Worth it
Best buys in the app game
Smartphone owners may boast that most of their mobile apps were free, but some of the best out there actually cost money. If you get a gift card or are thinking of sending an app as a gift, here are a few suggestions of paid apps that I really like as well as some from a few of my colleagues that are worth the price.
Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop
As productivity apps go, this is a must-have app. This brilliant program connects your phone or tablet to your PC or Mac. It’s saved my life more than once when I was at work but needed to access a file on my home PC. It wirelessly connects to your desktop computer and displays your computer screen on your mobile device. You then move your finger around the interface like a mouse cursor. (iOS, Android, starting at $2.99)
Air Video HD/ Qloud Media
You can never have enough storage in your mobile phone or tablet, especially if you load it up with tons of video and music. These two apps are perfect solutions to running out of space. These apps, one for iPhones and iPads and the other for Android devices, turns your home desktop computer into a server. Store all your video and music on your home computer and stream them to your phone with ease. (iOS, Android, $2.99)
The Walking Dead
This game landed on many game critics’ best-of lists for 2012. It’s a scary, involving adventure game that replicates the horrors of the zombie-infested comic and television show. And like a TV show, it comes in a series of episodes that tell one over-arching story. This is a game that proves mobile touchscreen devices are the perfect platforms for classic point-and-click adventure games. (iOS, $19.99)
The Making of “Star Wars”
J.W. Rinzler’s fascinating journey through the making of the “Star Wars” trilogy is now available as an ebook, but with so much more. There is a book for each film, and each supplements the original text with video clips, audio interviews and even more photos not included before. They’re detailed accounts of the making of all three movies, told from the inside by those who worked on them. These are some of the best examples of what interactive ebooks can offer. (iOS, Android, $12.99 – $17.99)
