AC editors' apps of the week: Storm, Within, Infinity Loop and more

It's Appday Sunday and that means we're back with more of our favorites to share. Every week we bring a handful of great apps to the table and share them with everyone. Sometimes they are new apps, sometimes old standards, but every time they are apps we love to use.

Give these a look and then take a minute to tell us all about the apps you are using and love so we can give them a try. We all find some of our favorites right in the comments on these posts!

1. Alex Dobie — VR Heads

You didn't think I'd waste this chance to plug the latest addition to the Mobile Nations family, did you? VRHeads.com is all about exploring the weird and awesome emerging space encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D photography and more. Whether you're doing it on a phone, PC, console or camera, you'll find it on VR Heads, led by our own Russell Holly.

And now there's a dedicated Android app to help you keep track of every development on this new technological frontier when you're out and about in the real world. The VR Heads Android app based on the excellent Android Central app, so you'll find news, editorials, video and forum discussions, with more stuff being added all the time as the site grows. So drop in and say hi.

Download: VR Heads (Free)

2. Phil Nickinson — Storm

We've reached that point of the year in which it can (and will) rain at just about any given time, on any given day. And by "rain," I mean "bring forth with all the fury that a pissed-off Mother Nature can muster for about 20 minutes before allowing the sun to grace us once again." Florida, amirite? Anyhoo. Weather Underground has released its heralded Storm app for Android. It's got high-resolution radar. It's got storm tracks. It'll show you where the lightning's at. It's got widgets and alerts and more. And For $1.99 a year you can get rid of the ads. This is definitely worth a look if you want a basic storm-tracking app that doesn't break the bank.

Download: Storm (Free, with in-app-purchases)

3. Russell Holly — Within

Since Alex robbed me of the opportunity to tell all of you about the VR Heads app, I'm going to talk to you about Within. You may know Within by its old name, VRSE. This app is all about VR storytelling, done in ways no one else is doing right now. This is the first app you should install if you're looking to get a feel for VR video outside of YouTube, and the stories you'll find within — yeah, I did that — are beyond impressive.

It's free, it's fun, and you don't technically need a VR box to enjoy it.

Download: Within (free)

4. Ara Wagoner — Textra

I downloaded Textra for the heinous act of Android treason I committed a few weeks back, and I kept it around after the article because I'd heard good things and because I figured I should figure out what I want to use once Hangouts eventually (maybe) ditches their SMS support. And until Allo replaces it — assuming Allo can replace it — Textra is sticking around, and there's a very simple reason why: customization. I made it look like iOS, but now I make it match my themes, from my Little Mermaid/Starbucks theme to my Finding Dory theme for this week.

The pop-up reply windows are also way nicer than Hangouts. Plus dark mode. DARK MODE FOREVER. Yes, I did pony up to get rid of ads once my trial period was over, even though the app said most people with an HTC 10 didn't (which is an interesting thing for it to say).

Download: Textra (Free, $2.99)

5. Jen Karner — Infinity Loop

Sometimes you want a game that simple enough that you can fall into it. That's exactly what I found with Infinity Loop, it's a super simple game where the only goal is to make shapes. When the game starts you're given a screen full of parts of shapes and every time you tap a segment it will rotate. Your goal is to rotate all the segments until there is nothing but complete shapes left.

The game starts out very simply, but quickly becomes tricky as you continue forward. Soon your phone screen will be filled with these delightful little puzzles meant to make you work to beat each level. There aren't any timers, or way to compete, but if you're looking for a fun puzzle game, this is one to definitely check out.

Download: Infinity Loop (Free)

6. Daniel Bader — How to Tie a Tie

I have a fairly good grasp on a couple of tie knots, but as wedding season ramps up here in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought it would be a good idea to learn a couple more.

How to Tie a Tie is a free app (with a paid, ad-free version available, too) that shows, step by step, how to tie a dozen or so unfamiliar knot types. It's neither the most attractive nor modern-looking Android app, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in sheer utility.

Now, when I show up to next weekend's wedding with a fashionable and unique St. Andrew knot, everyone will tell me I look great, and that's really the whole point of attending a wedding, right?

Download: How to Tie a Tie (Free, $1.99)

7. Andrew Martonik — T-Mobile Tuesdays

Getting past useless hype and superlatives, the T-Mobile Tuesdays app is a neat little feature for T-Mo customers. Every Tuesday you can open it up and get some neat little perks to "thank" you for being a customer — whether that's free food, gift cards, discounts on tickets for shows or whatever else they come up with, it's all stuff you can get just for opening the app for a minute.

If you stick around a little longer, you can enter drawings to win big prizes, which let's be honest you shouldn't expect to win much but again doesn't take any energy to enter and give it a whirl. Nobody's going to switch to T-Mobile just to have access to these deals and freebies every week, but if you're already using T-Mobile you should have the app on your phone and check it out weekly.

Download: T-Mobile Tuesdays (Free)

Source: AC editors' apps of the week: Storm, Within, Infinity Loop and more