Snapseed ($5) iOS If you want to make your photos pop, check out Snapseed on the iPhone. This simple yet powerful photo editor enables you to touch up your images quickly, using simple gestures. You can adjust a photo’s colors, lighting, and focus, all with just a few swipes of your finger. Once you’re done editing a picture, you can share it via Facebook, Flickr, or Twitter, or save it to your phone’s gallery.
AfterFocus (free) Android Another powerful yet easy-to-use photo-editing app, AfterFocus allows you to adjust the focus in your pictures after you have taken them. You simply highlight the area where you wish to improve the focus, adjust the intensity, and presto: You have a great-looking image that looks as if you had taken it with a DSLR. After tweaking your photo, you have the option of applying a filter to it and sharing your masterpiece on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, or Twitter.
StumbleUpon (free) Android | iOS The ultimate time killer, StumbleUpon lets you “stumble” through Web pages that relate to your interests. The more you stumble and rate pages, the better StumbleUpon becomes at unearthing content that you’ll like. If you encounter a particularly juicy page, you can submit it to StumbleUpon so that other users can enjoy it as well. The app is great for discovering new websites and keeping up with the latest happenings on topics you care about.
Friendcaster for Facebook (free) Android The official Facebook app is horrendous: It constantly hangs, it sometimes crashes, and it occasionally decides that it doesn’t feel like logging you in. Fortunately, Friendcaster for Facebook gives you a much more stable way of browsing Facebook while you’re on the go. The app lets you do everything from viewing your newsfeed to posting photos on your friends’ walls. Friendcaster offers a slight amount of customizability, too, so you’ll be able to change the theme of the app and the order in which you see the navigation icons in the main menu. One added benefit for owners of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) phones is that Friendcaster permits you to sync your Facebook contacts with the contacts in your address book–a feature sorely missing from the official Facebook app on Android 4.0.
Viddy (free) iOS Often dubbed “Instagram for videos,” Viddy lets you capture a 15-second clip and apply effects to it to create a more artistic look. The app provides different types of effects and filters, and part of the fun is experimenting to see which one makes your video look its best. You can share the finished video with friends on Facebook and Twitter, or with people who follow you on Viddy’s own social network, which currently boasts 26 million users.
Banjo (free) Android | iOS Wondering what your friends are up to? With Banjo, you can see which of your buddies are nearby and available for meeting up. The app uses your Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram, and Twitter accounts to scan where your friends are checking in, and it displays that data on Google Maps. Banjo will even help you avoid people you don’t want to see by notifying you when a particular person is close to your location. The one drawback is that the app can put a strain on your phone’s battery, so you would be wise to stay near a power outlet if you plan to use it for long periods of time.
Schemer (free) Android | iOS If you’re undecided about what to do this weekend, check Schemer, an app that suggests activities in your area based on your interests. Most activities are things that other Schemer users have suggested, but you’ll also find recommendations from sources such as the Food Network, National Geographic, and 7×7. If you’re especially fond of a particular activity, you can share it with the entire Schemer community and with your Google+ circles. Say good-bye to boring weekends, and start scheming.