The Hour

There seems to be an application for almost everything nowadays. All life’s little problems, from sleeping past your bus stop to losing your car in a car-park, have now become obsolete thanks to app gadgetry. The Hour’s very own gadget guru Colin Kelly took a look at the pick of the bunch.

January heralds in a new year and, for most people, a new start and a new outlook on life. If you feel like getting fit this year perhaps the FitDeck (FREE, iPhone/Android/BlackBerry) is the ideal way to get you motivated? Containing three separate modules, beginners, intermediate and expert, this nifty app will give you a step-by-step guide on getting the best from your body.

“It’s a great gadget,” said Colin, who had tried the app out at his local gym. “It is easy to use and the diagrams and exercises are really easy to understand. It keeps your work out varied and interesting.”

From keeping active to keeping awake, the Sleep Blaster app (£1.79, iPhone) will ensure that you never wake up in a bus depot again. It emits a loud alarm call whenever you move past a designated point (i.e. your scheduled stop), thus stopping you falling asleep and heading right past it.

For the dozy car owner, who can often be seen wandering aimlessly around supermarket car parks, the Car AR finder (Free trail, Android) is a must for downloading. By taking a simple reading after parking your car you can return safe in the knowledge that Car Finder will point you in the right direction using its clever GPS system. Your keys are a different matter all-together however.

If bargain hunting is your speciality (or weak-point) look no further than the Red Laser app (FREE, iPhone). This clever application uses an integrated barcode scanner to instantly search for the cheapest online offers. All you have to do is point your camera at the items barcode, and go searching for a bargain.

Colin said: “This is the app the shops don’t want you to know about. There really is an app for everything!”

Colin Kelly gadgets

• Colin Kelly's Christmas wish-list
• Grooming gadgets with Colin Kelly