The redesigned App Store might sport a much
cleaner look, but in some cases, the sparse overhaul makes it more difficult to
find new and interesting apps. Sure, Genius is Apple's own version of an
app-discovery service, but the selections it serves up can sometimes seem
arbitrary, or based on apps that you haven't opened in ages.
If you're looking for a more active way to
find fresh apps, we recommend Dlscovr Apps ($1.99, universal), which takes an
unconventional approach to branching out and finding new things. Simply type in
the name of an app that you like and Discovr will create a web of similar
options and the picks are usually pretty smart. You can keep stretching the
strands by tapping an icon, or double-tap to dig in and read about the app, see
screens and trailers, and even view relevant tweets about it.
And if you're looking to find new apps
while keeping bargains in mind, be sure to keep AppZapp (free, iPhone) handy.
AppZapp lets you track specific apps that you're interested in, but aren't
quite ready to splurge on, and it'll alert you via notification or email when
the price drops or the app goes free. It's a savvy way to make the most of your
App Store spending.
App
sales happen all the time. AppZapp helps you take advantage.
Like
Letterpress? Discovr Apps has some great suggestions for you.
iBook vs. Kindle
Where should you spend your book-buyin'
money?
Nearly three years after the debut of
iBooks, the debate rages on over which is a better way to read on your iPad,
iPhone, or iPod touch: Apple's own storefront and reader, or Amazon's
multiplatform Kindle, which has its own unique perks. Even now, it's difficult
to discern a clear champion between the two.
From a readability standpoint, they're largely
identical. Both allow you to flip pages with a tap or swipe, alter the size and
font of the text, and change between white-on-black, black-on-white (for
nighttime reading), and black-on-sepia styles. You can search, highlight, and
place bookmarks that sync between devices via the cloud. Aside from little
differences in functionality, the primary act of reading is very similar
between the apps.
It’s a matter of preference, but we dig the
smoother, more lavish Ul of iBooks, which starts with the reading experience seeing
the virtual pages flip against a faux hardcover backing and extends into the
storefront, which works like an extension of the App Store. By contrast, Kindle
aims not to be a digital facsimile of a paper book, but rather a virtual
version of its own ebook reader, showing only text on a flat backdrop without
extraneous animations and visual details.
Of course, Kindle doesn't have a native
storefront, to avoid paying Apple a 30 percent cut of the sales. Users must
navigate to Amazon via a web browser and buy books there which makes them
available to download in the app. We much prefer the simplicity of Apple's
all-in-one option; the store and library together, without a hitch. But Amazon
tends to offer better deals, and it also has the wider selection of books which
can then be read on non-Apple devices if desired, including your Mac with the
free Kindle reader app in the Mac App Store.
We’d rather buy and read books within the
comfort of iBooks, but for those already entrenched in Amazon's ecosystem or
heavy readers who may want a second set of options Kindle is another excellent
pick that even trumps Apple's take in some respects.
Siri subs
Siri's getting better. But if she's
still not your cup of tea, or you're stuck with an older device, try one of
these.
Google Search
It probably shouldn't come as much of a
shock that search giant Google has the second-best voice-activated assistant
app on ¡OS. and Google Search (free, universal) even manages to shame Siri on
her own turf by being faster and more accurate with results. The big problem is
integration-as in, there is none! Search can't hook into the operating system
the way Siri can, but given that it has access to Google's entire internet
playground, that isn't a huge problem, assuming you remember to keep the app
handy instead of double-clicking the home button to call up the old gal
instead.
Evi
One of the more faithful attempts at a Siri
© clone in the App Store, Evi (free, iPhone) understands plain English commands
using only your voice. The app includes shopping, news, dining and more local
information for both the U.S. and U.K. and even includes a built-in browser so
you won't have to leave the app in search of something Evi might not
understand.
Speaktoit Assistant
Billed as a "virtual buddy" for
your iPhone or iPod touch, Speaktoit Assistant ($0.99) uses natural languages
(including many bilingual options) to answer questions, find information, or
connect to Internet services ranging from Google to Facebook, Twitter, and
Evernote. Speaktoit has one unique feature: you can change the look of your
virtual assistant to make them a "pretty blonde or brunette girl" or
even a "handsome agent or old professor." Let's see Siri pull off
that trick!
Dragon Go!
Nuance Communications is behind a lot of
the voice recognition technology in use these days, and its free Dragon Go! app
for iPhone actually predated Siri's arrival by two months. This simple solution
serves up the company's Dragon Carousel, offering what it believes to be the
best site for what you’re looking for, along with complementary results just by
swiping from side-to-side. When it's inconvenient to speak what you're looking
for, you can even type search queries right into Dragon Go!, another trick Siri
doesn't know.
