I Resolve to...

Having trouble keeping that New Year’s Resolution? There’s an app for that.

Compiled by Hadeel Hegazy

It all seems so easy on January 1, as you promise to change your life for the better. But many of us start to lose steam by mid-month, and ambitious goals seem like distant dreams by February. It’s time to let your smartphone use its superpowers for good, with apps to keep you on track throughout the year.   ...Lose weight.   Lose It! This free iOS app helps you track calories, food and exercise on your iPhone, iPad or computer. Because fitness is more fun with peer support, Lose It!’s challenge feature unlocks your competitive side in head-to-head, team, and group-based challenges. The app can also create a weight loss plan customized to your lifestyle. Available on iTunes.   Pumping Weight This gym workout app lets you plan and track your weight training with a calendar mode, extensive list of exercises and a simple interface for recording your reps. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, Pumping Weight is available from iTunes for $2.99.   ...Improve my public speaking. 2Screens-Presentation Expert This iOS app turns your iPad into a presentation platform, complete with VGA-out capabilities that work with TV-out, AirPlay, cloud storage and more. 2Screens-Presentation Expert is a feature rich document manager and viewer, complete with integrated web browser and whiteboard. Developed by ELP Studio, this app is available for $4.99 from iTunes. A Better Speaker This free public speaking and trainer app, compatible with iOS and Android devices, includes helpful photos, video lessons and fun practice exercises for breathing, posture, vocal technique, articulation, and much more. A Better Speaker is developed by Apps2Go GmbH with Jonathan Tilley, an American professional speaker and voice-over artist, and available from iTunes and Google Play.   ...Learn a new language. Duolingo With this iOS and Android app, you can learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and English for free, without ads or hidden charges. Alongside the lessons, presented with games and other activities, you practice by translating real-world texts from websites in the target language, making the web more accessible for everyone. Available from iTunes and Google Play.   50 Languages The free 50 Languages apps offer up to 100 MP3 audio lessons to get you to basic proficiency in languages from Afrikaans to Vietnamese, with 1600 native-to-target language combinations. The audio apps are iOS and Android compatible, available from Amazon App Store,  iTunes and Google Play. The full program includes books that augment the audio lessons, sold on Amazon for $9.95.   ...Learn to play an instrument. Real Piano PRO A full 88-key piano iOS app that brings you realistic grand piano sound, smoothly moving and zooming, customizable key labels, and professional tuning & transposition functionalities. Developed by Cookie Apps, Available on iTunes for $0.99.   Ear Trainer Ear Trainer is an educational tool designed for musicians, music students and anyone interested in improving their musical ear. Developed for the iPhone, this app has over 230 individual exercises covering intervals, chords, scales, relative pitch and melody. It has a playable keyboard with studio sound quality and a note view for superior visualization. Available from iTunes for $2.99.   ...Travel more. FlightTrack 5 Mobiata's FlightTrack 5 app lets you stay on top of your flight status, no matter how many legs your journey has. Compatible for iOS and Android devices, the app has a color code system for on-time arrivals, delays, cancellations, and even lets you keep tabs on flights for other travelers. Available from iTunes and Google Play for $4.99.   JetLag Genie This iPhone and iPod Touch app lets you start fighting jet lag before you leave by analyzing your trip details and your normal sleep patterns. With the data, this app recommends steps for adjusting your sleep schedule and exposure to daylight, helping you feel more alert on arrival. Available from iTunes for $2.99.   ...Manage my time better.  OmniFocus OmniFocus for iPhone lets you record your task list from the keypad or by voice; keep track by project, place, person or date; prioritize tasks and projects; and review progress. Available on iTunes for $19.99.   Checklist Wrangler This iOS app lets you manage series of checklists, from one-off projects to recurring tasks on whatever schedule you choose. Templates help you auto-generate lists, and you can group, print and email your lists.Available from  iTunes for $0.99   ...To keep my resolutions. Yelling Mom This iOS reminder app lets you sort and bring up your action items and notes with a simple swipe interface. You can set to-do times and reminder frequencies, or create a series of lists. Available on  iTunes for $1.99.   Unstuck This free iPad apphelps you identify your “stuck moments” where you seem to be stalled on the path to reaching your goals. The app features 11 tools and more than 50 tips, plus advice from the Unstuck community to help you keep moving forward. Available on iTunes.