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October 12, 2014

Our 5 favourite new Windows Phone apps of the week



Hey, it’s the weekend! Have you been busy downloading apps all week? What – work got in the way? Tsk! Well, never mind: that’s what we’re here for.

We’ve spent the past seven days filtering through all the new releases and major updates to find five stellar downloads for you all – and here they are! Now, that’s what we call work…

Wave Master

What is it: an audio editing app

Why we love it: This is hardcore, as Pulp would say: a full-blown professional piece of sound-editing kit, especially designed for WP 8.1 customers. It’s got multiple tracks, a proper waveform editor and a bunch of effects to apply; you can edit existing tracks or record right into the app; and it supports several different export formats. A great addition to the Store.

Who it’s perfect for: audiophiles and podcasters (WP8.1 only)

Wave Master app

 HiLight

What is it: a reflex game

Why we love it: This is a musical reflex game; a musical sequence is tapped out using on-screen buttons, and you have to mimic it. It’s on a timer, too, so you have to get it right (it gets increasingly difficult as the sequences grow longer and more complex) and do it fast. The monochromatic animation is beautiful. Tricky but compulsive!

Who it’s perfect for: piano players!

HiLight app

Blinkbox Music

What is it: A music streaming service from Tesco

Why we love it: This is a decent alternative to the other (excellent) music apps out there: with an archive of 12 million hits presented in the form of curated playlists (aka Station) and a personalized radio stream that takes into account which tracks you ‘like’ or ‘dislike’, it’s definitely worth a whirl. The free version is ad-supported, but for £1 a week you can upgrade to the ad-free subscription service.

Who it’s perfect for: UK music fans

BlinkBox

 Xim

What is it: a photo-sharing service

Why we love it: This is Microsoft’s new one: an app that lets you share your pictures with other nearby devices without either handing over your phone or sending them a whole bunch of bulky files. Xim sends a link to the other users (it’s multi-platform) and then lets you swipe/zoom through the shared photos on all the devices at the same time, like a semi-private group slideshow. The pictures then expire after a set time. Nice for showing off the holiday snaps without clogging up somebody else’s storage space! Users can, however, choose to save a photo or take a screenshot. So far, it’s US-only, but we hope it’ll spread…

Who it’s perfect for: photo fans

Xim app

Carcassonne

What is it: a board game

Why we love it: Okay, it’s a boardless board game, given that it’s a virtual board, but we’re still psyched! This used to be available as a WP7 game, but it’s been revamped and upgraded with a new cross-platform multiplayer mode that should suit plenty of people. It’s a tile-placement ‘real life’ board game: you use your tiles to build up worlds (cities roads, fields, etc) and you can try to thwart other players’ constructions. It’s a little complicated, but very absorbing once you get going, and we think we’ll be hooked very quickly…

Who it’s perfect for: gamers of all ages

Carcassonne

Impressed? Or bemused at our choices? Have your own say! Drop a comment and let us know which apps have rocked your word this week. And remember to spread the app love!