Could this be a game of being so good, the name is repeated? SPORTS SPORTS requires a Netflix subscription, and seeing how the Summer Olympics is still ongoing, you might be up for some digital sports. Skratch helps you soothe the travel itch by indicating where you’ve been before on a virtual map.
World of Mouth might help you decide on where the next restaurant visit will be based on the recommendations of others, while Claude ushers in yet another option for AI on your smartphone. Last but not least, Flying Calmly will hopefully help you soothe any fears of turbulence with a very data-driven approach.
If you’re searching for incredible app bargains, you’re in for a treat! Our handpicked assortment of free apps for the week is the go-to spot for tech-savvy users like you. Each week, we meticulously curate a diverse selection of apps that are usually paid, but now you can get them for free through an exclusive promotion.
But hold on, because our Top 5 Apps of the Week are on a whole new level. So, without further delay, let’s delve into the crème de la crème of this week—the top 5 apps that reign supreme in the world of mobile games and applications!
SPORTS SPORTS Netflix (Android & iOS)
How is your country faring in this year’s Olympics? How about your favorite athletes? Well, if you are itching for some sporting action yourself, how about checking out Netflix’s very own SPORTS SPORTS? There are 12 different sports to indulge yourself in, from swimming to long jump, archery, shooting, and the 100-meter dash. I personally think having a physical game controller would make the entire experience more fun with all the button mashing required, but if you’re already used to touchscreen controls, I shall not judge.
- Price: Netflix subscription required / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account required: Yes
There is also a leaderboard for you to compete with others, and a 3-player local multiplayer mode is also available when you and two of your mates want to kill time. I am a southpaw myself, so I did wish there was a left-handed mode to flip the controls around. After all, isn’t sports supposed to be inclusive? One particular event that I found extremely difficult to win was the weightlifting event, since no matter how fast and furious I tapped, I still could not get ahead of the CPU.
The graphics are cute despite being blocky, but that’s all part of the game’s charm. Sound quality is also decent enough to keep you immersed, and once again, this proves that having fancy graphics alone is not going to carry a game far. What’s more important is the substance, and hopefully, there will be more sports included in a future update, if any.
World of Mouth (Android & iOS)
Remember Yelp? Well, it seems that World of Mouth is a punny app that offers great food recommendations (for now) sans all the toxicity. It is an app where foodies in a particular location share their recommendations, along with food porn to help titillate your taste buds. Of course, one does not discount the possibility that food establishments can settle for paid reviews behind the scenes, but let’s give this app the benefit of the doubt, shall we?
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($8.90) / Account required: Yes
The user interface is extremely clean and easy to navigate. You first key in your location, and you will be presented by various dining establishments around the area. Each establishment will include a brief description, including the number of recommendations and how many people have it on their wishlist. When you select the restaurant, you can add it to the diary which includes the date of your visit and photos, allowing you to keep track of where you’ve been and what you’ve ordered just in case there is a repeat.
Of course, the standard options include directions (which will redirect you to your preferred navigation app like Google Maps or Waze), operating hours, website link, phone number, and even an avenue to report an issue so that other potential diners can take note of. Overall, everyone on the platform seems civil at the moment, and hopefully, it’ll stay that way!
Skratch – Where I’ve Been (Android & iOS)
Do you remember those huge world maps that you can scratch off countries you’ve visited? Well, there’s the virtual version now, which certainly lacks the tactile pleasure of scratching and yet is strangely pleasing to use. Since many of us take photos with our smartphones everywhere we go, setting up Skratch is a snap. It can personalize my map at the beginning, using location data in my photo library to mark all the countries that I’ve visited. This process can take a while based on how large your photo library is, so some patience is required.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($4.99-$9.99) / Account required: Yes
I can also mark countries that I have visited as well as those that I would like to visit, and they are denoted by different colors for easy identification. I found the ability to share my travel experience with others to be strangely cathartic. It helps me maintain a perspective that the world is so much more than just my neighborhood, state, or country. It is also useful to help me retain key memories of my travels whenever I want to reminisce about the past.
If I want to be more specific in terms of what Skratch offers, there is a power-up that requires a one-time payment, letting me dive deeper into my travels. It is also handy for those traveling alone and who want to plan their trip since it offers event suggestions, points out visa requirements, and also has the provision to purchase international eSIMs. How’s that useful?
Flying Calmly (Android & iOS)
The advent of the modern jetliner has allowed billions to travel globally. While there are still people who have a fear of flying, it is ironically one of the safest modes of travel compared to a car or boat. Still, flight-related incidents tend to come under the spotlight because of their relative rarity, and turbulence is one of those in-flight moments that can get pretty scary.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($0.99-$6.99) / Account required: No
The phenomenon is not easy, but very challenging to predict due to how fast everything changes, there are some apps that might be able to help soothe your concerns somewhat. Flying Calmly can provide insight into the possibility of a bumpy flight, but it is not guaranteed to be accurate.
How does the app do so? Not voodoo for sure, just good old-fashioned NOAA weather data that when applied properly, will increase the chances of a better prediction of a flight pattern. It also comes with a built-in aircraft positioning tool, so those in the flight itself can rely on the phone’s sensors to figure out the current pitch, roll, air pressure, and bump severity.
Claude (Android & iOS)
AI has been the buzzword of late, and if your smartphone does not have a dedicated AI app running on it, how about checking out Claude AI? Anthropic’s latest effort is a dedicated AI tool that does not access the Internet. Wait a minute, isn’t AI supposed to scour the Internet to provide me with the best possible answer?
I began to see the uniqueness of this app from a different perspective after using it since it primarily refines its focus based on what kind of content I provide. Such information can come from a variety of sources, including a PDF, a text file, or even a set of graphs. Not relying on the Internet does limit its usefulness somewhat when it comes to providing contextual answers, but it is still well capable of crunching data like the best of them.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($20) / Account required: Yes
The free plan will obviously limit the number of daily messages and input that I can use, but it is more than adequate to get a taste of what Claude offers. Claude has this ability to remember past conversations, making it feel more as though I was working with a colleague than a robot. I no longer need to begin from scratch each time, as Claude can remember what I conversed with before, including concepts and ideas.
There is some spunk and personality in Claude that I really like, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. It is worth a try if you want something different.
Any of these catch your fancy this week? Is there an app we missed out on that you would like everyone to know about? If so, do leave us a comment!
