BistroMath

How many times have you eaten at a restaurant with a large group of people, and spent nearly as much time with the bill as with your meal? Add in a few drinks for your party, and your math skills become even duller than usual. BistroMath is available for anyone interested in speeding through that ordeal.

Simplicity is the critical component for an app of this nature: You're trying to save time here, not use up more of it. BistroMath succeeds on this count. You can input the amount of the bill and the percentage amount you would like to tip; the calculated total for the bill should be enough information for the needs of most people.

For anyone who would like to be more specific, though, BistroMath can add a few handy variables. You can enter the tax rate, and the app will produce figures for tipping based on both pretax and posttax totals. You may also input the number of people that are splitting the bill to get the average amount each person owes. BistroMath also has currency-exchange-rate ratios for those who are traveling abroad and trying to keep track of precisely how much they are spending in home currency while away.

If you need to do more advanced calculations, a menu option lets you quickly switch to your phone's basic calculator. For anyone who keeps careful track of their finances, another option will file the expense, but, at least in this version, you have to first install the Funky Expenses app to use that option.

Since the app favors a simple design, BistroMath isn't going to do all the work for you. Parties not splitting the bill equally still must calculate how much each person owes. And the app cannot resolve disagreements about the correct amount to tip, which person is paying for the meal, or whether or not to order dessert. But for most dining situations, BistroMath is just what you ordered.