Fantastic App Friday: First Edition

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With the latest figures boasting that the Windows Store has surpassed 120,000 apps, there are sure to be many fantastic additions coming each and every week to this growing ecosystem. Fantastic App Friday is a weekly feature outlining a few of these new apps, what they do, and why you should get them. Be sure to check back each week to see what’s trending on the Windows Store!

Today we’re going to be taking a look at the app for famous recipe website epicurious, the Star Wars version of the ubiquitous Angry Birds series, and popular twitter client Tweetro.

Honestly, I don’t see what’s epic nor curious about a food website. Okay, maybe food is epic. But other than that, what’s up with the name? Nonetheless, Epicurious has long been known as one of the go-to sites for all types of food recipes, and it’s new app in the Windows Store complements that experience.

The app features most of what you will find on the website in a touch friendly interface that is probably targeted at Surface owners running Windows RT. Opening the app will present you with a “Recipe of the Day,” “Other Recipes,” as well as the ability to browse all recipes by category. Opening a recipe outlines the ingredients, preparation, and reviews, providing a great interface for Surface owners in the kitchen.

Angry Birds Star Wars was released yesterday, and it marked a landmark moment for the Windows 8 platform. It was one of the first popular games to launch simultaneously among iOS, Android, and Windows Store. The game has been met with a plethora of positive reviews, and while it does retain the familiar Angry Birds feel, there are many new characters, abilities, and locations to discover. The app even (naturally) incorporates some elements from Angry Birds Space with changing gravity fields on outer-space levels, contributing to the overall Star Wars feel of the game.

With Disney’s recent acquisition of LucasFilm and most of what makes up the Star Wars IP, I expect more games such as this on the horizon. To some loyal fans of the Star Wars brand this may seem tragic, but do remember that nothing good was coming out of Star Wars with George Lucas at the head. I can almost say this is one of the best “Star Wars” games I have played since Battlefront II. I know that this game was long in development before the Disney acquisition was actually announced, but that’s beyond the point. Star Wars is in new hands now and this is the kind of thing I expect to see as Disney introduces the series to a new generation.

I’m picky when it comes to twitter clients. As a heavy iOS user, I have practically become a TweetBot devotee — no other Twitter clients seems up to par after using it. I don’t have a Mac though, and as a recent Windows 8 upgrader, a dedicated Twitter client for my start screen seemed natural. I find myself using the desktop most frequently and using Twitter in-browser, but when I just need to check my feed real quick Tweetro comes in handy.

The app performs all expected Twitter functionality without a hitch. Notably, this app is one of the only apps I have found to make sense when using it in Windows 8′s sidebar window mode. With this app (or any app, technically), you can stick it to the left or right quarter of the screen. The app will show your news feed on the side of the screen while you continue to use any other app (including the desktop).

Thanks for tuning in to the first Fantastic App Friday! Any feedback to make this feature better is always appreciated, and make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook so you know to check back for fantastic apps every Friday!