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I remember back in college thinking that the iPod was frivolous. As a die-hard music nerd, I loved buying albums — the kind you hold and hold on to. I loved reading the lyrics, studying the art work, reading the thank you notes. As we still blame technology for today, the iPod seemed it would disconnect me from the real world. Now, unable to part with our smart phones, the Apple Watch supposedly offers its users the ease of checking and completing everyday tasks more efficiently, saving us time and from having us to constantly be on our phones. It sounds like a dream, but a long shot, as well.

So, is it true? Well, kind of. In the few weeks I’ve had the Apple Watch, I’ve discovered what it offers more than the iPhone is discreetness, accountability, and an added level of convenience. With a gentle nudge, I’m notified throughout the day about meetings, messages, and taking time to stop what I’m doing and take a break, all without having to look at my phone.

In my quest for productivity and pushing my boundaries this year, I’ve been testing out some apps on the Apple Watch, and here are some of my best finds so far. As a woman, these are particularly of benefit to me, but men can likely appreciate many of these, too.

Thirteen Awesome Apps for Women on the Apple Watch:

1.) Travel on foot: Citymapper 
Miss HopStop? Meet Citymapper. Whether you’re in a city visiting or you’re a resident trying to navigate public transportation to a meeting on a side of town you’ve never gone to before,  City Mapper will help get you there without looking like a tourist. Step-by-step and real time instructions on which direction to walk and which bus, train, or subway to hop on.

2.) Travel by car: Uber
Book your ride instantly based on your location straight from your Apple Watch. Create an Uber account first from your iPhone to save on time first!

3.) Travel in the sky: App in the Air 
I can’t wait to try App in Air. I’m consistently guilty of constantly checking my phone on the way to the airport and at the airport to see if my flight has been delayed or the gate has been changed after being surprised in the past (“what do you mean my gate is now in Terminal Z and the gate closes in 5 minutes?”). With your flight number, App in the Air notifies you immediately of timing or changes to your itinerary.

4.) Travel in another country: iTranslate
I love iTranslate on the iPhone, but dare I say it’s even more convenient on the Apple Watch and works just the same. Simply choose the language you would like to translate, record what you would like to translate and get a written or audible result instantly.

5.) Lunch: Yelp!
You used your City Mapper app to get you to your meeting and need to grab a bite before heading back to the office. The Yelp! app for Apple Watch automatically geo-locates restaurants in your immediate vicinity – and you can read reviews, too.

6.) Entertainment: Instagram
Browse your feed and get instant notifications on likes and comments on your latest posts. A perfect way to kill a few minutes in the waiting room at the doctor’s office when you’re not supposed to be on your phone. (And every other moment of the day when you want to know how many likes your smoothie got, we know.)

7.) Photography: Camera watch (native)
Your Apple Watch offers a remote control to operate your iPhone camera. Bad selfie angles, be gone!

8.) Music: Shazam
As a DJ and music lover, I use Shazam on my iPhone all the time. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed a song because by the time I opened my Shazam app on my phone, the song had happened. With the app on the Apple Watch, you can start identifying your mystery track in seconds.

9.) Productivity: Evernote
I live by Evernote for work. With the Apple Watch app, you can browse notes you took on your desktop or iPad right before a meeting on your watch or add/delete things from your to-do lists.

10.) Reminders: Just Press Record
When you’re on the go, have a brilliant idea or just a thought you don’t want to forget? Just Press Record and speak your thought straight into an audio file, which will sync with your other Apple devices so you can pick up on that thought later.

11.) Exercise: 7 Minute Workout “Seven” with High Intensity Interval Training Challenge /Fit Star Yoga
Constantly glancing at your phone or your tablet for your next yoga move totally kills the flow. This app presents your next move on your watch so you don’t have to pause. And with the Apple Watch’s built-in health trackers, like heart rate monitoring, you’ll even know how many calories you’ve burned afterwards. It syncs with other health apps like MyFitnessPal, too!

12.) Health: Lifesum
Research shows that you are more likely to lose weight if you track what you’re eat. Similar to other nutrition trackers like MyFitnessPal, Lifesum also offers nutritional rankings to foods and suggests what to eat to balance your diet for the day. Also, browse free healthy recipe, too.

13.) News: NY Times
Always stay up-to-date on national breaking news with notifications that head straight to your wrist on NYTimes Apple Watch app. I haven’t found a local news outlet that offers the same, but your demographic may have one – check it out.

What are your favorite Apple Watch apps? Tell us in the comments below! 

Evernote screen shots courtesy of evernote.com.