My Top 10
Windows Phone Applications
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I recently made the switch to Windows Phone. One thing that has been pointed out to me time and
time again about Windows Phone is that the app selection is minuscule compared to Android and
iOS. This is true. However, there are some useful and well-built apps in the Windows Phone
Marketplace. Below, I've listed ten of my personal favorites in no particular order. These aren't
necessarily the top ten apps in the Marketplace, but they're the ones I use most often and can't live
without.
1. Beezz
First, I need to say that Beezz is not the best Twitter app in the Marketplace. But it is the only one
with push notifications and a live tile. For overall performance, you may want to look at the official
Windows Phone Twitter app or maybe Seesmic, but for someone like me who's coming from
Android and is used to notifications, Beezz is the best app. The only downside to the notification
system on Beezz, is that the live tile gives you the number of Mentions and total tweets that you
haven't read. I wish it would show only the number of unread Mentions I have. The pop-up
notification, though, only happens when you get an @reply.
2. Flixster
When choosing an app to use for checking showtimes and reading movie information, I narrowed it
down to Flixster and Fandango. Flixster works for me because the opening menu gives me a list of
options between Box Office, Theaters, Upcoming, and more, whereas the Fandango app
immediately opens with what's opening this week and what's at the top of the box office. I don't
simply want to know what's out, I want to know what's showing at the theaters closest to me and
what time they're showing. Flixster makes it easier and quicker to get to that info. Flixster has also
partnered with Rotten Tomatoes so I get critic reviews, reader reviews, and that tomato graphic to
tell me instantly if the movie good or not.
3. Slice and Throw
I'm not much of a mobile gamer, but Slice and Throw is seriously addicting. The premise is similar
to Fruit Ninja, you swipe on the display to cut through an object (in Slice and Throw, the objects are
Chinese scrolls); however, this game has an added element. You also have to throw ninja stars at
objects in the background. Of course, there are certain scrolls that you can't slice and bombs that
come in the background that you don't want to throw a star at. It's a very fun game and the sound
effects are awesome.
4. MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter
This is an app that I used on my Android device and I was excited to see that they had also made a
Windows Phone app. Just like any other calorie counter app, you add the food that you eat and it
calculates the calories for you. Along with how many calories you've eaten, it will also track your
nutrient total for the day so you'll know if you're getting enough Calcium, Potassium, etc. This app
will also allow you to add workout information and even how much water you drank. With the
MyFitnessPal app, you can enter your current weight, tell the app how much you would like to
weigh or if you want to maintain your weight, how much weight you would like to lose per week,
how often you will work out, and if your lifestyle is active or sedentary. The app will then calculate
how many calories you should consume each day in order to reach your goal. The system is very
detailed, reliable, and best of all, it works.
5. Thumba Cam
Think Instagram, but for Windows Phone. You can either take a picture or use a picture you've
already taken and add an effect from a list of 14 different options including Color Selection, HDR,
Lomo, and even 3D. Most effects have a slider that allows you to determine how heavy the effect
will be on the picture. It's very simple to use but the outcome is pretty cool.
6. Netflix
What can I say? It's Netflix. This is the app that everyone wants on their phone. You can use it for
easy browsing and watching, keeping track of your queue, or just bragging rights when you're with
someone whose phone doesn't officially support Netflix yet.
7. ShopSavvy
I use a barcode scanner a lot. I rarely buy a product without reading reviews and checking around
for the best price. With ShopSavvy, I can do that right there in the store instead of having to go
home and check on my computer. The app is very well-designed. After scanning a barcode, you are
presented with online prices. A swipe over shows you local prices, and one more swipe shows a
very organized page of reviews with a numbered star system. Just as with any barcode scanner,
results aren't always accurate, but it's still the best one I've found so far.
8. Slacker Personal Radio
I don't think I've actually purchased a song in a few years. I never could wrap my mind around
paying a dollar for one song when I can listen to a personalized streaming radio station for free.
There's a battle between Slacker and Pandora and I personally chose Slacker Radio. The Windows
Phone app doesn't have very many customizing features, but it still performs well and I've had few,
if any, problems with bugs and crashes.
9. HTC YouTube
So, these last two apps are for HTC Windows Phone devices only, but they are some pretty darn
good apps and I have an HTC Windows Phone device so they rightly belong on my Top 10 list. It's
no secret that the official Windows Phone YouTube app is pointless. All it does is take you to the
mobile YouTube site. If you have an HTC Windows Phone device, though, you have a better
option. The HTC YouTube app allows me see the Most Viewed videos, Most Discussed videos, the
Top Rated videos, and all of my subscriptions and their recent videos. Each listing also displays the
rating, number of views, and the length so you don't have to select a video to see this information.
This app is excellent for YouTube addicts and is very simple to use.
10. HTC Hub
Yes, I know I'm kind of cheating with this one because, again, it's an HTC-only app and it's not
really an app, it's more like a group of apps, the above app being a part of that group. Whatever you
want to call it, HTC Hub is a viable reason to buy an HTC Windows Phone device, mainly because
the live tile shows the weather. There aren't many weather apps in the Marketplace that support live
tiles, but this one does and I love it. It's designed by HTC so of course it's beautiful, and it updates
automatically. That's just the live tile though. Once you open the Hub, you're free to use any HTC
app, YouTube included, all of which are also beautiful. This is a must-have feature for me.
So there they are. I've only been using a Windows Phone device as my personal phone for about
two weeks so if there are better apps that you've found, I would love to know about them.
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My Top 10 Windows Phone Applications
by Kristen Adrianne Stewart
Editor @GC-United States