As 2014 comes to a close, I wanted to look back at all the various things that have been released this year and make a list of my “Things of the Year.” I hope you agree with at least some of these choices!

App of the Year (iOS) - Overcast

I've been listening to podcasts for around 4 years now. During this period, I've used quite a few (three) podcast apps as my primary app. I started off by using the podcast app/solution that Apple shipped (initially the tab in the Music app and then the standalone Podcasts app). Then I moved on to Castro, by Supertop. This year, Marco Arment of Instapaper, The Magazine, and ATP fame, released his latest app, Overcast. With features like Smart Speed and Voice Boost, it has now become my preferred podcast app.

Looking at the bigger picture, Overcast is my choice for App of the Year because it has been the app I've used the most this year, albeit in the background. As of the time I started writing this post, it has saved me 38 hours because of Smart Speed. It has become a necessity for my podcast listening by making shows on other apps sound... slow.

Honourable mention: 1Password (with the TouchID integration in iOS 8). While Overcast isn't for everyone, 1Password is, and everyone should use it.

App of the Year (Mac) - Boom 2

[Boom 2], by Global Delight makes sound from your Mac sound great. It's a global equaliser that you didn't know you needed. No description I write here will make as strong a case for it as the free trial, so I won’t try. So, do yourself a favour, download the free trial and thank me later.

Honourable mention: iStat Menus 5. iStat Menus got a Yosemite makeover this year, and it is beautiful. It is a more informative replacement for standard menubar entries the provides a lot of useful information about your Mac at a glance.

Game of the Year - Threes

Merlin Mann, in his recent Roderick on the Line, described Threes as a "diabolical computer game" and that is perhaps the most accurate description for it. Since the release of Threes, a multitude of clones started emerging and gained traction. While most have fallen by the wayside, those of us which stood by Threes are probably still playing it. I am, and though I'm not addicted to it, I play it everyday. In fact, most of the time I spend on Threes is to provide a visual supplement to the podcast I'm listening to (on Overcast). Even though I usually turn off the sound effects and music while playing to pay more attention to the podcast I’m listening to, the music and sounds of the game are an absolute delight, and I feel terrible for turning them off.

The game presents you with a 4x4 grid with movable tiles. Your objective is to get the biggest value tiles possible. there are 3 kinds of tiles, 1, 2, and multiples of 3. The 1 tile combines with the 2 tile to form a 3. Every tile with a multiple of 3 on it, can combine with a tile of the same number to form a tile with double the number. My high score after over 500 games is 83,751 and I am fairly proud of it.

Podcast Episode of the Year - The Talk Show Ep. 99: “The Smoker Channels, with Merlin Mann”

This was, by far, the most difficult choice in this post. With huge catalogue of shows I listen to regularly, it is not easy to pick out one single episode of one podcast, because that are "All the Great Shows". (Incidentally, that Roderick on the Line episode was in the running and only narrowly missed out.) In the Talk Show Episode, Merlin and John have a bit of a laugh at the expense of the Comcast customer service that makes for great hilarity.

Podcast of the Year - Analog(ue)

(Yes, I've listened to all episodes of Serial.)

Analog(ue), hosted by Casey Liss and Myke Hurley, is a show about the "feels" associated with technology. They discuss things that you normally don't hear people talking about and it is a welcome change. With new episodes releasing early on Mondays (Singapore time), they make Monday mornings a wee bit more bearable. Highly recommended.

Song of the Year - Centuries (Fall Out Boy)

It has been a great year for Fall Out Boy, whose rise to prominence since their return from hiatus has been quite a spectacle. Centuries, from their upcoming album, American Beauty/American Psycho has been stuck in my head, off and on, for the greater part of the second half of the year and that is why it gets the nod ahead of "In the Heat of the Moment" by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Album of the Year - Lift a Sail (Yellowcard)

In their latest album, Yellowcard have moved on from their pop punk past into "more of a rock sound" and for me, it has been a revelation. I should probably admit, however, that this choice may have been partially influenced by my attending their recent concert in Singapore (which was awesome, by the way).

Movie of the Year - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the short story by James Thurber on which it was based, I was looking forward to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Even though the movie has a different premise from the story, it makes for an entertaining watch. It follows the adventures of Walter Mitty as he discovers life while chasing a photo negative.

Book of the Year - Be Careful What You Wish For (Jeffrey Archer)

The fourth instalment in the Clifton Chronicles, Be Careful What You Wish For, follows the story of the Clifton and Barrington families and their tryst with their newfound enemies and their plans to destroy the family and their shipping business. The continuous character development, gripping story and subplots, and the outrageous “what-the” moments make this worth the readers’ while. It also sets things up nicely for the next book in the series.

—

It has been a fun year, here’s hoping for a better 2015. Happy holidays!