Have our so-called busy lives gotten easier since smartphones became so ubiquitous, or do we simply feel busier as a result of our dependence on technology? Regardless of the answer, a few productivity apps make all the difference.
This week's sales are all about productivity, with some of the App Store's best email applications, calendars, scanners and sketching environments slashed in price. There's also the usual smattering of games, like Deus Ex: The Fall for the bargain price of a dollar.
Autodesk are probably best known for their CAD and 3D modelling software Turn Photos Into 3D Models With Autodesk 123D Catch [Currently Only Windows] Turn Photos Into 3D Models With Autodesk 123D Catch [Currently Only Windows] With the 3D printing revolution officially under way, the problem remains of how to get actually get a digitized 3D representation of something. You could start from scratch, using something like Google Sketchup, but I'd... Read More , but they've also authored one of the more advanced sketching applications for iOS. Both the $5 Sketchbook Pro and cheaper Sketchbook Mobile (designed specifically for the small screen) provide a huge range of tools and features for any skill level. It's massively customisable, full of presets and currently free for the whole week.
Want to see your iOS notifications pop-up on your Mac's screen instead? That's exactly what Notifyr somehow achieves, ensuring you never miss another notification again. The app uses a client that runs on your OS X machine and Bluetooth LE (low energy) so it's not even that thirsty to keep it running all day long. In a bizarre twist the app will be "free every other day for 7 days starting the 6th of August" – so check back if you don't see the price you like.
Prizmo is a photo-based scanner application for iPhone and iPad that recognizes text in documents using some of the best OCR (optical character recognition) technology around. It's designed to take documents, business cards and other images and convert them into text files, vCards, PDFs or images. If you're looking for a good iPhone OCR app The Best iPhone OCR Apps Tested The Best iPhone OCR Apps Tested For those of us dedicated to going paperless, the ability to scan documents and have the text recognized and converted to text is an essential time saver. Read More , this one's currently reduced by 70%.
Boxer is an alternative iPhone and iPad email client with a focus on speed and innovative features. The app hasn't stopped evolving since its initial release, and the robust feature set now includes Outlook.com notifications and HTML signatures, among the many other reasons to make the switch. If you're big on Gmail, gestures or simply dislike iOS 7's in-built Mail app then Boxer is well worth a go iPhone Mail Client Boxer Includes Quick Replies, Mail Templates and More iPhone Mail Client Boxer Includes Quick Replies, Mail Templates and More At its recent WWDC presentation, Apple demonstrated that it still has the design chops for putting out a classy, eye-catching products but the default iOS email client received comparatively low-grade functional changes. Third-party iOS mail... Read More .
Fantastical is your number one iOS Calendar replacement, now featuring a completely new design for iOS 7 Flexibits Launches Fantastical 2 Calendar for iOS 7 at $4.99 Flexibits Launches Fantastical 2 Calendar for iOS 7 at $4.99 Flexibits has redesigned, remade and relaunched their popular calendar app for iOS 7, packing new features and a sleeker look. But it comes at a cost, whether you bought v1 or not! Read More . The app gained recognition for its unique way of adding events using a parser – to use it simply type what's going on, e.g. "meeting with Justin at 2pm on Thursday" and the app takes care of the rest. The latest version features integration with the iOS Reminders application at long last, so you can be reminded about events at a certain time or at a place.
Launch Center Pro is an iPhone app designed to speed up oft-used apps, contacts and functions using shortcuts. The app allows you to launch actions, which often involve other apps or contacts as part of the workflow. Examples include making a phonecall to a specific number, taking a photo and sending it to a group of people and triggering an IFTTT recipe among many others.
Requiring a whopping 1.6GB free space to install, Deus Ex: The Fall takes the franchise mobile Deus Ex: The Fall Is Out. Is It Any Good? Deus Ex: The Fall Is Out. Is It Any Good? Does this game capture the glory of the old games, or does it fall flat? Read More for the first time, distilling the core Deus Ex experience into a formula that works on touchscreens. Like the rest of the franchise, this is a story-driven RPG with action elements, providing you with a choice in how you play the game. Use stealth to avoid enemies and stick to the shadows, or blast your way through – take 85% off for a week, and 50% off select in-app purchases.
Swordigo is a platformer that arms you with a rather large then drops you into a vast world filled with enemies. Gain XP and level up your character as you fight your way across the magical realm, encountering dungeons and exploring towns along the way. Swordigo has received recognition on the App Store for its fun play style, responsive controls and beautiful dynamic lighting.
About six months ago I featured a game called Ready Steady Bang from Cowboy Games, a simple duel emulator with a delightful graphical style. The same studio is now producing a whole range of games with the same lovable art style and a focus on simple gameplay, and this one introduces three new events: shooting gallery, hobby hurdles and coin shooter. There's more to come apparently, so grab it now while it's free.
Thanks for checking out our iOS sales, be sure to check back next week for even more!