Chicks ‘n Clicks: “Female-oriented” apps? Bah!

Have you ever noticed that almost every must-have iPhone list for women includes at least one type of “monthly” tracker? They also tend to revolve around shopping lists, recipe guides and styling apps — as if that’s all we care about! I don’t know who makes those lists, but most of the women I know are interested in more than just clothes shopping and manicures.

Here’s what I think is missing from them. These are all free to pick up via iTunes (by clicking the links), but have proven priceless to me:

1. Pandora Radio / Slacker Radio
Everything in life is easier dealt with when powered by a musical soundtrack, no? When you get bored of your own overplayed song selections, these apps offer new suggestions based on what you already love. You start with a band, artist or song you know and enjoy, and then they automatically queue up other bands with a similar sound for you enjoy (or nix) while you’re working out, shopping, writing your memoir, etc. And the more you use them, the better the suggestions. Pandora has recently gone through an update for bug fixes, improved streaming and enhanced features for the iPad. And the buzz on Slacker is that it will soon feature station caching, for offline access, so keep your eyes peeled for this.

2. Take Me To My Car
You might not believe me now, but you will thank me after using this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten where I parked my car! We stop, planning to go into only one store, but then we run into so-and-so, grab lunch somewhere, walk a few blocks to pick up a grocery item, then the dry cleaners, etc. Before you know it, you don’t remember where you started. (Or worse — if you do happen to be in your high heels or schlepping big shopping bags, the car hunt is extra un-fun.) This app does the remembering for you. One tap to mark a location, and launch it later for walking directions!

3. Starbucks Mobile Card
Starbucks fan? Even if you’re not, but are just desperate for a caffeine fix, this is a lifesaver. Whether you live and die by your grande mochas, or just keep a few bucks loaded onto a card for emergencies, this app is a must-have. It lets you reload your Starbucks card balance from your device, and some locations will even let you pay using your iPhone! Nothing beats this when you’re in a rush. Recent updates now support the MyStarbucks Rewards Program, and it now shows you how close you are to earning free drinks.

4. Groupon
If you haven’t heard of Groupon, please go take a look at the website. Go ahead, I’ll wait… Right?! Groupon is an amazing site that emails you “one ridiculously huge coupon each day, on the best things to eat, see, do and buy in [your US or Canadian city]. It offers some pretty spectacular deals on restaurants, spas, comedy shows, etc. for lifestyle hounds and culture vultures on a budget. This iPhone app makes it easy to keep tabs on which Groupons you’ve bought or want to buy. Some places will even accept a Groupon displayed on your phone, instead of a printed-out hard copy. Now that’s convenient.

5. NikeWomen Training Club
You need to make a free account at NikeWomen.com before using this app, but I promise you it’s worth it. NikeWomen Training Club helps you stay in shape. Workouts range from core to cardio and have various settings — casual, committed and intense (they’re not joking!). There are also workout videos, delivered based on your settings. Although the vids aren’t really “wow” material, I love this app because you can coordinate with friends to keep track of each other’s progress, share motivational tips or — if you’re feeling up to it — a bit of healthy competition.

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I’m big on productivity apps and apps that give back. The stylist games and tarot card apps are fun, but life happens. I know these are only five out of thousands of great apps for women, but this is only my fourth column. So stick around, and before you know it, your iPhone will be packed full of goodies!

Ladies, do you have any awesome recommendations you think I should check out? What about you, guys? Got a favorite app? Or one that your gf/wife can’t put down (for better or worse ;-) ? Let me know in the comments!

(Thumbnail image source.)