A quick summary of our favourite apps this month – the full reviews can be found in What Mobile’s March issue, on sale February 14.
Slickflick
Free on Apple iOS
slickflick.com
SlickFlick is a very interesting concept ‘ create animated stories by pulling text, images and audio from your phone, or by using the supplied templates. This effectively produces a multimedia comic that is great for getting artsy, or just sending to friends. Then submit them to the website for ratings, share with friends and have a bit of a laugh. Great fun.
Kinomap
Free (subscription £7.99) on Apple iOS
kinomap.com
Take your exercise bike, treadmill or rowing machine outdoors… sort of. Kinomap trainer enables users to view a pre-recorded video along a GPS-located outdoor route (either their own recording, or those of friends) ‘ you can measure your own performance and view progress on an accompanying map. This way, you can compete against your best outdoor times, indoors ‘ you can even use a multiplayer function against your friends.
Glassdoor
Free on Apple iOS
glassdoor.com
Ever wanted to rate your workplace? Glassdoor allows you to search around your GPS location for businesses in your area, and allows employees and customers to vote on the workplace. It also allows you to look up salaries for the positions in the company ‘ which is probably quite useful if you’re in the job hunt and want to know if you’re heading to working heaven ‘ or the Wernham Hogg Paper Company.
Pixengo
Free on Apple iOS
pixengo.com
A quirky little app that allows you to create personalised online ‘cards’ with sound bytes. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other birthday you’ve forgotten. The app also allows you to browse every other ‘card’ posted and rate them ‘ needless to say most of the stuff on here is a bit mad, but good for a laugh.
H&M
Free on Apple iOS and Android
hm.com
Why go physically window shopping when you can do the same thing online? H&M have produced a pretty tidy and nice looking app that makes shopping a breeze ‘ it even includes new arrivals, videos and images on inspiration (read: fashion advice) and will track your order history. Functional, and pretty.
THQ tune-up
Free on Apple iOS
thx.com
If you’re a proper cinephile with a kitted out home theatre system ‘ chances are you want to get your devices up to THX standard ‘ this app allows you to test everything from the audio to the colour levels on your TV to make sure everything’s working properly. Probably more for boffins, and definitely not as good as a proper technician’s touch.
Moves
Free on Apple iOS
moves-app.com
Its hard to review this app as it’s so simple ‘ it basically tracks how far you walk in a day (it can also do cycling and running). Great presentation helps, and it even presents all the locations you have walked to on a map. Best of all it runs in the background, so doesn’t require any additional interaction once it’s turned on. Surprisingly addictive.
Fit Brains Trainer
Free on Android and Apple iOS
fitbrains.com
This app claims it ‘builds your cognitive reserve and increases brain performance’ and is designed by clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Nussbaum ‘ but never mind all that, the app itself is quite good fun. It puts your brain through the paces with a variety of brain teasing puzzles and keeps track of your progress, adapting each time. Nothing too original here, it’s been done by other apps ‘ but the price is right.
Gumtree
Free on Apple iOS and Android
gumtree.com
The UK’s worst kept secret in second hand shopping is Gumtree ‘ like the website itself, it is simple, pragmatic and efficient ‘ which lets you stick to the business of buying signed Gary Lineker shirts and old vinyl.
BT Smart Talk
Free on Apple iOS
productsandservices.bt.com
BT’s new smartTalk app links your iPhone to your home line ‘ if you’re a BT customer. It allows users to make calls from their iPhone as if they were calling from their home phone. This is particularly useful if you’re overseas ‘ you will only be charged UK calling rates. A relatively simple app is made a bit more difficult due to its set-up ‘ you need to call BT and get it set up in an exhaustive process.
Crash Mate
Free on iPhone and Android
driverslegalhelpline.co.uk
Crash Mate may be a tricky way of getting Driver’s Legal Helpline some business, but the app itself is actually quite useful. If you crash your car it allows you to photograph the scene instantly, take a video, record audio and take notes ‘ vital for the next time an uninsured driver tries to do a runner on you. While the app won’t win any high end design awards, it is very simple and functional.
Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital Concert Hall
Free on Apple iOS
digitalconcerthall.com
For those looking to sample classical music, or even for music lovers looking for a touch up of culture (dahling), the Digital Concert Hall app allows a glimpse into the Philharmoniker’s world, with highlights of concerts in HD, interviews with artists, education pieces and clips and a breakdown of the orchestra. However, to download the full concert, you need to log into the Hall and pay. Very enjoyable for some DIY class.
