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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.
We’re going to assume that you already have a lot of the most popular apps, so let us do the hard work for you and pick out the latest apps that are deserving of your time.
This week features a new and intuitive lock screen for Android users, a native Gmail client for Windows Phone users and a classic PS2 game arriving on the small screen.
Cover (beta)
For: Android
Cost: Free
Why should I care?
- One of Android’s strengths is that you can customise both the lock screen and extra screens, but most of the time, you will want to access the app proper.
- Cover is currently in beta mode, but is a very intuitive app allowing you to switch between apps without unlocking your phone.
- Replacing your current lock screen, it learns what apps you use the most and sets it up so that they’re only a swipe away.
- Switching to and from apps is also handy. All you have to do is swipe down from the top-right hand corner when you’re in an app.
- If you use your smartphone or tablet for work, it can present you with relevant apps suitable for each place.
(Video: Cover for Android/YouTube)
12 Days of Gifts
For: iOS
Cost: Free
Why should I care?
- If you’re an iPhone user and you haven’t been availing of Apple’s Christmas app, get on it now.
- 12 Days of Gifts offers you paid apps to download for free between 26th December to January 6th.
- The apps offered are only free on the day so having notifications switched on so you don’t miss them is a good idea.
- Quality of apps can be hit and miss, some days you get something like Broken Sword or Toy Story short movies, other days you’ll get songs from Maroon 5.
- Still, you’re getting paid apps for free so there’s very little to complain about.
(Image: 12 Days of Gifts/iTunes)
Diptic
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Cost: €0.99 for iOS, €0.75 for Android, Free for Windows Phone
Why should I care?
- If you’re the kind of person who loves creating collages, there are many good apps out there but Diptic is probably one of the more consistent examples out there.
- Diptic provides both a large number of layouts, and a vast number of adjustments so that your collages look perfect before they’re published.
- Using it is a breeze and it manages to cram a lot of features in without overwhelming users, which is impressive in itself.
- You can purchase additional layouts, but unless you’re very particular about how your photos are placed, the basic ones are more than enough.
- It just arrived on Windows Phone, where users get it for free. iOS and Android users aren’t so lucky.
(Image: Diptic/Windows Phone)
GTA: San Andreas
For: iOS (Android & Windows Phone out next week)
Cost: €5.99
Why should I care?
- Vice City is usually the favourite GTA game, but San Andreas is wacky and never takes itself too seriously which makes it fun.
- It was released in 2004 meaning it’s almost ten years old. Let that sink in for a moment.
- On the game itself, it’s been modified for touchscreen players, meaning there’s two separate control systems for driving and moving as well as a more forgiving checkpoint system.
- Probably the exciting part is that for iPhone users, it’s compatible with iOS controllers. We’re going to assume/hope that the Android and Windows Phone version will get similar treatment.
- Only iOS version is out now, Android and Windows Phone will be out next week.
(Video: PlayscopeTimeline/YouTube)
MetroMail
For: Windows Phone
Cost: €1.49
Why should I care?
- If you’re heavily reliant upon Gmail, either for work or personal reasons, MetroMail brings the experience to Windows Phone.
- A lot of work has been put into the app, It’s been built from the ground up, meaning it integrates with WP perfectly.
- Pretty much every major feature associated with Gmail can be found here.
- It’s only the first version, with the developer hoping to add extra features like drafts and attachments support.
- The native mail app is still good, but if you use Gmail for work or personal use, you should give it a go.
(Image: MetroMail/Windows Phone)
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Great, south Sudan spends 536 million dollars a year on its military. Sudan spends 3% GDP on it and we give them charity? FG idiots.
Yeah, what does Sudan need a military for? Sure isn’t “Darfur” notorious for it’s peace and cooperation.
M …good comment totally agree.
M – Well said!
Dollar u mean Sudani dollar. I think that will be a million dollar for a loaf of bread !
There’s not one Irish person who will be denied food in this country if they go and ask for it.
It’s disingenuous and downright shameful for anyone to pretend like the situation in Africa where kids are starving is anything like here.
lets just hope it reaches the starving people on the ground & dosent end up being spent on rpgs & ak47s
+1^^^^^
You press the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down”, Ian. It’s not text operated.
Yes this is true but we do have a very good social welfare system and fantastic charities to help out where possible , the Sudan are in far worse state than us, and we must help where we can
I expected a few red thumbs from some cynics but not this many, as the article states the 2m is going on emergency aid, Ireland got bailed out so we could prevent this
Great another 2 million down the toilet do some warlord can tool up with brand new AK47s for his child soilders and he can buy a fleet of new Mercedeses for his 5 new 16 year old child brides.
Surely you mean 16 new 5 year old brides
The corrupt aid you’re talking about is mislaid developmental aid, not emergency aid. If you read the article the State is providing this aid in the form of basic necessities such as food, water and shelter.
I just don’t understand how a country that is supposedly “broke” can afford to send €2 million out of the country.
That said, it seems they can afford €1.5 million or whatever it was to re-pave Grafton St!!
Grafton st needs to be repaved. It’s a shambles and dangerous to walk on. Especially for elderly or infirm people. Should have been done during the boom
Grafton street is getting repaved. The work started a couple of weeks back. Costing €4 million
If the powers that be wanted to wipe out hunger there’s plenty of places in Europe alone to grow food
The truth is they don’t care if they did this wouldn’t be a problem simple as
Is this government having a laugh,go round the towns and cities in ireland on a saturday afternoon it looks like a beggers paradise,people begging for money in the name of charity for hospital beds,and i just head tallaght hospital want you to climb a mountain in africa to buy some scanner and this gobs**** of a government gives 2m irish money away..something seriously wrong
Its only when there’s a picture off a kid with tubes hanging out of him that the do gooders approve of there 2 million going to another counrty that buys weapons that cost millions . If people lose so much sleep over the kids in these countries and not there own county then go over there and help them out . I for one would like to see 2 million to provide services for are people thst are in need of it . I do my own charity work out of my own pocket helping are own
Go over there and take the tubes out, so.
A hell of alot more than 2 million a year is spent on the needy here. It’s called social welfare. These people have nothing for gods sake, babies are starving. Seriously the attitude in this country is sickening sometimes. Moaning and mouthing about everything yet there’s nothing but a handful out protesting. Open your eyes, were a hell of alot better off than most even in the developed world. Go on welfare in the states and you’d be in for a rude awakening. Infuriating
Much kids here under malnourishment
What about our own
Another example of how the government doesn’t care about its citizens
Don’t feed the semi-literate troll…
Fagan
You’re a sick troll but good news…..treatment is available!
I wonder how much of the money goes on administration? Ireland spends more per head of population on charitable donations to third world countries than most of the more prosperous nations.
@ dick
Ah your only teasing me telling me there’s help but not saying were I can get it ….. And you call me sick
For once let’s welcome assistance for some of the most vulnerable people in the world. 4.5 million South Sudanese are at risk because of poor food security. Respect to all of the Irish volunteers and staff working there and happy 2nd birthday to the worlds youngest country.
Give a man a fish he will have food for a day, give him a fishing rod he will have food for life. The money would be better spent on teaching the population to fend for themselves, and on agricultural implements and irrigation equipment.
S fox and on birth control! Roll on the RC red thumbs!!!
Provide d same for our own
You have to be joking. Do you have any idea how much is spent on social welfare every year?
More money squandered.
Stand by for the ‘Charity starts at home.. take care of our own first’ brigade.
Does the troika approve of this expenditure? I hope it feeds hungry people and not some dictator’s arsenal.
It is very sad to see such unnecessary misery in the world today caused by superstitious savages imaginary friends.
Idiot.
O DON’T WANT MY TAX MONEY GOING TO A COUNTRY THAT WAISTS THEIR MONEY ON WAR! YOU GET IT FG!
Wastes*
Funny how those begrudging the money to starving kids are also borderline illiterate. You should have to pass an IQ test to get to vote.
Is that all you can say to me???truth is the truth. Africa should stop waisting money on war. I take it you have never seen the gap between rich and poor in Africa!! Go find out before you take cheap shots!!
So the answer to that is to cut humanitarian aid? Don’t try to excuse your heartless penny-pinching with irrelevent nonsense. Face up to what you’re suggesting – cutting aid to starving kids.
Between you and dublinhitman, there’s a fairly clear link between piss-poor English and miserly attitude. I’m just pointing it out.
I guess you win this one! I am from Africa!!!
Load of people complaining about spending 2m to feed the starving, yet have no problem with spending 4m every year to translate government forms and records into Irish, forms and records that are rarely ever used.
Charity begins at home. How many Irish kids and families are living in poverty? I would agree 100% with assisting countries in need if our own country was not in such a state. We are being screwed again and again by our disgrace of a government. Lastly, where is the publicity on protests almost every day from desperate people attempting to stand up to the shambles we call government. Why pretend that Ireland is in a position to provide this aid when in reality we are being bailed out and are broke. Please publicise the truth Journal….
Charity starts at home. We can’t help people who can’t help themselves .
This type of thing is going on far to long. if they really wanted to help this issue would have been sorted years ago. now, where did I leave that oil field ????
What a joke…. All about helping others while our own are out on the streets or being harassed by banks for worthless houses… Don’t they know the saying Charity Starts At Home!!!!
Another waste of our money
It’s horrible to see what these nations and its people go through, even though we have so many technological gadgets and all nowadays, there is still so many people who will never experience a normal lifestyle.
520,000 barrels of oil a day to Ireland’s 0. Food for thought….
have your say