Category: Reviews

Any smartphone you buy today be it Android, iOS or Windows Phone, will come with a camera app for the built-in camera of the device.  Some of these are appallingly bad while others are fantastic.  Fortunately, regardless of the platform you chose, you have a lot of camera apps available in respective app stores to help fit your needs a bit better.  In the case of Android, one of the simplest yet easiest to use camera apps is Google Camera.  Yes it is made by Google and it is a robust camera app alternative.  It doesn’t have the huge number of filters or other special tricks but it does do one thing really, really well:  Take photos.  With its simple user experience and focus on the taking of the photo itself, Google Camera gives you all you need to take a great picture with your Android phone, leaving it to other apps for post processing.  Personally, I’m good with this approach and having used this app for a week or so now, I’m pretty pleased with it.  I think you would be too.

Google Camera for Android – Free – Download Now

Over the past couple of weeks I have been using the BLU VIVO IV Android phone as my primary device.  While I still remain skeptical of the Android platform for a lot of reasons (I’m not a fan of the UI for example), that could not detour me from this phone.  BLU, a US-based company, has an outstanding device in the VIVO IV.  It is sexy slim, solidly built and has some outstanding features that make this $299 phone (I picked mine up for $199 from B&H) one everyone should consider if they are looking for an affordable phone.  While the BLU VIVO IV isn’t perfect, a lot of what I didn’t like about it can be adjusted through other apps available in the Play Store.  It means you may have to do some customizing to get it the way you want it but performance wise, you are not going to be disappointed.

Like many elements of Windows Phone, the Lockscreen is one of the areas of personal expression on the platform.  Whether you decide to display your favorite photo, Facebook or Twitter photos or the Bing wallpaper of the day, it gives you this individual touch along with updates and information on your email, Facebook and other apps that you can choose.  Tetra Lockscreen takes those and pushes the Lockscreen up a level in functionality.  This app allows you to have that photo background of your choice or Bing but also brings a whole new level of content beyond just your messages, email and Facebook updates.  It makes the Lockscreen interactive and allows you to see details of your calendar for the day, your location, local weather and even can provide you a stopwatch.  It is a great example of the flexibility and power of Windows Phone.

The app comes from the Microsoft Garage (which was literally a garage on the Microsoft campus at one point) and is one of several apps that developers have released for Windows Phone and Android.  While the app isn’t officially supported by Microsoft, the Garage apps have all performed well and Tetra Lockscreen is no exception.  If you are looking to spruce up your Lockscreen with a bit more content, look no further than Tetra Lockscreen.

Tetra Lockscreen – Free – Download Now

Coin collecting has been something that humans have done almost since coinage was invented.  Often referred to as the “Hobby of Kings” during the Renaissance, over the past two centuries has become more affordable and easier to do than ever.  Those who collect coins seriously, Numismatics, today now have the benefit of technology and applications that even a few years ago was not available.  When I started collecting back in the mid-80s, coin grading and cataloging all had to be done by hand.  Now, it’s all done with apps but there is – and always will be – a human judgment factor when it comes to grading coins.  That is where an app like PCGS Photograde can make it easier for the seasoned collector and those new to the hobby.

PCGS Photograde comes from the company Professional Coin Grading Service, or PCGS.  They have been professionally grading coins for 30 years now and have had apps on various platforms to help hobbist leverage their experience to grade their own coins.  The PCGS Photograde app for Windows is the most comprehensive coin grading app available and gives high resolution photos of a wide range of US coins to help you determine the grades of your own coins.  It is a great way to figure out if that Lincoln Wheat Cent is a Fine-12 or an Extra Fine-20 and while that may not sound too exciting, it could mean in some cases hundreds of dollars difference in value.  Whether you have been collecting for a long time or just starting out, take a look at the PCGS Photograde app to help you grade your coins.

PCGS Photograde for Windows – Free – Download Now

Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, has been around since the mid-90s and is a way for websites like this one to publish a “feed” to subscribers providing the highlights of posts so users don’t necessarily have to visit the site until they want to do so for a particular article.  In fact, you can subscribe to the RSS feed for ClintonFitch.com right here and most of the Windows and Windows Phone dedicated sites have their own feeds.  Likewise, RSS readers or aggregators have been around a long time as well.  These app allow you to gather all of your RSS feeds into one place so you can read them in one place at one time.  When it comes to Windows and Windows Phone, one of the best readers out there is NextGen Reader.

NextGen Reader leverages Feedly where you actually configure the RSS feeds and presents them in a modern, easy-to-read and navigate app for both your Windows 8.1 PC and tablets as well as a Windows Phone 8.1 version that is equally as solid.  The app allows you to quickly and easily read your feeds, supports the Modern Windows 8.1 app design and on the Windows Phone version, supports Live Tiles and pinning on your Start screen.  NextGen Reader is as close to a universal app as you can get in the current Windows 8.1 world (true universal apps are coming in Windows 10) but it does mean that once you buy the app at $2.99, you get the app on all your Windows powered devices.  If you are looking for a good RSS/News reader for your devices, take a look at this one.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.

NextGen Reader for Windows Phone – $2.99 (Universal App) – Download Now

NextGen Reader for Windows – $2.99 (Universal App) – Download Now

If you are like me you have multiple devices on your desk that need to be charged via USB.  Using your laptop’s USB ports is fine when you are on the road but at home or in the office, that can be a bit of a challenge.  First you usually don’t have enough ports on your laptop and secondly, they don’t necessarily charge your devices that fast.  Anker has been making power accessories for devices since 2012 and was founded by a group of Googlers.  Their solutions bring an elegance and style to what is very much a utilitarian need of our modern world.  The Anker 40w 5 Port USB desktop charger is no exception.  This simple but stylish desktop accessory allows you to charge up to 5 USB devices at once yet does it in a sleek, slim designed hub that sits nicely on any desk.  At only $25.99 and available directly from Amazon, it is also a great value.

Anker 40w 5 Port USB Family-Sized Desktop Charger – $25.99 – Distributed Through Amazon