As society’s needs become more complex and specific, developers have new niches to fill with their software projects. Some are quite helpful, but some are just bizarre. Regardless of what these needs are, sooner or later, there is or will be an app for that.
1. Fraxinus
Let’s start out with a game that can help you save the world, well kinda. The game Fraxinus is a puzzle game that allows you to help scientists save a certain species of ash tree in England from extinction. Currently, the ash tree is plagued by a certain fungus, and because of this, scientists are looking for strains of the ash tree that are resistant to it.
Enter the game Fraxinus. This bejeweled-esque game gives players a small sample of actual ash DNA that is represented as a string colorful diamonds. It is the players duty to as match a number of random sequences to the given sample as closely as possible. This addictive game allows players to steal sequences from other gamers, which fosters a healthy sense of competition. This competition ensures that the genetic information provided by the players will be diverse and sound.
2. Chains.cc
This next app is for those that are looking to make or break habits. Back in the day, when Jerry Seinfeld was not the superstar he is today, he realized that in order for him to succeed as a stand-up comedian, he would have to spend time writing everyday. So he bought a large yearlong calendar, and hung it up on his wall. Everyday that he was satisfied with the amount of time he spent on writing, he would mark it with a huge red X. As time went by, he would have these long chains of exes.
Chains.cc borrows from this psychological trick. Everyday you perform a certain task, you get to add to the chain. The longer the chain, the more hesitant you become to breaking the chain, in theory.
3. Kahnoodle
This one probably falls under the “bizarre” category, but if your relationship isn’t working, give it a try I guess? Kahnoodle is an app that allows you to gamify your relationship.
Gamify? Gamification is a form of turning a mundane task into a game. As Beusman from Jezebel explains, “For instance, Foursquare gamifies going to stores and restaurants; activity tracking apps gamify exercise; giving schoolchildren stars for good behavior gamifies not being a little shit.”
Anyway. When you first download the app, you are asked to rank a bunch of relationshippy activities, such as hugging, kissing, compliments, and sexual intimacy. Once you’ve done that, you link up your account with your significant other and log these events. As these events are logged, a “Love Meter” is filled, and once it’s filled, you can redeem these “Kudos points” for “Koupons” which are redeemable for such activities as “Go on a picnic!” or “Make a sextape!”
So basically, this relationshapp will allow you to do this: “Here’s a hug! Your hair looks so good today! I’d like to redeem these Kudos’es for oral sex, please.”