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[] BEST NEW APPSWhile most music streaming services like Spotify
and Apple Music allow users to discover new music
according to genre or activity, this new app finds you
tunes to suit your emotions.
SoundR helps you make music choices based on
genre, activity and feelings — just choose from the
fun, colourful floating bubbles in the app’s home
page (up to four options) and playlist relating to your
choices float onto the screen. A random one begins
to play automatically, but you can choose another
if you want. If you like a particular playlist, you can
save it to your ‘favourites’. What you can’t do is
create your own customised set, like in Spotify.
This no-bells-and-whistles app has a refreshingly
clean interface, is free, with no interrupting ads.
But navigating the emotion bubbles is a tad difficult
and the playlists do take a while to begin playing.
The library may not be as extensive as the major
streaming services, but some of the playlists
are pretty darn good. [ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]SOUNDR
SPOTIFY, YOU’VE GOT COMPETITION
Free | soundr.fr/en/index.htmlThis one is for those who love the great
outdoors. ViewRanger is a very helpful map
app that lets you find and navigate outdoor
trails. Once installed, your location is picked
up automatically or you can search for any
other location anywhere around the globe.
Choose your activity type (bushwalking,
cycling, kayaking and so forth) and you’re
presented with a list of possible routes near
your chosen location and you can download
them for use offline. You’ll need to create
an account, though, to save these routes.
The app will warn you when saving a route
costs ‘credits’.
Track information includes difficulty levels,
length and topography and the app tracks
your progress as you head along a route.
What makes this app interesting is the
Skyline feature. It adds an augmented reality
layer to the map that helps identify landscape
features within a 20-mile radius of the
user’s position.
ViewRanger is also available as a desktop
tool, so you don’t necessarily have to download
the app. You can explore trails around the
world on the platform of your choice, on a
screen of any size from anywhere at any time.
[ SHARMISHTA SARKAR ]Ever felt like you identified more with a
steampunk raccoon, a dragon... or a Trump?
FaceRig is essentially a much more fleshed-out
version of Snapchat’s face-distorting ‘lenses’,
which use facial-recognition technology in
order to make your likeness vomit rainbows
or age 50 years. After calibrating your face
with a rather simple tool, you’re free to explore
the appearance-altering madness that is
FaceRig. Using the front-facing camera,
you can add beards, butterflies, flashing lights,
and pilot hats to your face, to name a few,
alongside the classic face-swap.
Most have a ‘special action’ that’s triggered
by opening your mouth, just like Snapchat,
and you can take still shots or videos and share
them with your friends. Beyond this, you can
also use your face to control 3D or 2D avatars,
with a wide array of animal and anime options
and a range of backgrounds to choose from,
as well as some particularly fun Trump and
Hillary avatars.
A fair amount of the app is available for free,
but unlocking further content requires
spending real dollars on tokens, rather than
a one-off purchase of a ‘full’ version.
[ HARRY DOMANSKI ]FaceRig
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
Free with IAP | http://www.facerig.comViewRanger
THE BUSHWALKING COMPANION
Free with IAP | viewranger.com/en-gb