Some of the Latest and Greatest iPad/iPhone/Android/iPod Touch Apps
By Howard Berenbon
This is the beginning of App based articles with reviews of some of the very best free Apps for your mobile device. Though I have covered mobile apps in past columns with some I found incredibly useful, like last month's review of the MagicApp phone app--not for magicians, I’ll be searching for the latest and greatest free apps with some in-depth reviews. Starting this month, and in future columns, I'll offer reviews of many of the major iPhone, iPad, Android and iPod Touch Apps for your mobile device. Many of the free apps are fully functional without additional costs, but some will have a fee to upgrade for more features. If you find the need, the upgrade fee will be well worth the added features. For Apple based products, you’ll find the apps searchable in the Apple app store, and for Android devices look for them at GooglePlay.
SkyView Free for the Apple iPad, iPhone,
and iPod Touch
If you’re interested in astronomy or occasionally gaze at the night sky in awe of the vastness of the universe above then you’ll love this free app by Terminal Eleven LLC. It’s a 3D simulation of the night sky stars at any time and date and includes 3D images of the planets. Just step outside and point your camera anywhere at the sky, and it will display the stars and objects in view. It also displays facts about what you’re viewing. Click for more information.
TED for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android
TED is a free app that let’s view in-depths talks on almost any subject by some of the smartest people in the world who share their thoughts, music, research and technology. Offers more than 1700 videos with more added weekly. For more information visit TEDBlog.
iBooks for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch
This is a great free app for viewing and reading any type of book including audio and video. It will build a bookshelf of your favorite books that you buy, or download for free. You can buy books from various sources including the Apple iBook Store, or download books directly from the Internet. For most free books, I found all the historical classics (in the public domain) at Project Gutenberg available in several different formats including text only and PDF. Click for more information from Apple.
Kindle Book App for iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone and Android
The Kindle eBook app is another great free app I use for reading eBooks. This is an Amazon-based program for reading their Kindle books, newspapers and magazines, but it’s available for any Apple device. If you’re an Amazon user—and who isn’t—then you have access to all kinds of eBooks from the Kindle Store. I like science fiction, and found many free eBooks through Amazon, even some new books offered by current authors, not just the classics. I am also interested in writing, and I found some free “how to” guides as well. Visit Amazon for more information and to download the app for your mobile device.
Snapseed by Google for the iPhone, iPad and Android Device
If you want to modify photos taken on your mobile device, and who hasn’t wanted to fix a photo before uploading to Facebook, then Snapseed is the app to use. It’s a free and easy to use photo editing program with lots of features. You don’t need to be a professional photographer use this app, but you’ll get professional results. Visit Google+ for more information on this excellent photo app.
Google Docs for the iPhone, iPad and Android Device
If you’ve ever needed to create, edit or share documents with friends or colleagues, then Google Docs is the free app you need. The app will let you download files from the Internet and read and write in almost any format including Microsoft word; and it's linked to your Google + account. After you're done creating or revisiing, you can e-mail the file, or even send it to your Facebook account. It also includes a built in link to download Google Drive so you can store and share your files in the Cloud--access from anywhere you are. You can even protect your files with a 4-digit passcode. It’s a must have app for any writer or author. Click for more information and to download Google Docs from Google play or the Apple App Store.
