Best iPhone apps of 2012

Five years ago, the iPhone didn't support third-party apps. Today, it's a fully-fledged computer that fits in your pocket. There are now apps for editing photos and videos, playing recent console games, and composing electronic soundtracks. Which of those stood out from the crowd this year? Let's take a look at the best iPhone apps of 2012.

Sparrow

Possibly Mac OS X's best email app came to the iPhone this year, and it's a gem. Sparrow has an attractive interface, and a feature set designed to please volume emailers.

There is, however, one big problem with Sparrow. It lacks push notifications. Google's purchase of Sparrow also means that future support for the iOS app will likely be minimal.

Even with those huge caveats, though, Sparrow is the iPhone's first third-party email client worth having.

App Store: Sparrow (US$2.99)

iPhoto

This year, Apple completed the conversion of its iLife suite to iOS. But iPhoto is nothing like its desktop counterpart. This version is a gesture-based editing suite designed specifically for touch screens. Its controls take some getting used to, but it's easily one of the best apps for enhancing pics on the go.

App Store: iPhoto ($4.99)

Chrome

In 2012, Google released a version of its popular Chrome browser for iOS. Its interface and syncing get top marks, but it can't boast any performance improvements over Safari. Through no fault of Google's, it's powered by the same engine (iOS WebKit) as Apple's default browser.

App Store: Chrome (free)

Google Drive

More than just a Dropbox clone, Google Drive offers cloud storage and simple document editing on the go. Users get 5 GB of free storage, and you can pay $25/year to increase that to 25 GB.

Google's recent update, which adds spreadsheet editing, only reinforces Drive as one of the best apps of 2012.

App Store: Google Drive (free)

iTranslate Voice

iTranslate Voice lets two people who speak different languages have a conversation. Tap the English button, speak, and listen as your words are spoken in the target language. When your friend taps the other button and speaks, their words are spoken in your language. While results can be hit and miss at times, its support for over 30 languages makes it a handy tool for travelers. However, it does require a constant internet connection.

App Store: iTranslate Voice ($0.99)

Burner

Burner gives you a disposable phone number for calling and texting. It's great for Craigslist transactions, online dating, and all sorts of shady activities (or so I hear).

The only downsides are that each new number is a bit pricey, and you only get limited blocks of minutes and messages. You can also achieve the same ends for free by creating multiple Google Voice accounts.

App Store: Burner ($1.99)

Drafts

Drafts is a virtual scratchpad. When you open the app, it's immediately ready for input. When you're finished typing, a couple of taps will copy the text to the clipboard or export it to a variety of popular apps.

App Store: Drafts ($1.99)

Summly

Summly is built on a simple idea: you only need quick summaries of the news. It only gives you a couple of short paragraphs for each story. If you want more than the barebones version, you can double-tap on the feed to read the full article.

The app has a terrific interface, and provides all the expected sharing options (though read later services are conspicuously absent). Summly's source variety can be improved, but it still might be the most innovative news app of 2012.

App Store: Summly (free)

Solar

Solar is a simple and beautiful weather app. The color gradient tells you the temperature and weather. Swipe up for the next few hours, swipe down for the next three days, and swipe to the left to change locations.

The only drawback is that the developers still haven't updated Solar for the 4-inch screens of the iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5G.

App Store: Solar ($1.99)

Dark Sky

Another elegantly simple weather app is Dark Sky. The app answers three questions: "what's the temperature?", "is it raining?", and "is it going to rain?" Unless you're a weather geek, that may be all you need to know.

For those seeking more detail, a tap or a swipe will show you the radar and the next day's forecast.

App Store: Dark Sky ($3.99)

Pocket, Readability

These two apps make it harder to justify spending $3.99 on the excellent Instapaper. The free Pocket and Readability apps save lists of web articles, and present them in a clean, clutter-free layout.

App Store: Pocket (free), Readability (free)

Clear

Clear is the most polarizing app of the year. Depending on who you ask, the gesture-based to-do list is either a breakthrough, or too clever for its own good. Love it or hate it, Clear is worth checking out.

App Store: Clear ($1.99)

Bastion

Bastion is one of the most stylish and imaginative video games in years. Originally released for Xbox Live, the iOS port has stunning graphics, a memorable soundtrack, and surprisingly deep RPG elements. The star of the show, though, is the gravelly-voiced narrator who reacts to your every move.

App Store: Bastion ($4.99)

Max Payne Mobile

Max Payne was one of the top games of the last decade. Eleven years after its initial release, it's one of the top games on the iPhone. The mobile port has enhanced visuals and some of the best virtual controls in the App Store.

App Store: Max Payne Mobile ($2.99)

Angry Birds Space, Angry Birds Star Wars

Long live casual gaming. Rovio gave us two new Angry Birds entries this year: Angry Birds Space and Angry Birds Star Wars. The titles breathed new life into the worn-out formula, with zero-gravity bird-flinging and familiar Lucas characters.

App Store: Angry Birds Space ($0.99), Angry Birds Star Wars ($0.99)

N.O.V.A. 3

Until Microsoft brings H.A.L.O. to the iPhone (fat chance), Gameloft's copycat N.O.V.A. franchise is as close as you'll get. Despite its cringe-inducing voice acting and lack of originality, N.O.V.A. 3 provides terrific visuals and hours of entertaining first-person shooting.

App Store: N.O.V.A. 3 ($6.99)

Horn

Zynga's Horn is a Zelda-inspired action puzzler. Though it can get repetitive, its striking visuals and RPG leveling make it one of the most console-like games in the App Store.

App Store: Horn ($6.99)

Honorable Mentions

No "best of" list is definitive, and these titles could easily find their way onto your iPhone: Draw Something, Camera Awesome, Amazon Cloud Player,Zeebox, Skitch, Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy, Amazing Alex, Bad Piggies, and The World Ends With You: Solo Remix.

More to come?

2012 isn't over yet, so we'll keep an eye out for new additions (we're watching you, GTA: Vice City).

Losing Things and wishing everything had a tracker?? StickNFind is for you then!

If the number of “finding” systems cropping up lately is anything to go by, we seem to be quite a forgetful bunch. One of the latest such systems, known as StickNFind, looks to be particularly simple – just some little adhesive tags, and an app on the user’s smartphone.

The tags are about the size and shape of an slightly-fat U.S. quarter dollar. Each one contains a circuit board, a replaceable watch battery, a buzzer and an LED light. They also each have an adhesive backing, which allows them to be stuck to things like keys, TV remotes, or any number of other things that tend to go AWOL.

Using a custom app on a paired iOS or Android smartphone, users can assign specific tags to specific objects. Should they subsequently need to find one of those objects, a display on the phone’s screen will show them how far away it is – as long as it’s within the maximum range of about 100 feet (30 meters).

It won't show what direction the object lies in, but users can determine that by moving in different directions and seeing if they get closer or farther away from the item. They can also simply get the app to sound the buzzer, illuminate the light, or do both on the missing object’s tag.

If the object is out of range, users can instruct the app to notify them when they – and their phone – later get within its range. The app can also alert users when a tagged object moves more than a given distance away (useful if the tag is attached to a child in a shopping mall, for instance), or when they forget an object and walk away without it (also useful if the tag is attached to a child in a shopping mall, perhaps).

Up to 20 tags can be paired to one phone. When any of their batteries get low, the user will be notified via the app.

As mentioned, there are already similar systems available, such as theGadget Hound, U Grok It, and BiKN. All three of those, however, incorporate hardware that is used either instead of a smartphone, or that the phone must be docked into.

The designers of StickNFind are currently raising production funds on Indiegogo. A pledge of US$35 will get you two tags (or “stickers,” as they’re referred to) when and if they go into production – the planned retail price for two is $49.95.

A demo of the system can be seen in the pitch video below.

Source: Indiegogo , Gizmag

Nintendo reveals scaled-down Wii Mini

In the wake of last week’s launch of the Wii U, Nintendo has announced a redesigned version of its predecessor. After several rumors of a "Wii Mini" leaked online, the company has now confirmed that a more compact Wiiwill be launching this year. Set to hit store shelves in Canada in time for the holidays, the Wii Mini boasts a smaller size, lower price, and sturdier design, but also sees a couple of Wii features omitted.

Aside from the reduced size, the Wii Mini sports a matte black and red case and comes packaged with a matching red Wii MotionPlus controller and Nunchuk. The new system will also be compatible with any previous Wii accessories, like other Wii-motes, the WiiFit Balance Board, or the Classic Controller. The redesign features a manual top-loading disc tray, as opposed to the automatic disc slot on the original model, which means the console cannot be placed on its side.

Unfortunately, the more portable size also means a few features from the Wii will not be making their way to the Wii Mini. While Nintendo promises all 1,400+ titles for the Wii will be playable on the new system, the disc tray will no longer read Gamecube games and, more importantly, all internet connectivity has been removed. Without an online connection, users won't be able to play games online, download titles from the Wii Shop, or stream video through Netflix and Hulu, among many other functions.

To be fair, the Wii was never known for its online features and Gamecube titles are mostly confined to used game shops these days, but dropping these features still essentially reduces the smaller console to a bare bones Wii disc reader.

Nintendo is launching the Wii Mini exclusively in Canada on December 7 and has stated it has no information on if it will be released in other countries in the future. Some retailers, like Best Buy, are already taking pre-orders, with a price set at US$99.99.

Source: Nintendo via Best Buy , GIzmag

Best Android Apps in 2012

2012 has been a good year for Android. The Galaxy S III has been a sales behemoth, the Nexus 7 proved that Android tablets can sell too, and there have been plenty of great new apps. As 2012 comes to a close, let's take a look at the year's top Android apps and games.

Google Chrome

Google's heralded desktop browser made its mobile debut this year. It lives up to the hype. Speedy and simple, the free Chrome is miles ahead of the old stock Android browser.

Play Store: Chrome (free)

Google Drive

More than just a Dropbox rival, Google Drive is a cloud locker and basic word processor rolled into one. Store up to 5 GB of files for free, and edit your docs on the go. If you're invested in the Android ecosystem, Drive is essential.

Play Store: Drive (free)

Google Now

We're cheating a bit here, as Google Now isn't available as a standalone app. But any device running Android 4.1 or higher gets the next generation of Google search, known as Google Now.

In many ways, Google Now surpasses iOS' Siri. It skips the spunky personality, and simply delivers relevant information ... even before you ask for it. At the subway station? Now will show you what trains are coming. Merging onto the highway? Now gives you traffic. Voice searches are also returned much quicker than Siri.

If you're comfortable with much of your life being uploaded to Google's servers (chances are, it is anyway), Now can be a personal assistant that actually helps.

Play Store: N/A

1Weather

OneLouder Apps released the most beautiful weather app for Android this year, called 1Weather. It gives you all the weather info you'd need with an attractive design that we'd like to see more of on Android.

If you want to fully appreciate the gorgeous app, you can pay an extra US$1.99 for the Pro version.

Play Store: 1Weather (free)

Instagram

The former iOS-exclusive Instagram made its way to Android this year. The Facebook-owned app lets you snap pics with a variety of filters, and quickly upload them to your favorite social networks.

Play Store: Instagram (free)

OnLive Desktop

OnLive Desktop gives your Android tablet a touch-friendly, cloud version of Microsoft Windows. The only catch is that you'll need a persistent internet connection.

The free OnLive Desktop account offers basic Windows access, including Office and Adobe Reader. The premium Desktop Plus adds Internet Explorer (including Flash) at Gigabit speeds for US$4.99 per month.

Play Store: OnLive Desktop (free)

Solid Explorer Beta

Who knew file navigation had room for improvement? With multi-panel viewing, drag-and-drop, and support for rooted devices, Solid Explorer ups the ante for Android file management.

Play Store: Solid Explorer Beta (free)

Flipboard

A slew of formerly iOS-exclusive reading apps hit the Play Store this year. At the front of that pack is Flipboard.

Flipboard presents news in an attractive and responsive magazine-style layout. You can link to your Google Reader account or browse the plethora of curated Flipboard channels.

Play Store: Flipboard (free)

Instapaper, Pocket, Readability

Instapaper, Pocket, and Readability let you store news articles to read later. They're more than bookmark services, though, as they present articles in clean, text-and-image only views.

All three offer nearly identical feature sets, so you may want to experiment to find your favorite. No tablet is complete without one of them.

Play Store: Instapaper ($2.99), Pocket (free), Readability (free)

TabletSMS

If you're lounging on the couch with your Nexus 7, you probably don't want to grab your phone every time you send a text message. TabletSMS lets you send and receive texts from your tablet – all using your phone number.

Play Store: TabletSMS (free)

Turntable.fm

Turntable.fm lets you collaborate with friends and strangers on a live setlist. Queue up your favorite jams, and vote others' selections up or down.

Play Store: Turntable.fm (free)

Wave Control

Practice your Jedi powers and control your phone with a wave of the hand. Wave Control lets you play or skip songs without touching your screen. It doesn't always work seamlessly, but it's a great tool nonetheless.

Play Store: Wave Control (free), Wave Control Pro ($2.99)

Firefox

Firefox's Android browser stayed in beta for years, and lagged far behind its competition. That changed this year when Mozilla released Firefox for Android. It emphasizes speed, an overhauled user interface, and customizable add-ons. It even adds an Instapaper-like "Reader mode," that de-clutters articles for simple viewing.

Play Store: Firefox for Android (free)

Magisto - Magical Video Editor

Magisto is the lazy person's video editing app. Add video clips, and Magisto will analyze and compile them into a movie, complete with soundtrack. It even lowers the music volume when people are speaking. It isn't perfect, but it's as artistic as a computer can be right now.

Play Store: Magisto (free)

Swiftkey 3

Swiftkey has been one of Android's best keyboards for years, but 2012 saw the release of Swiftkey 3. It marks a big step forward, with better error correction and "Smart Space," which inserts missing spaces in blocks of text.

Also keep an eye out for the upcoming Swiftkey Flow, a Swype-like trace keyboard with Swiftkey's predictive text.

Play Store: Swiftkey 3 ($1.99), Swiftkey 3 Tablet ($1.99)

Temple Run

The iOS classic Temple Run came to Android in 2012. Snag an idol and run, jump, and slide from the crazy apes in hot pursuit. It's addictive, endless running arcade fun at its finest.

Play Store: Temple Run (free)

Dead Trigger

Android wouldn't be a legit gaming platform if it didn't have at least one good first-person zombie shooter. Dead Trigger gives you just that, for the unbeatable price of free.

Play Store: Dead Trigger (free)

Horn

One of the breakthrough mobile games of 2012, Horn is a Zelda-inspired action puzzler. Its striking visuals and console-like gameplay will keep you entertained for hours.

Play Store: Horn ($6.99)

Angry Birds Space, Angry Birds Star Wars

In 2012, Rovio's Angry Birds franchise continued its quest for world domination. The two latest entries, Angry Birds Space and Angry Birds Star Wars, brought some refreshing innovation (and a shameless tie-in) to the formulaic series. Don't knock anti-gravity bird-flinging until you've tried it.

Play Store: Angry Birds Space HD ($.99), Angry Birds Star Wars HD ($2.99)

N.O.V.A. 3

Until Microsoft brings H.A.L.O. to Android (fat chance), Gameloft's copycatN.O.V.A. franchise is as close as you'll get. Despite its cringe-inducing voice acting and lack of originality, N.O.V.A. 3 provides terrific visuals and hours of entertaining gameplay.

Play Store: N.O.V.A. 3 ($6.99)

More to come?

It's been a great year for Android, but the year isn't over yet. We'll keep an eye out for more great apps in the next month (GTA: Vice City, anyone?) and will update accordingly.

Quantity not a problem as Windows 8 hits 20,000 app mark , and that too mostly FREE!!

Microsoft's freshly-launched Windows 8 now offers 20,000 apps with almost 90 per cent of them coming with a price tag of zero.

Win App Update reports that there are currently 20,610 apps globally in the Windows Store, reckoning that the big 20,000 mark was hit on Tuesday November 20.

The same source added that 17,958 of those apps are free – but notes that not all apps are available in all countries.

Plenty of apps

Canada has the lion's share, it seems, with the lucky Canucks able to access 14,000 of the Windows 8 apps available.

The US comes in second, with 12,675 apps in their store and the UK is only slightly behind with around 11,000.

It's worth remembering that these figures haven't come from Microsoft so they might be slightly out – either way, it looks like Windows 8 is well on its way to being nicely stocked in the app arena.

The Mac App Store reportedly hit 10,000 apps back in April this year which is a slower rise given that Apple launched its desktop app hub in January 2011. However, the company did report that it hit 100 million Mac App Store downloads in December of that year which is not too shabby.

Windows 8, meanwhile, launched in October 2012 and looks to have added over 7000 apps in the last 17 days alone.

Quantity doesn't seem to be much of an issue for the fledgling OS – quality, however, is another story.

From Win App Update via TNW , Techradar

HTC Deluxe pics surface: want a 5-inch wonder?

The trend towards the larger screen is increasing, as now pictures have appeared of the HTC Deluxe DLX.

This is the same phone we heard about from Twitter last week, and is set to be the global edition of the HTC Butterfly J – or its twin, the HTC Droid DNA.

Well, that's the report from GSM Arena, the site that nabbed the press shots of the upcoming phone.

The same source also states that the phone will be called the HTC Deluxe DLX, but we can't see that really being the form it would appear in for the UK.

Deluxe suite

For a start there's no Deluxe to add a suffix to, in the manner of the HTC Sensation XE; and then there's the fact the letters are just a capitalised contraction of the name itself.

Either naming way, there's a lot to get excited about here. If the HTC Deluxe is similar to the Butterfly, we're talking a 1.5GHz quad core processor, 2GB of RAM, 4G connection and the jewel in the crown: a full 1080p display crammed into that screen.

In terms of a HTC Deluxe release date, we're still very much in the dark… but given we've got these press shots (although they could still be fake despite the fact there are multiple angles on show) the smart money is on a launch at one of the upcoming trade shows, so keep your eyes trained onCES 2013 to see if HTC makes an announcement.

From GSM Arena 

Budget Huawei Ascend G330 arrives in time for Christmas

The Chinese firm is mounting an assault on the budget end of the market with the Huawei Ascend G330 landing in the UK at the start of December.

The Ascend G330 builds of the successful Huawei Ascend G300 which offered impressive specs for a smartphone sporting a £100 price tag.

TalkTalk will be the first, and only, network to offer the Ascend G330 before the year is out, with other carriers promised in the new year.

Reasonable

Contracts will start at a reasonable £10 per month, including a free handset, and Huawei expects retailers to offer the Ascend G330 for around £100 SIM-free.

The Ascend G330 packs a 4-inch 480x800 display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, 5MP camera, microSD slot and comes running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Huawei announced the G330 alongside the larger Ascend G600 at IFA 2012 in Berlin, although there's currently no word on when (or if) its big brother will come to Britain.