The holidays are in full swing, which means trips to the mall involve tear gas, riot gear, and a billy club. That’s why it’s probably better to spend your weekend in with our apps of the week. Trust me, it’s better than being brained with a Cabbage Patch doll, and no, that’s not an out of date reference. Like everything else from the 80s, they’re back.
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iPhone: TravelNerd Airport Guide
Though the holidays mean that trips to pick up the toilet paper and deodorant involve the possibility of being brained by psychotic holiday shoppers, it also means long flights home. Trying to schlep across miles of moving sidewalks just to find food that doesn’t involve the words burger or fries can be pretty irritating if you don’t know where you’re going. But have no fear, Nerdwallet has released the airport guide app TravelNerd. This is a nice app that gives you maps of an airport as well as a listing of the various amenities and restaurants available. It’s got a nice interface and a good amount of information, though I would have thought TravelNerds would have mapped out the power outlets to recharge your gadgets on a layover as well. Pick up TravelNerd free from the App Store here.
iPad: Google Drive
Google Drive isn’t a new app, but it was updated this week to include spreadsheet editing. Proof enough that Mountain View isn’t keen on neglecting its iDevice users. Drive was pretty sparse when originally released, but in recent updates it has added Word Processing and Spreadsheet editing, and now Drive has proven to be one of the better business apps available. The font and design options aren’t as rich as Pages and Numbers, but it’s far better than most of the “Office” substitutes in the App Store, and it’s also free. Not to mention that Drive also gives you good Dropbox-like functionality for free. Grab Drive on the App Store here.
Mac: Tokens
This one’s for the developers. The App Store stops accepting submissions a few weeks ahead of the holiday, and we’re coming up on the last chance to get new and updated apps in front of users in time for all those new iPod touches, iPads, and iPhones on Christmas morning. This means not only getting your app submitted and approved for the App Store, but getting review copies in front of bloggers and reviewers. Generating codes can be a pain, and Token seeks to streamline that process into a single interface. Grab it here.
Web: Eavesdrop
If you are curious about whether your friend with eyeliner is still rocking out to his old KMFDM records, or if he’s got a secret affliction of Bieber fever (kinda like our own Editor In Chief), Eavesdrop can assist if your friend’s are using Rdio. Eavesdrop allows you to see what all your friends are listening to on Rdio, no Facebook required.
Game: Candy Crush
Candy Crush isn’t anything too special. It’s a free to play match three puzzle game. What is nice about Candy Crush is that they’re offering to donate $1 to the Epilepsy Foundation of America for every download of their game. So not only is it a free game, but it’s also a free shot of karma in exchange for something to waste a few hours of your weekend. (Shh, don’t tell the boss but you readers brandishing one of those robot phones can grab this app too!) Make sure to follow this link to ensure the donation is counted.
