This week’s “best of” is no belated April Fool’s joke, all of the apps included bring their own special something to the app landscape. From apps that help you pay your friends faster, to apps that help you follow election coverage, to apps that let you chat about sports more conveniently, it’s hard to go wrong with this week’s batch.
Bump Pay (Free)
Whether you’re paying for your half of the pizza when you don’t have cash on you, or chipping-in for a beer run, settling debts can be a huge pain. Bump Pay attempts to eliminate the need to always carry a little cash by letting users transfer money instantly through PayPal by bumping phones. The whole process can be completed in seconds and is still secure, as the payer has to enter in their PayPal password before any money is actually transferred.
Comedy Central’s Indecision Election Companion (Free)
Comedy Central’s “Indecision” election coverage has been a real highlight for fans of both comedy and politics, and their Indecision Election Companion app looks to continue the trend. It features real-time reactions by their team of special correspondents to the latest new shows, debates and other political events. The app also highlights “snapshots,” or comical pictures with joke-filled captions. And everything in the app can be shared via Facebook, Twitter and email.
Karma (Free)
Karma lets friends send each other gifts that they know they’ll like. You can pick out the thing you want to give to your friend, send them a notification via Facebook, and if there are any customizable options on the gift, that’s when they can take over and make sure it’s exactly what they want. The gift receiver gets to pick out things like the color of the item or the style or flavor, if it’s a food gift. That way, you’ll be thoughtful, and send a gift over to an unsuspecting friend and they’ll get exactly what they want.
PlayUp (Free)
Who says the chat room is dead? Not PlayUp! While PlayUp features the requisite scores and stats that are expected of any modern sports app on the iPhone, its bread and butter feature is the ability to create public and private discussions about any game going on. Want to talk smack to your friends in New York when they play your favorite team? Create a room and get the trash talk flowing. The ability to check-in on public rooms lets you get your sports-shouting self into a lather with total strangers, which can be fun, too.
Madonna (Free)
Madonna’s iPhone app got a major upgrade thanks to her new album, Girl Gone Wild. The app is now adorned with photos and skins representing the new album, but the content remains as strong as ever, as long as you’re into the Material Girl. You can buy songs and albums directly from the app, check out her tour schedule, watch videos, and post on a wall with her other fans.
