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. They may have been in the news recently, they may be new to the Windows Store, or they could simply be old apps that we just stumbled upon.
They are the 5 Intriguing Apps of the Week.
Maps App Discovery
Maps App Discovery is a third-party mapping app that uses Google's API. The result is a mapping experience that is very similar to Google Maps, which is not currently available as an app on Windows 10.
Plug in any address or have the app display your current whereabouts using your device's location detection. You can also use business names, landmarks, and other specific location names. Add a second address and get step-by-step directions.
Maps App Discovery lets you switch between a road view, satellite view, or a hybrid of both. You can move the map around just by dragging your finger or mouse cursor and pinch to zoom in or out.
Drag the people icon to any point on the map and you will change to the 360-degree street view to see what the area looks like from the seat of a car. Maps App Discovery can display live traffic flow with the click of a button. There is also a public transit layer, as well as a bicycle layer.
Locations can be marked as favorites for easy access and the app can also bring up the last one you used.
Maps App Discovery may not have a catchy name, but it is worth a look by any Google Maps fan. Hopefully, a Windows 10 Mobile version is in the pipeline, which would make this free app even more useful.
Available for Windows 10 PC.
Download Maps App Discovery for Windows 10
Zendesk.HELP
Zendesk is one of the biggest and most famous names in help desk ticketing. And although the company makes an app for Windows Phone 8.1, they have not yet made the move over to Windows 10 PC.
Thankfully, there's Zendesk.HELP, a third-party Zendesk client that brings your ticketing system to your desktop.
This app may be a simple web wrapper, but it's everything you need to manage and maintain your task list and communicate with your users.
Open, close, and edit tickets, while keeping end users updated. View your company's dashboard, see metrics and look at all of your built-in and custom reports. You can do just about anything that you can in the web interface.
As useful as it is, Zendesk.HELP is a bit of a missed opportunity because it doesn't leverage any of Windows 10's capabilities. It would be great if you could get notifications when a ticket was opened or a comment made, or if the app had a Live Tile that cycled through your unsolved tickets.
Despite the current shortcomings, Zendesk.HELP is still a value add for anyone who uses the Zendesk ticketing system.
Available for Windows 10 PC.
Download Zendesk.HELP for Windows 10 {.cta .large}
Imgur4Windows
With a name that says it all, Imgur4Windows is an app that gives you access to the online image-sharing site on your PC or smartphone.
Search by keywords to find relevant pictures or use the built-in links to see the most viral images or those submitted by other users. You can also search by specific Reddit subreddits by name.
Clicking on any picture will open the individual post, complete with a close-up and whatever text accompanies it. From there you can save the image to your device, or copy/share the Imgur link.
The app supports all of the file types that Imgur does, including animated GIFs. Galleries and pictures can be marked as favorites for later enjoyment.
Imgur4Windows also lets you log into your Imgur account, which allows you to post pictures of your own, as well as upvote/downvote, make comments, and more. You can also check your profile, including your notifications and conversations.
Overall, Imgur4Windows is a pretty solid Imgur client with a nice layout and decent feature set.
Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile.
Download Imgur4Windows for Windows 10
Acast
Acast is a popular service that helps you track and listen to your favorite podcasts. The company just launched their own official Windows 10 universal app, and it's a good one.
With a beautifully designed user interface, Acast lets you search for podcasts by name, host, or episode and mark them as favorites. The app will automatically update your list as new episodes are released.
There is also a discovery feature that will curate lists of shows based on trends and categories.
The built-in player will display images, links, and videos embedded in the podcast. You can play, pause, skip, and set a sleep timer, so your device doesn't continue playing all night after you doze off. Many of the controls can even be accessed directly from the Windows lock screen.
Like many players, Acast will let you mark episodes to listen offline and can download them. The app is well-integrated with Windows 10, offering up Live Tiles and Cortana support. You can also choose to get notifications and share from Acast to other apps.
Even in its infant stages, Acast immediately jumps to the upper echelon of the podcast apps for Windows 10.
Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile.
Dream Machine
Dream Machine is a puzzle game that has you guiding a solitary robot through a trippy factory world.
The robot trudges along on its own, though you can halt him and change his direction of travel. You must make the way passable for him by turning cranks and moving platforms that he can walk on.
But it isn't all that straightforward. The Escher-esque environment employs optical illusions and designs that could never exist in real life. Therefore, you must get the robot to travel on the sides of structures and figure out how to connect pathways that usually could never meet up physically.
Not to mention, you will occasionally have to battle a boss to gain access to the next level.
Each puzzle is timed, and when you complete them and/or beat your personal best, you will earn cogs, which can be used to upgrade your robot. The game is challenging, yet relaxing, as you can take your time to think of how to escape. You can always go back to replay a level for a faster time and more cogs.
Dream Machine's retro-future world is beautifully illustrated and the environment the creators dreamed up is as intriguing as the gameplay.
Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile.
Download Dream Machine for Windows 10
Be sure to check out our other selections from previous weeks. Have a great weekend!
