1Password (Free + IAP)
As useful apps go, one that creates and stores passwords for the various sites you use – strong, proper passwords, too – then helps you log in with a single tap on the screen is a pretty good idea. 1Password is a long-awaited release for Android, synchronising neatly with PC, Mac and iOS.
Sky Sports Football SC Brazil (Free)
Just in time for the big tournament, Sky Sports’ new World Cup app makes it onto Android. It’s a dedicated app for scores, live text commentary, tables, photos and other data from Brazil, complete with an option to set your preferred country as “My Team”.
The Great British Bee Count (Free)
The latest in a growing line of crowdsourcing-for-good apps. In this case, the good is helping Friends of the Earth and its partners build a map of how healthy (or not) bees are around the UK. Its app is used to track the bees you see in your local area, then send that data back to the scientists.
Copy Bubble (Free)
One of the joys of Android is the large number of simple, single-purpose utility apps that tweak Google’s software for specific tasks. In this case: copying and pasting, as you tap on a floating bubble to clip text and images.
Corner - Find Football Pubs (Free)
While we’re on the subject of single-purpose apps… Corner is an app for quickly finding pubs near your current location that are showing football, released to capitalise on World Cup fever. You can filter by food and facilities, check on fixtures and invite friends to a match from within the app.
DinnerTime: Parental Control (Free)
Affronted by surly children texting or playing games at the dinner table rather than joining the family banter? DinnerTime aims to help, albeit by the somewhat draconian method of locking a child’s device for a set period of time. It can also be used for bedtime, revision-time or any other time you deem necessary.
Spydy Contacts (Free + IAP)
Spydy is apparently a “social launchpad and people organiser” – presumably for people whose social life remains defiantly land-bound and whose friends are un-organised. It promises a visual revamp of your contacts app, puling in Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, with group messaging included.
Peugeot Music (Free)
The challenge of “music discovery” – helping people find new songs or rediscover old favourites in streaming music services – is being talked about a lot in the music industry. How about help from… Peugeot? Yes, the carmaker has its own music app, offering a curated selection of streaming tunes.
TCS SocialSoccer (Free)
More World Cup – well, it is the week for it – with this app offering scores and stats, but with just as much focus on tweets about prominent teams and players. It’s also claiming to throw in some “big data analytics” to keep you posted on Twitter sentiment around the tournament. If it works, it could be fun.
Talking Progress (Free)
Finally, an app designed for adults suffering from depression. The idea being that you can record your feelings in a digital diary, helping you track the condition and discuss the results with your doctor. There’s also a medicine-reminder alarm built in, if that’s of use.