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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 an old-school shoot-em-up, a way to ensure you never lose anything you type ever again, and a tranquil adventure.
R-Type II
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €1.79
- Anyone who had an Amiga during the early 90s surely had one game from the R-Type series.
- For those unfamiliar with it, R-Type is an old-school shoot-em-up that’s hard. Not impossible but it does require a lot of concentration.
- It’s frantic from the word go. If you’re looking for a laid-back and easy game, you may want to look elsewhere. You have the option of choosing unlimited lives, but that defeats the purpose of the game.
- Touch controls and auto-fire mode are there to compromise for the small screen, and you may need them if you’ve never played it before.
- A refreshing change from the casual and freemium games that currently flood the app stores.
(Video: TouchGameplay/YouTube)
Bing Health & Fitness
For: Windows Phone
Cost: Free
- We’re finally arrived at March and while it’s still rather chilly and wet, the evenings are getting longer so chances are you’ll be more likely to exercise as a result.
- Bing Health and Fitness enters a crowded market, but its aim is to be your sole resource for everything fitness related. To its credit, it does a great job.
- The calorie tool lets you set goals for what you eat and has over 300,000 foods on its database.
- On top of that, it has the usual fitness functions, GPS tracker, workout suggestions, tutorials and even info on possible health conditions, although we’d be hopeful you won’t have to rely on that.
- If you’re not already using a fitness app like Endomondo or MyFitnessPal, you should try this out first.
(Image: Bing Health & Fitness/Windows Phone)
Telegram
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone (unofficial version)
Cost: Free
- Telegram has received a lot of attention in the last week. It was downloaded over 8 million times in the space of four days and for good reason.
- The focus is on speed and security, allowing you to send messages fast without having to worry about your messages being intercepted or used for third-party purposes.
- Alongside the usual multimedia features associated with messaging, you can share videos as large as 1GB, which gives you a lot of leeway with photos as well.
- If you want, you can create group chats that have 100 people involved. Again, you probably won’t need it, but it gives you an idea of what the service is capable of.
- The only caveat is a messaging app is only useful if all of your friends are there, but those who download it will discover a clean, and quick app that’s deserves the praise it’s received.
(Image: Telegram/Google Play)
Type Machine
For: Android
Cost: €1.49
- Ever type something and accidentally delete it or the app you were using crashed without warning, wiping out everything you’ve written?
- Type Machine keeps track of everything you’ve written on your phone. Find the app you were using and everything you’ve typed is found there.
- Every native Android app is supported, and if you don’t want text from certain apps saved, you can blacklist them so they don’t appear.
- Passwords aren’t logged in and you can set it so it deletes all info every day, or during a set period.
- If you use your smartphone or tablet to write more than one word responses, it will save you a lot of hassle.
(Image: Type Machine/Google Play)
Temgani
For: iOS
Cost: €4.49
- A lot of smartphone games put a lot of time and focus on 3D graphics, which while it shows what your phone’s hardware is capable of
-It’s been said about other games here, but Temgani is a beautiful game. The origami-style visuals and pop-up book setting is frankly stunning. It’s preferable if you play it on an iPad as you’ll appreciate the level of detail on a larger screen.
- It’s an adventure game that is slow and peaceful, a simple interface and the pop-up mechanics leads to some relaxing gameplay.
- The score playing in the background is also worth a mention, adding atmosphere to a tranquil game.
- If R-Type (mentioned above) doesn’t appeal to you, this will be right up your alley.
(Video: TouchGameplay/YouTube)
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I’d print off a load of 3d printers.
There are cheap domestic versions becoming available soon.
Aldi will be selling them before you know it.
Link ?
To a medion 3d printer?
To the cheap domestic versions
Answer below.
Aldi will be selling fablabs? I doubt it.
As long as they don’t try create Eamon Gilmores twin…
it wont have a soul,
a Heart,
a conscience,
a backbone ,
Kahunas or feelings.
If they did,
they would be identical twins…
Maplin have this already: http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/up-plus-2-3d-printer-a25lt
Then there’s PC World’s Cube.
Makerbot were big in the news last year.
The tech is getting there and it’s getting cheaper.
So much for Dublin being a high tech hub
Yes because Cloughjordan is a centre of IT in Ireland. Put one in Dublin or some other city in Ireland
Don’t dis the coolest project in Ireland please
Um Stephen, there is so much wrong in what you’ve said.
First – the wecreate space is about cooperative living and those based there have put it there to serve needs that they know best.
Second – this is not IT, this is digital manufacturing
Third, fablabs exist in whatever business/financing model the local founders decide. If they want to be a true fablab (and not a generic digital manufacturing studio) with an association to the global fablab network they must sign up to the fab charter.
You are right about one thing though – There should be more. In fact, there should be 5 of them in ROI. The Derry and Belfast labs are excellent examples of how publicly funded fablabs can have real impact on communities.
These provide opportunities for moving away from large-scale centralised mass production towards human-scale decentralised local production. Plus allowing a greater degree of self-sufficiency in the creation of consumer goods; along with vertical farming and open-source hardware.
If only this model of creating goods were encouraged in the developing world rather than the neoliberal/corporatist model in place now, Global South economies could chart their own self-reliant route to development and industrialisation rather than being tethered to the whims of transnational capital and the business class of the Global North.
Can’t wait to print a sandwich
I’m here In Germany , saw a 3d printer for sale in a big electrical shop .
I can imagine in years to come everybody will have one
Will I look silly if I try to print my face?
You won’t just look silly you will be silly
Kevin can you elaborate on this a bit more please
Luke – you could print your entire person if you wanted to – after a full body 3D scan.
I’m gonna print myself a gun
There are at least 3 facilities in Dublin. Surprised this wasn’t picked up by the journalist. Just Google.
Hacketts, 3D Dave and 3D Print bureau
700 Euros gets you one in Maplins.
For anyone thinking of buying a 3D printer, make sure you’re not wasting your money. They aren’t all the same and some of the cheaper ones are pretty pathetic.
As far as the “home” market is concerned – I’m not sure there is one yet. That is, unless you are skilled at 3D modelling.
When it comes to fablabs and the value they can be to large areas around them, it’s frustrating that many attempts at raising funding for them have fallen on deaf ears. They should be fully publicly funded and provide at least half of their time to community outreach and open access.
have your say