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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.
This week includes Google’s entry into the camera app market, the ability to create customised font notes, and a soothing and relaxing experience.
Windy
For: iOS
Cost: €1.99
- As far as experimental concepts go, weather themed sites and apps like Rainy Mood have an appeal that seems to have stuck with people.
- Windy continues this theme by bringing the soothing sounds of wind, recorded in stereoscopic 3D and combined them with motion-controlled 3D parallax scenes.
- It’s beautifully crafted, some of the art used to illustrate each scene is amazing and is worth watching.
- If, for some reason, you’re not enjoying the story or visuals, you can just turn it off and listen to the sounds instead.
- Perfect if you need some downtime and a way to just switch off after a busy week.
Taptanium / Vimeo
Wind Up Knight 2
For: Android
Cost: Free
- Wind Up Knight 2 is a simple platformer with a lot of charm. Run, fight, roll, and double jump across numerous levels.
- It’s a beautiful game, it sharp and the 3D world is easy on the eye, especially on a large screen.
- It’s easy to blast through the game, but it can get pretty difficult if you’re trying to get a perfect run in every level.
- Just be warned that it’s one of the larger apps out there (225MB) so be sure to download it on a WiFi connection.
- A fun game that both kids and adults can enjoy.
Google Camera
For: Android
Cost: Free
- For those who aren’t interested in Eye-Fi and are satisfied with their smartphone camera, Google released its own camera app.
- Interface wise, it’s clean and straightforward. Switching between modes is easy and even the more time-consuming tasks like Photo Sphere are easy to do.
- One nice touch is Lens Blur, which lets you focus on an object and takes two photos to give an impression of depth. Also, it encourages you to shoot video in landscape mode, which should be mandatory for all camera apps.
- In comparison to other camera apps, its rather minimal. You’re not going to find anything close to the same level of editing as you would on VSCO Cam or Camera+.
- If you have a phone running KitKat (Android 4.4+), you’re good to go.
Color Weather
For: Windows Phone
Cost: €0.99 (trial version available)
- There’s no shortage of weather apps on any of the OS out there, but more are going for a more minimalist approach.
- Color Weather (their spelling, not ours) is relatively similar to Solar, the focus is on communicating the current weather and forecast.
- It’s very minimal. All you get is the five-day forecast, temperature, humidity and wind speeds.
- You can also customise colours to denote certain temperatures or weather conditions, if the current settings.
- If you just want to know the weather without any fuss, then this is the app for you.
Notegraphy
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
- Text messaging in its own right is rather straightforward, but if you ever felt it could be jazzed up a little, Notegraphy could help.
- The app lets you share text online with more than 30 different typography styles to play around with.
- How much you share is up to you, you could post an entire story if you wanted, but it works better with shorter quotes.
- If you feel inclined, you can share your quotes via email or WhatsApp (as well as the usual Facebook and Twitter sharing).
- One for those who have an eye for typography and like to share something a little different.
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Wouldn’t happen in Funderland
And if it did they’d be charged for the extra time on the ride
World’s largest Ferris wheel in an area that gets many hurricanes!! Top marks for that idea.
I have lived in Central Florida for nearly 30 years and in that time only 3 Hurricanes have come through the area, all in 2004. We build to 120 MPH wind standards.
The Wheel is a very solid piece of equipment undergoing some teething problems.
Only 3 that’s nice to know….
Was in Florida for tropical storm Fay in 08.serious wind and rain if we had it here the country would shut for a week.but they just got on with it over there
Faulty Ferris- coming to a park near you soon!
I’d never get on a Ferris wheel again, the last time I was on one, It felt like someone was following me.
The guy in front of you had two people following him, round and round it goes.
I bet Kay Burley could make a “proper” story out of this.
If a member of the royal family was on it her head would literally explode with excitement.
sods law it would be the time you needed a pee
What is it with all these amusement park rides breaking down all over the place?? Alton towers then one in Germany and one in Denmark another in Alton towers again and now this? Is it simply more reporting that would not make news in the past ?
It’s the end of days !!
and only yesterday the seesaw in Mountjoy Square. I think it’s near the end of the world
Stop keeping us all in suspense , tell us what happened and do not hold back on the gore. Might just be the best piece on the Journal all week….
Was at the wheel yesterday at that time. No one was overly concerned. Seemed to be under control.
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