Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.
This is the app roundup. The game roundup from last week can be found here.
Featured App
PassWallet - Password Manager
Today's roundup is brought to you by PassWallet (formerly Password Wallet) by HandyApps. Passwords are hard, thanks to the thousands of logins required for modern digital living. Sure, you could have the same passcode for every service, if you enjoy throwing your life into chaos when you lose your phone or get your identity stolen. HandyApps' PassWallet puts all your passwords behind a single PIN, with 256-bit encryption, floating windows for easy copying, cloud sync, a stealth mode, and entries for just about any information you could want. With this app, there's no reason to be anything less than safe. The app below is a 30-day trial - the full version is a one-time purchase of .99.
PassWallet is a password manager app that safely and securely stores your most sensitive data conveniently in your mobile phone or tablet. We believe PassWallet to be the most stealthy, most secure and most convenient password manager ever developed for the Android smartphones and tablets! PassWallet password manager keeps sensitive data safe by hiding it in a secret hidden vault. In addition to password management, PassWallet is also capable of being hidden. No one will know you have installed the app. The app does not appear in your app drawer. All data stored in PassWallet is encrypted with tough 256bit AES encryption - the same encryption level used by the military.
✓ Stealth access mode that hides app launcher icon
✓ Most popular templates including web logins, credit cards and ID documents.
✓ Unique floating window function for easy data transfer to other apps
✓ Sync between multiple devices via Dropbox or Google Drive.
✓ Secure password generator built-in
✓ Import and export data to .CSV files
✓ PassWallet will not appear in your recent apps list
✓ Quick launch websites with password auto-copied to clipboard
Apps
SketchBook Ink
Android Police coverage: [New App] Autodesk Introduces SketchBook Ink For Tablets, A Well-Built Line Drawing Tool With Huge Exports For $4.99
AutoDesk makes some generally awesome Android apps, and SketchBook Ink might just be the coolest yet. It's a vector-based drawing tool, which means that if you've got the skill, you can make works of art that scale more or less infinitely. The interface is great (and lifts liberally from Photoshop) and export options are legion, but unfortunately, the app is only for tablets for the time being.
Autodesk® SketchBook® Ink is an intuitive pen & ink drawing app designed for tablets 7" and above. Built on a new resolution independent engine, SketchBook Ink lets you create beautiful line work and export high resolution images directly from your Android tablet.
My Purchases
Somewhere in the hundreds of tiny updates that have happened to the Google Play Store, the My Apps history tab switched from just those apps you've bought to EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER DOWNLOADED. This is annoying even if trying out new apps isn't your job. (Ahem.) My Purchases gives you a simple list of all the apps you've paid cash money for, including options for cancellations and refunds. The reasonable .29 paid version removes the ads.
Hands up, who misses the old overview the Google Play Store provided where you could see all your purchased apps in an instant? Sadly Google omitted this overview in the current versions of its store in favor of an overview which also lists all free apps. This app bridges the gap and provides the missing overview over your purchased apps, books, music and even devices*. Ads support version.
BBQScreen *ROOT*
Android Police coverage: [New App] BBQScreen Mirrors Your Display On A Computer At 25FPS (Root Only)
Need to share your screen with a lot of people, say, in a developer meeting or class? Assuming you've got a rooted device, BBQScreen's got your back. Framerates up to 25fps are possible, neatly beating the current alternatives. Install the server program on your PC, and you're golden. Keep in mind that you'll need either WiFi network or a data cable, and there are a lot of bugs with the initial release.
BBQScreen lets you see your Android device's screen on your computer at fullspeed. Unlike many Phone-to-PC screen sharing app, BBQScreen lets you see your device's screen in realtime and at a high framerate. It's super easy to setup, and can work through Wi-Fi, USB Tethering, or even Bluetooth tethering (best experienced with Wi-Fi or USB Tethering).
AntTek Quick Settings
So, this here's a third-party copy of the pull-down settings introduced in Android 4.2. Because not everybody has 4.2. And since it's made by a few dedicated Android enthusiasts, it's got even more options than the official version. The pull-down notifications aren't for everyone, but if you're stuck on an older version, give it a shot!
AntTek Quick Settings is a decent app to quickly alter device settings, launch apps, quick calls. This app brings Jelly Bean Quick Setting to Android 2.1+ with plenty of customization (don't need ROOT..). It's more than regular quick settings. You can customize to add different things to quick setting panel, including (over 75 built-in actions)
- Toggle settings: WiFi, mobile data, bluetooth, wake lock, rotation, flight mode, WiFi- & USB-Tethering, GPS, etc
- Sound / Vibration, Sound / Silent, Sound menu
- Brightness mode / menu / 3 predefined stages
- Quick action: music (previous / next / pause), battery, camera, direct dial, direct message, direct email
- Web shortcut, application shortcut, new event, new message
- Application launcher (better than sidebar launcher)
- For root users: reboot, power off, recovery, wireless ADB, etc.,
- Hidden system activities
Slickdeals
Android Police coverage: Slickdeals, One Of Our Favorite Sources For Great Stuff On The Cheap, Gets Its Own Android App
If you're a bargain hunter and you haven't heard of SlickDeals, then get thee to a Google search bar. (We often feature some of their more specific deals on Android Police.) If you have, you probably peruse the site daily, and would like an easier way to view it on mobile. The new app includes all the standard bells and whistles, plus notifications for new deals and Google Maps for tracking down those pesky retailers.
Slickdeals is the OFFICIAL app of Slickdeals.net, the largest community-driven deal sharing site in the US. Slickdeals hosts 18 forums where users interact to share the most accurate and up-to-date information on online shopping deals.
- Push Notifications for Frontpage Deals
- Push Notifications for Deal Alerts
- Frontpage Deals
- Local Deals
- Popular Deals
Tiny Apps lite (floating)
Android Police coverage: Tiny Apps Is A Nifty Mini-Suite Of Floating Apps, Including Calculator, Notes, Recorder, Paint, And Music Player
Tablets using Samsung's TouchWiz user interface include a handful of tiny, floating apps available at any time. This little suite of apps copies that functionality faithfully, giving you a quick notepad, recorder, sticky note, music player, and calculator. It's available for your smartphone as well. The paid version (less than two bucks) adds the ability to change transparency and dock apps to the side.
Tiny Apps is a package of 5 useful floating apps that stay on top of all other apps. You can run several windows of the same Tiny App. This is the lite-version of Tiny Apps. It has a limited amount of features (available in Tiny Apps Pro: dock windows to the left side of your screen, change the window's transparency). Tap a window's left top icon to open a menu.Tap a window's titlebar and drag the window around. Tap a window's right bottom corner and drag it to resize a window.
3DMark
Android Police coverage: Futuremark Releases 3DMark For Android, Sets The Benchmark For Size At A Whopping 280MB
Dedicated PC gamers will be familiar with the 3Dmark test, which has long been the standard for testing gaming-grade hardware. Now a mobile variant of the test is available for Android, just so you and your friends can have a digital pissing contest. It's a free download, and comparisons of ARM-based hardware should be accurate across Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 8/RT.
Test your device with 3DMark, the world's most popular performance benchmark. Use 3DMark to test the performance of your smartphone or tablet, then see how it compares with other Android and iOS devices. You can even compare your scores with tablets running Windows or Windows RT.
- The world's most popular benchmark, now available on Android
- Compatible with more than 1,000 different Android devices.
- Compare the fastest Android, iOS, Windows and Windows RT devices.
- Test the latest and greatest devices with the Ice Storm Extreme test.
RedReader Beta
Reddit clients are almost as common as photos of adorable puppies spouting atheist mantras. If you chuckled at that last bit, you're a dedicated Reddit user, and might be able to make use of the new RedReader beta. Featuring both phone and tablet Holo user interfaces, live comment streams, and a built-in GIF viewer (for moving puppy photos), it's got a few points in its favor over more popular readers. Being free and open source seals the deal.
An unofficial, open source client for reddit.
- Free and Open Source - no ads/tracking.
- Swipe posts left and right to perform customizable actions, such as upvote/downvote, or save/hide.
- Advanced cache management - automatically stores past versions of posts and comments.
- Streaming - shows posts/comments as they download - good for slow connections.
- Support for multiple accounts.
- Two-column tablet mode (can be used on your phone, if it's big enough)
Lync 2013
Android Police coverage: Microsoft Releases Lync 2013 For Android, Brings Holo To The Collaboration Party
Microsoft has released a surprising amount of solid apps to the Play Store. The latest is Lync 2013, a mobile client for the Office-based video communicator. (Nobody tell the Office team that Microsoft owns Skype, OK?) Lync 2013 includes both text and video chat with your Office contacts, to say nothing of the Holo interface, which throws in a few elements from Windows Phone for good measure. You'll need a valid copy or subscription to Office in order to use the app.
You need to have a Lync account already to use this app. Also, some functionality might require an update to Lync Server or might not be available to all users. If you’re not sure about your account status, please contact your IT department. Lync 2013 for Android extends the power of Lync to your mobile device – including voice & video over wireless, rich presence, instant messaging, conferencing, and calling features from a single, easy-to-use interface.
Rosetta Course
Android Police coverage: [New App] Rosetta Course Says Bonjour To The Play Store
Everyone has heard of Rosetta Stone, the popular series of language-learning tools, by now. So it's a bit surprising to find that it's taken them this long to incorporate an Android element to their courses. But for those who are in the middle of learning a foreign (or domestic) language, there are plenty of helpful tools, most of which boil down to the ever-handy flashcards and similar games. Voice recognition and playback are included.
Rosetta Course® brings the award-winning Rosetta Stone® language-learning method to Android devices, helping you build confidence as you learn—anywhere you're connected. Not already a Rosetta Stone learner? Don't worry, you can create a free demo account today and start learning a new language. Take the award-winning Rosetta Stone software with you.
SphereShare.net
Android Police coverage: [New App] SphereShare.net Is A Massive Gallery Of PhotoSpheres, With Private And Public Posting
Got PhotoSpheres from your Nexus 4 or 10, and want a place to share them? Here it is. Don't have a recent Nexus phone, but want to see other people's PhotoSpheres anyway? Well, there's some of that too. The SphereShare website works pretty well for desktop users, but the app is the best method yet for viewing spherical galleries on your Android device.
Mobile application for uploading Android 4.2 Photo Spheres to http://sphereshare.net web application. You can share a private picture with anyone or add it to a public Photo Sphere gallery.
- Browse Photo Sphere gallery
- Upload Photo Spheres to public gallery
- Share private Photo Spheres
- Share Photo Spheres directly from Gallery
Quickoffice - Google Apps
Android Police coverage: Quickoffice For Google Apps For Business Launches On The Play Store, Costs Nothing
So you've tried QuickOffice but found that it can't sync to your Google Drive/Docs account because you use Google Apps for Business. Here's your solution, and it won't cost you an extra dime. All the standard QuickOffice functions are included, and it syncs with your Google account with no issues. Now you've got one less excuse for not finishing up that spreadsheet.
Try Quickoffice Pro & Pro HD in the Play Store if you don’t have a Google Apps for Business account. Quickoffice makes it easy to create, edit and view Microsoft Word, Excel® and PowerPoint® files on your Android device. Designed for Google Apps users, you have instant access to all your files stored in Google Drive. Just open an Office file on your device, edit, and save back to Drive to be able to access them from anywhere.
Serious Paint Free
It's beginning to become apparent that artistic creation apps live and die on their interfaces, and Serious Paint brings some much-needed innovation to that front with a swipe-based UI, similar in some ways to the PIE control scheme or the default Android browser's full-screen controls. On top of that, you've got some layering tools, nice export options, and an impressively precise color selector. The paid version is .65.
Unleash your creativity no matter where you are, with Serious Paint, the most serious natural media content creation environment for Android! Serious Paint bends over backwards to make your Android device into a proper art workstation. The keys to Serious Paint's value are: Natural media brushes that simulate proper bristles and blending, the way your workstation software does. Innovative and intuitive workflow that allows you to perform common actions without breaking your flow to click on buttons. Quietly brilliant ideas such as the Color Sweep, a configurable swatch of color that you can set up and then access with a simple gesture while drawing.
LightPaper
Text editors on touchscreens are kinda clunky - doing any real word processing is nigh impossible, save for the Asus Transformers and the like. LightPaper knows this, so their text editor is barebones, compatible with Markdown, and syncs over Dropbox. The distraction-free mode may just be what the doctor ordered. For a certain breed of writer/editor, that's all you need.
LightPaper is a powerful text and Markdown editor made specifically for Android. LightPaper combines simplicity and beauty, alongside a rich set of features to bring you the best editor for the money available on Android today. LightPaper's simple interface gets out of your way, allowing you to focus on writing, and is perfect for drafts, notes, memos, tasks, blogging, articles or the next chapter of your new novel.
CanWeNetwork
LinkedIn's ubiquity as a business network is matched only by its God-awful interface, both on the web and in mobile apps. CanWeNetwork uses LinkedIn as a basis and jumps off, creating a networking app that eclipses it in nearly every way. There's even some matching features borrowed from dating apps - not that you should read too much into that.
CanWeNetwork, a revolutionary networking application designed to read between the lines and recommend people nearby that you should meet. Our matching technology uses skills, experience, interests, education, location and personality to find great matches in your area for you to connect with. CanWeNetwork, a secure and professional networking application that engenders the same trust and credibility as a friend at a business event asking "why have you two not met?
Tunable - Instrument Tuner
There are plenty of tuner applications out there for aspiring guitarists/violinists/accordion players, but none of them are quite this pretty. In addition to a ton of options for tweakers, it includes more musical settings that are, frankly, beyond me. The app includes a metronome, transposition tools, and claims accuracy down to 1/100th of a cent.
From the creators of NodeBeat comes Tunable, the most intuitive visual toolkit for musicians. Tunable is a chromatic tuner, tone/chord generator and metronome that helps you learn to play steadily, in tune, and on beat. Featuring a unique “tuning history” display for visualizing pitch over time, Tunable is the perfect toolkit for professional and beginning musicians. Visualize how steadily you play or sing. As notes are held out, a white line draws how steady the pitch is. The straighter the line, the more consistent the pitch.
Valet - Car Locator
Here's a two-for-one for frequent urban parkers: a car finder that tags your parking location and lets you know when your meter is running low. It's quite a looker, too. It might not be as nice as an actual valet, but it makes those little moments next to your car just that much quicker.
Valet remembers where you park with the push of a button. Set parking meter timers and street sweeping alarms. Never again get a parking ticket or forget where you parked your vehicle. The most elegant car locator app available. Exclusively for Android. Also great for remembering the location of your bike, motorcycle, hotel, camping spot, or any other location you would like to easily return to later. Popular to use in massive airport parking lots, at the mall, or when parking downtown. Tell the app to "park my car" and it does the rest.
Bandrios
Counting apps are, by necessity, rather simple affairs. Bandrios has a few more features aimed at realizing goals, specifically for decreasing or increasing habits like smoking and drinking water, respectively. It's got a great, simple look, complete with a speedometer-style tracker and custom icons. You can decide whether your goal is good or bad based on a good or bad stigma setting.
Bandrios is a counter. It counts things, incrementally, each time you click +. What makes it interesting, though, is that you start by setting goals. You can set as many as one for each kid on the soccer team you're coaching, or set as few as just one for yourself, to keep track of your smoking habit. Each increment saves the time and place, letting you review past events inside the app's calendar and map.
DishWorld
Android Police coverage: [New App] DISH Releases DishWorld For Android – International TV Streamed Right To Your Device
We've featured various free TV services for Android before, but the more the merrier, right? DishWorld has almost 100 channels from all around the world, most in languages other than English (the Middle East, India, and the South Pacific being most prominent) with a heavy dose of cricket coverage for good measure. The interface is pretty good, though it seems designed exclusively for tablets.
DishWorld is a live International TV service that allows you to watch over 90 channels in 12 different languages. This free app gives you the ability to enjoy live TV directly on your Android device. See your favorite shows, news, movies, kids programs, and sports, including cricket and soccer. With packages starting at just $14.99, DishWorld is the #1 International TV provider in the U.S. No social security number required. DishWorld is the safe, easy, and reliable way to watch your favorite shows from back home and across the globe. And, you’ll never miss a moment with 8-Day Replay.
Twilight
So, there's a lot of technical jargon in this app's description, plus a merciful lack of sparkly vampires. It boils down to a red-tinted filter for Android, with the aim of being easier on your eyes and helping you get to sleep after using your phone in bed. Which you shouldn't do. Astronomers should find a use for the app as well.
Are you having troubles to fall asleep? Are your kids hyperactive when playing with the tablet before bed time? Are you using your smart phone or tablet in the late evening? Twilight may be a solution for you. Recent research suggests that exposure to blue light before sleep may distort your natural (circadian) rhythm and cause inability to fall asleep. The Twilight app makes your device screen adapt to the time of the day. It filters the blue spectrum on your phone or tablet after sunset and protects your eyes with a soft and pleasant red filter. The filter intensity is smoothly adjusted to the sun cycle based on your local sunset and sunrise times.
Colourform (HD Widgets Pack)
This is nothing but an awesomely varied set of standard widgets, including the ever-popular clocks and settings toggles. You'll need HD Widgets in order to use them, but the pack of nearly 60 is a measly 2MB of storage space, giving you a lot of bang for your byte. If you need a little extra flair for your homescreen, this is it.
Colourform features over 50 colorful new ICS / Jellybean-style widgets for Android phones and tablets. Everything is colorable: icons, text, separators, background you can even color each part of the clock. Backgrounds are layered with settings for color, opacity, tiles, and textures - or just do no background at all. This light-weight pack (only 2MB) focuses on a simpler, more minimal, flat UI design while allowing more flexibility and customization than ever before.
CamWeather
Have you ever felt the need to combine Instagram with social weather reports? No? CamWeather will let you do it anyway. If you're feeling daring, you can even share your "masterful" combination of weather themes and square photos on Instagram itself. Snark aside, there's a surprising amount of info you can embed, like sunrise and sunset times, barometric pressure, and wind speed.
Welcome to CamWeather, the first app for Android that allows you to combine the local weather and the city name with a beautiful picture to show off to your friends. From Barcelona to Paris, from London to New York, from Bangkok to Tokyo: amaze your friends with incredible pictures with an extra touch of class. You can choose whether to display those values at the top or at the bottom of the image, and even on the sides. Also, you have the option to display them either black or white, and as a final touch of class, you can add our beautiful logo as a watermark to make it look even more professional.
Armin van Buuren
Do you obsess over techno/trance icon Armin Van Buuren, voted #1 DJ in the world? Do you want an icon for Van Buuren on your homescreen? Then his self-titled app is for you. It's not much more than feeds from his various social networks, but it's presented well, and shows off his discography in a nice Holo package.
The official app of the world’s number one DJ, Armin van Buuren. Stay up to date on the hottest news facts, Armin’s tour dates and his latest and upcoming releases. Explore the weekly episode of his award-winning A State of Trance radio show and connect with his social media. You’ll have Armin van Buuren’s world right there in the palm of your hand.
Weather Travel Fashion (WTF)
You're (presumably) an adult. You can dress yourself. But if the only reason you check the weather is to see what you should wear, you could save some time with WTF. The fact that it's a gorgeous package of fashion-conscious suggestions doesn't hurt.
WTF is your personal WEATHER STYLIST. the GO-TO app for every morning.
- Engaging hand-drawn graphics
- CHIC+SMART fashion picks for DAY & NIGHT
- For every STYLE-seeking GUY & GAL
Stray Boots
Ah, another "city explorer" app that unaccountably fails to include the scenic vistas of Kickapoo, Texas. That omission aside, what Stray Boots does include is a game-style city explorer, complete with quests, points, and fun facts. Keep in mind that your home city or destination may not be in their growing catalog at present.
Want to see the city’s coolest spots in a way that's fun, easy, and interactive? Then play your way through the streets with a Stray Boots adventure. Like a cross between a walking tour and a scavenger hunt, Stray Boots makes exploring the city exciting whether it's your first time visiting or you've lived here your whole life. Complete fun challenges along carefully crafted paths through the city’s top neighborhoods, parks, and museums. Explore funky shops, spot bizarre street art, uncover hidden history, solve riddles, snap crazy photos and more. Along the way you’ll receive fun facts about what you find, so you learn about the city as you go.
Knock²+ // LED was yesterday!
Android Police coverage: [New App] Knock²+ Looks To Replace LED Notifications With Clean, Minimal Lockscreen Popups
LED notifications are great... if you've got a notification light. For those who don't, Knock² moves these to the lockscreen with quick, concise messages from standard Android apps and favorites like Facebook, WhatsApp, ChatOn, and others. The app claims to use some secret sauce for battery savings, and the replacement lockscreen looks pretty slick, if you're into customization.
Never miss a notification again. Knock² will present the notifications stylish on the lockscreen. With innovative energysave-modes the battery is not used so much. WhatsApp, Facebook, Google+ or SMS, Knock² supports many apps. And the best is, we test all apps before we add them. That guess: Nearly no erros or bugs. You are missing an app? No problem. Just write us the name of the app and we will add them as soon as possible.
Newegg for Google TV
NewEgg is an awesome store, especially if you've got a penchant for PC components. There's already a NewEgg app for Android, but this one brings the experience to the big screens of Google TV. With this app, NewEgg proves it's paying more attention to Google TV users than Google itself has in the last year.
Shop Newegg in a whole new way: on your TV from the comfort of your couch or bed. The Newegg App for Google TV gives you access to Newegg’s extensive selection of computer hardware and consumer electronics, while also offering similar functionality as the Newegg.com website. Browse, search, purchase and save your favorite products to wish lists. With robust social functionality built into the app you can share your purchases with friends and family. As an added bonus, Newegg TV is fully integrated, so you won’t miss another product unboxing or overview.
Magic Fluids Free
Man. Dude. Duuuuuuuude. This app, like, taps into the mystical energies of the universe, and shows you how the inner workings of your mind work, man. And if you play it backwards, it totally syncs up to the Wizard of Oz.
There's also a Live Wallpaper.
Fluid animation in your pocket. Touch the screen and create beautiful motion of colorful smoke and water. Key features of Magic Fluids:
- Highly configurable fluid behaviour and look
- 10 configuration presets - if you're lazy
- You can save your own presets
- Multitouch controls
- Smoke (gas) and water (liquid) animation
- Thousands of particles moving with the fluid
- You can pause the animation anytime and save screenshots
- You can use Magic Fluids as a regular app or as a Live Wallpaper
Live Wallpapers
Photosphere Live Wallpaper
Take advantage of Android's unique Photosphere feature by viewing one right on your home screen. Photosphere Live Wallpaper properly displays a Photosphere image on any Android device, with appropriate camera controls when swiping between home screens and tilting your device. Includes one example image (Beach) and the ability to select your own Photosphere images.
Battery Core Live Wallpaper
Android Police coverage: New Live Wallpaper: Battery Core Is An Attractive Way To Track Your Lithium Ion Expenditures
See real time percentage of your battery level, temp, voltage and charging/not charging status. As your battery drains throughout the day, the core will spin slower according to your battery level. Some text will display current battery status. A small battery gauge will give you a view of the amount of battery left. Particle effects can be disabled for smaller memory use, smaller battery use and faster reloading when coming back to home screen. Some options are available on free version except for color changes. Different particles such as, circles, squares and android and color change are only available on paid version.
For The Lulz
Espier Screen Locker (Beta)
Android Police coverage: Espier Screen Locker Gives Repressed iOS Fans The Gateway Lockscreen They've Been Looking For On Android
Here's a perfect duplication of the iOS lockscreen, in all its slidey, PIN-poking glory, to go along with your Espier launcher. You traitor.
Espier Screen Locker is an iOS-style screen locker plugin dedicated to Espier Launcher (v2.0.9 or later). Espier screen locker can show missed calls, unread text messages and other notifications from third-party apps on the locked screen, and can quickly activate the camera, easily browse the latest information, fast capture the beautiful scenery around.
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.