Cool apps for hot weather

Then again, anything or anybody who steps out into these relentless cook-a-five-course-meal-on-the-sidewalk temperatures is going to warm up a bit. Still, it makes sense that today's hottest technology could help us handle this record-setting summer swelter.

So stop playing Angry Birds for a few minutes and check out these free and inexpensive programs from Apple's iTunes App Store and Google's Android Market. Some of them offer practical heat-beating advice, and others might just make you feel a little bit cooler.

Oasis Places (Apple iOS; free): If you absolutely have to be outside, you'll want to stay hydrated. This app, from Thermos, can help. It reveals public drinking fountains near your location and rates each on a scale of one to five drops according to coldness, flavor, location and cleanliness. You can add your own ratings, photos and comments, and the listings provide directions to the fountains, complete with a map. I found 24 public drinking water sources within three miles of the American-Statesman offices. The highest-rated were at Book People, the University of Texas Perry-Castañeda Library and UT's Red McCombs School of Business, with four drops each. A fountain on the Lady Bird Lake trail (behind the Milago condominiums on the north shore of the lake) fared worse, rating only one drop each for coldness and flavor. Comments can be practical: One user wrote that a fountain at Festival Beach was "one of the dirtiest tasting water fountains I have tasted," and another user noted that the tallest fountain at REI on Lamar Bouelvard "shoots cold, refreshing water super high, watch out!"

Waterlogged (iOS; free, with premium features for purchase): So you know where to score some H2O, but how much is enough? Discover your recommended daily water intake and track it with this app. Premium features (which cost extra via in-app purchase) include reminders and social media connectivity.

Meter Reading (Android; $1.15): This app will let you track your home's electricity consumption. Cue that wah-wah trombone music they play for losers on game shows.

Heat Temperature Converter (iOS; free); Temperature Converter (Android, free): Key in the current 100-plus Fahrenheit temp and enjoy its much cooler-seeming Celsius equivalent.

Coppertone MyUVAlert (iOS; free): This app shows the current UV Index for your location (Austin was at 11 when I checked — extreme UV radiation; Chicago, for comparison, topped out at 6 — high) and recommends necessary sun protection steps for that rating. Those steps might include sunscreen, UV-blocking sunglasses, a hat and other protective clothing, midday shade and avoidance of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You can create sun care profiles for members of your family (based primarily on age) and get product recommendations for them — Coppertone, of course — based upon specific sunny-day activities. The app also lets you add a reminder that will alert you when sunscreen should be reapplied, and includes sun-care tips and coupons.

NBA – Miami Heat Theme (Android; $1.99): Skin your phone with this NBA-licensed red, yellow and black theme. If somebody asks why you're supporting the Heat instead of the Spurs, just tell them, "It's not the Heat; it's the humidity!"

iFan — The Virtual Heat Chaser (iOS; free): There's no real fan here, just an animation of one on your screen. When you get bored with it (and the novelty wears off quickly), find a shady spot and log into the iTunes App Store. You'll feel much cooler than those downloaders who have left comments complaining that the program doesn't actually produce a breeze.

Heat Index and Relative Humidity Calculator (iOS; 99 cents); Heat Index (Android, free): Really, who cares how hot it is? You want to know how hot it feels. These apps measure perceived temperature and relative humidity (not that there's really much difference between "inferno" and "surface of the sun").

Ice Cube (iOS; free): Push a virtual button to fill your device's screen with kind of real-looking ice cubes; then shake your device and listen to them clatter as they move around.

Waterslide Extreme (iOS; free): Too hot for Schlitterbahn? Careen your way down a twisty, virtual waterslide in this free game.

Sunblocker (Android; free): This app obtains the UV forecast and, based on your skin type, warns you when you're about to burn. It reminds you when it's time to hydrate and when sunblock should be reapplied. If it repeatedly asked "Hot enough for ya?" it would be the perfect nag.