Talk Android Apps of the Week: September 6, 2015

[Josh Levenson]

Welcome to Talk Android’s very first Apps of the Week column! Every Sunday, I’ll supply a report on some of the best applications I’ve been using over the course of the last seven days. To get things started, this week I’m focusing my attention on a great Reddit client, a functional note-taking app, an extremely addictive game and last but not least a second-to-none photo editing tool.


Relay for Reddit




Up first, we have Relay for Reddit, which first launched for Android back in January 2015. Unlike most third-party Reddit clients, Relay follows Google’s latest Material Design guidelines and thus features an extremely elegant and intuitive interface, which gives users the ability to alter their color scheme, swipe between pages and view in-line previewing of pictures, YouTube videos, GIF’s and HTML 5 videos.

Reddit is renowned for being somewhat confusing and hard to follow when browsing a popular thread, but Relay makes tracking comments exceptionally easy thanks to its color-coded system. Main comments are highlighted in a white banner, while responses to these comments are housed in a colored bezel, thereby providing users with the means to read through responses in a very easy and efficient manner.

Relay also bundles support for multiple accounts and is the home to a plethora of comprehensive Moderator features, such as the facility to sticky posts, ban users and issue warnings. Adopters of the app can also access a unified inbox and respond to any messages they may have. They also don’t have to worry about missing anything as the application packs support for push notifications, enabling users to receive alerts for mail and even modqueue.

To really get a feel for all of Relay’s features, you have to see it in action, so be sure to check out the gallery below.


If you like the sound of Relay for Reddit and want to give it a try – click here to download and install the application.

Microsoft OneNote




Next up we have a note-taking app from Microsoft, which goes by the name of OneNote. We actually covered this applications launch back in 2014, but for those unaware or in need of a refresher, OneNote allows its users to create a digital notebook comprising of their to-do lists, meetings/social notes and sketches, which can be saved to the cloud and accessed from PC, Mac, Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad and Android Wear.

In terms of functionality, OneNote permits users to format documents in the same way they would on a computer. There’s full compatibility for bold, italics, underlining, highlighting, indentation, bullets, numbering and even multilevel listings. Videos and images can also be integrated into notes, too – so users can store everything neatly in one place, without having to look in different locations to find media that matches up to a note.

There’s also support to collaborate with team members, which is great for those working on college projects or even business ventures. This is done via a shared notebook in which all pages created are visible to every member of the team, who each have the ability to create new, edit existing and delete notes. Team members can track all of the changes made and revert to the original text if required.

Sift through the gallery below to see some scenarios in which OneNote can be used to improve productivity on the go.


If you like the sound of Microsoft OneNote and want to give it a try – click here to download and install the application.

SimCity BuildIt




Up third, we have SimCity BuildIt. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that I’ve been playing this game for a while now, and it’s safe to say that I’m addicted. It’s just impossible for me to pick up my phone without checking the status of DroidVille (Yes, that’s the name of my city). In this title, users take on the role of a mayor and build their own bustling city in which residents can thrive and, hopefully, become rich!

Players start at the bottom and work their way up. They heavily rely on the produce of factories in their city to obtain money and grow, but as time passes they will gradually build skylines and start a trading system so they can sell the resources their production lines automatically produce. Once they’ve got enough money, they can purchase goods to enable their city to become even more prosperous.

Gamers will be tasked with solving many real-life challenges, such as traffic, fires and pollution. To overcome these issues, they will have to install power plants, fire stations, parks, highways and even education facilities to train residents to take on certain roles such as scientists and governors.

To see SimCity in action, take a look at the teaser video below, but, be warned, it’s pretty addictive and a lot of fun.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you like the sound of SimCity BuildIt and want to give it a try – click here to download and install the application.

Snapseed




This weeks concluding app is Snapseed – a first-class photo editing application that is now operating under Google’s umbrella. Since its initial release back in December 2012, Snapseed has been recognized as one of if not the most fluid, futuristic and user-friendly image manipulation tools on the market.

As you’d expect from a top-rated app, Snapseed is jam-packed full of the latest and greatest features, including some incredibly complex algorithms dedicated to automatically fixing and optimizing photographs, in addition to all the usual editorial apparatus, such as straighten, flip, rotate, color control, filters, tuning and borders.

There’s even a dedicated “Creative Enhancements’ menu, which gives users the ability to apply a completely unique and exclusive set of effects to their photographs, which is sure to make them stand out from the crowd. We’ve included the full list of enhancements below, so you can take a look through them and get an understanding of exactly what you’ll be able to do with this app.

• Black & White – Get that classic Black and White look with this darkroom-inspired filter.
• Vintage Films – Make any photo look like a vintage color film photo from the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s.
• Drama – Add style with a custom effect specifically tailored to your photos, ranging from subtle textures to wildly artistic effects.
• Grunge – Give your photos a totally unique, hip, and dingy look.
• Tilt-Shift – Create a narrow in-focus area designed to simulate depth of field, common in a Miniature Scene look.
• Details – Enhance details with traditional sharpening or the unique Structure control found in the Nik Software professional products.
• Center Focus – Draw attention to the subject of your photo by blurring and adjusting the brightness of the surrounding background.
• Frames – Add stylized borders to photos for the perfect finishing touch.
• Retrolux – Make your photos look truly retro with light leaks, scratches, film styles, and more.

If you like the sound of Snapseed and want to give it a try – click here to download and install the application.




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