Author: Samuel Marc

The best Android games to play on public transport

In our The best Android games to… series, we go through the best Android games to play for any given time or place. In this installment, we’ll go through the best Android games to play on public transport.

All these games offer short sessions, one-handed gameplay, an optional 3G conntection, and easy access pause button, making them perfect for quick trips on the subway, train, or bus.

Bejeweled Blitz: the king of puzzle games

Bejeweled Blitz

Bejeweled Blitz is a version of the game Bejeweled, which is specifically designed for smartphones. The famous puzzle game has swapped its usual sessions for quick 60 second ones, a timeframe that’s perfectly suited to mobile (and train) platforms.

It’s still about aligning 3 jewels in a row to make them explode, but in Bejeweled Blitz, you have just 1 minute to make the greatest number of combinations you can. A perfect alternative to Candy Crush Saga or Farm Heroes Saga, it’s a game that showcases perfectly the match 3 concept introduced by the puzzle kings PopCap. You’ll prefer the original to the copy!

Bejweled

Need A Hero: an exciting pocket-sized adventure

Need a HeroNeed A Hero is a hybrid of a puzzle and role-play game. With funny graphics, endearing characters, and an addictive theme, this game is likely to get you hooked.

In Need A Hero, you need to connect objects of the same colors spread over a grid to create the longest possible strings. In addition to the legendary courage and devastating charm of your hero, you can count on special attacks of formidable efficiency. You can also improve your character’s equipment to defeat your enemies even easier!

Need A Hero

Subway Surfers: fast-paced action for daredevils

Subway SurfersSubway Surfers is a running game that will put your reflexes to the test in a frantic race along an open air subway line.

Your mission is to help an apprentice graffiti artist flee the cops by dodging the many obstacles that stand in his way. If that wasn’t enough, you’ll also need to try and collect the maximum number of coins and items which are scattered on the tracks to complete side missions. Fortunately, you can count on many bonuses that will facilitate the task: basketballs, a jetpack and even a flying skateboard.

With its ultra-fast games and extremely simple handling, not to mention it’s subway theme, Subway Surfers was a perfect for this list.

Subway Surfers

2048 + Fibonacci Mobile Puzzle: even more addictive than Sudoku

20482048 is an extremely addictive puzzle with an extremely simple concept: the goal is to move the numbered boxes on a grid to achieve the legendary score of 2048 by adding numbers of the same value. After the phenomenal success of the online version of the game, 2048 is continuing its success on Android.

Fans of the original game can rediscover the mechanics that made ​​the the original so glorious, indulging in their new obsession during their daily commute. If you’ve already got to the end of the traditional mode of 2048, this mobile version offers a variant based on the Fibonacci sequence. It’s the ideal solution for training and practicing tips revealed by the creator of the game.

2048

Cut the Rope 2: a puzzle to be enjoyed, not in moderation

Cut the Rope 2Halfway between a puzzle game and a skill game, Cut the Rope 2 is quite simply the perfect game to pass the time between two bus stops.

Once again, you’ll be helping the monster Om Nom eat all the candies in a series of puzzles based on skill, which will appeal to savvy players. While it’s easy to learn, Cut the Rope 2 will keep you hooked in the long term through its myriad of optional challenges and endearing animations. The cherry on top? Cut the Rope 2 is a free download. Om nom!

CutTheRope2

With these 5 mobile games, you’re never going to get bored between stations, but be careful not to miss your stop– we can’t be held responsible if you’re late for work.

Make sure to check out the rest of our The best Android games to… series.

Alien: Isolation preview – the beast has returned

Alien: Isolation is a survival horror game currently in development by Creative Assembly, a  studio that’s shone in the past with gems such as the Total War strategy series.

If you believe the earliest news about the game, Alien: Isolation, then you’ll see that it seems to be taking a stand against the mediocre videogame adaptations which have recently damaged the reputation of the franchise. Instead, it will align itself more closely with the original film, Alien rather than the mindless follow-ups.

But how has the studio managed to forget the pitiful Aliens: Colonial Marines, the last adaptation to date? We’ve not got enough information to get an idea about the true potential of new title. Take your scalpel, because we’re going to find out exactly what this new Alien actually has in its stomach…

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A family affair

In Alien: Isolation, you play Amanda Ripley, the daughter of the heroine of the film. The game begins 15 years after the events of Alien, while the young woman tries to shed light on the disappearance of her mother, leading to the investigation of a space station whose crew was killed by a xenomorph, the famous monster of the movie.

Amanda Ripley Alien: IsolationAmanda Ripley leads the investigation into the disappearance of her mother

A thriller in game form

True to the spirit of the original film, Alien: Isolation is a science-fiction thriller with lots of tension. Forget the bodybuilding colonial marines and the mythical Pulse Rifles seen in the last films in the series. In Alien: Isolation, it’s the stealth and cunning of the players that’s put to the forefront. It’s very simple: in Alien: Isolation, you’re the prey. The Alien, in turn, is an omnipresent threat lurking in the shadows ready to pounce at any time.

Fortunately, Amanda is able to hide behind the decorative elements and throw furtive glances to monitor the progress of the monster. The heroine can also run, but traveling like this is noisy and can attract the attention of the Alien.

Of course, the young woman isn’t completely helpless: Amanda can make makeshift weapons from recycled materials or hack devices to retrieve information and progress around the station.

And even if the heroine can’t rely on an impressive arsenal, the legendary motion detector is still there. It’s just as well – the tool quickly becomes indispensable if you’re hoping to survive the monster. Fans can rest assured: like in the movies, the motion detector doesn’t indicate whether the object detected is located on the same level, above… or below the feet of the heroine. If you’re a fan of heart-thumping tension, then this one is for you.

Alien: IsolationThe motion detector is still a valuable tool

A monster that’s larger than life

The initials of Alien: Isolation are AI or Artificial Intelligence. A coincidence? Maybe not. Anyway, this will be crucial because the monster is the character with whom players spend the most time, except Amanda herself.

Invincible, this killing machine persecutes the heroine with his hyper-developed senses. The monster can, for example, identify traces left by the player should a locker door or hatch remain open. Creative Assembly have stated that the game is made better by the alien predator adopting real behavior…and that’s the truth. Far from the stiff movements and scripted attacks you find in many games, the monster in Alien: Isolation will adapt to the player and learn from him at each meeting. Learning over time, it will develop parodies of player strategies and set traps himself – pretty chilling.

Fortunately, the Alien also leave traces that give vital clues to the most attentive of players. Specific grunts indicate the different levels of alert of the creature. These sounds allow players to determine whether the predator is about to attack or has just spotted something that caught his attention.

Alien: IsolationThe monster in Alien: Isolation adapts to the player’s strategies

An Alien in its own juice

Unlike most video game adaptations related to the Alien franchise, the new title from Creative Assembly draws upon the first installment in the film series. The English studio wanted to recreate the atmosphere of the original Ridley Scott thriller and not of dubious action films that followed.

This almost obsessive desire to stick to the esthetics of the 70s gives Alien: Isolation an inimitable style. A cinema filter gives the game the appearance of an old movie while videos have been recorded in VHS for more faithfulness to the visuals of the time. Lo-Fi elements intentionally contrast with the excellent graphics, with flickering light, pervasive shadows and effects of floating particles.

But as true to the original as the corridors of Sevastopol station are, they may soon become repetitive after several hours have passed crawling in the dark. Fortunately, the developers promise us that the levels are not linear and that the different areas of the station will be open so players will have plenty of hiding spaces and multiple access paths… as will the creature.

Alien: IsolationAlien: Isolation is very faithful to the aesthetics of 70’s science fiction movies

Be scared

Even without playing, the idea of Alien: Isolation is scary, but not for the right reasons. After the unspeakable horror that was Aliens: Colonial Marines, the mere idea of yet another adaptation to throw at fans of the series induces sheer terror. Fortunately, Creative Assembly has everything in place to succeed: a passionate team, meticulous and obsessed by respecting the franchise. Hopefully they’ll manage to emancipate the original material to provide a sufficiently varied experience!

How to win at 2048: the game’s creator reveals his secrets

2048 is an online puzzle game with a simple concept that’s nevertheless extremely addictive. The goal is to move the numbered boxes on a grid in order to achieve the score of 2048 by adding numbers of the same value.

Are you addicted to 2048? We are too! So in order to regain a little bit of serenity in our lives, we asked Gabriele Cirulli, the creator of the game, for some help. The young Italian developer kindly shared his preferred techniques with us so we could put an end to our frustration and wreak havoc on the screen!

The technique I found […] is to only move the boxes in three directions, while keeping the highest number in a corner. This technique means you’ll get chain reactions that then make it easy to achieve a high number.

Let’s see together how quickly we can put the teachings of the master into practice to make the most of the odds.

Don’t go in all directions

2048 Solution Tips Corner Test

Choose a corner of the grid and make all your moves in this direction…

Choose three directions and only use these three to move your boxes. Choose a corner of the grid and make all your moves in that direction first. By following this technique, you’ll avoid being blocked by finding yourself short of moves.

In the example above, I chose the lower left corner. Using only the Down, Up and Left arrow keys, I could quickly combine my boxes to get to 64. Try to avoid deviating from this rule as much as possible.

[Update 03/24/2014]

Our colleague, Ernesto, from Softonic Brazil, told us that he has managed to reach 2048 by following the 2 steps mentioned above – he just wanted to share that with you. He says it’s a great way to win without burning out!

Always keep sight of the highest number

2048 Solution Tips Chain reaction TestChain reactions let you quickly get to 2048…

By always keeping your highest box in the corner (the one you chose at the beginning of the game), you can quickly create chain reactions, bringing you closer to 2048 points. Here, I’m keeping my 256 box in the upper left corner so I can clear the grid with a chain reaction.

So here you go: the two strategic pillars of 2048!, straight from the creator himself. It’s now up to you to put these teachings into practice and become part of the elite group of the 1% of players who reach 2048!

The most eagerly-awaited indie games of 2014

After a year of exceptional titles like the great Papers Please, Rogue Legacy, The Stanley Parable and DayZ, what indie games will make us starry-eyed in 2014? Our experts have fought over this list of 15 games for a long time– maybe among them, we’ll find the surprise hit of the year.

You may not have heard of them all, but there’s no doubt that these titles will be the names on everybody’s lips in the coming months. Let’s see if you’re favorite games made the list.

Paradise Lost: First Contact

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Close your eyes. You’re on a secret scientific base. A strange creature from another world has escaped, despite the careful watch of the guards and scientists. Cue total panic. There’s not a second to lose. Paradise Lost invites you to live out the typical 80’s science fiction movie experience, like The Thing and Alien, but this time, on the side of the aliens. Mark your calendar for December 2014 and prepare to be pursued on PC, Mac and Linux.

You Are Not The Hero

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Indie games have the ability to turn a player’s habits upside down. A bit like in Paradise Lost, You Are Not The Hero offers an experience we’re used to, but paints it in a new light. What about taking part in a classic Japanese role playing game through the eyes of a non-player character? It’s the opportunity to teach good manners to these so-called heroes who wreak havoc in your village. Hero or not, you’ll need patience to wait until this game’s release in late 2014.

Hyper Light Drifter

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Hyper Light Drifter is my personal favorite on the list. This simple game from Heart Machine has everything the big kid in me wants: retro graphics, an enchanting atmosphere, and ingenious game mechanics. On the gameplay front, Hyper Light Drifter looks towards Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo, classics that Hyper Light Drifter drags into the present with tense fighting and varied tactical options.

A.N.N.E

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A.N.N.E. is a hybrid game that combines the best of platform and shoot ’em up games from the 90s in an fun 16-bit style. Are powerful enemies blocking your way? Use your spaceship to get through them. Will you get to the planet Gomi in time to save A.N.N.E? You’ll find out mid-2014, when the game will be released on PC and Mac.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

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The story of interstellar love continues with Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, a game concept that’s simply awesome. This cooperative platform game takes place inside a spaceship: players must work together to operate the aircraft. It’s not going to be easy to explore the galaxy, save planets in distress, and fight waves of warlike aliens under these conditions, but you’ll have to try. Expected a release some time in 2014.

Neverending Nightmares

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Neverending Nightmare abandons horror game clichés to explore a new kind of psychological horror. The creator has attempted to translate his own nightmares in an immersive experience that’s more meaningful than all the Slender clones put together. Here, there’s no life bar or inventory menu: everything is done to immerse your body and soul into a terrifying atmosphere. Fans of horror games can sink their teeth into Neverending Nightmare at the end of 2014.

Super Roman Conquest

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What happened when the people at LucasArts studio decided to create a strategy game in real time? Super Roman Conquest was born, a unique strategy game where you can instruct your centurions to fight on 3 different maps. An ambitious blend of traditional design elements and innovative gameplay, Super Roman Conquest is planned for a summer 2014 release.

Hotline Miami 2

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Here’s your reminder to keep an eye out for Hotline Miami 2. The bloody action game is back in 2014 to complete the ultra-violent – but beautiful – saga. This time, players will have the opportunity to play as various characters with different motivations and  assassination techniques. You’ve got an appointment in late 2014 for a new foray into madness. Think you’ll win?

LUFTRAUSERS

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Luftrauser is the latest project from Vlambeer, the creators of the sublime Ridiculous Fishing. This time, we leave the ocean depths behind to take to the skies aboard a fighter jet. This little shoot’ em up arcade game is super-fast, tense, lots of fun and even the soundtrack is amazing. Its scheduled for takeoff later this year on Windows, Mac and Linux, but you can actually start training now!

Cuphead

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Cuphead is a traditional platform game in every way…except one. All graphics in the game are drawn ​​by hand, in the style of cartoon drawings from the 30s! With its unique style, endearing characters and jazzy soundtrack, Cuphead reminds us of Jazz: Trump’s Journey, another platformer that could come from the start of the century. Expected release on PC in 2014.

Apotheon

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Apotheon transports us to ancient Greece, in a beat-them-all of epic proportions. Fight the gods and control the elements in a peplos worthy of the finest Etruscan ceramics. Release on Windows, Mac and Linux slated for early 2014.

Distance

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Distance is on the the boundary between an arcade racing game and a running game. Combining breathtaking speeds, dizzying waterfalls and a great Tron-inspired graphic style, this game promises to offer a unique experience within the genre. Distance will be released soon on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Super Time Force

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Time Force is a great co-op game…for 1 player. Yes, you read that right. Traveling back in time, the game makes it possible to add firepower and the skills of several characters together to form a true virtual small army. Expected release in 2014.

Routine

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Take the heavy atmosphere of science fiction movies from the 80s, add a teaspoon of horror and sprinkle in a pinch of survival horror to get Routine, a game of perfect aesthetics in which you’ll explore a deserted lunar base and shed light on the mystery surrounding the sudden disappearance of the residents. Expected release in 2014.

The 90’s Arcade Racer

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The title says it all really. The 90’s Arcade Racer tries to resurrect a genre that’s fallen into disuse, the arcade racing game of the 90s. With crazy colors, dizzying speeds and questionable physics, it’s got everything you could want in an arcade racing game. The 90’s Arcade Racer invites you to step back in time to an era when teenagers only had eyes for arcades and exuberant games! Scheduled for release in mid 2014.

The list is extensive, but these games seem like they’ll be worth the wait!

Which indie games are you looking forward to in 2014?

Why we’re addicted to really hard games

A growing number of hardcore gamers say that today’s game releases are far too easy, offering no challenge to players. Maybe that’s why we’re now seeing a new generation of ridiculously hard games captivating new players every day. But why would we inflict such torture on ourselves? Where is the fun in seeing one Game Over after another?

I spoke with two other Softonic editors, Jan-Hendrik and Vincent, to analyze this phenomenon.

Here, we share our personal views and try to explain why we’re addicted to unforgiving games. Our tormentors: Dark Souls 2, DayZ and Flappy Bird. Although these 3 games seem completely different, they do have one thing in common: they all seem to be extremely difficult.

Dark Souls II and Jan-Hendrik: “No room for luck or chance”

Jan Hendrik I remember very well how the Dark Souls addiction started, a rather difficult experience if I remember correctly. “Am I already dead? After only a few steps? And, what? Do I have to start all over again?” It seemed unfair. But by learning from my mistakes, I started to discover its secrets. I soon understood how to avoid enemy attacks to stay alive a little longer, even though the creatures seemed to be more and more gruesome.

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I’ve had the chance to try Dark Souls II, and I can tell you that the game has kept the dense and brutal style that characterizes the series. If you’re not careful, even the smallest creatures can kill you. But, I’m sure you’re asking yourselves why I find almost certain death exciting? The answer is simple: being in constant danger creates a unique bond between me as a player, and my character in the game.

Every Game Over feels like a personal failure with serious consequences that I try to avoid at all costs.

When I’m playing Dark Souls, I want to protect my pixelated alter ego with my life. And the thing is, I don’t feel that connection when I’m playing most first person shooter games or other role-playing games. I think that my addiction can be explained by two unique features of the game. In Dark Souls, I am responsible for the death of my character, and the death of the character has real consequences, unlike other games out there. Every Game Over feels like a personal failure with serious consequences that I try to avoid at all costs.

Yes, Dark Souls is an extremely difficult. But it is a fair and well-balanced game. By paying attention and preparing for it, players are capable of overcoming all difficulties. In this game, there is no room for luck or chance. Only your dexterity, your observational skills, and your ability to learn will help you win. When playing Dark Souls, every Game Over is a new lesson that you have to put into practice immediately. I try my best to learn these lessons by heart!

DayZ and Vincent: “A game for masochists”

Vincent DayZ is definitely a tough game. I could even say it’s a game for masochists, considering that all the pleasure it gives you comes from the pain that is inflicted on your character. Like many other hardcore games, DayZ is based on permanent death to provide a more captivating gaming experience. In DayZ, once your character is dead, he’s dead for good. It’s impossible to bring him back to life or even to keep his progression or gear!

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It’s all about starting from scratch, and that’s what makes DayZ so interesting: the opportunity to rediscover the game’s huge world with new eyes. You’ll struggle to find water, bandages, and a rudimentary weapon to defend yourself from the zombies, and just when you’ve (re)assembled your supplies and regained a mild sense of security and hope, you’ll die again.

In DayZ, once your character is dead, he’s dead for good.

I think that if I was the only survivor in a post-apocalyptic world infested with zombies, I wouldn’t be as afraid as I am when I play DayZ. A random shot, a zombie biting you, or a simple fall can immediately kill you and make you lose hours of progress, and that just makes DayZ a more intense experience. For me, its difficulty and brutality make it one of the scariest games of all time.

Flappy Bird and Samuel: “A community of crazy players”

Samuel I’m sure that by now, you’ve heard of a little mobile game called Flappy Bird. In only a few days, this basic game drove the whole internet crazy. Between rumors of plagiarism and several financial rumors, more and more new players became mysteriously addicted every day. Black magic? Hypnosis? How could anyone explain this sudden attraction to a pixelated bird?

Some thought the reason for its sudden fame was its extreme difficulty. Others believed it had something to do with how simple it was. Personally, I wasn’t impressed by the pixelated design or its simple and unoriginal gameplay. It’s precisely the combination of these two elements, in fact, that could be behind the game’s short-lived success.

Flappy Birds

I was not impressed by Flappy Bird’s pixelated and simple design

You don’t need a degree in video game design to recognize that Flappy Bird’s design was heavily inspired by Super Mario Bros., a classic among classics that stamped its pixilated characters into the retinas of a whole generation. It’s as if smartphone owners knew Flappy Bird even before they started playing it.

The game’s legendary simplicity could also explain its success. Flappy Bird gives the impression that anyone can play it, since all you need to control the bird is one finger. Unfortunately, this sensation also leaves unlucky players with a sense of frustration that stays with them even when they try again and again.

Flappy Bird gives the impression that anyone can play it…

But, in my opinion, the true genius of Flappy Bird is in how quickly you can start playing again. If your bird has miserably crashed into one of the iconic green tubes, all you need to do is press a button. It’s this simplicity that’s been welcomed like a breath of fresh air.

In my case, it was the community of crazy players that made me become briefly addicted to Flappy Bird; the game’s integrated sharing options let players show off their ridiculous scores and challenge their friends.

That was all I needed to start. For days and days I fought to become the first of my Google+ contacts to reach the impressive score of 36! Can anyone beat that? Probably not; as you know, the game was taken down from the App Store and Google Play by its developer shortly after the craze, so unless you already have the game on your phone, you can’t even try. Lucky, there are some alternatives, more or less challenging, that you can try.

If you’re stronger than us and want to try something a little less addictive, check out our ‘The best PC games for…’ series to find games to fit any mood.

Have you been addicted to any games lately?

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Is Google Maps better than Apple Maps and Nokia HERE? We put them to the test in Barcelona

Google Maps, Apple Maps or Nokia HERE? Which is the best navigation app for your smartphone?

Google Maps is the most popular smartphone navigation app, but does it really deserve all the praise it gets? We wanted to pit it against two of its fiercest competitors, Apple Maps and Nokia HERE, and see which app really deserves the top spot.

We decided to leave the comfort of our newsroom to test them out, using them to complete a fun-filled course under real-world conditions in Barcelona, Spain. Our mission? To prove which is the most effective in everyday life. Recommendations, offline mode, and public transport timetables– we tested the functions you use most often in order to determine whether Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Nokia HERE truly deserves the prize for the best mobile navigation app.

The Great Softonic Maps Challenge

The rules of the Great Softonic Maps Challenge were simple. Each competitor had to perform three navigation tests with only the help of their default smartphone navigation app, in the shortest time possible.

For the first test, we had to walk to a pre-selected location without using an internet connection. For the second task, we had to use public transport to find the headquarters of an organization without knowing the address. For the ultimate challenge, we had to use our navigation apps to find a shop selling cupcakes!

Baptiste and Apple Maps, the new kid on the block

Apple Maps

So, I got stuck with Apple Maps and its teething problems. At least this was the first thought that came to mind a few days before this test, designed to compare Google Maps, Apple Maps and Nokia HERE. Some of my colleagues tried to reassure me by telling me that Apple Maps uses Barcelona as a test city, but I wasn’t totally convinced. At least it kept things interesting.

Before starting the first test – reaching a point on the map without using an internet connection – I decided to frantically take screen shots of the route, just in case. Fortunately, none of this was necessary. Just like Google Maps, Apple Maps keeps the data you’ve accessed in the cache, which allowed me to easily find my way to the first checkpoint. Using GPS and the route stored in the cache, all I needed to do was enlarge or reduce the map to know exactly where I was headed.

Apple Maps

Apple Maps keeps the data you’ve accessed in the cache

30 minutes after the start, I completed the first mission. The next, it turns out, would be a little more complicated…

Baptiste

30 minutes after I left, I completed the first task

The control point for the second test was on the other side of the city. I was determined to overtake Samuel and Markus, so I began looking for the fastest route to reach my goal. The first plus point: Apple Maps knew where I had to go. But to my surprise, the service didn’t know of any bus routes or subway lines, let alone their timetables!

apple plans

Apple Maps didn’t know any bus routes or metro lines

I resigned myself to following what little information my iPhone did give me. Along the way, I came across a bus stop. After a quick glance at the map, I made my decision. Aside from a traffic jam that made ​​me lose a few precious minutes, the rest of the journey took place without incident and 50 minutes later, I arrived safely.

Baptiste Bus

Gah! Rush hour traffic!

Time for the 3rd challenge: quickly find a bakery where you can buy cupcakes. Confident, I began a search for nearby cupcakes with Apple Maps. The application suggested an address that was only a few meters away. The shopkeeper’s answer to my question? “Cupcakes? No… we sell pancakes.”

No Cupcakes

There were no cupcakes in this shop window…

First fail. I then went along to the second store indicated by the application. Still no cupcakes. Disappointed, I was about to go to the 3rd address offered by Apple Maps when I came across a shop that wasn’t indexed by the application. To my delight, the window was full of beautiful cupcakes! Mission accomplished, no thanks to Apple Maps.

Apple-Maps-Results

Markus and Nokia HERE, the strong, silent contender…

Nokia-Maps-Header

The first to set off on this challenge, I left pretty confident. In fact, Nokia HERE was the only one of the 3 tested to offer a method of offline navigation worthy of the name, and the application had performed well when I used it on several car trips. I felt pretty happy just looking up the addresses for the challenges and following the instructions on the screen.

I didn’t encounter any real difficulties with Nokia HERE. The service works well and provides clear directions that are enhanced by a simple interface that’s worthy of the best professional navigation solutions. Even the satellite view continued to display in offline mode, which helped me to work out where I was, even when the GPS was running slow.

Nokia Here

Nokia HERE provides clear directions

Once at the first meeting point, my joy was short-lived: Baptiste was hot on my heels and it only took a few minutes for him to catch me up! The reason why? Along the way, HERE had taken me down a dead end and I had to double back to carry on with my journey. In the end, I only lost 5 minutes, but without this mishap, I would’ve definitely been in first place!

For the next challenge, I followed the recommendations provided by HERE Transit, the app that’s part of the Nokia HERE suite dedicated to public transport. It’s a simple and effective strategy that really paid off.

markus - metro

HERE Transit showed me a simple and effective route to take

However, it wasn’t always easy to juggle between screens and I would have preferred to use a single application. However, once I mastered the digital gymnastics involved in this operation, I was able to continue on my journey very easily. A plus point is that Nokia HERE distinguished between the different parts of the journey really well. It made it clear which parts were on foot, and which were on the subway – it’s this precision that allowed me to arrive first for the second stage.

Nokia Here

Nokia HERE showed which parts of the journey were on foot

I got a nasty surprise with the last mission, however: find a cupcake based on the recommendations on HERE. The Nokia application draws its recommendations from the Tripadvisor database, a solution that works pretty well for hotels or restaurants, but shows its limitations when you get to more sophisticated queries!

cupcakes

I decided to join forces with Samuel and Google…

Basically, there was no information about cupcakes in the area where I needed to look. Unable to complete the final test, I decided to join Samuel and Google. The surprise came when Google Maps showed him a famous bakery specializing in cupcakes just around the corner! The cupcakes from the Amelia bakery in the Gracia district were so good that I forgot the race and the final standings. After all, all’s well that ends well, right?

Nokia-Maps-Results

Samuel and Google Maps, a sure bet

Google Maps

For me, Google Maps is the ideal navigation app. As far as I’m concerned, it’s perfect and I was really confident when I took on the first stage. Google Maps has a dedicated offline mode, at least in theory…unfortunately for me, Barcelona is one of the few places it doesn’t actually work! Just minutes from the start of the competition, I decided to search for my route and leave the app open on my smartphone.

Google Maps

The application continued to work as if nothing had happened

To my surprise, when I lost the data connection, the application continued to operate as if nothing had happened. Better still, my progress was even shown in real time using the GPS. It’s a pretty nifty feature that allowed me to complete the first stage of the challenge in less than 30 minutes and catch Baptiste!

sam + baptiste

I was even able to catch up with Baptiste!

After taking a quick souvenir photo, I looked at my route for the second part of the challenge. I had to leave the hills above Barcelona to go to an address located in the city center as quickly as possible. Once I’d reactivated my connection, I used the search engine in Google Maps to find the fastest route to my destination, meaning I had to walk to the nearest metro station.

I was just climbing a steep hill when I saw Markus’ red jacket ahead of me. With a little effort I could catch him too! But rather than listen to my senses, I decided to blindly trust Google Maps … So I end up taking the wrong road! I’d lost Markus… and some precious minutes.

Amelia Markus

A bakery specializing in cupcakes was waiting for us nearby

A handful of metro stops and a short walk got me to the second stage of the challenge. The time had come to join the meeting point for the ultimate test: the quest for the legendary cupcake. By the greatest of coincidences, a small company specializing in cupcakes was waiting just around the corner.

cupcakes amelia

The owners gave us a warm welcome

10 minutes later, I arrived at the Amelia bakery in the company of Markus. After a well deserved cupcake, I used Google Maps to leave a recommendation and thank the owners for their warm welcome!

Google-Maps-Results

Results

Podium

Google Maps is our overall champion with only 1h 15m on the clock for the 3 tests, as compared to 1h 35m for Nokia Here and 1h 45m for Apple Maps. The Google navigation app was particularly effective in offline mode and the formidable power of its search engine proved itself over the last two events. It receives a final ranking that reflects its nine years of innovation and confirms the dominance of Google in the field of mobile navigation.

Which apps would you like us to test in the next Great Softonic Challenge?

Paper by Facebook is a revolution. Here’s why.

Facebook is once again shifting gears with the arrival of Paper, a news reader that presents a major makeover for the social network. The app transforms your news feed into a stylish digital magazine where your friends’ status updates are combined with articles handpicked from the internet by the folks at Facebook.

But how are Mark Zuckerberg’s people planning to use it to revolutionize how we read the news? We’ve tested the app, and the video below shows you some of its coolest features.

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Not only is Paper the newest addition to Facebook’s collection of mobile apps, it’s also a total reinvention of it’s mobile interface. Boasting some similarities toFlipboard in terms of animation fluidity and gesture support, the app reinvents Facebook and gives a big hint as to where the social network could be heading in the near future.

Right now, Paper is available exclusively for iPhone, and only in the US. If you don’t have the patience to wait for Paper to arrive in your app store, try out some of the alternatives already available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, or trying accessing the US App Store to get the app on your iPhone.

Do you think Paper is good enough to completely replace Facebook’s classic mobile interface?

Six alternatives to Paper by Facebook

Facebook just launched Paper, its version of a news aggregator similar to Flipboard, Pulse or Feedly. Paper, the newest project from Mark Zuckerberg and company, takes the form of a digital magazine, incorporating articles from various sources into a news feed on a social network interface specifically designed for mobile platforms.

With Google Reader now only a distant memory, the newest Facebook service has high standards in an already jam-packed sector, one which is filled with other digital applications that are just as determined to change the way we read the news. And, given the fact that it’s only currently available in the US and on iOS, these alternatives already have a leg up for some users. Here, we go through 6 alternatives that’ll either hold you over until Paper reaches all mobile platforms, or emerge as a better replacement.

Pulse (iOS, Android)

PulsePulse is a customizable digital magazine that presents your news feed in the form of interactive mosaics made up of dynamic flux tiles. Distinguished and equipped with a n easy-to-use interface, Pulse is one of the most beautiful aggregators currently on the market.

Google Currents (iOS, Android)

Google CurrentsGoogle Currents is a news reader that gathers your favorites in an elegant interactive journal specifically adapted for viewing on smartphones and tablets. The application allows Google to discover new sources via thematic lists, all in a clear, uncluttered interface with a comfortable reading experience.

Flipboard (iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows)

FlipBoardLike Paper, Flipboard combines social networks and articles from your favorite websites to highlight the content you like. Its secret? An elegant interface designed for touch screens. It’s the ideal solution to transform your tablet into a fully personalized digital magazine.

Feedly (iOS, Android, Web)

FeedlyFeedly is halfway between an RSS reader and a digital magazine. This application allows you to find interesting articles through a powerful search engine and a stylish, comfortable interface. Available on almost every platform imaginable, Feedly invites you to follow the news in the best possible conditions, wherever you are.

Yahoo News Digest (iOS)

Yahoo News DigestOnly currently available in the US, Yahoo News Digest makes your life easier by sending you 2 daily news summaries. Thanks to an editorial selection by Yahoo! and aggregation of content from multiple sources on the web, the application can scan all essential topics with ease. Another trick? The maps, videos and excerpts from Wikipedia provide welcome additional information.

Circa News (iOS, Android)

Circa NewsSimilar to Yahoo News Digest in many ways, Circa News provides a summary of news in a format that’s easy to read on mobile platforms. Each day, the editorial board of the application analyzes the information available to provide you with comprehensive summaries of the most important events of the day. The icing on the cake is that Circa News can even subscribe to certain articles so that you can follow their development in real time.

If you don’t have an iPhone, or just can’t access Paper from your location, you’ll have to wait a bit longer to use Facebook’s newest mobile feature. The jury is still deciding on the usefulness of Paper, but in the meantime, you can try one of the great established alternatives mentioned above.

Will you wait for Paper, or use one of the alternatives?

The ultimate audio streaming app (maybe)

A few days before the launch of Beats Music in the United States, Spotify removed the limitations of listening to its web version and allowed free access (albeit with ads) to its whole catalog, indefinitely.

The announcement follows the removal of the same limitations for mobile versions of the application and confirmed Spotify’s conversion to completely free.

Is this drastic measure enough to outshine the Swedish application’s competitors? In fact, nothing could be less certain.

Mobile applications, smart playlists, and prices are becoming more accessible. Every day, rivals compete to pinpoint the next brilliant idea likely to capsize the opposition.

But what features would the ultimate music streaming application have? The one that would make us forget Spotify, Deezer, Rdio, and all the others? I did some research and think I’ve come up with the perfect music platform.

iTunes’ exclusives

What do Bootleg Recordings 1963 from the Beatles and the latest video album from Beyoncé have in common? Anyone? But it’s easy!

Both are available exclusively on the iTunes Store, Apple’s online music store. Offering exclusives is a good way to stand out from streaming platforms and their catalogs which are often sadly similar.

The ubiquity of Spotify

Spotify is available on almost all conceivable platforms. Personally, I use it on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, online… and my TV. It is simply awesome, and so far, unequaled.

Spotify on tablet

Spotify is available on almost all platforms

The proximity of SoundCloud

Few streaming service can boast of offering the same proximity to artists as SoundCloud. Designed for listeners rather than creators, the service allows anyone to subscribe directly to DJs, favorite bands, and singers to receive new songs before they’re released and follow their heart and moods in real time. A small revolution.

The Deezer Catalog

With over 30 million songs, the Deezer disco remains unparalleled among online music services (compared to only 20 million songs on Spotify and Rdio). And, brace yourself, the Deezer catalog even exceeds that of the iTunes Music Store if the latest figures are to be believed!

Deezer catalog

Deezer boasts over 30 million songs and counting

Third-party Spotify applications

Spotify has a growing number of third party applications that provide quality new features. Lyrics, a ticketing platform, or even music reviews. It’s pretty simple, but these small applications increase the capacity tenfold and transform Spotify into a real Swiss Army knife of a platform!

The quality of 22tracks playlists

22tracks is simply stunning. Each week, the best DJs in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, and Paris select 22 new titles in 22 different styles. In addition, it’s free and the selection is great. A level of quality to inspire the competition!

22Tracks DJs

Each week, the 22tracks DJs select 22 new playlists

The sound quality of Sony Music Unlimited

The ideal music streaming service should also have the same sound quality of Sony Music Unilimited. The Sony platform blows away the competition in terms of sound quality with its high-fidelity files (AAC 320kbps). Perfect for enjoying your favorite titles in the best conditions. A must!

The elegance of Rdio

Rdio stands out with its elegant interface, as good online as it is on mobile. The clean application menus are the perfect background for album covers, all enhanced by a clear, refined skin. It’s a lesson in design for all app developers.

The Rdio interface

Rdio has a clear, refined interface

Spotify’s social network integration

I don’t know about you, but the sharing features of Spotify are hard to pass up. The Swedish application is fully integrated with Facebook and lets you comment in real-time on the musical taste (or lack thereof!) of your friends. Let it be said, the perfect music streaming service will most definitely be connected to social networks!

Well, now you know what features I think are essential for the perfect music streaming platform. Are these features also crucial for you? Have I forgotten any? Let us know in the comments!

Which functions do you think are essential for the perfect music streaming app?

Beats Music: 10 alternatives for curated music streaming

Beats Music, the new music platform from the creators of the famous headphones, has some stiff competition with online music streaming heavy hitters including Spotify, Deezer, Rdio and Google Music. At its advantage, are two major factors: playlists to suit a user’s mood, offering the right song at the right time, and a hand-picked musical selection curated by high quality experts in different styles.

Fortunately for music lovers, competing services offer similar functions for curating music to a user’s taste. Before you jump the gun and sign on with Beats Music, check out these 10 alternatives with similar functions that try to cater music to your needs.

The right music for the right mood

Many online music platforms already offer a prediction system based on your mood. These 5 options will help you find the right song for any situation.

Stereomood (Web, iOS, Android)

Stereomood Described as an emotionally charged web radio service, Stereomood is a music streaming site that helps you find a song to match your mood. Stereomood’s home screen offers playlists for any state of mind: Sleeping on my Feet, It’s Raining, Night Drive and Cooking Time are just  a few quirky examples. You can use the app’s search engine for inspiration and check out any playlist you think might suite your mood.

Musicovery (Web, iOS, Android)

Musicovery Musicovery gives you the opportunity to explore its music catalog by choosing your state of mind on a map of musical moods. Energetic, Calm , Dark, or Positive–  just choose your emotion. Musicovery also gives you the ability to filter playlists by genre, including Rap, Latin, Reggae, Rock, or Jazz (16 in total), or by era, anywhere from the 60’s to now. The app is free and available online, for iOS and for Android.

Moodagent (Spotify Web App, iOS, Android)

Moodagent Moodagent is another music recommendation service, but with a twist. This app creates your playlist based on a song of your choice. After selection, chose one of five pre-determined moods (Sensual, Tender, Happy, Angry, Tempo), and Moodagent will generate a suitable playlist. As a Spotify app, Moodagent will even let you view and modify the intensity of your playlist via a mood curve.

8tracks (Web App, iOS, Android, Mac)

8tracks 8tracks is based on a community of music lovers, offering various playlists covering many different styles. Like with Beats Music, 8tracks playlists have been created by music enthusiasts, a guarantee of quality. 8tracks has a good search engine designed to combine search terms such as Hip Hop and Rock or Sad and Travel. It’s perfect when you want new songs to listen to, no matter what mood you’re in.

Spotify (Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

You may not know it, but Spotify has playlists for every imaginable mood too. Having recently integrated app Tuningo into its own services, you can now access playlists curated by the Spotify team under the ‘Browse’ section. Clicking ‘Mood’ will give you dozens of playlists, sorted for any occasion, including Young, Wild & Free, Psyched!, and Sunday Stroll. Our favorites of the moment? The Happy Hipster, Funky Summer, and Creativity Boost.

The best DJs in the world, at your service

Beats Music will also provide expert advice from top DJs and music experts around the world. Again, many services already give recommendations for discovering lesser-known music and artists. Here are a few:

22tracks (Web, iOS, Android)

22tracks 22tracks is a revolutionary music discovery service. Each week, the top DJs from Amsterdam, Brussels, London, and Paris select 22 new titles in 22 different styles, including Alternative, Indie/Rock, Jazz, House, Dubstep– there really is something for everyone. With a guide to the latest music news, you can stay ahead of the trend, and as icing on the cake, 22tracks requires no registration and even has an app for iOS and Android.

The Fader Spotify App (Spotify App)

Fader The Fader is a New York-based music magazine specializing in emerging talent whose reputation for uncovering talent is second to none. The Fader app for Spotify lets you find playlists from each issue of the magazine, created with the help of music specialists and famous artists like singer Solange Knowles.

Pitchfork Spotify App (Spotify App)

Pitchfork Pitchfork is a website for music reviews that specializes in independent music. Launched in 1995, the online publication offers its expertise to Spotify listeners through an awesome app. With a few clicks, you’ll find reviews by the editors of the site, as well as a selection of the best new albums. It’s an ideal solution for those who only want to listen to the best of the best.

Noon Pacific (Web App)

Noon Pacific
Noon Pacific is the most hospitable music streaming service on this list. Every Monday, it offers you a mix tape with tracks meticulously selected and mailed directly to your inbox. It’s free, simple, and always tasteful– perfect for listening to good music without lifting a finger.

SoundCloud (Web App, iOS, Android, Mac)

SoundCloud eliminates boundaries between artist and audience by giving everyone the opportunity to subscribe directly to their favorite artists stream. In addition to automatically receiving new music as soon your favorite DJs, bands, and singers publish, you can discover and hear their favorite music and inspiration in real time.

These 10 alternatives should hold you over until Beats Music launches on January 21st, and who knows, you may find an alternative you like even better!

Which applications do you use to listen to and discover music?