App reviews: Peek, Pandora

By Hayley Tsukayama, The Washington Post

Peek tours and activities

We’ve all been there: You’re on a trip with an over-planner, the type of person who is more focused on scheduling every second of a trip than enjoying it. Or maybe it’s the other way around: You’re in a city and realize you have no idea what to do. In either case, the travel site Peek and its new app could help, thanks to its carefully curated list of activities that you can book on the fly. The app, which combines its own editorial write-ups and user reviews, is designed to learn what activities are right for you, what’s nearby, and it has the added bonus of showing only open reservations. So you can be sure that whatever Peek lists will be there for you if you want it. Free, for iOS devices.

Pandora

Every once in a while, it’s good to revisit an old, favorite app — even one that might be collecting digital dust on your phone. In the case of the app for Pandora, the online radio service, the latest update brings something that could really please music lovers: an alarm clock feature. In a move that could give the service an edge (at least temporarily) over Apple’s iTunes Radio, Pandora’s lets you set an alarm, its snooze length, the station of your choice and the volume. For the alarm to work, you have to keep the Pandora alarm screen up while you sleep. And, as is the case with all clock alarms, don’t forget to plug it in. The new feature hits iOS devices first but should roll out to Android devices soon. Free, for iOS and Android; $3.99 in-app purchase for ad-free listening.