From a photography app with a difference to a math training app with human curation and a fantastic classic iOS puzzle game going free, we’ve sifted through this week’s most exciting apps to bring you the ones you absolutely need to download now.
Check out our picks below. Trust us, this is the way you want to spend Sunday!
PhotoPanda
Photo: Kapptur
There’s no shortage of camera apps in existence to help you take more and better photos. But how about an app to help you tidy up your unwieldy image collection? That’s exactly what PhotoPanda does — with the app’s mission statement being to let you “take control of your Camera Roll.”
In short, the app works by analyzing your photos to highlight for possible deletion those which it determines are too dark or blurry, or simply duplicates of existing photos. It also cleverly determines which pictures are selfies or screenshots, and separates these into separate categories to make it easier to evaluate your images.
Once this is done, you can delete the unwanted pictures — and PhotoPanda will reveal how much space has been saved through the use of the app. A great tool for any iPhone owner, and particularly those with limited storage.
Available for: iPhone/iPad
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
Tabtor
As my Cult of Mac brethren David Pierini wrote this week, Tabtor Math is a math app with a difference. That difference? That you get a human tutor who will work through the different worksheets and math games, interacting with students by way of voice and video messaging. Parents can even follow along using a companion app to check progress and tutor reports.
Free to download, but costing $30 – $100 per month, Tabtor isn’t cheap. Then again, considering that a private tutor could well cost this per hour, it’s a neat idea if you’re looking for a glimpse at the possible future of education. If you’re interested, there’s also a one week free trial to check out.
Available for: iPhone/iPad
Cost: Free (plus subscription)
Get it from: Tabtor
Monument Valley
Monument Valley isn’t new, but it’s so great that I could quite easily include it on every “apps of the week” roundup from now until the day Cult of Mac editor Leander Kahney gets rid of me for getting drunk and praising Samsung at the Christmas party.
If you haven’t played it, Monument Valley is an isometric puzzle game, inspired by the surrealistic designs of M.C. Escher, in which you guide a character through a series of impossible structures.
It’s beautiful, surprisingly replayable, and — my reason for featuring it this week — it’s just gone free for the first time ever. It also looks damn nice on the 12.9-inch fabulosity of an iPad Pro.
Available for: iPhone/iPad
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
MileCatcher Traffic
Photo: Mile catcher
Crucial if you travel a lot for business, MileCatcher is an app which automatically logs your trips to analyze progress against traffic and to expense trips for reimbursement or taxes. Easy to use, the app gives you yearly estimates for how much time you drive, as well as the amount of time you spend commuting in traffic. Depressing? Yes. Useful? Hell yes.
It even offers live feedback while you’re driving to help you adopt a more fuel efficient, safer driving style.
Available for: iPhone/iPad
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
Groove Planet
A fun rhythm-based clicker game that’s way more entertaining than it has any right to be, Groove Planet asks players to create an alien cityscape whose growth depends on your tap timing and music selection.
It sounds pretty weird — and it is — but Groove Planet is also one of the most original and fun iOS games I’ve played in a long while. Insanely addictive.
Available for: iPhone/iPad
Cost: Free
Get it from: App Store
