CarsApp

On the hunt for a new-, used-, demo car or dealer special? CarsApp will enable you to cut down on the search time, and slip into the driving seat of your dream car quicker. Users simply choose a few details such as make, model, mileage, and price range and the app will do the rest by delivering a list of cars on sale. You can view all the info and photos of the cars, get directions to the dealer’s location or click on the enquiry button to send an email to the seller.

Feedly

With the demise of Google Reader, many smartphone users are searching for alternative news aggregator services to help them stay informed and aware of the latest news headlines. Feedly is one such a service that sports an intuitive, easy-on-the-eyes user interface that has been specifically developed for 4" smartphones, as well as 7" and 10" tablets. It provides users with all the latest news content from their favourite websites, rss feeds, tumblr blogs and YouTube channels.

The Silent Age

This point-and-tap adventure title transports players back to 1972, an age when Cassius Clay danced circles around opponents in the ring and flip-flops were all the rage. The game’s protagonist, Joe, is inadvertently put on a mission to save humanity from extinction, which sees him transported from the early 70’s to the modern era. If you liked the point-and-click adventure games of old such as the Monkey Island series, then this modern mobile interpretation should provide hours of entertainment. 

Android tip - Offline text to speech and voice recognition

Users that like to utilise Google’s excellent speech to text functionality, but do not want to go online every time you wish to do so, can setup offline speech. This is done by going to settings > language and keyboard > Google voice typing, and finally > download offline speech recognition. The download is in the range of 22 MB in size.

This article first appeared in TechSmart 119, August 2013.