3D Scanner, Solid Notes, CountDuck, and other apps to check out this weekend

We’ve once again made it to the weekend people! That means it’s time for another Apps of the Week roundup, and this week we have some great picks for you. There’s a powerful 3D scanner, a solid notes app, and a quirky countdown timer. And as always, we’ve selected a fun game for you to check out.

3D Scanner: Sapling

I’ll give you 3 guesses what an app called 3D Scanner does. That’s right, it uses your iPhone’s LIDAR camera to make 3D scans that can be used for augmented reality or 3D printing. It’s a fairly utilitarian app, so it doesn’t have a flashy design or a wealth of features. But it can take 3D scans via LIDAR, or capture 3D images via a custom AR guide if LIDAR isn’t available, and it can even convert your other photos into 3D files for export. It seems like a fun app to mess around with this weekend — especially if you have a 3D printer.

Download for free

Solid Notes

They got me again. Another well-designed notes app got me. I can’t help it, when I see a sharp, minimalistic interface, I start fantasizing about how organized it could make me. Anyway, Solid Notes is a universal notes app that lets you capture and organize all of your written thoughts, spoken thoughts, and images into one place. Features include color-coded spaces for all the things that matter in life, unlimited uploads and attachments, a variety of formatting options, and data encryption. It’s currently on sale for $1.50, with no IAPs to worry about.

Download for $1.49

CountDuck

Here’s another app I think could be fun to play around with this weekend — especially those on iOS 17. Foremost, CountDuck is a countdown timer that lets you countdown to virtually anything. You can run several timers at once, and customize each one with a bunch of fun graphics and widgets. Where the iOS 17 part comes in is that the app also offers widgets for the new StandBy mode— the horizontal view on iPhone that can show the time and other crucial information. If you don’t have iOS 17, and aren’t digging the quirky interface, I’m not sure there’s much here for you that you couldn’t find in another countdown app.

Download for free

Blighted World

Looking to go on a digital adventure this weekend? Check out Blighted World. In this game you step into the shoes of Ned, as he awakens in a world overshadowed by darkness and decay, and decides to embark on a perilous journey through the mysterious Oinkish Isles to save the pigs. You will harness Life Plant Magic, liberate the trapped pigs, and confront the shadows of desolation. Look if you’re not sold by now, I’m not sure what it will take. Anyway, cook up a pound of bacon this weekend, and head to Blighted World to save some pigs.

Download for free

iPhone-related news and roundups from this week