Our favourite 5 new Windows Phone apps of the week
Who loves Windows Phone apps? We do, we do! And we know you do, too, dear reader, which is why we’re sharing the love once again this week.
Below you’ll find details of five of our favourite new and update apps from the last seven days, including links to download them: from chalkboards to choking (the prevention of, ahem), we think you’ll find them well worth a look.
Chalkboard
What is it? A doodle-pad for your Lumia
Why we love it: Like the freehand note-taking apps and the painting ones that are very popular for kids, Chalkboard is a way of making notes and doodles without adhering to a template. It looks great – like a chalkboard, unsurprisingly – and it’s got enough finessing tools under its bonnet that you can actually draw some pretty sophisticated pics before sharing them to Facebook. A great way of passing the time in meetings…
Who it’s perfect for: scribblers of all ages
App Folder
What is it? A Lumia exclusive: an app that lets you organize your other apps
Why we love it: There are other apps that let you group your apps and games, but once you’ve downloaded the Nokia Lumia Black update this one is quick and easy and seamlessly integrated into the Metro design. In face, even though it’s a Nokia app and we’re a bit biased, we think it’s the best of the bunch so far. It’s very handy, allows you to maximize your home screen and order your apps whatever way you choose rather than just by the default alphabetization. Fantastic!
Who it’s perfect for: neat and tidy Lumia users
Barclays Mobile Banking
What is it? Official WP8 mobile app for UK bank Barclays
Why we love it: It does what you’d expect: if you’re a Barclay’s customer you can use it to manage your accounts check your balance and transfer funds. Obviously this a region-specific app with a limited user base, but we’re always glad to see the major banks join the WP party.
Who it’s perfect for: Barclays customers
Fhotolens
What is it? A photography app
Why we love it: It’s an app that, amongst other things, simulates a fisheye lens, which makes it a very cute addition to the WP photography portfolio. Easy to use with funky results, it’s not going to totally alter your life, but it’ll make holiday snapshots look pretty nifty. It also does a very neat line in macro, landscape and portrait shots, and if you’ve got Fhotoroom installed (we recommend that you get that, too), you can skip from one app to the other to edit your shots. Excellent stuff.
Who it’s perfect for: photographers of all abilities
St John Cymru Wales
What is it? A first-aid app
Why we love it: St John, or St John Ambulance, are an international affiliation of first-aid organisations, and this, their official WP app, is a fantastic resource for any emergency. No internet connection is required beyond the initial download, so you can use it anywhere, and it’s got clear and thorough instructions on how to deal with situations from fractures and CPR to burns and sprains. You can dial the emergency number from within the app (you can set your own region’s number from the settings). This is one of the most useful non-techy apps we’ve seen in a long time.
Who it’s perfect for: practically-minded WP users
Another five crackers this week, question is which ones do you like best? And if they’re are any new or updated apps we’ve left of the list, we’d love to hear about them down below.