App Focus: Best Apps Jul '15 Edition
I possess a lust for good design, often to the point of it being an obsesssion. For me, a good design is something that's aesthetic, simple but thorough, timeless and does the job it set out to do unobtrusively and without much fanfare. Something inside me tells that Google's Material Design, with its fancy animations, bold colours and neat visual cues, is one such (I have drooled about it enough already!), but Apple iOS apps have been no slouch in this department as you can evidence from the list of apps below:
Stache: iOS only (paid) - I never understood the irrational aversion to Google Chrome's Stars bookmarks manager, which it unbundled from the browser some days back. It was very Material Design'esque and visual, perhaps not what one really needs in a web browser. But Stache the iOS app takes the same approach, allowing you to collect, tag and search your bookmarks in a beautifully designed interface.
Clips: iOS only (paid) - Clipboard management during my days with iPhone 5s was not an altogether pleasant experience, but thankfully now there's this app called Clips that makes this chore effortlessly easy. You can clip anything ranging from text to images to GIFs and use its custom keyboard or widget to input your saved clips into any app. Neat!
Timeline: iOS/web - News apps are one too many and ever since Circa News shut operations last month, I have been sticking with Google Play Newsstand for most of my casual reads. Timeline however is interesting, partly because it takes a Circa-like approach to presenting news in context, even if it means covering the story's entire timeline right from the beginning. Indispensable, if you want to keep yourself up to date on what's happening around you.
Flipboard: Android/iOS/web - I wrote about Flipboard way back in 2013, about how it was one of the must-have apps for news. But with the makers recently establishing a presence on the web, you can now browse to your heart's content without even having to create an account.
Google Keep: Android/web - There are countless notes and reminders apps, but Google Keep is really the one for keeps, making it dead simple to jot down notes, reminders and to-do lists anytime anywhere (where is the iOS app, Google?). Todoist is possibly the only other app that comes a close second. Alternatives: Daybreak, Prio (iOS only)
Liner: iOS/web - Want to highlight and annotate text, and share them via email, SMS or any other app of your liking? Then Liner is the perfect app for your needs, letting you collect, star and archive your highlights all in one handy place.
Waterlogue: iOS only (paid) - If you are a fan of Over, then liking Waterlogue will be a given, an app that transforms your photos into beautiful watercolour images. I can't wait to try it out!
NeuBible: iOS only (paid) - Seriously, how can an app be this gorgeous-looking? In fact, its typography is so stunning, it has left me searching for words. Imagine what would happen if the guys over at Quiet Pupil were to release an ebook reader or an RSS reader app!
Darkroom: iOS only (paid) - Hands down one of the most beautifully designed photo editor for your iPhone.
LookUp: iOS only (paid) - I am a sucker for learning new words, and LookUp is an elegant dictionary app that not only gives the meaning of a word you're looking for, but also its synonyms, etymology (yes!), corresponding Wikipedia entries and even image search results without having to leave the app.
Shuffle: iOS only (paid) - An app that's immensely useful as much as a lifesaver, allowing you to create disposable phone numbers and email addresses without exposing your actual contact details to strangers on the web. I hear you, an Android version is in the works.
Pinterest & Tumblr: Android/iOS/web - Two of the easiest ways to explore image-rich content from your phone. I bet you'd agree on that!
Read more of the best apps here, here, here and here.
Stache: iOS only (paid) - I never understood the irrational aversion to Google Chrome's Stars bookmarks manager, which it unbundled from the browser some days back. It was very Material Design'esque and visual, perhaps not what one really needs in a web browser. But Stache the iOS app takes the same approach, allowing you to collect, tag and search your bookmarks in a beautifully designed interface.
Clips: iOS only (paid) - Clipboard management during my days with iPhone 5s was not an altogether pleasant experience, but thankfully now there's this app called Clips that makes this chore effortlessly easy. You can clip anything ranging from text to images to GIFs and use its custom keyboard or widget to input your saved clips into any app. Neat!
Timeline: iOS/web - News apps are one too many and ever since Circa News shut operations last month, I have been sticking with Google Play Newsstand for most of my casual reads. Timeline however is interesting, partly because it takes a Circa-like approach to presenting news in context, even if it means covering the story's entire timeline right from the beginning. Indispensable, if you want to keep yourself up to date on what's happening around you.
Flipboard: Android/iOS/web - I wrote about Flipboard way back in 2013, about how it was one of the must-have apps for news. But with the makers recently establishing a presence on the web, you can now browse to your heart's content without even having to create an account.
Google Keep: Android/web - There are countless notes and reminders apps, but Google Keep is really the one for keeps, making it dead simple to jot down notes, reminders and to-do lists anytime anywhere (where is the iOS app, Google?). Todoist is possibly the only other app that comes a close second. Alternatives: Daybreak, Prio (iOS only)
Liner: iOS/web - Want to highlight and annotate text, and share them via email, SMS or any other app of your liking? Then Liner is the perfect app for your needs, letting you collect, star and archive your highlights all in one handy place.
Waterlogue: iOS only (paid) - If you are a fan of Over, then liking Waterlogue will be a given, an app that transforms your photos into beautiful watercolour images. I can't wait to try it out!
NeuBible: iOS only (paid) - Seriously, how can an app be this gorgeous-looking? In fact, its typography is so stunning, it has left me searching for words. Imagine what would happen if the guys over at Quiet Pupil were to release an ebook reader or an RSS reader app!
Darkroom: iOS only (paid) - Hands down one of the most beautifully designed photo editor for your iPhone.
LookUp: iOS only (paid) - I am a sucker for learning new words, and LookUp is an elegant dictionary app that not only gives the meaning of a word you're looking for, but also its synonyms, etymology (yes!), corresponding Wikipedia entries and even image search results without having to leave the app.
Shuffle: iOS only (paid) - An app that's immensely useful as much as a lifesaver, allowing you to create disposable phone numbers and email addresses without exposing your actual contact details to strangers on the web. I hear you, an Android version is in the works.
Pinterest & Tumblr: Android/iOS/web - Two of the easiest ways to explore image-rich content from your phone. I bet you'd agree on that!
Read more of the best apps here, here, here and here.
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