Friday, December 16, 2016

APPS SPECIAL.... 8 best free and paid-for Android apps

8 best free and paid-for Android apps


A list of popular Google Play apps that are worth your attention

The Google Play store has exploded in recent years, with a proliferation of apps that can cater to your every need. The problem is, there are too many of them. The following apps are a mixture of paid and free ones and popular among Android users. Even if you pay for a few of these, they are worth your buck.

Meditation and motivation
Simple Habit offers short five-minute meditations, that you can easily fit in at any point during your busy work day. Simple Habit also has a variety of different teachers to guide you, so if you don't get on with one (or just get bored of their voice) there are plenty of others to choose from. The app offers meditations designed around specific life circumstances, goals or moods.Free + $9.99 monthly subscription.

Fingerprint in action
Fingerprint scanners can go beyond just unlocking your phone, as they can also be used as shortcuts to apps and functions. But not all phones build those features in. Fingerprint Gestures lets you configure a double tap, single tap and swipe of the fingerprint scanner to do different things, with launching apps, lowering the notification panel, pausing and toggling the torch among other things.Free
Secure web browser
If you don't want to stick wit h Chrome as your day-to-day browser, try Brave Browser: Fast AdBlock.The app is based on Chromium, so the look and layout is similar to Chrome but unlike Chrome it has built-in ad blocking tools, along with options to block tracking and third-party cookies. You can also block the content that bothers you.Free

Instant music maker Remixlive ­
Play loops on pads is a great music maker for people who don't know how to make music. The app provides you with a grid of pads, each of which contains a sample, with different grids fitting a particular style of music. Remixlive is also good software for those who know how to make music, as you can create your own samples.Free + various IAP

Platform for connected devices
A smart home is only as smart as the apps you use to manage it, and Gideon Smart Home can be the control centre for all your smart devices. It works with loads of devices from Philips, Nest, Sonos, Belkin, Netatmo and more, so there's a good chance you'll be able to link up your entire smart home and control everything from one place.Free

Chat in colourful bubbles
Flychat at tempts to solve you r problem of multitasking with mobile chat by having messages pop up in little bubbles over whatever screen you're on. They're small and sit to the side, so they don't get in the way, and to reply to a message you just tap the bubble and never have to fully leave the screen you're on.Free + $1.09

Weather forecast and more
The problem with weather apps is that, for the most part, they only use one source for their data. But Climendo Basic uses lots, and then works out what the most likely weather at any given time is. The complete selection of weather providers that it uses includes AccuWeather, Weather Underground, NOAA, Met Office, etc.Free with ads or $3.99

Protect files and data
File managers aren't exciting, but they are useful, especially if you have a lot stored on your phone. Google Play is full of options, but Solid Explorer File Manager is one of the best. It's not limited to just displaying local storage, as you can also link cloud storage accounts to the app. It also looks good, with a Material Design-influenced interface that's easy to navigate.$1.99

in.techradar.com


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