Instagram makes photo editing quick and easy, but if you're a perfectionist with time to kill, choose from a variety of apps that let you modify the smallest aesthetic details of a picture or video. Whether you're sharing on Vine or posting to Facebook -- once you're no longer underground, of course -- your smartphone snaps are sure to stand out. You can also give yourself a photography refresher on the go with Nikon Learn and Explore (Free).
Apps for iOS: Photoshop Express (Free), Pixlr-o-matic (Free), Diptic ($0.99), Magisto (Free), Splice (Free)
Apps for Android: Photoshop Express (Free), Pixlr-o-matic (Free), Diptic ($0.99), Magisto (Free), Splice ($2.99)
Check out Mashable's recommendations for video editing apps and photo editors for more picks.
Use your extra train time to bolster (verb: to add to, support or uphold) your verbosity (noun: the state or quality of being verbose; wordiness) with dictionary and grammar apps. Look for offline features like pronunciation guides and translators, plus the always illuminating Word of the Day.
Apps for iOS: Dictionary.com Dictionary & Thesaurus (Free), Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Free), Grammar Up ($4.99)
Apps for Android: Dictionary.com (Free), Dictionary - Merriam-Webster (Free), Grammar Up ($2.99)
How does your commute make you feel? Keep your smartphone privy to your deepest thoughts and bursts of creative insight with note-taking and journaling apps, many of which can incorporate photos, video and voice clips -- giving them a serious competitive advantage over your standard Moleskine.
Apps for iOS: Evernote (Free), Adobe Ideas Digital Sketchbook (Free), Microsoft OneNote (Free), Day One ($3.99), Everyday Timeline ($3.99)
Apps for Android Evernote (Free), Microsoft OneNote (Free), Day Journal (Free), Everyday Timeline Journal (Free)
There's no time like the present to learn to parler français or hablar español. Download an audio phrasebook prior to your next trip, and you'll never have to wonder où est la bibliothèque again.
Apps for iOS: Lonely Planet Audio Phrasebooks (Prices Vary), Rosetta Course (Free Demo), Babbel (Free), Duolingo (Free)
Apps for Android: Lonely Planet Audio Phrasebooks (Prices Vary), Rosetta Course (Free Demo), Babbel (Free), Duolingo (Free)
Sure, you're on a train now, but you never know when zombies might overtake the capital. Or maybe you're just planning a camping trip. Whatever. Use your time in that metal cocoon wisely: Learn how to start a fire, build a survival checklist and navigate by the stars. The end is nigh, or at least it might be.
Apps for iOS: SAS Survival Guide Lite (Free), Survival Guide (Free), Survival Skills ($1.99) Bear Grylls - Bear Essentials ($2.99)
Apps for Android: SAS Survival Guide Lite (Free), Survival Guide (Free)
Challenge the ol' noggin and stave off mental decay with educational games that stimulate your problem-solving skills, concentration, memory and recall.
Apps for iOS: Fit Brains Trainer (Free), Lumosity (Free), Memo Memory Trainer (Free)
Apps for Android: Memory Trainer (Free), Mind Games (Free), Brain Workout (Free)
Go digital while you're still underground. Teach yourself the basics of coding with Codecademy's iPhone app, or use a programming tool to edit that million-dollar game you've been working on.
Apps for iOS: Codecademy: Hour of Code (Free), GLSL Studio ($7.99), Procoding ($4.99), Learn HTML Basics (Free), Treehouse: Learn Programming and Design (Free; requires Treehouse membership)
Apps for Android: Java Quick Reference Cards (Free), C++ Programming Reference (Free), C Programming Reference (Free), Learn Android Programming ($0.99)
Nurture your creative side with apps that teach you to knit, sew, draw, bead and make origami art. You still won't be the weirdest person on the subway, even with an armful of yarn.
Apps for iOS: Learn to Knit ($1.99), Easy Stitch ($2.99), How to Make Origami (Free), How to Make Paper Airplanes (Free), How to Draw (Free), Sketchbook Pro ($2.99), Beading Daily (Free), HandiCraft ($4.99)
Apps for Android: Sewing Guide ($1.37), How to Make Origami (Free), How to Make Paper Airplanes (Free), How to Draw (Free), Sketchbook Pro ($2.99)
We live in a commuter's world, but our smartphones have yet to catch up. Without cell service or Wi-Fi in the subway or on airplanes — although that may change — we're forced to interact with our (generally unpleasant) surroundings.
Or maybe not.
See also: 10 Better Alternatives to Your iPhone's Native Apps
Now those precious minutes underground can be put to good use. With this collection of apps and digital tools, you can learn a new language, start a journal or become a wilderness expert, all without a single service bar. We think that's pretty magnifique.
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Image: Flickr, Alexey Andreyev