Welcome back to the app hunt, BlackBerry users! With the introduction of BlackBerry 10, and two new handsets that house the OS, BlackBerry users are all about the apps now. BlackBerry World was filled to the brim with over 70,000 app available at launch, the biggest offering for a OS launch that we’ve seen. Featured in the launch are most of the big names that one would expect, including Skype, Facebook, Amazon Kindle, Angry Birds, and more. While BlackBerry 10’s early adopters pick through the plethora of available apps, the rest of the mobile world are searching for new options and updates to favorites. Here’s the best ones we found from the week of January 26 – February 2, 2013.
Updates
Penultimate (iOS)
Evernote’s acquired handwriting app got its first update since the not-so-hostile takeover. The first priority on Evernote’s agenda was, of course, to integrate Penultimate with Evernote itself. Handwritten notes are also now searchable, assuming you have halfway decent handwriting. Perhaps the biggest change for this app, though, is that it’s now free. If you ever wanted to try your hand at taking notes by hand without the pen and pad, now’s as good a time as ever.
Facebook (iOS)
Facebook is no fool; It knows what’s popular and what its users want. So when it announced that Vine would be defriended by the social networking service, it was done with a backup plan in mind. Facebook conveniently updated its own app with the ability to upload video from your phone. You can also now leave voice messages via the messages tab, in case you’re not one for typing. Finally, there’s an added ability to access Facebook’s Code Generator authorization system, allowing you to authenticate your identity on a new device.
Google Play Music (Android)
Looking to improve your music listening experience? Google Play Music’s latest update is heavy on bug fixes, but they are all welcome ones. The biggest one comes for Samsung Galaxy S3 users, who will no longer have their device frozen by trying to run this app. Feature additions include the ability to listen to music in larger mixes, shuffle a playlist, artist, or album. There’s also a previous button in the app, allowing easier navigation, and a pinning progress bar so you can track your pining as it happens.
New Apps
Jam.it (iOS)
While its name is something you might yell at someone who you want to be quiet, this app is all about making noise. Collaborate with friends and other users to create music together. Build your own tracks, then share them via social networks and allow others to download and modify them. Keep passing the beats around until the sound is perfected. You can listen to the sounds of the crowd and rate them, bumping them up to the chart. See if you and your friends can create a pop hit.
Foursquare for Business (Android/iOS)
Own a business where people check in on Foursquare? Instead of just watching folks come in and out of the door, now you can interact with customers online. Foursquare for Business allows the people behind the counter to post status updates for their store, view recent check ins, and manage all of their data on the go. This marks the first time businesses could access this information without logging in through the website. About time – it’s 2013 after all.
AppLock Pro (Android)
This app is for all of those people out there with friends that are not to be trusted. If you find yourself lending out your phone a lot, or have certain apps you’d rather not be opened without your permission, AppLock Pro will be welcome on your phone. When setting your standard lock screen, AppLock Pro allows you to keep certain apps on lockdown. This should buy you enough time to find some more trustworthy friends.
New Games
Half-Inch Heist (iOS)
The villain in this game is named Dr. Puss. Are you sold on it yet? Just in case you need to know more, Half-Inch Heist is a game that requires quick reactions and a keen sense of awareness. Work through every 8-bit stylized level with speed and endurance in your battle against the evil Dr. Puss. You’ll have to be quick, but you’ll need some stamina to keep up as each level gets harder and more challenging.
Epic Citadel (Android)
Experience the power of the Unreal Engine on your Android device. Epic Citadel does its best to live up to the “Epic” part of its name by offering gorgeous graphics that are essentially unmatched on the platform. While this game is really just an interactive demo for the Unreal Engine, Epic Citadel will impress and make you excited for the possibilities that it promises. You might enter thinking a game with no game elements is lame, but the visuals will be a pretty decent distraction.
Table Top Racing (iOS)
Ever sat down and watched a race and thought, “This would be so much better if they shrunk down all the cars and made them drive around household obstacles”? If you answered yes to that extremely specific question, then check out Table Top Racing. From the creators of the WipeOut franchise that was so beloved by PlayStation owners, Table Top Racing features multiplayer races with unique tracks and car upgrades that will have you burning rubber in unconventional places.
