When most people think of 'smartphones', or even just 'phones', they picture sexily-advertised shiny high-tech in High Street manufacturer/carrier/network stores. The focus is on social activities, on imaging, on music, and so on. Even though it can handle most of that, the HP Elite X3 is a totally different beast - it's a three-in-one (hence the name), transforming mobile computer for professionals and the companies for which they work.
Another top UWP app for you today, running on anything with Windows 10, but with a mobile-optimised UI in particular. Diarium, as it sounds, is a daily diary - not a new concept on smartphones, but particularly well done here, integrating captured media and social activity into a computerised and exportable whole.
I know what's you're thinking. a) There's never a good time to review a sniper game, since there's always some nutter in the news, plus b) this is freemium-fantastic, so surely Steve is going to hate it. However... this is really, really well done. OK, so the lowest freemium IAP is probably the 'real' price of the game, but Sniper Ops 3D is slick, fast and fun.
Less of a full UWP app (though it does work on all form factors) and more of an enabler, Web Tiles lets you replace token blue 'e' logos on your Windows 10 Mobile Start screen (or favicons at best) with full photos of whatever you'd like to stand in for the web sites and resources of your choice. Hey, and it's free too.
Another day, another sumptuous Universal Windows Platform application to review... This time it's something that's both old-school and exciting at the same time. RSS (XML, ATOM) news reading sounds like something technical that's too much work to set up, but with Newsflow, after an initial customising period in your hands, you'll have access to bang up to date news sources with minimal effort.
With Microsoft's own Weather UWP app pretty comprehensive, it's going to be tough for third party weather applications, yet Perfect Weather has a decent crack, with animations, themes, phases of the moon and time-sensitive sky backdrops. With the main application being completely free, this is definitely worth a try if you find Microsoft's Windows 10 style too 'thin'.
Wondering what to do with your spare time on a train or plane journey? Wishing you could be a little creative? Why not brainstorm a new logo for your venture or club? That's the idea with Logo Foundry anyway, with the basics of a powerful little graphical tool - let down by some unfortunate UI misteps.
It's a fair cop, my title was more descriptive than accurate - this little gadget is actually called, on Amazon, the 'EC Technology 5200mAh Portable Charger External Battery Power Bank', a typical SEO-heavy name that's not as interesting as the product itself. You see, this fills a very real need, at least in my household.
It has been a while since we mentioned BringCast on AAWP, but I've been keeping a very close eye on the podcatchers scene in terms of developers bringing forward old Windows 8.1 applications into 2016 and in full UWP app guise, ready for optimised use on Windows 10 Mobile, Continuum and beyond. And, with last night's beta, I think the time has come to recommend BringCast, joining Grover Pro in the top tier.
AudioCloud isn't a new name in Windows Phone circles, it's been a very competent SoundCloud client for years - but the latest update is a rewrite and a Universal Windows Platform app, continuing the smooth flow of these, and running on anything that's 'Windows 10' or Continuum. It's flawless too, both in UI and performance, and the best and most interactive way to discover new music and new sounds.
