App stores are crowded places these days, and because storage space on your phone is often at a premium, you’ll want to find and fill it with not only the best, but also the most helpful apps out there. Because they come and go quicker than the latest fashion trends, and digging through Google Play, the iTunes App Store, or any of the others is such a mission; a little nudge in the right direction is often very welcome. Here are the apps we think you need to check out this week.
Google Photos
Google Plus , as a social network, hasn’t been entirely successful. But like many of Google’s experiments, that doesn’t really matter. Even if the whole fails, parts often find a way to succeed. That’s how one of Google Plus’s best kept secrets has turned into its own stand-alone product. Google Photos is the tool for digital photography that you’ve been wanting all along, even if you didn’t know it.
Google Photos has a heavy emphasis on organization, one of the sore spots of managing digital photos given the sheer massive amounts of snapshots we take. The Google machine identifies faces and locations and sorts your photos for you, making them searchable and easy to navigate. Even if you don’t care about those features, there’s another strong selling point: Google Photos offers free unlimited storage (provided your videos are no higher than 1080p and images no higher than 16MP).
Available at: iTunes Google Play
Pixelmator
With Photoshop Touch pulled from the App Store, you might be looking for a new option when it comes to touching up your pictures. Enter Pixelmator, sliding in just in time to snag all the Adobe refugees. The popular and powerful photo editing tool is packed with features for layer-based editing, making it easy to do everything from simple touchups to complete overhauls. Designed to give you desktop editing power on the go, the app is an ideal tool to make your photos look their best before posting.
Available at: iTunes
Unicorns
We are living in a livestreaming age, and things could not get more weird. It would all seem so invasive if we weren’t voluntarily taking part in it. Unicorns is the latest way to give people a glimpse into your life, but it’s a bit different than the rest. With Unicorns, you just stream your phone’s screen. That’s it. Other people can watch what you’re doing on your device in real time. You’ll have to install the app on your Mac then hook up your device, but as soon as you do, you can begin broadcasting browsing through app menus.
Available for: iOS
The Branch
When it comes to making mobile games, developer Ketchapp knows what its doing. Makers of the unbelievably addictive 2048 and a variety of other chart-toppers, the hitmakers apply their formula of challenging, fun, and beautiful simplicity to their latest creation The Branch. The concept is, as always, incredibly simple: stay on the branch as long as you can. It’s engaging, entertaining, and like many of the best quick-play games, you can play the game using one-hand.
Available at: iTunes
Hitman: Sniper
The popular Hitman franchise made its name on consoles and PC, and now it’s on your smartphone in the form of Hitman: Sniper. The game continues the killer legacy and puts you behind the scope of a high-powered rifle as you take aim at targets who stand in your way. About more than just hitting your target, Hitman: Sniper encourages finding creative solutions to taking down your enemies and rewards replaying levels with a leaderboard that will challenge you to up your score.
Available at: iTunes
