App reviews: Facebook Notify, Sleep Furiously

Facebook Notify

Do you need more information in your life? The social network has released an app that helps you stay informed by serving up stories from news sources it's partnered with - including, in the interest of disclosure, The Washington Post. Users pick "channels" of information to customize what types of news (including weather reports) they want stay on top of and the app serves those up to your lock screen for easy access.

Depending on how well your tastes match up with Facebook's partner list, you could probably use this as an excuse to uninstall some apps because Facebook's offering them to you instead. (If you don't, you will get some duplicates.) Let's be clear: If you're trying to unplug, this is not the app for you. Notify makes sure you're always in the loop. But if you want to have more information at your fingertips without having to dig too deeply, then it's a handy tool to have. Free, for iOS devices.

Sleep Furiously

This game is, essentially, magnetic poetry for your smartphone. It's also a barrel of fun. Players are offered a grid of words and nearly free rein to connect them to their neighbors, so long as you end up with a complete sentence in the end. Sentences don't have to make logical sense - "Cats greet dragons outside my nightmare" - but do have to adhere to the rules of grammar. You get extra points for inspired alliteration or very long sentences.

The game is a little expensive - for a mobile game, anyway - at $3, which may set some high expectations. And it's certainly not a flashy title, or one with stunning graphics that may make it feel more worth the price. But it is fun, absurd and oddly soothing. If that sounds right to you, then you may want to give it a spin. $2.99, for iOS and Android devices.