Monday, December 31, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Most popular smartphone game apps target the physical world

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:49 AM PST

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The mobile app marketing strategy is still going on in full swing as is evident from the shelves of the popular store, Target. You can now have your kids play popular mobile games in a more traditional way than having them lost in the world of smartphones and/or tablets. Playing any game the physical way rather than through apps has its own old world charm and it does give a much needed break to eyes that are strained beyond limits with viewing device screens during the most part of the day.

One great example of a popular game going the traditional way is Rovio’s Angry Birds. Two such games available in Target stores are Angry Birds Knock on Woods and Angry Birds Space, which truly transport you back in time to your childhood days when it was normal to carry around a slingshot.

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One of the most popular games in the Angry Bird series, Angry Birds Star Wars, has stormed itself to numero uno position in app stores and it now has a physical version as well which you can think of gifting kids. The same goes for the Angry Birds Star Wars Jenga Death Star Game, which is available in physical form with a cute set of toys that the kids will love to play with.

Another great mobile game, Cut the Rope, is also available from Target.

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How about an idol that talks? This is what you get with Temple Run Card Game, which has appeared in the physical version as well. It is not that the kids get the much-needed exercise playing the physical version of this game, however, the least it does is to wean them away from the electronic devices they are so accustomed and even addicted to. Disney's game Where's My Water is another favorite that is already making its way into the physical version market.

Will most popular apps soon be available in new formats? How well app addicts accept this is something that one needs to wait and see. One thing is for sure though, all these gaming companies are now trying to capitalize the success of their popular apps by making them available through physical form.

In case he missed them this year, Santa can add these gifts in his bag for the next Christmas season and with these physical games he can give kids a much needed break to interact with their siblings and cousins. Don't you think so?

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Senator asks FAA to reform rules on using devices

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 02:32 AM PST

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Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill is on your side. Recently, Sen. McCaskill wrote a letter to the FAA asking that travelers be able to use their electronic devices in-flight, and for the duration of the flight. Currently, concerns over any device that emits a radio frequency prohibit us from using our gadgets during take-off or landing sequences.

Calling the current rules “inconvenient to travelers,” Sen. McCaskill also pointed out that those rules lack a scientific basis. While it may all sound a bit like sour grapes from a traveler who happens to be a senator, Sen. McCaskill sits on a Senate Committee for Commerce, Science and Transportation which has oversight on aviation communication policy. An excerpt from her letter to the FAA chief points out that pilots are now allowed to use tablets in lieu of paper flight plans, which causes skepticism amongst travelers:

As you surely know, the public is growing increasingly skeptical of prohibitions on the use of many electronic devices during the full duration of a flight, while at the same time using such devices in increasing numbers. For example, a traveler can read a paper copy of a newspaper throughout a flight, but is prohibited from reading the same newspaper for major portions of the flight when reading it on an e-reader. The fear of devices that operate on electricity is dated, at best. Importantly, such anachronistic policies undermine the public’s confidence in the FAA, thereby increasing the likelihood that rules of real consequence will be given too little respect. The absurdity of the current situation was highlighted when the FAA acted earlier this year to allow tablet computers to replace paper flight manuals in the cockpit, further enhancing the public’s skepticism about the current regulations.

The full copy of the letter can be found on Senator McCaskill’s website (see Source link below). While the inability to use a smartphone or tablet during a flight is definitely an inconvenience, the FAA is slow to adopt changes to rules. Would you be interested in the ability to use your device for the duration of your flight?

 

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HTC Droid DNA vs HTC One X+ [video]

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:08 PM PST

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HTC has had some hard times as of late. Once a major player in smartphones, for a while the company seemed to all but disappear, releasing phones that either fell short compared to other devices on the market, or didn't make enough waves to really be talked about.

Lately, it seems that HTC is making a major effort to regain the position it once held as a top manufacturer of smartphones, throwing its hat in the ring with both Android and Windows Phone 8. Of course, one look at the name of this site will show which one we're more interested in talking about.

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The original HTC One X was well received, but fairly quickly outclassed by higher spec'd devices. Instead of starting from the ground up, HTC smartly upgraded some components, changed the look a bit and released the results as the HTC One X+.

It seems that elsewhere within HTC, the idea to build a new flagship from scratch had taken hold, however, as not long after the release of the One X+, the HTC Droid DNA was released. Now we're pitting these two devices against each other to see which one comes out on top.

In a hurry? Check out our video review or jump to the conclusion!

Build Quality & Design

The build quality of both phones is generally very good, as it should be for two of HTC's highest-end phones. Despite both the HTC Droid DNA and the HTC One X+ being made of plastic, they feel very solid, while remaining light.

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Obviously which look you're going to prefer is very subjective. Personally, I like the red accents on the Droid DNA. I also prefer the feel of the Droid DNA to the One X+, though I find that the haptic feedback on the One X+ feels a little more solid.

The button layouts are very similar with the capacitive buttons, volume buttons and headphone jack being located in the same spots. The location of the power button is the main difference, with the HTC Droid DNA placing it in the center of the top of the device, and the One X+ placing it to the right side of the top. The location of the USB port is different as well, with it being located on the bottom of the Droid DNA, and the left side of the One X+.

Display

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It would be very easy to simply hand victory to the HTC Droid DNA in the display category, thanks to its 1080p resolution and 441 ppi pixel density, and it does best the HTC One X+, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the display on the One X+ is bad. Far from it.

While 720p resolution and 321 ppi pixel density might not sound like much compared to the Droid DNA's screen, the One X+ still boasts a fairly nice looking display. Is the Droid DNA's screen better? Yes, but you're not always going to notice this. It depends on what is being rendered on-screen.

Performance

I have stated before that I'm not a big fan of benchmarks, and that I don't use them as a foundation for my thoughts on a device. Still, when trying to spot performance differences between two devices, they do have their use.

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In my testing, I found that in nearly every case, the HTC Droid DNA received higher scores than the HTC One X+ in the benchmark tests I used. There were, however a few exceptions. Whenever the tests in question relied more heavily on the GPU than the CPU, the HTC One X+ would often produce higher framerates. Despite the higher clocked processor, the HTC One X+ produced lower scores in CPU-bound tests.

When looking at the two devices in use, the two devices are much closer. I never found a situation where one device was significantly faster than the other, though obviously the HTC Droid DNA was incapable of running Tegra-specific games.

Camera

If the rear-facing cameras on the HTC Droid DNA and the HTC One X+ aren't identical, they are close enough that they might as well be. Aperture, focal length and megapixel count are all identical, and photos from one device are indistinguishable from those taken on the other device, given that they are of the same subject in the same conditions.htc-droid-dna-camera

This applies to the 1080p video capture as well. As you'll see in the accompanying video further down in the article, it is very difficult to tell which device was used to capture a video. This is a good thing, as the cameras on both phones take very nice photos and videos.

Things change when we get to the front-facing cameras. While the 2.1-megapixel camera on the HTC Droid DNA captures 1080p video, the 1.6-megapixel camera on the HTC One X+ is only capable of capturing 720p video. This is a relatively small issue, but still one worth mentioning.

Battery

While there have been many complaints about the low-capacity battery in the HTC Droid DNA, it isn't too often that we hear the same complaint about the One X+. This is strange as the battery in the One X+ only holds 80 mAh more, at 2,100 mAh to the 2,020 mAh battery in the Droid DNA.

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Further, in my testing, I found the battery in the HTC One X+ seemed to drain far more quickly than the HTC Droid DNA. This was especially noticeable when benchmarking the two devices, and in testing the gaming capabilities of both phones.

It's very clear that neither of these phones are going to hold up to the 3,000+ mAh batteries found in devices like Samsung's Galaxy Note 2, but it's important to keep in mind that most people don't put as much strain on a battery in daily use as it sees during testing for reviews. I have found that the battery in the HTC Droid DNA fares much better during daily use than it did during testing.

Video

Conclusion

In a perfect world, it would be nice to see a model of the HTC Droid DNA that had the internal storage and faster GPU of the HTC One X+. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world.

When choosing between the Droid DNA or the One X+, the deciding factors are likely to be internal storage and screen size, with style coming in at a distant third. In the end, it depends on what is more important to you.

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Personally, I lean toward the HTC Droid DNA as I prefer the slightly larger screen, higher resolution and increased pixel density. The better performance doesn't hurt either. That said, I obviously can't speak for everyone, and I'm the type of person that doesn't have much use for a large amount of storage.

Given the choice, which of these phones would you choose and why? Let us know in the comments below!

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China to require real name registration for Internet users

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 07:07 PM PST

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This issue has been discussed before, and has been considered as an affront to the freedoms that Internet users enjoy. But this is China, and it’s a regime that’s a unique mix of forward-looking innovation and limiting restrictions. The latest issue that Chinese Internet users might need to be concerned about: real name registration.

One big issue at the recent International Telecommunications Union (ITU) conference was that restrictive governments want tighter control over Internet use and the flow of information. While that particular proposition had been nipped at the bud — thanks to Google and other big companies voicing out their side, not to mention that the U.S. does not want such regulatory moves — Internet freedom is here to stay. That is if you’re not in China.

The country, after all, is known for its so-called “Great Firewall of China,” in which access to services that can be used for dissent is blocked. There is no Facebook, Twitter nor YouTube in China, as well as several Google services, although local alternatives thrive because of this very limitation.

It’s not the same as the Internet at large, though, where everyone can have a voice without being silenced or censored. Government is planning to mandate that all Internet users register using their real names. Sina Weibo — China’s biggest microblogging service — has been doing this since earlier this year. However, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) has made a proposal that will require anyone who goes online to identify themselves with their real names on an ISP level.

It’s not all that bad, at least from the government’s perspective. The provision also plans to combat abuse, such as spam — particularly sending business-related content to email accounts and mobile phones without user consent. The provisions also give users a mechanism for reporting abuse.

Also, real name are registered with the ISP, and users can still register anonymous accounts with social networking services and microblogs. Li Fei, director of the committee’s Commission on Legislative affairs assures Chinese Internet users that the identity management “could be conducted backstage,” adding that users can still “use different names when publicizing information.”

Chinese bloggers already use code-names and coded messages when posting information online, though. But even with such anonymity, messages and posts can still be traced back to one’s real identity once registration is enforced. There is no word on when this government mandate will take effect. But one thing is for sure: with almost 600 million Internet users in the country, this would be one big task for government and ISPs to handle.

And given that a good majority of Chinese Internet users get online through mobile devices, this piece of news should also be relevant to those using smartphones and tablets.

Should Chinese Internet users worry? Going beyond regional concerns, should users elsewhere worry that their governments might soon require real-name registration before gaining access to Internet services? To some extent, users in the U.S. already do, for instance — particularly those that go online from mobile data plans with contracts or other post-paid wireline services. Should this be any different?

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Android Central

Android Central


Notification Weather: an elegant way to check the forecast

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 02:20 PM PST

Notification Weather

The release of Android 4.1 and 4.2 Jelly Bean brought several improvements to the handling and functionality of notifications. With expandable, actionable and prioritized notifications, developers can manage their apps and take control of what goes on when a notification is presented to the user. Notification Weather, as the name implies, takes advantage of the new notification options in Jelly Bean to elegantly present the weather to you when you drop down the pane.

It seems like everyone's got a favorite weather app loaded on their device already, so does Notification Weather have what it takes to become your new favorite? Read on past the break and see what this one has to offer.

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From the Editor's Desk: What we're using, 2012 edition

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 07:05 AM PST

Phil Nickinson

As we close out the year, it's time to take a look back at things. I've never been all that keen on "year's best" lists for applications, though that doesn't mean they don't necessarily serve a purpose. There are so many good apps, so many updates. Instead, I think it's a little more fun to take a look at how each one of us uses our phones and tablets. 

Are they travel companions? I, for one, remember all too well navigating the backwoods (or what seemed like the backwoods) or Louisiana and Mississippi and Georgia and Florida during my school-age years, playing soccer. We did it with maps. On paper. That didn't move. Or update. That any of us made it back alive is a miracle.

What about bedside readers? Does your tablet even make it out of the boudoir? Does it spend as much time (or more) in the bathroom as you do?

I'm always fascinated to read about how folks use their technology, and inevitably I learn a trick or two that I'll want to try as well. So let's walk through what I used in 2012, and how I used it. In the coming days, you'll hear from the other names and faces behind Android Central and see just what it is we use on a daily basis. Want to get in on the fun yourself? Hit up this forum thread and share your stash with the world.

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Amazon's Kindle daily book deals are a great way to build your library

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 05:23 PM PST

Kindle deals

If you got a Kindle device this year for the holidays, don't forget about the Kindle Store Daily Deals. There are always plenty of books for just $1.99, and they change daily. It's a great way to build your library on the cheap.

You need a Kindle or Kindle Fire to buy them, but once purchased they are in your Amazon account and can be read on any device with a Kindle app. With WhisperSync taking care of your bookmarks, you'll be hard pressed to find a better reading solution anywhere. To find them, just open the Kindle store from your tablet and look for the Daily Deals link on the right. 

You'll always find deals and specials in the music and video store as well, but the Kindle deals are a solid perk for having one of Amazon's tablets. Take advantage of it if you like to read and have a Kindle device. I just picked up William Alexander's "The $64 Tomato" and plan on spending the evening enjoying the warm indoors with it.



Google Android News Android Forums

Google Android News Android Forums


TalkAndroid Staff Picks: Best Android Games for 2012

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:55 PM PST

We already made our picks for best phones and best apps for 2012, and now it’s time for the best game. 2012 finally brought console quality games to Android, but overall, we saw major growth for games that appealed to both casual and hardcore gamers. Although we don’t agree on the best of the best, one thing we can agree on is that we are all looking forward to what 2013 has in store. Hit the break to see the results and let us know your favorites.

Robert Nazarian – Editor In Chief

So many cool games were launched in 2012, and although many of them had some pretty cool graphics and intense gameplay, to me it’s also about widespread appeal. Taking that into consideration, I have to go with Jetpack Joyride. It arrived a little late in the year, but with over 10 million downloads in three months, it’s hard not to argue that it’s a game that appeals to the beginner as well as the hardcore. The fact that it’s an absolute blast to play doesn’t hurt either. The runner up for me was Granny Smith. It’s not nearly as popular as Jetpack, but is so much fun and is one of the most clever games I have played in a long time. Other worthy contenders include Dead Trigger, Shadowgun: Deadzone, Modern Warfare, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. They are all cool games that look sweet and sport great gameplay, but since they appeal to a smaller (barely) audience, I have to tip my hat to Halfbrick Studios.

Roy Alugbue – Editor

A near-unanimous staple on most gamers’ devices, Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation brings some serious fast-paced action to gamers. The game features incredible graphics, fluid controls, dynamic levels and some pretty impressive AI running the show. The real appeal of this game (like most other shooters) isn’t the single-player campaign (which is solid in its own right)— it’s the astounding mulitplayer mode that allows for up to 12 of your friends to be able to play in anything from a standard deathmatch to team-based battles, which could ultimately lead to hours and hours of gameplay.The only catch with the game is the fact that it requires up to a few gigs of storage space on your device in order provide the incredible level of detail it offers, so gamers will need to set aside some precious real-estate on their devices in order for the game to run. While that is a minor dealbreaker, the overall experience Fallen Nation provides has been easily been one of the best. Ladies and gents if you want to play one of the more exciting games out there— Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation is where it’s at.

Ed Caggiani – Author

Create a pathogen. Infect the world. Kill everyone. Plague, Inc. is not only addictively evil, it’s highly intelligent as well. Ndemic Creations has created a game that makes you think about how to strategically mutate and evolve your pathogen to be highly infectious, while maintaining a low lethality to keep governments from working on a cure too early. Once everyone in the world is infected, it’s time to amp up the symptoms and increase the kill rate. Can you kill everyone in the world before a cure is engineered? Once you succeed, you unlock other pathogens, from bacteria and viruses, to parasites and bio-weapons. Each has its own twist to keep gameplay interesting. This was the most played game on all my Android devices in 2012.

Colton Kaiser – Author

Picking the best game of 2012 is no simple task. We’ve seen thousands of titles from numerous well-established studios, each with its own strengths and caveats. With that said, there was one game that stood out apart from the rest of the pack this year. With its simple and charming approach, Granny Smith takes the cake, or in this case the apple. Mediocre Games has crafted an utterly spectacular gem of a game, offering Sonic-esque gameplay reminiscent of the old days of SEGA. The idea is simple, too. You’re an old lady trying to beat a punk skater in order to collect your precious apples. There are two controls: One to jump over obstacles, and one to stick out your cane and zip down power lines collecting coins in the process. It may sound a little too casual for some, but it’s this game that I found myself coming back to time and time again.

Jared Peters – Author

Despite a little piracy controversy over the price of the game, Dead Trigger is one of the most fun, addictive first person shooters available in Google Play. Madfinger has a long track record of fantastic shooters for Android, and Dead Trigger follows suit. It offers hectic zombie slaying, a huge arsenal of weapons to keep you entertained, and even a few little mini games to take your mind off the end of the world, like an arena and a slot machine. It also supports extended graphics for Tegra 3 devices, which make the game look even more amazing. Couple that with great controls and native controller support, and you’ve got a winning combination.

Rudy Rivapalacio – Author

My choice for best game of the year probably isn’t the most addictive nor will it spawn tons of merchandising partnerships. Ingress, however, is a lot of fun and has loads of potential. The augmented reality game is still in a private beta with about as many people trying to get in as people currently playing the capture the flag-type MMO. Game play can be repetitive and portal placement has been questionable in the early stages but the scale and possibilities make Ingress pretty damn awe-inspiring.

Alexon Enfiedjian – Author

I have to admit: I'm not really a gamer. I literally have ZERO games on my Android devices. However, when I got my first Android phone in 2009 (the HTC Hero for Sprint), I did download a few games: Trapped, Jewels, Paper Toss and Angry Birds…so when Rovio launched Angry Birds Space, I felt nostalgic and thought I’d give it a try. It was smooth, well animated, had fun sounds, and the usual addictive game play. I played it for about thirty minutes (which for me is a long time). I thoroughly enjoyed myself and thought Rovio had done a good job coming up with some new and interesting ideas regarding the game physics and lack of gravity. The game was fun and free, what more do you need?. It stayed on my phone for about a week. So, all that to say, I may not be the most qualified person to vote for the best game of 2012, but if I had to choose, I'd go with Angry Birds Space.


Subway Time App Gives New York City Subway Riders Added Sense Of Peace

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:03 AM PST

 

If you’re like me and live in New York City, you know that the subway schedules can be hit or miss at times, so it’s fairly common to miss a train or two during any given day– potentially causing some major angst. Fortunately, relief is finally at hand as the MTA has announced it is giving real-time updates via public data for all of its riders. The data (which is iOS-based), is pushed through to a newly-released app called Subway Time by a third-party developer called The Holodeck, giving riders a greater sense of peace knowing how soon a particular train will be at a particular station.

The app is currently in beta at this time, so naturally the app has its fair share of gaffes and bugs, but we’re optimistic everything will be worked on and hopefully, we’ll possibly see a perfected app sooner than later. The app is available now for all of you in the New York City area, so head on down to the Play Store link and give it a whirl today.

 

 

Play Store

 


TalkAndroid Staff Picks: Best Android Apps for 2012

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 01:34 PM PST

Yesterday the TalkAndroid staff picked their best phones for 2012, and now it’s time for apps. Games aren’t included in this one because we will do a separate post for that. The only other stipulation is that the app had to launch in 2012, but there are a couple of minor exceptions as you will see below. Without further adieu  hit the break to see the results. Don’t forget to let us know what your picks are in the comments.

Robert Nazarian – Editor In Chief

This is a very tough one. If you consider that probably 300,000+ apps launched in 2012, how do you pick the best one? The best app might actually be the one that very few people know about, but ultimately you have to go with what made the biggest impact for Android users. I think that has to be Instagram. Android fans were begging for it as it was long overdo. When it finally landed in the Play Store, Android fans rejoiced and at the same time Apple fans cried out like little babies. That’s what I call an impact, and any app that makes Apple fans cry is a winner in my book.

Roy Alugbue – Editor

As soon as it was announced, Instagram was welcomed to the Android community with open-arms and hated by many outsiders, but there’s no doubt about the fact that it has certainly made a major splash in its brief existence on Android. The app brought a new means for individuals to share cool photos with friends and family, albeit in a looney, retro-filtered way of sorts. Here’s a quick and easy way of gauging Instagram’s popularity: since it’s release back in early April, the app has achieved a whopping 50,000,000 downloads and the fast-growing user base spreads across 25 countries as of this writing. Instagram is one of the more widely-used apps on Android devices and as it continues to grow and improve with each update— it will ultimately end up being one of the more revolutionary Android apps ever.

Ed Caggiani – Author

Choosing the best app is difficult, but I’d have to say that Google Drive is one of the most useful apps I’ve installed all year. Sure, Dropbox is the granddaddy of cloud storage, and I still use it as well, but there’s just something about the integration of Google Drive with Android that gives me the warm fuzzies. Its tablet support is also highly appreciated, taking advantage of my Nexus 10′s large screen. Luckily, I purchased storage space on Google’s servers before Google Drive was released, so I was grandfathered in to the older pricing, but with 5GB free, there’s no reason not to install Drive if you have an Android device.

Colton Kaiser – Author

With hundreds of thousands of unique applications available, it’s tough to pick a clear winner. So, why not pick the application that houses them all, the Google Play Store? You may remember a little thing called the Android Market which previously served as Google’s application marketplace for the company’s mobile OS up until March of this year. The entire philosophy behind the tired app marketplace was abandoned with the introduction of the Play Store as Google shifted to a consolidated and unified ecosystem of content for your swath of devices. Featuring the usual games and applications, as well as Movies, TV Shows, Books, Music and Magazines, Google managed to revolutionize the idea of a one-stop content shop.

Jared Peters – Author

Google Now is literally an award winning application that launched with Google’s Jelly Bean version of Android. It’s the single application that revolutionized what a phone should be able to do for you. Google Now is able to tell you what you need to know with no input on your part. Need to know the traffic for your drive to work? Google Now will glady do that. Want to know when your Amazon package is shipped? It’ll let you know. Did you drive past a restaurant that you’d like to eat at for lunch? Google Now will send you a card and let you know it’s nearby. The amazing part is that it literally does all of this with no user input. It all happens automatically in the background and really changes what you think your phone should be able to do for you. Oh, and it’s also a fantastic personal voice assistant app that can do all of the above and more. Impressive? I like to think so.

Rudy Rivapalacio – Author

A lot of great innovative apps hit the Play Store in 2012. Google Now and Field Trip are certainly both worthy of App Of The Year awards but I’ll go with an app that has been my best friend this past holiday shopping season: Slice. Like the two apps I mentioned earlier, it gathers your information in the background but its focus is much narrower. Once you’re done with the relatively easy setup, you’ll have details for all of your online purchases and tracking information at your fingertips. It will even notify you when a package ships or has been delivered. It’s seamless and helps you be lazy. Sounds like a winner to me!

Alexon Enfiedjian – Author

Technically Pocket has been around since before 2012, but at that time it was known as Read It Later and had a significantly different look and feel. In 2012, Read It Later relaunched as Pocket and dramatically changed its image, marketing and applications. It was essentially a new company with a new app.  Pocket was clean, sleek, fast and functional. Best of all, it was completely free. I downloaded it immediately. Pocket has now become one of my most used apps. It integrates with every app you own so you can save anything you want for later reading, whether tweets, emails, articles or more. Basically, anything you can "share", you can save. I typically use it to save articles that interest me, but that I don't have time to read at the moment. When you’ve got time to read, you can browse your articles via the app or Pocket's website, which also looks gorgeous. They even recently released a really nice native Mac application and will more than likely release a Windows app in the near future. Pocket also has a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox, so it really is the ultimate read-it-later experience. Pocket is my choice for app of the year.