Jen's Favorite Things Of 2012
Posted by Jennifer Allen on December 26th, 2012
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:: FOCUSED TEXT EDITING :: Read Review »Is it really nearly 2013? How did that happen? And why did 2012 go so fast? I have no answer, but I can answer what I enjoyed so much about 2012. It wasn't the greatest of years for me in many respects, but it was a fantastic year for the technology fan part of me.
Fairway Solitaire
Tell me at the start of the year that my main gaming addiction this year would be a card game and I'd have laughed. A lot. I've always quite enjoyed solitaire games but usually when I have nothing better to do. Fairway Solitaire has established its place in my daily routine ever since I reviewed it at the start of the year. No mean feat given the wealth of games I've played across the year. Its constant trickle of new content each day is all too tempting and I've found it to be very relaxing. Shame that some elements of the game require quite a lot of in-app purchases.
iPhone 5
I've never owned an iPhone since launch before, having always picked them up much later down the line. Thanks to things working out well, I picked up an iPhone 5 two days after its initial launch. I'm so glad I did. Out of all the technology in my house, it's the most used and not just for work reasons. It might not be the most revolutionary of hardware updates, but the extra screen space and processor power is very handy. Owning the 32gb variety (for the first time) is a particular revelation. Finally, I don't have to swap out apps and games all the time.
Summer of Sport
As a soccer and athletics fan, this summer was a memorable one. Euro 2012 kept me happy, if predictably disappointed, as an England supporter. The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, made me proud of my country and ecstatic to watch so much fantastic sport. It also marked the first Olympics when iOS devices played an important part in coverage, which was shown through the plethora of apps available.
The Walking Dead
The most emotional game I've played in recent years. Bar none. It's perhaps a little weak on gaming elements and there are a few plotholes by the end, but it doesn't stop The Walking Dead being a tour de force of emotion. I have no children but I can only imagine the powerful story of a girl desperate to find her parents amongst a zombie invasion, being all the more potent for those who do.
Zombies, Run!
More zombies! Not quite in the same way, though. Zombies, Run! is my exercise companion. I jog, rather than run. A distinct lack of stamina and a continuing foot problem means things are a little slower for me. The key thing is, though, Zombies, Run! motivates me to keep trying. Telling a story linked into exercise is an inspired move and one that genuinely encouraged me to regularly jog. No matter how slow the progress might have been.
iA Writer
Yes, I know iA Writer isn't an app that came out in 2012. It has had regular updates but that isn't why it's in my list, either. It's here because 2012 marked the year that I bought my first Mac. A MacBook Pro, to be exact. Since then, there have been many apps that have made my life much easier but none more so than the Mac version of iA Writer. I'm using it right now to write this. Even better, if I have to go away from my laptop for whatever reason, I can carry on where I left this on my iPhone or iPad. That flexibility has made a massive difference to my year.
