DPTH, East of the Rockies, Illume Health, and other apps to check out this weekend

Apps of the week

In this week’s edition of our Apps of the Week roundup we have a photo editor that specializes in making your images pop, a unique AR experience and an app for tracking hot/cold sessions. And as always, we’ve selected two great new games for you to check out!

D P T H

Want to give your photos more pop? Check out DPTH! This particular photo editor allows you to add adjustable depth of field and 3D photo effects to any image using artificial intelligence. So yeah that beautiful bokeh effect you’re seeing pop up in most flagship smartphone models? This is like that but more customizable. Plus, you get adjustable focus distance and 3D photo generation. DPTH’s subscription model will probably turn a lot of folks off, but there’s a free trial and a limited time IAP for a one-time purchase.

East of the Rockies

So this is kind of neat. East of the Rockies is an experimental augmented-reality story written by 83-year-old Joy Kogawa, one of Canada’s most acclaimed and celebrated literary figures. The story is told from the perspective of Yuki, a 17-year-old girl forced from her home and made to live in the Slocan internment camp during World War 2. Users follow the story by tapping, swiping, etc., and every interaction activates a piece of scripted narrative voiced by Joy’s own granddaughter. The app can be used in non-AR mode, but obviously the AR element adds a lot to the experience.

Illume Health

Illume Health is a simple app that enables you to track your heat and cold exposure sessions. So this can be as simple as hopping in the sauna or steam room at the gym, or more advanced stuff like utilizing a cryo chamber. The app tracks continuous heart rate, heart rate acceleration, average heart rate, minimum and peak heart rate, temperature, duration and humidity. You can also add notes to each session, get notified when you hit goals, and track your progress via beautiful trend charts. Plus, it supports Apple Watch Series 4.

Scorcher

Scorcher is the all-new blazing-fast infinite racer from Radiangames. Players must pilot their Scorchers through treacherous twists and turns as your ship steadily increases in speed until you’re in the zone and your reflexes take over to keep you alive as long as possible. Features include 60 FPS graphics, 8 local and online leaderboards, endless canyons to fly through and a pulse-pounding soundtrack. If any of this sounds entertaining, I would recommend checking this game out this weekend.

Tick Tock: A Tale for Two

Looking for something a little different? Check out Tick Tock: A Tale for Two, an eerie cooperative puzzle game for two players. You and your friend are trapped in a mystical clockwork world, and as time ebbs away, you must solve increasingly complex puzzles to escape. Cooperation is key as neither of you have the full picture. The game is played on two devices (yes, that means you must each buy it), locally or remotely, all you need is a voice connection. It’s also cross-platform, so you can play on a Mac or PC. It’s a super interesting concept that’s worth a look this weekend.

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