App reviews: Bushido Bear, Google Duo
Bushido Bear
Generally speaking, games where players fight off enemies are pretty simple - you find the enemies, you take them on and you emerge victorious. (Or not, as the case may be.)
In Bushido Bear, however, players are given one unusual rule: no touching. That's right. The ursine warriors in this game aren't allowed to take on their foes directly, but are rather encouraged to swipe them down with some seriously enormous blades. When the screen gets crowded, it's harder than it may sound to dodge all your enemies, plus whatever projectiles they're throwing your way. The fun lies in rewiring one's brain to stop taking on targets directly, and looping one's way elegantly between enemies.
Enemies appear in waves, so it's as much a game of stamina as anything else. As you progress, you can unlock more bears, upgrade your weapons, improve your skills and even get special attacks. Users can watch ads to earn in-game currency - in this case coins. But you also regularly earn rewards. You can also buy items to help you advance in the game, but it's not necessary to play. Free, for iOS and Android.
Google Duo
Google's Duo is a simple video messaging app that accomplishes the task of doing one thing very well. Think of it as Apple's FaceTime - Google Duo is designed for one-on-one mobile video calls and nothing else. Those who use Google's Hangouts app, which also allows for video calling, may look at Duo and miss features such as group calling. That's a valid criticism.
Duo differentiates itself in two key ways. One, it's tied to your phone number rather than your Google account, meaning that you don't need a Google account to use it. Second, Duo is encrypted, so that Google itself can't see the content of your conversations.
Despite its simplicity, Duo does have one feature that could be particularly useful for video calls on the go: If the person calling you is on your contacts list, Duo's "Knock Knock" feature gives you a video preview of who's on the other side. (Think of it as being able to peek through the peephole on a door.) This can be disabled, but it's useful if you get a call and want some intel about who's on the other side and the kind of mood they're in. Free, for iOS and Android.