Find out if your house has an intruder
YOUR HOME
Presence Apple, Android Price: Free
IF YOU have an old iPhone lying around, why not turn it into a security camera? All you need is the phone to be charged – leaving it plugged in will ensure the battery won’t die – and connected to WiFi. A motion detector then alerts you by email if something moves in front of the camera.
Daft.ie Apple, Android Price: Free
THE property website’s app will help you find homes for rent and for sale and scout out what is on offer. The app is a much easier way to navigate when using a phone or tablet.
IKEA catalogue Apple, Android Price: Free
SEE and buy virtually all Ikea products, with embedded videos and pictures showing styles and colours. You can see how items from the catalogue would look in your home, share ideas with friends and scan pages in the printed catalogue to download even more ideas and info. And of course, make a virtual shopping list.
Houzz Formats: Apple, Android, Kindle Fire Price: Free
A MUST for the stylish decorator or home builder. It’s packed with countless stunning interior and exterior design photos, marked with green tags that tell you what you’re looking at, who makes it and how to buy it.
Clinometer Apple, Android, Windows Price: Free
THIS is one of the really practical uses for your smart phone. It allows your device to be turned into a spirit level. You just hold your phone on the surface or object you need to check and the app will tell you the vertical, horizontal or digonal tilt.
Hassle.com Formats: Apple, Android, Price: Free
IF YOU’VE ever wished you had a house cleaner, it’s never been easier to find one. Currently only available in Dublin, this app makes it simple to make a booking – claiming it only takes 60 seconds. A €12-per-hour fee will get you a vetted cleaner.
ESB POWERCHECK Apple, Android Price: Free
THIS might not be an app that you use every day but it could certainly prove to be useful as winter approaches. It gives real-time information regarding power interruptions, including expected restoration times.
GARDENING
Garden Bugs iPhone, Android Price: Free
A GUIDE to pests and diseases that attack plants, from slugs and bugs to fungal infections and blackspot. If something’s attacking your garden and you want to know what it is and what you can do, this is a good place to start.
Gardenate iPhone, iPad, Android, Price: 89c to €1.42
IF YOU want to grow your own veg, then Gardenate is a great resource to have. It has a long list of vegetables and a few fruits, giving detailed instructions for cultivating, tips on using them in the kitchen and a monthly calendar to tell you what to do and when. Ideal for beginners venturing into a new leafy, green world.
RHS Grow Your Own Apple iPhone Price: Free
THIS app is filled with expert advice on growing 40 vegetables and fruits. But it’s available only on iPhone and to get more plants you have to buy four packs of veg, fruit and herbs at around €2.40 each.