New iPhone apps worth downloading: NowThis News, Angry Birds Star Wars, Butterball Cookbook Plus

NowThis News, a video streaming app that brings you top stories in a variety of categories, leads today’s new apps. Following it is Butterball Cookbook Plus, an app that can help you get prepared and organized for Thanksgiving cooking, and the newly launched Angry Birds Star Wars, an awesome tie-in version of the well-loved casual arcade title.

NowThis News (Free)

What’s it about? Curated news app NowThis News focuses on popular, noteworthy video news stories, and makes them available to stream from your iOS devices.

What’s cool? NowThis News brings stories in a variety of categories that allow you to stay up on the latest scoops from around the world. You can watch the videos on both an iPhone or an iPad with the same app, and once something has caught your eye, it’s easy to share it through Twitter, Facebook and email with others.

Who’s it for? If you like news, be it top stories, entertainment updates or anything in-between, NowThis News delivers in video form.

What’s it like? Try NBC Nightly News and NPR News for other streaming options that bring news and other content.

Angry Birds Star Wars ($0.99)

What’s it about? It’s Angry Birds – slingshot birds at various structures in order to destroy pigs and score points – now infused with Star Wars references and a bunch of new mechanics that change things up.

What’s cool? Angry Birds titles are always highly polished and filled with smart puzzles, so you can expect a certain baseline of quality from Rovio Mobile’s titles, even if they’re pretty similar to one another. The addition of the Star Wars tie-in works great here, though, because it riffs on the cool new elements the developer introduced in Angry Birds Space, like low gravity and other physics concepts. Some of your birds carry lightsabers, others use the force, and others shoot blasters, offering a completely new set of means to solve the game’s challenging puzzles.

Who’s it for? If you’re a Star Wars fanatic like me, you should try this just for the goofy take on the movies (it starts with A New Hope, by the way). But it’s also a great Angry Birds title, so get it if you enjoy casual games.

What’s it like? Angry Birds Space is similar (and also great), and for something that’s kind of the same, but different, try Fragger.

Butterball Cookbook Plus ($4.99)

What’s it about? Get some Thanksgiving cooking help from Butterball Cookbook Plus, including recipe ideas and how-to videos to make prepping for the big day a little easier.

What’s cool? The folks at Butterball have put together a pretty comprehensive app full of handy stuff for your Thanksgiving prep. The app includes the ability to make shopping lists and tutorial videos for making its various recipes. It also includes voice commands, so you can use the app while your hands are busy cooking.

Who’s it for? Anybody who’s in the market for new recipes or planning on cooking for Thanksgiving might find some use in Butterball Cookbook Plus.

What’s it like? For more recipes and cooking help, check out Holiday Recipes & Party Planning Guide and Thanksgiving Helper.

Download the Appolicious Android app

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