It’s a brand new year and we’ve got a fresh list of apps to keep you occupied. We’ve combed through the myriad of app stores to bring you our picks for the five best new apps of the week.
Space Jet
If you didn’t get enough dogfighting action in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, perhaps Space Jet can satisfy your galactic appetite. It’s an online-only spaceship shooter, where you’ll be battling other people around the world. There’s no single-player campaign, sadly, and sometimes you’ll find yourself losing your connection to the server. But the game feels polished and is aesthetically pleasing. There’s no X-Wing, but you can choose from 20 ships to commandeer and shoot down enemy players. The game also has various daily challenges, and you need to obtain in-game currency to upgrade your ships. It also has in-app purchases, but best of all, it’s available on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android.
Microsoft Selfie
Oh look a new Windows Phone app — er, wait iOS only? Microsoft? It’s strange, but not unsurprising, as the company has been releasing more and more apps for other operating systems. As the name suggests, this app is all about selfies and how you look. It takes age, gender, skin tone, lighting, and other factors into account as it captures your face. It then applies various models and “enhances” how you look. Basically, it’ll smoothen out your face — via a slider — and get rid of any blemishes. There are quite a few filters to choose from and the app even reduces noise.
ListaPost
If you’re constantly taking screenshots of Instagram posts to save them or share them, you may want to check out ListaPost. The app shows you your Instagram feed, but its primary function is the ability to save posts to custom lists, regardless of who posted the image. The neat thing about the app is that when you put an image into a custom list, it doesn’t save it to your phone, saving you valuable space on your device.
Neqtr
It’s a new year, and maybe you’re hoping to find that special someone. Neqtr wants to help. The company behind Neqtr says the app is for “socially conscious people” hoping to find someone for love or for friendship. The service matches you based on common interests, such as yoga or activism. It tries to find you a partner for doing things that you are passionate about, such as going for a hike or volunteering for a charity. The company has paired with more than 40 non-profits, grassroots organizations, and conscious health groups to find new date ideas for people who get matched.
WeShelter
This one’s a little strange and is local to New York City, but it has good intentions. Every time you pass a homeless person, open the app, tap a button, and a sponsoring company will “make a contribution” to one of many NYC-based homeless services organizations. The idea is to give people the capacity to help make a difference to end homelessness in the city. You technically don’t have to tap when you see a homeless person, but each tap will usually bring in about 5 cents. More money will be donated when you share to social networks from the app. Ninety percent of donations will go to charities, while the company keeps 10 percent for “operational costs.”
