Being that I don’t suffer with [...]]]> pzizz ($4.99 in the Android Market) is an Android app that offers unique audio soundtracks to help with both insomnia and taking naps. Pzizz is also available on the iPhone, PC, Mac and in downloadable tracks. For the purpose of this review, I used the Android App.

Being that I don’t suffer with insomnia, I’m probably not the most ideal person to be providing this review. I have no trouble falling asleep but find that spoken words personally interrupt my ability to sleep as I’m caught listening to the words. However, we are all different and the calming and relaxing spoken words is therapeutic for many. Also, in my research I found several people who pzizz has helped. With that said, let’s continue on with the review.

Pzizz uses a patented audio algorithm that generates  a new audio track with each use. Upon launching pzizz, you’ll start at the home screen. The home screen provides two distinct modes in “sleep” and “power nap.” Once you’ve opened the sleep or power nap module, you’ll find two tabs to the bottom in Player and Settings. The various settings let you enable a countdown timer so you can see how much time is left in your current session, change the duration of your session, pick from seven different backgrounds and enable an alarm.

For Power Naps, you can set the session duration between 10 and 90 minutes, while Sleep lets you change the duration from 15 minutes to 8 hours. You can modify the settings after hitting the play button, but I noticed when I hit play first then changed the settings that it still showed my previous set time on the countdown clock. I recommend getting all your settings setup before hitting the play button to avoid the session not updating.

The soundtrack uses a calming voice to instruct you on how to progressively relax your body and mind. The background music and sounds are very calming and relaxing and I can see how this app can be very effective.

However, I’ve found some limitations and ways to improve the app that I’d like the developer to consider.

Options I’d like included are the ability to choose a male or female voice, adjust the voice and music volumes and to choose to toggle off either voice or music. As mentioned, I have difficulty sleeping with the voice. If I had the ability to turn off the voice, I could still use the app and take advantage of the background music.  I also believe many may prefer a woman’s voice, as opposed to the male voice loaded with the app. One big limitation is the inability to continue your session after hitting the stop button. Once you hit the stop button, hitting play again will restart your session.

I’m not too fond of is the price, which will cost you $4.99. But if this app helps you sleep and improve your overall well being, that’s a small price to pay. Do you have problems getting to sleep? If you’ve tried pzizz, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Getting in shape and tracking your fitness can be an easy task with [...]]]> It’s about that time of the year when I take a step back and realize it’s time to amp up my workout program. Contrary to popular belief, outstanding fitness apps exist on more platforms than just the iPhone.

Getting in shape and tracking your fitness can be an easy task with the right apps. In looking through the Android Market, there’s quite a few fitness and health apps, but I’m going to focus on the best free ones to get your started. All the apps below can be found at the Android Market and can be downloaded free of charge.

Calorie Counter by FatSecret v1.12.0 – 4.5 Stars, 9k ratings, >250k downloads

A simple tool to find all the Calorie and Nutrition Facts for the foods you eat. UPDATED February 11: New “RDI” feature calculates your Recommended Daily Intake to achieve your goal weight. Enhancements to search, sync and navigate.

Image via AndroidFreeware.Net

Image via AndroidFreeware.net

CardioTrainer v2.1.0 – 4.5 Stars, 5k ratings, >250k downloads

Your training partner for running, cycling and other cardio fitness activities. Features in v2.1: High Scores, manually enter workouts, weightloss trainer, graphs, outdoor & treadmill (pedometer/GPS), voice & music integration, records path, pace, calories, racing, autopause, etc.

JogTracker 1.0.4 – 4 Stars, 511 ratings, 50k – 250k downloads

JogTracker measures time and distance for runners, walkers and cyclists. Display distance in miles or kilometers. Uses GPS and Google Maps to help you find your way. View your jog history on the web.

Buddy Runner v1.5.0 – 4.5 Stars, 1k ratings, 50k – 250k downloads

Provides the capabilities of an expensive GPS enabled personal fitness trainer. Records routes, distance, time and pace during workouts. Personal dashboard saves history and visualizes results. Auto Facebook/Twitter posting. Audio feedback reads progress during workout. New in 1.5.0: supports for QVGA.

Image via AndroidTapp.com

SportyPal 1.7.4 – 4.5 Stars, 715 ratings, 10k – 50k downloads

BEST fitness app on Android Network Awards. Improve your running and cycling performance using your Android phone. Easily log and map your track and results, analyze or share with your friends on www.sportypal.com. New in 1.7.4: new workout types, voice notifications, bug fixes.

WeightPad v1.1 – 4 Stars, 251 ratings, 10k – 50k downloads

WeightPad is a useful application for Android to support your daily weight control, which is necessary for a diet. You can record your weight by kg, lb and st.  Also, your weight is displayed by line graph, so you can instinctively check the change of your daily weight and the degree of achievement for your goal weight.

Endomondo Sports Tracker v2.0.4 – 4.5 Stars, 175 ratings, 10k – 50k downloads

Your sports trainer for running, cycling, walking and other sports. Real-time tracking of time, distance, speed and altitude. Audio feedback per km or mile. Personal voice messages from friends. Route displays on Google Maps. History of workouts and lap times. Integrates with www.endomondo.com for analysis and competitions.

Did I miss any of your favorite apps? Have you tried any of the ones above? Let me hear what you think.