Skip to main content

Here are 5 apps you need to download this week

LG G4 Phone
Jessica Lee Star/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.

Pacemaker

Screen Shot 2015-05-09 at 4.45.29 PM
Image used with permission by copyright holder

iOS

There is no shortage of music players available for your device of choice. Since there are more songs out there than you’ll ever have time to listen to and more coming out all the time, it’s less about what you’re listening to and more about how you listen to it. Most services try to differentiate themselves with a little flair you won’t find on another platform. Pacemaker is like your own private DJ built in to your iOS device.

You can pick a song or playlist from your iTunes or Spotify library to kick things off, then Pacemaker takes over on the virtual wheels of steel to give you the perfect mix. The app’s Match Machine picks out tracks for you when you aren’t sure what to listen to, while it’s Autopilot mode makes a mix to give you a new listening experience for your familiar tunes. You can even take back control and add in effects and personal tweaks if you want to play to a party. For the dedicated Apple fan, Pacemaker has an Apple Watch app for wrist control.

Thred

Thred
iOS

Will Wright is known for his innovative games. Hits like SimCity and Spore weren’t just new games, they created new genres. Now the creative, game-centric mind of Wright is tackling something entirely new with his app Thred. Essentially a content remixing app, Thred lets you build stories based using your favorite content. Every time you upload something, you add another page to a graphic novel style story of your life that people can follow.

Newsmeister

Newsmeister
iOS

Have you ever listened to Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the always entertaining topical gameshow on NPR? If you’re a fan, you’ll probably enjoy Newsmiester, a new app that works on the same principle, by gamifying the news. Top stories from around the world are turned into quiz questions that will test just how engaged you are with what’s happening around you. It’s a great, new way to brush up on the day’s headlines and keep yourself informed.

Goat Simulator GoatZ

GoatSimulator
iOS, Android

We’d really love to explain to you what Goat Simulator is. Actually, better yet, we’d like to have someone explain it to us. The inexplicably popular game has made its way to mobile, and it makes the transition with undead eyes. Goat Simulator GoatZ is an off-the-walls zombie game set in the Goat Simulator universe, which means nothing makes sense and everything is insane. There’s a crafting system to build weapons and a huge map to explore. Who knows what you’ll find? Well, you’ll definitely find zombies. And tons of weirdness.

Grim Fandango

GrimFandango
iOS, Android

If you grew up in the era of point-and-click computer games, you’re probably familiar with Grim Fandango. The quirky adventure game from Double Fine Productions was a cult classic during its original run thanks to its unique premise and entertaining dialogue. Now the game has been remastered for today’s mobile devices. While the graphics still aren’t anything special—it’s amazing how far graphics have come that a computer game now looks bad on mobile—everything else holds up flawlessly.

Editors' Recommendations

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
Apple just released iOS 17.4. Here’s how it’s going to change your iPhone
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro showing the screens.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro (left) and iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If you have an iPhone, you'll want to check it right now for a big update. The iOS 17.4 update is officially rolling out right now and it includes some fairly significant new features.

Read more
No, the Journal app on your iPhone isn’t spying on you
Apple Journal app on an iPhone 15 Pro.

If you've spent any time on Facebook, TikTok, or any other social media site over the last couple of days, there's a chance you've seen people claiming that your iPhone is spying on you — specifically, with a feature called "Journaling Suggestions."

One post I stumbled across on Facebook made it sound rather frightening, warning me that the feature shares my FULL NAME and EXACTLY where I'm located to anyone nearby. The post told me to go and toggle the setting off immediately because it was "Very scary stuff!!"

Read more
The top 7 bestselling phones of 2023 were all … you guessed it
Close-up view of titanium frame on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Seven of the top 10 bestselling handsets in 2023 were iPhones, according to data from research firm Counterpoint.

This marks the first time in Counterpoint’s tracking of such data that Apple’s handset has dominated the chart to this extent.

Read more