How’s it going, everybody? It’s the weekend — so sit back, relax, and let us introduce you to a few of the apps which were generating headlines over the past week.
Whether it’s a great update for an iOS PDF editor or a fantastic puzzle game you’re looking for, check out our picks below.
PDF Expert
Readdle’s excellent PDF Expert app, a.k.a. the best PDF management app available on iOS, got a big update this week — adding Apple Pencil support, 9.7-inch iPad Pro support, and a new transfer tool which makes moving files to and from your Mac easier than ever.
If you do anything with PDFs and other documents on iPhone or iPad, then you need PDF Expert — simple as that! Not only is it a great file reader, but it also allows users to annotate and even edit PDF files.
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: $9.99
Get it from: App Store
Ulterior
Looking for a new puzzle game this weekend? If so, why not check out Ulterior, an entertainingly old-school puzzler which looks and plays like one of those old “video game classic” collections I remember buying for a few bucks in the 1990s — with every level asking you to do something different.
In some you’ll be swiping, in others you’ll have to turn your phone upside down, activate your iPhone’s “airplane mode,” or whatever else. It’s pretty nifty and, while probably at its best in small doses, there’s plenty here to keep you entertained on the way to and from work.
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: $0.99
Get it from: App Store
GarageBand
GarageBand for Mac and iOS got a big update this week, with new instruments intended to “celebrate the rich history of Chinese music?”
The update adds 300 new Chinese musical loops including guzheng, dizi, yangqin and Peking Opera samples, as well as a plethora of Chinese musical instruments such as the pipa, erhu, and Chinese percussion. In addition, the iOS update makes it easy for music creators to share their works on Asian social networks QQ and Youku, while the localization update adds Simplified and Traditional Chinese translations for all sounds, loops, and instruments.
Hey, if you want to make a kickass Game of Thrones remix, this is probably the app for you!
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: $4.99
Get it from: iOS App Store, Mac App Store
Google Duo
Google is taking on FaceTime with a new video calling platform called Google Duo, available to both Android and iOS users, and packed full of some pretty unique features.
For one thing, Duo uses your phone number, so you don’t need to setup a new account. It can also seamlessly switch between Wi-Fi and cellular networks during calls without interruption, and has a great feature called Knock Knock, which lets you see your caller and what they’re doing before you answer.
Finally, Google Duo is end-to-end encrypted and is powered by WebRTC and a new technology called QUIC which promises to make calls more stable.
The downside? It’s not out yet, but since it was announced this week, I wanted to include it in the app roundup — if only so you can make sure to watch out for it when it arrives.
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: Free
