Use apps to stay updated on the London 2012 Olympics

7/23/2012

The summer Olympics are rolling around again, and this time it is London's turn to take center stage. For nineteen days from July 27 to August 12, the capital of England will be bubbling with sports excitement, while the world tunes in to watch the competing athletes vie for medals. Whether you plan on attending the Olympics in person, or are tuning in from home, these apps will keep you updated on your favorite events.

There are two official Olympic apps: Join In and Results. The Join In app is compatible with Apple, Android and BlackBerry and keeps you up to date on Olympic events. The Results app keeps you posted about medal winners and more and is compatible with Apple, Android and Windows 7. These apps are a great place to start, but there are a wide variety of Olympics apps out there - here are some standouts.

Around the Rings - Olympic News ($1.99 for iPhone, $0.99 for Android)
For over 20 years, the correspondents at Around the Rings (ATR) have been covering the Olympics. ATR has been providing news coverage leading up to this year's event ever since London was selected as host city. This summer, reporters will be on site to cover just about every aspect of the competition. The app is easy to navigate, with a variety of articles and photos. You can consult content offline too, as it is stored locally.

London 2012 ($0.99 for iPhone)
This app provides a comprehensive guide to the Olympics. Before the games start, you'll see a countdown leading up to the event, and can browse the schedule, including times, venues and qualification stage. Especially if you are planning to attend the Olympics, the app will come in useful since there are in-built maps that will help you get to specific venues. If you are not able to make it to London, the app's medal tally will be helpful. There are also lots of videos, photos, and links to topics of interest so you can find out even more about the past, present and future of the Olympics.

Olympic Medals 2012 (free for Android)
If you're just looking to get a quick overview of which country is winning which medals, this is the app to get. As per its name, the app provides a medal count (gold, silver, bronze, and total medals) by country. You can also opt to be notified of medal wins as they happen. The one drawback is that individual athletes are not listed, just events.

London 2012 Olympic Schedule (free for Android)
If you want to plan ahead to catch your favorite events, this Android app (pictured) is a no brainer. You can browse the Olympic schedule by sport, date and venue. Then, you can set reminders for certain events - either in London time or your local time zone. The app also has a historical medal count by country.

London 2012 - Olympic Games ($0.99 for iPhone)
The sheer number of Olympic competitions can be overwhelming. This iPhone app allows you to create a personalized schedule that will notify you only of events that you are interested in. After downloading the app, simply select events by gender, venue, event type (all or just medal events), and sport. The app will then add your favorite events to your iPhone's calendar. If you want to be updated on all events, that's an option too.

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