How to Kill Some Time…

I feel like I’ve spent more time waiting in lines lately—a side effect of the pandemic, I suppose. And don’t get me started about travel delays.
I hate waiting and have a short attention span. So, I never leave home without something in my pocket to distract me should I have to wait in a line somewhere.
In the old days, that meant carrying a paperback book, Sony Walkman (remember those?), or iPod, in case I found myself somewhere with time to kill.
These days I rely upon either my iPhone or my iPad to amuse myself if I have time to kill. Give me an iPhone and earphones, and I can entertain myself for days (or at least for as long as the batteries last).
So, here are a few of my favorite things to do when I find myself with time to kill.
Books, magazines, newspapers, and audiobooks
I love to read and can amuse myself for hours (or even days) with nothing more than a book, magazine, or newspaper. I use a handful of apps to ensure I never lack interesting reading matter.
The Libby, by OverDrive app is my favorite, enabling me to check out books, audiobooks, or videos from the library. I probably spend more time using Libby to fill downtime than any other app. The best part is that the Libby app is free; the second-best part is that you’ll never incur a late fee.
The Apple News app is my other go-to app for reading material. I subscribe to Apple News + ($9.99 a month), so in addition to the free news content (and there’s a lot), I can read articles from more than 300 top newspapers and magazines. And, since News + is part of our Apple One Premier subscription, I share it with five family members along with Apple TV+, Arcade, iCloud+, Music, and Fitness+, all for $29.99 a month.
I also like to kill time by listening to podcasts or audiobooks, which can distract me for hours (or days) as long as I remember my earphones or in the car listening via Bluetooth.
And Podcasts…
Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with Apple’s Podcasts app (bundled with iOS), I prefer the Overcast app, which does everything the Podcasts app does and more. Best of all, it’s free (though I gladly pay $9.99 a year for a “premium” subscription to eliminate ads and support future development).
Word Game (Not Wordle)
Finally, my go-to timewaster when I’ve only got a few minutes to waste is Words With Friends 2, a spelling game I’ve played regularly since 2010. Words With Friends is a lot like Scrabble™ (so much so that I’m surprised Hasbro hasn’t sued them). Challenge me to a game if you’re a word nerd (like me); my player name is boblevitus.
Resources:
Libby, by OverDrive:  https://tinyurl.com/yc6474f9
(or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606)
Overcast: https://tinyurl.com/2p8crap4
(or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/overcast/id888422857)
Words With Friends 2: https://tinyurl.com/ycye45dk
(or https://apps.apple.com/us/app/words-with-friends-2-word-game/id1196764367)
Apple News: www.apple.com/apple-news/
Apple One: www.apple.com/apple-one/
Tags: Apple Books, ebooks, Games, Podcasts