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MARTYN LANDIReviews EditorCrowded Fiction (page
34) has really grabbed
my attention. Text has never felt so
three-dimensional, and the way the
story is played out in sync with the
main character is truly compelling.
NICK JONESEditor in ChiefGrab Songdrop (page 39)
while you can. It’s the sort
of thing YouTube should make already:
create a playlist from YouTube, Vimeo
and Soundcloud to enjoy on the go.
WELCOME TO APPS MAGAZINE
DOWNLOAD OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS
From Duolingo
to Vine, Dots
to Year Walk,
this issue
we celebrate
a year of brilliant apps. In
terms of functionality, style
and innovation, the bar is
constantly being set higher
and higher. With that in mind,
we’ve spent much time and
care picking the winners for
the Apps Awards 2013. While
our editorial team selected the
majority of winners, we also
asked you to vote for your
favourite downloads in our
Readers’ Choice category. We
reveal the fi nal results from
page 14 onwards.
With the launch of the
iPad Air and Nexus 7 2, as
well as budget options like
Tesco’s Hudl, tablet sales
are expected to reach 84.1
million by the end of the year,
outselling PCs for the fi rst
time. We showcase the 50
best tablet apps on page 26.
We’ve also got reviews of the
best new releases for iOS and
Android, including FIFA 14
(page 36), Cotracks (page 42)
and Clear+ (page 59).
Enjoy,
www.knowyourapps.com
SCAN FOR OUR NEWSSTAND APP
3
@Knowyourapps
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
/AppsMagazine
CLICK THE LIKE BUTTON
SEND US AN EMAIL TODAY WITH YOUR THOUGHTS OR FAVOURITE APPS
GET MORE FROM APPS MAGAZINE…
RECOMMENDED
Your essential apps guide every issue
SCAN FOR OUR ZINIO EDITION
SCAN FOR OUR KINDLE EDITION
VICTORIA RICHARDSSub EditorFor a new platformer that
is beautiful, educational
and challenging, look no further than
Type:Rider (page 64). Discover how
various famous fonts came to be and
complete puzzles along the way.
JACK PARSONSDeputy EditorGet travel news when
you’re driving or restaurant
reviews in the evening with Aviate Beta
(page 74). This launcher displays the
apps you need, when you want them.
Knowyourapps.com
GET THE LATEST NEWS AND PREVIEWS ONLINE
CROWDED FICTION iPad+ | iOS 6.0
| Free | v1.1.1
AVIATE BETA Android | OS 2.3
| Free | v1.0
SONGDROP iPhone | iOS 6.0
| Free | v1.1
TYPE:RIDER iPad+ | iOS 5.0
| £1.99/$2.99 | v1.2
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415 APP REVIEWS
HOW WE REVIEW
www.knowyourapps.com4
PREMIUM MEDIA PLAYERS40
ENTERTAINMENT - 24 APPS040 Premiummedia playersPlay your music and movies anywhere with these top transcoders
042 CotracksCollaborate on music-making froma single iPad with this download
044 Disney Infinity: Toy BoxConstruct your own Disney world
EVERYDAY - 26 APPS048 Organise your lifeGet it together with these essential downloads for iOS and Android
050 Lucy LadybirdA charming tale to delight the younger generation of app users
052 Agent - put your phone to workTeach your device to anticipate your needs with this Android download
WORK - 15 APPS056 ClaireMake better use of your time with Claire and the Eisenhower method
058 Velocity – Speed readerImprove your reading skills by teaching yourself to go faster
059 Clear+The minimalist to-do list brings its intuitive design to iPad
GAMES - 25 APPS062 Play online games with friendsEnjoy mega multiplayer fun with these great games
064 Type:RiderThis platformer brings new meaningto the word game genre
067 Shadowrun ReturnsSolve a murder in this urban fantasy
FREE - 25 APPS032 Free alternatives to... WarmlyThe best alarm clock apps that won’t cost you a penny to download
034 Crowded FictionThis interactive eBook blurs the lines between the novel and videogames
039 SongdropSay goodbye to subscriptions with this free music streaming service
Turn straight to page 76
CONTENTS
32FREE ALTERNATIVES TO… WARMLY
Visit the Apps Magazine
online shop at
OPERATING SYSTEMCertain apps only work on specifi c
operating systems, check your device
meets the specifi cations here.
FORMATSome apps are very specifi c to iPhone
or iPad, however if listed with a plus
symbol, apps will work on both devices.
PRICEWe list the most up-to-date price possible,
but check the App Store before purchasing.
Free apps may still include in-app purchases.
VERSIONWe always review the latest versions of apps
when going to press, but bear in mind issues we
outline maybe fi xed in updated versions.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v 4.5.2 Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v 4.6.3
26
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PLUS: LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR APPS!072 TutorialsStep-by-step guides for iOS and Android, including how to create a photo album in iPhoto and automate your Android with Aviate Beta
006 Android 4.4 KitKat Tips & TricksWe unwrap the new apps integratd into the new Android OS and top tips on how to use them
008 Q&AMessaging megastars Line explain why stickers are the new online universal language
009 How to: Paint a landscapeChannel your inner Monet with these painting apps
010 Apps Magazine is going digitalChanges happening to your favourite magazine in 2014
012 WIN! Orbitsound M9 speakersEnter our competition to be in with the chance of winning one of two sets of these stylish speakers
013 My home screenInstall these apps and plug in your headphones with these essential downloads for music lovers
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Head to page 47
www.knowyourapps.com 5
22TOP TECH
GIFT GUIDE
for back issues, bookazines and DVDs
48ORGANISE YOUR LIFE
14 We celebrate the best downloads of the last year
62PLAY ONLINE
GAMES WITH FRIENDS
THE APPSAWARDS2013
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26
KEEP YOUR ANDROID TABLET FRESH WITH OUR ESSENTIAL TABLET APPS
FEATURE ON PAGE
www.knowyourapps.com6
“OK GOOGLE”Just utter this magic phrase to open Google Now
and begin searching without ever having to touch
your device. In addition to being hands-free, the
digital assistant is also a lot smarter.
IMMERSIVE MODEReading books or watching videos is now a great
experience in KitKat. You have the the ability to
hide everything but the text, such as this Nexus
5’s navigation buttons, giving you a completely
fullscreen view.
BOOST BATTERY LIFEA new battery tool in the notifi cations bar allows
you to see how much energy apps are using. If
you spot a battery-sucking app you’d like to shut
down, tap it from the list, and hit ‘force stop’.
SMART CALLER IDAndroid 4.4 attempts to match calls from
unknown numbers with a business that is listed
on Google Maps. As an added extra, Contacts in
KitKat prioritises the people you call the most as
well as by your location.
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KITKAT TIPS AND TRICKSGET EXCITED ABOUT
In the most high-profi le rollout of an Android operating system so far, Google has integrated some of the most popular
apps from the Play Store into the brand new Android 4.4 KitKat release.
First off , Hangouts and QuickOffi ce are now part of the Android home screen. The Gallery has also gained the most popular features from Google’s image editor Snapseed, with photo fi lters that can be removed at any point.
Google launched Hangouts as an instant messaging alternative to WhatsApp earlier this year. While you could video call and instant message, you couldn’t reach a non-Google contact. KitKat has now added SMS and MMS integration, replacing the Messages app with it.
A direct challenge to Microsoft’s Offi ce Mobile app and Apple’s recent iWork price-slashing, QuickOffi ce allows you to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint fi les.
7www.knowyourapps.com
WE UNWRAP THE NEW APPS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT INTO ANDROID 4.4
3. ADDED EXTRASHangouts also lets you share your locations
with contacts in conversations, ideal if you’re
arranging to meet up. While you could always
share photos in conversations, you can also now
share moving GIFs in-app for added hilarity.
2. EXPRESS YOURSELFSo your contacts know how you’re feeling, you
can set a status in Hangouts refl ecting your
current mood. The Google Keyboard also includes
Emoji, colourful Japanese characters you can use
in conversations when words aren’t enough.
1. SEND SMS MESSAGESHangouts allowed users to video call and send
messages to other users, but there was no
way to reach non-Google contacts. Android 4.4
replaces Messages with Hangouts and has added
SMS and MMS integration.
HANGOUTS iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.3.1 Android | OS 2.3 | Free | v1.2.018
GALLERY Android | Varies | Free | Varies
QUICKOFFICE iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v6.1.2 Android | Varies | Free | Varies
1. CREATE YOUR OWN FILTERSJust as Apple added Instagram-like fi lters to
Camera in iOS 7, KitKat now allows you to apply
fi lters to photos. Swipe through a selection of
preset fi lters, or tap the + symbol on the fi lters
tab and create your own.
2. FOCUSED FINE-TUNINGWhile the updated Gallery allows you to crop,
rotate, brighten or saturate images, sometimes
it is only a specifi c area that needs attention. The
Local tool lets you apply target tweaks, select it
from the tab and pinch zoom on the area.
3. SHOW APPLIED EFFECTSNot happy with the changes? Tap the menu
button in the upper-right corner and select
‘Show applied eff ects’. All changes will appear
above the bottom navigation bar; tapping on one
allows you to readjust or remove the eff ect.
1. BOOST YOUR PRODUCTIVITYSay goodbye to scouring the Play Store for the
best offi ce suite. Optimised for both smartphone
and tablet, QuickOffi ce is now built into Android
4.4. Create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint
fi les in just a few taps.
2. OPEN AND VIEW PDFSAs well as being able to use QuickOffi ce to create
and edit Microsoft Offi ce documents, you can
also open and view any PDFs you’ve sent, or
download from the internet within the app. Now
you can get a headstart while on the commute.
3. SHARE THROUGH GOOGLE DRIVEAll of your Google Drive documents are
accessible through QuickOffi ce, making it easy
to switch between working at your desktop and
on your mobile device. You can also share fi les
through previously shared Google Drive folders.
Currently KitKat is only available on the Nexus 5 smartphone (pictured left) and can be downloaded as an update for Google’s other Nexus devices. Other manufacturers for Android, such as Samsung and Sony, are in the process of testing the OS,and it should roll in 2014.
For those of you lucky enough to already have Kitkat installed, we’ve given you a step-by-step to get to grips with Hangouts, QuickOffi ce and the Gallery’s new features in Android 4.4.
TOP TIPS FOR THE NEW APPS IN KITKAT NEVER MISS A MESSAGE SNAPSEED-INSPIRED FILTERS INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
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www.knowyourapps.com8
Can you run through the key features of Line?Line is a social and communication platform off ering a quirky, fun and interesting way to connect people with their friends around the world. Line incorporates many distinctive features, off ering free of charge: texting, group chat, voice calls, video calls, games, camera apps, sticker communications, timeLines, and the opportunity to stay up to date with favourite sports teams, artists and brands via Line offi cial accounts.
Did you always intend to make Line diff erent from other services like WhatsApp?We felt that Line needed to off er something beyond basic messaging. While having the ability to off er free messaging is fantastic, having a large amount of stand-out key features on Line allows it to transcend the defi nitions of a messaging service and bring it more into the social media sphere. Chat on Line is enhanced with the inclusion of stickers, which bring charm, humour and a very eff ective method of communication to the user – much more in line with current trends and conversational habits. With Line’s Home & TimeLine, games, the Line Camera and Tools, Line is a social life platform – it’s so much more than just a regular messaging app.
The stickers are a big part of Line’s selling point. What was the inspiration for including such a feature?Originating in Asia and starting in Japan, we are aware of the complications of the written language and the communication issues that arrive out of these. While emoticons can convey certain feelings, stickers have evolved this. They provide people with something they feel comfortable using that conveys more than words. Basing them around characters, and off ering Line users the option to download branded and well-known character stickers has proven to be a success, as now over one billion stickers are sent every day through Line.
What is it, do you think, that has made Line so incredibly popular with users?Having distinguishable characters for stickers and off ering a localised setting for individual countries has been instrumental in our success. Where with other apps you would have the same features universally, we provide services and accounts unique to specifi c countries. In addition,
giving users a timeLine, their own camera tools, and the option to play our games off ers a fuller experience than just messaging, meaning Line has the potential to appeal to a wider audience. Paul McCartney for example, recently joined Line, and a free Paul McCartney sticker pack was created to honour this. UK users can now follow Paul to receive updates on his forthcoming tour, as well as sending humorous cartoon stickers of his likeness to friends and family.
The idea of the localisation and customisation of the features app is very interesting. Can you explain this in more detail?A great example of this is the work we have done launching Line in Spain. Spanish users can follow the offi cial accounts of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and tennis ace Rafael Nadal. These offi cial accounts message the user directly with updates – fi xtures, scores, behind-the-scenes images and exclusive video content. In addition to this, with certain offi cial accounts, Line can off er a sticker pack to accompany the launch of that particular brand or artist.
Was it always really important to include a timeLine aspect as well, to give a broader communication experience?Having a timeLine aspect is a great additional asset for Line. Giving users a central page of their own allows people to really craft their own Line identity, with profi le pictures, the ability to update on current moods, share photos and communicate openly with friends (as well as the closed communication that Line off ers via its messaging tools). The ability to comment on other’s activity using stickers off ers users a more rounded channel of reaction – on Line you can refl ect how a person’s post has made you feel, whether relieved, excited or incensed!
Do you have any more updates and innovations planned?We are looking at bringing more of our popular games to the UK Line off ering, based on feedback from other countries. In addition, you can expect more great sticker packs to be available for download in the near future. We are also working with artists and brands to create more offi cial accounts for the UK users. We’re also working on off ering a music-related service to the UK via Line, so check out the app over the coming months!
TOP 05 SOCIAL MESSAGING APPSWHATSAPP
Messaging across devices, soon to subscription-based.
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Free | v2.11.4
Android | iOS 2.1 | Free | v2.11.109
SKYPEFree video and voice-calling, with IM capabilities as well.
FACEBOOK MESSENGERChat with Facebook contacts and send stickers.
BBMUsers can connect with friends across multiple platforms.
VIBERSend texts, stickers, doodles and edit photos.
Line is the instant messager that has
taken Asia by storm. Senior vice president of
Euro-Americas, Sunny Kim, reveals plans to
challenge WhatsApp on a worldwide scale
THE NEXT SOCIAL NETWORK
“LINE IS A SOCIAL LIFE PLATFORM, IT’S SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A REGULAR MESSAGING APP”
LINE: FREE CALLS & MESSAGESAs well as instant messenging, Line has games, a camera and social network features so users can connect easily.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | Free | v3.9.2Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v3.9.3
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free | v4.13
Android | Varies | Free | Varies
iPhone+ | OS 5.0 | Free | v2.7.2
Android | iOS 2.2 | Free | Varies
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.0.2.120 Android | iOS 4.0
| Free | v1.0.0.72
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Free | v3.1.5Android | OS 2.0 | Free | v3.1.1.15
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9www.knowyourapps.com
LEARN HOW TO PAINT STUNNING LANDSCAPE SCENES
APPS USEDPLAYART BY TAPOOK
Take your favourite elements from
the works of eight artists, from Monet to Hokusai, and create great mash-up collages.
iPad | iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99 | v2.1
ARTSTUDIOThis sophisticated painting app
off ers a huge selection of customisable tools, plus layers and a handy fullscreen mode. for perfecting the details.
iPad | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | v5.16
360 PANORAMAIncredibly easy to use and gives good
results. Just pan the camera around you and it does the rest for you.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99 | v4.3.1
Android | OS 2.3 | £0.62/$0.99 | v1.0.19
3. Import photoAfter saving the panorama to
your Camera Roll or Gallery,
you can import it into a
painting app that off ers
layers, such as ArtStudio. You
can then crop the image to
show just the part you want.
4. Use layersBy placing a new layer over
the top of your photo, you
can use it as a guide for
your painting. Reducing the
photo’s opacity will make
it easier to see your own
brushstrokes as you paint.
2. Take a shotUnless you want to sit in a
fi eld all day painting on your
device, you’ll want to take
some pictures of the scene.
Let 360 Panorama instantly
stitch them together as you
pan your camera. It’s so easy.
1. Master classFirst, learn the tricks about
good composition from some
of the world’s greatest artists
in PlayART by Tapook. As
well as admiring their works,
you’ll have fun making
collages from their elements.
5. Choose your brushAs with any pro-standard
painting app, ArtStudio off ers
a large selection of adjustable
brushes and tools to achieve
just the right texture needed
for each element of your
landscape painting.
6. Or cheat!If you haven’t got the time
or the patience for all of
that, you could always cheat
by using iPhoto’s oil paint
or watercolor eff ect (or a
standalone app) to make your
photo look like a painting.
Final thoughtThere are plenty of professional-standard painting
apps available, off ering a huge array of tools to help you
unleash your inner artist. Using a photo of the scene as a
guide will also aid the process. Ultimately, though, you’ll
need an awful lot of patience and practice to perfect your
landscape painting technique.
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APPS MAGAZINE IS AVAILABLE ON…
F rom next issue, Apps Magazine is going to be an exclusively digital publication. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android
devices, Apps Magazine will never be more than a tap away when you’re scouring the App Store for essential downloads. We will continue to off er the latest and greatest reviews of apps and mobile game and consumer advice on the best headphones, cases and other accessories for your device.
A digital version of Apps Magazine has run alongside the print edition since before
Apple’s Newsstand even existed, which means that in addition to being able to carry the latest issue around with you wherever you go on your smartphone or tablet, our full back catalogue of reviews, features and interviews will also be accessible through various in-app purchases.
The fi rst digital-only edition of Apps Magazine will be available from 9 January 2014. You can download it from both the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store. The magazine will also be available for
Kindle Fire through Amazon and the Nook through Barnes and Noble. If you’re looking for a cross-platform option, it can also be purchased through the Zinio app. For more information, visit GreatDigitalMags.com.
You can also get the latest reviews through Apps Magazine’s offi cial website knowyourapps.com and stay in touch by liking us on Facebook following @knowyourapps on Twitter.
If you’re a subscriber to Apps print edition, more information will be sent out soon.
APPS MAGAZINE IS GOING 100 PER CENT
DIGITALDOWNLOAD YOUR MUST-HAVE REVIEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR SMARTPHONE AND TABLET
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“A DIGITAL VERSION OF APPS MAGAZINE HAS RUN ALONGSIDE THE PRINT EDITION BEFORE
APPLE’S NEWSSTAND EVEN EXISTED”
GO WILD WITH WORLD OF ANIMALS MAGAZINEDO YOU LOVE ANIMALS AS MUCH AS APPS? THEN THIS NEW MAGAZINE IS FOR YOUFrom the slovenly sloths of the Amazon rainforest to the predatory polar bears of the Arctic Circle, World of Animals is a new monthly magazine available on iOS and Android. From the makers of How It Works and All About History, this new publication takes a unique look at wonderful wildlife from all over the globe.
With breathtaking photography, captivating stories and stunning illustrations, each issue off ers the safari of a lifetime that takes the reader on a fact-fi lled tour of the planet’s wildlife, exploring the habitats, behaviour and societies of all Earth’s creatures, great and small.
On sale now, the fi rst issue includes an in-depth look into the world of gorillas, an exposé of 50 animals dangerously close to extinction and what can be done to save them, plus a bite-by-bite account of how great white sharks hunt down their prey.
Visit GreatDigitalMags.com for more information on which digital platforms support World of Animals, or look for this groundbreaking magazine in all good shops. The publication is accompanied by a brand-new companion website: animalanswers.co.uk. Be sure to connect on Twitter @WorldAnimalsMag and Facebook at facebook.com/worldofanimalsmag and let them know what you’d love to see in future issues.
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WIN! ORBITSOUND
M9 SOUNDBAR WORTH £300
BRING CINEMA QUALITY SOUND TO YOUR MEDIA LIBRARY
TERMS AND CONDITIONSTo submit your answer, simply visit www.knowyourapps.com/features/competition and complete all fi elds of the anwer form. The
closing date for entries is 10 January 2013. Please be aware that answers must be submitted through the above web address only. This
competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland only. Imagine Publishing has the right to substitute the prize for a
similar item of equal or higher value. Employees of Imagine Publishing (including freelancers), their relatives, or any agents are not eligible
to enter. The editor’s decision is fi nal, and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. Full terms and
conditions are available upon request. From time to time, Imagine Publishing or its agents may send you related material or special off ers.
If you do not want to receive this, please state it clearly on your competition entry.
SCAN THE QR CODE TO ANSWERTHE QUESTION OR VISITwww.knowyourapps.com
Whether it’s for watching a movie or listening to music, the stylish M9 soundbar from Orbitsound can give your audio a captivating new level of clarity and quality. Using patented airSOUND
technology for enhanced defi nition, the M9 delivers an unrivalled listening experience – and thanks to built-in Bluetooth, this experience can be extended to your smartphone and tablet via wireless streaming of your music.
The M9 comes with a high power, low-profi le wireless digital subwoofer that helps produce high-defi nition sound worthy of any cinema. The soundbar also takes advantage of Orbitsound’s Spatial Sound Technology so that everyone in the room, regardless of where they are, gets the same stunning audio experience. This is thanks to the side fi ring speakers that ensure the soundscape fi lls the room and that everywhere is a sweet spot. Thanks to its sleek design, the M9 will also look at home just about anywhere.
The Orbitsound M9 normally retails at £299.99, but you could get your hands on one of the two that we have to give away. All
you need to do is answer the question below correctly to be in with a chance of winning these amazing speakers. Good luck!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
ORBITSOUND, SCAN
What does the M9 use to wirelessly connect to smartphones and tablets?
A. AIRPLAY B. BLUETOOTH C. NFC
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MP3 players are all but dead, having been replaced by
smartphones which are far more versatile. Songs can be purchased, stored and played in the cloud without even downloading them and streaming radio stations are great too. We round up the best apps to enhance your smartphone experience if you’re a lover of all things music related.
AMAZON MP3Alternative to Music
This replaces Music, Samsung Hub and Google
Play Music because it is a complete music player, streaming music service and online store. It’s a fi rst-class alternative.
SONGKICK CONCERTS
Alternative to S PlannerS Planner and
Calendar are fi ne for appointments, but if you want a music calendar, this is much better. Enter your favourite artists or your nearest city and it tells you what’s on and when.
TWICKETSAlternative to WatchON
WatchON tells you what is on television, whereas
Twickets will tell you the gigs your favourite bands are playing. It’s actually a ticket exchange too, so you can also buy/sell tickets to upcoming concerts too.
VEVOAlternative to Video
When your main interest is music rather
than movies, Vevo is a great alternative with its huge library of music videos to stream.
AUTORAPAlternative to Voice Recorder
Voice Recorder is a bit dull – speak into
AutoRap and it turns whatever you say into a rap song complete with backing track!
SOUND SEARCH FOR GOOGLE PLAYAlternative to Voice Search
Identify music playing on the radio or on TV.
It’s like Shazam, but a widget instead.
EQUALIZERAlternative toMusicFX
The built-in MusicFX equalizer can
be replaced with this superior version. It has presets for diff erent types of music and custom options.
THE SOCIAL RADIO FOR TWITTERAlternative toChatON
If you want to chat with friends, Twitter is a great
alternative to ChatON, but The Social Radio for Twitter provides an unusual twist. It speaks tweets while playing music. Fascinating.
1
6
5
2
4
SOUNDCLOUD – MUSIC AND AUDIOAlternative to Facebook
SoundCloud is part music discovery app and part social
network, so it can replace Facebook, ChatON, or Twitter apps. Find friends, follow people, chat and listen to great music.
DOUBLETWIST MUSIC PLAYERAlternative to Group Play
Group Play boosts the sound output by synchronising
several phones. This boosts the sound by streaming it over Wi-Fi to Apple TV, wireless speakers, Xbox, PS3 and more. A great addition to any music lover’s phone.
108 9
THE MUSIC LOVERDownload these apps and plug in your earphones
3
7
5
1 2 3 4
6 7 8 9
10
Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v2.8.1
iPhone | OS 5.0 | Free | v2.2.2
Android | OS 1.6 | Free | v1.3.3
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free | v1.4.0
Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v1.3.0
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free | v2.1
Android | Varies | Free | Varies
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Free | v2.6.6
Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v1.0.2
iPhone | OS 5.0 | Free | v1.2.4
Android | OS 2.3.3 | Free | v1.5.4
iPhone | OS 6.0 | Free | v2.9.3
Android | OS 2.3 | Free | v1.0.11
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free | v1.1.5
Android | OS 2.2| Free | v2.2.1
Android | OS 2.3.3 | Free | v1.5.1
Android | OS 4.0 | Free | v1.1.8
5
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Showcasing the very best apps of the last yearEach year the App Store and Google Play are getting bigger and bigger, with apps covering more of your daily functions, and capturing the imagination in diff erent ways on a daily basis.
Finding the very best among this ever-evolving crowd can be quite a task then, but at the same time some apps just stand out. It might be the visuals, it might be the functionality or impact it has on how you live your life. Whatever the reason, we have chosen the very best downloads from the last year and honoured them here.
FEATURE | THE APPS AWARDS 2013
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GOOGLE SEARCH iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | Varies | Free
Google Search’s victory is all about an update, and
the introduction of the digital assistant Google Now
to iOS and Android. It’s the fastest way to get all
the information that is crucial to you, just at the
right time. Whether it be a traffi c report as you leave for work,
the best places to eat near you at lunch time or the next trains
to come through the station you’re stood at, the service is
designed to bring you everything you need as you need it.
The interface has been kept clean and smart, and incorporating features such as voice
search has meant that it’s now eff ortless to search any extra detail out for yourself. Google
Now is smoother on Android but its presence on iOS is a defi nite threat to the likes of Apple’s
Siri. This app is one of the best updates of the year.
SNEAK iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
A huge marketplace within the apps
world is the area of apps for kids, and
our winner this year is a perfect
example of thinking outside of the
box. Sneak asks players to sneak up on their
device to catch monsters in the act of eating
treats left out as bait. Noises will make the
monsters run away, but stealth and silence will
allow users to snap a picture of the monster.
This is an app that could fi ll your living
room, and not many apps can say that. Sneak
is a brilliantly fun and immersive experience
and yet is so simple in terms of interface and
functionality it’s almost startling. There are
diff erent diffi culty levels to work up through and
diff erent monsters to try and capture on fi lm,
but the real joy is the way this single app on your
smartphone can entertain the entire room and
have the whole family sneaking up on it in no
time. Truly a genius children’s app.
KIDS AWARD
FREE AWARD
HENRI LE WORM iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99
A charming children’s story to get kids excited about cooking. The app contains
recipes from Raymond Blanc to get parents and kids cooking together.
DISNEY JUNIOR APPISODES iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Freemium
All your favourite Disney characters, as well as some new ones, in an app full of
exclusive-to-mobile TV appisodes that are also fully interactive.
RUNNERS-UPACCEPTANCE SPEECHSneak – James Huggins, MD at Made in Me“The reaction to Sneak has been phenomenal. Ironically it was a side project that we developed on a shoe string budget of about £3,000 not knowing whether the experience would really work or not. It’s a real joy to see just how much fun people are having with it, not to mention the unbelievable honour of being singled out by Apps Magazine for this award!”
DUOLINGO iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
Breaks the language learning process down into fun memory games that reward your good
memory and encourage you to keep going.
CITY MAPPER iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
Defi nitely one of the easiest transport apps to use, with step-by-step guides across buses and trains
to make navigating the city easy.
RUNNERS-UP
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MEXTURES iPhone | iOS 6.1 | £1.49/$1.99
Another area of the app
market that is hugely
competitive is
photography, but the
standout download of 2013 has most
defi nitely been Mextures. The app is
absolutely packed with editing tools,
including more than 80 diff erent
textures for users to add to their
photos – going well beyond the
standard set of fi lters usually off ered
by photography apps. One of the best
things about Mextures is that it is
possible to drop an infi nite number of
layers onto a single image, meaning
the results can be truly unique to each
user’s own experience of the app.
Mextures is the photography lover’s
editing app of choice, allowing users
to save the layer formulas they create and use them again later – it’s also
incredibly fast at editing and exporting any images to external sources
such as social networks. This is truly an app that allows users to really fl ex
their creativity. In short, Mextures is an iPhoneographer’s dream, and a very
worthy winner.
PIXLR EXPRESS PLUS iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
A more grown-up spin-off to Pixlr-o-Matic, Express PLUS
is loaded with a mixture of both casual and serious image-editing tools.
RUNNERS-UP
ANALOG CAMERA iPhone | iOS 6.0 |
£1.49/$1.99 From the team behind Clear, this app is all about the
interface in which you edit your photos, making it completely eff ortless.
FORESEE iPhone+ | iOS 5.1 | £0.69/$0.99
An innovative and very diff erent way of organising what you want to do, Foresee uses its powers to fi nd the perfect time
for that game of golf or gym session.
BBC WEATHER iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free
Android | OS 2.2 | Free A great-looking app that has detailed forecasting hour-by-hour, plus the ability to set up to ten favourite locations.
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECHMextures – Merek Davis, Founder“We are honoured and humbled! Thank you! The photo app category is packed with incredible apps, and to even be recognized is an honor. Thank you to Apps Magazine for providing a great publication for something we are all passionate about: Apps! The Mextures app came about because of a similarly passionate Instagram community. We started out by giving away textures away for free. After giving away three packs and having people tag over 100,000 thousand images with #mextures on Instagram, I wanted to make an app that would simplify the process of adding these textures – and so Mextures was created. Six months, 300,000 more Instagram tags, and one loyal community later, here we are: a developer, a part-time designer, and me. We could not have done it without the amazing mobile photography community. Thank you!”
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HOPSTOP TRANSIT DIRECTIONS iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Freemium
When it comes to fi nding the best app that you are likely
to turn to every day, the candidates tend to come from
similar areas: travel, weather and planning. There is a
standout candidate this year and that is HopStop, a
travel planning and monitoring app with truly impressive power.
Spanning a large chunk of the globe, HopStop covers every form of
public transport as well as walking to bring you all the directions you
could possibly need. More detailed than ever, the app can give
walking directions to the nearest bus stop before telling you when
to get off and use the subway to complete a journey. It’s synced
across transport methods and incredibly fast at generating routes.
The simple fact is once you begin using HopStop you will never use
anything else – and that is award worthy.
RUNNERS-UP
EVERY DAY AWARD
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MRS BROWN’S BOYS iPhone | iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99 Android | OS 2.2 | £0.99/$1.60
A popular show yes, but the app could hardly be described as brimming with content. In essence, this app boils down
to not much more than a soundboard, likely leaving fans of the show feeling more than a little disappointed at the wasted potential.
HANGOUTS iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Free Android | OS 2.3 | Free
Google+ Hangouts was promoted as the next big thing in instant messaging, based around your
Google+ account. Sadly Google+ is still lacking the users for it to make a dent in the market, and Hangouts is left hung out to dry. Still, with new SMS integration, perhaps there is hope.
THE WORST APPS OF THE YEARTWITTER #MUSIC
iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free
Unveiled with a huge
amount of hype and excitement, Twitter Music was going to change the way we all discovered music. It never happened and the app, despite its massive name, has fallen into insignifi cance.
CAT SELFIE iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free
For some reason, cats and selfi es have turned out to be two of the biggest online trends of this year – so bringing
the two of them together in an app was perhaps inevitable. Unfortunately it also turned out to be rather regrettable too, since the results were hugely underwhelming.
FACEBOOK HOME Android | OS 4.0 | Free
This was the closest we got to a much-anticipated ‘Facebook Phone’, a native app that completely dominates your
device. The problem was that the phone it fi nally launched with didn’t sell, and all interest in the app was soon lost.
IFTTT iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free
Getting right into the nuts and bolts of how your
smartphone works and changing it to suit you has
been something never really possible on iOS until
IFTTT came along. For some time, Android users
have had the monopoly on total customisation and
personalisation when it comes to the functions of a device –
and now IFTTT has expanded this idea to iOS.
The app gives users the power to combine almost any two
services together for productivity purposes. For example,
every time you take a picture it could be automatically synced
to Dropbox. Users can create as many of these ‘recipes’ as
they see fi t, hooking up calendars with reminders and social
networks with the camera and location services. Productivity
has never felt more accessible, all thanks to IFTTT.
WORK AWARD
LINE iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Freemium Android | OS 2.1 | Freemium
The incredibly popular communication app that brings together the idea of social networking and instant messaging in one
very impressive environment.
INSTAGRAM iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
The photo community heavyweight introduced video this year, and as a result gave itself a complete refresh;
now it’s just as relevant as ever.
GUILT Android | OS 4.0 | £1.26/$1.99
A very clever and unique take on money management, with the app calculating exactly how guilty you should feel about
the items you spend your money on.
RUNNERS-UP
RUNNERS-UPCARROT TO-DO
iPhone | iOS 6.0 | £1.49/$1.99 A to-do list with a personality, CARROT unleashes her temper when you’re not being productive, off ering a rather
unique incentive for getting your work done.
SNAPCHAT iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | iOS 2.2 | Free
2013 has without doubt been the year of fl ash media,
and Snapchat has been one of the frontrunners in
making the idea such a popular part of social
networking and communicating.
Snapchat has become as central a part of social networking
life as Facebook and Twitter in the last year, with the app a well-
known name not just in tech circles, but in the wider world too.
The simple act of sending a time-sensitive image complete with
caption has become the must-do of communication, and has
inspired a whole host of other time-sensitive downloads.
The wave of popularity behind Snapchat appears to be unstoppable, and the recent addition
of the Story update that gives users the chance to build up a collection of images and videos in a
montage that lasts for 24 hours shows that this app is going to continue to evolve.
SOCIAL AWARD
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RIDICULOUS FISHING iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99
A brilliant take on the endless runner idea as you dive to the deepest possible depth in the name of fi shing. The bizarre but
addictive gameplay will have you playing for hours.
DOTS: A GAME ABOUT CONNECTING
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Freemium Android | OS 2.2 | Freemium
When it comes to naming the
Game of the Year, there are so
many candidates for many
diff erent reasons. Games such as
Asphalt 8 and Deus Ex: The Fall pushed
forward the boundaries of what mobile
devices can do in terms of visuals and
replicating console-like gameplay. Then there
are the more seemingly mobile-driven titles
such as Ridiculous Fishing and Pixel People
that were just plain addictive. Our winner
though, is a brilliant combination of compelling
gameplay and simple controls that make it the
ultimate go-to mobile time-killer.
Dots is a game that takes a genre that most
of us are very familiar with – gem-matching
– and refreshes it to create an entirely new
type of game. There are various diff erent
ways to play, including an against-the-clock
mode that really cranks up the tension as you
attempt to score as many points as possible by
connecting dots of the same colour.
This game keeps you hooked with its
achievement unlocks, leaderboards and
beautifully simple gameplay; so you keep
coming back, trying to improve your score and
the total number of dots you’ve collected.
The interface is elegant and simple, and
the fact that it’s uncomplicated is all part
of this game’s undoubted charm. There are
power-ups to earn and use that will help you
to boost your scores, and there is even a local
multiplayer so you can take on your friends.
While Dots might not have the cutting-
edge visuals of some of its counterparts, its
download fi gures and consistent place in the
app charts don’t lie. This game is and remains
hugely popular, and the beauty of it is you only
need to spend a few minutes of your own time
playing with it to see why.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
BEST INDIE GAME AWARDTHE SILENT AGE
iPad+ | iOS 4.0 | Freemium Android | OS 3.0 | Freemium
A platform game, but focused on time travel and the jumping back and forth between the same location, in
diff erent time periods in order to overcome any obstacles. The Silent Age has helped to completely revitalised this extensive genre.
THE MUSIC-MAKER AWARD YELLOFIER
iPad+ | iOS 5.1 | £1.99/$2.99Record a clip, whether it be your voice, a selection of instruments or just a random noise and Yellofi er is smart
enough to break them up into pieces. You can then experiment with them by mixing and editing it all together in a cool mixing suite.
THE HUGE AMOUNT OF CONTENT AWARDTHE DOORS
iPad | iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99 Less of an iPad app, more of a digital museum packed to the rafters with information about the iconic band.
These include police reports on Jim Morrison’s arrest and even a graphic novel; the range and depth is truly something to behold.
THE NEW WAY OF STORY-TELLING AWARDHAUNTING MELISSA
iPad+ | iOS 7.0 | FreemiumOne of the best app experiences of this year has been the release of the serial horror movie that is Haunting Melissa.
With random releases of new chapters designed to spook you and episodes that change when rewatched, this is storytelling on a new level.
ASPHALT 8: AIRBORNE iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Freemium Andriod | Varies | £0.69/$0.99
Leaves Real Racing 3 trailing in its wake thanks to awesome arcade gameplay and stunning environments and visuals.
RUNNERS-UP
THE NEWSFEED SAVIOUR AWARDFEEDLY
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
Feedly was the app that stepped up when Google Reader closed in April, giving users who were suddenly
without a news reader app a more than adequate home on iOS and Android.
BEST GAME AWARD
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YEAR WALK iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
Few apps this year have penetrated as deeply into our
psyche as Year Walk. The mixture of truly chilling Swedish
folklore and ghost stories with the dark, gothic artwork
will stay with you for some time. Year Walk is the perfect
example of just how powerful the interactive medium can be,
immersing the reader not only with the genuine terror of the story
but also by off ering constant interactivity through touch gestures
and tilt controls. There are countless engaging puzzles, as well as
boss battles with some of Scandinavia’s most ghoulish spirits.
Year Walk does a wonderful job of building tension and suspense
as players have to explore the woods in the dead of night, gathering
as many clues as they can to fi gure out what is happening. There is an unrivalled
atmosphere to this game, and it stands head and shoulders above the rest.
ASTRONAUT VIDEO/MAGAZINE NO. 2
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £1.99/£2.99 An app that blurs the
lines between TV, magazine; Astronaut
is a collection of unique stories laced with a great soundtrack.
RUNNERS-UP
TRIPTEASE iPad | iOS 6.0 | Free
As travel guides go, none look better than Triptease. Users
can build their own guides based on the trips they’ve taken and share them with the community.
STYLE AWARD
ACCEPTANCE SPEECHYear Walk – Simogo“We’re absolutely overwhelmed by the response Year Walk have had. To think that such a strange, and at times even demanding, experience divided up into two separate softwares could become such a success. Most of all we’re glad of all the discussions its story has spurred between friends (and perhaps even between strangers), both online and offl ine. We’d like to thank everyone who played it through, and helped make it a success. Thank you!”
INNOVATION AWARD
RUNNERS-UP
MAILBOX iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | Free
Mailbox has been one of the big app stories of the year, not just because of the
waitlist system it pioneered upon its launch, but because of the way it
redesigned the way we look at and think about our email inboxes. This is the app
that stripped back the inbox and used gestures to organise every single message
you receive. Conversations are structured to read more like chat-like conversations
and you can snooze emails for later. Mailbox has aspects of a to-do list too, with the
way you can compartmentalise messages if they relate to specifi c tasks. The highly
sought after ‘Inbox zero’ is now a reality for all thanks to this app.
Why such an innovation? Well, Mailbox has not only changed the way we all
interact with our inbox, but the interface and gesture-based functionality has
been such a hit with users that even Apple appear to have taken inspiration
from them when they decided to overhaul the Mail app for iOS 7 – which is a
pretty big compliment for any developer, and is deserving of an award.
YPLAN iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free Andriod | OS 2.3.3 | Free
YPlan made being spontaneous even more eff ortless with its list of
events going on tonight in London and now New York.
YELLOFIER iPad+ | iOS 5.1 | £1.99/$2.99
One of the most original music-making apps we’ve ever seen, Yellofi er picks up
diff erent sounds and mixes them together for you, before handing you production control.
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YOUTUBE iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
YouTube has had to reinvent
itself somewhat ever since it
parted with Apple as a native
iOS app. This has actually served
the video service very well; with an updated
app that more closely resembles the
desktop version, as well as a polished iOS
7-inspired update that launched not only
before any other app, but the iOS as well.
The highlight has to be the new
background playback that allows users to
continue watching a video while searching
for another. This shows that YouTube knows
its users, and how listening to music and
using the app as a party playlist is a very
common function these days. Put simply,
the new app looks fantastic. Making the
most of the huge and endlessly growing
library of user content has never been
easier, or more entertaining.
DUOLINGO iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | OS 2.2 | Free
Being able to speak another
language is a skill that most of
us wish we could call upon for
many reasons, and while there
are a vast number of ways to teach
yourself in this digital age, none have the
eff ortlessly fun appeal of Duolingo.
The app turns this diffi cult process into
something far more manageable and
appealing to users thanks to the memory
game design and interface it employs.
It doesn’t come as much of a surprise
then, that readers of Apps Magazine
have chosen to crown Duolingo as their
favourite app of this year’s new releases.
Few apps feel quite as accessible
as Duolingo; the clever achievement
system that is in place helps by giving
the user something to strive for, pushing
themselves up through the ranks even
when things get more complicated. The
beauty of Duolingo is that it never feels
like learning, and the readers of Apps Magazine were emphatic in their voting.
ENTERTAINMENT AWARD
READERS’ CHOICE
RUNNERS-UP
RUNNERS-UP
THE DOORS iPad | iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
In terms of sheer content and the amount of digital history in one place, The Doors app is unrivalled
and may even signal a new genre of apps.
VINE iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | OS 4.0 | Free
This app has been absolutely everywhere this year, changing what it means to tweet and post a
video. Vine has started a revolution, and other video apps are left playing catch-up.
POCKET CASTS iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £2.49/$3.99 Android | OS 2.2 | £2.70/$3.99
An app that has come on in leaps and bounds this year, with an iOS launch and a gorgeous redesign.
GOOGLE MAPS iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free Android | OS Varies | Free
Bringing together directions and almost everything you could ever need to know about any location in
the world, Google Maps is an essential and brilliant mobile device companion.
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VINE iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free Android | OS 4.0 | Free
There can be little doubt as to the app that has been
the most talked about this year. Vine has been the
biggest trending app ever since its release back in
January, and kickstarted the fl ash media revolution
that saw apps such as Snapchat and Keek come into the
spotlight as well. It also prompted the app heavyweights at
Instagram to release an update that solely dealt with
introducing short videos to their own download.
Vine has captured the imagination and changed the way
we share moments of our lives. No longer does this need to be
done through picture messages and Skype calls, instead users
can capture and share a six-second video and post it to Twitter
as well as the wider Vine community.
The stop-start nature of the capturing process lends
itself to some impressive creativity, with stop-motion videos
being hugely popular among its users. The app itself not only
supports posting and sharing but also off ers everyone the
chance to discover other users and the cool ways that they are
using Vine to show off what they’re doing.
Few apps have been spoken about as much over the last
year as Vine, and this is not just within tech circles, but the
wider world. Even more casual app users are fully aware of the
popularity and power of Vine, and that is one of the biggest
testaments to how much of an impact it has had. That, coupled
with such a massive new trend being set that a new wave of
similar apps have appeared on the app stores is perhaps the
highest compliment that can be paid to Vine.
DOTS iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | FreemiumAndroid | OS 2.2 | Freemium
Addictive and beautifully easy to play, once this stylish mobile game
worms its way onto your home screen it won’t ever leave.
IFTTT iPad+ | iOS 5.0
| £1.99/$2.99 | v1.3.5Allows iOS users to link diff erent services on their
smartphone more fl uidly than ever before.
RUNNERS-UP
CREATE YOUR OWN VINE
APP OF THE YEAR
1. SET IT UPCreate a profi le
with your Twitter
login details or a
separate account
using your email.
Once set up, you
can view other
users’ videos and
shoot your own
by selecting the
camera icon.
3. SHAREAdd a caption
or searchable
hashtag, or a
location using
Foursquare,
and then select
whether you
want to post to
Vine, Twitter,
Facebook, or
all three.
2. SHOOTTap the screen
in short bursts
to create
multiple frames,
such as when
you’re creating
stop-motion
animation, or tap
and hold for one
consecutive six-
second take.
SHARE A SCENE
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GAMESTICK MINI-CONSOLE
02This Kickstarter success runs
Android games on a television.
GameStick consists of two
parts: a wireless controller and a tiny
mini-console dongle that slots into your
TV’s HDMI port. With two joysticks, A-B-
X-Y buttons, a d-Pad, and shoulder
buttons, the controller is adaptable for
any sort of gameplay but feels quite
basic. Made of white plastic, it feels
lumpy to hold, though it is lightweight.
The games available are not the best that
Android has to off er, but there are
familiar titles such as Shadowgun, Riptide
or Canabalt to choose from.
£79.99/$79.99 | gamestick.tvPerfect for ... The Android gamer
02
01
03
BOOQ VIPER HARDCASE 7
01The Viper’s rugged design with
graphite casing, yellow inner
lining, leather spine and zip tips
give it an industrial look. Suitable for iPad
minis and 7” Android tablets, this
compact case is made of a rugged, water-
resistant nylon to protect against bumps
and scratches. The inside is also fi tted
with padded, non-scratch neoprene to
keep your tablet safe and snug, with
three pockets. Two pockets are large
enough to store your smartphone or cash
cards, with a third one double the size,
large enough to carry a passport.
£29.19/$39.95 | Booqbags.comPerfect for ... The no-nonsense businessman
We give you a roundup of the tech that’s making waves in the industrythis winter
TOP TECH GIFTGUIDE
FEATURE | TOP TECH GIFT GUIDE
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SPY-C WI-FI SPY TANK
06Snap photos and record video
with this remote control robot.
You control and steer the Spy-C
with your smartphone, which relays a live
video feed back to your device. The
camera can be tilted up to 45 degrees in
the air and you can also interact with
others through the available speaker and
microphone. Connecting via its own Wi-Fi,
the Spy-C has a range of 20m indoors and
60m in the open air. The downside is that
it does tend to gobbles up power, running
on 6 AA batteries and only lasting for 75
minutes in use. Still, while it lasts, it is
great fun to play with.
£130.00 | sciencemuseumshop.co.ukPerfect for ... The budding James Bond
BARBOUR iPAD MINI 2 QUILTED
05Produced by Proporta in
collaboration with British
Heritage’s fashion house
Barbour, this quilted case off ers a classic
design for your brand new iPad mini 2.
Available in a range of colours including
terracotta, navy blue and olive (pictured),
the fabric case also has a tartan lining
and will appeal to fans of Jack Wills or
Burberry. What’s more, these Barbour
accessories are multi-purpose thanks to
a dual-angle stand, which ensures that
desktop or laptop viewing is made simple
while keeping the tablet fully protected.
£54.95/$74.95 | Proporta.co.ukPerfect for ... The traditionalist
06
BRAVEN 710 PORTABLE WIRELESS SPEAKER
03Designed for a stunning audio
and visual experience, the
Braven 710 is equipped with up
to 12 hours of play time, and is encased
in aircraft-grade aluminum. The portable
speaker also uses NFC to pair with any
compatible device wirelessly and can be
used as a Bluetooth bridge to stream to
any home stereo. In addition to being
water resistant, the 710 can be used as a
power bank to charge mobile devices.
£149.99/$169.99 | Braven.comPerfect for ... The music lover
PROPORTA iPAD AIR SHINE CASE PEACOCK
04With a glossy exterior and
exotic peacock print lining, this
case perfectly complements the
new iPad Air’s colourful iOS 7 operating
system. This fashion-forward case also
has a compact mirror and pocket for
cash cards on the inside sleeve. Proporta
temper style with substance by also
including a stand mode and ensure your
iPad is securely held in place with their
unique 3M grip. The case comes with a
Lifetime Exchange Warranty so that you
can return it if you’re unsatisfi ed.
£44.95/59.95 | Proporta.co.ukPerfect for ... The fashionista
TOP TECH GIFT GUIDE | FEATURE
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iCONNECT BLUETOOTH MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG
07With working headlights, full
suspension and gull-wing doors,
this model is as close as many
will get to owning a SLS AMG supercar.
Pairing with your iPhone via Bluetooth,
you can remotely control the car using an
on-screen joystick or switch to Full
Gesture Control that responds to you
turning your device like a real steering
wheel. As an added feature, the entire
back window of the car is a high-quality
speaker that you can stream your iTunes
collection through. You can even set your
lights to fl ash into time with the beat.
£130.00 | sciencemuseumshop.co.ukPerfect for ... The petrolhead
APONYO CLICK STYLUS
10The Click is so-called because its
woven fi bre nib is retractable,
almost exactly like that of a
ballpoint pen. The patented nib is worth
protecting as it is incredibly responsive
and glides across the screen. Not that the
nib is delicate. In fact, it’s quite the
opposite. Despite being made of fabric, it
is surprisingly fi rm. It never missed a
swipe, making it ideal for creative works
as well as day-to-day use with your
device. All in all, the Click represents real
value for money. Purchase this if you’re
looking for a stylus that looks great and
works incredibly smoothly.
£9.99/$12.99 | stylusx.comPerfect for ... The artist
MINIX NEO X5 DUAL CORE MEDIA HUB FOR ANDROID
08The Minix Neo X5 off ers 16GB of
physical storage space to back
up your music, movies, photos
and even apps when your smartphone or
tablet is at bursting point. The media hub
runs Android 4.1, so you can download
content directly from Google Play and
there’s a number of apps pre-installed,
with the likes of Netfl ix and Pandora
being just a click away. Movies can be
watched in 1080p, but the X5 does have
issues recognising certain fi le types.
Around the back are a wide selection of
ports, including a HDMI, three USB ports,
audio output and SD card reader, so you
can make this the centre of your home
entertainment system.
£74.99 | minix.com.hkPerfect for ... The fi lm fan
SURVIVOR + CATALYST CASE FOR iPHONE 5
09Secure when it comes to locking
shut, the Survivor has a double-
clasp system to ensure this case
won’t come apart, as well as a screw-in
tether for your headphone port for added
peace of mind. The Survivor also provides
full-button access and is impressively
lightweight – its clear plastic shell making
it very subtle as a cover for your iPhone.
It can be a little strenuous trying to get
your iPhone in and out of the case, but at
least this should assure you of its
resistance against letting in water and
dust. Designed to be for all occasions, this
is a pretty easy case to live with.
£59.99/$69.99 | griffi ntechnology.comPerfect for ... The outdoors type
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05 APPS YOU SHOULD BE GIFTINGCALL OF DUTY: STRIKE TEAM
An original and exciting COD game for mobile.
NIGHT SKY 2Scan the skies and recognise constellations
and planets with this augmented reality astronomy app.
ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS II
Play as one of the 30 famous characters.
THE LAND OF ME – This interactive download encourages
children to use their imaginations to create monsters and vehicles.
LIMBONot for the faint-hearted, this puzzle game
set in the underworld will have players sat on the edge of their seat.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99
Android | OS 2.0.1 | £4.33/$6.99
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £0.99/$0.99
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
Android | OS 2.3 | £0.79/$0.99
iPad | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad | iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99
NETATMO URBAN WEATHER STATION
14These sleek-looking tubes
transmit real-time weather
stats to your device, issuing
weather warnings as push notifi cations.
City dwellers concerned about air quality
have embraced this product as it
measures carbon dioxide. But while smog
is rare, health-conscious users might be
disappointed it doesn’t measure the more
commonplace threat: carbon monoxide. It
does measure temperature, humidity and
air pressure however, so perhaps a more
genteel use for the gadget is in a
gardener’s greenhouse. Set up is easy as
the tubes are already paired, all you need
to do is simply download the app and
connect it to your Wi-Fi.
£139.95 | netatmo.comPerfect for ... The greenhouse gardener
PARROT ZIK GOLD COLLECTION HEADPHONES
11Created in colloboration with
the French designer Philippe
Stark, the Parrot Zik Gold
Collection headphones look and sound
great. Available in a range of colours,
including rose gold (pictured) Parrot Zik
headphones block out 99% of ambient
noise. Slide your fi ngers vertically on the
right-hand speaker to adjust volume or
swipe sideways to skip tracks.
Alternatively, download the Parrot Audio
Suite app for iPhone controls as well as
the tools to confi gure the headphones
for ‘Concert Hall Eff ect’.
£299.99/$399.99 | parrot.comPerfect for ... The upmarket audiophile
JAWBONE MINI JAMBOX SPEAKER
12Get the party started wherever
you are with the portable
Jawbone Mini Jambox. Small
enough to fi t in a shirt top pocket, the
Mini Jambox still brings the noise with
high-quality sound and 10 hours of
playback. Don’t forget to download the
companion Jawbone app for iOS and
Android, which provides a portal to pull-in
your favourite playlists from multiple
streaming services such as Spotify, Rdio
or Deezer. You can also set up voice
controls for the speaker within the app.
£149.99/$179.99 | jawbone.comPerfect for ... The party animal
WITHINGS PULSEFITNESS TRACKER
13Measure your heart rate with
this sleek, smart tracker. The
Withings Pulse also calculates
the number of steps you take, the
number of calories you burnt off , even
how long you sleep for over the course of
a day. All of this info is easily navigated
through a touchscreen, with additional
stats accessible via the app. Weighing
just eight grams, you hardly notice that
you have it on, especially with multiple
options on how to wear it: either as a
watch, on a belt clip, or in your pocket.
£89.95/$99.95 | withings.comPerfect for ... The fi tness buff
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TOP TECH GIFT GUIDE | FEATURE
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PRODUCTIVITYCOAST BY OPERA
iPad | iOS 6.0 | FreeReimagining the way you browse the web on tablet, Coast is a visually-driven browser app with simple controls to aid navigation. Users
deploy gestures to open and close tabs as well as create icon-based Favourites lists. It’s intuitive in the way users can decide exactly where they would like to search for something, and simply a gorgeous space.
STOCKTOUCHiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free
The stock market is not necessarily a visually stimulating place upon fi rst thought, but StockTouch is designed to change that. The app quite literally fi lls
your screen with coloured tiles to depict the stock performance of the 100 largest stocks, with data being updated every fi ve minutes throughout the day. You can build a favourites list to track your own portfolio of options too.
QUICKOFFICEiPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Free
Android | OS 2.2 | FreeBeing able to create and edit Microsoft
Offi ce documents wherever you are is defi nitely something worth having. With Quickoffi ce this is a reality, as well as the bonus of 15GB of free space in the cloud.
POCKET INFORMANT PRO
iPad+ | iOS 6.1 | £5.99/$8.99
Android | OS 2.3 | £6.23/$9.99
This download off ers daily to-do lists and
full calendar scheduling. The app also syncs with Google Cal and Evernote, so you can be super organised.
DROPBOXiPad+ | iOS 5.0
| Freemium Android | OS 2.2
| FreemiumDropbox off ers cloud storage in a
clean interface. Great for accessing files across computers, but also for showing images in its tablet-friendly, full-screen picture gallery.
ADOBE IDEASiPad+ | iOS 5.1
| Freemium
As its name suggests, Adobe Ideas is
ideal for brainstorming. It provides you with an endles blank canvas and all manner of tools to help with the creative process. Pay extra for 20 GB of Creative Cloud Storage.
TABLET TALK Android | OS 2.1 |
£1.93/$2.99An app that allows users to make calls
and texts from their tablet without having to fi sh their phone out of a pocket. Tablet Talk doesn’t require a new number, just a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.
POCKETiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free
Android | OS 2.2 | FreeThere are times when your web
browsing is rushed; not giving you enough time to read all the articles you want. Pocket puts an end to this, allowing you to save stories for later, so you can read when it suits you.
50 ESSENTIALTABLET APPS
TOP DOWNLOADS FOR THE BIG SCREEN
FEATURE | 50 ESSENTIAL TABLET APPS
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ENTERTAINMENT
SOCIAL APPS
DISNEY ANIMATEDiPad | iOS 6.0 | £6.99/$9.99
A fantastic iPad-exclusive app that gives all of us the chance to take a nostalgic trip back to childhood and the Disney movies that peppered it. Disney Animated is a comprehensive guide to animation at the studio, and how it has changed and evolved
through time. There are interactive images and layered clips to uncover and even a screen where every scene from every Disney movie can be found in one place. On top of this, there is a wonderful Color Map depicting every scene from every Disney fi lm in a thumbnail, so you can spot trends. This is a truly unique and magical experience that both adults and children will love.
YOUTUBEiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free
Android | OS 2.2 | FreeWatching videos on your tablet has never been better thanks to the updated
YouTube app. Being able to watch one video while searching for another really improves the experience.
FLIPBOARDiPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Free
Android | OS 2.2 | FreeThe personalised magazines of Flipboard deserve to be seen on the larger tablet
screen. It means more stories on the cover and each page for you to browse through when you have the chance.
FOTOPEDIA REPORTERiPad | iOS 5.0 | Free
Another tablet exclusive, this iPad app is a beautiful, image-driven news source
app that covers a range of subjects. Taking on the format of a digital magazine, it’s also a social platform as users can upload images and stories using built-in templates that broaden the reach of the app even more.
BRIAN COX’S WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £3.99/$5.99The entire universe serves as the menu space here, and that only scratches the
surface. The clever scrolling system that automatically plays videos when you reach them in the text, and the extensive amount of information both make this a great download.
NETFLIXiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Freemium
Android | OS 2.2 | FreemiumTake your Netfl ix account and that fantastic library with you and watch it all on
the screen size it deserves. The app supports cloud playback so you can resume watching on another device.
500PXiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Freemium
Android | OS 4.0 | FreemiumIn order to get the most out of the stunning images that 500px hosts, the full size of
your iPad or Android tablet screen is needed. The work on show is fantastic and the social aspect is a great feature.
THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMOREiPad | iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99
One of best interactive stories on the App Store, Fantastic Flying Books (pictured below) actually won an Oscar. The whimsical story of books coming to life, it is quite fi tting that you are able
to engage with the pages. With a nostalgic art style, this app is eff ortlessly charming iPad-only download.
PLUME PREMIUM FOR TWITTER
Android | OS 2.1 | £3.73/$4.99Plume makes for a great-looking Twitter client on tablets, thanks to the
transparent feeds that complement your wallpaper and a space grey colour scheme that is very cool.
TWEETBOT FOR TWITTER
iPad | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99Tweetbot does a great job of making your Twitter account even
more accessible. This is thanks to the ability to mute hashtags and users, so your timeline looks cleaner.
ZEEBOXiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free
Android | OS 2.2 | FreeUse TV shows as the source for your social activity, as zeebox allows you to
interact with shows as they happen with other users. Chat in rooms dedicated to individual shows and check statistics live on your device.
SPOUTiPad+ | iOS 7.0 | £1.49/$1.99
A very cool and diff erent way of getting your social media news feeds delivered
to you, Spout fi lls the screen with live, dynamic text dedicated to each new post. See any that interest you? A single tap will have you jump to the original to interact.
50 ESSENTIAL TABLET APPS | FEATURE
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GAMESMODERN COMBAT 4: ZERO HOUR
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99 Android | OS 2.3 | £4.99/$6.99Personifying everything that makes a high-end tablet game, Modern Combat 4 has the epic soundtrack, huge scale and Hollywood blockbuster look and feel. The Multiplayer mode is equally epic, with seemingly endless
weapons to choose from to help you climb the online leaderboards.
DEUS EX: THE FALLiPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99
Much more than just a port or spin-off , The Fall is the mobile-exclusive latest
instalment in the Deus Ex franchise. Explore stunning environments from Moscow to Panama, with truly beautiful lighting eff ects that mimic the textures of the console game. Add in a fully fl edged augmentation system that isn’t watered down at all and you’ll realise this is the real deal.
REAL BOXING iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £0.99/$0.99
Android | OS 2.3 | £0.99/$0.99 As the name suggests, developer Vivid was determined to make this app
as realistic as possible, and some of the visuals within Real Boxing are astounding for mobile. While the game is slick and the controls easy to manage, the true star is the graphics, with great detail in the faces of boxers and in the damage they take.
LETTERPRESS – WORD GAME
iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Free The highly addictive word game is brilliant fun on tablet, with a smart
interface that doesn’t complicate things. It’s eff ortless to sit back and relax on the sofa and play this game, which works better on tablet because of the gestures and extra screen space it off ers you.
INFINITY BLADE IIIiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £4.99/$6.99
Long a benchmark for how good mobile games can look, the latest Infi nity Blade
again raises the bar with bigger areas to explore and wonderful lighting eff ects to really bring scenes to life. Some single areas of this game are bigger than the entire original – when you add that to the extra facets of the game such as forges and potion making, you have a major tablet title.
SKY GAMBLERS: AIR SUPREMACY
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 Android | OS 2.3.3 | Free
Released alongside the original Retina display iPad, Air Supremacy remains the
Sky Gamblers game that utilises it the best. The detail here is the key factor, with heat shimmer from jet engines and sunlight bouncing off the sea both adding to the visual experience.
RAGE OF THE GLADIATOR iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | Freemium
Android | OS 2.3.3 | FreemiumThis is one of the best-looking games available on iOS and Android, with
frenetic swipe controls to match. Enter the Roman gladiatorial arena for epic boss battles and unleash some very cool fi nishing moves. If you’re familiar with Infi nity Blade, then this app is sure to go down very well.
ANOMALY 2iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
Android | OS 2.2 | £3.49/$$.99The Anomaly series has created a whole new genre of gaming: tower offence.
This latest instalment has pushed the boundaries even further. Anomaly 2 is stunning, and the tactics of the game will have players immersed from the start. It is also possible to play as the alien defenders in multiplayer mode, so you and your friends can face off.
EUFLORIA HDiPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99
Android | OS 2.3 | £2.99/$4.99A unique game that works perfectly on tablet because of the intricate nature of
the gameplay. Eufl oria is all about taking over planets using your seedlings, planting and growing trees to sprout new soldiers and explore new planets – it’s unusual and engrossing from the very beginning.
BASTIONiPad+ | iOS 5.1
| £2.99/$4.99The constantly evolving landscapes
that build around you, beautiful artwork and intuitive touch controls make Bastion stand out as an open-world game.
MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITION
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99
Android | Varies | VariesA streamlined version of the PC game, here
is a universe to explore and build within – all while avoiding zombies!
RIPTIDE GP2iPad+ | iOS 6.0
| £1.99/$2.99 Android | OS 2.3
| £1.99/$2.99Up to four players can battle it out in
custom hydro jets and outdo each other in awesome stunts.
MACHINARIUMiPad+ | iOS 5.0
| £2.99/$4.99 Android | OS 2.2
| £4.00/$5.00Guide the little robot hero home by
solving puzzles. This beautiful game is a must on all tablets.
THE ROOMiPad | iOS 5.0
| £1.49/$1.99 Android | OS 2.0.1
| £1.49/$1.99This award-winning app has terrifi ed
and engrossed users with its 3D puzzles and truly chilling setting.
LIMBO GAMEiPad+ | iOS 6.0
| £2.99/$4.99Limbo is all about the atmosphere,
with a soundtrack and ambiance that will send a shiver down your spine. The intuitive controls are great too.
FEATURE | 50 ESSENTIAL TABLET APPS
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CREATIVE
iMOVIE iPad+ | iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99
Apple’s own native editing suite has been given a makeover for iOS 7, and with all the gestures that allow
you to cut frames and move clips around, using it on the bigger tablet screen is a must. iMovie is packed with themes so you can create your own news report or movie trailer from your home footage.
PAPER BY FIFTYTHREEiPad | iOS 6.0 | Freemium
There are few creative spaces available on iPad that look and feel as elegant as Paper, with its
themed notebooks and drawing tools that all react diff erently as you use them. The interface is clean and simple, with everything kept simple and perfect to help fuel your creativity.
HAIKU DECKiPad | iOS 6.0 | Freemium
Haiku Deck is the anti-presentation presentation app, placing an emphasis on the creation of stylish PowerPoints
without cheesy ClipArt. With Creative Commons built in to source images and some sleek templates to use, your slideshows will never be the same again.
REACTABLE MOBILEiPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £6.99/$9.99
Android | OS 2.2 | £7.04/$9.99One of the most unique turntables or music-making facilities you will ever come across, Reactable is an
open space where users can drop in boxes of sound and create music completely from scratch. Every setting possible is open to tweaking, and there are endless gestures and screen placements to use, making this ideal for the tablet screen.
PHOTO APPS
PAPER ARTISTiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £1.99/$2.99
Android | OS 4.0 | £1.99/$2.99Take your photos and turn them into paintings and sketches using this app, where you can select diff erent art styles
in order to achieve the result you’re looking for.
DJAY 2iPad | iOS 6.0
| £6.99/$9.99Sequel to the successful turntable app,
djay 2 is now even smarter at matching together your tracks using harmonic match to read keys and sync everything.
GARAGEBANDiPad+ | iOS 7.0
| FreemiumA fully working music studio complete with
all manner of instruments to play. GarageBand is ideal for tablet because of the extra space for drumming or piano playing that the device can off er you.
PROCREATEiPad | iOS 6.0
| £2.99/$4.99Procreate’s setting as a place to get
creative is all down to the app’s determination to include detail. This is epitomised by the ultra HD 4K canvas that makes even the smallest details of your creations crucial.
FL STUDIO MOBILE HD
iPad+ | iOS 5.1 | £10.49/$14.99
Android | OS 2.3.3 | £12.95/$14.99
Create multi-track music projects from
the detailed interface of FL Studio. Resembling a recording studio mixing deck, the tablet’s screen space is a real benefit.
PINNACLE STUDIOiPad | iOS 6.0
| £6.99/$9.99A great space in which to edit your
videos that should be considered a genuine alternative to iMovie. The storyboard feature allows you to quickly rearrange your clips and is a handy tool to aid productivity.
GRAFIOiPad+ | iOS 5.0 |
£7.99/$11.99As a thinking space, Grafi o is one of the
best around, off ering a giant blank canvas with which you can do anything. Whether it be building a spider diagram or just sketching out an idea; this is your space.
REPIXiPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Freemium
Android | OS 4.0 | FreemiumGoing beyond most photo editing apps, Repix has fi lters and stunning eff ects tools with the power to turn images into
art – the results deserve to be seen on tablets.
SNAPSEEDiPad+ | iOS 5.1 | Free
Android | OS 4.0 | FreeSnapseed stands out because of the great gesture controls enabled. Tap, hold and swipe on your image to move between
the diff erent options – easily done on a tablet.
DIPTIC PDQiPad+ | iOS 7.0 | £0.69/$0.99
Android | OS 2.2 | £0.63/$0.99Instead of placing fi lters onto your photos, use Diptic to create collages. There are many templates to choose from, and each
image can be edited individually for great results.
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TOUCHiPad | iOS 5.0 | £6.99/$9.99
Android | OS 3.1 | £6.99/$9.99The desktop software goes mobile with the Touch app, a streamlined version of the full software that gives users the
power to edit photos on the move on their iPad.
50 ESSENTIAL TABLET APPS | FEATURE
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FREE | GROUP TEST
FREE ALTERNATIVES TO… WARMLY ALARM CLOCKDOWNLOADS TO HELP YOU GET UP FEELING BRIGHT AND BREEZY
WARMLY ALARM CLOCK
This simple and attractive app makes being woken up by an alarm less of a shock. Instead of blaring
out music or something akin to the red alert noise from Star Trek, it lets you stir to the sound of pleasant noises such frying eggs, coff ee percolating or a cat meowing. It even eases you in to these with ambient noises, such as bird song, that fade in a couple of minutes before the main alarm starts playing. Simultaneously, it prepares a weather update to show on the main screen so you know what to wear when you get up.Easy to use but perhaps not alarming enough if you are a heavy sleeper.
Android | OS 2.3 | Free | v1.2.2
THE PAID APP
ABOVE: There are lots of alarm sounds on offer
iHOME SLEEPThis app allows you to preset times for sleep and nap alarms and select music from your device (or the TuneIn
Radio app if you’re on iOS 7) that plays for a set time when you drop off or wake up. You can set alarms that go off only once or that repeat at set intervals, and if you need routine you can be reminded when it’s bedtime. By fl icking the sliders under the clock you can also compile basic stats based on how long you sleep for, a nice novelty. As with most alarm clock apps though, this won’t work if your phone is locked.
Includes some great features not normally found in free alarm clock apps. A worthy download.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | Free | v2.9 Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v1.0.8
SLEEP TIMEThis attractive app will put you to sleep, wake you up and analyse your sleep patterns in between. The alarm is set
by dragging a red marker around an attractive animated graphic of an analogue clock. Five diff erent alarm sounds are included in the free version but more are available if you upgrade. To help you drop off , you can play a soundscape – but only one comes free. The sleep analysis tells you how long you slept for and how much of that time was spent in light sleep and deep sleep and can show your pattern over several days.A nicely designed app that is more than just an alarm clock but you will have to be willing to upgrade if you want to get it all.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free | v 2.6.4830 Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v1.0.7
WAVE ALARMThis simple app doesn’t do anything except tell you the weather and wake you up at an allotted time, but
it performs these tasks eff ectively and with a twist. The main screen is a digital clock that shows the time, date and current high and low temperatures, with an icon indicating the prevailing conditions. The alarm can be preset in the Settings menu together with the colour of the clock and a few other display features. What makes this clock diff erent is the integration of gestures: swiping down dims the screen slightly and waving your phone stops the alarm.Before using this you’d better be sure you have a good grip when waking up.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Freemium | v2.1 Android | OS 2.3 | Freemium | v2.0
THE FREE APPS
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GROUP TEST | FREE
BEDBUZZ TALKING ALARM CLOCK
If you want to be woken up in the morning with a personal greeting rather than a bleep, say hello to BedBuzz. This
version has an English bias in its three voices but compared with other talking apps they are all surprisingly tolerable. The main screen shows the time, date and weather, each of which will be spoken by the app if you tap the appropriate text or image. Another unusual feature is the ability to set wake up messages that consenting Facebook friends will hear when they wake up, too.
ALARM CLOCKBY MKCHANGE
This app might make you feel better about waking up because every time the alarm goes off , money is donated
to good causes. It’s not a lot – each virtual coin you get when you wake up is only worth 0.01 US cents – but it doesn’t cost you a penny because the money is donated by commercial sponsors. You can choose the benefi ciaries from a list including Save the Children, the Rainforest Alliance and Human Rights Watch. The interface isn’t fancy, but it’s the noise it makes that counts.
WAKEMEThe fi rst time you run this app you get an instructional video that suggests normal alarm clocks fail because they
don’t get your brain going. WakeMe is supposed to solve that problem by stimulating you with videos that have been sent to you through Facebook or are on one of several preselected YouTube channels. The selection of channels is limited, but it covers a wide range of interests from sports to news, science and humour. The alarm-setting window is basic but you can pick from a decent selection of sounds to wake you up in time for the videos.
Handy if you often find yourself waking up bleary eyed and need to be told the time.
Cool idea that could make an important contribution if enough people wake up to it.
A pretty good idea, but it’s a shame you can’t access your own YouTube channels.
SLEEPBOTLike iHome Sleep and Sleep Time, this app includes both an alarm clock and tools to analyse your sleep patterns. It
can track your movement and any noises you make while you are in dreamland, so you can review these the next day to see if you were restless, snoring or perhaps even chatty. If you want to be able to access these data elsewhere and get more detailed analytics, you can also sign up for an online account. The alarm, meanwhile, comes with options that allow you to set an optimal sleep time, the snooze length and a soothing ambient soundscape.The app to get if you want to know exactly what you are saying in your sleep.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | Free | v1.2 Android | Varies | Free | Varies
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | Freemium | v1.4.2 Android | OS 2.2 | Freemium | Varies
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | Free | v1.7 Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v3.0
iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.5 Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v1.1
GOONS & BOTS ALARM CLOCK
This app tries to be diff erent by decorating its main screen with cartoon monsters and robots. Unfortunately in
this review it wouldn’t run under iOS 7 and didn’t display properly on Android. On the plus side, it’s easy to set the time and repeat interval of alarms and you can pick a music fi le from your device to wake you up if you don’t like the sounds it comes with. For anyone who has a hard time reaching consciousness though, the default rock tunes provide a suffi cient incentive to get out of bed.The monstrous music is definitely stirring but otherwise this feels like a work in progress.
iPhone | iOS 4.0 | Free | v1.2 Android | OS 1.6 | Free | v1.0
RADION FREEThis app gets top marks for its attractive interface and smart use of touchscreen controls. The main interface looks like
an old TV set with several knobs and sliders for adjusting brightness, activating the alarm, accessing Shoutcast internet radio streams or playing the soothing sound of rain on a window to help you fall asleep. Alarms are easy to set in the Settings menu and you can tweak options such as sound, repeat interval, snooze length, how quickly the volume fades in and whether you can shake your phone to stop the noise.
Garish ads can distract from the vintage ambience but you can’t complain when it’s free.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Freemium | v3.0.6 Android | OS 2.2 | Freemium | Varies
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One of the unsung heroes of childhood was the Choose Your Own Adventure book series that placed
readers in the shoes of a story’s central character and asked them to make the key decisions. It was immersive and wonderfully engaging, bringing an extra dimension to good old-fashioned reading and inspiring entirely new ways to tell stories. Crowded Fiction takes this concept and gives it a modern twist.
The end product of a Kickstarter project, the app is an eBook reader where the stories come to life unlike any
other eBook currently on the market. Before starting, users must choose a reading speed that’s comfortable as the text moves across the screen. The text then spills across the display, bringing with it a sense of drama that usually requires some active imagination from the reader. Not any more, Crowded Fiction drops the user right into the heart of the story, where the decisions taken by on-screen gestures and the timing of those actions have a direct impact.
As the text plays, there are trigger moments and prompts within the narrative that require an action from
the user. However, this is unlike the stop-start type of interactive books that are a staple on the App Store, where the user waits until a pause in the story to tap and swipe. ‘Jackson’s Choice’, the debut story in Crowded Fiction sees the interactions take place ‘live’ – as the events unfold and the words appear.
The eBook tells the story of an art journalist who gets caught up in a murder case; as a result the user has to throw punches in fights by swiping the screen and navigate car chases by steering and tilting the device. Every action has a consequence, so mistiming
Reimagines how books are read
Crowdsourcing helps create a community
Only one book to read at the moment
The interface is perhaps too simple
PROS/CONS
CROWDED FICTIONTHE HUMBLE WORD HAS A NEW LEASE OF LIFE
DOWNLOAD NOW!
INTERVIEW:JOE BOOTH
AS SOMEONE WITH DYSLEXIA, HOW DID YOU COME TO THE DECISION TO WRITE AN INTERACTIVE BOOK?I had this desire to use what I’ve learnt making videogames
to help kids learn. Learning as an area is a new business
model; you can’t support a lot of staff, and I have limited
means. I can afford to give some of my time but not to
hire a big team, so that kind of constrained and focused it.
There are a lot of things for pre-school and early grades but
there’s not a lot for older kids. There is also a big problem
for older kids; in the US two out of three kids do not read at
their grade level. It’s shocking but that’s the reality here.
EVEN COMPARED TO OTHER INTERACTIVE BOOKS, CROWDED FICTION IS UNIQUE. WHERE DID THE CONCEPT COME FROM?I don’t know that we had a vision, we had a very organic
approach; to try stuff and test it and learn from that. I
guess the biggest thing was to give ourselves a constraint
– we wanted to have no images; we wanted this to feel
like it’s about text and a book and fiction and not about an
interactive picture book.
HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO MAKE A REALITY?Making it accessible was crucial; people are used to reading
books but you tell someone to swipe right and ten per cent
of people will swipe left. We were doing a test with some
dyslexic kids and a mother wrote in saying ‘My son’s stuck;
it says ‘Tap the skull’ and he’s looking for the picture of the
skull and there are no pictures’. People have expectations
and we had to deal with that kind of complexity.
DID YOU ALWAYS INTEND TO PUT JACKSON’S FATE IN THE HANDS OF THE READERS?No we didn’t! We didn’t plan to do that, we planned just
to make it an interactive book, but doing a Kickstarter we
The co-author of Crowded Fiction talks about his own childhood dyslexia influencing the creation of this interactive book
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FREE | REVIEW
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ABOVE: Jackson’s Choice is the only book on offer for now, but there are more coming in this series alone
moves can land journalist Jackson in more trouble. To add to the tension most interactions involve alternating text where readers must try and tap the right option before it vanishes. It all feels very much like a video game, and indeed developers Vidya Gamer seem to have been heavily infl uenced by the gaming world, and have tried to bring elements of that level of immersion to reading.
There are also conversations that require reading body language and speech to decide on a route to take and get the necessary information. To make this interaction worthwhile, Crowded Fiction is full of achievements. Whether it’s for how a situation is approached, or for taking the time to search a corpse properly, messages let users know when one has been unlocked.
These achievements can be shared on Facebook, and readers can compare their own path with that of their friends, with every choice made by every reader being logged in Crowded Fiction’s servers. The majority results will then be analysed
and shape the next book in the series – essentially crowdsourcing Jackson’s traits for future instalments of the narrative.
In order to get access to the full book an in-app purchase is required, but Crowded Fiction does allow users to sample the fi rst seven chapters for free, and this is more than enough time to have anyone hooked to the story, so parting with some money for the full version doesn’t feel remotely grating.
Crowded Fiction is a unique experience, yet keeps the interface and functionality very simple. Apart from the gesture box, it’s just black text on white pages – and yet because of everything else going on it feels anything but two-dimensional. For the commute or reading in bed, the experience gained from downloading Crowded Fiction is one that is likely to leave a mark.
This has created a format that could change the genre on the digital platform.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | Freemium | v1.1.1
01 PROMPTSSome words within the
text are in bold, and
tapped to cue some
sort of interaction
within the story. It
can be anything from
opening a door to
searching a dead body.
02 COLOURSThere are also the
coloured words, these
are timing focused and
the aim is to tap them
when they turn green.
This emphasises the
right moment to carry
out a specifi c action.
03 SWIPE AREAThere are occasions
where the reader can
choose the direction
in which Jackson
goes, and swiping in a
direction will send him
off that way, or have
him look around.
04 TILTOne scene in the book
involves a car chase,
and in order to get
through it there’s some
tilt-control work to be
done so that you barge
another car off the
road and get away.
05 ACHIEVEMENTSThere are video game-
like achievements to
collect throughout
the chapters too.
These come from
talking people round,
searching bodies and
other in-story feats.
The unique interactivity of Crowded Fiction
SHOWCASE
said ‘hey, wouldn’t it be fun if you could be a character
in this book?’ and we sold all these characters and asked
people to design these characters. Then it was how do
we keep people interested, so we came up with ideas like
what if we had a dilemma and that would affect Jackson’s
personality moving forward. In chapter one we find a
dead body, and this body has $100 on it, so you decide
if you’re going to keep it or not, and it’s going to affect
the character. It’s a decision point and that’s going to be
reflective of Jackson in the future.
CAN READERS EXPECT INCREASED LEVELS OF INTERACTING AS THE SERIES OF BOOKS CONTINUES? Yes, I think we deliberately kept it simple just for the first
one and we want it to be as accessible as we can. So I
think yes, we’ll definitely continue to try and get in some
more complexity for Crowded Fiction.
HOW MUCH DID YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES DRIVE AND INFLUENCE YOU IN THE CREATION OF THE APP?I disengaged from reading through my teens so I wasn’t
reading fiction. In my twenties I wasn’t happy with this so
I went to the library, to the kids section, and I thought ‘I’ve
got to start at the bottom and get practice’. I think there
was something subconscious about the decision to bring
in letters on the page in Crowded Fiction that felt very
pleasing to my eye. It feels good because it leads my eye,
and it seems to be something that has resonated with a
section of dyslexia. But this is not going to solve dyslexia.
We are very focused on how to get those who can read to
love it – and it’s so rewarding when I hear those stories.
WILL THERE BE OTHER STORIES ON CROWDED FICTION?Yes, we’re talking to a bunch of authors right now
about some different things and when we are ready to
announce that we will. I would say we have a business
and it’s a tough business publishing on the iPad, but we
have a business model around crowd funding and we
have a value proposition we have for authors that you’re
able to raise awareness for their work, not just what
they would do with us, but with their other work and
we’re slowly building our communities so I think we have
something unique to offer the authors and the audience.
We just need to bring those two things together.
HOW SOON CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THE NEXT CHAPTER IN JACKSON’S STORY?We haven’t tied down exactly when that’s going to be
done and we haven’t tied exactly how we’re going to
fund some of that. We may need to do some crowd
funding on that before we can make it a reality. So stay
tuned, as soon as we have a clear date we will share it!
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REVIEW | FREE
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SHOWCASEGetting to grips with
FIFA 14’s new touch controls 01 TAP TO PASS
As part of the
new setup, when in
possession of the ball,
users pass to teammates
by tapping on the target
they wish to give the ball.
02 SWIPE TO SHOOTA nice way to
quickly fire off shots,
even taking into account
the speed with which
you swipe and applying
that to strikes at goal.
03 MOVEMENT Instead of using
an on-screen d-Pad,
players now have to
hold and drag in order to
effectively move their
players around the pitch.
04 SPRINTINGIn a similar vein,
whenever you have
possession of the ball,
tap and hold anywhere
on the screen in order to
make your player sprint.
05 PRESSUREWith a quick tap
onto the opposition to
target them, players can
put pressure on the ball
in an effort to try and
win it back for the team.
ABOVE: Goalkeepers still need some work as any on target shot from within 40 yards tends to go in
ABOVE: The control system has been overhauled, now focusing on gestures
ABOVE: Visually the game has taken a step forward this year, with smooth gameplay and improved realism
Pros/ConsVisually a great game to play
Users can revert to the old control setup if they wish
The touch-to-pass system is a little awkward
There are some issues with getting online to play
The excitement among football fans builds up every year around the time of the latest FIFA launch.
The chance to try out famous football club’s new signings for themselves and take advantage of the latest graphic and gameplay updates is enough to form queues outside shops at midnight for console versions. In the past few years mobile owners have also had a reason to get FIFA fever, thanks to EA Sports bringing the game to smartphone and tablets as well.
This year’s edition has had a complete overhaul of the control system, replacing the on-screen d-Pad with ‘Touch Flow’ controls that are designed to add to the precision of gameplay. You can now use swipe and drag gestures to move players around the pitch, and tap teammates to pass to them. In theory it sounds like an
interesting move, however in reality it’s hugely frustrating to work with, and leaves users feeling all fi ngers and thumbs. Swiping actions to control the movement of the ball are a nice idea, but having to tap other players to pass them the ball is a laboured task, making player movement feel like a secondary priority – defi nitely not the case when it comes to the Beautiful Game in real life.
On the subject of player movement, not only do these controls feel like they’ve been pushed down the priority list, trying to move players and close down the opposition using gestures is a task you wouldn’t wish on anyone, such is the awkwardness of it all.
EA Sports has also now made FIFA 14 a free download – but don’t get too excited as an in-app purchase is required to play more than a single introductory game to show off the
new controls. Online gaming is open from the very moment you fi re it all up, although we had a few issues getting online to play.
Of course comparing FIFA 14 to console versions of the game would be unfair, and there is no doubt that visually the game has taken another step forward, with more polish in player movement and likeness. However, they continue to be more beauty than brains. Scoring is still too easy, with any on-target shot from within 40 yards fi nding its way into the net. For now FIFA on mobile still feels like a Championship match rather than a Premier League game.
THE NEW CONTROLS AREN’T PITCH PERFECTFIFA 14
DOWNLOAD NOW!
FIFA 14 has taken steps forward visually but the new control system leaves rather a lot to be desired.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | Freemium | v1.3.1 Android | OS 2.1 | Freemium | v1.9.0
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FREE | REVIEW
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A few seconds with the interface of Dream of Pixels and any user will understand the name. The almost whimsical artwork is mesmerising in
how it is constantly in flux as the game unfolds, with the blocks of the game changing colour regularly. It makes for an interesting visual experience, and contributes a lot towards the ambiance that makes this game compelling.
It’s an unusual sensation because the gameplay itself is pretty straightforward, offering a nice twist on traditional block-building games. The aim in Dream of Pixels is to take out blocks as opposed to building them, with the idea being to wipe out entire rows and keep any blocks from reaching the bottom of the screen as this ends your game – like a reverse Tetris. Each turn has a predetermined shape, so think before tapping aimlessly, as being too tap-happy will leave odd blocks isolated.
The pacing of the game is very good, with blocks constantly moving towards the bottom of the screen, placing pressure on the player to make their decisions quickly. Remove blocks too randomly and the lone ones left in rows will more than likely be the downfall of your game.
Mesmerising to look at and very fun to play, Dream of Pixels makes for a solid free game.
BLOCK BUILDING TURNED ON ITS HEADDREAM OF PIXELS
With several different modes to play, challenging puzzles, and such a distinctive design, Dream of Pixels brings something different to the often repetitive casual gaming genre.
ABOVE: There are a range of game modes that demand different skills
ABOVE: Clear as many lines as possible to improve your score
BELOW: The ever-changing colours complements the
game’s dreamy title perfectly
Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v1.02 iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0.18
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REVIEW | FREE
Developers NimbleBit has a tried-and-tested formula for their sim games, and anyone who has played Pocket Planes should know what to expect.
The aim is identical; build up a locomotive empire by delivering cargo and using the virtual cash earned to buy more tracks and destinations, unlocking new trains in the process. It’s a trainspotter’s dream when it comes to the range of engines that can be unlocked too, ranging from classic steam engines to the Bullet train.
POCKET TRAINSARE NIMBLEBIT ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH THEIR NEW GAME?
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Freemium | v1.0.5 Android | OS 2.2 | Freemium | v1.0.5.1
ABOVE: There are a range of trains to unlock as users earn more coins
Fun to play and addictive as ever, but Pocket Trains doesn’t really do anything you couldn’t already get from Pocket Planes.
The interface and functionality will be very familiar to Nimblebit fans – with different cargo and destinations to choose from for each train when it arrives at a station. The management aspect of the game comes from the fact that each line can only handle one train at a time, and there are different coloured lines for your engines too. Building an efficient network requires some forethought, then, and collecting parts for new trains and claiming new lines is a crucial part of gaining success in the game.
The charming visuals remain one of the most engaging features of the game, and Pocket Trains delivers what we’ve come to expect. Still, there isn’t anything really innovative to shout about here, and that disappoints slightly.
ABOVE: Take control of train stations in major cities all over the world
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01 FANCYNow offering next day
delivery on iOS, buy
a unique gift in this
crowd-curated shopping place.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1| Free | v3.1.0
Android | OS 2.2 | Free | v2.36.3
02 AMAZON MOBILEBuy items from Amazon.com
in this mobile app, either by
manually searching or
scanning barcodes.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v3.0.3
Android | OS 2.2 | Free | Varies
03 YABBLYLooking for buying advice
about a product? Get
reviews within a day, either
from other users or even Yabbly’s
own research team.
iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free | v2.4
04 GOOGLE SEARCHSearch by typing or saying
the name of the product
you want, or scan barcodes,
book covers or album art.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v3.0.2
Android | Varies| Free | Varies
05 EBAYPerhaps the easiest
shopping app interface
going, it’s easy to quickly
find items and place bids.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Free | v3.0.2 Android | Varies | Free | Varies
SHOPONLINE
A nice idea that can offer inspiration, but it needs to be more accurate.
For a group of friends this will work well, but the Facebook requirement may put some off.
A footballing blast from the past that works fairly well having been updated for modern devices.
Old school gaming physics and environments can work very well on modern devices.
A very good example of how to present a range of stylish products on a mobile device.
Beautifully presented, but the glitches may stop you experiencing the good stuff.
The idea behind this app is that it is supposed to encourage you to walk for more than
30 minutes a day, and everything from the interface to the data on off er should work well to help you achieve this quest. Our main problem, however, was that in our tests we struggled to get the app to recognise that we were moving, and the results suggested that we had moved a lot less than we actually had. If this can be addressed, the app has a lot of promise, but it is currently quite frustrating.
Knowing who is attending a certain event or festival from your circle of friends
will help you keep in touch easily, and this app is designed perfectly for such a task. Everything from the presentation to the speed at which it works is impressive – and with such an intuitive interface. it really is easy to understand and use. Facebook is used to aid interaction with your friends, but is also a requirement, which may not appeal to everyone. This potential limitation could lessen its popularity, but it is still a very effi cient networking solution that deserves to do well.
Striker is a comic that will be fondly remembered by many, here it has been
modernised for the latest mobile devices. The subscription prices are reasonable and there are hallmarks of the original included, but the graphical presentation is diff erent to what you may expect from a comic. The fact that this is a classic title means that many may prefer less modern graphics because they do reduce the charm a little. The presentation is a strange mix of old and new and won’t please everyone.
The perspective used in Quadropus Rampage is reminiscent of games from the early days of
computing, but it is still a viewpoint that off ers the player a great deal of space on a small screen. In this game you get to fi ght enemies in various modes and you are always able to see a large area around you, which can help you to play a lot better than you might have done otherwise. It is truly addictive and there is a lot to keep you combing back over time.
Given the quality of the clothing on off er here you should expect a professional and
fashionable presentation. That is present and the way the items are displayed does show them off , but we do wonder if the likely clientele will use such a solution. Having said that, it still works very well and we enjoyed scrolling through the range to see what is available – and of course checking the prices. Other companies would do well to emulate the overall look because it really does highlight the range eff ectively.
We can’t deny the beautiful presentation in this app and the potential it off ers for
people to learn more about cooking in a short time. You can share your recipes and receive new ones back, but in our testing we experienced multiple problems trying to log in and after that it seemed to crash at least half of the times we tried it. This is a real shame because it looks like an app that could be all that the budding cook needs to experience every single day. One day it could very well be brilliant.
HUMAN: MOVE 30 MINUTES OR MORE
WHOSGOINGSTRIKER - THE WARBURY YEARS
QUADROPUS RAMPAGE
GIVENCHY WOMEN
COOKBOOTH. PHOTO RECIPES
iPad | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.1
iPhone+ | iOS 5.1 | Free | v2.2 iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Freemium | v1.1
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | Freemium | v1.2.0
Android | OS 2.1 | Freemium | v1.2.4
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.0 iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.0.2
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As much as it is a video-sharing powerhouse, YouTube has also become a very useful resource for listening to and discovering great
new music. Songdrop’s developers seem to have picked up on this too, and so have brought the video service, as well as the likes of Soundcloud and Bandcamp, together to create a single archive of music that users can pick and choose from – with absolutely nothing to pay.It sounds a fantastic prospect and in truth it is, because thanks to the scope of the content posted to places like YouTube and Soundcloud, not only is the album version of a song available, but also every cover and live version imaginable is now within touching distance of your device.
This is all tied in with a very cool interface that is part clean iOS 7 with its white spaces and part retro record player as song icons spin like old vinyl – the result of which is a very pleasing app to interact with. From this, users are able to create playlists with minimum eff ort, seamlessly mixing together audio and video performances as they see fi t before sharing them to Facebook so friends can access them too.
ABOVE: Search for any track and listen to it in a variety of ways
A great idea that might just make streaming subscribers think twice before they renew.
This is such a great idea it’s surprising it didn’t already exist. Simply dive in and build playlists from one of the best music archives around.
iPhone | iOS 6.0 | Free | v1.1
SAY GOODBYE TO MUSIC STREAMING SUBSCRIPTIONSSONGDROP
RIGHT: Users can build playlists of their favourite songs
ABOVE: Sign in with Facebook and see your friends’ preferences
Find out more at: www.osmapfinder.co.uk
Burn off your Christmas dinner with the off icial app from Ordnance Survey
REVIEW | FREE
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ENTERTAINMENT | GROUP TEST
YXPLAYERThis app has a modest interface with no
fancy artwork but the layout is clear and
generally easy to navigate. Like most apps
of its kind, Yxplayer can play video or music fi les
in various formats that are stored locally or on
Samba network drives or UPnP sources that can
be accessed over a wireless network. It can also
download fi les from Dropbox, Box or Google Drive.
The app store descriptions indicate that you can
watch network TV too, but it’s unclear how this
works, so don’t make it a deciding factor when
choosing which media player to buy.
Expensive for what you get and occasionally unstable, so try the freemium version first.
CINEXPLAYERThe developers claim this app can upscale
standard defi nition videos to high
defi nition and make HD movies look ‘even
better’. Both claims are probably exaggerated but
might be forgivable because of other features on
off er. As is typical, it can play local media or fi les on
a UPnP source, although it didn’t detect a Pogoplug
drive. It also includes support for Dolby Mobile
surround sound, access to Dropbox, sharing on
Facebook and Twitter, downloading metadata and
live free-to-air TV. Not all listed channels are free,
however, and some didn’t work for this review.
Almost excellent, but let down by failing to deliver on some of its claims.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v2.1.0 Android | OS 2.2 | £2.12/$3.43 | v2.0.1
iPhone+ | iOS 4.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v3.5 Android | OS 2.3 | £0.79/$1.28 | v2.04
ARKMC UPNP MEDIA CENTREArkMC is advertised as a UPnP Media
Centre because it can access video and
music fi les stored on UPnP devices and
stream them to UPnP clients that support common
fi le formats. Unfortunately, implementation of
UPnP standards in clients is a mish-mash so it’s
helpful to have a compatible software server such
as Plex on your computer to transcode fi les before
they are streamed. ArkMC itself is nicely designed
and easy to navigate, but it didn’t seem able to fi nd
all the fi les in some directories we pointed it to and
it’s not clear how to set up YouTube access.
ArkMC isn’t quite the Holy Grail of media players but it’s got plenty of virtues.
iPhone | iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.7.5 Android | OS 2.2 | £2.99/$3.99 | v 1.0.2813.718
PREMIUM MEDIA PLAYERSPLAY YOUR MUSIC AND MOVIES ANYWHERE WITH THESE TOP TRANSCODERS
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GROUP TEST | ENTERTAINMENT
BUZZ PLAYERThis app conceals impressive video and
music playback capabilities behind an
understated interface. It can play local
fi les and stream them to compatible UPnP devices
via an inbuilt media server. It can also play fi les
streamed from UPnP servers. Its most impressive
feature is the video playback window that off ers
direct and unobtrusive access to all the major
settings, including aspect ratio, subtitles, zoom and
two formats for 3D movies. On top of that, pick up
where you left off if you stopped watching a video.
This lesser-known but full-featured media player that deserves to generate a lot more noise.
GOODPLAYER PROThis app can handle all major video fi le
formats as well as ISOs ripped from
DVDs. Media can be stored locally or on a
networked UPnP server or can be accessed from
direct streaming URLs, Samba shares and WebDAV,
FTP, SFTP and NFS clients. The interface is basic
– there is no artwork and the screens consist of
directory or fi le listings – but touchscreen gestures
allow you to change things like the audio track and
subtitles without stopping what you’re watching.
There is also a lengthy list of options in its Settings
menu and AirPlay support on iOS devices.
This app’s name understates its effectiveness – but it could use a little bit more pizzazz.
VPLAYEROne commendable feature of this app is
the detailed list of compatible Android
devices the developers off er on Google
Play. Owners of devices running Ice Cream
Sandwich should expect to play 1080p fi les but
older versions of Android are restricted to lower
resolutions. The app competently performs most
standard functions of video player apps such as
playing a wide variety of formats stored locally, in
Dropbox or on video sharing sites such as YouTube.
The iOS version also includes handy gesture-based
controls. However, UPnP discovery was patchy.
Needs to handle network streaming a little better before it can be victorious.
EMITLike Plex and VLC Streamer, this app needs
to communicate with a software server
running on the computer that media fi les
are stored on to access them. Setup is just a matter
of pointing the server to the relevant directories
and then you should be able to stream music and
videos across local and remote networks and 3G.
Unfortunately buff ering seems to be an issue with
HD videos, which kept stalling during testing. When
media plays properly though, the app can display
subtitles in SRT or MKV format and the iOS version
can stream to an Apple TV using AirPlay.
Lacks support for cloud services but allows you to access your PC’s limitless storage.
VLC STREAMERThis app wasn’t developed by the people
behind the popular VLC Media Player
(which is free on iOS and Android) but its
name and icon leverage off that app’s name at a
price. After you install a server program on your
PC or Mac you can stream video fi les in multiple
formats with support for resolutions up to HD.
The server software only allows you to point to
individual video fi les rather than folders, which will
be a pain for anyone with a large video collection.
Also, in common with most other media players,
this app also can’t play DRM-protected media.
Not as good as the official Videolabs VLC app, which manages to offer you more for less.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99 | v5.0.1 Android | OS 2.1 | £2.49/$4.99 | v1.3.0
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v7.8 Android | OS 2.2 | £3.04/$4.64 | v3.0
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | v0.3.0 Android | OS 2.1 | £4.99/$4.99 | v1.2.1
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99 | v4.1.3 Android | OS 2.1 | £2.17/$3.50 | v9.2.0
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v3.15 Android | OS 3.0 | £1.35/$1.99 | v1.42.01
PLEXPlex will turn your media into a visually
impressive and metadata-rich library that is
easy to navigate and accessible anywhere.
It automatically transcodes video fi le formats and
optimises them for remote playback. Cloud Sync
allows Plex Pass subscribers to stream media from
several cloud services without having the server
application running on a computer. Music playback
features could be improved but Plex is one of the
best-looking and accessible alternatives to Apple’s
dominating iTunes/iCloud ecosystem.
For its video playback features alone, this app has a front row seat. An absolutely essential download.
iPad+ | iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99 | v3.2.4 Android | Varies | £3.21/$4.99 | Varies
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Apps like GarageBand have meant the iPad is now an accepted part of the music making and producing
process for amateurs,and professionals alike. A quick glance at the Music section of the App Store and Google Play shows just how big a market this has become, as fully fl edged professional software at high-end prices sit alongside free apps – all off ering varying ranges of creative power and inspiration.
Cotracks by Futucraft is the latest app to show up on the radar, and the reason for that is the app’s big focus on collaboration – in particular the possibility of up to four people getting creative on the same device. Cotracks’ biggest strength is its interface, which can be adapted in a single tap to suit single, dual or four-person usage on one
device. Combined with the support of multitouch gestures, it means that an entire group of friends, or indeed a band, can gather around a single device and all get creative without being disrupted by others. The app can handle as many taps and swipes as four sets of hands can throw at it, and it means that a unique creative session can start up at any point and there is a great feeling of freedom that comes with that.
The single-person mode has a vertical interface with four sections of touch input on off er, each one able to handle three tracks, and each layer one of three
main instruments – two synths and a drum pad. Each one of these instruments has various types to choose from, diff ering in sound hugely, so there is no shortage of choice and variation when it come to fi nding a sound.
In each of the four sections users can customise the look and sound of everything, with touch controls to tweak pitch, create a loop or sequence as well as alter the layout of the touchpad used to create a beat. It’s impressively customisable, and it means that whether it’s one user or four, everyone who’s interacting with Cotracks can be
COTRACKS
WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE YOU WANT TO CREATE COTRACKS IN SUCH A COMPETITIVE MARKET?The story begins as early as a decade back, at the time
when musicians were starting to use laptops as musical
instruments. I found that when collaborating with other
musicians, you pretty much had to settle for playing your
laptop like a traditional synth. We were trying various ways
to make the computers play together and pretty soon
found ourselves tangled with engineering problems that
made space travel look like a picnic. I’ve seen this crippled
collaboration as the flip side of electronic music production
and it has been bugging me ever since.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE INTERFACE?Well, the thing with computers is that even when we
managed to get the laptop-band in tune and sync, we
didn’t feel fully connected with each other, as we couldn’t
see what the others were doing. So the experience was
a bit divided, which gave another hit to the collaborative
aspect of it all. I remember thinking to myself ‘Wouldn’t it
be more fun if we all could just share the same interface?’.
Much later when we found out that the iPad can handle
a good number of simultaneous touches and process real
time audio at the same time, we knew that something like
Cotracks had to be developed.
DID THIS DESIRE FOR SIMULTANEOUS USE MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS MORE DIFFICULT?Yes it did. Making everything work smoothly for multiple
simultaneous users involves some serious engineering.
Then you always have to consider Apple’s guidelines
when developing for the App Store. They have very strict
policies about what you can put in your app and how all
COLLABORATIVE MUSIC MAKING ON A SINGLE iPAD
Brilliant collaborative workspace for up to four users
The range of sounds and tweaks is truly impressive
Takes some time to learn all the controls
Can get a little crowded with four around an iPad
PROS/CONS
“COTRACKS CAN HANDLE AS MANY TAPS AND SWIPES AS FOUR SETS OF HANDS CAN THROW AT IT, SO A CREATIVE SESSION CAN START AT ANY POINT”
RIGHT: Each track has three main instrument choices; two synth types and a drum kit,
with a host of different sound types
ABOVE: The touch pads make for great fun. Users can create beats, and also work on pre-existing ones
ABOVE: Each section can support up to three tracks, (12 in total), and each can be assigned a specific instrument
DOWNLOAD NOW!
INTERVIEW:MATTI JOKIPII
The head of Futucraft talks about creating a collaborative workspace for musicians
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iPad | iOS 5.0 | £6.99/$9.99 | v1.0.11
A great platform for creation that has hit upon a clever collaborative setup.
01 SINGLE MODEWhen it’s just you,
Cotracks has a simple,
stacked interface,
with each of the four
sections supporting
three tracks. It’s
possible to tweak
these as you like.
the interface elements work and stuff like that. From
the user’s point of view this is a good thing, but it makes
app development a walk on a wire, when pushing the
boundaries and working with novel concepts like we do.
I wouldn’t recommend attempting this under a deadline.
However, the most difficult problems had to do with the
collaborative concept itself.
HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO MAKE THE APP ACCESSIBLE FOR NOVICE USERS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME EXCITING ENOUGH FOR SERIOUS MUSICIANS?I’m glad you asked that, because that was very important
and is a good example of the kind of problems I’m talking
about. I’m personally put off by apps that are either too
complicated or overly simplified, perhaps even more
so with the latter. So it was clear from the beginning
Cotracks would offer features beyond the most basic. On
the other hand, we really wanted Cotracks to be ready
for those ad hoc collaborative sessions that users may
get the opportunity to try. In a typical scenario we would
have someone who already knows a bit about Cotracks
together with some who don’t. The features and the
workflow needed to be designed so that it is very easy to
explain how stuff works, and that there is a gentle slope
from the entry to the more advanced features. We’ve had
very good feedback on this and I think we’ve succeeded in
allowing the fun to play the lead role when collaborating.
AND HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO ACHIEVE THAT?You always need to go the extra mile. One of the key
principles we’ve had has been to not add features that
would impose a conflict between single and multi user.
It’s really easy to stray into designing workflows that
undermine the collaborative concept. But thanks to
the great software I’ve used during my life, I’ve learnt
that there is always at least one right way for users to
accomplish a certain goal and, as a developer, you just
have think harder and keep trying ideas until you find it.
DO YOU THINK WE HAVE REACHED A STAGE NOW WHERE THE iPAD NEEDS TO BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY AS A MUSIC CREATOR AND PRODUCER?Definitely. Creating music is very much about inspiration
and realisation of the flow of ideas. The iPad presents
a really powerful, yet hassle free and very accessible
instrument for musical expression. From an engineer’s
point of view the capabilities of these devices are more
than adequate. There will always be the need for high-
end production tools, but the independency and freedom
that the iPad has brought into creative work is something
musicians and producers won’t be giving up soon.
02 DOUBLE UPA single tap makes the
interface more social.
In the third section
down, beneath the
session button, is a row
of three buttons, the
middle one shifting it
to two-person mode.
03 GROUP JAMMINGCotracks can also
handle up to four at
a time working away
with the app. Tap the
furthest right of the
interface buttons and
everyone is designated
a side of the device.
04 MULTIPLE TOUCHESThere is complete
freedom for each
user to work as they
wish because Cotracks
handles the multiple
touches easily. This
means creativity and
good fun too.
05 EXPORTOnce everyone is
happy, use the export
options to get the
sessions out there. The
app links with iTunes,
and you can export
individual tracks from
within the piece too.
ABOVE: The different interface settings mean it’s possible to change the layout of the app in a tap, depending on how many people are involved
Get collaborative with friends in Cotracks
HOW TO…
completely comfortable and in control.When it comes to the collaborative
nature of the interface things are incredibly smooth. In single user mode, the third section down houses a button labelled Sessions; directly below this is a set of three buttons, and from here the screen can be adjusted eff ortlessly depending on how many users are involved. Two-person view spins around two sections to face the opposite way, so a second user at the other end of the iPad can being editing. Tap the four-person option and each of the four sections jump out to face a side of the device, making it easy for four people to huddle over the device and get creating individually yet still working together.
Having everyone working in the same space makes it very easy to come together and share sequences and loops that are created. Users can drag and drop sequences from one window to another should they want to get exactly in time with someone else in the app. What this collaboration setup also opens allows is the possibility of users with diff erent sets of skills working together.
For example, the musician of a group of friends could put together a sequence before handing it over to a novice, who can then put a creative stamp on it by tweaking eff ects and other aspects. Cotracks off ers the chance for everyone to be equal and that potential is very powerful in an area of the App Store that while very diverse, can still feel niche to those without much musical talent but still want to get involved.
This highly-accessible app off ers that opportunity, and the fact that it can be done on a single device makes it a great alternative to GarageBand jamming sessions. This is an entertainment app that regardless of musical ability, users will get a great kick out of, especially if used by a group huddled over a single device, throwing sequences around and getting creative in an intuitive space that has some unique sounds tucked away in its many menu options.
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SHOWCASEFive cool
things to do in Disney
Infi nity Toybox
01 DRIVE AROUNDThere is so much to
do in Disney Infinity Toy
Box. For starters, you
can place a car within
the game, get into it and
motor around exploring
your landscape.
02 BUILD STUFFGet building
various things, such as
these great big castles.
There are loads of items
that you can build which
can help enhance the
environment.
03 FIGHT ENEMIESIntroduce enemies
to the playing area and
then either dodge them,
be hit by them or go on
the attack and eliminate
them with your various
different combat moves!
04 DIFFERENT MOVESThe different
characters each have
unique moves of their
own and you can use
these to great effect
when you are engaged
with battling the enemy.
05 BUY CHARACTERSIf you want to
unlock the host of
characters in the game,
then you will need to
pay. There are also extra
bonus trailers available
to watch as well.
ABOVE: Characters have special moves which can be used to great effect in the game
ABOVE: Other characters exist in the game but cash is needed to unlock them
Pros/ConsBuilding a new Disney world is great fun
There are 50 items to use for free
Controls are a tad too fiddly
There are in-app purchases aplenty
With amazing visuals and a large array of Disney characters, this is an app that will not only instantly
appeal to children but keep them occupied for days on end. It takes the Toy Box part of the console release and brings it to the iPad and, in doing so, unleashes a great deal of creativity – allowing players to do what they want, whenever they want.
First a word of warning to parents. There are in-app purchases, so if you want to completely avoid running up a bill, make sure it is turned off in Settings. And now a warning to children: don’t expect this to be a
game that is handed to you on a plate. As gaming experiences go, this isn’t a full on arcade blast, rather a sandbox adventure that you create yourself.
You get a blank piece of land on top of which you can create landscapes, place castles and enjoy various other elements, with one of the best being a nice motor. You can lay tracks to race around on and you can also use items collecting within the console game.
It doesn’t take long before a world is being built up for the characters to charge around. But there is a problem: the controls are not the most user-friendly and you must keep an eye on the instructions that only appear once
to get your head around the functions. Movement controls are also fi ddly because too many buttons have been placed on the screen and get in the way.
But building and placing items on the landscape is easy and the 50 free pieces you get should be suffi cient enough for most people. But that’s where in-app purchasing comes in. To get more than Mr Incredible, for instance, the app requires money or codes that are included on retail toys.
LOTS OF DISNEY CHARACTERS – BUT DO YOU ALSO NEED LOTS OF CASH?DISNEY INFINITY TOY BOX
DOWNLOAD NOW!
A free offering that has much to give as a standalone title, but is even better with the console game.
iPad | iOS 6.0 | Freemium | v1.2
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Not all of us are blessed with amazing musical ability, but it only takes a few minutes with Shapes Music to think that you actually are.
Instead of using notes, it concentrates on using lines to create shapes that denote the best patterns on the keyboard to keep the beat.
The app assumes that you are not the novice you believe you are and that, if you hit the wrong keys, you invariably know you have. The simple, short tutorials explain the concept and will help ease you into it, gradually introducing fresh shapes and allowing an understanding of the melodies at the same time.
There is a series of blocks that show you the shape of the notes used in diff erent songs. You decipher where your fi ngers need to be for the shapes you need to make and then you play along as the music video runs in the background.
While you won’t walk away being able to play the piano properly nor read sheet music (the keyboard is only 29 notes and musical notes
SHAPES MUSIC
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0
While Shapes Music won’t make you a top pianist, it will certainly help with enhancing your understanding of musical concepts. A very handy and fun app to have around.
don’t come into it at all), you will feel satisfi ed that you can at least have fun with music and not be daunted. There are four levels in total and most people will stick with it to the end since it is so enjoyable – and if it gives you a greater feeling for music, then it’s done its job well.
ABOVE: The app draws the shapes it says are the best fit for the song and you are asked to follow them
AN ENTIRELY NEW WAY OF LEARNING YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS ON PIANO
Developer MooCowMusic has a track record of producing fi rst-class music apps and Looptical is no exception. It is amazing what it is capable of in
the hands of an expert – a visit to the website to watch the video demos is strongly recommended. Our own eff orts, sadly, do not come even
Looptical is a powerful tool for anyone with a little musical ability. It’s expensive, but good.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £10.49/$14.99 | v1.0.1
A COMPLETE MUSIC RECORDING STUDIO THAT FITS IN YOUR POCKETLOOPTICALan arpeggiator that turns chords into a sequence of notes. Up to 24 stereo tracks can be created and recording loops makes up a song. A loop bank is then used to combine, merge and repeat these to build up the song. An external keyboard can also be used and the iPhone’s microphone can be used for recording sounds or vocals too.
A mixing desk and eff ects enable you to put the fi nishing touches to the song, while Overdrive, Bit Crusher, Compressor, EQ, Filter, Chorus/Flanger, Phaser, Trance Gate, Delay and other eff ects can be applied as well. The price may be high, but it’s actually worth every penny.
close, but that’s not the fault of the app, but a comment on our own musical abilities.
The app provides a range of instruments and you can add piano, guitar, bass, organ and other tracks. A 128-key keyboard can be displayed in single or dual mode and there is a special guitar interface that lets you pick or strum chords, plus
ABOVE: Choose an instrument and add a track to the song, or use the microphone to record vocals ABOVE: Apply special effects to create a unique sound
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We don’t know how accurate a test it is but it certainly helps with stretching the mind.
Developers should find their workflow speeds up no end when designing UIs with this app.
Once blighted by a few bugs, these have been ironed out. It’s ideal for electronic music fans.
It’s a very complete icon pack that just keeps on giving, making it a great bargain app too.
It’s rated for ages 4+ but it may not hold a child’s attention for too long. It does look amazing though.
A brilliant collection of literature and poems about the theme of love with a great twist.
Although it says you can build an app user interface with ease, the truth is that you
will need to have some idea of what you are doing to get the most out of this app. It’s certainly not for non-developers, that’s for sure. But for those that understand it, it will likely make user interface development a whole lot quicker. It can import and export Android layout XML fi les and what you see on screen is what you will see in your fi nished app. It’s very much menu-driven and there is a comprehensive set of options. At this price, it’s a steal and defi nitely worth looking at if you’re a developer.
If you love electronic music, you will have heard of and most likely use Beatport. It’s an
online music store that has many electronic music labels under its belt and this app lets you listen to tunes and buy them, giving users a great way to discover new music. The crucial thing for fans of this genre of music is the ability to be able to take their music around with them and keep up with the latest news from Beatport on the move. DJs in particular will fi nd it an essential – if a little pricey – purchase.
Looking for lots of icons and wallpapers? Then you won’t go too far wrong with Axis.
It supports all manner of popular alternative Android launchers and you get a whopping 800 HD icons. There are also six HD wallpapers included. New updates are delivered each Friday and the layout is functional yet accessible enough to be able to take advantage of them all. It’s an easy-to-use app that will really enhance the look of your device as well as help you to personalise your Android experience.
All of the Peppa Pig apps look adorable and they tend to have high production values.
Holiday makes no exception to this and it splits this subject into a variety of activities ranging from the airport to the beach to ice cream. The range of interactions will engage most children, whether it’s through songs or the sticker book, it is an app that is equally at home played alone or one that can get parents involved. But beware: young children may fi nd it hard, while older ones will breeze through it.
Aimed at people who enjoy testing themselves, this is a mind-bending quiz that
hopes to help you in discovering your IQ. As people who like to see where we stand in life – and buoyed by the 160 score of Albert Einstein – we enjoyed this set of challenging questions which really made us think. Many involve maths, but of a type that has you pondering the situation as much as the equations and it’s set to a timer too, so you have to be relatively quick thinking. The presentation of the app is lacking to a degree, but it does do its job well and for a very low price.
Looks can be deceiving. At fi rst glance we expected this app to be another lazy list of
poems and stories linked around a populist theme, but it’s not. It’s an app that has attracted the vocal talents of some of the world’s best actors and it’s actually a literary gem in its own right. Here we have the likes of Damian Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Hiddleston beautifully narrating some of the most well-written prose from Shakespeare to JK Rowling. You can even record your own narration and share it. It’s just wonderful.
Android | OS 2.2 | £1.68/$1.99 | v1.0.2
Android | OS 4.0 | £5.82/$8.00 | v1.012
Android | OS 2.2 | £0.92/$1.49 | v2.1.6
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$3.99 | v2.0 Android | OS 2.3 | £2.99/$3.99 | v2.0
Android | OS 2.2 | £0.65/$0.99 | v1.0
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.2.1 Android | iOS 4.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v0.0.3
APP UI DESIGNER
BEATPORT RELEASES
AXIS – GO APEX NOVA THEME
PEPPA PIG’S HOLIDAY
IQ TEST – PRO!
THE LOVE BOOK
PERFORM MAGIC
01 MAGIC TRICKS TUTORIAL
Step-by-step
instructions cover a
range of magic from
card tricks to ‘mind reading’.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.2
Android | OS 2.1 | Free | v2.0
02 BE A MAGICIAN:LEARN MAGIC TRICKS!
A collection of YouTube
videos for basic tricks for
kids to advanced skills.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.0
03 MAGIC TRICKS PROA similar setup to Be A
Magician, but with a nicer
interface – still quite
expensive for what it is, however.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0
04 MAGIC TRICKSREVEALED
Learn coin, card and ‘psychic’
tricks from these video
guides, with a quiz to test
your conjuring knowledge.
Android | OS 2.2 | £1.89 | v1.2
05 MAGIC TRICKS – BEGINNER’S GUIDE
This eBook offers advice to
those going pro, but only
contains seven tricks.
iPhone | iOS 3.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.0
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MANAGE YOUR DAYDIGITAL TOOLS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU USE YOUR TIME WISELY
RED URCHINThis oddly-named app has been designed for tablets, as will become evident when you see the small text
in which a given day’s events are displayed. Days of the week are shown as a table broken down into categories of activity, under which all relevant tasks are listed. The intended users for this download are primarily professionals but you can diff erentiate personal activities from things you need to do at work. There is also an attractive calendar screen that displays days of the month and lists the times of events on a selected day with links to descriptive information.A handy hybrid app for helping you keep track of both business and pleasure with ease.
iPad | iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v2.0.1 Android | OS 2.2 | £3.11/$4.87 | v1.0.2
2DOThis app makes keeping on top of your activities enjoyable thanks to its attractive, uncluttered interface.
Entries are categorised on colour-coded tabs with headings such as Today, This Week, Family, Work and Shopping. It’s easy to add one-off and repeating tasks and tasks can also be tied to a single activity using keywords, so they can easily be displayed as a list beside a calendar. Other features include sorting, searching and smart lists, alarms, and password protection. To brighten things up even more, you can use names of contacts as tags and attach images to tasks.
Expensive, but worth every penny if you don’t want time management to be chore.
CALENGOODesigned to sync with Google Calendar, this app has a colourful and practical interface. There are fi ve diff erent
calendar views (week, month, agenda and portrait or landscape for the current day), any of which can be set to appear at startup. The Android version can also display these views as a home screen widget. You can enter reminders for birthdays, anniversaries and other important events and create multi-layered lists for tasks such as shopping. A full calendar can look cluttered on a small screen but that might be a good reminder to set aside some free time.Despite the odd name, this makes managing your calendar anything but messy – plus the widgets are useful, too.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £4.99/$6.99 | v1.5.24 Android | OS 1.6 | £4.63/$5.99 | v1.0.108
iPLANNERThis event tracking app lets you see an overview of upcoming events with important dates highlighted by colours
and helpful icons. If your calendar is full, this can look overwhelming unless you switch to the more soothing weekly view. This presents days as colour-coded blocks with plenty of white space around emoticons that mark events you’re looking forward to or dreading. The app updates public holidays and another handy feature is the ability to summarise the number of hours you have committed to diff erent task categories.
SCHEDULE PLANNER PROThis app will be useful if you want to get better at estimating how long tasks take. You can enter the amount of time
you think you’ll need to get something done and record when you started and fi nished. Then you can compare your expectations with the actual time used in tabular and pie-chart form. Dates can only be displayed as tasks on individual days or in calendar view but the well-organised layout makes it easy to navigate between views. Other features include Google Calendar integration, data backup to Dropbox, and password protection.
SMALL CALENDARThe name of this app indicates just how modest its ambitions are. The intent here seems to be to off er you a
calendar that displays an entire year in the palm of your hand. The main screen is a grid in which the months are listed down the left, the middle squares give the dates of the month from 1 to 31 and the remaining squares are labelled with the days of the week. Tap on any month and any day and you can bring up events on that date that you have entered either into your device’s calendar or as a note in the app.
To-do list functions are a bit basic but you shouldn’t waste time complaining given the price and other extra functions on offer.
If time is money, this tracking tool should definitely help you cut your losses. An incredibly useful addition to your device.
Basic and seems a little buggy on iOS 7, but useful for marking dates that are months away so you don’t forget.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v5.1 Android | OS 2.2 | £1.29/$1.95 | v1.14.5
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99 | v2.3 Android | OS 2.2 | £2.49/$3.99 | v1.6
iPhone+ | iOS 4.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v2.0 Android | OS 1.5 | £0.70/$1.15 | v1.0
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1 | £6.99/$9.99 | v2.8.35 Android | OS 2.2 | £5.40/$6.99 | v1.7.2
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EATANIUMThis is not your typical day planner because its purpose is to take the pain out of planning healthy eating habitats,
especially if you are aiming to achieve weight loss or add muscles. You can generate menus based on pre-programmed food items for meals on a given day based on the amount of calories you need, the caloric intake goals you have set for yourself and specifi c dietary requirements. You can also add your own preferred foods to the database. The app will store your personal information and you can factor exercise into planning what you should eat too.
PRIORITY MATRIXIf you have lots on the go this app can help you prioritise exactly what needs doing and when. The basic idea is that
you divide your tasks up into four categories: critical and urgent, critical but not urgent, urgent but can be delegated and uncategorised (basically, whatever you can put off ). After you have entered tasks, you can set them as daily and weekly action items, track your eff orts to complete them and sync progress in the same software across multiple platforms. It is targeted primarily at businesses but could help anyone who has too much to do in a day.
If you watch what you eat, this simplifies planning three important meals in your day.
The emphasis on prioritising offers an alternative approach to managing a busy life.
iPhone | iOS 6.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v2.0 Android | OS 2.3.3 | £0.91/$1.46 | v2.0
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v3.3 Android | OS 2.2 | £1.92/$2.99 | v1.0.28
POCKET INFORMANT PROThere are various versions of Pocket Informant on Android and iOS but you’ll need to splurge on the professional
edition (named Pocket Informant 3 on Android) if you want the entire feature set. Among other things, you can enter tasks and events using text or voice entry (on compatible devices), set location alerts, check the weather forecast, import Evernote documents, sync with Google Calendar and get the estimated time it will take you to get somewhere if you are running iOS 7.
You’ll need to set aside time just to find out everything this app can do.This is as comprehensive as it gets.
iPad+ | iOS 6.1 | £5.99/$8.99 | v3.22 Android | OS 2.3 | £6.23/$9.99 | v3.16.10141
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There is only so long an iPad user can sit, playing on their device before their children become curious about the
source of entertainment and want to get involved themselves. Luckily, fi nding the right downloads to engage the younger mind isn’t too diffi cult today thanks to a multitude of apps – ranging from games to interactive books – that have been designed to captivate children.
Lucy Ladybird is aiming to do just the same through its cute artwork and heart-warming story of a ladybird looking to fi t in, and fi nding out that being diff erent isn’t so bad after all. While this is the obvious moral, it isn’t heavy-handedly forced down the reader’s throat at the detriment of the story, and it’s a tale that both parents and kids will surely enjoy interacting with together.
From a user experience perspective, Lucy Ladybird does a very good job of striking a balance when it comes to classic storytelling and taking advantage of the iPad’s touchscreen. The story works on its own, but there is also the addition of some interactive features, like the ability to drag and drop spots onto Lucy, as well as animate other characters and the environment with a tap. Every page of the story has something interactive on it, and if it can’t be immediately spotted there’s a question mark icon that tells users where to tap in order to bring the page to life.
Alongside this is a Home button that brings up a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, allowing users to jump to diff erent pages as well as back to the main menu in a single tap.
It can be argued that the interactivity within Lucy Ladybird is a little too simple given some of the things seen in other apps. Still, while the touch-triggered animation might be unspectacular at times, they do serve as a steady introduction for the younger users who are most likely to be drawn to this app.
A counter-argument to the interaction point is the presence of some of the fun
LUCY LADYBIRD
WHAT WAS IT THAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE LUCY LADYBIRD IN THE FIRST PLACE?I always wanted to create my own children’s picture book.
I can’t emphasise enough how important they were to me
and how much I loved them in my own childhood. Picture
books stimulate children’s imaginations in an emotionally
engaging way, and also teach valuable lessons about life in
a simple way they can relate to. I wanted to pass on my love
for children’s picture books to a new generation of children.
The idea of a ladybird without spots came to me late
one night as I lay awake and the story of Lucy Ladybird
emerged. As an illustrator, I am very inspired by my
environment and like to work in mixed media to reflect
this. I enjoy music and love the way some musicians
sample sounds from the real world and use them to create
rich, layered music. I like to use a similar process with my
illustrations, using images and photographs I have gathered
from my own life, and combining it with my painting. The
ladybird’s bodies are made from leaves I’ve cut, painted and
scanned. There are also photographs of flowers, and lots
of textures and shapes that I’ve created by hand. Children
have really enjoyed seeing these elements and identifying
them, and are often inspired themselves to get crafty and
create their own artwork.
WHAT MADE YOU TURN TO THE iPAD IN PARTICULAR AS AN OUTLET FOR THE NARRATIVE?I used to work in a design studio called Stylorouge, who
specialised mainly in the music industry. Often we’d create
album covers, which we would then need to adapt to work
across the whole campaign (television ads, websites, music
videos, merchandise, etc).I love the process – creating
something for print, then seeing it come to life on the
screen. After completing the physical book, I was really
A CHARMING TALE TO DELIGHT THE YOUNGER GENERATION
The artwork looks fantastic on the iPad screen
Colouring In and Karaoke sections are fun extras
On-screen interactivity could perhaps be bigger and better
The story might be too simple for older children
PROS/CONS
“LUCY LADYBIRD DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF STRIKING A BALANCE WITH CLASSIC STORYTELLING AND MAKING THE MOST OF THE TOUCHSCREEN”
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INTERVIEW:SHARON CHAI
Creator Sharon Chai reveals what inspired her to write the story of Lucy Ladybird for the iPad
ABOVE: The story moves through all four weather seasons, so there is a great range of colour on show
ENTERTAINMENT | REVIEW
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extras beyond the main story section. There’s a great colouring in section with six different pictures of characters from throughout the story to colour in by touching the screen. In fact, this section is something of a surprise package because the response and look of the brush strokes is very impressive for a non-creative app. This area of the app is a great place to let the kids loose in terms of introducing them to the touchscreen, with a host of colours and a handy eraser. Should a little masterpiece appear, there’s a Save option that gives users the chance to store drawings in Camera Roll for safekeeping.
If drawing isn’t what the kids are looking for, there’s also a Karaoke section that gives users the chance to put their own spin on the Lucy Ladybird theme song from the home screen. Complete with its own video of Lucy flying through different scenes and live lyrics on screen, this feels like a nice change of pace; a little more active and engaging.
The App Store page says Lucy Ladybird is designed for children aged two and up, and that is perfectly
emphasised by the simplicity that app sticks with throughout the story. There is never too much dialogue and the artwork is wonderfully colourful, taking readers through each of the seasons with interactivity to bring each of them to life in fun yet simple ways. Lucy Ladybird then is a very good way to introduce youngsters to apps and the iPad without fear of them deleting any important files in the process. The extra features give kids a way of utilising any creativity that the app inspires as well.
Yes, compared to some other interactive books Lucy Ladybird is quite simple and potentially not on the same level in terms of content. Still, the app more than makes up for that with the level of charm it brings to the iPad screen through the moral-filled yet unimposing story, and the artwork that brings it to life. If you’re on the lookout for a new children’s app, this might well be it.
iPad | iOS 4.3 | £3.99/$5.99 | v1.0
An endearing story that comes with just enough animation to delight the young iPad users and their parents.
01 THE ARTInstantly engaging
and charming to any
user, the artwork feels
classic and on the
traditional side, while
still engaging the
younger users with
bright colours.
excited about the idea of adding that extra element of
animation and interaction. My talented friend Iain Clark
volunteered to do the developer side of it, and together
we collaborated on our first app together. We chose the
iPad as we both love Apple products.
DID YOU TAKE INSPIRATION FROM ANY OTHER INTERACTIVE STORIES WHEN PUTTING THE APP TOGETHER?We did look to see what other apps were around – I would
always recommend researching the market and seeing
where exactly you might fit in.
THERE’S SOME LOVELY INTERACTIVITY THAT IS EASY TO WORK WITH – WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT THIS IS AN APP DESIGNED WITH THE AIM OF GETTING YOUNGER USERS HANDS-ON WITH THE DEVICE?Definitely. It is amazing how instinctive young ones are
with iPads. I have a niece and nephew who from the
age of two-years-old have grown up surrounded by this
technology. They’re so dexterous and uninhibited when
it comes to interacting with the iPad. As creators of
this app, it’s so fantastic and rewarding to see children
interacting with it – it’s actually the most rewarding part
of the whole process!
AT WHAT STAGE DID YOU DECIDE ON INCLUDING THE FUN EXTRA FEATURES SUCH AS THE COLOURING IN AND KARAOKE SECTIONS?Once we’d had the story working at a decent level,
we started integrating the extra activities. On the
lucyladybird.com website, we have a number of
activities including the colouring sheets, which is also the
perfect iPad activity. The karaoke idea came from the
talented singer/songwriter Kirsty Almeida. She wrote
the song for Lucy Ladybird (which also features on the
website). When recording it, Kirsty created a version
without vocals, which she thought would be perfect as a
karaoke video, and we agreed.
WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED FOR THE APP? ARE YOU PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE?It’s been really brilliant. We’ve been lucky that we’ve
had some great reviews across the globe, including
publications from the US to Australia. It’s also been
nominated for awards, which we’re excited about. But
the best responses are from the children, who just really
enjoy it. I have some Danish friends who bought the app
for their two-year-old daughter as a way of integrating
English into her life, as they only speak Danish at home. I
hadn’t considered it previously, but it is nice to see that
it’s another way to learn another language too.
02 TEXTNothing is more off-
putting in a children’s
story than too much
text. This app strikes
the right balance, with
enough happening in
each scene without
becoming a strain.
03 INTERACTIONSOn every page of the
story is at least one
interactive feature
or animation. Some
general tapping will
usually uncover it, but
there is also a handy
hint button as well.
04 COLOURING INAway from the main
story, there is also
a great colouring
section that gives kids
the chance to colour
in some of the main
characters from the
book in their own style.
05 KARAOKEFor the extroverted,
there is a karaoke
mode that gives
readers the chance to
sing the theme song,
that plays on the app’s
home screen. It’s a
great little feature.
ABOVE: There are a host of fun and colourful characters that children will be introduced to throughout the interactive book
Five ways to have fun with Lucy Ladybird
SHOWCASE
REVIEW | ENTERTAINMENT
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01 TASKERA very powerful
app, with chainable
variables, but it does
have a bit of a steep
learning curve.
02 AUTOMATEIT PROEasier to use than
Tasker, it offers a long
list of possible triggers
to activate an equally
large array of actions.
Android | OS 2.2 | £1.43/$1.99 | v4.0.73
03 CONDIFormerly Mini
Tasker, this versatile
task automator allows
you to import others’
tasks and modify them.
04 SMARTACTIONSOnly available for
Motorola phones, this
app allows you to set
multiple conditions for
the same action.
05 NFC TASK LAUNCHERFrom the same
developer as Agent,
you can create custom
actions triggered by NFC,
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
ALTERNATIVELY…Five other
Android apps to
automate your tasks
LEFT: The five agents run in the background, and start up automatically when triggered
ABOVE: The Activity log shows what all the agents have been doing
Android | Varies | £2.99/$2.99 | Varies
Android | OS 4.0 | Free | v0.2.13
Android | Varies | Free | Varies
Android | Varies | Free | Varies
ABOVE: The Meeting agent has the ability to silence your phone
ABOVE: The Drive agentcan auto-respond to calls and read texts aloud
Pros/ConsIt’s very easy to use: just fire and forget about it
The developer is very responsive to user feedback
Limited array of tasks compared to some rivals
Currently no way of creating your own custom agents
TEACH YOUR ANDROID DEVICE TO ANTICIPATE YOUR NEEDSAGENT
Our smartphones may be packed with top technology, but they’re not actually that smart
at detecting when we’re busy doing something – like driving, for example – and need them to behave accordingly. While there is no shortage of task-automating apps available on Android, many of them are complicated to set up and use. Not so with Agent, which is an absolute doddle.
Via a clean and simple user interface, it off ers fi ve ‘agents’ which, once enabled, will automate the respective tasks in the background for you. Perhaps the most obviously useful of these is the Drive agent. It A very easy-to-use automator for
five useful tasks, although there’s no option yet to create your own.
detects when you’re driving, which is when you’re connected to a nominated Bluetooth device, ie a hands-free kit or in-car Bluetooth, and is able to send an automated response. As with all the other agents, there are detailed confi guration options so you can set it up just as you want. As well as sending a customisable response to calls and/or texts from selected contacts, telling them you’re driving and you’ll get back soon, it can read text messages aloud and also silence the phone.
When you stop the car, the Parking agent comes in handy, storing your vehicle’s location so you can fi nd it again later. It worked well for us, although it’d be nice if you could also trigger it manually. It can store up to fi ve parking spots, which are shown on a map. Simply click on one to open it up in Google Maps for directions.
The Meeting agent silences your phone and automatically activates based on your calendar events – only ‘Busy’ ones if you wish. It can also be set to only work between specifi c times, although it doesn’t permit you to accept calls from certain contacts. The latter option is off ered by the Sleep agent, however, which otherwise silences calls and activates power-saving options between set times. Finally, the Battery agent is triggered when the battery percentage falls below a set level; dimming the screen, turning off Bluetooth and restricting background data. Overall, a very good solution.
Android | OS 4.0 | £1.79/$2.99 | v1.0.8
DOWNLOAD NOW!
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If you can’t think of how best to show off your photos, you could give Diptic PDQ a try, which enables you to create collages from them. In order
to create a collage, you must fi rst select the photos you want to use from your Camera Roll. They appear as thumbnails in a tray at the top of the screen and at the bottom is a collection of collage designs. One is selected by default and the photos are automatically added, but any design can be selected and the photos will auto-fi ll. The positions of photos can be swapped by dragging the thumbnails to frames, pinch and spread gestures zoom in and out, and dragging positions the photo in a frame.
A menu button at the top enables the border thickness and corners to be adjusted and the colour set. Tapping a photo displays a set of controls for adjusting it. For example, the brightness, saturation and contrast can be modifi ed and users can rotate and fl ip the photo horizontally or vertically. A collection of fi lters are available, such as sepia, washed out, and so on. The fi nished collage can be saved or shared through the usual channels such as Mail, Messages, Facebook and Twitter.
ABOVE: Use menu controls to adjust the border type and colour
A nice app for creating collages, but this may not be enough in such a competitive market.
This is a nice app that is well designed and has lots of good controls for adjusting photos and collage frames, but there are many other apps that do a similar sort of thing. It’s also iOS 7-only, which makes it incompatiabe with older devices.
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.0.1
CREATE AND SHARE AMAZING PHOTO COLLAGESDIPTIC PDQ
RIGHT: The photos are added automatically, but
can be swapped along with the template
ABOVE: Visit your Camera Roll and select the photos you’d like to use
If you have seen The Great British Bake Off on TV, you will be familiar with the show’s judge Mary Berry. If you are entertaining friends and
looking for ideas for a scrumptious dinner, there are some great recipes here for roast turkey and all the trimmings. Mary Berry has provided 15 in this app, and in addition to the traditional roast turkey is complementary gravy, giblet stock, lemon and thyme pork stuffi ng, roast potatoes, puddings and so on. There is even a nut roast for the vegetarians in the family.
Each item is covered separately and you aren’t meant to cook them all, just the ones that appeal to you. A favourites list can be used to select the items you are going to cook. Choose an item, such as roast parsnips, and a photo with a short introduction appears. The ingredients are also listed, with any items you might be missing from your cupboards able to be added to a shopping list. The cooking process itself is broken down into simple steps that are easy to follow.
However, the app design could use some attention; the colour scheme could be better, as light blue text on a white background is hard to read. In other places the text uses too small a font size and some screens have text all in
There are dozens of recipe apps to choose from and this needs to be improve before being able to compete with them.
GET READY FOR A MOUTH-WATERING DINNER WITH THESE RECIPESMARY BERRY
capitals. The content is pretty limited up against the competition too, although new recipes are promised for early next year. Still, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and others have their own better apps available to download.
ABOVE: There are 15 recipes from which to form the perfect dinner
ABOVE: All caps text and poor choice of colour make reading difficult
ABOVE: The recipes are easy to follow, being broken down into simple steps iPhone+ | iOS 6.1 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0
www.knowyourapps.com 53
REVIEW | EVERYDAY
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EVERYDAY | REVIEW
There are some things that make you wish you were fi ve-years-old again, and this app is one of them. In being able to grab hold of a host of
Toy Story characters, manipulate them in various positions, sizes and rotations and give them voices while jiggling them around for some ad-hoc animation, you can easily see time go past in ways that, as adults, it really shouldn’t.
Young fans of Disney will obviously love this off ering too, of course. As well as being given the chance to be in control of their own plots and save any voice-driven animations that are created, there is also a brilliant and engaging story mode that allows the imagination to run free with lots of scenarios, backgrounds and cool events available at the touch of the screen.
These build into excellent mini-movies that not only look good and have the potential to sound great but they also help unleash an incredible creative side in anyone who gives it a go. To make life easier, the app handily explains everything you need to do beforehand, with tutorials that last mere seconds given the refreshing lack of complexity involved.
TOYS REALLY DO COME TO LIFE WHEN VIEWED THROUGH THIS APPTOY STORY: STORY THEATER
There is little screen clutter, making it easy to get creating and all of the saved stories can be edited and viewed later too, so nothing goes to waste. It’s worth noting that the characters themselves don’t animate, but that would complicate a fun app that is nigh-on perfect.
A lovely animation app based around the Toy Story world that will keep children engrossed for days.
Android | OS 4.0 | £1.87/$2.99 | v1.0iPhone+ | OS 5.1 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.4
ABOVE: With free play and story play options there is plenty to keep young minds busy
NOW ALARM CLOCKYOUR ENTIRE DAY IN A SINGLE SCREEN
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.0
Open your eyes fi rst thing in the morning and there are a few initial thoughts that run through your head, particularly if it’s a week day. What’s
the time? What’s the weather doing? What plans have you made for today? To answer all of these you’d probably need to get out of bed – and that’s not ideal having just woken up.
Now Alarm Clock is designed to make such early movement unnecessary, just reach for your iPhone and all the things you need to know will be displayed clearly on screen. The date and time – if you’ve slept particularly heavily – as well as your calendar events for the day and the current weather. Look out too for the stock market ticker located at the bottom of the screen.
The app can be customised to suit your personal taste; there are a range of colour schemes to be found in the settings menu, and there are also built-in alarms and ambient soundboards to help with your sleep pattern. In further lifestyle touches, you can activate a torch by simply shaking your phone when the app is open, and there’s a lowlight-friendly night mode that dims the screen for night-time viewing.
There’s a very specifi c time of day and night that this app has been designed to be at its best, the only issue is that beyond last thing at night
Great for getting your head around your day first thing in the morning, but beyond that it seems a little limited in what it can do.
and fi rst thing in the morning, you might fi nd yourself hardly using it at all. It seems that even the developers sense that you might feel this, given the limited interactions and functionality that Now Alarm Clock supports. It’s worth a try if you’re looking for a more straightforward morning, but there may be better solutions available.
ABOVE: Change the colour scheme and set alarms within the app
ABOVE: Scroll through your scheduled for the day in the calendar
BELOW: The main screen of the app tells you everything you need to
know about the day ahead
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A limited appeal app and a bit gimmicky, but if you want real-time slow motion, this provides well.
Train users will find themselves using this app on a regular basis.
Concerned parents will enjoy the peace of mind this app offers.Gorgeous visuals and
a brilliant selection of mini-games too.
An app that takes all of the guesswork out of stargazing.
An ambitious app with a strong message but it ultimately fails in its duty to entertain.
This entry into the video app market allows you to record slow-motion flicks in real time. All
you have to do is fire it up, decide whether or not to use the torch (on the iPhone) and then tap and hold the slow-motion video. It will then capture at 60 or 120fps depending on the device you have (only the 4S will work with 120fps). Videos are saved to the Camera Roll and you can share them from there. The app renders in the background, so you are not hindered by waiting for videos to process. A potential alternative for those looking to emulate the iPhone 5s’ slo-mo function on older models.
Taking live data from Network Rail, Realtime Trains looks for stations local to you (and lets
you search for others). It then presents the departures and arrivals happening at that very moment. Not only is this great for train spotters but it is invaluable for anyone who is picking up a friend or someone who needs quick information. Particularly useful is the function that tells you exactly where the train is in relation to the platform, so you know if you may be missing it or if you can stroll over. It’s an essential train passenger’s companion.
For this app to work, you need an accompanying free app called Pocket Nanny
Child GPS Tracker. One app is installed on a child’s phone and the other on the parent’s device. It is then possible to track where the child is. Although this kind of function can be replicated on iPhones with Find My iPhone and on Android with security apps, the killer feature here is being able to defi ne a virtual play area. When a child physically strays out of the zone set, an alarm will ring.
The magic of Dora comes to the iPad again for a fresh appisode. It takes an existing
television episode called ‘Perrito’s Big Surprise’ and makes it interactive – it is so charming that a child cannot fail to be enchanted. There is much to tap and there are even voice interactions to enjoy, as long as you allow the app to access the microphone. The tasks are simple as this is aged at a young age group – little ones will love helping Dora.
If you need to discover the stargazing conditions for any given night then this redesigned app
will provide all of that information for you. Aimed at anyone with an interest in stargazing, Sky Live may not have augmented support but it will give you intricate details about the night sky and show the trajectory of the Sun, moon and any planets that are nearby. You can also pinpoint the whereabouts of the International Space Station. Pull up the information tab and you can see the best times to spot planets and the likelihood of seeing the moons in your location. Interesting stuff .
An app with a message, Blue Bernard is about a boy who stands out because of his colour.
He lives in a pink world but he’s blue and this causes children to tease him. His lonely life is miserable and he fi nds he has no-one to talk to about it – until he meets Zoe, who ignites his life and helps him. It’s thought-provoking stuff and a talking point for parents but interactions are minimal and the games dull. It looks good and works well but it is maybe overpriced for what you actually get.
SLOWCAM
REALTIME TRAINSPOCKET NANNY GPS TRACKER
DORA APPISODE: PERRIOTO’S BIG SURPRISE HD
SKY LIVE BLUE BERNARD
MAKE THE PERFECT COFFEE
01 CUPPINGSIf you enjoy a cup of
Joe on the go, Cuppings
provides a carefully
selected list of the best coffee
houses that are nearby.
iPhone | iOS 5.1 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.1.002
02 BARISTACreate a café-quality
espresso at home. Tips
include creating latte art and
extracting single and double shots.
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.8
03 GREAT COFFEE APPPacked full of interesting
facts about coffee, watch
videos and view cross-
sections of 16 popular drinks.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v2.2.2
04 FLAT COFFEE APPA short visual guide to
various coffee drinks,
showing the proportion of
milk, syrup or froth required.
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.0
05 THE PERFECT SHOTStore all the variables of your
espresso experiments as
well as recording any recipes.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £1.99/£2.99 | v1.0
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v1.2
Android | OS 2.3 | £3.99/$5.99 | v1.0.1
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1 | £1.49/$1.99 | v1.1
Android | OS 2.3.3 | £1.71/$1.99 | v1.0.2 iPad | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99 | v1.0
iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$1.99 | v1.0.1
iPhone | iOS 5.1 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.1
Android | OS 2.2 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0.4
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Claire is not the most descriptive of names for an app. What you see from the icon and what you decipher
from the name and what you end up getting will not, we suggest, immediately go hand-in-hand. At fi rst glance, it could have been a female play on the electronic game Simon – which it it’s not. What it is, however, is something very useful aiming to change the way you work.
Claire is an organisational tool that hopes to revolutionise the way you deal with your time. Before you get on and start to tinker with the app, it explains this in great detail. First there is 300 word document that attempts to explain the importance of making time for the things you want to do and why it is crucial to recognise when something isn’t
worth doing. Second, there are diagrams that hammer home that point. Only by reading these do you get a real sense of what is going and why you are doing it.
The main screen of the app is split into four blocks, each one colour co-ordinated. It works on the Pareto principle that 20 per cent of our tasks cause 80 per cent of the eff ects and vice versa. The blocks represent, clockwise from left, your schedule, the items you need to do urgently, the items that can be delegated or ignored and those that can be binned. This, it says, is the Eisenhower principle.
Within each of these squares, which are coloured orange, red, yellow and grey, are a series of tasks. The app starts with suggestions to give you a good idea of what needs to go where but you are supposed to erase these and insert your own. What you put in these is entirely up to you. You could schedule time for sport and relaxation, or make sure you get time for a report or essay that may need doing in a couple of weeks, and so on.
You could place a crisis meeting or a letter from the taxman in urgent. You could also place any tasks that you could feasibly get someone else to do – such as the gardening or a phone call – in the delegation list or simply forget about it. Everything else you can trash.
Writing new entries is an easy process. Depending on the category into which you are assigning tasks, you can set a date and a reminder. You can also move items from one category to another just by tapping on it and selecting the colour of the block you want to move it to. Items within each block can be moved up or down so you can set their priority, and you can also bring in items from your Reminders app so you can get started without having to reinput everything.
Tasks can be assigned time slots and by default this is 30 minutes. You can also set automatic alerts and, for tidiness, have the app delete any task that has been completed. But this is secondary to the fundamental principle that not all tasks are of equal importance and that a productive use of the day is not to go through items on your desk one-by-one, maybe getting the smaller and easier items done fi rst and then tackling the more diffi cult and time-consuming later. It drills in that a task may not be important at all and that you may be better served going out to play that game of squash instead.
Claire works well and is incredibly refreshing. The design is superbly clear with large icons and a clean look. The tips whenever you are about to insert
CLAIREFOCUS ON THE MOST URGENT TASKS WITHTHIS IPAD-EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOAD
You can place tasks in one of four categories
The design feels very intuitive
You can’t write a full description of the task
Why would you list items in trash in the first place?
PROS/CONS
RIGHT: The app offers explanations of the principles behind its workings
ABOVE: This is perhaps the most crucial explanation showing you the significance of the coloured blocks
RIGHT: The app offers various tips for helping you manage
your task list more effectively
ABOVE: ‘Is such urgency really necessary?’ By making you question yourself, you become more organised
DOWNLOAD NOW!
“THE JUMP MECHANISM HELPS BRING FLASHES OF INTENSE SCREEN TAPPING TO THE GAME, WHICH SERVE AS A NICE CHANGE OF MOOD AND PACE”
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an entry are helpful, and this means at no point does Claire let you forget what you are doing, which is managing your time. It doesn’t let you think you are merely creating lists and it prompts you to think carefully about where you want to put an item before you create it.
By making Claire a simple app to understand and use, it also adheres the principle of not wasting unnecessary time. The four blocks of tasks, each displayed on the same screen, is what
makes this so effective because you can mark things up, tick them off and move them around as your priorities change without tapping back and forth between lists. You know straight away what you have to do and what you don’t – what more could you ask for?
iPad | iOS 7.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.1
An inexpensive task manager that doesn’t completely leave you alone and makes sure you prioritise well.
“XXXX XXXX XXXX”
01 GET STARTEDTap the + icon at the
top of the screen and
you are ready to start
a new task. Next,
simply tap a colour
that corresponds with
the priority level of
your task.
02 CONSIDER OPTIONSA window appears
and, as well as letting
you input a new task,
it will also offer you
some gentle advice. Is
it in the right section?
Would it be better
placed elsewhere?
03 REMINDERThe next thing to do
is set a reminder date
and time for a task if
you are scheduling
your daily activity by
tapping the ‘Remind
me’ button. Now you
can’t forget anything!
04 REARRANGE TASKSWe’re not sure if our
‘sort tax’ entry should
be considered more
urgent than this. We
can tap the coloured
box on the right to
move it to a more
suitable area if we like.
05 DELETEIt is also possible to
delete tasks that are
no longer needed
anymore. As tasks are
completed, they can
be ticked off the list as
well, helping you keep
track of your progress.
01 WUNDERLIST – TO-DO & TASK LIST
Manage, share and
collaborate on your tasks.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | Free | v2.3.2
Android | Varies| Free | Varies
02 POCKET INFORMANT PRO
Place tasks in a diary
and produce checklists.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1 | £5.99/$8.99 | v3.22
Android | OS 2.0 | £6.45/$9.99 | v2.20.6117
03 OMNIFOCUS FOR IPAD A comprehensive
offering that breaks
your to-dos down into
steps and helps you to
categorise tasks.
iPad | iOS 6.1 | £27.99/$39.99 | v1.6.5
04 TASKPAPER – SIMPLE TO-DO LISTS
Here the idea is not so
much to assign weights
to tasks but to simply jot
your stuff down.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | v2.3.4
05 VOODO – TASK BOOKSet task priorities
and assign times and
dates to tasks that
are then synced with
Google Calendar.
iPad | iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.045
ALTERNATIVELY…Manage
your tasks and to-dos with these
offerings
ABOVE: All of the tasks you input in Claire are placed on the same screen for easy viewing
Create and manage your tasks with Claire
HOW TO…
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REVIEW | WORK
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There is so much information out there these days that absorbing it all can be very time
consuming and a little overwhelming. If you are are also a slow reader then it will take you even longer to go through the mountain of books, magazines, websites and emails that you’ve been meaning to get around to.
Velocity - Speed Reader is an app that aims to improve your reading skills by displaying text a few words at a time but at great speed. It says the average reading speed is around 200 words a minute, which equates to the speed of reading aloud. The app aims to get you reading even faster than that, using texts that are drawn from a variety of sources including your iPhone, any text you want to paste in
Boost your reading speed with an app that will change the way you approach words forever more.
yourself, as well as external sources such as Instapaper, Pocket and the wider web.
Although Velocity doesn’t have its own built-in teaching program, being left entirely to your own devices isn’t that bad a thing. You are able to delve into the Settings; change the background to one you are comfortable with, alter the fonts and then get to grips with the speed at which you want to read and how many words you want to have displayed at any one time. You can have as few as one and as many as four, which may not sound a lot but for this exercise it is doubtful you would want any more.
It’s not a complicated app to use and it look and performs well. This means you can just get down to the task in hand and in this sense, it performs
without a hiccup. By changing the speed to the maximum of 1,000 words per minute we were overwhelmed, but we found that by increasing the speed in incremental steps we were able to display improvements.
You could very easily copy and paste text that you were intended to read anyway into this, thereby killing two birds with one stone. Indeed, the app suggests that you do just that because then you will be getting up to speed using the texts that you normally come across in your day-to-day life, making the learning experience so much more relevant.
IMPROVE YOUR READING SKILLS BY TEACHING YOURSELF TO GO FASTERVELOCITY
iPhone | iOS 7.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0.1
ABOVE: One word can be displayed at a time, helping you to eventually increase your reading speed
ABOVE: The app displays the amount of words you have read and the time that it took you to read them
ABOVE: There are three themes built-in to the app to choose from: light, dark and sepia
Pros/ConsIt actually works in increasing your reading speed
There are lots of useful adjustable settings
It doesn’t guide you incrementally or actually teach
You have to stab around a little to find everything
DOWNLOAD NOW!
SHOWCASEBoost your
reading speed with
Velocity 01 MULTIPLE SOURCESSee where your
texts are coming from in
the Sources section and
delve into each of their
Settings. Here we’ve
opted for Instapaper and
Pocket for reading.
02 SETTINGS MENU In the Settings
menu you are able to
change the background
colour of the app to
your preference, alter
the number of words
displayed and the speed.
03 USE URLInsert a web
address into the app
and it will look for the
webpage and use
the text on it to start
displaying all the words
at your chosen speed.
04 iPHONE FUNCTIONIf you want to try
something different, you
can select the iPhone as
a source. Here you can
write or copy and paste
text into a box and have
the app display it for you.
05 RUNNING STREAMAlternatively, if
you choose to try out
Instapaper as a source,
it’s likely that you will
never run out of material
to test yourself on – with
no extra effort from you!
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WORK | REVIEW
ABOVE: The speed can be increased and decreased to
suit your reading ability
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REVIEW | WORK
When other mobile to-do lists had calendars, geo-location reminders, and a mass of on-screen buttons, the original Clear for iPhone bucked the trend.
Instead, it just off ered a single screen with items listed from urgent red to low priority yellow, with the option to swipe right to tick items when completed and drag down to add a new item to the list. This sequel makes the personal organiser with innovative one-touch controls available on iPad at last.
It is a mistake to expect too many new features from this famously minimalist app, but there are a few changes worth noting. Making the most of the extra space, all of your lists are displayed on the left-hand side, while the individual items fi ll the rest of the screen. As well as simplifying list browsing, this makes it very easy to drag items between them.
However, not all of the new features come across as an improvement. The ‘edge swipe’ gesture to access the Settings doesn’t feel as organic as swiping left to remove an item, like striking through with a pencil, and can be easily forgotten.
If you can work out how to access Settings, you can a complete rundown of all the intuitive gestures and change the colour theming. Making the most of the new iOS 7’s Background Refresh function, the app also ensures that your iCloud backup stays updated throughout the day.
THE MINIMALIST TO-DO LIST COMES TO iPADCLEAR+
iPad+ | iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.0.2
While it may be a rather middle-of-the-road move for such a trend-setting brand, Clear+ is a comprehensive adaptation for iPad.
BELOW: This is exactly the information you need to see - the change in price and the gains made
ABOVE: Enter the number of shares bought and price paid
ABOVE: The profit/loss at the bottom is shown in dollars. Most odd!
The sell-off of Royal Mail in the UK, the fl oating of Twitter on the stock market in the US and others have proven to be hugely popular with
investors who fi nd themselves with a bit of spare cash to gamble. Will the price of the shares go up or down? Will you make money or lose it?
Apple’s Stocks app will show you share prices, but it doesn’t track your investments and that’s where Shares 2 comes in handy. Enter a company or stock symbol, the number of shares bought and the price paid and it will display the value, how much you originally paid, and the all-important profi t and loss in money and percentage terms. The company information screens are clear and easy to understand too.
Shares 2 is a nice app with a modern iOS 7 look and feel to it. Its interface has been kept clean, colourful and simple, and you can see at a glance how investments are doing. However, it has a habit of mixing up dollar and pound symbols, sometimes on the same screen. This is confusing because it makes you wonder whether it is converting one currency to the other or whether it is simply displaying the wrong symbol. In some cases it does appear to convert pounds to dollars and in other places it doesn’t.
MONITOR YOUR SHARE PORTFOLIO AND SEE THE GAINS AND LOSSESSHARES 2
A niggling currency inconsistency spoils what is otherwise a useful and pleasantly designed app for monitoring share portfolios.
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v2.1
ABOVE: Simple, one-touch swipe controls remain at the heart of this newly optimised to-do list
If the currency problem is sorted so that it sticks with one, the app is worth an extra point. Shares 2 ’s simplicity stands out in a section that can at times be diffi cult to make sense of.
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An app that could prevent some late night napkin calculations and maybe a few arguments.
A first-class app that uses real language for inputting. Brilliant.
Too powerful for its own good at times. Casual users may find it too much; power users will love it.
It’s not difficult to record a coffee shop sound so we do question the pricing and validity of this app.
It beats having to scribble down shifts on paper or use Android’s calendar. A bespoke, useful app.
Great for enhancing the way Google Calendar works.
Calendars+ was a very popular app but developer Readdle has pulled it from the
App Store and replaced it with this, Calendars 5. What a brilliant move this has proven to be; integrating perfectly with both Google Calendar and iOS calendar and presenting information in a very useful way, allowing for list, day, week or month formats. Creating new entries is intuitive and meetings can be pinpointed with Maps. You can also make use of your Contacts. With the ability to specify the exact frequency of events, this iOS 7-inspired app is a must-have.
ToDo is not new; it’s been around on iOS for around fi ve years now and it has built up
quite some following, with users loving the simple way that the app allows you to create tasks, projects and checklists. This refreshed app brings with it a fl atter iOS 7 design aesthetic and it is packed with features including contact links, web addresses and more. Being able to add notes, tags and tasks as well as create alerts makes it a very powerful management tool – but it can be overwhelming at times.
As a concept, it is sound enough. For those who work from home alone, having the ambience
and noise of a coff ee shop when you’re toiling can be quite comforting and all for the price of a biscotti. But while the sound quality is great and it has obviously been recorded in a genuine setting, the fact there are just three diff erent options makes this rather overpriced. The Settings button doesn’t work well either. It’s nicely presented and easy to use but wonder how often it would be used.
Managing shifts can be tricky but with Shift.Cal+ this task can be made much easier.
You can manage two shifts a day, inputting the length of your shift and selecting the days that you have worked. Notes can be added and you can also log overtime so that you know exactly how long you have worked and, if need be, be in a position to submit the hours and get paid appropriately for them. You can programme the app in advance and keep a close eye on your working patterns. It’s a reminder and a note-taker all rolled into one, which is exactly what is needed.
Optimised for the iPhone 5, this app is perfect for those meals out where splitting the
bill among a group is needed – it is especially useful just as everyone is getting a little squiff y. The app works similarly to a calculator with lots of parameters letting you add a tip, coupons and discounts and also specifying how many are dining with you. The beauty of this app, however, is that it doesn’t assume everyone will pay the same and you can tell it to charge some people a little more – which is particularly good when that couple in the group order the bottle of Champagne.
Today has Agenda and Monthly views and syncs with Google Calendar. It lets you
display any forthcoming events in either a list or a grid on your home and lock screens as a widget. Download the app and then place the two widgets it gives you on to a screen and it will instantly let you play around with the settings and decide which calendars you want to show. The calendars can be resized and they look great – but it is annoying that you can’t scroll it. Still, for the price, that’s a tiny gripe.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £4.99/$6.99 | v5.2
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v7.0.2
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1 | £1.49/$1.99 | v1.2.1
Android | OS 2.2 | £0.62/$0.99 | v1.0.2
Android | OS 4.0 | £1.29/$1.49 | v1.1.0 Android | OS 4.0.3
| £1.29/$2.07 | v1.155
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v2.0.0
CALENDARS 5
TODO 7 – TO-DO & TASK LIST
COFFITIVITY
SHIFT.CAL+
SPLITRON2
TODAY – CALENDAR WIDGETS
KEEP TRACK IN 2014
01 FANTASTICAL 2View a split-screen
of your events and
month calendar, with
integrated reminders and maps
for event locations.
iPhone | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99| v2.0
02 AWESOME CALThis detailed diary syncs
with all iPhone-supported
calendars, save notes and
photos, and also includes a handly
little five-day forecast.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99 | v4.0
03 AGENDA CALENDAR 4
A clean interface makes this
calendar easy to read, with
dots designating events.
iPhone+ | iOS 7.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v4.1.2
04 WEEK CALENDARThis app makes it extremely
easy to rearrange dates
– just drag and drop them
across the calendar.
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £0.99/$0.99 | v5.2.2
Android | OS 2.3 | £0.85/$0.99 | v1.2.9.2
05 ALL-IN-ONE YEAR CALENDAR
View and edit all 365 days
from one screen.
iPad | iOS 5.0| £2.99/$4.99 | v2.3
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Available on the following platforms
Available from all good
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GAMES | GROUP TEST
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GROUP TEST | GAMES
GREAT BIG WAR GAMEThis turn-based strategy game is literally
a blast thanks to the use of humour in its
tone and design. As the title suggests,
you are involved in a military confl ict that is taking
place on land, sea and in the air. It takes time to
fi gure out how to play but once you have, you can
have fun developing clever strategies to fi nish the
50 included missions. Registering for multiplayer
games online makes things even more fun because
you are matched up against the smart and
unpredictable tactical minds of real people on the
complex, comically-designed animated battlefi eld.
In this world war the only pain you will feel will be caused by laughter. Brilliant fun.
LEGENDS OF DARTSThankfully the developers of this app
found a way to design a mobile darts game
that doesn’t involve throwing things at
your device. Instead you watch a blue light spin
around the virtual board and tap the screen to aim.
When the light changes direction and heads to the
bullseye you have to choose the right moment to
throw and tapping again. There is little diff erence
between the iOS and Android versions except that
with the former you can play friends locally via
Bluetooth. With either OS, however, you can be
matched up with an online opponent by the app.
Takes time to master but you won’t have to keep buying pints while you practice.
ASPHALT 7: HEATThis is not the most recent edition of the
Asphalt series, but it’s still an awesome
racing experience thanks to detailed
visuals and intense gameplay. As with most games
in this genre, it can take a while to master the
controls but once you’ve done that, you can take
on fi ve friends locally or compete online. In order to
set up a local race you fi rst select the tier, location
and car you want to use. Competing drivers have
to be on the same network and OS and can then
search for your race within their copy of the app,
sign in and start their engines.
Should get you revved up when you and your friends feel the need for speed.
GUERRILLA BOBLike Great Big War, this app combines
amusing cartoon graphics with a military
theme to deliver entertaining gameplay.
Bob is the app equivalent of Rambo as he marches
around taking down enemies in OTT fashion with
a variety of weapons. Cross-platform multiplayer
mode is available on local networks in iOS and
on Tegra-equipped Android devices (using the
Guerrilla Bob THD app) and requires one player to
set up a device as a server that the other player
connects to. Gameplay is updated on both devices
simultaneously as each player knuckles down.
Multiplatform compatibility makes this a winner even if you lose the battle.
Android | OS 2.2 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.4.8 iPad | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.4.1
Android | OS 2.2 | £0.69/$1.08 | v2.4 iPad | iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99 | v2.4
Android | OS 1.5 | £1.27/$1.99 | v1.0.11 iPhone+ | iOS 2.2 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0.8
Android | OS 2.2 | £2.57/$3.99 | v1.0 iPhone+ | iOS 3.1.3 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.40
N.O.V.A. 3 - NEAR ORBIT VANGUARD ALLIANCE
It’s worth making room on your device
for this two gigabyte monster if you
can, because this is one of the best FPS
apps on the market. The game off ers challenging
multiplayer modes that take you through ten
detailed levels. In local Wi-Fi multiplayer mode, play
a free-for-all where your friends are the enemy, or
work with them as a team. Also opt for an online
battle with an anonymous opponent for more fun.
Superior shooter that provides an impressive multiplayer experience if you have the hardware.
Android | Varies | £4.99/$6.99 | Varies iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £4.99/$6.99 | v1.0.3
DRAW SOMETHINGThis social drawing game has obvious
similarities to Pictionary. To play you need
to either log in using Facebook or enter
your email address and a username. Doing the
former allows you to challenge your connections
through that social media service while the latter
lets you connect with other friends. Once you are
registered, the app off ers you a list of words and
you have to select one to draw using various line
widths and colours. When you are done, you send
the sketch off to your opponent and wait to see if
they can guess what it is you’ve drawn.
An amusing way to pass the time if you don’t mind waiting indefinitely for feedback.
Android | OS 2.2 | £2.17/$2.99 | v 1.1111.104 iPhone | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.11.117
MINECRAFT - POCKET EDITIONIf you haven’t heard of Minecraft you must
have been living under a block somewhere.
This game puts you in a surreal Legoland-
like environment in which everything is made of
cubes. Generally, your purpose is to build, explore
and gather enough resources to stay alive while
avoiding danger. The mobile version allows you
to go on adventures with friends if you have your
own Minecraft server set up, or you can try to sign
in to a remote server. It’s easy to get immersed
despite the 16-bit graphics so if you’re in local
multiplayer mode, talk to your companions!
An odd mix of retro and modern that is bizarre, and yet clever and addictive as well.
POOL BREAK PRODespite its title, this app includes snooker,
crokinole and carrom as well as pool.
When you fi rst start it you will be asked if
you want to connect to Facebook so you can play
friends who also have the app installed. In addition
you can create a passcode for playing a private
online game with someone you know on the same
OS or go public and have an opponent picked for
you by the app. Both players can see a smoothly
animated 3D view of the game in real time and the
touchscreen controls are easy to master.
A realistic way to experience your own snooker championships without leaving your chair.
UNOThis offi cial adaptation of Mattel’s
trademarked card game is an obvious
candidate for multiplayer contests. It is
ideally played by four people, each of whom will
try to use their cards in the best order to outwit
their opponents and discard their entire hand. With
the app you can play on a local wireless network
or register to challenge opponents online. To play
locally someone has to create a virtual room. Other
players on the same network can then join the
room and see the table on their own screens –
even if the app is running on a diff erent OS.
A great game for holidays and parties, especially if you don’t have a table.
Android | Varies | £4.99/$6.99 | Varies iPhone | iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99 | v0.7.6
Android | OS 2.3 | £2.39/$1.99 | v2.3.4 iPad+ | iOS 7.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v1.9
Android | Varies | £2.99/$4.99 | Varies iPhone+ | iOS 3.1.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | v2.0.1
PLAY ONLINE WITH YOUR FRIENDSENJOY MEGA MULTIPLAYER FUN WITH THESE GREAT GAMES
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The platform genre has been reinvented so many times on mobile that many of us don’t even look twice
at new releases any more. Type:Rider should change that mentality as this is a game that looks and feels completely diff erent to anything else you are likely to have played recently.
The game has the rather unusual setting of the world of typography; with each of the ten worlds themed around a font, its history and how it came to be. Type:Rider has been positioned very precisely; if you’re just looking for a unique platformer the game has all the levels you’ll need, but for those who want more, it takes players through the history of typography, from the earliest cave paintings to modern pixel art.
As an added bonus, there are special characters to look out for and collect throughout the game. These unlock historical archives, which you can go back and look through whenever you like. This means you can read up on how fonts like Times New Roman were
created, and how typography has been infl uenced by the invention of devices such as the letterpress.
The gameplay itself looks very much on trend for mobile – the black foreground contrasting with a hectic and animated background has been used by other great games like Limbo, Contre Jour and Naught – and even though you are dealing with such an unusual subject matter for a game, it does have a sense of familiarity even from the word go.
Players take control of two dots, and must move them through the diff erent points of history using a choice of either touch or tilt controls. Your two characters use momentum and an invisible bond between them to scale the huge multitude of obstacles that come their way. The physics are very impressive with your dots rolling and
bouncing through giant letters and traps. The Jump button adds grip, meaning that even if you do miss a platform, all is not lost. This gaming mechanism helps to bring fl ashes of intense screen tapping to the game, which serve as a nice change of mood and pace.
The controls can be switched between three very diff erent options; the default is an intuitive system that asks players to tap and hold in the direction in which they would like to move, tapping the opposite side to jump. If this is a little too fi ddly, there is a more traditional on-screen button layout that fi xes the buttons in place. The more active player can also switch from the touch controls and use tilt to control their dots – but each of these setups have their benefi ts when combined with Type:Rider ’s unique style of play.
“THE JUMP MECHANISM HELPS BRING FLASHES OF INTENSE SCREEN TAPPING TO THE GAME, WHICH SERVE AS A NICE CHANGE OF MOOD AND PACE”
ABOVE: Each of the ten worlds follows a theme inspired by a font and the time period it comes from
ABOVE: The game goes through the history of fonts and typography, starting from cave paintings
ABOVE: Throughout each world players must try and collect letters of the alphabet to unlock extras
TYPE:RIDERA PLATFORM GAME THAT CREATES A UNIVERSE FROM TYPOGRAPHY
An original concept, executed very effectively
The range of worlds and settings is great
Touch controls can be quite frustrating
The soundtrack can also be a bit distracting
PROS/CONS
DOWNLOAD NOW!
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GAMES | REVIEW
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One thing that you are never short of here is engagement, with the adventurous and inventive worlds for each font frequently mesmerising you for a good few moments. Letters form a massive part of the landscape and must be scaled correctly in order to keep progressing. There are also constant puzzles involving timing and logic littered throughout the game to drag you back from marvelling at the surroundings.
The artwork is truly fantastic, and helps to enhance the experience entirely, from the cave painting world of the tutorial, through to the the broadsheet newspaper in Times New Roman, and the Helvetica world that resembles the opening credits of Mad Men. This is what makes Type:Rider so compelling; the fact that you’re never quite sure where this
game can take you next. Partly because it’s so unique that you can’t second-guess it, but also because it draws from an incredibly rich seam of cultural history.
Type:Rider has more than enough personality and originality to charm anyone, and rightly so. Disregarding this game on the basis that it might be just another platform title would be a mistake. This is a download that has taken the well-worn format and applied it to a completely new subject area, and in the process has made the genre feel new and exciting again.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.2
iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.1
Android | OS 2.2 | £1.49/$2.13 | v1.1.4
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99 | v3.0.1
Android | OS 2.1 | £0.69/$0.99 | v2.0.7
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99 | v1.1
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | vv1.0.0
Android | OS 2.3 | £2.28/$3.64 | v1.0
01 DOTSThe fact that there
are two characters
to control that can’t
be separated brings
a nice dynamic to
the gameplay, and
redefi nes how you
approach obstacles.
02 WORLDSThe game contains ten
stages for now, each
one themed around
a font. Some of the
environments are
truly stunning, telling
the story of how each
font was created.
03 PUZZLESWhether it be
timing, logic or just
good gestures skills
Type:Rider has plenty
of puzzles to test
you throughout. The
diffi culty curve for
these is just right.
04 ARCHIVESAt the centre of this
game is the history of
typography, and there
is an entire archive of
material on the subject
to unlock in-game
and read through
whenever you like.
05 LETTERSThe achievements in
Type:Rider come in the
form of letters of the
alphabet, scattered
throughout each
world. The task and
skill comes in trying to
capture them all.
There have been platformers before this, but nothing that comes close to Type:Rider.
ABOVE: There are numerous puzzles to solve in order to advance to the next world
01 LIMBO GAMELimbo has
effortlessly jumped to
mobile and is genuinely
creepy to play. A
fantastic experience.
02 CONTRE JOUR Minimal in terms
of colour yet full of life,
Contre Jour feels just as
much like a piece of art
as it does a game.
03 NAUGHTUtilises gravity
and tilt controls for
maximum effect.
04 LEAGUE OF EVIL 3 A hugely popular
series that is built
around a great touch
control system and a
wacky narrative.
05 MUTANT MUDDSPixel art
platforming at its finest;
mixing 2D and 3D as you
jump across foreground
and background arenas.
ALTERNATIVELY…Five more addictive
mobile platformers
Type:Rider’s top 5font-tastic features
SHOWCASE
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REVIEW | GAMES
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While many other physics-based puzzlers employ the usual mechanics of catapulting, rope-cutting
or gear placing, Incredipede goes out on a limb to be original. Here you get to make your own creatures by adding appendages and muscles to an alien eyeball (called Quozzle), designing it specifi cally for the level at hand. The aim in each of 120 levels is to move Quozzle over various obstacles to reach a beam of light, while collecting special items. What makes it trickier is that you control her (yes, apparently Quozzle is a ‘her’) by pressing up to four colour-coded buttons to contract the muscles you’ve placed.
At fi rst it can be confusing and often results in a tangled mess of fl ailing limbs. Playing the easier Normal setting will give you a chance to master the controls more since the creatures are ready-made for each stage, ranging from snake-like beasts to hopping frogs and creepy spiders. You’ll soon learn how to build creatures to crawl, walk, roll (even making ‘wheels’ from limbs), jump, swing, swim and even fl y by gliding on thermals.
While fun, it can prove exasperating at times due to you never being quite sure how Quozzle’s movement will be aff ected by each button press. Many levels require good dexterity and precise timing, although this does add to the satisfaction when you eventually complete them. Frustration is also eased due to not needing to collect each and every item to unlock the next 20-stage world – just enough of each of the three types.
Still, some of the Hard levels can prove daunting when you’re given a blank canvas for your creature at the
start. This is where the social aspect of the game comes in handy, as you can browse other players’ solutions, watching their replays and even controlling their creatures. Naturally then, you can also save and share your own replays. There’s even a level editor to build your own custom stages that you can then share – plus, of course, you can play the levels that have been created by other players.
THIS HIGHLY ORIGINAL PHYSICS-BASED PUZZLER HAS LEGSINCREDIPEDE
A very original, fascinating and playable puzzler with plenty of opportunities to be creative.
The social aspect coupled with the originality of the game give Incredipede longer-lasting appeal even once you’ve fi nished all of the enjoyable offi cial stages.
Android | OS 3.0 | £2.39/$3.99 | v1.71 iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99 | v1.70
ABOVE: You can even fly, using wing-like limbs to glide on thermals
ABOVE: Create your own stages using the built-in level editor
ABOVE: Build your own incredible creatures, adding limbs and muscles
DOWNLOAD NOW!
Pros/ConsEnjoyable official levels, plus plenty of user-created ones to try out
It’s fun to build new creatures and see how they move
Odd control method can prove quite annoying at times
Trial and error needed to get new creatures moving
01 GET CREATIVEAt the start of the
Hard levels, you must
make a creature that will
suit that specific stage.
02 BUILDSimply drag your
finger outwards from
the eyeball to pull out
each new limb.
03 ADD JOINTSYou can add limbs
to limbs to create proper,
jointed legs and increase
your movements.
04 COLOUR CODEAdd colour-coded
muscles in order to
move each limb in a
particular way.
05 TRY IT OUTFinally, now that
you’ve got an creature,
try it out the controls to
see how it moves.
HOW TO…Build
your own incredible creatures
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GAMES | REVIEW
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Pros/ConsAn interesting interactive story unfolds as you play
Three completely different game modes to master
Not everyone will like the large amount of text
Doesn’t have the PC edition’s great story editor
Shadowrun was a popular tabletop fantasy role-playing game from around 25 years ago.
The game’s creator, Jordan Weisman, and Harebrained Schemes have now produced an iPad version that brings it up to date with today’s technology.
Shadowrun Returns is set in a future that mixes futuristic technology and magical monsters. There are trolls, dwarves, orcs and more and your mission is to discover who killed your friend Sam. The game begins with you choosing which character to play, such as Shaman, Street Samurai, Rigger –
A gripping interactive story mixed with the exploration of a 3D world and turn-based battles.
this determines the skills you’ll have. Upgrades are available, so you can choose how to develop the character.
There are three modes of play; in interactive mode you explore the area, engage with people, pick up objects and use them. There are many characters to talk to and this is where the game begins to feel like an interactive book. You’ll spend a lot of time talking to characters and choosing the right questions to get the right responses, which is key to fi nding out valuable information.
Get into a scrap with a bunch of bad guys and the game switches to turn-based action. Control your team, move
them into position, take cover, choose weapons and so on. Then the enemy has its turn. Shamans can summon spirits to help the attack, while Riggers can control equipment like a drone, which can be sent ahead so you can see what’s waiting around the corner.
You’ll spend about a third of your time in each mode through the many levels, so you’ll have to enjoy the varying gameplay, but it is great fun.
SOLVE A MURDER IN THIS URBAN FANTASY ADVENTURESHADOWRUN RETURNS
iPad | iOS 5.0 | £6.99/$9.99 | v1.0.6 Android | OS 4.0 | £6.52/$9.99 | v1.0.8
ABOVE: Bad guys sneak up and engage you in combat, switching to turn-based battle mode
ABOVE: Opportunities to upgrade weapons and other items are presented during the gameABOVE: Each main mission has many objectives; you must work through them in the order they are given
DOWNLOAD NOW!
SHOWCASETop features
to watch out for in
Shadowrun Returns
01 CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER
There are several
different types of
characters, each with
unique strengths and
weaknesses. Be sure to
choose yours wisely!
02 EXAMINE OBJECTSSymbols appear
above certain items and
if you walk to them you
can pick them up and
examine them. You may
find thay come in useful
later on in the game.
03 INTERACTIVE ITEMSSome objects in
particular are interactive,
as you will discover
relatively early on. For
example, computer
terminals can provide
helpful information.
04 WHAT’S MY MISSION?The mission
unfolds as you progress.
Press the Power
button to see your next
objective in the mission
and prevent yourself
from going off track.
05 CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES
The Power button also
lets you access character
screens that show all of
your abilities, weapons
and access upgrades in
one handy place.
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REVIEW | GAMES
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Not many games have looked to medieval sport for inspiration, but Joust Legend has done just that, thrusting the player into the
Ignoring the confusing tutorial, this beautiful-looking game is highly enjoyable with a surprising number of modes to play.
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99 | v1.0.1
Open-world games have become more common since the launch of the best-selling Minecraft. However, those that think Terraria is a quick cash-in
will be surprised by just how deep the game is.Create a custom character and you’ll be
dropped into a randomly generated world. What you get is blind luck – you may be dropped into an area rich in useful resources and bountiful caves, or placed between a monster-infested swamp and a temple guarded by powerful magical creatures. The primary joy of the game is exploring the world, and discovering the wealth of unique
TERRARIATAKE A TRIP TO A BRAND NEW WORLD AND BE AMAZED
iPad+ | iOS 5.1 | Free | v1.0.3Android | OS 2.3 | Free | v1.02
MASTER THE LANCE AND BECOME A TRUE KNIGHTJOUST LEGEND
ABOVE: The controls do take some getting used to, but there are a couple of options for you to try out
ABOVE: The enemies vary from jumping slimes to terrifying skulls that leap up and kill you in one hit
ABOVE: You can craft all kinds of items, ranging from housing blocks to statues and other décor
An incredibly deep game that has so much to see and do that you’ll keep coming back.
content it has on offer. You’ll find yourself coming across all kinds of items and constructions, and while you’ll need to build a house to stay safe at night, you’ll find yourself wanting to leave at every opportunity to find everything the world has to offer. Of course, there’s still plenty to craft, with hundreds of items to make, from useful tools to cosmetic items like statues and clothes.
The game controls will take some getting used to; the two-stick system works well enough with some practice but it isn’t the most accurate. The learning curve is large, too. While the tutorial teaches you the basics of the world, working out
what specific items can do will have you turning to a game guide more than once. Still, with so much to explore you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.
Testing all of your knightly honour, the initial tutorial is slightly confusing and hard to get right. The control system, which is operated by tapping and holding to release your horse, and then doing the same to angle and aim your lance, isn’t explained very well at all. Instead, you need to wait until you start the early rounds to really get to grips with everything properly.
Luckily, there are several different game modes besides the central tournament, and these are used to earn gold to upgrade your lance and armour. There is also the Prize Fights area where you battle for gold and skill ‘buffers’, which are used to earn extra bonuses in tournaments. These bonuses increase your points in each fight, giving you a greater chance of victory. It brings an extra dimension to the sport, and adds longevity to playing time as it’s very difficult to get through the tournament without some extra skills up your sleeve. It is a slow starter, but give it time – it’s well worth it.
hectic world of jousting. If you loved the movie A Knight’s Tale, the chances are you will be incredibly keen to download this, embarking on your own quest to become a great knight.
ABOVE: Just hitting your opponent is a challenge in itself
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GAMES | REVIEW
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If Apple made a magazine
ON SALE NOW
w w w . i c r e a t e m a g a z i n e . c o m
Available from all good
newsagents and supermarkets
TIPS & TRICKS HARDWARE REVIEWS IOS & OSX APPSBEST ACCESSORIESCREATIVE PROJECTS
Print edition available at www.imagineshop.co.ukDigital edition available at www.greatdigitalmags.com
facebook.com/icreatemagazine twitter.com/icreatemagazine
Available on the following platforms
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It is minimalist gaming through and through but one that may cause you to lose your hair.
A masterful point-and-click adventure that is also intensely funny.
Like comparing Duplo to Lego, but this mini Minecraft will get young children creating.
Missiles and multiplayer fun, Sonic fans will love this.
Slick and very well made, it’s handheld gaming on a simple and yet very engaging level.
A superb game that still stands out in the tower defence genre.
It may not look much – a wavy line and a few simple, colour obstacles – but these combine to
produce a game that really rests on your impulse. By tapping the screen, a ball which is stuck to a moving track is able to get around the hazards that are thrown your way. You soon realise that it is a game of memory as well, since the same waves come at you over and over again, but then change very slightly to throw in a curve ball challenge. As a game of concentration and pure skill, it works compulsively well.
Anyone who has ever played The Secret of Monkey Island will be instantly at home
with The Cave, a point-and-click adventure with lashings of self-aware humour. Don’t let the tiny graphics put you off nor the slow pace of the early sections because when it gets going it moves through the compelling narrative with gusto, as you help the characters work together in solving puzzles using various objects. The presentation and the music have obviously been lavished with care. A throwback to the 90s, but a delicious one.
Toca Builders is like Minecraft for children, and you can build just about anything
from lots of blocks. You’ll soon fi nd yourself erecting lavish constructions from a bare landscape, controlling little robots that have diff erent sets of skills. Blocks can be coloured and the ground can be altered, There is also a destructive element as you smash blocks to pieces and make room for new constructions, something that was always a blast with Lego too.
Sonic The Hedgehog is an age-old favourite with a string of classic platforming titles behind
him – but here he is in a familiar but wonderful kart-racing game. After getting through a whole string of options, you’re eventually taken to the track. Movement is swift via tilt controls and the action is as fast as you’d expect. The varied tracks and visuals make for a frantic, low-cost classic which fans of this kind of game will absolutely lap up.
This run-and-roll game has amazing 3D graphics and superb all-round presentation,
but like any such title it can live and die on its speed and smooth running. In that department, Orborun has no faults. It runs at a blistering pace, with twists and turns and curvy slides all taken in their stride. Players will eat up the dozens of levels and there’s more than enough to keep you going. The controls are simple – touch for left and right or simply tilt your device – and this makes it a great pick-up-and-play off ering.
This is a glorious-looking handheld title in which you build towers that will attack enemies
straying past, hoping to stop them from making it to the end of the road. It’s mass killing on an automatic scale, but it incorporates strategy and allows players to enjoy the fun in one of three diffi culty modes. The tutorial eases in newbies but old hands of these types of games will fi nd enough to satisfy them, with a wealth of constantm, fresh enemies.
PIVVOT
THE CAVETOCA BUILDERSSONIC & SEGA ALL-STARS RACING
ORBORUNKINGDOM RUSH FRONTIERSEXPLORE THE
FINAL FRONTIER
01 STAR COMMANDManage your very own
starship as well as
repelling alien invaders
in this Star Trek-like romp.
Android | OS 2.3.3 | £1.86/$2.99 | v1.1.1
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.1.2
02 GALAXY ON FIRE 2Save the galaxy from
impending destruction, then
enjoy additional adventures
through in-app purchases.
Android | OS 3.1 | Free | v2.0.2
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | Free | v1.2.0
03 ECHO PRIMEFight off and defend against
hordes of dangerous aliens
and space pirates as you
travel from planet to planet.
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.0.3
04 STRIKE WING: RAPTOR RISING
Enjoy deep space dogfights
and take over the stars in
this frantic fighter with
wonderfully fluid touch controls.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.0 | £0.69/$0.99 | v1.1
05 EUFLORIA HDConquer asteroids and use
their resources in order to
fight off the grey menace.
Android | OS 2.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.0.12
iPad+ | iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.2.1
Android | OS 4.0.3| £0.99/$0.99 | v1.0.6
iPhone+ | iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.0.3
Android | OS 2.3 | £1.60/$1.99 | v1.0.1
iPhone | iOS 3.1.2| £1.49/$1.99 | v1.9.0
iPhone+ | iOS 4.0 | £0.99/$0.99 | v1.5
Android | OS 2.0.1| £0.85/$2.43 | v4.0
iPhone+ | iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 | v1.3
Android | OS 4.0 | £0.62/$2.99 | v1.1.0
iPhone | iOS 5.1| £1.99/$2.99 | v1.20
Android | OS 2.0.1 | £1.93/$2.99 | v1.2
iPad+ | iOS 6.1 | £2.99/$4.99 | v1.0
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www.animalanswers.co.uk
On sale 28 NovemberAvailable from all good newsagents and supermarkets
Order your copy today at
imaginesubs.co.uk
The new magazine from the makers of
Stunning photos 100s of facts
Incredible illustrations
Creature cutawaysAmazing stories
Your favourites
facebook.com/worldofanimalsmag twitter.com/@WorldAnimalsMag Available on the following platforms
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CREATE AND ORDER PHOTO BOOKS IN iPHOTO
iPad+
About the app…
iPHOTOThis popular app is boasting some new polish thanks to its new iOS 7 makeover
iPad| iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99 | v2.0
As well as a fl ashy new icon and interface, iPhoto has been given a host of new features to make it a better photo suite than ever.
Thanks to features such as AirDrop, it’s now easier than ever to move photos eff ortlessly between devices that are running iOS 7. The editing facilities have been expanded too, so touching up your photos can now be an even more varied experience. On top of this, you can now also create and order physical photo books from within the app – a nice touch for those who prefer to see their photos physically.Looking and feeling fresher than ever, iPhoto has taken a step up in its versatility.
CREATE A PHOTO BOOK > Ensure that you get your book looking just right
UndoAlways a handy tool to have at your disposal, tap the Undo button to undo the last action you took in the app, including removing entire pages from the book.
PagesIf you fi nd that you have more photos than you do pages, or simply want to space things out a little bit more, use the Page icon to drop in any additional pages or entire spreads in just a quick tap.
OptionsThis icon houses the options for your photo book. From here it is possible to change the book’s style, as well as add pages and tweak the number of images that appear per page.
Drag and dropShould you want to rearrange the order of the images within your photo book, use quick, intuitive gestures to pick up and reorder them to your liking. It really is simple.
The iPhoto app is a very useful facility to have on your iOS device; the importance the software places on
memory creation and preservation makes it the ideal place to enhance and store images to call upon when you want.
The iLife update for iOS 7 has seen some sweeping changes made to iPhoto, with the mobile app getting a makeover as well as incorporating more features of the desktop version, making the whole experience a more rounded one. While the redesign and new photo eff ects are perhaps the more instantly striking features of the app, there is now the potential to create and order physical photo books and journals, meaning your memories don’t just have to be digital.
It’s now possible to build from scratch an entire photo album and then order it from within iPhoto. There are diff erent template
options and controls over the number of photos within the book, as well as how many are displayed on a single page. All the fi ner details of the book are in your hands, and this tutorial will walk you through the process, including the ability to order your photos and even edit them before they go into the fi nished product.
iPhoto wants you to get the very best from your personal photo collection, and the new features on show here will ensure that you do that – and get something physical out of it at the end too.
“IT’S POSSIBLE TO BUILD FROM SCRATCH AN ENTIRE PHOTO ALBUM”
iPhone/ iPad
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Request a tutorial:Apps Magazine, Imagine Publishing, Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, BH2 [email protected] @Knowyourapps
The iOS 7 update to the iLife app has brought photo books to the mobile version for the fi rst time
39
FOR MORE iOS 7 PHOTO HELP, CHECK OUR BURST MODE TUTORIAL IN ISSUE
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1 YOUR IMAGESStart the process at any point, perhaps when flicking through a favourite
photo album. Just tap the Share icon to get started.
3 STYLENow you need to choose a style of book. There are four options that
mainly differ in image size –but also choose a name and size for the book.
5 EDITINGTap and hold a spread and select an image to enter the edit screen of
iPhoto, where effects and image enhancing can be applied.
2 SHARETap the Photo Book option and you have the chance to select the
number of photos for your book. Do this by album, or select up to 1000.
4 DRAG AND DROPThis is where the editing begins. Your book is previewed on screen and
using gestures, images can be picked up and reordered as you see fit.
6 ORDERTap the blue price icon in the top-right is when you’re ready to buy.
Select a shipping address and your book will soon be on its way to you.
1
3
5
2
4
6
iPHOTOTIPResolutionWhen choosing images, check the resolution of the image to ensure it will look good when printed. iPhoto will check this for you and notify you should a photo not be up to scratch visually.
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TUTORIALS
ORGANISE YOUR WORLD IN AN INSTANT
Android
39
FOR MORE WAYS TO GET ORGANISED, SEE OUR REVIEW OF MORNING IN ISSUE
According to data from Google’s Our Mobile Planet study, the average smartphone user has an average of 25 apps on their phone. But if you like exploring the full features of your phone, playing games and
reading content, that number is likely closer to 50, or higher. While the apps on our home screens can be arranged in an order that
we like, we don’t always have quick access to the most relevant apps at all times. You may not require Google Maps on a regular basis, for example, but when you’re out and about and need directions quickly, you may find that you’re often left fumbling with your phone trying to locate the app.
Aviate Beta solves this problem by customising your apps based on ‘Spaces’ and ‘Collections’. ‘Night Time’ automatically activates as a Space on your main home screen after 6pm, and there’s also a collection of Night Time apps that you can customise manually to feature in that Space.
Other features include a Light and Dark theme, which you can change in Settings, and automatic Space updates to places when you enter certain zones, from where you can add images and share your location. The Collections screen features all of your apps categorised into sections – Music, Social, Games, etc – and you also have an A-Z apps sections with every app on your phone listed in alphabetical order.
This tutorial will go through how to make the most of this great new app, explaining the best ways to customise your Collections, organising and arranging apps and utilising those great Android-only features such as widgets. What are you waiting for? Get stuck in with this exclusive app.
“WE DON’T ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO THE MOST RELEVANT APPS – AVIATE BETA SOLVES THIS”
CUSTOMISE YOUR COLLECTIONS
1 All CollectionsClicking this cog gives you access to 22 Collections (everything for Fitness to Cooking) that you can easily activate and customise to your liking.
4 Add NewTapping ‘Add New’ suggests a relevant addition to that section. If you click ‘Add’, the app icon will be added but you’ll still need to install the app.
2 CollectionsThe common Collections are activated automatically with its relevant apps. Long-press a Collection and drag it to change its order on the screen.
3 Reveal all appsTapping this drop-down reveals all apps in that Collection. To add more, simply drag and hold an app from your A-Z apps section and drop it here.
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Aviate Beta auto-categorises your apps and customises your home screen based on the time of day and your location
About the app…
AVIATE BETA (INVITE ONLY) Get organised with access to apps when you need them the most
Android | OS 2.3 | Free | v2.3Aviate Beta provides quick access to the most relevant apps needed at a
particular time. It allows you to categorise your apps into accessible sections that change given your location and time of day. As it is only in beta, you can only download the app after applying for an invite. But invitation codes usually arrive within a week and you can send up to five invites to your friends.A simple and clean interface with a really unique USP
>Create Collections that can be accessed with ease
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AVIATE BETATIPWidgets and wallpaperOn your main home screen, you have the option of adding either widgets or images. No more than two of these can be added. Frequently used apps can be dropped onto the bottom of the screen.
AVIATE BETA (INVITE ONLY) >Master Aviate Beta
1 ACCESS YOUR SPACESAviate Beta has a swipe-in menu from the
left of your home screen, from where you can
change your Spaces manually. As your location
changes, more relevant Spaces are added.
2 NEARBY PLACESThe Nearby option in Spaces gives you an
instant list of the hotels and restaurants around
you. Tap to get a screen with quick Tips for that
place, the option to take pictures and check in.
3 QUICK SPACES ACCESSSwipe down from your home screen to get
access to features unique to that Space. Here
the Night Time mode has access to your alarm,
phone mode and Night Time Collection apps.
4 COLLECTIONSSwipe right from the home screen to access
Collections, where apps are auto-categorised.
Apps from A-Z Apps can also be dragged here.
5 ALL COLLECTIONSTap the cog at the top-right of your Collections.
Select a Collection and click OK to get that and
its relevant apps activated or deactivated.
6 A-Z APPSSwipe right from Collections for A-Z apps. Tap
a letter in to jump ahead with ease. Drag apps
from here to any Collection to customise it.
1 2 3
4 5 6
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SEND US AN EMAIL TODAY WITH YOUR FAVOURITE APPS
TWEET US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE APPS
@Knowyourapps
OR RECOMMEND THEM ON FACEBOOK
/AppsMagazine
Celebrity chef Raymond
Blanc and comic actor
Simon Pegg have
teamed up in this
colourful interactive
story for kids. Help
invertebrate chef Henri Le Worm, voiced by
Pegg, create delicious meals for his insect
friends through a series of mini-games to
unlock recipes by the real-life French chef. A
unique way to teach children about food.
iPad+ | iOS 6.0 | £1.49/$2.99 | v1.2
iPhone/ iPad
DEVIL’S PLANTATIONPiece together the interweaving
stories of an archaeologist and a mental patient from a multimedia map of Glasgow.
iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99
iPad
TIMELINE AMERICANCIVIL WAR
This interactive history includes map of key battles and is
packed with 500 photos.iOS 5.0 | £3.99/$5.99
iPhone/iPad
CHOPSTICKS NOVELIn this novel experience you are given bits of people’s
lives as you weave the story together in your own mind.
iOS 4.0 | £4.99/$6.99
iPad
THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR MORRIS LESSMORE
Breathtaking visuals and a heartwarming story. Essential.
iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99
BOOKS
iPad
THE WASTE LANDDiscover TS Eliot’s epic and revolutionary poem,
view interactive notes, and watch related videos.
iOS 5.0 | £9.99/$13.99
iPhone/iPad
iPOEInteractive illustrations and music bring the
macabre magic of Edgar Allen Poe’s haunting poetry to life.
iOS 4.3 | £4.99/$6.99
iPad
THE LAND OF ME: STORY TIME
Pick and choose the plot lines of stories in this interactive
children’s app.
iPhone/iPad/ Android
FRANKENSTEINThe classic horror story is brough back to life in this
interactive adaptation. iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99OS 4.0 | £2.99/$4.99
Android
DEATH OFF THE CUFFPart story, part puzzle, bluff your way into getting
the killer to confess in this interactive whodunnit.
OS 2.2 | £0.65/$0.99
iPad
THE ELEMENTS: A VISUAL EXPLORATIONView hi-res, rotating images of every
element in the periodic table. iOS 5.1 | £9.99/$13.99
iPhone/iPad
STAR WALKThis augmented reality app lets you explore the stars,
planets and constellations in the night sky in real-time.
iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad
DK THE HUMAN BODY APPTakes you deep into the human body, with video content and annotated graphics. A
fine app on the iPad.iOS 4.0 | £4.99/$6.99
iPad
PLAYART BY TAPOOKLearn about the work of five great painters, including van
Gogh and Monet, and then experiment with their style.
iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
iPad
THE PYRAMIDSView the pyramids and temples of Giza in stunning 3D and
examine the treasures that were once inside them.
iOS 5.1 | £4.99/$6.99
EDUCATION ENTERTAINMENTiPad
ARTRAGEUse all those tools in exactly the same way on your iPad as you
would on a real canvas, mixing your paints with great results.
iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
PLEXStream music and video from your desktop, and enjoy
content from Plex’s channels. iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99OS Varies | £3.21/$4.99
iPad
PROCREATEPaints, inks and abstract shapes are available, so you can
achieve the effect you’re looking for.
iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
SNEAKIn this game you literally have to sneak up on your phone
from a distance to capture photos of the shy monsters.
iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
SKETCHBOOK MOBILEIncludes a full set of sketching tools in a streamlined and
intuitive user interface. iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99OS 2.2 | £1.32/$1.99
BUSINESSiPhone/Android
CAMCARDScan business cards for easy storage and import contact details
directly into your address book. iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.0 | £1.90/$2.99
iPhone
SECRET FOLDER & VIDEO VAULTSecurely store private files on your
smartphone with password protection and decoy folders.
iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
POCKETCLOUD REMOTE DESKTOP PRO
Gain remote access to your desktop from your device.
iOS 5.0 | £10.49/$14.99OS 2.2 | £9.35/$14.99
iPhone
SAYHI TRANSLATESpeak into this app and have your words translated into 40
languages, either spoken back to you or sent as a message.
iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad
CV EXPRESSCreate a stunning CV with this step-by-step app that creates
a polished final product that can be easily exported.
iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPad
MEETING MINUTESVisualise seating plans, schedule meetings, save notes
and record audio for taking minutes in this business app.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$5.99
iPhone/iPad
JOTNOT SCANNER PRO All-in-one scanner JotNot can be used to scan text files,
business cards, bills and more using your smart device.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/Android
SPLASHTOP – REMOTE DESKTOP
Gain remote access to your computer anywhere.
iOS 3.2 | £4.99/$6.99
OS 2.2 | £3.23/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
HOW TO TIE A TIE ANIMATED 3D INSTRUCTIONSTop tips and AR
projection for tying 30 knots.iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPad
PROOFEnsure people get feedback, direction and encouragement
with this stylish project management app.
iOS 5.1 | £2.49/$3.99
Android
MAPMASTERPinpoint all the major cities of the world and learn their
locations with this addictive geography game.
OS 1.6 | £1.40/$1.65
iPhone/iPad
HENRI LE WORMTop chef Raymond Blanc and actor Simon Pegg teach
children about food and cooking. Includes recipes.
iOS 6.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPad
NHM EVOLUTIONExplore 600 million years of evolution with a fossil timeline
and multimedia treatments that explain the science.
iOS 4.3 | £9.99/$13.99
iPad
JOURNEY TO THE EXOPLANETSDiscover alien worlds
outside of our solar system with this immersive app.
iOS 4.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
PYTHAGORAS THE GAMEThis educational game is a fun way to master the
Pythagorean Theorem with great graphics and examples.
iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
iSPY CAMERASWatch the world go by with this unique app that lets you
view thousands of public video cameras in real-time.
iOS 5.1 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/Android
FONEJACKERPrank your friends and family with classic phrases from
the cult TV show.iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99 OS 1.6 | £0.60/$0.99
Android
TALKING TOM CAT 2The ultimate virtual pet, Tom will repeat what you say and
you can also dress him up and customise his appearance.
OS Varies | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad
VLC STREAMERThe renowned streaming service comes to iOS, sharing
media from your desktop to your device. Supports AirPlay.
iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
MORFO 3D FACE BOOTHMake talking 3D masks of absoluely anyone with this
clever, customisable app. Then share the results via email.
iOS 3.0 | £0.69/$0.99
You have to perform
incredible feats to
win in this frenetic
racer; smash into
your rivals’ cars or
perform a barrel roll over Tower Bridge. The
eighth instalment in the popular racing series,
available on both iOS and Android, Asphalt 8:
Airborne has re-energised the gameplay with
stunning graphics, new locations, a massive
range of cars, and a new skill set to master.
Android | Varies | £0.69/$0.99 | Varies iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad
WAR HORSE Children’s story read aloud by author
Michael Morpurgo, plus musical performance and a historical timeline of WWI.
iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99
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iPhone/iPad
POCKETMONEYThe price you pay for this app is fully justified, thanks to its
superior functionality and the useful tips it divulges.
iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/Android
MY BUDGET BOOKTrack your earnings and expenses with this app, and transfer
money between accounts. iOS 5.0 | £0.99/$0.99
OS 2.1 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad
MONEYWIZ – PERSONAL FINANCE FOR iPAD
This is one of the best finance managers around,
with easy-to-use functions.iOS 4.2 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad/ Android
STOCK PULSEStockPulse keeps you updated with the price of your shares
and the latest business news.iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99
OS 2.2 | £1.85/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
DEBT MANAGERClean, simple interface allows you to visualise your debt,
organise your incomings and outgoings, and pay it off.
iOS 4.0 | £0.69/$0.99
FINANCE FOOD & DRINKiPhone/Android
JAMIE’S 20 MINUTE MEALSStep-by-step photo recipes, plus extra kitchen tips such as
how to sharpen knives. iOS 3.1.2 | £4.99/$6.99OS 2.0 | £4.99/$7.69
iPhone
GOOD FOOD ONE-POT RECIPESIncludes 170 quick to make, comfort
food recipes with ‘aisle-view’ grocery list for ingredients.
iOS 3.1.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone
OTTOLENGHIAn absolute must for all foodies, this app features mouth-
watering fullscreen photos and some clever features.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
HOW TO COOK EVERYTHINGThe app is perfect for any level of cooking experience and can
teach you some great new skills in the kitchen.
iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
THE PHOTO COOKBOOK– QUICK & EASY
With images of every ingredient and step to each recipe, it
couldn’t be easier to follow.iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
BASTIONHand-painted scenery, evolving landscapes and a
reactive narration creates a one-of-a-kind game.
iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
ASPHALT 8: AIRBORNEPerform high-octane aerial stunts to get the edge on other
racers in this arcade game.iOS 5.0 | 0.69/$0.99OS Varies | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad
YEAR WALKSpooky game set in 19th Century Sweden. Solve
puzzles using logic, touch and sound. Contains adult themes.
iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
ANOMALY KOREAProtect your convey of troops and attack alien invaders in this
top-down strategy game.iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99OS 2.2 | £2.99/$4.99
iPad/Android
ANGRY BIRDS SPACE HDA revolution in physics gaming, this game breathes new
life into the franchise.iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.2 | £1.99/$2.99
GAMES
iPhone/iPad/Android
SUPER HEXAGONDevilish difficulty and a simple design combine in this
addictive puzzle game.iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.2 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY
Control the criminal underworld in this epic mobile version of the classic game.
iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99OS 2.3 | £3.21/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
BEAT SNEAK BANDITPart puzzle, part stealth, all rhythm action. Tap your
screen to the beat of the music to navigate levels.
iOS 3.1.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
MINECRAFT – POCKET EDITONCreate your own
world, block by block. iOS 4.3 | £4.99/$6.99OS Varies | £4.99/$6.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
HORNVisually stunning open-world fantasy adventure with
intuitive gesture controls.iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99OS Varies | £5.07/$6.99
iPad
WEDDING PLANNER FOR iPADPlan everything, from your big day’s budget to the colour scheme
and the seating plan with this detailed wedding app.
iOS 5.1 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone
TIME BACKERType in a URL and select a date, then discover how
websites used to look with this web history time machine.
OS 4.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad
DAY ONE JOURNALRecord your life with this magazine-like app for your
memories, ideas and photos. Share online or keep private.
iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone
START BY TACKMinimalist, gesture-driven alarm clock and stopwatch that
will launch your favourite apps for when you wake up.
iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
Android
HD WIDGETSCustomise your home screen with these stunning widgets
for current time, weather forecasts and other utilities.
OS 2.3 | £1.99/$1.99
LIFESTYLE
iPad
CYCLEPEDIA – ICONIC BICYCLE DESIGNSThis app starring Sir Paul Smith follows
the history of bicycle design.iOS 5.1 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
ICONICALCreate your own bespoke icons for your apps either by
painting a design in-app or by uploading an image.
iOS 6.0 | £1.49/$1.99
Android
SPB SHELL 3DGet smooth, rotating 3D effects for your home screen, smart
folders, panels and other assorted widgets.
OS 2.1 | £9.45/$14.95
iPad
MARTHA STEWARTCRAFTSTUDIO
Create decorative cards in-app with hints and tips from
Martha herself.iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
IA WRITERAspiring novelist? My Writing Desk for iPad is your space to
express yourself in a clean, distraction-free environment.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
iSPREADSHEETCompatible with Excel, Google Docs and Open Office –
manage all of your finances on the go with this app.
iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad
BILLS FOR iPADKeep track of your incomings and outgoings with this
app that filters paid, planned, and overdue payments.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
Android
MONEY TABUpdate your expenses in real-time with this tracking app
with stylish Holo-design. View stats and export to MS Office.
OS 2.2 | £0.69/$0.99
Android
GUILTSpending tracker in a clean interface with a unique twist,
indicating how guilty you should be for big expenses.
OS 4.0 | £1.26/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
MORTGAGE MENTOR Compare mortgages side-by-side, work out what the true
price would be and manage your payments.
iOS 4.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
TEACH ME SUSHIVideos show you how to select your ingredients and make
your own rice and sushi in this detailed Japanese cooking app.
iOS 4.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/ Android
PAPRIKA RECIPE MANAGERFile away your favourite web recipes in this dedicated
cooking database.iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99 OS 2.2 | £3.11/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
GREEN KITCHEN – HEALTHY VEGETARIAN RECIPESStylish interface and inspiring recipes
prove healthy eating doesn’t need to be bland or boring.
iOS 6.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
THE WHOLE PANTRYThis detailed app for healthy food lovers is packed with photo-
driven recipes as well as cook book and documentary reviews.
iOS 6.1 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
MY RECIPE BOOKImport and organise your favourite online recipes so they are all
in one place and easy to find when you want them.
iOS 5.1 | £1.49/$1.99
HEALTHiPhone/Android
ENDOMONDO SPORTS TRACKER PRO
A mix of fitness tracking and social networking.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99OS Varies | £3.99/$4.99
iPhone/Android
ZOMBIES, RUN!Run to stay alive in a world infested with zombies in this
immersive AR workout.iOS 6.0 | £2.49/$3.99OS 4.0 | £2.79/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
CARDIOGRAPHSimply hold your thumb over your device’s camera
lens to monitor and trackyour heart rate.
iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99
iPad
iMUSCLE 2One of many fantastic health apps from 3D4Medical, this
breaks away from most by focusing on fitness.
iOS 6.0 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
GORILLA WORKOUTA real-life workout videogame for men and women.
Complete levels as you get fit.iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99OS 2.3 | £0.62/$0.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
YOU ARE YOUR OWN GYMMilitary-grade workout app that requires no fitness
equipment bar your device. iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99OS Varies | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone
7 MINUTE WORKOUT CHALLENGE
A fast-paced work out with 12 exercises, instructional videos
and health and weight tracker. iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
CALORIE COUNTER PROEat more healthily with this handy meal-planning
and tracking app.
iPhone/iPad/Android
RUNTASTIC PUSH-UPS PROPlan your workout in this stylish app and receive motivation
from the voice coach.iOS 6.0 | £1.49/$1.99OS 2.2 | £1.49/$1.99
iPad
FITNESS FOR iPADThis app is packed with photo, video and audio tutorials to help
you reach your peak level of fitness. Also includes yoga.
iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99
MEDICALiPhone/iPad/Android
VISUAL ANATOMYView rotatable 3D images from Gray’s Anatomy of selected
organs or regions of the body.iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99 OS Varies | £1.60/$2.49
iPhone
PREGNANCY ++Track your baby’s health and weight as well as record the
number of times they kick and doctor appointments.
iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad
SKELETON SYSTEM PRO IIIThis dissection of the human skeleton goes into incredible
detail with plenty of room for adding your own notes.
iOS 5.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
COMPLETE RELAXATION – GUIDED MEDITATION
Relax with these comforting words set to ambient music.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone
SNORELABWorried about how much you snore? Find out how loud you
sound with this app, then get tips on how to reduce it.
iOS 6.0 | £2.49/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY 2Aimed at medical students but suitable for general interest,
this app features six tests to revise how the body works.
iOS 3.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPad
MUSCLE & BONEANATOMY 3D
Includes five different ways to explore the musculoskeletal
system and a pop quiz.iOS 5.1 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/Android
BREATHING ZONEReduce stress and see your breathing patterns displayed in
colourful graphics.iOS 3.2 | £2.49/$3.99OS 2.2 | £2.49/$3.99
iPad
HEART PRO IIILife-like depictions of the heart and circulatory system
that can be rotated 360° to appreciate its complexity.
iOS 5.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
FAMILY ILLNESS AND SHOT TRACKER
Keep a digital diary of your family’s shots, vaccinations,
medicines, illnesses and more.iOS 3.1.3 | £1.49/$1.99
iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99OS 2.1 | £2.57/$3.99
TOP 200 | GREATEST APPS EVER
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SEND US AN EMAIL TODAY WITH YOUR FAVOURITE APPS
TWEET US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE APPS
@Knowyourapps
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WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE APP?
iPhone
DM1 FOR iPHONEProfessional-quality drum machine, with a range of advanced
features rendered withhyper-realistic graphics.
iOS 5.1 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
FIGUREMake music in minutes with this easy-to-use
interface. Export results to iTunes Audio Sharing.
iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPad
DJAY 2Take tracks from your iTunes library and start mixing them
together on this full-featured turntable app.
iOS 6.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPad
THE ORCHESTRAExplore three centuries of classical music with this
interactive mix of music and video content.
iOS 6.0 | £9.99/$13.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
REACTABLE MOBILECreate music with this clever app that includes synthesisers,
samples and oscillators. iOS 4.3 | £6.99/$9.99OS 2.2 | £7.19/$9.10
iPhone/iPad/Android
SOUNDHOUND Hum a tune or sing a lyric and SoundHound will give you the full
name of the song and artist.iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99OS Varies | £3.99/$5.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
ULTIMATE GUITAR TABSView guitar tabs, create lists of your favourites, and view
chord diagrams.iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.0 | £1.93/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
OOTUNES RADIORecord live airplay, set up a radio alarm clock on your iPhone
or iPad, and AirPlay radio stations to other devices.
iOS 3.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
FL MUSIC STUDIOCreate multi-track music projects. Works with a desktop
program for advanced features. iOS 5.1 | £10.49/$14.99OS2.3.3 | £12.95/$19.99
iPad
VINYL THE REAL RECORD PLAYER
Add authentic crackle to your digitised music and watch as your
album art ‘discolours’ with time.iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPad
PULPNewspaper skin for reading your favourite new media
news sites in an old-fashioned but intuitive interface.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
Android
REDDIT SYNC PROEasily sync your favourite subreddits for later offline
viewing in this clean, easy-to-use Holo interface.
OS Varies | £1.59/$2.00
Android
BACONREADER PREMIUM FOR REDDIT
Another popular choice for viewing Reddit, with new Slideshow
mode for easy viewing.OS 2.0 | £1.23/$1.99
iPad
LONGFORMToggle easily between original news sites and an
elegant magazine reader, and save articles for offline use.
iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99
iPad
READQUICKLearn to speed-read while taking in the news headlines. Set
the pace that words appear one at a time to train yourself.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
iPHOTOApple’s official app for iPhoneographers, iPhoto comes with
an astonishing suite of editing tools to tweak images.
iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPad/Android
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP TOUCHEdit images on the go with a range of touch-control tools
using this essential software.iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99OS 3.1 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
iMOVIEGreat on the iPhone and iPad, this movie-making app allows
you to capture, edit and share footage anytime.
iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/Android
LAPSE IT – TIME LAPSE PROCreate time-lapse and stop-motion videos with this sleek app
with adjustable frame rate. iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99OS 1.6 | £1.99/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
HALFTONE 2Create a comic
book starring your
friends and family
by applying speech bubbles
and borders to images.
iOS 7.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/Android
PLANE FINDERView near real-time air traffic maps that let you track the
paths of aircraft above you. iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$3.99OS 2.2 | £1.99/$1.99
iPhone/Android
GEOCACHINGJoin the world’s biggest treasure hunt by becoming a
Geocacher. It’s great fun.iOS 5.0 | £6.99/$9.99OS Varies | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
GPS NAVIGATION 2 – SATNAV BY SKOBBLER (UK/ROI)
Crowdsourced maps with offline functionality to save
on data costs. iOS 4.3 | £1.49
iPhone/iPad/Android
CITY MAPS 2GO Download more than 7,000 maps from around the world for
offline use on your device. iOS 5.1 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.3.3 | £1.99/$1.99
iPhone
MAPS 3D – GPS TRACKS FOR BIKE, HIKE, SKI & OUTDOOR
Ideal for the mountains, view 3D maps and aerial
images and plan your route.iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
COPILOT LIVE PREMIUMMaps work offline; however, online use also includes Google,
Wikipedia and Yelp searches.iOS 6.0 | £19.99/$28.99OS Varies | £19.99/$29.99
iPhone/iPad
SPYGLASSAugmented reality navigator and compass that lets
you track your location and work out bearings in real-time.
iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
HILL LISTSProvides geographical details for highland, hilltop and mountain
walks across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99
iPad
THEODOLITE HDAll-in-one compass, GPS, map, zoom camera (photo and
movie), range finder and two-axis inclinometer for iPad.
iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
VIEWRANGER OUTDOOR GPS & MAPSGet off the beaten track with this map app, ideal
for planning, tracking and sharing hikes and off-road cycle paths.
iOS 5.1 | £9.99/$19.99
iPadMR. READER
This iPad exclusive RSS reader is perfect for viewing the latest
news, with multiple themes to add a personal touch.
iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
INSTAPAPERSave feature articles and blog posts for later offline reading
in this paper-like reader.iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99OS 2.3.3 | £1.93/$2.99
Android
gREADER PROThis RSS client for Feedly offers a customisable
interface, as well as the option to have articles read to you.
OS 2.1 | £3.19/$4.99
Android
PRESS (RSS READER)Simply swipe through this clearly laid out app to read articles
offline with ease. Double-tap images to zoom in.
OS 4.0 | £1.93/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
DOWNCASTDownload and listen to your favourite podcasts directly from your
iPhone or iPad without the need to sync with iTunes.
iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad/ Android
CAMERA ZOOM FXTake up to ten shots per second with this high-speed snapper,
then apply filters to photos.iOS 6.0 | £2.49/$3.99OS 1.6 | £1.79/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
PHOTOVIVATransform your photos into works of art with this picture
editing and painting app.iOS 4.3 | £3.99/$5.99OS 2.2 | £3.82/$5.99
iPhone
MEXTURESCreate and combine your own filters and textures for truly
individual Instagram photos.iOS 6.1 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
PAPER CAMERAApply paper texture and cartoon effects to your photos and
real-time video shooting.iOS 6.0 | £1.49/$1.99OS 2.1 | £1.19/$1.99
iPhone
CAMERA+A replacement for your native camera app. Don’t just point
and shoot, add effects to your images in-app with ease.
iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
MUSIC NEWS PHOTO & VIDEONAVIGATION
SNEAKThis innovative children’s game about sneaking up on monsters has been
nominated for a BAFTA.iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$2.99
CLEAR+Updated for iOS 7, Clear+ provides a simplistic way to track your to-do lists,
now on iPad as well as iPhone. iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99
DJAY 2Rock your next party by remixing your own iTunes music library
and apply sound eff ects with this easy-to-use DJ app.
iOS 6.0 | £6.99/$9.99
FRANKENSTEINIt's alive! This gothic horror classic is brought back to life on Android.
OS 4.0 | £2.99/$4.99
ARTICLESDiscover Wikipedia articles relevant to your location.
iOS 6.1 | £0.69/$0.99
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iPhone/iPad
NUMBERSThis spreadsheet was designed for your touchscreen, allowing
you to calculate figures and create graphs with ease.
iOS 7.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
CLEAR+This purely gesture-based app has one of the most innovative
and intuitive interfaces of any app around.
iOS 7.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
PAGESThis versatile app allows you to create, edit and view
documents – and create attractive, customised pages.
iOS 7.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
GRAFIO – DIAGRAMS & IDEAS
For a little brainstorming session at work, you can’t go
wrong with Grafio. iOS 5.0 | £7.99/$11.99
Android
SWIFTKEY 3 KEYBOARDThe innovative keyboard learns the words you use for
more accurate auto-correction and predictive text.
OS Varies | £2.99/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
BRIAN COX’S WONDERSOF THE UNIVERSE
With wonderful images, animations and video content, it’s
a must-have for any stargazer.iOS 5.0 | £3.99/$5.99
Android
TERRATIMEBased on satellite imagery, view the Earth displayed at
any time, in any location. Also works as a live wallpaper.
OS 2.0 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
WOLFRAMALPHAFind essential information that is well-presented and
easy to use in this clever app. iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.1 | £1.86/$2.99
iPad
DICTIONARY.COM – DICTIONARY & THESAURUS – HD iPAD
An amazing resource to have available on the iPad.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
REDSHIFT – ASTRONOMYThis exquisite app brings the night sky to your device
with all major planets and constellations displayed.
iOS 4.3 | £7.99/$11.99
iPadTWEETBOT 3 FOR TWITTER (iPHONE & iPOD TOUCH)
Perfect for heavy Twitter users, it includes multiple
timelines and smart gestures.iOS 7.0 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
TINYCHATMake friends and have lively group conversations with
this video chatroom app – or remain silent and just watch.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
TWEETCASTER PROIncludes extras for Twitter, such as dictated tweets,
scheduled posting and more.iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99OS 2.0 | £3.07/$4.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
SKOUT+Create and manage a profile and instant-message new people
near you or around the world.iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.0 | £1.90/$2.99
iPhone/Android
BADOO PREMIUMMeet new people who live near you with this location-
based chat room app. iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.1 | £1.99/$2.99
Android
SEESMIC PROManage your social networks in one place and view
your Facebook and Twitter accounts in one timeline.
OS 2.1 | £1.89/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
MY FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM PRO
Find out when someone unfollows you on the photo-
sharing site.iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPad
BLOGSYDesigned to use your iPad’s touch functionality to
manage your blog. Drop media into your posts with ease.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
STATNUTView all of your social networks in one place with StatNut
and display them in a simple, colour-coded interface.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad
TWEETICIDEKeep your username, followers and direct messages, but delete
your tweets with this social network spring-clean app.
iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$1.99
iPad
FLIGHT+ FOR iPADWhether you’re taking a flight or keeping track of your
friends and family, Flight+ is one of the best apps around.
iOS 6.1 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
KAYAK PROBook a room, track a flight or rent a car and view maps of
hundreds of airport terminals with this all-encompassing app.
iOS 7.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
MYTRAINSGet live departure and arrival times for trains and download
timetables for offline viewing.iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99OS 2.2 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
TUBE MAP PROMaster the London Underground with the digital edition of the
iconic Tube map. Also includes live travel updates.
iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
iPad
1,000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE
The interactive bucket list offers photo-laden travel features of
dream global getaways.iOS 4.3 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/iPad
PACKING PROA list-making app specially designed for your holiday packing,
with a detailed pre-departure to-do list with over 100 tasks.
iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99
Android
BACKCOUNTRY NAVIGATOR PRO GPS Keep track of your position using GPS or
switch to offline maps when out of mobile signal range.
OS Varies | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
SULLIVAN’S LISTDiscover great adventures around the world, then
create your own wish list of places you want to visit.
iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
FLIGHTRADAR24 PROTurn your device into a radar dish and see what air traffic looks
like in real-time. iOS 4.3 | £1.99/$2.99OS Varies | £1.99/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
LIVE STREET VIEWUse Google Maps’ Street View and your device’s GPS to create
an intuitive map that responds to your movements.
iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPad
SYNCSPACE: INFINITE SHARED WHITEBOARDEndlessly large
canvas for simple sketching that you can export as PDFs.
iOS 7.0 | £13.99/$19.99
Android
WARMLY - AN ALARM CLOCKWake up to the tranquil sounds
of dogs, trains, or coffee brewing instead of a siren.
OS 2.3 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
KEYNOTE Create a world-class presentation with this top app with a
range of impressive themes and customisable features.
iOS 7.0 | £6.99/$9.99
iPhone/iPad
GROCERY LISTWrite a list and sync it between devices so that you and your
flatmates can all keep track of who’s buying what.
iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$2.99
iPhone/iPad
REAL MEMO PRO – HANDWRITING
Freeform draw and write notes when you’re in a hurry.
Tilting will create a new note.iOS 5.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
BAREFOOT WORLD ATLASInteractive 3D globe for children, beautifully rendered
with details of all the countries of the world.
iOS 5.0 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
ARTICLESBrowse Wikipedia using this excellent reader, which
offers great formatting and customisation options.
iOS 6.1 | £0.99/$1.99
Android
WORLD HISTORYView all of human history on a colour-coded timeline and
tap for detailed descriptions of specific events.
OS 2.3.3 | £2.53/$3.50
iPhone/iPad/Android
CHAMBERS DELUXEClear, accurate and occasionally witty definitions, plus a
detailed thesaurus.iOS 4.3 | £6.99/$9.99OS 2.2 | £6.13/$9.99
iPad
LONDON – A CITY THROUGH TIME
Explore 2,000 years of one of the world’s greatest cities with
articles, photos and video.iOS 5.0 | £9.99/$13.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
F1 2013 TIMING APPThe live map tracks every race, with detailed profiles for
both cars and drivers. iOS 5.0 | £9.99/$13.99OS 2.1 | £9.99/$13.99
iPhone/iPad
TOPPS PENNANTPennant displays stats in a brilliantly animated way, and
one that is simultaneously cool and traditional in feel.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad
TRANSFER WINDOWAll the latest football news, transfer gossip, confirmed
transfers and tweets from sports journalists.
iOS 5.0 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
GOLFSHOT: GOLF GPSView maps and track your position on golf courses across the
world with this GPS app.iOS 4.3 | £20.99/$29.99OS 2.2 | £18.57/$29.99
iPhone/iPad
FOOTBALL RUMOURS 2All the latest footy news and transfer gossip in one app
with notifications for your favourite team.
iOS 4.1 | £0.69/£0.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
COACH’S EYEImprove your team’s performance with video analysis and
draw directly onto images.iOS 6.1 | £2.99/$4.99OS 4.0.3 | £3.30/$4.99
iPhone/iPad/Android
BOATIENavigation and reference guide for ether sailing for all
boats, yacht or dinghy.iOS 5.0 | £4.99/$6.99OS 2.2 | £4.99/$7.65
iPhone
THE MASTER TACTICIAN PRO (MOBILE)
Create winning football strategies with this animated
playbook app.iOS 4.0 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/Pad
COACHNOTEMultipurpose playbook includes features for a variety
of sports, from soccer to hockey to roller derby.
iOS 4.3 | £2.99/$4.99
iPhone/iPad
CURLY’S POCKET GUIDE TO SPORT
The rules to 74 major sports from golf to Greco-Roman
wrestling, with illustrations. iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone
WEATHER PODThis app keeps itself from getting cluttered by using gestures to
display info. For example, slide right to view a 3 day forecast.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPhone/ iPad/ Android
WEATHER LIVECreate your own weather station with customisable
features and great graphics. iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99OS Varies | £1.29/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
NOAA RADAR PROVivid, real-time animated radar images of weather
across the United States, with storm alerts and bookmarks.
iOS 5.0 | £2.49/$3.99
iPhone/Android
WEATHERPROGet seven-day forecasts and radar imagery of the USA
and much of Europe.iOS 5.0 | £1.99/$2.99OS 2.1 | £2.49/$2.99
iPhone/Android
FIZZ WEATHERA slick UI with a wealth of useful data, you get weather info
for over 58,000 cities.iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99OS 2.1 | £0.99/$1.62
iPhone/iPad
TIDE TIMES Simple and accurate seven-day forecast for UK tidal times.
Scroll through hundreds of locations on the coastline.
iOS 4.3 | £0.69/$0.99
iPad
PEEPOMETERA retro weather app with beautifully designed dials
and gauges that appear in stunning Retina display.
iOS 4.3 | £1.49/$1.99
Android
SPACE WXVisualisation of real-time space weather affecting
our solar system, such as solar flares and winds.
OS Varies | Free
iPad
MAGICAL WEATHERView animated hourly and weekly weather forecasts for up to
nine different places around the world simultaneously.
iOS 5.1 | £1.49/$1.99
iPhone/iPad
WEATHER DOODLECharming animated weather illustrations belie the useful
functionality of this five-day forecast app.
iOS 3.2 | £0.69/$0.99
PRODUCTIVITY REFERENCE SOCIAL SPORTS TRAVEL WEATHER
TOP 200 | GREATEST APPS EVER
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ACTION MOVIE FXAdd explosive special eff ects to your home movies with this app.
iPad+ | iOS 5.0 | v2.6
FANCYThis social shopping app now offers next day delivery on all products.
iPhone+ | iOS 6.1 | v3.0.1
CLOUDONA stylish alternative to Google Docs with a sleek black interface.
Android | Varies | Varies
SEND US AN EMAIL TODAY WITH YOUR FAVOURITE APPS
TWEET US WITH YOUR FAVOURITE APPS
@Knowyourapps
OR RECOMMEND THEM ON FACEBOOK
/AppsMagazine
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE APP?
Get crowd-sourced, real-time subway, bus, train, taxi updates as well as turn-by-turn walking and biking directions to ensure
you can always reach your destination on time.iPhone | iOS 6.0 | v2.6.1
iPhone/iPad/Android
KOBOFor functionality and design we would take Kobo every time. Free
books and cool reading stats. iOS 5.0
OS Varies
iPhone/iPad
iBOOKSApple’s own native bookstore comes with iCloud features,
as well as the ability to change reading settings to suit you.
iOS 7.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
COMICSEssentially a portal to read over 12,000 comics, and over 500
of them are free.iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
GOODREADS A great app for book recommendations, Goodreads also has
wishlists and social links.iOS 5.0OS 1.5
iPhone/Android
AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIBLE
Part of the Amazon family, so you have plenty of choice.
iOS 5.0OS Varies
BOOKS
BUSINESSiPhone/iPad
LOGMEINRemotely access your desktop PC or Mac, so you can take your
business along wherever you should be going.
iOS 4.3
iPhone/iPad/Android
BOXCloud storage so you can save and access all your key files
across all your devices.iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
PODIOA very clever work-based network where users across a
team can delegate tasks.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/Android
JAMES CAAN BUSINESS SECRETS
Find out about hiring staff, raising money, and more in this app.
iOS 4.0
OS 2.1
iPhone/iPad
DRAGON DICTATIONThis app instantly translates the spoken word into text.
Send notes and reminders to yourself, and so much more.
iOS 4.0
iPhone/iPad
iTUNES UOne of the most powerful educational tools around, with full
university courses available directly on your device.
iOS 7.0
iPhone/iPad
KHAN ACADEMYA library of over 3,000 videos to help users learn pretty
much anything they want, no matter what their interests.
iOS 6.0
iPhone/Android
NASA APPEverything NASA in one place, including news on missions
and stunning imagery.iOS 5.0
OS 2.1
iPhone/iPad/Android
DUOLINGOLearn a new language for free, from grammar basics
to translating entire websites.iOS 5.0
OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
TEDRegular programming with remarkable speakers and lectures
for free via this app.iOS 6.1OS 2.2
EDUCATION
ENTERTAINMENTiPhone/Android
iPLAYER RADIOSo much more than an extension of the iPlayer catch-up
service, with a great interface.iOS 5.0OS 4.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
SKY GOKeep up with your favourite shows anywhere; just sign
in with your Sky ID.iOS 5.1OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad
ACTION MOVIE FXGive your home videos some epic Hollywood effects
with this brilliant free app for your iOS device.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/iPad
REMOTEThis handy app lets you connect to iTunes wirelessly and
play music and movies that are on your Mac or PC.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
NETFLIXCross-device viewing thanks to the cloud. An absolute must for
subscribers to the service. iOS 5.0
OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad
POCKET EXPENSE PERSONAL FINANCETrack your accounts and bills all in one
place, with the ability to set budgets thrown in as well.
iOS 5.0iPhone/Android
BLOOMBERGBloomberg is a must for City traders and anyone interested in
the stock market. iOS 3.2
OS 1.6
iPad
SPENDING TRACKERMonitor your spending and ultimately save money thanks to the
charts, graphs and stats that are provided here.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/Android
BARCLAYS PINGITSend money between accounts using just a mobile
number, from your device.iOS 5.0 OS 2.2
iPhone/Android
PAYPALCheck your current balance, view your account and send
money via 16 currencies. iOS 5.0
OS 2.2
FINANCE
FOOD & DRINKiPhone/Android
FOODSPOTTINGAn essential destination for when you want something
great to eat.iOS 7.0OS Varies
iPhone/Android
WHISKYour ultimate kitchen companion, Whisk helps you order
ingredients for portion sizes.iOS 5.1OS 2.3
iPhone/iPad/Android
EPICURIOUS RECIPES & SHOPPING LIST
An absolute must for culinary masters and budding chefs alike.
iOS 4.3OS 1.5
iPhone/iPadHOW TO COOK EVERYTHING ESSENTIALS
The app that’s perfect for any levelof experience, from
oven wizards to toast burners. iOS 5.0
Android
TOPTABLEFind and book a restaurant table in just a few taps, last
minute or planned.iOS 5.0OS 2.3.3
iPhone/iPad/Android
TEMPLE RUNThe free-running phenomenon is one of the best free
downloads you can make.iOS 4.3
OS 2.1
iPhone/iPad/Android
JETPACK JOYRIDEA real challenger to Temple Run, this endless platformer
has one-touch controls. iOS 4.3
OS 2.2
Android
ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARSThe Angry Birds franchise collides with Star Wars,
complete with lightsabers and the Force to help you.
OS 2.3
iPhone/iPad/Android
TRIPLE TOWNGem-matching and settlement management have
been neatly fused together.iOS 4.1
OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
DEAD TRIGGERA fantastic-looking game for a free download – just try to
survive a zombie onslaught. iOS 4.2OS Varies
GAMES
HEALTHiPhone/Android
ENDOMONDO SPORTS TRACKER
Endomondo is the most social fitness experience around.
iOS 5.0
OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
CALORIE COUNTERYour ultimate calorie guide with a massive database as well as
exercises and social links.iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPhone/Android
NIKE+ RUNNINGThis app requires a pair of Nike shoes that have an insert
for the Nike+ sensor.iOS 6.1OS 2.3.3
iPhone/Android
WEBMDNot only can you check symptoms and conditions, but you
can also get drug information. iOS 5.0OS 2.1
iPhone/Android
HEALTHTAPPost your concern and a qualified doctor will respond with a
diagnosis fairly swiftly.iOS 5.0
OS Varies
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iPhone/Android
WANELO SHOPPINGStanding for ‘Want, Need, Love’, this is perfect for finding
unique products and trends.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPad
EBAY FOR iPADThis app is not only great to keep up with your shopping,
but also a wonderful place to browse for bargains.
iOS 5.1
iPhone/iPad/Android
FANCYSearching and sharing on Fancy is all about becoming a
curator of cool. iOS 6.1OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
AROUNDMEThis is a handy app to use in an unfamiliar place when you need
to find local amenities.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/ iPad
SNAPGUIDEThis community-driven guidebook is a wonderful resource.
Browse its many topics and get all sorts of handy tips.
iOS 6.0
LIFESTYLE
MEDICALiPhone/iPad/Android
VISION TESTThis app tests your vision through a series of exams, and
includes an optician finder.iOS 4.0OS 2.2
iPhone
PREGNANCY+Monitor your baby’s development week by week with 3D
visualisation, plus a log to record doctor’s appointments.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/iPad
BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORComes with data visualisation and
stats so you can track the whole family, and medication.
iOS 5.0
iPhone
uHEARAs hearing loss usually happens over a period of
time, uHear is a good app for monitoring your hearing.
iOS 2.2.1
iPhone/iPad/Android
PROGNOSIS: YOUR DIAGNOSISUses case studies for better diagnosis in
patients by doctors.iOS 6.0OS 2.3.3
iPad
AWEDITORIUMQuite literally a wall of sound for users to interact with, as each
‘brick’ hosts an artist, their music and cool photos.
iOS 3.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
SPOTIFYBuild customised playlists from millions of tracks and share
them with the world. iOS 6.0OS Varies
iPhone/Android
SOUNDWAVEDiscover new music with this running feed of what
everyone is listening to.iOS 5.0
OS 2.2
iPhone/Android
SHAZAMAn extraordinary app, Shazam can identify songs by listening to
them for a few seconds. iOS 6.0OS Varies
Android
HITLANTISThis cloud of music bubbles is one of the most innovative
ways to discover new music. Intuitive and fascinating.
OS 2.2
MUSIC
NAVIGATIONiPhone/iPad/Android
GOOGLE MAPSBack on iOS and still the undisputed king of the mapping world.
This app is all you need.iOS 6.0OS Varies
iPhone
RECCE – NEW YORKA quite brilliant example of just how engrossing and
stunning navigation apps can really be on iOS.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
WAZE SOCIAL GPS & TRAFFIC
A social app for drivers to share info on traffic delays.
iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone
HOPSTOP TRANSIT DIRECTIONS
Get real-time subway, bus, train, taxi, walking and biking
directions.iOS 6.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
NAVFREE GPS LIVE UK & ROI
Voice directions and no data connection needed. Great stuff.
iOS 4.3OS 2.3
iPhone/iPad/Android
FLIPBOARDIt’s not only one of the best news apps around; it’s also great
fun to use on your device.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
LINKEDIN PULSEWith a focus on business news, tailor this reader to follow
all of your favourite RSS feeds.iOS 7.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
POCKETPocket lets you save any article, image or video you find online
and read it later. iOS 6.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
BBC NEWSThis app allows you to watch live news feeds over Wi-Fi, so
you can always stay current.iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPad
SKY NEWS FOR iPADWatch live streams from the TV station in the palm of your
hands. Feature-rich, brimming with content and totally free.
iOS 5.1
NEWS
PHOTO & VIDEOiPhone/iPad/Android
YOUTUBEStream videos from the popular website, now with voice
search and picture to picture.iOS 6.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad
CAMERA AWESOMEGive your images an impressive boost with the range of
filters and editing tools on offer in this app.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
SNAPSEEDThis app has quite simply become the go-to image editing
app across all devices.iOS 5.0OS 4.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
FLICKROffering 1TB of online storage, this app is great for showcasing
and sharing your best photos. iOS 6.0OS 2.3.3
iPhone/Android
INSTAGRAMWith a wide range of cool filters and a great community you
can create amazing photos.iOS 6.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
EVERNOTECreate a note on your device and save it to the cloud, where it
can be picked up and edited.iOS 7.0OS Varies
iPhone/Android
WUNDERLISTWith cloud syncing you can create your lists and share your
tasks across devices.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
CLOUDONEssentially giving you Microsoft Office on your device,
completely free for all. iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPad
PAPER BY FIFTYTHREEA wonderfully character-filled sketching and
creative app where users can purchase other themed tools.
iOS 5.0
iPhone/iPad/Android
DROPBOXAccess your images, documents or any other type of digital
file you like, anywhere. iOS 5.0OS 2.2
PRODUCTIVITY
REFERENCEiPhone/Android
SCRIBD – THE WORD’S LARGEST ONLINE LIBRARY
All the reference books you’ll need, available offline.
iOS 6.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
GOOGLE TRANSLATETranslate to and from 64 languages, speech from 17
languages, and listen in 24.iOS 3.0OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
QUORAThe place to go with your burning questions, with the
community providing answersiOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone
WIKIPANIONAn excellent client for easier Wikipedia access, including the
ability to bookmark entries and sections within them.
iOS 4.3
iPhone/iPad
SKY MAPEverything you could wish to know about the sky above you is
in this very handy reference app. Keep looking up.
iOS 4.3
iPhone/iPad/Android
TWITTERThe official app of the social network heavyweight to share
your thoughts and more.iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
FACEBOOKThe ultimate social networking tool has regular updates. Easy
to use and fairly foolproof.iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPhone/Android
PINTERESTThis growing community is a great way to discover new
things, and a hell of a timesink.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/Android
PATHA simple and satisfying interface that Facebook and
Twitter can only dream about. iOS 5.0OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
SKYPEBring your loved ones closer to you with the free video and audio
calls of Skype.iOS 5.0OS Varies
SOCIAL
SPORTSiPhone/ Android
BBC SPORTCovering a wide range of sports, the app includes news,
videos and stats. iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPad
SKY SPORTS FOR iPADThe Sky Sports channels on your device, as well as
some impressive in-game stat screens and graphics.
iOS 5.1
iPhone/Android
YAHOO! SPORTSFor the amount of info at your fingertips, this app is
a must for every sports fan.iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad
EUROSPORT PLAYERWatch the hottest action live with this streaming app
(monthly subscription fee).iOS 5.0OS 3.2
iPhone/iPad
MLS MATCHDAYAnother great official app with comprehensive
highlights and news.iOS 5.0OS 2.3.3
iPhone/Android
HAILOSets the standard and changes the way people order taxis on
iOS or Android. iOS 5.0OS 2.2
iPhone/iPad/Android
KAYAKThis excellent app even goes beyond the booking phase to
give you tips for on your trip.iOS 7.0OS 2.1
iPhone/iPad/Android
GOOGLE EARTHThis is one of those definitive apps, giving you access to pretty
much anywhere on the globe. iOS 4.3OS Varies
iPhone/iPad/Android
TRIPADVISOR HOTELS FLIGHTS RESTAURANTS
Hotel and restaurant reviews, cheap flights and virtual tours.
iOS 5.1OS 2.2
iPhone/Android
GUIDEPAL CITY GUIDESDownload full city guides, plus maps, for over 60 of the most
exciting destinations.iOS 5.0OS 2.1
TRAVEL
WEATHERiPhone/iPad/Android
WEATHERWISEFill your screen with some great themes to accompany your
weather forecast. iOS 4.3OS 2.2
iPhone/Android
THE WEATHER CHANNELA solid and professionally produced app, it
offers very detailed info.iOS 6.0
OS Varies
iPhone
SURF REPORTYou never need to aimlessly trawl the coastlines looking for
the big waves again, thanks to this free app.
iOS 2.2.1
iPhone
WEATHERMOBForecasting with a difference as this app is truly social, allowing
users to share their climate and what they’re doing in it.
iOS 6.1
iPhone/iPad
WEZZOOShare real-time forecasts so you can see the latest
weather from around the world, thanks to other users.
iOS 4.3
TOP 100 | FANTASTIC FREE APPS
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Reviewed: Rayman Fiesta Run, Cine Lumie, Lynx Browser, Tiny Death Star, Seene, Fantastical 2, Boson X, Turn Taker, Wall of Sound, Paint Joy Pro
Coming in Apps
Magazine issue 41, on sale
9 January
To download your digital edition, visit GreatDigitalMags.com
DISCOVER THE HOTTEST APPS
Get news, reviews and tutorials for the best new
releases on iOS and Android
Imagine Publishing LtdRichmond House, 33 Richmond HillBournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ
+44 (0)1202 586200Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk www.knowyourapps.com www.greatdigitalmags.com
Magazine team Deputy Editor Jack [email protected]
01202 586279
Reviews Editor Martyn LandiSub Editor Victoria RichardsDesigner Lauren Debono-ElliotPhotographer James SheppardSenior Art Editor Will ShumEditor in Chief Nick JonesHead of Publishing Aaron Asadi Head of Design Ross Andrews
ContributorsSherwin Coelho, David Crookes, Abbi Denney, Shaun
McGill, Alison Innes, Phil King, Rachel Shemilt, Michael
Simpson, Roland Waddilove, Greg Whitaker
AdvertisingDigital or printed media packs are available on request.
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01202 586437
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01202 586442
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01202 586430
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01202 586419
InternationalApps is available for licensing. Contact the International
department to discuss partnership opportunities.
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+44 (0) 1202 586401
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01202 586200
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01202 586200
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Group Creative Director Mark Kendrick
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DisclaimerThe publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material
lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of
Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced
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© Imagine Publishing
Ltd 2013
ISSN 2047-1580z
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