Context-Adding Phone Apps

Humin is an app that aims to enhance one of the few functions of phones and smartphones that has not enjoyed much innovation -- the humble contacts list. The phone adds a key ingredient missing from most contact lists -- context. When you're searching for someone in your contacts list, you usually find them alphabetically. But Humin lets you look them up via a variety of criteria such as your relationship with them, their employer or where you met them.

The Humin app hooks up to your contacts and calendar, and can also be connected to Facebook, LinkedIn and your email account. It can be used to replace your phone's contacts app entirely.

This kind of app could provoke privacy concerns, but Humin's developers point out that all data is stored locally on the phone and not on the company's servers.