5 Must-Download Apps This Week: Cinamatic, Voice + More!
Every week we get excited about new apps and our favorite recent downloads. “Are they really better this week… or are we just prone to geeking out over the sight of that little icon making new friends with all of our old faves?!” We think the latter and that is okay. This Saturday is no different, and you better make room (that’s what the cloud is for, right?) because we have apps that will up your video game, your wine IQ and even your navigational skillz. Oo, there’s even one to help celebrate the newest addition to the Brit + Co. family. Here’s what’s app-ening on our devices this week:
1. Cinamatic: You thought you were “so over” one-time-favorite photo app Hipstamatic, eh? Well, they’re back with a whole new app devoted to beautifying your videos. Mash up those clips to make short videos and nab Best Cinematographer on Vine/Instagram and Facebook with dreamy filters.
Cost: Free for iOS
2. Voice: Uh oh. PowerPoint’s hotter, younger cousin is new in town and, sorry PP, we think we’re in love. The latest iPad app from Adobe lets you create animated stories using your voice over killer, captivating pro graphics. Whether illustrating your cause’s mission statement, creating a commercial for your small business or sharing an unforgettable lesson with a classroom, Voice is about to be the next app in your pro tool belt.
Cost: Free for iPad
3. Delectable Wine: If you watch Scandal to see what Olivia is sipping, this is the download for you. Keep a virtual catalogue of your favorite wines, tasting notes, ratings and ones on your “to sip” list with a photo of the label that will match it and suggest others you might like. Delectable Wine brings together a community of serious sommeliers and sommel-wannabes (like you!) who will help you find more bottles like the one you’re drinking out or at a friend’s. There’s even an option to stock up and buy directly through the app.
We’re especially psyched to swill the info they’re pouring us since they just scored their first round of funding. Who knows what’s next? Hopefully, an Android app first, world wine domination a close second ;)
Cost: Free for iOS
4. PBS Kids Super Vision App: With the launch of our Just-for-Kids* section this week, we wanted to include an app ‘rents will love. PBS’s latest lets you oversee and check in on your little one’s digital doings in a way that’s more Loving Mother than Big Brother. Synced up with the PBS Kids website, parents can see what kids are clicking on and what they’re learning. The app also gives moms and dads the power to “gently” shut down the site when it’s time to turn off the computer and head to bed. (*FYI, it’s also for big kids!!)
Cost: Free for iOS, an Android version is in the works
5. Mela: We’re all about video apps that make you a little Kathryn Bigelow on-the-go, but this one (launched this week at TechCrunchDisrupt NY) encourages you to collaborate on videos with the rest of the world. Shoot and upload your videos, tagging them with three hashtags. When other users upload their creations using the same hashtag, all of these videos are mashed up to make one longer film. Cue, “We Are the World.”
Cost: Free for iOS
Update of the Week!
Should this section have its own theme music? We think it should definitely have its own theme music, and this week, it’s “Fancy.” First thing’s first, as much as we’ve tried with others, Google Maps is the realest source for all of our navigational needs. Version 3.0 is further proof that it’s your lifesaver when lost: They added new features like lane guidance, an improved and more informative navigation mode, offline map accessing and a direct line to your Uber app if you’d rather hail a car than walk or bus it. Maps even did something important that all major apps should do… they listened. Now, thanks to our demands, you can access contacts right from the app and pin dropping has never been easier to do, or easier to share.
RIP: App Death of the Week
Cue the much more morbid muzak. When we saw a Tweet from The Verge proclaiming that “Facebook Poke was dead” yesterday, we were excited. Now we would never have to respond to our old BFF’s father’s kinda-creepy poke-ing. Ever! We celebrated too soon. Poke *the app,* FB’s “joke” response to Snapchat has gone away, but The Finger lives on on the social network. Sorry we’re not sorry, but we will not be mourning this one. It lived a short, but nonsensical little life and it’s in a much better place now: nostalgia.
What apps did you download this week? Have you downloaded any of these