woke during the night. For now, it's only available for iOS (hence, the Apple Store launch) but an Android version's predictably on the way, too. So is all this worth a good night's sleep? We'll leave that to you and your bed partner (or partners, if it's been that kind of week).
