App Focus: Best Apps Nov '16 Edition
I have a simple mantra - any app that asks me to sign in to social media in order to use it gets immediately deleted. We also live in an age where if you need an app to do something for you, it's probably out there already. So what are the best new apps? Let's find out.
Spaces (Android/iOS/Web) - Google doesn't have an official read-it-later service like Pocket or Instapaper, but Spaces appears to be a logical first step in that direction. It's a little like Pinterest, but it has become my goto way to save interesting links from across the web. I have even gone to the extent of creating a separate space for articles from every website I keep track of. My only hope is that Google doesn't shut it down or spring clean it.
Science Journal (Android only) - Science made fun. A handy app from Google that allows you to conduct scientific experiments on your phones.
Gboard, Word Flow, Thingthing Keyboard, Slash keyboard (iOS only) - Ever since Apple opened the doors for third-party keyboards on iOS, we have seen some impressive alternatives like Google Gboard and Microsoft Word Flow. But Thingthing Keyboard takes it one step further by baking Dropbox and calendar integration right into it.
Twilight (Android only) - Android's third-party answer to Apple's Night Shift mode.
Lists for Writers (Android/iOS, paid) - Are you a writer? Or you aspiring to become one? Then Lists for Writers is a handy tool you should be relying on, offering interesting ideas to improve your writing efforts.
LitCharts (Android/iOS/Web) - A fantastic substitute for SparkNotes from the creators of SparkNotes.
Scrivener (iOS only, paid) - Writing on iOS has never been this beautiful. Simply among the best writing apps like Ulysses, Byword and Editorial.
Wanderu (Android/iOS/Web) - Tired of looking for flights? Are buses and trains your preferred mode of travel? Then Wanderu is the app for you. The only deal breaker is perhaps the fact that it's North America only at the moment.
Hyper (iOS only) - Let's just admit that there is far too much video content out there. But which one would you want to watch next? Hyper attempts to answer this question with a beautifully designed curated video discovery service.
Folioscope (iOS only) - Create animations in no time with this fun creative app.
Wonder (Android/iOS) - If you are into indie music, Wonder offers a neat way of exploring what's on SoundCloud.
Crunchbase (iOS only/Web) - The official destination for learning about all sorts of companies, their funding, investments and general industry trends.
Feed News, Hash Today, Inshorts (Android/iOS) - Frankly the number of news apps that keep debuting on iOS and Android is a little hard to keep up. But nevertheless, these new options are perfect for catching up on news as they unfold.
Microsoft Authenticator (Android/iOS) - Two-factor authentication gets a boost with Microsoft's own app.
Prisma (Android/iOS) - Prisma does nothing new that Waterlogue doesn't, but what works in its favour is that it's free and it's available on both Android and iOS.
Google Trips (Android/iOS) - Google is now officially your trip organiser and planner. Sadly it's missing a web counterpart!
Events (Android/iOS) - Facebook has been slowly decluttering its flagship app into separate standalone apps. It spun off Messenger into a new app, and it's following it up with Events, a calendar-y way to keep track of the events you are interested in.
Allo (Android/iOS) - Google's newest messaging app is maddeningly not cross-platform unlike Hangouts, the service Allo is purported to replace in the months to come. Which is a strange limitation for a Google product. But it's not without its reasons. Allo also has the smarts (thanks to Google Assistant) which is why I think it cannot be written off as yet, even if Google's own chat platform strategy is frustratingly confusing. But honestly, Apple's latest iMessage, despite the vast improvements in iOS 10, is not available for Android. So may be there is some hope left.
Spaces (Android/iOS/Web) - Google doesn't have an official read-it-later service like Pocket or Instapaper, but Spaces appears to be a logical first step in that direction. It's a little like Pinterest, but it has become my goto way to save interesting links from across the web. I have even gone to the extent of creating a separate space for articles from every website I keep track of. My only hope is that Google doesn't shut it down or spring clean it.
Science Journal (Android only) - Science made fun. A handy app from Google that allows you to conduct scientific experiments on your phones.
Gboard, Word Flow, Thingthing Keyboard, Slash keyboard (iOS only) - Ever since Apple opened the doors for third-party keyboards on iOS, we have seen some impressive alternatives like Google Gboard and Microsoft Word Flow. But Thingthing Keyboard takes it one step further by baking Dropbox and calendar integration right into it.
Twilight (Android only) - Android's third-party answer to Apple's Night Shift mode.
Lists for Writers (Android/iOS, paid) - Are you a writer? Or you aspiring to become one? Then Lists for Writers is a handy tool you should be relying on, offering interesting ideas to improve your writing efforts.
LitCharts (Android/iOS/Web) - A fantastic substitute for SparkNotes from the creators of SparkNotes.
Scrivener (iOS only, paid) - Writing on iOS has never been this beautiful. Simply among the best writing apps like Ulysses, Byword and Editorial.
Wanderu (Android/iOS/Web) - Tired of looking for flights? Are buses and trains your preferred mode of travel? Then Wanderu is the app for you. The only deal breaker is perhaps the fact that it's North America only at the moment.
Hyper (iOS only) - Let's just admit that there is far too much video content out there. But which one would you want to watch next? Hyper attempts to answer this question with a beautifully designed curated video discovery service.
Folioscope (iOS only) - Create animations in no time with this fun creative app.
Wonder (Android/iOS) - If you are into indie music, Wonder offers a neat way of exploring what's on SoundCloud.
Crunchbase (iOS only/Web) - The official destination for learning about all sorts of companies, their funding, investments and general industry trends.
Feed News, Hash Today, Inshorts (Android/iOS) - Frankly the number of news apps that keep debuting on iOS and Android is a little hard to keep up. But nevertheless, these new options are perfect for catching up on news as they unfold.
Microsoft Authenticator (Android/iOS) - Two-factor authentication gets a boost with Microsoft's own app.
Prisma (Android/iOS) - Prisma does nothing new that Waterlogue doesn't, but what works in its favour is that it's free and it's available on both Android and iOS.
Google Trips (Android/iOS) - Google is now officially your trip organiser and planner. Sadly it's missing a web counterpart!
Events (Android/iOS) - Facebook has been slowly decluttering its flagship app into separate standalone apps. It spun off Messenger into a new app, and it's following it up with Events, a calendar-y way to keep track of the events you are interested in.
Allo (Android/iOS) - Google's newest messaging app is maddeningly not cross-platform unlike Hangouts, the service Allo is purported to replace in the months to come. Which is a strange limitation for a Google product. But it's not without its reasons. Allo also has the smarts (thanks to Google Assistant) which is why I think it cannot be written off as yet, even if Google's own chat platform strategy is frustratingly confusing. But honestly, Apple's latest iMessage, despite the vast improvements in iOS 10, is not available for Android. So may be there is some hope left.
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