Tapatalk: love it or hate it, it isn't going away any time soon. For those who fall into the former category, version 4 of the ubiquitous forum browsing platform is now live in the Play Store, in a public beta version chock-full of new features. The app has been circulating among the Tapatalk faithful in private beta for just short of two months now. Tapatalk 4 is a free download, but requires Android 4.0 or higher.

A brand-spanking-new interface tops the list of added features in Tapatalk 4. It's easy to see why, with a mix of Holo elements, Google Now-style cards, and the sidebar menu that seems to be all the rage. Different stored sites are accessed via a pull-down list on the side menu, with a nice category view serving as the app's home page.

Other features include a new set of homescreen widgets, revamped push notifications, and an integrated photo editor. Eventually this app will be merged with Tapatalk and Tapatalk HD, hopefully creating a unified app like the Google gods intended. For the moment, it's a pretty cool way to try out the new features without shelling out eight bucks for both of them.