UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | September 11, 2024

Smartphone apps prove useful in zombie apocalypse

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Most people get ready for the impending zombie invasion by gathering supplies, storing food and water and practicing emergency drills.

My preparation is all about applications on my smartphone.

The first of my apocalypse applications is “Zombies, Run!”, which is the best running app I’ve ever come across. Just imagine you are getting ready for your daily run. You put in your headphones, start up the app, and you are met with a mix of music you choose and the story line of a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world.

Throughout the story you take on the role of Runner 5 collecting gear and supplies to build up the shelter. As zombies get closer, the app suggests speeding up to outrun them. The moans and groans of the undead chasing you as you run are in themselves more than enough to make the app worth the $8 it costs in the Marketplace.

The extra benefit for a couch potato like me is that it turns running into a live action video game. My only word of warning on the app is, if you get skittish running after dark, it’s probably better to forgo the sound effects. The groaning of zombies had me paranoid for hours after a midnight run.

Of course, if you’ve trained to run from the zombies, the next step is to know how to kill the zombies. I’ll be the first to admit the app I turn to for this probably isn’t the most realistic, but hey, it’s an application for a smartphone. What more do you expect?

When I want to brush up on my zombie killing skills, naturally the first choice is “Call of Duty: Zombies.” Now that it’s adapted for smartphones, I can finally get my zombie fix anytime.

The mobile version of the game is a little spotty, but the concept is the same as the original: collect guns, shoot zombies, keep your barriers built up, and don’t die.                                                                  Now that you have the tools to train for impending doom, what are you going to do when you actually have to survive? Don’t worry I’ve got that covered too with a total survival guide accessible from your smartphone. The “Zombie Survival Handbook” is available in a full or lite version and covers basic survival like shelter, weapons and first aid.

Under the tips section of the app it gives you 15 common tips to keep yourself safe during a zombie outbreak. I like to think of them as the commandments of zombie fighting. That section gives you information on the best way to kill a zombie as well.

Sure, you may not think zombies will overrun the planet anytime in the near future. If they do, I’ll have had plenty of practice running and shooting under pressure as well as a complete guide to surviving every other aspect. And you’ll be wishing you had listened to me.