It’s been another app-tastic week for Windows Phone lovers, and we hope you’ve unearthed as many goodies as we have! But, in case not, we’d like to save you the trouble of trawling through all the new releases. Read on to hear about our top five favourite apps from the last seven days…
App title: HERE Maps
What is it? A special update for Nokia’s bundled map service for Nokia Lumia phones.
Why we love it? The latest add-on to HERE Maps incorporate LiveSight, which you might recognise from Nokia CityLens: it’s an augmented reality feature that shows you what’s around. Hold your phone flat and you get a regular map; tilt it upright, and your phone’s camera will kick in, showing you the scene before you, but with icons pointing out nearby restaurants, shops, and places of interest. Swipe down on each one for details. The best thing is, though, that it works offline. Sweet! (Note: this doesn’t work on the Lumia 520. Sorry!)
Who it’s perfect for: Curious walkers, shoppers, urban adventurers.
App title: Ringtone Maker Beta
What is it? An app that convert your music files into ringtones.
Why we love it? This one, though still in beta, has been out for a while, but the latest upgrade means that the song clips you choose can now be sixty seconds long, compared to the previous thirty, which sounds better of course, but is also more useful for those of us that lose out phones in our bags. Ahem. Supports MWA, M4A, WMA and AAC formats as well as good old MP3.
Who it’s perfect for: People who actually use their smartphones as phones, as well as mobile computers.
App title: SoundGecko
What is it? Converts text files into audio files so you can listen to online articles.
Why we love it? Another one that longer-term Windows users might recognise, SoundGecko’s text-to-sound genius has been updated to make it easier to source interesting content. When you create an account, or login, you can select themed ‘stations’ that automatically upload with content to suit you, or choose from a huge range of individual providers—the New York Times, the Guardian, whatever. There’s also a Chrome plugin so you can synch articles from your desktop to your phone.
Who it’s perfect for: News-hounds, drivers, visually impaired people.
App title: Disney Expedition
What is it? A comprehensive guide to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Why we love it? Sometimes the best apps have really specific uses, and this one fits the bill. A walk-through guide and companion for Disney World visitors, it’s got maps, hotel activities, ride descriptions including height guides and age restrictions, wait times, character meeting locations and times, directions to the nearest baby-changing facilities and bathrooms: you won’t need a guidebook if you’ve got this.
Who it’s perfect for: Parents
App title: Peregrine
What is it? A free twitter client for Windows Phones
Why we love it? There are dozens of twitter apps out there (and not least the official one!), but few are as nice to look at as Peregrine. It’s clean and fast, and this latest update includes orientation lock and instant streaming—but, crucially, it’s instant streaming that remembers your position on the timeline, so you don’t get zoomed ahead and miss out. It also responds to voice control, for handsfree access. One to watch…
Who it’s perfect for: Tweeters
That’s this week’s fab five, but we know there’s a ton more cracking apps out more. If you’ve discovered one, please share it with the rest of us in the comments below.
Image credit: Steve Bowbrick