HowStuffWorks – a Vast Wealth of Information on How Stuff Works, Stuff You Didn’t Know, and Stuff You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know!
by Paul Wilks
Aug 15, 2011 8:42 AM –
Install
HowStuffWorks is the superb app from HowStuffWorks.com, the huge online resource of articles, blogs, videos and podcasts that provide a huge array of fascinating information. There really is a wide range of content available through the app. I haven’t counted precisely but the blurb boasts a colossal 30,000 or more items available through the app. It features sections dedicated to various parts of the website and each section contributes a wealth of articles to the app. Easy to use and navigate, this is the kind of app that can make learning new things genuinely invigorating and fun.
Price: Free
Tested on: HTC Desire HD
Content Rating: Low maturity
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- The massive volume of articles available is immensely impressive.
- Huge range of topics that cover practically every aspect of the main website.
- The layout is very clear and simple to navigate.
- Variety of mediums: video, articles, podcasts and blogs.
- Doesn’t overcomplicate explanations and avoids jargon.
Cons
- I did find a couple of items which made the app force close.
- I hope sharing options can be added to include Google+ and other places.
Features:
HowStuffWorks.com is by far one of the most popular ‘how to’ websites on the Internet, which endeavours to answer any number of those everyday questions we may have missed the answer to. The volume of content is huge, making the website a veritable wiki of useful instructions and information. Therefore it’s superb to see the Android app hasn’t cut any corners and remains a hugely informative forum for such a diverse range of data.
The main menu of the app presents you with 6 options, which this review will go through in order. Firstly, at the top of the screen you have a search window. Simply type in any topic you are interested in and the app will provide you with a variety of articles that help explain or discuss that topic. The search function is very intuitive and fast.
Beneath this you have 5 icons to choose from. The first is ‘Featured’ and compile a diverse range of popular items. You can scroll sideways through these items to scan what they are about, and click on them to open the article up; it feels a bit like scanning newspaper headlines and dipping into the article that catches your eye.
Then there is the ‘Read’ sections. This initially presents you with a list of featured articles but you will quickly notice a scrolling menu along the top which gives options to choose Popular, Adventure, Animals, Auto, Culture… OK, I’m not going to list them all, but you can probably tell there is a lot of choice there! tap on any of these brings up a more concise list of articles related to that topic, each of which can be tapped again to open up. All of this is flawlessly smooth and fast with no lag or lengthy ‘loading’ circles. You really can be reading/viewing/listening to the item you want almost instantly.
Next you have ‘Facts’, a very simple and easy to read dose of super facts which are simple to digest and ponder upon. This is great for obscure fact fans and there will be plenty there to inform and entertain. Superbly here, as you can with any item you find in the app, is a sharing option when you press menu. Read a great fact? This lets you immediately share it with your friends via email, Facebook or Twitter. You obviously need to authorize HowStuffWorks to post to your account but it’s a great way to share interesting facts.
Similar to Facts is the ‘Quotes’ section. The feature gives you a variety of popular quotes from all kinds of noted specialists, again these can be shared, and again this is easy-to-read and bitesize nuggets of knowledge.
Finally you have ‘Shows’ which well, ‘showcases’ the different sections of the website and provides links to the different articles, podcasts, videos and blogs related to that particular show. These are listed as: StuffYouShouldKnow, Stuff You Missed in History Class, BrainStuff, TechStuff, StuffMommNeverToldYou, CarStuff, StuffToBlowYourMind, StuffTheyDon’tWantYouToKnow, TheStuffofGenius, TheCoolestStuffonThePlanet, FanStuff and HowToStuff. Each of these comes with a list of items and headings of ‘Episodes’ (audio and video), ‘Blog’ (blog articles) and ‘Social’ (Twitter feeds). I have to keep coming back to how much content there is here, there is so much you can easily get lost in any number of interesting articles.
The careful and skilled way the articles are presented/written/demonstrated is excellent. Similar to the way the recently reviewed New Scientist app makes the items understandable, so too does HowStuffWorks. It really is a wide and brilliant resource of stuff you want to know in addition to some wonderful things that you didn’t know you didn’t know!
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HowStuffWorks – Main menu
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HowStuffWorks – Individual show menu, Blog
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HowStuffWorks – Blog view
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HowStuffWorks – In-article view
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HowStuffWorks – In-article view 2
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HowStuffWorks – Quotes
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HowStuffWorks – Facts
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HowStuffWorks – Shows list
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HowStuffWorks – Individual show menu, Episodes
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HowStuffWorks – Individual show menu, Social
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HowStuffWorks – Increase and decrease text size
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HowStuffWorks – Scrollable featured section
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HowStuffWorks – Sharing options
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HowStuffWorks – Settings
Usefulness:
While there are items there that could be massively helpful; with homework, answering awkward questions from children, fixing a plug socket to giving you a low-down on particular historical events- there really is so much stuff there. You can dip into it when you’re bored, or consult it when you need something- there’s plenty for everyone.
Ease of Use:
The app is incredibly easy to use, although I think you can get a little bit lost with such an array of content. In this case I don’t think there can be too much of a good thing. Page transitions are smooth and fast, enabling you access to the content you are interested in quickly and efficiently. You can also increase or decrease the text size, making for easier reading.
Frequently Used:
I think this could become a helpful resource for many, and a seriously interesting browse for others. I’ve treated it a little like a news source personally- having a look in every couple of days. Obviously big fans of the main site can keep up to date with their favourite shows and podcasts, so usage might be more regular for them.
Interface:
The interface is very smooth and fast. Quite complicated in some places and takes a little getting used to navigation-wise, but this really should be overlooked- the amount of information here is worth the exploration required through the various menus and sub-menus.