Software, built with care.
Under the Southam Apps name I design and publish Android apps as an independent developer — small, thoughtful tools I build end to end.
I'm largely self-taught, and I treat each app as a chance to learn something new: interface design, solving a real problem cleanly, and the discipline of shipping to real users through the Google Play Store. My apps are published under the nz.southam namespace and are built to be genuinely useful rather than attention-grabbing.
A clean, fast way to read the news.
Compass World News brings your news together in one well-designed app. Follow the sources you choose, organise them into topics, and read the way you like. Where a story is covered across the spectrum, it can group those reports together, so you can see how different outlets are framing the same event — handy for anyone who likes to read widely before forming a view.
Two features push that further. A political lean dial lets you shift where across the spectrum you're reading, and blindspot mode surfaces the stories one side has barely touched — the gaps a single feed would never show you. Throughout, it stays private: no trackers, no ads.
And for when you've read enough, it comes with three games built in: Compass Flap, a quick one-tap arcade game; Bearing Guess, a test of your eye for a compass bearing; and Compass 2048, the sliding-tile number puzzle.
- Multi-source
- Custom feeds & topics
- Perspective view
- Political lean dial
- Blindspot mode
- Private
- Reader options
- Daily digest
- Nine themes
- Three built-in games
Colourful word search puzzles for curious minds.
Findaroo takes the classic word search and makes it brighter and more playful: drag a colourful trail across the grid to find every hidden word, then level up through bigger grids and trickier words as you go. With 38 categories — from animals and mythical creatures to world languages and the periodic table — plus three game modes and settings for font, text size and timer, it's built to suit a wide range of ages and reading levels.
- 38 categories
- Traditional · Timed · Expert
- 6 world languages
- Adjustable font & text size
- Levels & star ratings
- Free with ads · Pro unlock
A Minecraft command builder, right in the browser.
Minecraft's command syntax is fiddly and unforgiving — one misplaced bracket and nothing happens. SlashKit turns it into something you can point at: pick from 92 command templates across eight categories, fill in the blanks, and copy out something that works. It covers both Bedrock and Java, and both chat and command blocks.
It's finished, and it deliberately isn't an app you install. Nothing to download, nothing to keep updated, no store listing to go through — open the page on a phone or a desktop and it's ready to use, free.
- 92 commands
- Eight categories
- Bedrock & Java
- Chat or command block
- Nothing to install
- Free
Get in touch
Questions about an app, feedback, or a support request? I read every message and reply personally.
email meFrequently asked questions
What apps has Daniel Southam made?
Under the Southam Apps name: Compass World News, a news reader for Android; Findaroo, a word search game for Android; and SlashKit, a free Minecraft command builder that runs in your browser. He also builds the free teaching tools Penline and Chalkline, and the Planline teacher’s planner.
Is Compass World News free?
Compass World News is free to download, with an optional one-time Pro upgrade through Google Play. It shows no ads, has no trackers and needs no account.
What games are in Compass World News?
Three, for when you’ve read enough: Compass Flap, a one-tap arcade game; Bearing Guess, a test of your eye for a compass bearing; and Compass 2048, the sliding-tile number puzzle.
Is Findaroo suitable for children?
Yes, it’s designed to be. The free version shows a small banner ad, set up as child-directed and non-personalised and limited to G-rated content. The optional one-time Pro upgrade removes the ads.
Is SlashKit free?
Yes. Every feature is free, with nothing to buy and no account. Ads from Google AdSense help keep it free.
See all 7 questionsShow fewer
Are the apps on iPhone?
Compass World News and Findaroo are Android apps on Google Play. SlashKit runs in any web browser, so it works on iPhone and iPad too.
Where are the privacy policy and support details?
On the Southam Apps site: the privacy policy sets out exactly what each app stores and what the ad services collect, and the contact page covers support.