Best Apps of the Week: Pivvot, FIFA 14, Pocket Trains, and more

Best Apps of the Week 10_06_2013 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s finally starting to feel a little bit like fall. The colors on the leaves are changing, the winds are getting a little more brisk and the days are getting shorter. With those warm, summer days behind us and some chilly falls evenings upcoming, there’s only one thing to do: Bust out the pumpkin-flavored drinks, crank the heat, and curl up with your mobile device filled with new apps. We’ve collected our favorite new apps and updates of the week to help you out.

Evernote, BlackBerry (free)

BlackBerry might be having some major problems within the company but BlackBerry device users are getting more apps, so that’s something. Evernote, the popular note taking service that holds on to all the information that your brain can’t, has made its way to BlackBerry. For the business-centric clientele BlackBerry seems to attract, Evernote should be an invaluable tool for taking notes during meeting, keeping track of ideas from brainstorming sessions, and whatever other things people in suits do.

One Shot update, Windows Phone ($2)

Mobile devices have put cameras in the hands of nearly everyone. It wasn’t until recently that those cameras produced a picture that didn’t resemble those blurry pictures of the Lock Ness Monster. One Shot, one of the more popular camera apps for Windows Phone devices, adds real-time photo effects to make your pictures look even better. Now with version 3.0, you get new camera modes, sharing services and 6tag sharing, and 1:1 capture resolution. If you find it necessary to photograph every moment of your day, might as well do it through the lens of One Shot.

FIFA 14, iOS and Android (free)

If you have aspirations of managing your own soccer team, you could either spend years working your way up through the ranks of an organization to prove your worth and understanding of the game or you could download and play FIFA 14 on your mobile device. Sure, FIFA is pretend, but it’s also way more convenient. There are 600 teams, 16,000 players, and tons of game modes including the Ultimate Team mode that combines the card-based game element of building a deck and actual on-field action. There’s new controls this year as well, taking full advantage of the touch screen. It’s all the soccer you could want, right in your pocket.

WyFire, iOS (free)

If you’ve missed out on the AirDrop feature of iOS 7 or just want to expand it across other non-Apple devices, WyFire is the solution you’re looking for. It makes transferring files and photos between devices easy and quick. Using P2P networking to complete transfers, WyFire sends data directly from one device to another directly. It’s ideal for quickly sharing large files between you and your friends or between your own devices when you want to move media around.

The Football App update, iOS and Android (free)

More soccer? Why not? It’s the season for it and the sport is bigger than ever. If you find yourself just getting into the game or you’re a fanatic that just can’t get enough, The Football app is a must-have. The comprehensive coverage of the game provided in-app includes live game commentary, hundreds of news articles published daily, highlights from all leagues, and more. In the latest version of the app, you’ll get to experience the new match day Fan Zone to communicate with other fans over the course of match. Owners of iOS 7 devices will also notice a style change to fit the new OS.

Pocket Trains, iOS and Android (free)

First there was Pocket Planes. Now the folks at NimbleBit have taken to the rails for their latest game, Pocket Trains. What’s next, Pocket Automobiles? If you’ve played Pocket Planes before, you’ll understand and be able to pick up and play this game with no problem. You are put in charge of your own railroad and tasked with updating your trains and keeping them running on time to get deliveries to the intended destination. There are daily events that you can compete in to improve your steamers and diesels as well. Turns out old modes of transportation can find new life in mobile game form.

Linqapp, Android (free)

You can find a crowdsourced solution for just about everything – and if there isn’t one yet, you can always Kickstart your own. Linqapp takes the task of learning a new language and translating texts between dialects to the crowd. It hooks up language learners with native speakers to give translation help when automated services fall short. You can take a picture of a sign or record someone speaking in a language you don’t understand, send it off via Linqapp, and receive assistance from someone who can help you.

Dictionary.com update, iOS (free)

Dictionary.com is an invaluable reference. It’s far more convenient than having to lug around a physical dictionary and now with its latest update for iOS, it looks quite a bit better as well. The app got a huge style overhaul and now blends in with the iOS 7 environment. Navigation has been improved, adding a new sidebar menu to provide immediate access to the parts of the app you’re most likely to use. Additionally, you can share excerpts via SMS and iMessage. Some fixes to the search functionality round out this well-rounded update.

Pivvot, iOS and Android ($3)

If you simply look at screenshots of Pivvot, it’s probably hard to tell exactly what is going on in the game. On top of that attractive look, Pivvot offers players challenging, strategic gameplay that will test their ability to make quick decisions. Part problem-solving puzzle game, part instinctual reaction test, Pivvot will give players over seven game modes to experience and a constantly progressing difficulty levels to compete with. Plus, with procedurally generated paths, you’ll never be presented with the same game twice. Pivvot will keep you guessing, but you won’t want to stop playing.