Love Emoji? You'll Love the Guess The Emoji App

Emojis have exploded in popularity in recent years. People all over the world are using these little cartoons to add to their messages and social media posts. Since the emoji keyboard became available to iPhone users in 2011, more and more emoji-themed apps have appeared in the app store (some much better than others). One in particular struck me as a genius extension of the emoji craze. It's called Guess The Emoji, and it's a free puzzle game app where you try to guess a word or phrase the is represented by a series of emojis.

The game is structured so that you progress through each puzzle as a "level," meaning you can only go to the next puzzle once you solve the previous one, making it both challenging and very addictive to play. If you really get stuck on a puzzle, three clue options offer three clue options to help you along:

• Expose a Letter to reveal and random letter from the puzzle
• Remove the Letters to remove letters from the board that are not used in the puzzle
• Solve It (your last resort), which completely solves the puzzle. 

Using these clues costs coins (15 each for the first two, 30 to solve the puzzle), so they should be used wisely because you only get one coin each time you solve a puzzle. You can also buy more coins through in-app purchases with your Apple account.

In addition to the clues, there is an "Ask Facebook" button that allows you to share the puzzle quickly to your news feed to get help from friends. If you Google "Guess The Emoji," you'll also see that 90% of the results are sites that provide answers and cheats, too. But what fun is that?

The app is set up to integrate with Facebook, though you can also play as a guest with more limited features. If you choose to connect with Facebook, you receive 10 coins (in addition to the 25 you get by default when you download the app). You can invite your Facebook friends to play with you.

An intuitive hamburger menu reveals all of your options once you're in the app.

Overall, Guess The Emoji is an entertaining game based on an already popular concept (emojis) and it's all presented in a well-designed and easy-to-use interface. As of July, 2014 it was one of the most popular apps in the Apple app store. Bottom line, if you're into emojis, I highly recommend this addictive app!

TO DO: Check Out These Task Management Apps

To-do apps are abundant in the Apple App Store because pretty much everyone needs a way to manage their tasks, and what better way to always have your to-do list with you than to have it right in your phone? Many of these apps also allow you to sync your list between devices and set reminders among other features. Some of the apps take a “keep it simple” approach so as not to overwhelm users who simply want a replacement for a physical notebook, and some of the apps come with lots of bells and whistles. 

The good news is, since there are so many and such a variety of to-do apps, you can choose the kind of app that’s best for you. Following are a few worth noting:

Wunderlist (Free in Apple App Store)

Wunderlist is a functional and easy-to-use app that includes support for various platforms including web, Mac, PC, and iOS/Android phones and tablets. It includes lots of features without feeling cluttered or overwhelming to the user. The interface makes it easy to add regular or recurring tasks as well as task details like notes, subtasks and due dates. You can also set reminders for tasks and sort them by priority. Wunderlist also includes some sharing features, like the ability to publish lists to the internet for public viewing, and collaboration features like comments within the interface.

Todoist (Free in App Store)

Todoist is similar to Wunderlist in many ways. It includes support for desktop, web and mobile versions and offers the ability to share and collaborate. With Todoist, you also can search tasks, attach notes and files, and get location-based reminders. The app features a nice, but adding tasks isn’t quite as simple and intuitive, and many advanced features are only available with a Premium plan for $29/year.

Clear ($5 in App Store)

Clear is unique because it lets users use only gestures to interact with the interface, which results in a simple and effective to-do list tool. Adding tasks, marking them complete, and even accessing different areas of the app like Settings, are all controlled using gestures. To prioritize tasks, you simply rearrange them so important ones are at the top. To keep the interface clean, color gradients (instead of symbols like stars) are used to identify priority tasks. 

CARROT ($3 in App Store) 

Carrot is very different than other to-do list apps and is known as the “to-do list with a personality.’ Adding tasks is simple enough in this app, and if you don’t complete them, the app will send you snarky messages to nudge you to do so. As you complete tasks though, you get positive feedback and unlock additional features. In a way it gamifies the to-do list process, which can be fun and motivating for some, but for others may prove to be annoying or stressful.

That's just the tip of the iceberg! There are tons of to-do apps in the App Store to try, and more appearing all the time. What to-do or task management apps have you tried? What did you like or not like about them? Post your thoughts in the comments!

Battle of the Live Stream Apps: Periscope vs Meerkat

Two new live-streaming apps were the talk of SXSW this year -- Meerkat and Periscope. Both offer users the ability to share live video content to Twitter in real time. So, which should you use? 

I put them both to test in a "fight of the features" to find out which takes the title of best live stream app. Here's how they stacked up: 

How They're Alike 

Both apps give users the ability to stream live video content in real time. Both are integrated with Twitter, so when you begin broadcasting a stream, a link to it is instantly tweeted to your followers through your Twitter account. You can also save streams locally to your phone. 

Within both apps, users can watch streams and simultaneously chat, identified by their Twitter handles, with each other and with the broadcaster.  They can also follow other users and get notifications when they begin streaming. 

What Makes Periscope Different

Periscope's interface is clean and intuitive. I found it to be much more user-friendly than the Meerkat interface, which feels somewhat cluttered and confusing.  Periscope features a simple navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to divide up its core functions - streaming, followers/connections, and the feed. 

The app also provides a helpful tutorial when you first open the app, which you can skip if desired, with a few key points about the its functionality. After the tutorial, the app guides you to a page of recommended users to follow (unlike Meerkat, you're pretty much on your own to find connections).

Unlike Meerkat where everything is live and there are no reruns, Periscope allows users to replay recent streams in a "Recent" section of the stream feed. 

Downsides of Periscope:

As of now, you cannot schedule future streams, however, I expect they will probably add this soon. The stream feed is also less visual, and there are no gamification features (which you could consider bonuses or downsides, depending on your preference). 

What Makes Meerkat Different

The biggest added bonus with Meerkat, in my opinion, is the ability to schedule future streams. Users can upload a photo and some text along with a scheduled time, and their followers will then get a push notification when the stream goes live. Also, if you schedule a stream and forget to go back in and start it, Meerkat will send a push notification reminding you that you're viewers are waiting for the scheduled stream. 

I also appreciated the more visual feed of current live streams, with large images or stills from the stream video that give an idea of content. Stream previews in Meerkat also show a lot of information about the stream's current following, including number of current viewers, how many likes it has, and how many comments have been made in live Twitter chat taking place within the stream.

Finally, Meerkat includes some gamification features including a score that is always listed in the top left corner of the home screen, and a leaderboard. However, it is unclear to me how these points are accrued and how this works, and I was unable to find clarification within the app. 

Downsides of Meerkat:

The main weakness of Meerkat is its interface. I believe it is not as user-friendly as it could be, and I imagine many first time users become frustrated or confused when they first open the app. The home screen feels cluttered, making it difficult for users to know where to go. On top of that, there is little to no guidance within the app that explains how it works or how to get started. 

Have you used Meerkat or Periscope? Comment and tell me what you think of these new live-streaming apps!