Skip to main content

These are the 5 apps you need to download this week

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge apps
Giuliano Correia/Digital Trends
App stores are crowded places these days, and because storage space on your phone is often at a premium, you’ll want to find and fill it with not only the best, but also the most helpful apps out there. Because they come and go quicker than the latest fashion trends, and digging through Google Play, the iTunes App Store, or any of the others is such a mission; a little nudge in the right direction is often very welcome. Here are the apps we think you need to check out this week.

Rhymeo

Screen Shot 2015-05-02 at 10.07.37 PM
Image used with permission by copyright holder

iOS

To a lot of people, rap seems simple. After all, all you have to do is to string some rhyming words together, right? But here’s the thing: while you might not have to play an instrument or hit the high notes to excel at rapping, it still requires an incredible amount of skill and musical ability. Rhyme schemes are more complex than Dr. Suessian-style made up words, there’s more lyrical content packed into a single rap verse than most rock songs, and there’s a definite musicality to staying on beat and developing a cadence.

Want to see just how hard it is to rap? Try out Rhymeo. The freestyle rap app designed to keep you on your toes and try to think of your next rhyme as quickly as possible. With a beat playing in the backround, Rhymeo flashes images and words designed to give you something to work off of as you make up rhymes off the top of your head. If you happen to come up with something good—or don’t mind embarrassing yourself—you can share your verse with the world or check out what others are rapping about.

Recommended Videos

Pledgeling

Pledgeling
iOS

If you can’t give your time to a deserving charity, there’s no such thing as a donation too small to make a difference. Pledgeling makes it easier than ever to give to the causes closest to your heart. Pledgeling has thousands of verified non-profits in its system and when you give to them, you never pay a processing fee. The app keeps all of your charitable donations in your profile so you can see where your money goes and have an easy record come tax season.

DigDuck

Digiduck

iOS

There are so many photo sharing apps out there now that we’re starting to fall into gimmicky territory, but as far as hooks go, DigDuck’s is pretty interesting. You can take a picture from your photo roll or snap a fresh one, then apply a blurring filter that pixelates a part of the picture. It creates a teasing, tantalizing effect that will make the viewer want to see what’s being obscured, which you can reveal at any time. Is it going to be used for lewd photos? Yes, of course it is.

Joe Danger

JoeDanger

Android

Joe Danger is already a popular mobile game over on iOS, but it’s now made the jump over to Android so more users can get in on the phone. The game puts you in control of the world’s greatest stuntman and tasks you with completing death-defying tricks to set records and entertain the audience. There are tons of obstacles to clear—everything from buses to shark tanks—and characters to unlock, plus gorgeous graphics and tons of action to keep you coming back.

Does Not Commute

DoesNotCommute

iOS, Android

Pretty much the exact opposite of Joe Danger, Does Not Commute is a traffic simulator. Somehow, it manages to have the addictive and entertaining qualities to keep you coming back. The strategy-centric title challenges you to keep the flow of traffic moving to make sure all of the vehicles on the road can keep moving toward their destination. Sounds simple, but then things get weird. The people behind the wheels all have their own unique stories and the cars all react differently when interacted with.

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
Your Google Maps app is about to look different. Here’s what’s changing
Screenshot of the new teal color in the Google Maps app.

If you own an Android device such as a Samsung Galaxy S24 or Google Pixel 9 Pro, there is a small design update coming to the Google Maps app that aims to enhance its visual appearance and user experience. The app will be adopting a new interface color scheme, which could make navigation and interaction feel fresher.

As first reported by 9to5Google, Google Maps is set to change its signature blue accent for buttons and other user interface elements to a dark shade of teal.

Read more
iOS 18.2 is rolling out now with a ton of new Apple Intelligence features
Apple Intelligence on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Apple has started the public rollout of iOS 18.2 and the corresponding iPadOS update, and they bring a handful of long-awaited features in its AI kit. The release notes are pretty exhaustive, and they reveal a few features that are minor improvements to the already available Apple Intelligence bundle.

The most notable addition is ChatGPT integration with Siri, which shifts things over to the OpenAI chatbot if Apple’s assistant can’t provide an answer. ChatGPT integration is also expanding within the Writing Tools set, thanks to the compose feature that lets users create fresh content and generate images.

Read more
You can now use an external webcam with Microsoft Teams on your iPad. Here’s how
Home screen layout of the 2024 iPad mini.

For a lot of people, the iPad is the device they choose to work with, which may include taking video calls. Though the front-facing camera on iPads has gotten better over time, many still prefer external webcams because they’re often much better than the built-in webcam on your tablet or even laptop. And now, if you use Microsoft Teams on iPad, you’re finally able to use external cameras, as Microsoft has announced via a blog post.

When we say "finally," it’s because Apple has included support for external USB-C cameras on the iPad since iPadOS 17. So technically, Microsoft is a little late to the party with this feature. But if you have to use Microsoft Teams for work and you tend to use the iPad most of the time, then this is certainly welcome news.

Read more