Apps of the Week: LookOut, TextGrabber

ZDNet UK is now recommending an App of the Day. It seems only polite, now we have our own app, to take a deeper look at this lively area of mobile tech — and, of course, we'll do it with the needs of enterprise IT at the top of the list.

Sign up to our News Update email to receive our daily recommendations. Alternatively, check out our weekly round-up of the best mobile apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and more:

1. Abbyy TextGrabber
There are lots of text-capturing apps for the iPhone, but Abbyy's TextGrabber has a lot going for it — it recognises around 60 languages, it has a simple user interface and it's one of the cheapest on offer. Abbyy itself is a veteran company, having started in Moscow in 1989 and concentrated on optical character recognition and text handling ever since.

Sign up for ZDNet UK's App of the Day recommendations with our News Update.

2. Wi-Fi Finder
Wi-Fi Finder for iOS and Android scans for nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and automatically connects your phone. It also provides maps and directions to 500,000 free and paid-for hotspots worldwide, including 140,000 in the UK.

Sign up for ZDNet UK's App of the Day recommendations with our News Update.

3. Google Translate
Google Translate converts over 50 languages in text form, and has voice input for 15. Its English-Spanish Conversation Mode in Android lets you speak in English and get an instant, spoken translation back. The app is available for Android and iPhone.

Sign up for ZDNet UK's App of the Day recommendations with our News Update.

4. LookOut Mobile Security
A pocket security suite for BlackBerry, Android and Windows Mobile, LookOut has a set of features of various degrees of usefulness. The antivirus scanning is at best arguable, but the remote management — phone tracking, locking and wiping — is a real peace of mind bonus. The backup/restore feature doesn't hurt either. And yes, you can make your phone yelp loudly when you've lost it in the office or home.

Sign up for ZDNet UK's App of the Day recommendations with our News Update.

5. Software Data Cable
The whole point of an open platform is that you can pick the best way to do something, and do it. Software Data Cable is an FTP server — but you don't need to know that. Just run it and follow the very simple instructions provided on screen, and you can drag and drop files between your PC and your Android phone without the need for a cable. That's it. No frills, no fuss, but no bother either — and it turns Apple users a pleasing shade of annoyance.

Get the latest technology news and analysis, blogs and reviews delivered directly to your inbox with ZDNet UK's newsletters.