App reviews: Field Trip, World Bank Finances

By Hayley Tsukayama, The Washington Post

Field Trip

Looking for a quick getaway, but have limited time to research options? Consider Google’s Field Trip app, which runs in the background of your phone and highlights points of interest in your immediate area. The app’s not for everyone; people who get annoyed about push notifications, for example, or those not keen on sharing their location information with apps should skip this download. But for those who don’t mind sharing, Google offers everything from restaurant recommendations and pieces of local history to unexpected festivals and events you might enjoy. The app pulls from a number of content sources, including Zagat and Thrillist, for its unusual pieces of info, and lets users choose how frequently they want updates from any given source. For the best experience, consult Field Trip when you’re in a densely packed area — it has more limited use out in rural areas. Free, for Android and iOS devices.

World Bank Finances

It seems like an app only wonks could love, but anyone who’s in town for the World Bank’s annual meetings this weekend — or just curious about how the organization spends its money — may want to download this one. It gives a comprehensive view of ongoing and recently closed projects and is part of a greater push from the World Bank to offer more transparency. It also gives users a way to report data and give feedback to the World Bank.

The app, which is available in nine languages (including English), offers maps of projects as well as search tools to help you find the ones that interest you. Free, for Android and iOS devices.