Welcome to another Apps of the Week as we take a tour of all the great software fit for your 5-inch (or so) smartphone screen. As usual, photography comes front and centre, your smartphone can now power up into a wireless keyboard and Windows Phone finally gets in on one of the biggest gaming apps ever created.
Let’s see what we’ve got.
Multiplatform
Crossroad
Not going to lie, this is my absolute favourite app of the week. The idea is incredibly simple. You’re going on a roadtrip or to a music festival and you want to share the experience with your friends — but maybe not all your followers on Instagram, Twitter, or whatever. Instead you power up Crossroad, select your friends, and that’s it. As you take pictures, the photos will be collected into a photo album that only the friends you’ve selected can see. It’s also all stored on the desktop version as well. Definitely worth it if you want to take some photos and share with some privacy. [Free]
Android
Intel Remote Keyboard
Intel doesn’t waste any time describing its apps. From the name, you can probably take a solid guess about what we’re talking about here. The app is designed to work with Intel’s not-so-great Compute Stick, but you can download the companion software on any Windows device running Windows 7 or higher (not 10). Your smartphone basically does everything already. Why not make it a mouse and keyboard as well. [Free]
Addappt
My contact book is a mess. I’m hoping Addappt can help. This app brings some context to your address book and can important your favourite contacts from your current native app. The idea is to make the address book actually functional again, and if you haven’t tried it yet, Addappt had a huge UI overhaul in June. So now is definitely the time to test it out. [Free]
iOS
Retype
Lots of apps can add type to your photos, but Retype is an app that really focuses on the typography aspect of your digital artwork to make the most unique pictures possible. In certain situations, Typography can be as important as the picture itself and Retype gives the artform some proper attention. [$3.79]
Tagsdock
For me, there is such a thing as #hashtag overload, but if you’re one to fly loose with hashtags — trying to garner as many likes and followers as possible — then this keyboard is going to save you a shitload of time. This custom keyboard for iOS 8 basically curates hundreds of Instagram hashtags that you just have to push and move on. It’s pretty convenient — if you’re a hashtag addict, that is. [$1.29]
Windows Phone
Eyefi Mobi
We often talk about interconnectivity among laptops, smartphones, and tablets. (That’s what Apple’s Handoff feature is supposed to do anyway.) But one important gadget-to-gadget connection is often missing — DSLR to smartphone. That’s where Eyefi Mobi’s app and cards come into play. If your high-end camera snaps photos with an Eyefi Mobi card, then all those photos can now be displayed wirelessly on your Windows device. It’s an essential trick for the true technology master. [Free]
QuizUp
QuizUp is an app that’s all about quizzes (naturally). Many slinging iOS and Android devices have long enjoyed the robust PvP quiz game and now Windows Phone is finally able to get in on the action. Warning: Addiction may follow. [Free]