Happy Friday, everyone! After a week of digging myself out from Tuesday's blizzard in New England, there's already another foot or so of snow on the way. But that won't stop me from telling you about 5 intriguing apps that I stumbled upon this week.
Today we have some apps for travel, entertainment and socializing. Whether you're snowed in or not, you may find them interesting.
Try Lumia
There's a pretty good chance that if you are reading this article you already have a Windows phone. However, if you are not familiar with the features, or know someone who is looking into switching, Try Lumia may be a useful resource.
Developed by Microsoft, Try Lumia is a shrewd move on Microsoft's part to introduce Windows 8 users to Windows Phone 8. It gives you a rundown of common features and how-to's in the form of short videos, demonstrating just how easy it is to use Windows Phone.
Whether you are toying with the idea of buying a Windows phone or have purchased one recently and just want a crash course, Try Lumia could be worth downloading.
And the content gets regularly updated , so you can keep checking back for more tips.
myTuner Radio
Next up this week is myTuner Radio, a one-stop app for listening to thousands of radio stations around the world.
Just select one of the dozens of countries, and then take your pick of radio stations to listen to. You can search by popularity, city, genre, or keywords. And once you find what you are looking for, you can build a list of favorite stations for easy access. In addition, myTuner Radio also provides access to several podcasts.
Whether you want to keep up with your favorite sports network at home, need some tunes at work or are traveling and want to find the local NPR station, myTuner Radio is a fantastic option.
Airbnb
Looking to get away for a while? Check out Airbnb, where you can rent people's pads all around the world.
You can search anywhere in the world, and Airbnb will find you places to stay based on your criteria. Choose from shared spaces, private rooms, or entire properties for any number of guests and any price range that fits your budget.
Results are displayed on a map of the area and automatically change as you navigate.
Airbnb is a simple wrapper for the popular website, but it gets the job done and looks great doing it.
Instametrogram
Windows 8 is a little light on the Instagrams clients, so I like to highlight good ones when I come across them. Instametrogram is just such an app.
Though it is sparse in the options and settings department, Instametrogram provides a clean, modern style interface for your Instagram account. Feeds, Likes, Follows, and Popular categories are laid out the same way groups of tiles are laid out on your Start screen for easy organization.
Instametrogram is about as basic as it gets for an Instagram client, but its stripped down interface is fast and fluid.
- Download Instametrogram for Windows 8.1 (Free, $1.99 to remove ads)
Watchlist
If you are a TV junkie, Watchlist is an ingenious way to keep track of all the shows you watch or to discover new ones. Find your favorite series to see a full listing of every episode. There you can see a brief synopsis, read reviews, and browse the cast of the show.
Watchlist is integrated with the social media platform Trakt, so you can log in to share your thoughts on the latest plot twists with other fans.
If you are particularly passionate, you can even pin shows to your Start screen. One minor feature that I particularly like is seeing the air dates of upcoming episodes, so I can be sure to set my DVR. Watchlist is a well-designed, visually-pleasing app. If you love TV, you should check it out.
And these are your 5 Intriguing Apps for the week. I will be back with five more next week, even if it means cutting open my Tuantaun and sleeping inside of it to survive the snow. 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.
