Welcome to the weekly roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Market or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

This is the app roundup.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Photo Locker Pro

Today's roundup is sponsored by Handy Apps and their newest app Photo Locker. If the developer's name sounds familiar, it's because they made other popular apps, like EasyMoney and Tasks N Todos.

As you might have already guessed, Photo Locker is a secure photo vault. Whether it's sensitive document scans or precious photos of your junk, you probably don't want anyone to see them without your permission.

In order to view the photos you locked (encrypted using a 128bit AES algorithm), you'd need to enter a PIN code - otherwise they're as good as garbage. The app supports bulk hiding, folder-level locking, and even hides itself from the recent apps menu.

The base app is totally free to use but for $2.99 you can get rid of ads and hide the icon from the app drawer. Use Photo Locker, or else your grandma will find photos of your junk, and that would give DirecTV enough material to make a whole new commercial.

Hide Photos in Photo Locker Developer: Handy Apps
Price: Free
4.1
Download
Photo Locker Pro Developer: Handy Apps
Price: 24.99
3.7
Download

Apps

Futurama Head-in-a-Jar Creator

Android Police coverage: Futurama Head-in-a-Jar Creator Lets You Create Heads In Jars, What Else Would It Do?

Easily the single most important app in our roundup, and possibly this decade, is the Futurama Head-In-A-Jar Creator. Only the most worthy contributors to mankind (and/or the people who've spent the most time on the cover of tabloids) have the privilege and honor of being decapitated and stuffed into a pickle jar, to be preserved for future generations of TV addicts. Now you can join the likes of President of Earth Richard Nixon, Vincent Van Goh and his most ardent imitator, Leonard Nimoy, and John $&*ing Zoidberg in your own personal Head Museum.

Good news, everyone! The Futurama Android app lets you create your very own Head-in-a-Jar, with more options than ever. Go glamorous with a giant cyclops eye, class things up with a gleaming robot antenna, or submit to the dreaded Brain Slug. With a dizzying assortment of human, alien, and robot features, the possibilities are literally finite. You can share your heads on Facebook and Twitter, save them to your phone as a background, or build your friends and make them images for your contacts. You can even create and share collections of heads in your own personal Head Museum, populated with Futurama versions of your family, friends, or fellow inmates.

The Verge

Android Police coverage: The Verge Launches Its Very Own Android App, For The Rest Of Your Tech News Needs

Look, we're nerds too. We understand. Your obsession may not revolve entirely around one operating system. Maybe you want news on the latest Canon dSLR, or you're looking for a comparative review of the new ultrabooks. Maybe you even want to see what the speaker assembly of the next iPhone will look like, according to someone who was once overheard by DigiTimes. For your more general tech news needs, it's hard to do better than The Verge, and they've finally introduced their very own Android app. It's okay - you'll see us there too. In the source links.

The definitive source for technology news, reviews, and up-to-the-minute scoops. Get all the breaking news coverage and in-depth reporting in the world of consumer technology from the industry's leading voices and foremost experts. The Verge brings you unrivaled breadth and depth of coverage, delivering everything you need to know about what's happening in the world of technology culture — including the latest reviews, breaking news, and in-depth feature stories. Tech news begins and ends on The Verge; and now you can get that experience on the go, right on your Android device.

MyScript Calculator

Android Police coverage: MyScript Calculator Lets You Write Math Expressions On Your Screen Instead Of Typing Them Out, Is Amazing

Digital devices make just about everything better, but there's still no way to beat a good old pen and paper for your Calculus 402 notes. That said, MyScript Calculator comes close. It uses either finger or stylus input to convert your mathematical chicken scratch into neat, orderly functions, equations and expressions, recognizing most common mathematical symbols with ease. Best of all, it's free - because every dollar you spend on the Google Play Store is four fewer packets of Ramen noodles in your dorm room.

Specially designed for Android devices. Easy, simple and intuitive, just write the mathematical expression on the screen then let MyScript technology perform its magic converting symbols and numbers to digital text and delivering the result in real time. The same experience as writing on paper with the advantages of a digital device (Scratch-outs, results in real time, ).

  • Works on your smartphone (Use your finger or a capacitive stylus with your android phone (Samsung Galaxy phones, HTC, Motorola, Sony Xperia, LG Optimus and others)
  • Works on your tablet (Take advantage of the S-Pen with your Galaxy Note, or use any capacitive pen with your Galaxy Tab family of tablets, HTC flyer, Lenovo Thinkpad, Asus transformer and others)
  • Use your handwriting to write any arithmetic formula.
  • Write and calculate mathematical expressions in an intuitive and natural way with no keyboard
  • Supported mathematical symbols: +, -, ×, /, √, Pi, parentheses, exponentiation.
  • Scratch-out gestures to easily delete symbols and numbers

Battery Widget? Reborn! (BETA)

Android Police coverage: [Hands On] 'Battery Widget? Reborn!' Is An Elegant, Holo-Themed Battery Widget That Packs A Ton Of Info

Battery meters are a dime a dozen, and we've even seen radial meter widgets before. There are two things that separate "Battery Widget? Reborn!" from the pack: one, its colors and fonts play nice with Android 4.0/4.1's Holo system theme, so you obsessive compulsive types won't have to do any adjusting. And two, it features a ton of contextual information that puts even Android's own internal battery monitor service to shame. The beta version of the app is free.

This is is time limited BETA version of Battery Widget? Reborn! application. Please report any bug or feature suggestion to android.dev.tom@gmail.com

Battery Widget Reborn Developer: Tomas Hubalek
Price: Free
4.6
Download

Timer

Here's another app that plays nice with the visuals in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean: Timer. Essentially a digital egg timer, it'll count up or down for you and look absolutely stunning doing it. There's icing on the cake in the form of sycronized backups connected to your Google account, kind of like Astrid Tasks. When your iOS-using buddies bemoan the lack of good-looking apps on Android, be sure to pull this 99¢ app out.

This is what it is. The perfect timer - nothing more, nothing less. Because time does not exist in itself, but is a product of representation, we like to represent it simply, easy as pie, beautifully, completely intuitive, and in Holo aesthetics. Cooking spaghetti or Beef Wellington? Need a countdown for launching your spaceship? Want to do 200 push-ups in less than a minute or see how far you can walk on your hands in two and a half hours? Need a 12min, 48sec nap? Must re-animate the overweight guy at the pawnshop? Preparing your speech before the World Congress of Philosophy?

Program your beautiful Holo Aesthetics timer with the easiest gestures imaginable. Use it on your phone or tablet. Save an unlimited number of timers with your own labels, use and re-use them over again. Even back up your timers with your Google account.

NBC Olympics Live Extra

Android Police coverage: NBC Olympics And Olympics Live Extra Apps Hit The Play Store, Promise All The Olympic Content You Can Handle

In case you've been living under a rock for the last two years, the Summer Olympics are coming to foggy London town. Those of you in the US can keep up with NBC's live coverage with this dedicated and free app, offering a selection of video and lots of breaking news. You can watch at least a portion of the content for free - but be aware, the events that will be broadcasting on NBC's cable properties like USA Network will only be available to those who subscribe to a compatible cable or satellite provider. Poor form, NBC. Poor form.

Get to ready to watch every moment of the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games LIVE for FREE with the NBC Olympics Live Extra app. In addition to watching all the live action, during the Olympics, enhance your viewing experience with alternate camera views, plus full replays on-the-go. You can follow your favorite events and sports, and receive push notifications for event start times. Download now on your Android handheld device to prepare for the start of the London Games, and take a look back at the best of the Beijing Olympics. Support for additional Android handheld and tablet devices will be coming soon. Access to some live streams and full event replays is determined by your cable, satellite or telco TV subscription.

  • Video on Demand: access short-form video clips to preview the London Olympics and relive the Beijing Olympics
  • Online coverage schedule: find out NBC’s online listings schedule and set event reminders
  • Live Events: watch every event of the London Olympics LIVE.
  • Full Event Replays: relive all the great moments of the Summer Games with full event replays
  • Channels: watch simulcasts of Olympic programming on NBC Universal television cable channels
  • Gold Zone: check out the Gold Zone Live Streaming Channel featuring every gold medal event LIVE.
  • Alternate Camera Views: view multiple camera angles for sports such as gymnastics and track & field
  • Push Notifications: receive reminder alerts for upcoming events
  • DVR: most live streams and all full event replays will have DVR capabilities
NBC Sports Developer: NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Price: Free
3.6
Download

NBC Olympics

Android Police coverage: NBC Olympics And Olympics Live Extra Apps Hit The Play Store, Promise All The Olympic Content You Can Handle

So maybe you're not the mobile video type - or you're running up against your monthly data cap. Don't worry, you can use the standard NBC Olympics app to keep up on the news from London without chewing through bandwidth like a puppy with a Monster cable. Team profiles, medal counts, and exhaustive coverage of table tennis - it's all here.

Experience the best of the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games with the NBC Olympics app. Get prepared for the Games now by checking out news, video, photos for every sport and all Team USA athletes. Plus, you can follow your favorite sports, teams and athletes, and engage with other fans on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ -- all from your Android handheld device. Support for additional Android handheld and tablet devices will be coming soon. During the Olympics, you can follow every event from London, including real-time results & schedules, medal counts and TV & Online listings. And during the nightly Primetime Show televised on NBC, the app will feature a second screen experience that makes a great companion to the on-air broadcast.

  • News: overall and by sport, plus NBC Olympic Talk blog
  • Photo galleries: slideshows capture the action, emotion, and splendor unique to the Olympics
  • Team USA: athlete profiles, news, video and photos
  • Hometown Coverage: select your local NBC affiliate to get news, video and photos about athletes from your hometown
  • Destination London: learn more about the host city with video, photos and news
  • Results & Schedules for all 32 sports: updated in real time
  • Medal Counts: overall and by sport
  • TV & Online Listings: look up NBC's TV and online coverage schedule and set program reminders
  • Primetime Companion: use your device as a second screen and enjoy and interact with contextual content to enhance your Primetime viewing experience
  • Push notifications: get breaking news, programming reminders, and news and results for your favorite teams and athletes

BBC Olympics

Android Police coverage: BBC Joins NBC, Releases An Olympic Coverage App With Live Stream (But This One's For The UK Only)

For our readers across the pond, your BBC television fee pays for a pretty solid app of your very own. You can watch in real time and share on the social network of your choice as the United Kingdom loses every single event out there. (Just kidding, Brits - you guys always have a good showing in the 100 meter nonchalant stroll.)

Never miss a moment of the London 2012 Olympic Games with the BBC's Olympics app. Exclusive to the BBC in the UK, this is the only app on which you can watch up to 24 live streams of Olympics action and catch up with all the key highlights and medal moments. Live and on demand video is available on 3G and Wi-Fi.

  • Daily live text commentaries from BBC journalists
  • Up to 24 live video streams
  • Video highlights of the action, features and interviews with athletes
  • Detailed schedule and results for every event
  • Medals table
  • A page for every Olympic sport
  • A page for every competing country
  • A page for every Olympic athlete taking part
  • Read the homepage top stories offline
  • Share stories, videos and results by email and on social networks

Friday

No, Friday isn't a simulator for Robinson Crusoe's best native buddy. It's a sort of automatic digital journal, scrupulously recording every aspect of your life - or at least those parts of it that pass through your smartphone. The point is to give you a constantly updating record of your activities. It's certainly not for everyone, but for those with an active and hectic social life, it could be a real boon. Check out our coverage of a preview version; by the looks of it, developer Dexetra has made some real leaps and bound on the user interface.

Friday brings self discovery by introducing the first passive auto journal. It captures your entire life through your phone and builds a beautiful timeline of your life. Not just that, you can filter and search your life to find the exact information you want. With Friday activities, you can share or, just log your favorite activities you've been doing all day. Friday helps you forget to remember. The app does the remembering for you.

The 2012 Open Championship

While the rest of the world follows Olympic soccer, boxing, baseball and other, you know, sports this summer, the true gentlemen will be following The Open. Yes, thrill to the incredibly exciting action of old white guys walking across manicured British yawns lawns. There's no live streaming (wouldn't want to get too crazy) but the Official Open Championship Android App can give you live scores, news and clips.

The Official Open Championship Android App has been redeveloped for 2012 to bring you even closer to the action at the 141st Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Up-to-the-minute live scoring, video highlights and a course guide will be accompanied by live golf from The Open and @TheOpen RADIO. Coverage of holes 9, 10 and 11 will be available during the Championship along with @TheOpen LIVE, offering you a unique behind the scenes view at golf’s oldest Major.

1Tap Quick Bar

Most custom ROMs, and even some manufacturer skins like TouchWiz, feature widget-style links and toggles in the notification bar. Now you can make your own out of some common and not-so-common actions with 1Tap Quick Bar, a free app for those into serious customization. All the standard toggles are present, along with more esoteric stuff like a direct call to one of your contacts.

1Tap Quick Bar is the best notification customization app for Android. It helps you to do most common tasks in a shorter time, such as change Wifi settings, call your wife, add an event, launch an favorite game just in 1-click. It also offers a way to create a beautiful notification bar. There are several special actions that help you to discover hidden applications on your devices, such as Application's shortcut, last call, battery info, etc,. The design tab helps you to customize any part of a quick bar. Free version supports one quick bar. Upgrade to Pro version enjoy more quick bar.

Notification History

Android Police coverage: [New App] Notification History Keeps Tracks Of Notifications, Lets You Find The Source Without Jelly Bean

There's a long history of third-party developers back-porting features from new operating systems into old. If you aren't running Jelly Bean (and unfortunately, that's most of you, and will be for the foreseeable future) then you can get the notification history function with the free app of the same name. Now you can easily find missed calls and texts, cancelled downloads, or just about anything that pops up and disappears from your notification tray.

Notification History can record all notifications so that you can easily track who pushed unwanted message. This can be used to: Find out which app pushed annoying statusbar advertisement, and uninstall it. Collect messages sent by apps and read them later. Backup and share notifications.

  • Collect notifications on status bar and group by apps
  • Save notifications
  • Clear notifications
  • Uninstall apps sending annoying notifications directly
  • Ignore notification from specific apps
Notification History Developer: Yotta Studio
Price: Free
3.9
Download

Jelly Bean Keyboard

Speaking of back-ported features, this one's simple: it's the keyboard from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It's a lot like the one in Ice Cream Sandwich, with a few extra shortcuts and even better prediction. Fortunately, it's free. Unfortunately, only those running Android 4.0 and above need apply. You can try an alternate port of the Jelly Bean keyboard from XDA member, but it has the same version restrictions.

#About "collecting data" warning message: That warning message is a part of the Android operating system, and it appears whenever a third party keyboard is enabled. You don't have to worry because the keyboard don't have permission to internet access.

Included dictionaries: English. Available dictionaries from the market(look for "Ics language packs" from the market) for: French,Italian,German,Spanish,Arabic,Dutch,Russian,Hebrew,Czech,Slovak,Bulgarian.

Live Nation

Android Police coverage: [New App] Live Nation Releases Its App To The Play Store, Lets You Score Tickets On The Go

If you haven't heard of Live Nation, ask the next guy you see wearing Buddy Holly glasses and a Ramones T-shirt. Essentially it's a directory of tens of thousands of live music events - and now it's got a native Android app. browse for nearby concerts and set up alerts for upcoming shows, all for free, and with a surprisingly solid UI.

Get the tickets you want on the go with the Live Nation app. From the world’s leading live entertainment company, the Live Nation app is now available for Android. Browse, search, and discover concerts for your favorite artists near you; get alerts on exclusive app pre-sales, onsales, and last minute tickets; and easily and quickly purchase authentic tickets while in the app. Next, plug into the concert experience where you can check out set lists on the go, view your ticket info and seating charts all in one place.

Mixcloud

Android Police coverage: [New App] Mixcloud Now Streaming Mad Beats And Podcasts To Your Phone

Not to be confused with commercial streaming services like Pandora or Spotify, MixCloud takes existing audio streams and podcasts from around the web and presents them in an easy-to-use package. The most popular streams on the app tend to be from nightclubs, but there's enough variety for just about everybody. The interface is a little outdated and you'll have to create an account, but the app and the service are free.

Mixcloud is a free on-demand radio platform. Mixcloud allows you to stream your favorite Podcasts, DJ Mix sets and radio shows direct to your Android device. New to Mixcloud? Don't worry you can sign up easily within the app, and in under a minute you will be listening to some of the world's best DJs and radio presenters.

Mixcloud - Music, Mixes & Live Developer: Mixcloud
Price: Free
4.8
Download

Simplify | Smart Wi-Fi Manager

OK, so the Wi-Fi manager in Android leaves a little to be desired. It's a pain to hunt for and connect to a new wireless LAN on just about every Android device. Simplify Smart Wi-Fi Manager aims to change that, with a slick UI (that's apparently inspired by Samsung) and some genuinely impressive tools, like a database of local hotspots connected to a mapping system. You can even share WiFi locations and information, or just back it up for your personal use. The app is free, but has a constant notification issue, so steer clear if that's a pet peeve for you.

Simplify revolutionizes the way we connect to Internet by automatically discover, select and connect to the best network. Built-in with Zero Touch and Eco Surf technologies, Simplify is the most advanced mobile connectivity companion designed to be eco-friendly while ultimately providing best mobile internet experience on smartphones and tablets.

  • Zero Touch
  • Eco 1Surf
  • Share with Android Beam
  • Email Sharing and Backup
Simplify Developer: Simplify Networks
Price: Free
3.9
Download

Accusoft USB Scanner - Trial

Android Police coverage: [New App] Accusoft USB Scanner Lets You Connect And Interface With A Scanner Directly From Android

No pithy comments or put-downs here: Accusoft's technology is jaw-dropping, and an absolutely brilliant use of the convergent technology in modern smartphones. It allows you to plug your MicroUSB cable into standard optical scanners and import the results directly onto your Android device, for use in Gmail or just about any other share-enabled app. The list of supported scanners is pretty low - you can check it out on Accusoft's support page. The full app is a bit pricey at $9.99, but you can try out the functionality with the free trial of Accussoft USB Scanner, good for up to 10 scans.

Fully functional Trial version that allows up to 10 scans so you can test if your scanner is supported before buying. Convert your Android device to a document scanner. Use your USB scanner to scan single or multipage documents to PDF, JPEG, TIFF or BMP. Scan *directly* from Gmail, Evernote, Google Drive, Box, and many others. Share scanned documents directly through your normal share options such as Gmail, Skype, Evernote, Drive, Box, etc. To scan while in Gmail, Evernote, Drive, etc, choose the option that would let you add from your camera, and Accusoft USB Scanner will show up in the list of choices. Select Accusoft USB Scanner, scan and save, and the document will be uploaded/attached automatically to your email, note or document.

Elance

Job hunting sucks, and I'm all in favor of any tool that makes it suck just a little less. The official Elance app can help both employers and prospective employees with full access to Elance listings and your profile on the prolific job board. Unfortunately, there's no way to search jobs without an account - for something a little more topical, you can try Indeed's app, which also crawls Elance.

Use our app for instant access to thousands of talented online professionals and to get work done on-the-go. If you're searching for a job, discover new jobs as they are posted, communicate with your clients from anywhere, and increase your productivity. If you're hiring, find new talent anytime, keep your projects running smoothly, and make payments on-the-go. Our app does not yet provide access to all the functionality available on the Elance website. Currently the app only supports registered users.

AutoRap

Android Police coverage: AutoRap From Smule Will Turn Things You Say Into A Rap Song - Yes, Even Shakespeare

It's like auto-tune, except it produces rap music instead of a Cher impression. And for some reason, it has live visuals that look like a cross between a tie-die shirt and your grandmother's wallpaper. In addition to performing live "rap", AutoRap from Smule can set your voice to one of two permenant free songs, and a limited number of popular rappers. You can buy more "Premium Beats" via an in-app purchase.

YO. This is AutoRap. It turns speech into rap, and corrects bad rapping. With Smule’s proprietary “rappification” technology, AutoRap maps the syllables of your speech to any beat, creating a unique rap every time. TALK MODE: Talk into the app, and AutoRap magically morphs your speech into a legit rap. Create your own original rap songs with Freestyle Beats, or use Premium Songs from artists like Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj, to AutoRap with the songs you know and love. RAP MODE: Switch to Rap Mode and flaunt your skillz by rapping along to your favorite songs, following the lyrics that scroll across the screen. AutoRap will correct your flow, snapping your syllables to the rhythmic grid of the underlying beat.

AutoRap by Smule: Rap to Beats Developer: Smule
Price: Free
4
Download

Paragon NTFS & HFS+ Beta

Anyone who's done some serious work with Windows partitions will recognize the name Paragon. Now the company has released a file explorer specifically designed to read drives from Windows (NTFS) and Mac (HFS+) with ease. You'll need an Android device that can act as a USB host and some way to physically access your hard drive or flash drive, but after that, you should be able to manage all your files. The beta version of Paragon NTFS & HFS+ is free, but it may not stay that way forever.

Get full and unlimited access to the most widespread file systems in the World on your smartphone. Easily copy, transfer and modify data on NTFS volumes alongside with HFS+ ones. Forget about incompatibility issues between your mobile handheld and its big brothers - PC and Mac. Attach to your device any flash drives, hard disk drives and other media with NTFS and HFS file systems and work with them as if there have simple FAT32 one.

Live Wallpapers

Ambient Time Live Wallpaper

This is a pretty sweet live wallpaper from the crew at Sony, combining an ambient light display (similar to the Flurry screen saver on OSX) and a simple clock. It's free for everyone, not just Sony users, but early reviews say it's got some significant lag issues.

A cool Live Wallpaper released by Sony Mobile Communications. Ambient Time Live Wallpaper is a Live Wallpaper which consist of easy-to-see time expression and smoothly animating objects.

WTF Apps Of The Week

Pussy Lovers

We offer up the free app Pussy Lovers without comment, except that only those who are comfortable with truly massive amounts of pussy should attempt to install it. Depending upon your expectations, you're either going to be very relieved... or very disappointed.

If you love Pussy - Pussy Lovers - This application is for you. Have Fun. Pussy lovers is back on android for all the followers who requested for it. If you love Pussy - Pussy Lovers - This application is for you. Around 25 different kinds of pussy in here. Each and every pussy is more and more tight and super tempting - you would want to take one home with you. Have Fun.

Man Fart

This app has a fart pressure meter, as if the lower intestinal track was some kind of hydraulic machinery. That's pretty much all you need to know.

On this funny game you have to avoid the man to fart in front of the pretty woman....would he be able to do that? The hamburguers and chili make him so anxious for relax his ass.....Nobodoy knows when is going to explode.

  • Take advantage of the noise of the vehicles which cross the road to liberate the fart.
  • In case SHE NOTICE SOMETHING SHE WILL ...**** ON YOU
  • Also you can take medicines for temporary avoid the pressure...

Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!

If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.

Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.

  • the app's launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
  • it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc - the cream of the crop

Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: oh.no.its.the@androidpolice.com.

1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) - please contact us for details.