But certainly, the applications have garnered the highest attention and appreciation from users with it's increasing usability and the number of downloads have increased exponentially.
Google Play had released a list of Best Apps Of 2014 and Best Games Of 2014. There were many popular ones, some new names, some critics-acclaimed (Editors' Choice apps). This review will be on certain apps from the list which might appeal to you as an important utility for daily usage. Let's begin.
1) Google Fit:
Pitched alongside the likes of Fitbit, Runtastic, Workout Trainer, Calorie Counter, Nike, Google Fit is a single set of APIs which allows it's integration with various platforms and manufacturers. It is highly developer friendly. It has been a hit on Android Wear.
Simple to use, it uses your Google account information and accesses location data to provide an accurate description of your performed activity (i.e. walking,running,jogging).
Your personal information (height,weight etc.) can also be added and a daily goal can be set.
'Graph Details' depicts your performance.
The UI lacks detail but is 'Google-buttery smooth'. I am not much of a fitness freak, but it does help me when I try to work out!
It is not a personal trainer per-se, not as feature-rich as other apps, but serves the basic motive of 'keeping track' of your daily workout.
REVIEW: HIT
2) Telegram:
With the takeover of WhatsApp by Facebook, the Snowden incident and the fact that WhatsApp's data security wasn't good enough, Telegram came into light.
Highly encrypted messages: An end-to-end encryption system and the ability to self-destruct messages has given the owners enough confidence to put up a challenge of breaking down Telegram's security and take home $300000. They have the feature 'Secret Chat' specially built for it.
Open API and Open Sourced: Add, remove, manipulate features without compromising on anything. Developers, get to work!
Sharing Data Files: The biggest feature WhatsApp lacks. And it's certainly hurtful for students and professionals who want to share work-related material. Another USP for Telegram.
Others include worldwide distributed servers, group chats,PC client, cloud storage and no subscription fees.UI is flat and nice.
But it lacks basic features like putting up a status, hiding 'Last Seen'. Cannot send audio files. And it hasn't really undergone change since it has launched. It also lacks VoIP. It has a smaller user base as compared to Whatsapp, WeChat.
Won't hurt trying out but unless privacy is an absolute priority, it's ok if you give it a miss. If it comes up with good improvements and if marketed well, this product could be a nail in the coffin for WhatsApp.
REVIEW: MISS
3) IFTTT
Spoiler alert: This is not something you might understand in the first go. You'll have to be patient.
It relies on a beautiful concept of using the unexplored connections of Android.
Sometimes we feel like what if our clicked photos could be saved automatically on Dropbox or Google Drive without the tediousness of doing the work by ourselves?
What if you wanted a change in your wallpaper everyday without doing it manually?
'Recipes' is how it describes these connections, brought to the table by different developers. These recipes are added into your connections! Your phone is more seamless than you could've thought!
Basically, the tasks which usually don't come to your mind are performed involuntarily just by setting up these connections. A must try app.
REVIEW: HIT
4) Locket Lockscreen:
This app has probably been inspired by Flipboard, Play Newsstand, Blinkfeed etc.
It incorporates handpicked news articles(something like Carousel on TechWreck) into the lockscreen straightaway.
You can like and save stories for reading it later. A simple swipe to the right unlocks the phone, it has other options of liking, saving, sharing the stories, a camera shortcut etc. They cannot be changed.
It does not allow refreshing of the stories,i.e there are only limited stories per day and no way to obtain more which might get a tad boring for news hungry people.
The interface is clean, but it needs to add some customization features for the user.
Though the system lockscreen can be overridden but I noticed a time lapse/lag while using only the Locket lockscreen.
But all-in-all, a good effort.
REVIEW: MISS
5) TED:
A very popular app with over 5 million downloads, TED isn't very much unknown.
If you're searching for a daily dose of motivation and inspiration, TED is the best thing you can have. Talks by great personalities, organised categorically, with also support for push notifications on arrival of new talks.
You can share,bookmark,download the videos. There is an option for subtitles as well. The quality of videos on high-speed networks is still a bit shabby but still it does the work(There is an HQ option if you have enough amount of mobile data)
The variety of videos is really wide and it also provides small tips about downloads and subtitles.
The best way you can understand this app is by trying it.
REVIEW: HIT
6)Lumosity:
A perfect way to test your core cognitive abilities using a simple series of exercises which are fun. The app has been developed on a very strong foundation of tried and tested methods of psychological science.
It tests brain characteristics such as memory speed, attentiveness, spatial abilities, responsiveness, etc.
It establishes daily training sessions designed specifically for the user and by means of those calculates the LPI(Lumosity Performance Index) which is a standardized scale for measuring your attributes.
The free version doesn't provide you everything but the paid version comes on a monthly/yearly subscription which people might find a little costly.
You can give this app a trial run and you will notice a difference in the functioning of your brain in day-to-day activities. A well-thought idea leading to a very well built app.
REVIEW: HIT
Disclaimer: The views/findings and opinions presented in this article are solely that of the author and not prejudicial/biased and are not meant to defame or de-sale any organisation, product ,application vendor or an individual in particular. The readers or viewers should use their own discretion and judgement without feeling influenced of the above opinions while selecting a product/application/service.
Pitched alongside the likes of Fitbit, Runtastic, Workout Trainer, Calorie Counter, Nike, Google Fit is a single set of APIs which allows it's integration with various platforms and manufacturers. It is highly developer friendly. It has been a hit on Android Wear.
Simple to use, it uses your Google account information and accesses location data to provide an accurate description of your performed activity (i.e. walking,running,jogging).
Your personal information (height,weight etc.) can also be added and a daily goal can be set.
'Graph Details' depicts your performance.
The UI lacks detail but is 'Google-buttery smooth'. I am not much of a fitness freak, but it does help me when I try to work out!
It is not a personal trainer per-se, not as feature-rich as other apps, but serves the basic motive of 'keeping track' of your daily workout.
REVIEW: HIT
2) Telegram:
With the takeover of WhatsApp by Facebook, the Snowden incident and the fact that WhatsApp's data security wasn't good enough, Telegram came into light.
Highly encrypted messages: An end-to-end encryption system and the ability to self-destruct messages has given the owners enough confidence to put up a challenge of breaking down Telegram's security and take home $300000. They have the feature 'Secret Chat' specially built for it.
Open API and Open Sourced: Add, remove, manipulate features without compromising on anything. Developers, get to work!
Sharing Data Files: The biggest feature WhatsApp lacks. And it's certainly hurtful for students and professionals who want to share work-related material. Another USP for Telegram.
Others include worldwide distributed servers, group chats,PC client, cloud storage and no subscription fees.UI is flat and nice.
But it lacks basic features like putting up a status, hiding 'Last Seen'. Cannot send audio files. And it hasn't really undergone change since it has launched. It also lacks VoIP. It has a smaller user base as compared to Whatsapp, WeChat.
Won't hurt trying out but unless privacy is an absolute priority, it's ok if you give it a miss. If it comes up with good improvements and if marketed well, this product could be a nail in the coffin for WhatsApp.
REVIEW: MISS
3) IFTTT
Spoiler alert: This is not something you might understand in the first go. You'll have to be patient.
It relies on a beautiful concept of using the unexplored connections of Android.
Sometimes we feel like what if our clicked photos could be saved automatically on Dropbox or Google Drive without the tediousness of doing the work by ourselves?
What if you wanted a change in your wallpaper everyday without doing it manually?
'Recipes' is how it describes these connections, brought to the table by different developers. These recipes are added into your connections! Your phone is more seamless than you could've thought!
Basically, the tasks which usually don't come to your mind are performed involuntarily just by setting up these connections. A must try app.
REVIEW: HIT
4) Locket Lockscreen:
This app has probably been inspired by Flipboard, Play Newsstand, Blinkfeed etc.
It incorporates handpicked news articles(something like Carousel on TechWreck) into the lockscreen straightaway.
You can like and save stories for reading it later. A simple swipe to the right unlocks the phone, it has other options of liking, saving, sharing the stories, a camera shortcut etc. They cannot be changed.
It does not allow refreshing of the stories,i.e there are only limited stories per day and no way to obtain more which might get a tad boring for news hungry people.
The interface is clean, but it needs to add some customization features for the user.
Though the system lockscreen can be overridden but I noticed a time lapse/lag while using only the Locket lockscreen.
But all-in-all, a good effort.
REVIEW: MISS
5) TED:
A very popular app with over 5 million downloads, TED isn't very much unknown.
If you're searching for a daily dose of motivation and inspiration, TED is the best thing you can have. Talks by great personalities, organised categorically, with also support for push notifications on arrival of new talks.
You can share,bookmark,download the videos. There is an option for subtitles as well. The quality of videos on high-speed networks is still a bit shabby but still it does the work(There is an HQ option if you have enough amount of mobile data)
The variety of videos is really wide and it also provides small tips about downloads and subtitles.
The best way you can understand this app is by trying it.
REVIEW: HIT
6)Lumosity:
A perfect way to test your core cognitive abilities using a simple series of exercises which are fun. The app has been developed on a very strong foundation of tried and tested methods of psychological science.
It tests brain characteristics such as memory speed, attentiveness, spatial abilities, responsiveness, etc.
It establishes daily training sessions designed specifically for the user and by means of those calculates the LPI(Lumosity Performance Index) which is a standardized scale for measuring your attributes.
The free version doesn't provide you everything but the paid version comes on a monthly/yearly subscription which people might find a little costly.
You can give this app a trial run and you will notice a difference in the functioning of your brain in day-to-day activities. A well-thought idea leading to a very well built app.
REVIEW: HIT
Disclaimer: The views/findings and opinions presented in this article are solely that of the author and not prejudicial/biased and are not meant to defame or de-sale any organisation, product ,application vendor or an individual in particular. The readers or viewers should use their own discretion and judgement without feeling influenced of the above opinions while selecting a product/application/service.