Instead of wading through the massive amount of new app releases searching for a few diamonds in the rough, just let us be your guide. This is a collection of our favorite new apps for both iOS and Android for your downloading pleasure.
The Branch
If you’re looking for a game that’s as simple and fun as it is frustrating and addictive (think Flappy Bird), look no further than The Branch. The entire concept is to stay on the branch as long as possible by tapping the screen to rotate the entire world and avoid branches that would otherwise push you to your death. You’re going to get sucked in, and you’re going to want to throw your phone at least once while playing. That’s the sign of a great game in our opinion. iTunes Android
Google Photos
Trying to find a picture on your phone to show someone that last show, that fantastic taco or that one place with great drinks is a huge pain. You know it’s on there somewhere, but you can’t find it because we all have way too many photos on our phones. Google Photos changes everything. You can visually search your photos. You can backup 15GB of original size photos, or get free unlimited cloud storage for slightly lower res images. Google Photos will even help you clear uploaded images to save space. Oh yeah, and it lets you create montages, stories, collages and animations, edit photos and create share links. It’s the best photo management app out there. Period. iTunes Android
Valet.
Valet. is one of our favorite sites on the net, and now their content is available in a streamlined package for your iOS devices. In addition to giving you quick access to all their latest content and their extensive back catalog, you also get a Local Concierge with hundreds of Valet. recommendations from barbers and dry cleaners to tailors and denim repair shops in over 75 cities across 17 countries. The essential app for the modern gentleman is only on iOS right now, but Android is coming in July. iTunes
Hooks
Getting notifications on your iOS device for all the things you care about, and none of the things you don’t care about, is very difficult to manage. Calendars. Weather. E-mails. Tweets. Concerts. Scores. Staying in the know requires way too many apps and too much time. Hooks puts all the notifications you want in one app, so you can get notified about everything from new episodes of Silicon Valley to current currency conversions for that upcoming trip. iTunes
Beer Menus
Tired of heading out for a beer only to find out that the place you ended up at doesn’t serve your brew of choice? What about not being able to find that beer you’ve always wanted to try? BeerMenus gives you up-to-date menus for bars, restaurants and bottle shops nearby that have the beer you’re looking for. You can even log the beers you’ve consumed, and more importantly, get updates when beers you follow become available nearby. iTunes
You Must Build A Boat
Combine a tile matching game with Legend of Zelda, Pokemon and something like SimBoat, then render it in sweet 8-bit graphics and you’ll get a basic picture of You Must Build A Boat. Run around dungeons besting baddies and unlocking chests by swiping tiles to match like images to upgrade your boat with additional people and recruited monsters. It sounds a little ridiculous at first, but it’s also incredibly fun and just a little too addictive. iTunes Android
Sunrise Meet
Sunrise is still our favorite digital calendar solution because it integrates with just about everything, but scheduling meetings is still a pain. Meet by Sunrise is a special keyboard you install on your iOS or Android device that allows you to see your calendar and availability right inside whatever app you’re using. Select a few different times that work for you and a location, then send it along to the person you want to meet with. Once they confirm, your calendar is automatically updated regardless of whether you’re using e-mail, Hangouts or iMessage.
Android & iOS
Mosaic by Baron Fig
More convenient than their standard pen and paper options, Baron Fig’s new notebook is actually an app focused on simplicity. The intuitive app, called Mosaic, uses the swipe, drag, X and touch-and-hold functions you’re already familiar with to help you rearrange notes, close your current page, move pictures and delete individual entries. Your day-to-day note-taking just got a whole lot easier. iTunes
