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Monday, Nov 8, 2010 3:01 PM UTC

20 essential apps picked by people we trust

Neil Gaiman, Brian Williams, Rosanne Cash, Dan Savage and 16 others recommend the features they can't live without

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20 essential apps picked by people we trust

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Remember when you had to be at a computer to check your e-mail? Lug a cookbook or a magazine to find a recipe? Watch TV on … a TV? The things we can do with our smart phones these days seem endless. In fact, when it comes to apps, there often seems to be too much choice. With thousands of features out there, for everything from playing Scrabble to keeping our flights organized, it can be hard to figure out which ones are really worth the download. That’s where we come in.

To help you find the best apps, we’ve asked some of our favorite tech-savvy people –  writers, technology experts, actors, musicians, newscasters and more — to share their picks.

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Michael Humphrey is a former editorial fellow at Salon. He is a contributor to Forbes.com and currently teaches at Colorado State University. More Michael Humphrey.

Schuyler Velasco is an editorial fellow at Salon. More Schuyler Velasco.

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