With the ever-growing number of apps and games in the Windows Store, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with what's out there.
For that reason, every Friday we showcase some apps that have piqued our interest for one reason or another. They are the 5 Intriguing Apps of the Week.
Video Diary
Sometimes there are things that can only be expressed through the spoken word. For those moments, and many others, there is Video Diary. This universal app uses your computer or smartphone camera to record whatever is on your mind, complete with real-time video effects, like face morphing.
Diary entries marked on the built-in calendar, so you can quickly access them by date. For your more private moments, you can also lock entries with a PIN.
Every entry you record can be marked with a particular emotion, which can also be plotted on a chart for a snapshot of your general state of mind.
Video Diary is cool twist on the traditional daily journal.
- Download Video Diary for Windows 8.1 (Free, get once, get everywhere)
- Download Video Diary for Windows Phone 8.1 (Free, get once, get everywhere)
Autodesk Pixlr
On its face, Autodesk Pixlr is a photo editor, much in the same vein as Adobe Photoshop Express. With it you can touch up photos by changing exposure, brightness, white balance, etc. It also includes a few more tools than Photoshop Express, like color splash and adding text to photos.
However, if you have a Pixlr account, which is free to sign up for, it unlocks a whole host of new functions that unlock your creative side. You can add custom overlays, borders, stickers, and effects.
A Pixlr account is not required, but it's worth it if you want to get the most out of the app.
/r/etro
If you are in need of a Reddit app, then you need to check out /r/etro, a crisply designed client that is optimized for touchscreens. With /r/etro, you get an overhead view of all of your subreddits that you can drill down into with a tap of the finger.
Once you're browsing your desired subject, you get a list of posts running down the left side, while your selected post gets displayed across the middle and right thirds of the screen. It's a great way to view Reddit. However, you can also use /r/etro perfectly in portrait or snapped mode as well.
There are a ton of features that make /r/etro likeable. You can collapse comments quickly and easily, open links in an external browser, and share Reddit content to other apps. You can even create drafts of comments and post them later.
This is easily one of my favorite Reddit apps yet.
Chess Fusion Free
Chess Fusion Free is a 3D chess game that lets you play solo, with a friend, or with other players online. You can choose any level of intensity for the computer from novice to grandmaster. And for those who don't fancy themselves experts, you can enable the ability to show you all of your possible moves to help you decide.
The pieces are animated with sound effects, though that can be toggled off and on. You can also choose between three different game board themes. Chess Fusion Free is just one of many chess games available for Windows and Windows Phone, but its straight-forward interface makes it a great option for any player, whether they are a beginner or a master.
- Download Chess Fusion Free for Windows 8.1 (Free, get once, get everywhere)
- Download Chess Fusion Free for Windows Phone 8.1
Smash Cops Heat
Chasing down bad guys is fun and chaotic in this hit game that has been played by millions on PC, iOS, and Android. Using your finger to accelerate and steer, you cruise the city looking for "perps." When you find them, spring into action and smash them up to incapacitate them.
As you complete more missions, you unlock new cars and power-ups. Of course, you can always shell out some cash and buy some boosters, too.
- Download Smash Cops Heat for Windows 8.1 (Free, with in-app purchasing)
Be sure to check out our other selections from previous weeks. Have a great weekend!
Do you have an app you want us to highlight? Drop us an email at tips@windowscentral.com with "5 Intriguing Apps" in the subject line.
