EACH WEEK, WE highlight five apps that are worth downloading for your smartphone and tablet. There are a lot of apps released on a daily basis, but not all of them are worth paying attention to.
This week includes a proper rival to Google Maps, a way to properly sort out your contacts list, and your best opportunity to get into the Game of Thrones world.
HERE Maps
For: Android, Windows Phone (iOS version in early 2015)
Cost: Free
- So if you want a maps product, your choice really boils down to Google Maps or Apple Maps, one is incredibly dominant while the other still has a lot of catching up to do.
- HERE Maps is from Nokia and had only been for Windows Phone until now where it arrived on Android.
- Alongside the usual inclusions, it has some nice features such as tapping your location to access quick features, and you can quickly download maps for future use.
- Another handy feature is Glympse, which lets you share your travel progress and arrival time by SMS or email.
- A great alternative to Google Maps should you be looking for one.
Humin
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
- Very little has changed with the contacts section of phones. They’re usually organised in alphabetical order with very little variation between them.
- Humin tries to group contacts in a different way, by location, previous interactions, where they work, and where you met.
- You can connect your Google and LinkedIn accounts as well, the latter if you want to use it for business purposes.
- In the beginning, you may find it to be a little unnecessary, and rely solely on the search function. The more you use it, the more it learns about your preferences and who you interact with.
- For those who just need a way of properly organising their phone contacts.
Cyber Dust
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Cost: Free
- Should you be on the outlook for a security-focused instant messaging app, you’ve quite a selection to choose from.
- Cyber Dust is a cross between Twitter and Snapchat, The main hook is that your written messages self-destruct shortly after you send them.
- Strangely for a messaging app, you’re prompted to add famous people to follow
- On top of that, you can also send photos and videos which also self-destruct.
- Go for if you’re beginning to tire of Snapchat and want something a bit different.
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Workflow
For: iOS
Cost: €2.99
- Those of you who follow here would know how much we bang on about IFTTT, but what if you want a simpler way of automating things?
- Workflow is the answer to that, allowing you to create numerous combinations by dragging and dropping processes, and it does it in style.
- There are over 100 actions included in the app and if you’re don’t know where to start, there are a large number of prepared combinations for you to avail of.
- It may come across as daunting at first, but there is much scope for customisation here for iOS users, and you can add combinations as apps for quick access.
- Unless you’re committed to IFTTT, this is a fantastic app to have.
[image alt="Workflow" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2014/12/workflow-630x470.jpg" width="630" height="470" class="alignnone" /end]
Game of Thrones – Episode 1
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €3.99
- If you’re already familiar with Game of Thrones, then you won’t need convincing to download this
- The game is from Telltale games, the same team behind the brilliant point-and-click version of The Walking Dead, and there’s six episodes in total (Only the first one is out by the way).
- The game tells the tale of House Forrester, a noble family loyal to the Starks of Winterfell which is caught up in the events of the TV show.
- It’s a mixture of quick-time events (carried out with swipes), choices and exploration as you control multiple members of the Forrester family.
- If you’re a GOT fan, it’s a no-brainer. It’s not the best game from Telltale, but there’s enough there to like.
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