You don't need to be transferring classified material or leaking internal memos to use Signal. But it's nice to know you could. Available on every major platform, it uses rock-solid end-to-end encryption to keep all of your communication private. It covers everything from document transfers to video calls. And it's remarkably free, without ads, tracking, or unnecessary add-ons.
The follow-up to 2015's award-winning Alto's Adventure, Alto's Odyssey follows our board-bound hero and his friends on a new journey. Like the original, it's built around a one-touch trick system that's easy to pick up but hard to master, with gorgeous graphics depicting dunes, hot air balloons, lemurs, temples, and more. It also has its own headphone-worthy original soundtrack and is just as fun on the Apple TV as it is on your iPhone.
Modern home security devices are loaded with sensors. So is your old phone. Only one is basically free. Haven turns any old Android device (running 4.1 or later) into an intelligent monitoring solution. Crafted in collaboration with Edward Snowden, it's meant to help protect journalists, whistleblowers, or anyone else at risk of forced disappearance. You can set it up to detect sound, motion, or both, and tell it to record video once it's set off, catching any would-be assailant with either the front or rear camera.
Apple Watch collects all sorts of exercise data — but that's not a big help if you're already invested in another fitness platform. HealthFit is a simple app that unlocks all these metrics, letting you export .fit files that you can then import into Strava, Garmin Connect, RunKeeper, and others. The files include heart rate, GPS routes, swimming and running cadence, and segments, and can also sync your resting heart rate and heart rate variability data directly, depending on the platform.
There are tons of great cocktail apps. Problem is, most of us don't have access to a bar full of ingredients at home, meaning many of the recipes are useless. Mixel lets you add the ingredients you own to your in-app bar, then shows you drinks you can make using the stuff you already have. It offers over 700 curated recipes in all, a database of over 500 ingredients, and the ability to add your own recipes to your list of favorites.
Based on the idea that a tech-driven brokerage could operate with less overhead, Robinhood was among the first online brokerages to charge zero commissions for self-directed individual or joint stock trades. Following several years of reliable service, it's expanding into the hottest sector in finance: cryptocurrency. Soon, you will be able to buy Bitcoin and Ethereum in the same place as your shares, with support for other currencies on the way. Just like stocks, cryptocurrency trading will be available without a fee, with estimated prices and order "collars" keeping things stable during wild fluctuations in price. Available for iOS and Android, with a web-based app coming soon.
FOMO never kicks in quite as bad as when you're staring down a device that's about to die. Die With Me is a new app/media artwork that acts as a group therapy session, dropping you into a chatroom with other poor souls whose phones have dropped to 5%... or lower. It's a humorous look at our modern insecurities, and a novel way to pass those fleeting moments before you have to turn your attention back to the real world.
A good pillow can be the difference between a night of restful sleep and a literal pain in the neck. The team at Casper knows this and designed a pillow that provides comfort and support regardless of your sleeping position. They've invented a unique pillow-in-pillow with a firm inner core and a soft outer shell. Thanks to the even fill distribution of silky fibers, the pillow won't lose its shape. It's also finished with breathable percale cotton to keep airflow moving and your pillow cool. It's even machine washable. Take advantage of the 100-night trial, and if you don't love it, Casper will give you a free refund.
Presented by Casper.
Timex has been in the watch business for over 160 years and as a tribute to their heritage, the company has created the Waterbury Traditional Chronograph. The watch celebrates classic timepieces with a timeless design, featuring a 42mm stainless steel with a polished finish. The dial offers a date window, an INDIGLO Night-Light, Arabic numerals, and hands powered by a quartz movement. It's finished with a natural leather strap, completing the traditional aesthetic.
Presented by Timex.
Dubbed an "appsperiment" by the minds in Mountain View, Google Scrubbies is a new research-driven app that lets you remix your video, DJ style. Just tap to record, use one finger to review, and then use a two-finger swipe to record, rewinding and replaying to create your ideal mix. It's joined by Storyboard, an Android-only app that selects multiple frames from a video and creates a comic-book-like layout, and the embarrassingly-named Selfissimo, which automatically captures selfies when you pose in front of your iOS or Android device.
You love your iPhone X. You love your wallpaper. You hate the notch. We get it — and so does Notcho. This new app lets you create custom wallpaper that mimics the curves of the X's screen while drowning the notch in a sea of black. It comes with a library of images, in case you don't want to supply your own, and will let you preview your choice before exporting.
A collaboration between Steven Soderbergh and HBO, Mosaic employs branching narratives to provide a new twist on TV-watching. In the first episode, you're introduced to author Olivia Lake (played by Sharon Stone), and afterward, the 7.5-hour story breaks into different perspectives. You can choose to watch all of them before moving on, or instead follow the storyline straight to the end. Unlocked along the way are additional documents, recordings, and video clips that help add to the story, and you can always go back to watch episodes you skipped over once you're done. The Mosaic app is currently available for iOS and Apple TV, with an Android version to follow, and a Soderbergh-edited, six-hour version of the series will air on HBO January 22.
A 911 Spyder isn't the most practical vehicle, but the stuff-hauling Macan lacks the same exhilaration. For those that don't want to purchase both, there's Porsche Passport. This new subscription service gives you on-demand, app-based access to a fleet of Stuttgart's vehicles. Need to make a splash? Book a 911. Hauling your boat to the marina for the weekend? Grab a Cayenne. Taking a relaxing, open-air drive into the country? The Boxster is ideal. Everything from insurance to roadside assistance is included — you just need to pick up the gas. The base "Launch" plan includes access to various Cayman, Boxster, Macan, and Cayenne models, while the more exclusive "Accelerate" plan adds more powerful models as well as 911 and Panamera options to the list. Launching exclusively for approved members in the Atlanta metro area.
Apple's new ARKit framework, debuting in iOS 11, is going to open up loads of new possibilities for what your phone can do. First up? Replace most of the tape measure aisle at the hardware store. TapMeasure, as the name suggests, lets you make measurements of both objects and rooms with just a couple taps. Tap around a piece of artwork on your wall and it becomes a virtual laser level, letting you know when you've got it just right, and by tapping on every corner, you can get accurate 3D floor maps of your room that you can export to SketchUp for further editing.
We're taking more photos than ever. And appreciating them less. Artifact Uprising Volumes make it incredibly simple to have your best shots printed and compiled. Simply add your favorite photos to a folder of your choosing, and once you've got 50 images in there, the service automatically creates a new book from them. You get a choice between softcover or hardcover books, as well as the color of the cover, and since everything's automated, you won't get hung up trying to pick the perfect images to print.
We love movies. Thanks to increases in ticket prices and the overall convenience of in-home streaming, we don't go to the cinema as much as we'd like. MoviePass is out to change that. Built by a Netflix co-founder, this new service gives you a ticket to a new 2D movie every day. No joke. Its network includes over 4,000 theaters and over 36,000 screens nationwide, so it likely covers one near you, and with its low monthly price, you can see as many as 30 movies a month for roughly the cost of a single ticket.
With a dead-simple interface and near real-time operation, iTranslate Converse is a must-have for your next trip abroad. Once you select the two languages it needs to listen for, flip your phone upside down (the better to pick up both people's voices) and press down on the screen while you talk. It will automatically determine which language is being spoken and translate it to the other, speaking the translation aloud. It also saves text transcripts of your chats, and should you spring for the Pro version, you'll get unlimited translations per month — limited to 300 in the free version — as well as audio transcripts. Currently exclusive to iOS with support for 38 languages.
Made in Italy, the Unimatic U1-DN takes cues from some of the most prominent divers ever created. It boasts a matte black dial with Super-Luminova maxi markers and highly visible matching hands. A date disc displayed through the six-hour window blends in with the dial perfectly. The watch has a black, brushed, stainless steel case finished with scratch resistant DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating, while accuracy is ensured due to a Seiko NH35A automatic movement with a 41-hour power reserve. Only 300 were made, and each arrives individually numbered with a black heavy-duty NATO strap and black silicone rubber diving strap.
Diameter: 40mm / Lug width: 22mm / Depth rating: 300 meters
All of Leica's cameras are somewhat rugged, but only the Leica X-U was built to thrive in the elements — including underwater. This is evidenced by the dedicated "UW" mode that adjusts the white balance and activates distortion correction for the conditions, and the flash that's placed as close as possible to the subject. Overall, the body is waterproof to 50 feet, in part thanks to a fixed lens, sealed aluminum top plate, and grippy TPE coating. Otherwise, the camera is still recognizable as a Leica, with all the manual controls you'd expect, a reassuring heft, and a slight influence from Audi Design, who collaborated on the project.
Sensor: 16.5-megapixel APS-C / Lens: Summilux 23mm f/1.7 (35mm equivalent) / Focus: Contrast-based AF / Burst: 5fps / Monitor: 3" LCD with 920,000 pixels / Video: 1080p / ISO: 100-12,500 / Body: Aluminum and Plastic with TPE reinforcement
Width: 5.51" / Height: 3.11" / Depth: 3.46" / Weight: 1.4 lbs.
There are plenty of times you might want to share an image or screenshot while keeping part private. Maybe it's hiding the identity of an ex, or blocking out a phone number when showing a text conversation. Whatever the case, Redacted can help. This dead-simple app makes hiding whatever you want as simple as tapping and sliding. It handles existing photos, new photos, and even pasted photos with ease, and gives you three options for how you'd like to hide whatever it is you're removing: by pixelation, with a heavy blur, or with the classic black box.
Fender is on a mission to save the guitar. According to Fender's CEO Andy Mooney, 90% of people who get a guitar quit playing in their first year. With the rise of electronic-based music, the guitar hero has become a bit of an anachronism, and this trend worries companies like Fender. But they're fighting back. The best way to retain players is to teach them to play and keep them picking, and that's exactly what Fender Play is all about. The subscription service offers simple beginner lessons up through advanced courses with accomplished musicians in a variety of genres. The guitar isn't dead yet, and Fender wants to bring it an infusion of fresh blood.
Relive past gaming glories on your phone with Sega Forever. This free collection includes tons of classic games from every console they ever released, including the Genesis, Dreamcast, and even the Master System. The games have complete support for Bluetooth controllers for a more authentic experience, and unlike some of the old cartridges, they also save your progress, so you won't lose your place due to an incoming text.
Crafted by two friends with a passion for design, Halide is a nearly perfect still photography app. It has numerous noteworthy features, including Raw support, focus peaking, manual ISO, shutter, and focus controls, and a live histogram. But it's the app itself, with its intuitive, gestural interface and gorgeous custom typography, that stands apart, and has the potential to transform how you make photos with your phone.
It sounds cliché to call Tentrr "Airbnb for camping." But it's also pretty accurate. This app/service lets you find and book thoroughly vetted campsites within just hours of major cities. Each site offers amenities like hand-sewn expedition tents, air mattresses with featherbed toppers, Adirondack chairs, fire pits, and grills. In other words, it provides a happy medium between "glamping" and roughing it, and will be expanding its reach beyond the U.S. Northeast in the coming months.
Finding time to hit the gym can be difficult. WOD is a simple app that lets you get in a quick, high-intensity workout wherever you might be. Its bodyweight only routines don't require any equipment, so it's ideal for frequent travelers, and with hundreds to choose from, they won't get stale. You can also compare your reps and time to prior workouts, save your favorites for later, and quickly share your progress with others.
Keeping track of how much things really cost can be difficult when you're dealing with a different currency. Elk makes it simple. Using your location, it automatically selects the correct currency, then displays a table of common values and their USD equivalents. On the Watch, it lets you use the digital crown to get a conversion for a specific amount quickly. It's also free to download, with a one-time Pro upgrade available after two weeks.
Smartphones are amazing machines. They're also horribly distracting. Forest is a new app that, somewhat contradictorily, helps you stay focused on the world around you. When you need to get your attention off your phone and onto your surroundings, open the app and plant a tree. The tree will grow over a set period, and if you try to leave the app while it's growing, the tree dies. Over time, you're able to cultivate an entire forest, and the app also gives you detailed stats, giving you greater insight into just how much time you are (or aren't) spending on your pocketable slab of glass and metal.
Shopping at your local liquor store is becoming a much tougher task. You not only have to get there but figuring out what you want in a sea of choices with no chance to research leads to exhaustion. Minibar Delivery on the other hand, allows you to order that bottle of wine or spirits from the comfort of your home, or even on-the-go thanks to their app. They provide deliveries straight to your door in as little as 30-60 minutes, and you can even schedule your order in advance or set it to be recurring, so your favorite brand is always available. Minibar Delivery is available in most major cities, and there aren't any hidden fees or markups to your selections.
Presented by Minibar Delivery.
Mindfulness and meditation techniques are a proven way to improve your mental wellbeing and ability to concentrate. Many of those require solitude. Sway was developed in collaboration with Danish mental wellness company PauseAble to let you practice "interactive meditation" in a variety of environments. Using a combination of soothing visuals, peaceful music, on-screen instructions, and audio cues, it encourages you to focus on slow, continuous body movements to help you focus and relax. There are multiple "levels" to work through, ensuring that the experience doesn't get stale as you progress, and since it's designed to work with headphones, you can use it anywhere you have enough room to move.
Security breaches happen despite the best efforts of even the biggest merchants. Keep yourself protected with Privacy. This smart app creates a new custom Visa card for every online store you frequent and locks the card to that merchant — so you're protected even if they're hacked. You can also set spending limits on each card, close any card with a single swipe, and even setup single-use cards that are perfect for free trials.
Making private videos with your lover isn't unusual. Nor is it unusual for your phone to be the most convenient recording device around. Rumuki is a brilliant app that removes all kinds of potential concerns and lets you get down to having fun. First of all, you need to pair it with a copy of the app running on your partner's phone. Record away. When it's time to play it back, you both have to agree to it, and should one party delete their key, it's gone forever. So whether you're worried about being hacked or an ex posting your private bits online, you're covered.
Most dating apps look for things you and potential mates both like. Hater is a new dating app that takes the opposite approach, basing your raw matches on lists of things you both hate, from important topics like politics to simple annoyances like social etiquette and fashion. Like Tinder, you'll still get to anonymously swipe left or right on potential matches, but unlike Tinder, you'll have a built-in list of things to bitch about together if/when you finally meet face-to-face.
It doesn't matter what your politics are — keeping yourself better informed and making your opinions known to your representatives makes for a stronger democracy. Countable makes it as easy as browsing your social feeds. It offers short, non-partisan summaries of news and upcoming legislations, providing unbiased arguments both for and against each bill, and also lets you send video message to your reps, or post opinions/votes on upcoming issues. It's old-school advocacy for a busy modern world.
