With the holiday season well over, new apps and updates are flooding all mobile platforms. Windows Phone is going to have a huge week with Microsoft (finally) detailing the future of the mobile OS with its Wednesday Windows 10 event. But until then, hold over your mobile phone obsessions by taking a look at new, great apps from this week.
Multi-Platform
Starlike
Are you currently drowning in social media? Do you need more social media to keep track of your social media so you can use social media to social media? Starlike is a constantly running feed of of everything your friends are liking, sharing, or favoriting across lots of social media websites. If you spend too much time weaving in and out of different apps just to see what your friends are up to, that’s where Starlike comes in. The idea might seem ridiculous, but there’s probably more of market for something like this than you’d think. [iOS/Android]
Android
Falcon Pro 3
Falcon Pro has long been considered one of the best Twitter clients out there, and the Tweet King returns with Falcon Pro 3, a completely new release with material design look and all around stunning UI. Right out of the gate, Pro 3 is missing a few features from the previous version, so it might be worth waiting for a couple updates, but even in a somewhat half-baked form, it’s still worth the money. [$US4]
Lightroom Mobile
Adobe finally releases a Lightroom app for Android. The app is Adobe’s premiere photo editor, and as far as mobile editors go, this one is for the professionals. Adobe brings all of the desktop power of Lightroom straight to your handset and any work you do on your smartphone syncs with the desktop application. Lightroom, like all of Adobe’s products, requires a creative cloud subscription for $US10/month (at least), but with the launch of the Lightroom app, you can test it out on your device for free for 30 days. [Free/$US10 per month]
iOS
Complete
The internet is filled with negativity. We can’t so quickly forget Gamergate and that resulting madness, can we? But Complete combines social networking with your to-do list, giving your goals — no matter how big or small — a healthy injection of encouragement. Post about how you want to start a band or run a half-marathon, and complete strangers will like and comment, offering advice or just giving you some “go for it” attitude. The world wide web needs a little more of this. [Free]
Gibbon
Smartphones having increasingly become invaluable tools for learning. With apps that let you learn another language or walk you through maths equations, the smartphone’s capacity to teach new things is only limited by the apps you download. If you’re looking to pick up a new skill or two, Gibbon is a growing community where you can sign up for “playlists” of articles and videos around the web that corrals that Wild West of internet content into one place. Playlists include iOS development, how to create startups, and lots of different design options among others. It’s worth a quick tour to see if anything grabs you. [Free]
AllCast
Want a no-hassle way to view cast media to your TV? Welcome to AllCast, the media casting app that plays with popular streaming sticks, consoles, and set-top boxes. Once you download the free app ($US5 to ditch the ads), just touch the cast button, select the source and fling it up on your TV. With just a swipe left or right, you move through all the content in that source. Pretty nifty considering the cost. [Free/$US5 in-app purchase]
Windows Phone
Phone Insider
This app is a bit of an oddity. Right now, in its current form, it doesn’t really do much, but following the upcoming Windows 10 event this Wednesday, it may become the portal for a preview for Microsoft’s new mobile platform. Details are few right now, but Microsoft promises that more info is coming so be prepared and tune in on Wednesday! [Free]