App reviews: Splash Shopper; Facebook unbundles its Groups function

Splash Shopper

You may have made a good dent in your gift list on Black Friday, but if you're looking for a way to organize those gifts left to buy, consider a list manager such as Splash Shopper. This app comes with a lot of features that justify its $2 price tag. For example, it suggests items that might be on your list - Barbie, smartphone, etc. - with editable fields for price, quantity and recipient. It requires a lot of forward planning to get the most out of it, but the app is an organization obsessive's dream.

And while it isn't as slick looking as other list apps, Splash Shopper will even hold its value when the holiday shopping season is a distant memory. In addition to gift lists, it has functions for to-do lists, grocery lists and even lists of movies you want to see or wines you want to try. It also has an option to sync with $10 desktop versions, which are sold separately. $1.99, for iOS, Android and BlackBerry.

Groups

In some ways, Facebook is returning to its roots by breaking out the Groups function, a key feature from the earliest days of the site. This feature has always been on Facebook, but it has been buried. Therefore, the app brings back some of the intimate feel of the social network before it grew into a behemoth.

Users can make private groups for sharing posts, pictures and videos, or opt for a public group to share with everyone.

Still, the app lacks features that would be nice to have. Sure, group administrators can change cover photos and descriptions. But you can't do basic things such as edit posts. You also can't search for members or see who's viewed a post - all features that you can use on Facebook's full site. Groups is a good browsing tool and supplement to Facebook, but not necessarily a full-featured stand-alone app. Free, for iOS and Android.