From mobile games to productivity apps, here are the five free and paid Android/iOS apps from NextPit this week. We publish this selection every week, you can also check the Top 5 apps of last week. Pull the world back from the brink of nuclear annihilation with Sigma Theory! It is a paid game, but it should be well worth every penny spent.
GETTR (iOS & Android)
Want to break away from mainstream social media and jump aboard a new platform that filters out all the trash? GETTR intends to provide a paradigm shift by offering an inspiring and positive social media platform for everyone, where freedom of independent thought is supported, and there is no fear of political censorship.
In this app, you can share your messages, news snippets, photos, recorded videos, and a whole lot more with family and friends regardless of where they are—as long as there is a working Internet connection, of course. Just like other social media platforms, you have a list of communities of whom you can join to glean knowledge and form friendships with them.
Messages are limited to 777 characters—which is a whole lot more than Twitter. In fact, videos can be up to three minutes long, and even if you don’t have a decent video editing app, the built-in video editor works just fine. Posts are limited to 6 photos, tops, while your live stream sessions can be as long as an hour!
Offering the two-edged sword of freedom of speech, there is a risk of hate speech being propagated here since GETTR ensures there will be no account suspension or censorship—so hopefully more mature minds will prevail here. So far, I have seen nothing but good stuff here, although with a growing user base, this might change soon.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Required
DanceFitme: Fun Weight Loss (Android)
Christmas is not too far away, so do not be surprised when you begin to think about losing some weight in order to look good for the upcoming holiday season. If sticking to an exercise regime with nothing more than mental encouragement has failed you, perhaps DanceFitme might be next on your list to try.
This app will feature a slew of workouts in the form of different dance styles. You can choose from various aspects such as aerobics, cardio, salsa, among others. Those who cannot get enough of K-Pop will be able to get their fix here, while hip hop remains a staple. Ever wondered why those hip hop stars look so ripped and rugged? Dance, baby, dance!
You will need to key in your essentials including your gender, current body size and target weight before you proceed. At least a dance video is not that boring compared to regular exercises.
The only drawback of this app? You would have to fork out $7.99 monthly and $59.99 annually in order to gain access to the customized program and exclusive dance workouts, not to mention records of your fitness levels. There are over 100 workouts for those who are about to get started, so perhaps that is something that you might want to look into.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes (Compulsory) / Account: Not required
Otternal Life (Android)
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” If you find it difficult to stop your nasty habits, how about getting this stately-looking otter to help you out?
Otternal Life plays the role of a habit tracker app by helping you build new habits so that you are reminded to stay on track with whatever habit you want to form on a daily basis. It sports a progress tracker, a journal function that lets you write down your feelings about all that happens, and also a mood tracker (you can record a maximum of 5 moods daily) where more statistics are unlocked when more moods are logged. Best of all, this app works offline, so there is no excuse for not staying on the straight and narrow whenever there is no data around.
You can create unlimited and highly customizable habits and use the calendar to track your progress. Not having any ads and all, this is completely free! It requires your name for a better, personalized service. I like the way short anecdotes are included on a daily basis to perk you up and give you that added boost just in case you need it. Of course, touching on the otter will also generate another random, feel-good quote to spur you on.
- Price: Free / Advertising : None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Not required
Stremio (iOS & Android)
The advent of the Internet has clearly opened up a slew of viewing options to the masses—some using more unsavory channels to get the job done. Stremio is 100% legal though, as a video streaming application that allows you to watch and organize video content from a wide range of services. These include movies, series, live TV, and even video channels.
You will need to sign up with an account first though (or use your Facebook account), otherwise there is no way to access the myriad content available. Do take note that Stremio might show videos in their original aspect ratio, so you might get thick, black bars on both sides at 4:3 while your smartphone’s aspect ratio is a healthy 16:9.
There is no denying that the app content was more than acceptable, being able to gain access to many movies—be they old or new, from various sources. I did not run into subtitle synchronization issues, although other users have complained of this anomaly.
Unfortunately, there is a fair number of add-ons that you will be required to install from time to time, that the experience becomes more of a chore than anything else. I am normally quite averse to installing add-ons, perhaps being overly paranoid, but better safe than sorry!
- Price: Free / Advertising : None / In-app purchases: None / Account: Required
Sigma Theory (iOS & Android)
Strategy games always require plenty of brain power and figuring out the AI, and can offer its fair share of sweaty palm moments. Sigma Theory is a trailblazer for mobile games, where this turn-based strategy game will surely push your brain power to the limit.
The situation is grim: you live in a dystopian future where there is the threat of nuclear war at every turn. You are with a team on a mission to activate Sigma Theory, a legendary system that has the power to end death and collapse the world’s financial systems.
Should you succeed, your region will survive while others fall. To fail is not an option. Sporting over a hundred NPCs, you can be sure that your interaction with them will change the way the story unfolds. You will have to take careful, calculated steps in building your team and getting rid of strategic targets in order to advance one step closer to your goal.
There are ethical issues to think about in this game as well, so if you are one who continues to be stranded each time you are faced with the Trolley Problem, perhaps this is a good time to get out of that rut.
- Price: $6.99 (iOS and Android) / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes / Account: Not required
