I recently had a small change in my life which required me to spend more time on the road. It is not the best of places to be and it “eats” a lot of time of our days which could be much more productive.
I am leaving some tips here for app which help not to throw that time away and learn a few things while you are driving.
Audible
This is the app that gave me the idea to write this article. Audible is an audio book service and with the app it is possible to download the book and listen to them. I always fought to actually finish reading books (starting is not the problem). During this period while I was 2 hours a day on the road, I managed to “read” a book and a half in just 2 weeks! I could even finish more of them if I did not pick books that were so big.
Audible is not the only audio book service out there. Do some searching and pick a service that fits you and your pocket.
Audible: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audible.application
Podcast & radio addict
There are dozens of apps for podcast subscription management. This is the one I chose for mine and it can give you hours or audio learning and entertainment.
Podcast & radio addict: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict
I became aware of this app by accident when the browser extension was included by default in Firefox. It allows you to save simplified offline versions of web pages to read later. A feature that is not so well known is the text-to-speech. This allows us to keep our eyes on the road while we listen to the articles. The feature is configurable to read in many languages including Portuguese (Brazilian) and English.
Besides its use on the road, saving articles for later is also useful in situations like traveling or dead periods of waiting (in banks or public services).
Pocket: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ideashower.readitlater.pro
TED
This is an endless source of videos from various TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conferences. There are topics for everyone and I always feel a little dumber when I see one of the videos. There was even a time when I always started my day with a TED video.
The app lets you download videos for later viewing offline and has the advantage that videos keep playing even when the display is off.
TED: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ted.android
YouTube
In many countries, including ours, the YouTube app lets you download some videos without having to pay for YouTube Premium. Unlike the TED app, videos only play with the app open and the display on. So choose your videos carefully and make sure you keep your eyes on the road.
YouTube: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.youtube