This week’s top apps are quite media-centric. There are apps to make your Oscars viewing more enjoyable and apps to make your general TV watching more rewarding, too. There are even apps to keep up on digital media news and online videos. It’s the middle of winter, so you might as well pop down on the couch and enjoy these apps. It looks awfully windy outside, anyway.
Oscars (Free)
The best award show of the year is less than a month away, and you can start planning your Oscars party now with the official app. Even though the actual show isn’t until February 26, the app has plenty going on before then. Right now users can view a full list of the nominees as well as check out movie trailers and other assorted videos. On the night of the show, the app will transform into a complement to the live broadcast, offering additional live camera angles for super Oscars fans to enjoy while they check out the broadcast on TV.
Shoebox by 1000memories (Free)
Shoebox is an app designed to help bring your old photos into the digital age. If you’ve got a bunch of old Polaroids lying around and don’t have a proper scanner to get them digitized, this app uses your iPhone to help you out by automatically detecting the photo’s edges and auto-flattening the image to adjust for the camera’s tilt. Once the photos are scanned in, they’re uploaded to the Shoebox website, where you can share them with their friend and family quickly and easily. Those who prefer their privacy can also opt to keep their uploaded photos private so that other users on Shoebox can’t view them.
paidContent Mobile News (Free)
paidContent Mobile News is the app version of paidContent.org, a website that keeps readers informed on the latest in the business of digital media. The app version boasts live updates for all of the paidContent web stories, with automatic refreshing throughout the day without users having to refresh the app themselves. Readers can also share stories through Twitter and Facebook. While paidContent Mobile News isn’t a glamorous app, it’s very useful if you enjoy following the business side of media.
Frequency (iPad, Free)
Frequency lets you keep up on all your favorite online videos. You create personalized channels tailored to your specific interests, from sports to technology to music. You can then see highlights from all of your channels in the app’s “My Feed,” section which acts like a best-of tab. If you’re tired of jumping from website to website to keep up with all of the web clips you want to watch, Frequency streamlines the process by creating a one-stop shop for web video.
Viggle (Free)
Viggle is something like Foursquare for your TV viewing habits. The app lets you “check-in” to your favorite TV shows as you watch them. Each time you check-in, you receive points from Viggle, which can later be redeemed for coupons and other rewards from retailers like Best Buy, Burger King and Fandango. If you already spend a lot of time hanging out watching TV, you might as well get rewarded for your efforts.
