AppAdvice App Brief

Think of Shazam — the app “listens” to a song and identifies it from a database, giving you the result. MovieQU is the same basic concept, but for movie trailers instead of songs. MovieQU will “hear” a movie trailer playing, get the details and match it up for you. Once it is done matching up the trailer, the title is automatically added to your “QU,” so you get a notification when the movie is released. When a movie is in your QU, you are able to see more about the title, including bits of data like synopsis, director, and cast. You can watch the trailer again or share the film through email, text, or social networks. MovieQU can also recommend titles to you based on what is in your list already, and discounted movie tickets are available directly through DealFlicks.

I love movies, especially all of the superhero titles coming in the next few years, so I think MovieQU is a pretty genius idea. The app itself is simple and easy to use after you create an account (or just sign in with Facebook), and the results are delivered quickly. It seems to have trouble with just-released trailers (it couldn’t identify the newest NSFW Deadpool trailer), so it seems that it needs some time for the trailers to be added to the database so it can be identified. Having a list of all of the trailers you’ve seen and being notified when they’re out is certainly handy.

MovieQU is on the App Store for the iPhone and is free with no in-app purchases, unless you buy tickets through DealFlicks.

Swackett is not a new app and has been around on the App Store for several years. It’s a weather app that gives you the current conditions of where you are, as well as providing data regarding lifestyles, clothing, and even health conditions that may be affected by the local weather. The latest update a few days ago makes the app even better.

A big change in the update is the addition of the Nuevo Peep series of items that expands your possibilities when you want clothing ideas to match the weather. It can suggest a complete outfit for you, and there is the chance to win free items, such as T-shirts and gift cards. The Dog Walking Comfort Index has been revamped along with the new collection. Both of these are available as a widget.

I’ve gone through many weather apps, including Swackett. What makes Swackett great is that it provides comprehensive details on the weather, such as conditions, five-day forecast, and live radar maps from AccuWeather, while giving you info that you don’t get in other apps, such as lifestyle and health indices, and “this day in weather history.” It’s just a great all-around weather app with useful bonuses.

Swackett is only for the iPhone and is available for free with ads. There are in-app purchases for removing ads and getting more editions.

Are you a person who is constantly changing your device’s wallpaper to suit your mood? Think of that, but for your default keyboard instead. Photokeys lets users change the keyboard colors using color palettes from their own photos, so it’s personalization at its best.

To use Photokeys, just import an image from your Photo Library into the app or get a new capture directly. Photokeys will then pull out the most prominent, gorgeous colors of the image and use them to skin the keyboard buttons and text. For further customization, you can adjust the shades of each color. Each theme you make can also have several different moods, which change the colors slightly, such as making it brighter or darker. You can name all of your themes, so it’s a great way to make a few palettes at once and come back to them later if you want something else.

While I’ve used a handful of different third-party keyboards since they came out, I am always returning back to the default iOS keyboard since I still type the fastest on that one. However, I do like adding a touch of color to the keyboard sometimes, so I’ll be keeping Photokeys around for those days. The app itself is easy and intuitive to use, making it perfect for anyone who insists on having their keyboard match how they feel right now.

Photokeys is a universal app on the App Store for $0.99.

What is Numerous? Essentially, it’s an app that pulls in all of the numbers that are related to your professional and personal life, such as website traffic, mortgage rates, calendar event countdowns, and more. The latest update that arrived last week brings more great options for users.

First, there are now channels, which are especially useful for businesses. With Channels, you can get sales, customer, and lead counts from services like Salesforce, or even payments, revenue, and customers from Stripe. Personal channels include tracking page likes and friends on Facebook, Apple Health, Fitbit, or Misfit data, and much more. There are many channels available, and they’re organized by category so you’re able to quickly find what you need.

Other enhancements and new features in the update include the ability to create your own numbers, color gradients, and the option to like or comment on something from the Apple Watch by using Force Touch. There’s even news stories, interface improvements, a widget, syncing between devices, and faster search.

There are many numbers that are involved in my life, and I love the fact that I can keep everything in one place with Numerous. This is better than other countdown apps I’ve used in the past because it does much more than count down the days until an event. Being able to customize Numerous for my needs is big too, because it makes it much more personal.

Numerous is a universal download and available for free with no in-app purchases or ads.

In Flaviar, you can browse over 10,000 types of spirits, reviewing their history, flavor profile, appearance, and even aroma. You select the ones that fit your tastes, which add them to your virtual bar or wish list, and if you feel like splurging, you can order them directly from the app itself. There are also interesting articles in the Flaviar app, which are informative and tell you the proper way to taste spirits or how to organize a tasting party. Users can also share their favorites with others by providing a review.

To top everything off, Flaviar has a gorgeous interface design with earthy colors and old-time fonts and backgrounds that match the theme. Individual profiles of drinks are rich and comprehensive, and there are a lot of fun trivia bits.

I’m far from a connoisseur of spirits, but I enjoy them occasionally. I like Flaviar so far because it’s well-designed, informative, and a great discovery tool. Plus, it’s nice to be able to order something that matches your taste directly from within the app, without any extra fuss.

Flaviar is designed for the iPhone only and is available for free.