Saturday, July 25, 2015

Best new apps for iOS, Android and Windows: Mapstr, iPlayer Radio, and more

Each week, Digital Spy rounds up the biggest mobile apps for tablets and smartphones. This week's highlights include an app for creating personalised maps and a major update for BBC iPlayer Radio.

1. MapstrAvailable on: iOSPrice: FreePublisher: HulabBetween Google Maps and Nokia's Here service, all of our basic mapping needs are covered, but there's a place for Mapstr alongside the market leaders.

Mapstr adds a personal touch to your navigation experience, allowing users to tag their favourite locations and keep track of them on custom-built maps.

You can tag your favourite clubs, restaurants, friends' houses and more, sharing them with your contacts who require directions to an obscure place.

2. BBC iPlayer RadioAvailable on: iOS, Android, Windows PhonePrice: FreePublisher: BBCIf you're an avid radio listener, BBC iPlayer Radio is probably installed on your device already, but you may not be aware of its latest feature on iOS and Android devices.

The app now supports radio downloads, allowing users to save programmes locally and listen to them anywhere without eating into their data allowance.

Downloaded content can be stored for up to 30 days.

3. Microsoft HyperlapseAvailable on: Windows Phone, AndroidPrice: FreePublisher: MicrosoftShaky video footage is a thing of the past with Microsoft's latest app for Windows Phone, PC and Android devices.

Hyperlapse lets users record super-stabilised clips and enhance footage shot with an action camera or drone thanks to an advanced algorithm.

The app was originally released for select Android devices in preview form, but the full version has now launched on Google Play.

4. TrringAvailable on: AndroidPrice: Free (with in-app purchases)Publisher: InnovplexTrring is an Android app that will transform you lock screen into a hub for launching all of your favourite apps.

It takes the form of an old-school rotary phone dialler, with icons for WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and your web browser of choice replacing the numbers.

Life is easier when your lock screen isn't limited to your dialler and camera apps, but right now Trring is a work in progress that's still being fine tuned by its developers.

5. TagstrAvailable on: iOSPrice: FreePublisher: DupliaTagstr is an emerging social network that combines elements of Pinterest and Twitter, allowing iPhone users to share photos, videos and audio files grouped by hashtag.

Many Facebook News Feeds are repositories of useless information, but Tagstr lets users engage with one another around the content that matters to them.

Founded by British entrepreneur Michael Venn, the service has secured a boatload of funding this year, so expect to hear more about it in the near future.

6. WiFiMapperAvailable on: Android, iOSPrice: FreePublisher: OpenSignalFor those times when you'd be screwed without internet connectivity, there's WiFiMapper.

This Foursquare-powered app taps into a database of more than 650 million hotspots around the world to flag up the cafes, bars, restaurants and other public spaces offering free public WiFi.

The latest version of WiFiMapper on Android uses crowdsourcing to improve the service, monitoring connection histories to assess how well each hotspot performed.

7. PocketAvailable on: iOS, AndroidPrice: FreePublisher: Read it laterPocket is a useful app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to save all forms of web content in a palatable format for reading offline.

The service, which is great for commuters and travellers, recently received a major update on iOS, introducing text-to-speech functionality, essentially turning any web article into a podcast.

This update brings the app in line with its Android counterpart, which gained few bug fixes this week.

8. RA GuideAvailable on: iOSPrice: FreePublisher: Resident AdvisorIf you're a fan of electronic music, you're going to want to know where the best clubs in your city are located and when your favourite DJ is in town.

RA Guide harnesses Resident Advisor's extensive database of more than one million artists, venues and event listings to bring you this information for over 120 countries.

Users can also purchase tickets for any event that floats their boat in-app.

9. HeadTrainerAvailable on: Android, iOSPrice: FreePublisher: HeadTrainer, IncBrain training apps were around long before the smartphone revolution, but HeadTrainer offers a new spin on the concept.

The software is designed to improve the user's sporting abilities by testing their focus, visual-spatial awareness, decision-making, memory and processing speed.

Each test takes the form of a sports-themed mini-game, designed in collaboration with a team of neuroscientists and sporting professionals.

App of the week

Mapstr takes our app of the week gong for plugging a gap in the mapping world. Adding bookmarks to Google Maps on your phone is clunky, but that doesn't matter any longer.

The services differentiates itself from the likes of Yelp and Foursquare by providing a personal experience, rather than a social one, and its maps become increasingly relevant the more you tag them.


Source: Best new apps for iOS, Android and Windows: Mapstr, iPlayer Radio, and more

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