App of the Week: Pinterest for iOS and Android
App Name: Pinterest
Price: Free
Available Platforms: iOS (iPad and iPhone), Android
What does it do? This image-based sharing app allows users to select, or "pin," visual items and place them into virtual bulletin boards, a perfect way to categorize your favorite things, such as artists you like, or all those muscle cars you dream of owning one day, and then share them with friends. The iPad, iPhone, and Android apps launched a week ago and gives you the flexibility to pin from anywhere you are whenever you wish.
The layout is simple, displaying tiled images that cascade in columns down the screen. You can swipe from left to right as you browse, and a menu button on the top left-hand corner provides you with categories of pins from which to choose, such as architecture, food and drink, and animals. When you tap on an image, you can like it, "repin" it to one of your own boards, or share it with others using your Facebook, Twitter or email account. You an also surf the web within the app and use the "Pin" button to post original items.
The iPhone app provides a two-column layout allowing you to see more as you navigate, and the iPad app allows you to resume browsing the site after viewing a board. The much anticipated Android app is optimized for all sizes and speeds of Android's phones and tablets and is available at the Google Play Store and the Amazon App Store for the Kindle Fire.
Is it easy to set up? Yes. As simple as simple gets. Log in with your email, Facebook or Twitter account. Signing up for the service is easiest via the website though.
Should I try it? The easy-to-use layout and flexibility of this app lets you keep collecting and sharing images of things you like, make you laugh or make you think while sitting at home, or out and about on the town. So, yes, you should try it.
Let us know if you have any app of the week suggestions on Twitter at @TechThisOutABC.