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Friday App Wrap: 21 December 2012

We cut through the dross to find you the most useful, new and updated apps each week.

Michelle Starr Science editor
Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
Michelle Starr
6 min read

Welcome to the Friday App Wrap, where we share with you some of the standouts from the mobile phone apps that we find each week.

Friday, 21 December 2012

  • Foldify

    Design and print your own gorgeous little 3D figures out of folded paper, including templates to play with and tools so you can make your own designs — and you can share designs with other users, too.

    Platform: iPad
    Price: AU$1.99

  • Middle Manager of Justice

    The first iOS game from Double Fine is finally here! In strategy game Middle Manager of Justice, it's up to you, our middling hero, to build your base, manage your resources and save the day!

    Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: Free

  • Bit Dungeon

    This top-down, 16-bit dungeon crawler is a little bit Gauntlet, a little bit A Link to the Past and a lot of frantic monster-slayin' fun.

    Platform: iPad
    Price: AU$0.99

  • Hatch

    This virtual pet isn't coming to the iTunes App Store until next year, but it looks terribly adorable — and if you head over to the website before launch, you can register for a special-colour pet that's only available pre-launch.

    Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: TBA

  • Battle of the Bulge

    An absolutely stunning historical war game, using deep turn-based strategy across several game modes, and including historical photos, film and commentary: this is the strategy title we have always wanted.

    Platform: iPad
    Price: AU$10.49

  • Reading Rainbow

    We never really had Reading Rainbow in Australia — LeVar Burton's educational program aimed at encouraging literacy in kids — but apparently it was well loved, and this new app for the iPad looks just gorgeous. It's free to download and try; after that, subscription fees apply.

    Platform: iPad
    Price: Free

  • Theatrhythm Final Fantasy

    Another freebie from Square Enix, this is a Final Fantasy rhythm game that sees you tapping, swiping and holding down on the screen in time to music from all of the Final Fantasy games over 25 years. Two songs are included; each additional song will set you back AU$0.99, which is pretty pricey. It's free to try, and the loading screen chocobo is as cute as a button, though, so give it a shot.

    Final Fantasy IV was also released overnight; it will set you back AU$16.99.

    Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: Free

  • The Lords of Midnight

    1984's Lords of Midnight was a massive step forward for gaming, with real perspective and multiple ways the game could be played, depending on the player's preference. Now you can revisit this wonderful classic on iOS.

    Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: AU$5.49

  • Last Knight

    Sick of the whole endless runner thing? Why not try a rather gorgeously made endless ... jouster? Yoicks! And away!

    Platform: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: AU$0.99

  • Sacred Guns

    Your name is Archangel Mark Leung. Your job? Use your holy revolvers to keep the hordes of SpongeBob-faced Teletubbies and globs of ooze, Bieber-headed crabs and other assorted monstrosities from entering Noah's Ark. No, it makes no sense. Quite gloriously so.

    Platform: Android; iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: AU$0.99

  • Tumblr

    Tumblr's app has been around for a while, but it now has tablet support for both iOS and Android, with both versions of the app being universal.

    Platform: Android; iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
    Price: Free

  • Wunderlist

    To-do list app Wunderlist version 2.0 has been released for iOS and Android, bringing with it push notifications, reminders, sharing via Faceook and email, "supercharged" cloud sync, a new design and a bunch of tweaks to make it faster and more stable. No word yet on a Windows Phone update.

    Platform: Android; iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad; Windows Phone 7.5 and 8
    Price: Free

  • FireReady

    This one's not new, but is timely for the summer season. If you're in Victoria, it will keep you up to date with emergency information and fire-safety advice during the dangerous summer months, and is often used by firies to stay on top of the news.

    Platform: Android; BlackBerry; iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad; Windows Phone 7, 7.5 and 8
    Price: Free

  • WhatsApp

    Massively popular free messaging app WhatsApp has arrived for Windows Phone 8. Looks like there are still a few bugs to be ironed out, but hooray all the same.

    Platform: Android; iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad; Windows Phone 7.5 and 8
    Price: Free

  • Photostream

    With this app, you can have a constantly rotating display of beautiful photos from Flickr and 500px on your lock screen — and it's now updated and optimised for Windows Phone 8.

    Platform: Windows Phone 8
    Price: Free

  • Note+

    Minimalist note-taking app Note+ has been given the 8 treatment as well, adding live tile support, a security PIN to keep your notes locked down and voice commands — and you can even dictate notes for a completely hands-free experience.

    Platform: Windows Phone 7.5 and 8
    Price: AU$0.99

  • KenKen

    Capcom has released its first game for Windows Phone; unfortunately, it's not one of the first games you'd think of, such as Phoenix Wright, Mega Man or Street Fighter. Instead, it's a puzzle game, kind of like "what if we added a few more maths to Sudoku?" It will delight maths puzzles aficionados; but not so much beat-'em-up fans.

    Platform: Windows Phone 7 and 7.5
    Price: AU$5.49

  • The Pyraplex

    We always get disproportionately excited about the release of a new Kairosoft game. This town-building sim is set in the fantastic land of ancient Egypt, where people live in pyramids instead of die in them. It's Kairosoft, we don't care.

    Platform: Android
    Price: AU$4.80

  • 100 Doors 2013

    The name is a bit of a misnomer; there are only 85 doors in the sequel to puzzle game 100 Doors. You have to solve puzzles and mini-games to figure out how to open each door and enter the next room. Why? Sometimes the journey is worth more than the destination.

    Platform: Android
    Price: Free

  • Chauka Cricket Scorer

    Summer means cricket season in Australia — not just the Test, One Day and Twenty20 tournaments, but matches played all over parks, beaches and backyards. This app has been specially designed to keep score, with team rosters, score cards and leader boards.

    Platform: Android
    Price: Free

  • Press

    This is a beautifully designed, intuitive RSS reader app that syncs with your Google Reader account and even enables offline reading.

    Platform: Android
    Price: AU$1.90

  • Terraform

    This app is a really tightly made, hex-based strategy game that sees you working to develop planets many years into the future, using relaxing turn-based gameplay.

    Platform: Android
    Price: Free

  • Small Call

    Don't you hate it when you're playing with your phone and you're interrupted by an incoming phone call? Small Call confines the incoming call (or text message) notification to a small, adjustable bar on your screen, so that you can accept or decline without breaking stride.

    Platform: Android
    Price: AU$0.99

  • Nike Training Club

    Added to the suite of Nike fitness apps, games and equipment is Nike Training Club, an app that puts a personal trainer in your pocket. You can personalise your workout to target specific areas or your whole body, and get professional athlete workouts.

    Because this fact seems to have caused some confusion among users, yes, the trainers are all women. However, anyone can use the app.

    Platform: Android
    Price: Free

The Friday App Wrap will return in 2013. Have a merry Christmas and an appy new year!

Got a hot app tip to share? Let us know by emailing cnet@cnet.com.au.