Apps of the week: Noted, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project, Rail Racing, and more…

As 2014 gets into full swing, the winter cold is freezing the East Coast of the U.S. while the West Coast is on the verge of a drought from lack of rainfall. This is one of the weirder winters I can remember in my short life.

Whether you are trying to keep from freezing to death, or just want something to keep you from being bored to death while waiting for the front door to thaw out, we have a list of apps and games we think you will find interesting…

Yahoo News Digest

Yahoo News DigestThere is just so much news being uploaded to the Internet every second of every day that it is literally impossible to read it all. Because we are shoveled so much information so fast, it is hard to dig through the muck to find the important news of the day. That’s where Yahoo comes in. This new app is like the front page of the morning edition and evening edition every day. Top stories are summarized and key information is included to keep you up to date on the most important news. Plus, Yahoo doesn’t play favorites. Instead of only offering one outlet for the big stories, each article is created from multiple sources and pieced together to give you a wide variety of information, including quotes, images, videos, and more. This app is available for free.

Noted

Noted“Note to self: get a simple note-taking app.” There are plenty of great note-taking apps in the App Store, but not all of them offer a simple way to quickly jot down ideas. This app is built for the quick note generation. Create and edit your thoughts using simple touch-based gestures. Pull down on the screen to start a new note. Swipe to the left or right to go through your notes. Pinch to go back to the main menu. Use two-finger swipe to delete a note. You can also change the color of your notes to distinguish them from each other. Notes are automatically date stamped so you will always know when you wrote it. This app is available for free.

Rail Racing

Rail RacingMy uncle collects slot cars. He literally has hundreds of cars and dozens of tracks. You might say he is a bit obsessive when it comes to the electronic toy racing car genre. He would really get a kick out of this game if he knew how to use a smartphone. Put your hand-pedal to the metal as you race across 50 different tracks in the garage, backyard, kitchen, and more. Unlock 16 different cars in four different classes to have your pick of the oldies, heavies, supercars, and racers. Pick up boosters and avoid obstacles as you race your opponent and jump tracks to try to knock him off the rail. This game is available for $0.99.

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project

Duke Nukem Manhattan ProjectEveryone’s favorite antihero with an attitude is back and mixing it up in Manhattan. This side-scrolling 3-D title puts the Duke on the streets of New York as he tries to stop Mech Morphix from turning the city into a bunch of giant alligators and cockroaches. Take down mutant bad guys with Weapons, Insults, and Name-Calling before the mad scientist uses G.L.O.P.P. to destroy the town. Battle across eight levels with more than 25 bad guys with plenty of awesome firepower including the epic X-3000. This game is available for $1.99.

Battle Supremacy

Battle SupremacyTanks, tanks, tanks. Who doesn’t love to blow stuff up with the ultimate in vehicle warfare? In this WWII-themed battle game, set your sights on enemies with historically accurate tanks from France, Russia, and the Pacific islands. Enjoy the beautifully rendered forests full of wildlife before blowing it to bits. Take in the majesty of a thriving metropolis before you bomb it to oblivion. Watch the weather change from rain, to sleet, to snow as you climb through mountainous terrain. Team up with friends for an epic online battle for supremacy. This game is available for $4.99.

NHM Alive

NHM AliveI used to love watching nature documentaries as a kid. I remember watching reruns of “The Living Planet” and letting the narration of David Attenborough lull me to sleep. Nearly 30 years later, the man has been knighted and his career has hit milestones and potholes, but Attenborough still keeps bringing nature and science to those who will listen. This app features some of the Natural History Museum’s most interesting extinct animals. Explore the museum and its inhabitants in day or night mode to see different attributes from each. Read about the history and cause of extinction for a wide variety of creatures. Plus, unlock exclusive clips to find out about the evolution of CGI. This app is available for $4.99.

Slow Shutter Cam

Slow Shutter CamThis photography app has actually been around for a long time, nearly four years. However, it recently received an update to bring it up to iOS 7 speed and has gained a whole slew of new features to make it practically a brand new app. Not only can you create stunning images with Motion Blur, Low Light and Light Trail, but now you can tap to focus, zoom in, and adjust the shutter speed and sensitivity options. I’m not sure how they do it, but I’ve used it plenty of times and it really does work. Motion Blur adds movement to your photos, Low Light captures all of the available light in the room, and Light Trail makes your night shots come to life. This app is available for $0.99.

More apps you should check out

These apps have been updated