Apps of the Week: MobileFamilyTree 7, Checkmark 2, Shin Megami Tensei, and more…

Very few things make me as happy as a good week for new apps and games. Make fun of me all you want, but I’ve figured out a way to make a living playing video games. I’m not ashamed of that.

If you are as big of a fan of cool new apps and games as I am, this list will give you something to smile about this weekend…

George R.R. Martin’s A World of Fire and Ice – A Game of Thrones Guide

I’d put off watching the HBO fantasy series “A Game of Thrones” for a few years. I wanted to read, at least the first book in the George R.R. Martin series before watching it get torn to bits by Hollywood. I finally read the first book and then watched the first season of the show. I promptly binged my way through the next two seasons over a couple of weekends. This Random House official app includes some exiting tidbits from the book series. It is the definitive guide for fans of Westeros, including character bios, important places, and even excerpts from Martin’s unreleased next book in the series. This app is available for free.

Vocabulary.com

Wordsmiths unite. The world of writing, reading, and speaking has just made its mark in the mobile universe. This app helps you master words through a series of games that are designed to expand your vocabulary. There are 120,000 questions with 12,000 words. The app teaches how to learn and retain new words. There is a comprehensive list of words typically used in the SAT, GRE, and TOEFL. Not only is this a game, but it is also the world’s fastest dictionary. The next time you are searching for the right word to say, you won’t be caught tongue-tied. This app is available for $2.99.

Shin Megami Tensei (ENG)

The first game in the epic series from Atlus’ Super Famicom collection is finally available in the US. It is also now available in English for the first time in its 22-year history. In this role-playing game, players follow the adventure of a young man who is looking for answers to a mysterious murder. The events surrounding the unfortunate death are paramount as demons begin to shore up armies. Using a virtual D-pad and “A/B” button controls, players fight enemies, recruit and collect demons, and explore dungeons looking for answers. This game is available for $5.99.

Sherlock: Interactive Adventure

Thanks to the incredible acting talents of Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock Holmes has been revitalized for a new generation of mystery crime fans. In this digital age, it is harder to get people to read books that other media was based on. That’s why this app is so cool. It features unchanged original text from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s masterpieces, 3-D animations, an interactive map, a musical score, and much more. The pages of this book are designed to allow the reader to interact with events that take place and see the world through the eyes of Dr. Watson. This app is available for free.

MobileFamilyTree 7

I have this friend that is obsessed with people’s lineage. Personally, I’ve never really been too worried about who my great, great, great grandparents were. Although, my father was able to trace our ancestry back to some interesting family members that were kicked out of Scotland. If I wanted to find out more about my family tree, this mobile version of MacFamily Tree would do the trick. You will have access to charts, reports, and maps. You can use the new Interactive Tree feature to research and build your data. Take photos of family members to add to the visual graph. This app uses FamilySearch to help you find your relative history with no additional fees or subscription costs. You can also display your family tree on your 45-inch flatscreen using Apple TV. This app is available for $6.99.

Checkmark 2

We love it when apps get an iOS 7 upgrade. Things just look cleaner and work better once they’ve been updated to the most current operating system. Checkmark 2 was already a pretty hip productivity app when it first came out, but with the newly redesigned features, your location-based reminders look better than ever. When you need to remember to do something, where you are is sometimes more important than when you are reminded. Instead of setting a timeframe on remembering to take out the garbage, set a location frame. That way, you won’t get notified while you are out to dinner, and then forget by the time you get home. This app is available for $2.99.

24me Smart Personal Assistant

There are GTD apps that practically do your work for you, and ones that seem like they are nothing more than a list maker. While those are both legitimate ways to increase your productivity, sometimes, you just want something in the middle. That’s where this app comes in. It is simple to use and doesn’t go overboard with tasks, projects, meetings, and the like. It does, however, offer more extensive features than just list making. You can connect to your contacts for phone calls, emails, and texts. Hire a runner from Task Rabbit if you are too busy to keep track of chores. Plus, you can connect your Calendar and Facebook events to keep track of what goes on every day. This app is available for free.