5 Nerdy Apps for Earth Day

Chances are you’ll be spending most of this year’s Earth Day in the office and not hiking along the Patagonia region. So, unless there’s a continental drift taking place, go on and take your lunch outside (and don’t forget to turn off a few lights on your way). Shimmy on down below for a list of five nerdy-meets-humanitarian apps to download this Earth Day. But hey, not during lunch. Put your device down and take in the pollen!

RecyclenationBroken Christmas lights, old kitchen linoleum, dehumidifiers. Not sure how to properly recycle them? Us either. Recyclenation offers information on drop off, curbside, mail back, and pick up options and locations for more than 2,500 items within 13 material categories. Yes, even floppy disks and cassette tapes made the list.

Neur.ioThis little guy requires a bit of a lifestyle change, and some upfront cash. But Neur.io doesn’t require retrofitting your humble abode with Internet connected devices to have a “smart home”. Plugging into your home’s breaker panel, the device monitors electrical use, notifying you when your towels are dry, if you’ve left your oven on after your banana bread has finished baking and identifying which culprit is guzzling the most power. (Hello extra cash money.)

FreecycleIf you’re looking to do a bit of spring-cleaning this weekend and wind up with a pile of items that are still usable (but no longer of any use to you) give Freecycle a look. Free, and with no strings attached, community members can either post, or request items, saving space at the local landfills and giving another life to that ottoman you were about to pitch.

Ingress_Intel_Map_full-screen

IngressThe sum and substance is that Ingress is a massively multiplayer augmented-reality game, transforming the “real-world” into a game of mystery, intrigue, and competition. So yes, you have to go outside to play. It’s become quite a cultural phenomenon over the years, players tasked with capturing portals, and linking multiple captured portals to create control fields. It’s got one heck of a Sci-fi narrative and a plethora of dedicated users, too.

Sky GuideIs that Saturn? Nevermind, it’s moving. Okay, this one comes with a price tag. But it’s also compatible with the Apple watch. Complete with a soundtrack and a time-lapse feature to boot, Sky Guide has a built-in compass to locate the constellations, planets and satellites whizzing around right above your noggin.