5 extremely useful apps

[Sponnaila]

Five really gainful applications for Windows 8. Hope you'll enjoy it.

 

1. TuneIn Radio

Internet radio has always been a great way to keep yourself entertained, and TuneIn Radio shows off the technology with real style.

 

The app's huge database (more than 70,000 stations) means you're sure to find something you like, for instance. You can browse by music, sport, news, comedy, chat, language, country, or even just find a local station (assuming you've enabled the app to access to your location).

 

The program can also maintain a list of your favourite stations, for easy access later. Or you can even pin some to your Start Screen, so you can begin listening at any time with a click.

 

2. Multimedia 8

If you're missing Windows Media Centre, then fear not, the Store does have some interesting alternatives - and Multimedia 8 is one of the best.

 

The program makes it easy to browse your music, video and playlists, for instance. In a click (or a touch) you can access files on a media server, or the web.

 

And a host of bonus features includes 3D video support; the ability to convert videos to MP4 or WMV; playlist creation, DLNA media streaming, subtitle support (SRT/ WebVTT), video stabilisation, video and audio capture, and more.

 

3. News Bento

Whatever your view on the introduction of the Windows 8 Modern interface is, there's no doubt that its apps can look fantastic, and News Bento is a perfect example.

 

Launch the app and a group of tiles show you constantly-updating news photos and headlines from top US sites. A host of others are available via the "more news" link, and Google Reader support combined with RSS search provides easy access to your other online favourites.

 

Choose a source and story summaries are neatly displayed in various panels. And most conveniently, clicking any of these (for the sources bundled with the program, anyway) displays its content within the app, so there's no irritating switching to and from an external browser.

 

4. Free Translate 2

Language translator app is a great tool which is based on Bing and Google translator to translate text from one language to other. It means, you can select between the two translators type and the app will translate the text accordingly. You just need to type the text and leave the rest on the app. It will translate the text into the destination language selected. Just keep your Windows 8 PC connected to the internet, and the app will work like anything.

 

Free Translate 2 developers have added up some very smart features:

1. lets the app speaks the translated text aloud.

2. tracks the changes which is made on clipboard. For e.g., if you copy any text from anywhere; browser or from any file or folder, the changes made in the clipboard will be automatically updated in the translator app.

3. automatic translation. Just enter the text and the app will translate it as soon as your enter the text without clicking on translate button. So cool!

 

5. Free Books

There's more to ebooks than Amazon and Kindle: no, really. And by way of evidence, look no further than Free Books. This attractive app offers more than 23,000 free books (mostly old classics), neatly organised by category and author, with an interesting selection of "Featured" books if you just want to browse.

 

Double-click any book to download it to your library. Double-click again to read it; tap right or left to turn the appropriate page; and of course the app remembers your current page, so if you leave it and come back later then you'll be able to carry on where you left off.

 

Some people may feel the app is a little too basic, and it would certainly benefit from settings to adjust text size, colours and so on. The simplicity does mean Free Books is very simple to use, though, and on balance it'll be a great addition to most systems.

[gavind]

MultiMedia is still the same for me. It does not play all video files and wanted you to buy those codecs.I just hope that they'd change that.

[Scannan]

Hi gavind

 

VLC Media Player does it all and no need to download additional codecs.

[enoskype]

A good Media Center!

 

Guys,

 

I have tried XBMC in Windows 8, IOS 5.11 & 6.1 and Android 4.04. (Not tried it in Mac yet.)

 

XBMC is a Media Centre which can be installed to Mac, Windows, Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Android, and Linux.

 

If you are using Windows 8, Media Center is only available as a paid application since Jan, 31 2013 and AirPlay in Windows is only possible if you have Media Center and relevant software(s) for AirPlay.

 

XBMC is a better Media Center and also has AirPlay (for video and streaming also). It is open source and unbelievably versatile with limitless add-ons and has a great GUI. Version 12.1 Frodo is very stable.

 

It is a free and open source media player application developed by the XBMC Foundation, a non-profit technology consortium.

 

I strongly suggest it to Media Center users.

 

BTW, the OP of the tread was a spambot! :evil:

First time in this forum, we are making use of a spambot. :razz:

 

Cheers.

[Toppack]

BTW, the OP of the tread was a spambot! :evil:

First time in this forum, we are making use of a spambot. :razz:

 

Cheers.

 

Yes, It was such a Nice, Friendly & Informative Spambot,

so I did Not raise the 'Advertisment Flag'. :roll: :grin: