Talking Tech: 5 apps for 5 New Year's resolutions

• Lose weight%2C track finances%2C learn a language with apps

VENICE BEACH, Calif. — It's New Year's resolution time. To help you get there, we have tips on 5 free mobile apps to help you lose weight, track calories, learn a language and keep better track of your day and your budget.

.— MyFitnessPal (Apple, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry) is a calorie counter that tracks how much is coming in each day, to keep you on your goal of lower calorie intake. It has a food data base of over 3.5 million items and friendly reminders to keep on track.

— Runtastic (Apple, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry). Start a run or walk with this app. It figures out your steps, or miles, encouraging you to walk just a little longer, or run a little harder.

— Duolingo (Apple, Android). Apple just selected Duolingo as its free iPhone "App of the Year," and with good reason. Started by a Carnegie Mellon professor and his student, who believed folks should be able to learn new language skills for free, the app uses games and quizzes to help master new tongues — so far in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and French. Next year at this time, Duolingo hopes to have 50 languages available.

— Any.do (Apple, Android), an app to keep track of tasks and to-do lists. Download the app and start making written or verbal notes, using the built-in microphone from the smartphone.

— Level Money (Apple). The app calls itself a "real-time money meter." Put in a budget for what you'd like to spend, and your daily expenses, and Level lets you know how to proceed as the week or month proceeds.

Readers: What's your favorite app for resolutions? Write me on Twitter, where I'm @jeffersongraham