Universal What apps do you miss?

[AJB1971]

I was recently trying to remember where I discovered a certain music artist, and that led to me looking through my app purchase history. A lot of apps were no longer available, and I started thinking about some of my favourite apps that had been discontinued. Here are a few of them:

AUX Magazine
This wasn’t on the list, but it was the app that I was trying to remember.

It was a digital music magazine, and it demonstrated what the iPad could do as some of the tracks were embedded in the pages. The design was great, too.
https://appsftw.com/app/aux-magazine

Zite
Zite was a content discovery app. You selected your interests, and the app would find relevant content. Unlike similar apps, it felt like you were getting a curated experience.

The company was bought by Flipboard with the intention of integrating the algorithm into their app, but it never felt the same.
https://uk.pcmag.com/ipad-apps/43855/zite-for-ipad-review

The Week Day
Finding factual and concise news is difficult these days. The Week Day had two daily editions: one in the morning and another in the evening. Each edition comprised of ten pages, although some pages would have multiple stories. It meant that you could keep up to date with events without taking up a lot of time.

They still offer a daily newsletter, but the experience isn’t as good as it was with the iPad app.
https://theweek.com/66593/the-weekday-now-on-ipad-a-free-daily-news-app-from-the-week

Songza
This is a bit more tentative, but I do remember using and enjoying this app for discovering new music. I had to use it with a VPN because it wasn’t officially available in my country.

Songza was purchased by Google.

Songza, The Music Streaming Service That Does All Work For You, Launches An iPad App | TechCrunch

Music is as annoying as it is wonderful. I mean, the listening part is great. But taking the time to curate playlists on Spotify or conjure up the right artist to feed Pandora in exchange for a fresh playlist is tedious, at the very least. But Songza brings the expertly curated playlist straight...

techcrunch.com

So, what apps do you miss?

 

[pacorob]

There was also an excellent free video magazine app (no ads or in-app purchases) with various subjects you could select with interesting (5-10 minute) videos in a really high quality UI. Unfortunately they were taken over at a certain point I think and the app didn't came back. I can't think of the name anymore. I thought it was a Dutch developer but not certain.

MixRadio - excellent music (smartradio) mixes of various tracks, no ads and option to listen to 4 offline mixes. Originally on on Nokia devices but at a certain point it was brought to iOS and Android.

PayaPaya - a Puyo Puyo clone since I couldn't play the official one on iOS/iPadOS since that was only available in Japan. Recently SEGA did release again an official Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop game but unfortunately not pay once but part of Apple Arcade. I'm using it now for another month but probably will stop my subscription.

SEGA Columns Deluxe (featuring Puyo Pop) - Tetris and Puyo Puyo in one app and it was pay once.

Alpine Racer - experience skiing downhill as you did in the arcade hall.

The Settlers - the classic game

Rise of Lost Empires - Warcraft classic clone by Gameloft

Ridge Racer series (2 different games)

Time Crisis series (2 different games)

Ragdoll Blaster

 

[AJB1971]

There was also an excellent free video magazine app (no ads or in-app purchases) with various subjects you could select with interesting (5-10 minute) videos in a really high quality UI. Unfortunately they were taken over at a certain point I think and the app didn't came back. I can't think of the name anymore. I thought it was a Dutch developer but not certain.

MixRadio - excellent music (smartradio) mixes of various tracks, no ads and option to listen to 4 offline mixes. Originally on on Nokia devices but at a certain point it was brought to iOS and Android.

PayaPaya - a Puyo Puyo clone since I couldn't play the official one on iOS/iPadOS since that was only available in Japan. Recently SEGA did release again an official Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop game but unfortunately not pay once but part of Apple Arcade. I'm using it now for another month but probably will stop my subscription.

SEGA Columns Deluxe (featuring Puyo Pop) - Tetris and Puyo Puyo in one app and it was pay once.

Alpine Racer - experience skiing downhill as you did in the arcade hall.

The Settlers - the classic game

Rise of Lost Empires - Warcraft classic clone by Gameloft

Ridge Racer series (2 different games)

Time Crisis series (2 different games)

Ragdoll Blaster

I don't remember this, but a search has revealed a video app called Hyper, which fits your description.

On May 31st 2017, Hyper shut down.

After almost 600 video editions Hyper says goodbye. Read our story on Medium.

www.watchhyper.com

It does sound like an app that I would have liked. I favour a curated experience—one that reduces information overload.

 

[nburwell]

Two of my favorite apps that were “discontinued” per se are as follows:

1. Tweetbot — Twitter client that I used on a daily basis until Musk essentially killed third party apps off for Twitter, X, whatever you want to call it. I barely even go on Twitter anymore since Tweetbot was killed off.
2. Apollo — Reddit client. Similar to Tweetbot, this app met its unfortunate demise due to its greedy CEO. While I mostly use Narwhal 2 to access Reddit, it does not compare to Apollo and it’s UI, customization and overall experience.

 

[max2]

Air Video HD

 

[pacorob]

Two of my favorite apps that were “discontinued” per se are as follows:

1. Tweetbot — Twitter client that I used on a daily basis until Musk essentially killed third party apps off for Twitter, X, whatever you want to call it. I barely even go on Twitter anymore since Tweetbot was killed off.
2. Apollo — Reddit client. Similar to Tweetbot, this app met its unfortunate demise due to its greedy CEO. While I mostly use Narwhal 2 to access Reddit, it does not compare to Apollo and it’s UI, customization and overall experience.

Ofcourse how could I forget our recently lost Tweetbot and Apollo caused by the owners to kill the API or charge insane amount of money for it.

I don't remember this, but a search has revealed a video app called Hyper, which fits your description.

On May 31st 2017, Hyper shut down.

After almost 600 video editions Hyper says goodbye. Read our story on Medium.

www.watchhyper.com

It does sound like an app that I would have liked. I favour a curated experience—one that reduces information overload.

Yes I think that is the one. I unfortunately can't see it anymore in my app history.

 

[pacorob]

I don't remember this, but a search has revealed a video app called Hyper, which fits your description.

On May 31st 2017, Hyper shut down.

After almost 600 video editions Hyper says goodbye. Read our story on Medium.

www.watchhyper.com

It does sound like an app that I would have liked. I favour a curated experience—one that reduces information overload.

I'm now using my iPad and iPhone apps Newsify, feeeed,
These both support your own RSS feeds and also support YouTube video feeds/accounts (add manually though in Newsify, in feeeed you can search in Subscribe tab).
Also the videos need to be tapped in the overview and only then the video opens instead of only showing the video and e.g. title. I've contacted both developers if they could support this. Also feeeed lacks a magazine kind of layout which Newsify does have.

There are also Rheo and DipClip which only support YouTube video where you can set certain accounts (DipClip). Dipclip however doesn't have iPad support and seems to focus on snippets of videos (not my preference). Rheo just shows one video based on mood and videos don't start playing at all or right away so feels buggy. It also hasn't been updated since June 2022.

 

[max2]

I'm now using my iPad and iPhone apps Newsify, feeeed,
These both support your own RSS feeds and also support YouTube video feeds/accounts (add manually though).
Also the videos need to be tapped in the overview and only then the video opens instead of only showing the video and e.g. title. I've contacted both developers if they could support this. Also feeeed lacks a magazine kind of layout which Newsify does have.

There are also Rheo and DipClip which only support YouTube video where you can set certain accounts (DipClip). Dipclip however doesn't have iPad support and seems to focus on snippets of videos (not my preference). Rheo just shows one video based on mood and videos don't start playing at all or right away so feels buggy. It also hasn't been updated since June 2022.

The app feeeed looks excellent. Thanks.

 

[MisterSavage]

Zite
Zite was a content discovery app. You selected your interests, and the app would find relevant content. Unlike similar apps, it felt like you were getting a curated experience.

Saw the headline and immediately thought of Zite.

I miss Apollo also.

 

[AJB1971]

I'm now using my iPad and iPhone apps Newsify, feeeed,
These both support your own RSS feeds and also support YouTube video feeds/accounts (add manually though in Newsify, in feeeed you can search in Subscribe tab).
Also the videos need to be tapped in the overview and only then the video opens instead of only showing the video and e.g. title. I've contacted both developers if they could support this. Also feeeed lacks a magazine kind of layout which Newsify does have.

I use News Explorer for my RSS feeds, and that works fine with YouTube as well (Mr.Reader was another app that I missed for a long time).

It’s the curated aspect of an app like Hyper that appeals to me. That’s what I liked about Zite. I just don’t get the same feeling from the Apple News app. And the Google News app demonstrates why the internet these days is such a mess.