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Broken Sword 5/App Store

5 apps worth downloading this week

Featuring the return of a classic adventure series, a new way to protect your Android device, and a twist on the classic Buzz Off games.

EACH WEEK, WE highlight five apps that are worth downloading for your smartphone and tablet. There are a lot of apps released on a daily basis, but not all of them are worth paying attention to.

This week includes the return of a classic adventure series, a new way to protect your Android device, and a twist on the classic Buzz Off games.

Broken Sword 5 – The Serpent’s Curse
For: iOS (Android version in the works)
Cost: €4.49

- Point and click games are going through a renaissance of sorts recently. Sam & Max, Tales of Monkey Island and Back to the Future have brought the genre to smartphones and tablets. Now you can add the latest Broken Sword game to the list.
- Fans of the series will be glad to know The Serpent’s Curse is a welcome return to form since The Angel of Death in 2006.
- For those not familiar with the series, it’s famed for its witty script and smart puzzles. Also, it’s old-school game so for new players, it may take a bit of time to get used to, but it’s worth it..
- So far, Episode one is only available, but the second will be released before the end of March. Android users should get it soon.
- While it’s not the strongest entry in the series (mainly down to it splitting up the game into episodes), it’s an enjoyable adventure and you’ll be left waiting for episode two.

(Video: TouchGameplay/YouTube)

On The Line
For: iOS
Cost: €0.89

- Remember Buzz Off, the game where you guided a metal hoop through a small course? Well, there’s a smartphone version.
- On The Line follows the same format, except the metal hoop in question is your finger.
- Keep your finger on the screen and make sure you don’t hit the edges. Simple to start off but as the speed increases and the obstacles become more varied, you’ll be doing well to reach 200cm.
- Randomly generated tracks means you’re not going to get the same experience twice.
- Handy for dipping in and out of, but it does require a lot more concentration than you would expect.

image(Image: On The Line/App Store)

TimePIN
For: Android
Cost: Free (€1.69 for full version)

- Normal PINs are useful for protecting a device but if you’re worried that your fingerprints will give your PIN away, there’s an alternative.
- TimePIN sets your pin to your 12 or 24 hour clock so it changes every minute (e.g.: if the time was 10:43, your PIN code is 1043).
- In case that’s too easy, you can set mirror, reverse, double and offset PIN codes, giving it an extra layer of security.
- You keep your default PIN as a failsafe, so don’t forget what it is in case you need it.
- For those who like an extra layer of security for their phones, it’s worth playing around with.

(Video: Justin Case/YouTube)

Snapdragon Glance (Beta)
For: Android
Cost: Free

- There are quite a number of custom lock screens on Android, you may have noticed that if you regularly explore the app store, but few of them are worth considering.
- Snapdragon Glance is an intelligent lock screen that launches anytime you turn on your smartphone or tablet.
- Basically, it alerts you to any new notifications you have on your phone immediately, and launch any relevant apps quickly.
- You still have access to your regular home screen should you want to view homescreen widgets instead.
- Only thing you need is Snapdragon Battery Guru installed first for it to work, but that’s free too so it’s not a sacrifice.

image

(Image: Snapdragon Glance/Google Play)

FlipMag BETA
For: Windows Phone
Cost: Free

- It’s not like there’s a shortage of readers on Windows Phone (see last week’s roundup for example), but any alternatives to Flipboard are always welcome.
- FlipMag combines both RSS and curated articles that’s very visual and breaks up articles into topics and publications.
- Its layout is similar to Windows Phone’s home screen, tiles you can resize and rearrange as you wish.
- It also nicely animated, moving between articles and topics is smooth (for the most part) and articles are broken up into segments which you flip through.
- The BETA tag tells you there’s still a lot of work to do, but what’s there already is promising.

image

(Image: Flipmag/Windows Phone)

Read: 5 apps worth downloading this week – 8th Feb >

Read: Microsoft could be bringing Android apps to Windows Phone >

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4 Comments
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    Mute DaMoons
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:07 PM

    Again, the media pedal the Government story on average income being 51k. The most accurate statistic includes in the same report showed the median income (which represents 90 percent of the population) being less than 24k per year. A hell of a distance from the 51k figure the Journal and government are spinning.

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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:47 PM

    @DaMoons: while I agree there is a discrepancy, the figure quoted above is household income compared with your figure of individual income. Household income often combines 2 or more individual incomes as it is calculated based on total income divided by number of households, and not individuals.

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    Mute DaMoons
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    Nov 30th 2019, 8:15 PM

    @Brian Ó Dálaigh: Well, 2 incomes from the 90 percent quoted above still wouldn’t reach 51k. So it obviously points to 3rd and 4th earners living in the same household. Would it be a stretch for me to suggest that it is probably down to adult children not being able to afford somewhere to rent? FG were so proud of this statistic this week. Think about it.

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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    Nov 30th 2019, 9:00 PM

    @DaMoons: I’d say you’d be pretty bang on the money (no pun intended) with that comment. The slightest bit of analysis into the figures and you’d wonder why Fine Gael would be proud of it. And, remember, these are average figures and not median figures which would far more accurately reflect the reality for the vast majority of people.

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    Mute Manbackonboard
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:03 PM

    Constantly broke.

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    Mute StillNotNews
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    Nov 30th 2019, 8:00 PM

    @Manbackonboard: Same, Keep the recovery going, For TDs.

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    Mute SC
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:06 PM

    With an average rent of 24k and childcare for one child 12k, that is just about enough for a small family. It’s not enough for two children.

    And assuming that’s the median, half of households have less. Is it any surprise we have a birth rate below replacement now?

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    Mute Finbarr Barry
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:20 PM

    @SC: and they are quoting disposable income… I. E income after all expenses such as mortgage/rent, utilities et. Etc are paid…. What a load of BS

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    Mute Finbarr Barry
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:23 PM

    @Finbarr Barry: https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cso-figures-show-mean-disposable-income-is-now-almost-23000-967144.html

    CSO figures show average disposable income in 2018 was €23,000; 9.6% up on 2017

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    Mute Sos
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:32 PM

    @Finbarr Barry: disposable income is income after government tax has been paid. Discretionary income is income after bills have been paid. Given the very high cost of living here I would expect that to be a lot less.

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:42 PM

    @SC: I’m delighted, we deserve it we keep voting for it……keep the rippoffs going lads there are legions of suckers who are stuffing your pockets full of cash and keep voting for you……dumb is an understatement.

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    Mute SC
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    Dec 1st 2019, 10:24 AM

    @Peter Hughes: the government has no power to interfere with the economy because it goes against EU rules in most situations (we can’t borrow to boost housing stock, we can’t subsidise rural industry to take pressure off the cities and keep our language alive etc) so it doesn’t make a difference who you vote for.

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    Mute keano
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    Dec 1st 2019, 10:37 AM

    @Finbarr Barry: no Finbarr I believe disposable incoming is your Income after Tax. Before Rent, mortgage, heat, light, etc etc. which would make it a lot more realistic figure and nothing to be proud of !

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    Mute Anastasia
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    Nov 30th 2019, 8:06 PM

    Spin spin spin the average wage is 20000 euro for a 38 hour week or am I working in the wrong place

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    Mute DaMoons
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    Nov 30th 2019, 8:36 PM

    @Anastasia: 90 percent of the people working in Ireland earn less than 24,000. This figure from the Government is pure spin.

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    Mute Brian Clancy
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    Nov 30th 2019, 9:06 PM

    @DaMoons: that’s rubbish anyway for a start

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    Mute John fitzpatrick
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    Dec 2nd 2019, 8:57 AM

    @DaMoons: so you are saying 90% are on minimum wage? Or are you saying that a huge portion of people are part time. What are you saying. What ever your saying it’s BS. But go , keep on plugging the SF agenda, 13% of the people believe you.

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    Mute Harry Trafford
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    Nov 30th 2019, 10:36 PM

    I work 50+hours a week. I’ve a wife and 2 kids. Council house and a car loan, I’m sure like alot of other houses. All I see is the weekly shop getting more expensive, insurance through the roof, more taxes. I’m not seeing any recovery around here. I’d dream of have 51k disposable income. I call bs on the whole thing. This ff fg government are a joke and need to be shown that we are done being fed lie after lie and tax after tax.

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    Mute Ro-your-nan
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    Nov 30th 2019, 7:43 PM

    All the poor-mouths on here – every pub in the country always seem rammed with people swallowing their disposable incomes down their fat necks. Drink less Irish-alcos and you might feel a little better off. Now I’m off to the pub

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    Mute SC
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    Dec 1st 2019, 10:26 AM

    @Ro-your-nan: I don’t think spending a few hundred a year on drink and a few hundred on electronics explains why people can’t afford ten thousand for childcare or 24k for rent… And my car insurance has nearly doubled even though I’ve never even had a penalty point so we’ll all be paying another grand for that soon enough.

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    Mute Ro-your-nan
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    Dec 1st 2019, 1:11 PM

    @SC: move out to Wicklow and don’t have a kid and you’ll be grand. Reckon people are dropping easily €10k a year (€200 per week) on booze. Look at all the snowflakes eating / drinking in town but they can’t save for a deposit.

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    Mute CJ Stewart
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    Dec 1st 2019, 10:28 AM

    ..well somebody must have disposed of my 51k without me seeing it !

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    Mute Michelle Keeley
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    Dec 1st 2019, 8:20 AM

    https://www.thejournal.ie/rish-workers-earn-an-average-of-e23-an-hour-4677090-Jun2019/

    According to the CSO, the average full time wage is approx €48000 and average partime €17000.

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    Mute Luap
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    Dec 1st 2019, 9:41 AM

    51k DISPOSABLE income? Hahahaha

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