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Pick MeEACH 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 features oldschool Mega Man action, watching YouTube on any iPad app and quick notes.
SKRWT
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €1.99 (iOS) €0.92 (Android)
- There are a number of fantastic camera apps out there. VSCO, Camera+, Manual, Hipstamatic and so on.
- You can add SKRWT whose Android app was recently released. It brings a number of features that can help improve your photos, making them look almost professional.
- Unlike many photo editing apps, it doesn’t rely on filters or auto mode. Instead it brings you into the real mechanics of photo editing, while maintaining a simple interface.
- Its useful for lens correction and fixing lens distortion as well as auto-cropping and adjusting a photo’s ratio to improve it. You will be spending a bit of time going through the different options but there’s a lot to choose from.
- A great camera app that’s handy for those wanting to improve the quality of their photos.
CornerTube – PiP Player for YouTube
For: iOS (iPad)
Cost: €1.99
- Those of you who have the more recent iPads will likely have iOS 9 which allows you access to split screen apps and watch video while still in another app. It’s handy when you have it and the screen size to support it.
- CornerTube brings this functionality to YouTube by allowing PiP (player in player) viewing. The YouTube app itself only allows you to do this within the app itself but this allow you to do the same on any app.
- It has a few other handy features like its widget which detects any video links copied onto your clipboard so you can watch it later.
- Should that not be enough for you, it allows you to watch the video in a different app in a few taps. Want to watch it in YouTube itself or a different app? You can do that as well.
- A handy addition for any iPad and allows you to multitask. Just check that your iPad is compatible first before doing anything.
Action Note
For: Windows Phone
Cost: Free
- While Windows 10 is only out on a few phones right now, many universal apps are now making their way to the Windows Store.
- One of them is Action Note, effectively a notetaking app with some handy features.
- As well as colour coding your notes, Action Note displays them all in the action centre for easy access. You can add new notes without having to go into the app itself.
- Since it’s a universal app, it syncs with the desktop version making it a handy companion for while you’re on the go.
- It’s not the most complicated app, but it does its job.
Defumblr
For: Android
Cost: Free
- The traditional lock screen is useful, but there are those which want to make it even better, allowing you to access apps and other handy links.
- Defumblr is the latest to attempt this. Instead of just displaying a number of apps on your lock screen, it sorts them by size and usefulness.
- It uses machine learning to determine the best apps to display alongside more traditional ones like to-do lists, messages, weather (although it’s in fahrenheit at the moment, a celsius option is on the way), and media player alongside your most popular apps. You can choose your most popular ones if you don’t agree with what you see.
- Certain apps like messages have their own popups although the drawback is since it’s the lock screen you’re operating this on, the PIN option isn’t turned on automatically.
- Should you be tired of the traditional lock screen and want to speed certain actions up a little.
Venture Kid
For: iOS
Cost: €0.99
- Those of you who remember the days of Mega Man on the NES will immediately see the inspiration for Venture Kid. To be fair, there is no shortage of games that try to cash into this but Venture Kid has a good a reason as any for choosing this look.
- The game has you exploring nine different levels, defeating enemies and end-of-level bosses. True to its inspiration, it also manages to be incredibly tough but never truly unfair.
- You start off with the standard blaster but progress and you gain more weapons like boomerangs, fireworks and freeze orbs. These weapons have a purpose as some of them can be used to find secrets.
- The controls are fine although you will need a bit of time to get used to the jump button. It’s very exact – letting go of it mid-jump will bring you back down again – and mastering it is key if you want to get past the first few bosses.
- Yet the 8-bit style and music and the level design, which doesn’t throw you into the deep end, will resonate with those who grew up playing games in the 80s and 90s.
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Would this service work on an aspirin tablet?
Pmsl
Xanax tablets are far better
Nice service for a select few.
The problem is that service providers always say they will give customers speeds of “…UP TO…” a certain number but in reality, a lot do not and cannot give the speeds they say they will!
So if people all over Ireland wish to take up using such a service at the one above, some of the time, if not a lot of the time, they are royally screwed!
The crap advertising and contract conditions of “…speeds up to…” needs to be done away with and we should get GUARANTEED minimum speeds – before we can THEN be able to decide if to make use of such a movie service!!
Agreed and also the caps imposed by providers for total monthly usage can be prohibitive too.
Here we go again. Another big international player takes interest in little Ireland, and complaining begins…
Standard definition movie won’t require more than 2 Mbps to be streamed in the real-time. And even though providers generally won’t give you 100% of what’s advertised , if you’re paying for “up to 25Mbps” for example, but not getting even 2, maybe it’s time to change the provider… No provider in the world will “guarantee” speed, for the same reason mobile phone network can’t guarantee availability or coverage. Not to the individual clients anyway.
User with slow internet connection isn’t “screwed”. You can let video “buffer” the same way as you do in youtube, and start watching let’s say in 10 minutes. While you watch, movie continues to download in the background.
It’s like saying that postal DVD renting services are bad, because if someone doesn’t have DVD player – is screwed…
1. It’s free to try this for a month, so you’ll know plenty in advance of paying any money whether it’s going to be usable for you.
2. It’s technically impossible to “guarantee” an internet speed. There are far too many factors at play to be able to do so. Much in the same way a car company cannot guarantee you will get exactly the specifications they advertise.
Surely its possible to AT LEAST guarantee minimum speeds at anyone time a person can receive!
…And if some service providers have speeds that are up and down irrationally all day, every day (I could name a few), its impossible to be 100% sure that as your watching something (even with buffering) that following up behind it, is the rest of your film waiting for you!
If your paying for a service – you should be able to get it or not at all.
When you buy pints of milk in a shop, would you be happy with just been given 2 instead but still charged for three?
No provider can take responsibility for download speed from anywhere outside of their own network, it’s as simple as that.
Hard to blame Netflix if your Download speed sucks. This product won’t be suitable for everyone. If you are on Eircom broadband in the sticks then you’ll probably find even RTE player works slowly so don’t expect Netflix to work well either. If you are in an urban area then you are in with a better chance of having high speed broadband that is suited for Netflix.
I’m in the sticks and have ‘up to’ 3mb Eircom broadband but I’m able to stream HD content from my US Netflix and Hulu accounts no problem. I don’t think people will have many problems with Netflix here.
When did Irish people start calling films ‘movies’ as standard?
Dude. It is, like, sooooo inaccurate to call something a film when there is no longer any ‘film’ involved, you know. Just like we call association football ‘saaawwwker’ t distinguish from the gaelic game.
I guess it’s those pesky Americanisms creeping in… I do try to avoid them but I slipped up there ;)
It’s ‘fillums’ not films!
Some people actually pay money to watch movies?
You’re dead cool, Ian. So l33t
@cpm: Well that’s nice that you think so but you’re too kind. Don’t tell me you’ve never streamed or downloaded a film from a free site.
To quote a t-shirt I saw yesterday, “Legal downloading is killing piracy” :D
But to answer your question, yes, I still pay for movies in DVD/Blu-ray form, and am definitely considering signing up for Netflix. I already use a monthly subscription-based music service (Spotify) and find it great.
aaron try 8 track of you haven’t already. You can search by artist, tag or description and it comes back with all the mixes uploaded that include that artist, you can also upload ur own mix.
Used it in the States and loved it. Would get it here too.
Wish I’d UPC so I could but some prick of a neighbour is blocking UPCs access or wants the service free or some crap. People’s selfishness is unreal.
Signing up to Netflicks is like getting naked, covering yourself in glue, diving into the Xtra Vision bargain bin and swimming to the bottom. Patch Adams? Get the boat.
I haven’t rented from Xtra Vision in years. Their prices are a disgrace and they can’t compete with unlimited rentals that netflix offer.
While the netflix selection is lacking in comparison, the library will only grow.
Liam, I agree Xtra Vision is a total rip off and needed updating their offering and Itunes are also a joke with their 5 euro rental price where their costs must be very little as they are just downloads… but still, paying 6 euro to sit in and watch Patch Adams is not the answer. Have you signed up yet and looked at what they have on the site?
I’m looking at a movie right now. I love my movies, so I am more than aware that the current offerings are not comparable to existing services. But, that’s going to change very quickly. Netflix is huge in the US and it’s going to be just as big here.
Give the service a chance. There are some good movies on it. The newer ones are a 50/50 in terms of qualtiy.
I’m not going to dismiss a service after less than a day. Also, while we wait for new releases; there are alternatives to renting from xtra vision.
Your looking at a movie right now? Amazing!! Listen, relax. If they have better movies why would they not be there from the outset? Everyone is gonna sign up for the month long trial and if the good stuff is not there they aint gonna stay. Just don’t understand why they would hold back on the juicy just out of cinema new releases… Anyway Liam, stop writing here and get back to your movie.
its not just the movies somegood documentaries and tv series signed up for the month to see already watched a couple of doctor who other stufff there as well
I thought I would give this a go being a committed illegal downloader. I was fairly enthusiastic to start, 7 quid a month for all you want tv and films. Sign up, boot up the xbox. Try and find app, install app. App installed, update neededd. Update. Netflix boots up and….you need to pay for xbox live gold. Fuck that. Next. PS3. Boot up, install app, app boots up, freezes..system update required. Exit app install update. Go online to look at film selection. Stick in some good films from last year like Winters Bone and Blue Valentine and nothing. Lots of crap from the 90s and 80s. Some decent free tv but I don’t think I could be bothered. Back to illegal downloading.
Meet your brother
Just had a crack there. Video quality is rubbish. You can’t select what quality or defintition you want. It will vary depending on your connection speed. I have 10mb wireless and its streaming in High HD and it looks awful, every now and then it will drop down to medium and low which is youtube. Can I not just buffer half the film and have consistant quality?
Wireless streaming Tommy… Your first mistake
I’ll be trying it!
The catalogue of films/docs in Ireland is brutal compared to everywhere else! From what I’ve seen. But I’m sure it’ll improve over the year?
Netflix has no real competition in Ireland that is genuinely comparable. There’s a lot of videos on offer and the library will hopefully grow.
Those complaining about inadequate speeds should complain to their ISPs!
You can’t get good speeds from anyone except UPC, I’ve tried.
For the same price as I pay for 4mb/s with Vodafone (piggybacking on Eircoms rubbish network) I could get 25mb/s from UPC. Unfortunately it’s not available to me at present. This affects me daily.
@Aydo. Have a look at Digiweb.. Used to be on a crappy 6MB/512kb eircom asdl with very slow pings.
Now at 10MB/2MB with pings of 20ms.. Yes, I wish upc was in the area = it would only cost me a 3rd of the price of the Digiweb..
But could not be more happy.
Remember, if Netflix starts getting numbers in Ireland and UK then others such as Hulu and Amazon will come in with alternatives etc etc …………. Lets give Sky and UPC something to think about.
Will it happen?
Will it hell…!
Fie Gael, Labour and Fianna Fail have all sold their souls to big business – and dumped the people that actually elected them!
Excellent point relating to this article.
Fie, Fie, Fie on your Gael sir! :D
I’m paying less than €6.99 to use their US based service through a VPN have 8mb download off the VPN, works flawlessly and the content I can get through the US beats the content here hands down. For instance Toy Story 3, Mad Men, Parks & Rec just to name a few. I won’t be switching.
I got it and will see how it works out over the next month. Will it withhold shows that have aired in the US untill there aired here tho ? I can download/stream most shows within an hour of it finishing in the US
Can you watch Toy Story 3, Mad Men or Parks and Recreation on Irish version. I can on US subscription through a VPN.
I’ll say again. Their US content is way better. Once they sort out the licensing issues I’m sure it’ll get better here. With regard to the quality I’m now watching the movie No Strings Attached on a 56″ tv and I’m getting HD and DD 5.1. through streaming for $7.99 a month. Watched all 8 series of 24 which is on sale for €90 in HMV, caught up on all the Glee episodes, currently watching the Tudors which I missed, Downton Abbey is in my queue along with Source Code, Limitless and the Fighter. I’m streaming through the apple TV in the living room and my PS3 in the bedroom. I cancelled sky last June because of this. The kids get up on a Saturday and constantly stream what they want. BTW we can stream multiple locations at the same time from one account and it remembers everything about where you stop etc. Its brilliant.
Paul, care to share which VPN supplier you are using?
I really hope that sort of viewing behaviour doesn’t catch on. If the masses start watching “tv” through their broadband connection then the whole thing will grind to halt fairly quick.
I’m delighted! I’ve been looking forward to netflix launching it’s service in Ireland since it was announced last year.. Can’t wait to try it out :-)
Try it Natalia, you will be sorely disappointed… unless you love ten year old films that is. The most “recent” film I could find on the site was The Expendables.
There are films on there from 2009/2010.
I was very interested in this…..until I browsed their collection.
I won’t be signing up if this is the best they can offer at the moment. As Tommy says above it seems to mostly be movies from the 80s and 90s.
would this service work on an android tablet?
yes free app for tablets and some smart phones
Yes, there is an Android app (tested on 2.3 & 3.2)
The Journal has been very Apple biased once again, I’m surprised they didn’t mention that it’s also compatable with iPod touch, MacBook Air, Mac Mini and iMac.
Woo hoo! Time to Cancel Sky! Saorview, freeview and this! Covers most stuff! Works a
Treat with voice recognition on the Xbox kinect.
Really Rossa?.. REALLY!!!
Everyone should sign up, show extravision we want better!
€5.99 that’s about half a tv license right? Interesting choice one could make in this expanding free market…
Netflix is not available for GNU/Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian etc) users due to the players use of Microsoft’s proprietary Silverlight plugin, however it’s reported that a native client is in the works.
Why do you need a credit card for this service and why not q debit card or dd ?
I’m in rural Kerry with a 2Mb connection and signed up a while ago. I have it running through the Xbox on a 42″ and I have to say the quality is fantastic, very surprised! Even at peak time, it ran smoothly.
The selection of films isn’t great at the moment though, with regard to latest releases. As the article says, they’ll add to it over time but from a quality perspective, it’s worth a go for a month at least!
I signed up earlier and while the selection isn’t great, I’m sure it will improve. I’m delighted they are here. Streaming is fine. I’ll keep it for a few months but unless there are new releases, I’ll cancel it as I’ll have made my way through the catalog of what I’d like to watch.
Have had apple tv for the last two years great service but let’s be honest 399 a rental sure that’s not much better then star vision. The only thing I will say is that yes selection of movies is not great on Netflix but it will get bigger and better as times go by 699 a month is great value for a product hat gives you so much movies on your iPad mac or iPhone. Personally I think it well fly and that the day of the videos hop will be gone three years from today
I have been using NetFlix for 10 months now, using it on a 1.5 mb broadband connection over VPN…
It’s great to be able to watch these films instead of the crap on normal telly, like Big Brother, Fair City, Emmerdale and all that nonsense!
Kids want to join .Does it cost anything extra in download/uploading charges with broadband provider(currently Eircom and due to price around)
It’s well worth €7 a month. Been catching up on stuff I’ve missed (tv/movies) and haven’t had any issues. Selection isn’t huge at the moment but still there’s some great stuff on there, in HD too! I’ll be sticking with this for the foreseeable future!
If you’re trying to figure out what’s available via Netflix UK and/or Ireland, I’ve created a couple sites/blogs that give complete lists of everything available, as well as everything available in other regions like US and Canada, so you know what you’re missing :-(
uk.istreamguide.com
netflixukcompletelist.blogspot.com
netflixirelandcompletelist.blogspot.com
I’ve also got a blog post that explains how to get access to Netflix USA content, as well as other regions.
http://netflixcanadacompletelist.blogspot.ca/2012/09/watch-american-netflix-from-anywhere.html
have your say