Last week I mentioned some of the great tea-themed gifts I received for my birthday, but my favorite gift was the iPod touch my husband got for me! It was great for checking e-mail at WiFi spots while at the beach last week, and it has a note-taking feature I really love. I've used it to store photos of some plants and flowers I'm trying to identify, and I've downloaded two entire versions of the Bible, which will certainly save some room in my pocketbook! But the reason I was most excited about this new device was that I'd long wanted to know what all the "app" stuff is about. Now I'm slowly learning. A few days after I got the new iPod, it occurred to me that someone might have come up with a tea app (application) or two, and wow, have they!
The first one I found was Teavana's "Perfect Tea Touch" app, and it includes a Tea Blender (to guide you in blending your own Teavana brand teas), a tea timer, a listing of their teas, and links to shopping online and in their stores.
The next tea app I downloaded was one from another familiar tea vendor, Tea Forté, and it includes descriptions of teas, recipes, and a tea timer. Both this company and Teavana offer a countdown clock which plays music and ticks off the seconds as you steep your tea. Have I used it? No, but then I'm more interested in the information than the clock.
Tea Forté's app also has links to their company information as well as their presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. I had no idea tea companies were this "connected." And I have merely scratched the surface of this fascinating world. The two tea apps I downloaded were free, and there are plenty more tea apps out there, some free and some not. "Rate:Tea" (99 cents) lets you rate teas and exchange ratings with friends, locate tea houses and find info on 2,500+ blends of tea. Adagio Tea's app offers its popular TeaMap listings (free). Deep Powder Software's Asian Tea Terms (99 cents) claims "tons" of tea terms (I wish they'd define "tons"). And Appsessions, LLC has an app that's an audiobook version of "The Book of Tea" by Okakura Kakuzo (99 cents). I will probably check out all the free tea apps eventually, but so far I haven't been persuaded to pay for anything. So what about you? Are any of my fellow tea-loving technology geeks exploring tea apps these days?
Yet again we have so much in common! After hearing me wishing OUT LOUD so often for the iphone, my family surprised me (more like shocked me) for mother's day and gave me the iphone. I am so excited, but like you still learning. I can't believe I didn't think of "Tea Apps", but now I am so with you, as soon as I write this, they will be downloaded. Thanks and have fun with your new "toy"!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize how much fun you could have with an Ipod Touch. You know I like all things Apple.
ReplyDeleteYour sweet hubby is a really good gift shopper, isn't he? What fun to be able to have tea apps on your iPod.
ReplyDeleteThank you for mentioning these apps! My husband already uses his iPhone's timer function to time his tea brewing, but I think the Tea Forte app sounds like a fun way to do it instead.
ReplyDeleteNot yet, but sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea there were tea apps. Guess there really is an app for everything. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for the app information. I have a tea timer app on my iphone. I will explore a little more to see what else I can find.
ReplyDeleteAll are fabulous and the clay tea pot is my favorite one..such a awesome art.
ReplyDeleteCool!
ReplyDeleteLurve my iphone! Oh YES the tea list goes on and on! My favorites are the audio books as I listen to those while doing work and driving in the car. Lurve that!
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