Check out the apps we’ve been using on our devices this week
It’s been another big week of news, so now it’s time to sit down and talk about some apps. Each Saturday we take up a spot on the site to highlight an app that each of the writers here at Android Central have been using lately. Whether it’s a popular (or not so popular) game, new utility or just something random that’s been on our phones and tablets, we’ll talk about it here.
Read along with us after the breaks and see another solid collection of apps from the team — you may just find a few apps to install for yourself.
Phil Nickinson – Plane Finder
Ever look up in the sky, see a plane and wonder where it’s going? Congrats, you’re quite possibly an avgeek. And as such, Plane Finder will take care of those musings. Just fire it up, find the plane that’s nearby, and get all the info your nerdy little heart desires. You can bookmark various locations, set filters for airlines, aircraft types, airpots, squawks altitude and speed, get info on planes and change all sorts of options. And you can blow your kids’ minds when they ask “Daddy, where do you think that plane’s going?”
Download: Plane Finder ($1.99) or Plane Finder Free (erm, free)
Jerry Hildenbrand – Boxed Wholesale
You have one roll of toilet paper left. Your mission is to make sure you don’t run out. Boxed Wholesale just made it easier.
It’s like having a Sam’s Club or Walmart on your phone, where you can buy everything from toothpaste to tampons, and have them sent direct to your door overnight. I’ve been playing with Boxed for a bit (we’ve had like 3,000,000 ice storms in the past month and I refuse to go outside) and I think it makes a great addition to Amazon or other mail-order services. Sometimes, you won’t find the best price, but other times exactly what you need is on sale and you can order with one click once you’ve setup your account. It’s convenient, and I dig convenience.
The app and the account are free, so it won’t hurt a thing to try and see if you can save a few pennies buying in bulk from your phone.
Download: Boxed Wholesale (Free)
Simon Sage – The Great Martian War
The Great Martian War is an endless runner set in World War I where players have to sprint through European battlefields while avoiding martian threats. Though the gameplay itself is pretty much exactly in line with Into the Dead, complete with power-ups to pick up, upgradeable equipment, achievements, and evasion based on swipe and tilt controls, there’s still a creepy charm to avoiding alien walkers abducting soldiers and generally laying waste. If you’re looking for some new scenery in your endless runners, this is a good start.
Download: The Great Martian War (Free)
Alex Dobie – WatchNote for Pebble
A basic but useful phone-plus-smartwatch app, WatchNote connects to your Pebble and allows you to view notes and memos on the go. There’s the option to sync with Evernote for easy note management on the web, too. After installing the Android app, you’re prompted to download the Pebble app to your smartwatch, From there, simply enter your notes into the app, or bring in stuff from Evernote if you’ve got an account.
Notes can be found on your watch within WatchNote app on your Pebble, and by default you get six lines of text on the watch at a time — though sizing and fonts can be changed through the Android app.
WatchNote won’t be for everyone, but if you need to quickly refer back to notes or lists without fumbling around with papers, tablets or smartphones, it’s worth a look.
Download: WatchNote for Pebble ($1.66)
Richard Devine – Snapdragon Glance (Beta)
This week Qualcomm dropped its own lock screen replacement app on us. Known as Glance (Beta) it’s another attempt at the intelligent lock screen. To use it, you do have to be running the Snapdragon Batteryguru app as well, since it uses information gathered on your behavior in that app to operate Glance.
It actually crams quite a lot of information into the lock screen. Up top you get a big old clock and the current weather information. Down the bottom you retain quick access to the camera, and a bunch of suggested apps or contacts based on what it thinks you’ll want to do or who you might want to talk to.
In the middle of the display you see whatever has arrived in your notification tray. At all times you can directly access the apps featured. The only issue so far is security; from Glance you just hit back or home and you’re into the phone. So it’s more a proof of concept than something you should be using every day right now. But it’s pretty cool to see someone like Qualcomm trying something new.
Download: Snapdragon Glance (Beta) (Free)
Andrew Martonik – NBC Sports Live Extra
Love it or hate it, the one place to go for comprehensive live coverage of the Olympics in Sochi is NBC. While for some sports you need to authenticate that you pay for cable, NBC is giving you live streaming video of all of the events for free during the Olympics. The app has made some strides in performance and quality as of late, and if you’re an Olympics buff there’s really no better place to go if you can’t get to a TV.
Download: NBC Sports Live Extra (Free)
Happen to miss previous editions of our weekly app picks? You can check them out right here. Our continuing weekly app coverage can also be seen right here as well.