The tops apps, movies, books, music and TV shows you’ll want to know
Every year tech giant, Apple, releases its list of top apps, movies, books, music, podcasts and TV show downloads. As arguably the world’s biggest brand, their picks should sort you out for what to read, watch and play for the upcoming year. So without further ado, here are Apple’s top picks for Australia:
Apps
For the iPad
App of the Year – Pixelmator ($37.99, for iPad only) is a popular image editor with some powerful tools. While its price might be steeper than most apps you pay for, it has been compared as a low-cost alternative to Adobe Photoshop with many of the same features.
Game of the year– Monument Valley ($4.99 for both iPad and iPhone) is a surreal exploration through fantastical architecture and impossible geometry. Your task is to guide a princess through a stunningly beautiful world.
For the iPhone
App of the Year – Elevate Brain Training (free) promises to improve mental focus, memory, maths and speaking skills through fun and challenging games.
Game of the year – Threes! ($2.49) is the tiny puzzle that grows on you. The game asks you to move number around a 4 x 4 game board to combine multiples of three and create the largest number before the moves run out.
Movies — Have you seen these movies from 2014 yet?
Best Director — Boyhood
Best Family Movie — The LEGO Movie
Best Blockbuster — Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Australian — Charlie’s Country
TV shows — Anyone in for a binge session of your favourite TV shows?
TV Show of the Year — Fargo Season 1
Best Performance — True Detective Season 1
Best Book Adaptation — Outlander Season 1
Best Australian Show — Please Like Me Season 2
Music — Stay current and impress teenage grandkids with your knowledge of their favourite artists.
Best Artist — Sia
Best Album — Chet Faker, Built on Glass
Best Song — Sam Smith, Stay With Me
Best New Artist — 5 Seconds of Summer
Books — Looking for a good reason in the coming year?
Fiction Book of the Year — Lost & Found by Brooke Davis, is the debut for the 34-year-old Australian writer who was inspired to write the novel following her mother’s sudden death. The book follows a series of events that binds three unlikely characters together on a road trip.
Nonfiction Book of the Year — Hack Attack: How the Truth Caught Up with Rupert Murdoch, a book about the New International phone hacking scandal by British investigative journalist Nick Davies.
Podcasts
New Podcast – Serial, a real-life murder mystery podcast from the creators of renowned and respected NPR’s This American Life
Classic Podcast – Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History is a very popular podcast which explores topics throughout world history. Each episode is usually centred on a specific history event.
Here's how to listen to music online for free.