Top apps this week: Instagram’s Bolt, BBM for Windows Phone and more!

From Facebook’s yet-another attempt at building a Snapchat-competitor to BBM finally coming to Windows Phone, a slew of new apps and app updates have arrived. If you’ve missed on your daily dose of apps, here’s a quick recap.

Bolt

Paying no heed to another app with a similar name that’s been around since last year, Instagram has gone ahead and launched the Bolt app. However, the app is available only in New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa as of now and can be downloaded on the Google Play store and Apple App store. Just like the popular ephemeral app Snapchat, Bolt lets users send one-tap photo and video messages. The Snapchat-competitor also comes with a ‘shake to undo’ feature. This means you can simply shake the phone to undo an action and save yourself from sending an embarrassing message or photo.

BBM for Windows Phone

Finally, BlackBerry’s Messenger aka BBM comes to the Windows Phone platform. The BBM beta for Windows Phone can be downloaded for free from the Windows Phone store.

Fitbit for Windows Phone

FitBit now has Windows Phone 8.1 support along with a dedicated app. The app is said to be almost identical to its iOS and Android counterparts. It can be paired with Fitbit devices like the Flex or One. The app will then track real time activities and sync data wirelessly with the smart bands. It also lets you key in the food intake to keep a tab on those calories. Interestingly, it also takes advantage of the live tiles. The FitBit app is now available for download on the Windows Phone store.

FitBit app comes for Windows Phone

Line

Looks like all apps want to be a part of the Snapchat-inspired ephemeral feature. The latest to jump onto the bandwagon is China’s Line messaging app. Line has just updated its app on Android as well as iOS to support encrypted and disappearing chat options. Basically, it will let users send content to their friends as hidden messages/photos, which will not display until users click on them. Moreover, the message or photo will disappear depending upon the time set by the sender.

Google Now

Google has unveiled another travel-related feature that will allow mobile users to find restaurants and directions around their hotel without having to key in their location. There is a hitch, though: For the service to work, Google will troll your Gmail account and find the hotel confirmation.Users can ask questions like “Show me restaurants around my hotel” or “Give me directions to my hotel from here.”

WoNoBo

WoNoBo provides tourists with a virtual 360-degree walking tour and a turn-by-turn navigation they plan to visit. Developed by the tourism ministry, the app helps tourists get acquainted with the place with important information so they don’t need to rely on the local people. This app could prove useful to those who are not well-versed with local language or culture. As of now, the app covers 16 cities, including Agra, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata and Mumbai. The tourism ministry plans to cover 54 cities in the future. The WoNoBo app is currently available only on Android devices via Google Play store.

LinkedIn Connected

The LinkedIn Connected app is a faster and simpler way to strengthen your professional relationships. Connected gives you relevant updates about the people you know, suggestions to connect with other people working in the same field as you and allows you to search for people you know. The app is free to download and is currently available only for iOS.
Image courtesy: Reuters
LinkedIn Connected arrives! Image courtesy: Reuters

Google Maps

Google has finally launched indoor maps for India. So now users can virtually browse through and locate specific locations inside venues like malls and museums. The service, available as part of Google Maps, is already available in countries like the US, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

Uber for Windows Phone

Uber, a popular radio cab service that serves more than 150 cities across 41 countries, has landed on the Windows Phone. It is available to download for free on Windows Phone store. The app has been on the Android and iOS app stores since 2010, though it’s taken time to come to Windows Phone users.

Confess

Confess is a Secret-like app, that lets you let out your secrets anonymously. You can also read anonymous confessions by others. Confess is available for Android and iOS devices.

Posted by : Gizmeon