Every week, we share a number of downloads for all platforms to help you get things done. Here were the top downloads from this week.
Don't Quit the Social Networks You Hate. Bend Them to Your Will
We get it: No one likes Facebook. Twitter is full of trolls. Social networks can be a pain, but they're also great ways to stay in touch with friends and talk to new people. Even so, every few weeks we hear from someone who wants to just "quit" Facebook altogether. Here's why that's a silly idea, and what you can do instead that'll make you just as happy.
PhoneExpander Quickly Frees Up Storage on Your iOS Device
Mac: We've seen a few different utilities that help you clean up your iOS device's storage and make space for new files, but PhoneExpander is one of the easiest to use. It's also free while it's in beta.
Drops Teaches You Foreign Language Vocabulary in Just 5 Minutes a Day
iOS: When you're trying to learn a new language (or any other skill), it's often better to study in small, frequent chunks. Drops limits your learning time to just 5 minutes of vocabulary building gameplay a day.
Reflector Mirrors your iOS Screen to a Mac, PC or Android device
Windows/Mac/Android: If you want to show off your iPhone or iPad screen, typically you need an Apple TV. Reflector puts your iOS screen on a Mac, PC or Android device by acting as an AirPlay receiver.
Twine Lets You Create "Choose Your Own Adventure" Stories with Ease
If you ever thought writing your own choose your own adventure or text-based game would be too difficult, the free storytelling tool, Twine, makes it a piece of cake.
iTunes Adds a Notification Center Widget, Here's How to Enable It
Mac: iTunes got an update recently that adds a handy Notification Center widget to control your music. It's not enabled by default though, so here's how to turn it on.
Alternote Is a Minimal Note-Taking App for Mac with Evernote Support
Mac: Evernote's great, but it's a little over-the-top if you just use it for basic writing. Alternote is a Mac app currently in beta that simplifies things a lot while still syncing up with your Evernote account.
Itsycal for Mac Stuffs a Calendar Into Your Menu Bar
Mac: For whatever reason, Apple's Calendar app doesn't include a menu bar app. Itsycal is a tiny little app that adds that exact function and hooks it right into Calendar.
Picturesque Brings Search, News, and Bing Photos to Your Lock Screen
Android: Just months after releasing Next Lock Screen for Android, Microsoft is back with a second lock screen replacement app. This one lets you search the web (via Bing of course), get notifications, check the latest news, and change your wallpaper—all without unlocking your phone
FileThis Collects All Your Financial Paperwork in One Place
Android: Even if you have all your money and investments managed by online services, you still get PDF documents that you need for year-end taxes and whatnot. FileThis makes it simple to get all those important documents in one place.