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 the return of an old classic, a way to keep your photos safe from prying eyes and a critically acclaimed game making its way to iPad.
Plague
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
- Not to be confused with the game of the same name, this app has a rather smart concept behind it.
- Taking the form of an info sharing app, you are presented with cards that you have the option to either share or skip.
- Sharing it spreads to more people meaning that good information gets around and bad or uninteresting information. You can create your own entries as well should you have something you really want to share.
- Since it’s a new app, it’s likely you will trudge through a few poor and boring entries from your local area.
- This is one to keep an eye on. If it develops properly, it could become a really interesting app.
Bebo
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
- Bebo? BEBO! Don’t worry, you won’t have the pressure of the top 16 friends list to put together or who you should ‘share the luv’ with this time.
- Instead, it takes the form of a rather zany messaging app, based around cartoon avatars and hashtag actions.
- You create your own avatar which can either look remarkably similar or unlike you, depending on your self-image.
- After that, it’s a pretty standard messaging app, allowing you to send text messages, drawings and photos.
- Even if you weren’t a fan of Bebo in the past, this is genuinely fun.
Gestures Beta
For: Windows Phone
Cost: Free
- Gestures Beta allows you to perform certain actions on your Lumia device without touching the display, based mainly around calls.
- Some of the functionality includes answering calls by putting the phone to your ear, ignoring a call by putting your phone face down and activating speaker mode by putting it on a flat surface.
- The gestures are only for phone calls at the moment so it’s not a versatile app but when it works, it’s useful.
- It *is* in beta (as the title suggests) so don’t expect it to be perfect. Also, certain devices like the Lumia 630, 635 and 530 have limited functionality so be warned if you own one of them.
- Useful but don’t expect to perform flawlessly each time you use it.
Hidely
For: iOS, Android
Cost: Free
- If you want to share photos privately, you could do it through Snapchat but there are other alternatives worth looking at.
- Hidely describes itself as the “first zero-trace camera and private photo gallery for secure photo sharing.”
- What that allows you is to send encrypted photos to friends and family via SMS or email. You’re given a link to a Hidely account which expires after one click or 24 hours.
- Any images you take are stored in the app until you share or delete them so you can create your own private album collection, even if they were taken through another camera app.
- If you want to give your private photos an extra layer of security, go for this.
Papers, Please
For: iOS (iPad)
Cost: €6.99
- If you’re put off by the price, believe us when we say it’s well worth the investment.
- Papers, Please is an award winning and critically acclaimed PC and console game that’s made its way to the iPad and is right at home on it.
- Taking the role of an immigration inspector in a communist state, your job is to inspect all immigrants and decide which ones to let through and which ones to deny.
- It sounds simple, but smugglers, spies and terrorists are trying to get through as well and figuring out which who’s who is a tense affair. It’s compelling, challenging and distinct.
- However, describing it honestly doesn’t do it any justice. Go play it now, or get it on PC/Mac/Linux if you don’t have an iPad.
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