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.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Expense IQ

This week's roundup is brought to you by Expense IQ from HandyApps. This personal finance manager includes an incredible amount of tools to help you keep track of your money, from a complete summary of all your accounts, to notifications for upcoming bills, to photo attachments for receipts. Expense IQ supports PIN input for personal security, an integrated budget and checkbook manager, and custom categories for income and expenses. The newest update includes 6 new currencies and a consolidated Settings menu.

Expense IQ (formerly EasyMoney) is your ultimate money manager app that combines an expense tracker, a budget planner, a checkbook register as well as an integrated bills reminder all rolled into one powerful personal finance app. Track and manage your daily expenses quickly and easily. The expense tracker UI is designed for one hand operation and only takes a few seconds to enter your personal or business expenses. Attach photos/images to each transaction as needed. Effective budgeting can be fun and easy with a good budget planner. Set monthly budgets to accounts and/or categories and check at one glance how well you are keeping to your personal budget from the color-coded health bars, and get warnings when you overspend or exceed your budget.

Expense IQ Money Manager Developer: Handy Apps
Price: Free
3.6
Download

Apps

Playbook for Developers

Android Police coverage: Google's New Playbook Beta App Helps Developers Create And Launch Successful Apps

Developers who need a little help getting their apps published on the Play Store have plenty of options, but most of those are generally on the web. Google has released this app to consolidate some of its own tips and guides into a phone-friendly compilation that's accessible while you use your main screen for development. The app includes articles, how-to guides, and videos.

Learn about the latest Android features, tips, best practices that will help you develop and launch your app, engage and grow your audience, and earn more revenue on Google Play. Choose interests to get curated posts and videos both from Google and across the industry. And explore the in-depth guide to Google's developer products. We're always looking to improve our products, including making them more accessible. Please email playbookfeedback@google.com with any comments.

TraffickCam

Android Police coverage: TraffickCam app fights human trafficking with crowdsourced photos of hotel rooms

TraffickCam has a simple but brilliant idea: take photos of your hotel room and submit them to create a searchable database for law enforcement. Why? Because human traffickers often use hotels and motels along major US trade routes to house (and often photograph) their victims. Creating a searchable database of hotel rooms with distinctive furnishings will help cops and non-profit groups find traffickers and displaced people.

TraffickCam enables you to help combat sex trafficking by uploading photos of the hotel rooms you stay in when you travel. Traffickers regularly post photographs of their victims posed in hotel rooms for online advertisements. These photographs are evidence that can be used to find and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes. In order to use these photos, however, investigators must be able to determine where the photos were taken.

TraffickCam Developer: Exchange Initiative
Price: Free
4.1
Download

Expeditions

Android Police coverage: Google puts Expeditions, the VR app designed for classrooms, in the Play Store after long trial period

Expeditions is Google's new app that allows users to go on a VR tour of all sorts of interesting spots all over the world. Previously it was limited to educational users, but now it's in the public Play Store. Naturally it's best viewed with Cardboard or a similar VR headset, but you can also take the tour with a full-screen view and a gyroscope.

Google Expeditions is a virtual reality teaching tool that lets you lead or join immersive virtual trips all over the world — get up close with historical landmarks, dive underwater with sharks, even visit outer space. Built for the classroom and small group use, Google Expeditions allows a teacher acting as a “guide” to lead classroom-sized groups of “explorers” through collections of 360° and 3D images while pointing out interesting sights along the way.

Calendar Widget: Agenda

Android Police coverage: Candl Apps follows up popular 'Month' calendar widget with an agenda version

Widgets are awesome. There aren't enough apps with really good widgets out there. This one is just the widget, grabbing data from Google Calendar and displaying it on your homescreen in an eye-catching agenda view. It's made by the same developer as that Month widget, and works in broadly the same way, though the list-like view is much better for people who need to focus on their immediate daily events.

Agenda is a collection of modern, beautiful and useful Agenda widgets.

  • Beautiful widgets with useful information for your busy day.
  • Integrate seamlessly into any home screen layout you're currently using.
  • Synced with Google calendar.
  • Display calendar events.
  • Display friend's birthdays.
  • Display weather forecast for upcoming days.
  • Supports Chinese lunar calendar and Moon phase calendar.
  • Choose which calendars you would like to show.
  • Fast, modern and intuitive UI with Material design.

AutoApp for Arduino

Android Police coverage: Developer Joaomgcd Lets You Control Your Arduino From Tasker With New AutoArduino Tasker Plugin

The Arduino mini PC is the basis for many a custom electronics project or tinkerer's gadget. That seems like exactly the kind of thing that would work well with Tasker, the incredibly flexible app that allows users with the know-how to automate almost anything. The bridge app comes from Joaomgcd, a well-known fellow in the space of both Tasker extensions and home automation. It works over Bluetooth, Ethernet, or USB, and Wi-Fi may be coming in a future update.

AutoArduino allows you to control your Arduino pins right from Tasker. You can set any output pin's digital or analog value from a Tasker action. This allows you to do just about anything on your Arduino from your Android device with the advantage of never having to change the code in your Arduino itself. You can also read pin values and even react to them in real time. Check out the example video to check how a Tasker scene can control an RGB LED.

AutoApp for Arduino Developer: joaomgcd
Price: Free
4.1
Download

BitTorrent Now

Android Police coverage: BitTorrent Now music and video streaming app launches on Android

BitTorrent is a P2P protocol that enables the efficient transmission of huge files across the Internet using distributed downloads (oh, and a whole lot of piracy, too). The owners want it to be something more than that, so their latest bid to increase its relevance is a video streaming app. There are already plenty of apps that try to collect a ton of streaming video, including some from professional musicians, so why you would need the BitTorrent-branded one in particular isn't clear.

BitTorrent Now is the best place to experience music and video from the underground artists you don’t know about yet. We’re a rabbit hole of on-demand songs, stories, and more for fans looking for that next, best thing. We built BitTorrent Now to bring awesome experiences to life. We’re dedicated to sharing the world’s original, experimental, and straight-up brave stories in a way that gives these creators a sustainable future for their art.

NBC Olympics - News & Results

Android Police coverage: NBC's Olympics app includes scores, schedules, news, and video of everything except the actual events

The Olympics are coming! The Olympics are coming! Unless the situation in Rio gets even worse, anyway. NBC is the official US sports media company for the games, and this official app will keep you updated with scores, schedules, and news about upcoming events. Not with actual live video, though - you have to get that through NBC Sports Live Extra, including a cable or satellite login to access the events. Bummer.

Get ready for the 2016 Rio Olympics with athletes profiles, highlights from past Games, U.S. Trials coverage and the latest news across all 34 Olympic sports. Plus, track the Team USA roster as it takes shape leading up to the Opening Ceremony on Friday, August 5. Core features of the official NBC Olympics application include:

  • Video Highlights: Past Games and 2016 U.S. Trials
  • Video Features: Athlete profiles, “Ever Wonder” features and more
  • U.S. Trials TV and streaming schedules
  • Full Rio Games-time competition schedules
  • Olympic Talk reports and insight
  • Sport previews and “101” primers
  • Athlete bios, Q&As and features

XDA

Android Police coverage: [Once more, with feeling] Official XDA-Developers app lands in the Play Store, again

Hey look, the official XDA app is back! Good to see you again.

XDA is the first and only app built entirely in-house with our own API to access the famous XDA Forums. XDA-Developers.com is the world's largest Android forum where you can come to discover apps, ROMs, root tools, kernels, and more, or you can make some friends and just talk about phones. Features:

  • Fast
  • Fully material design
  • Read, write, and reply to threads
  • Full support for quotes/mention
  • Light/dark themes
  • Great search tools
XDA Developer: XDA
Price: Free
3.1
Download

Mirrordrin (Beta)

If you use multiple Android phones or tablets on a regular basis, you've no doubt encountered the multiple notification problem: text messages, tweets, and other alerts don't disappear from one device merely because you've dismissed them on another. Mirrordrin tries to solve that problem by syncing all your notifications, including their new or dismissed status, across all your Android devices. It's in an early beta and doesn't support all apps yet, but it's showing promise already.

Mirrordrin is an app able to sync notifications between your devices. This app is currently in beta stage. Bugs are expected. Also available: Chrome extension https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/enkpeelnlglpanalilnbljhdgiilfkjo

  • Clicking on a notification from Mirrordrin dismisses it from all your devices
  • If uninstalling, use the sign out button to avoid getting duplicates in your accounts
  • You may need the "Android Wear" app installed in order to enable remote replying in some apps
  • Specific support is currently in for WhatsApp, Gmail, Hangouts, Facebook Messenger and Telegram. Generic support needs support by the app producing the notification. Apps supporting Android N's quick reply should work out of the box.

Detour

Detour is a collection of guided audio tours - you know, like the ones they used to hand out on tape players in museums - that stream directly to your phone. It's a cool idea, made even cooler by the way that they include a Google Maps route for your walk along with the audio. Points of interest are tied to GPS coordinates, and groups using the app can stay in sync. At the moment the service is fairly limited - there are only 10 hour-long walking tours available, and only in San Francisco. Here's hoping they expand soon.

Beautifully produced GPS audio walks that take you beneath the surface of cities around the world. Whether you’re solo or syncing audio with friends, Detour is an entirely new way to experience places. Location-Based: Each Detour takes place in a different iconic location. Your narrator uses your location to guide you as you walk, almost like you’re there with a real person.

Detour Developer: Detour.com
Price: Free
3.3
Download

Mealime - Healthy Meal Plans

Mealtime is a meal-planning app that's designed to let people plan out healthy foods and portions. That in and of itself is nothing new, but this one is notable because it's designed around families. So if you'd like to torture your children with a probiotic diet or a pescetarian meal plan (kidding - mostly), Mealtime is happy to help. The pro version of the app includes nutritional breakdowns and additional recipes.

Mealime is a simple way for busy singles, couples, and families to plan their meals and eat healthier. Our meal plans & recipes are highly customizable so you can easily personalize a plan that works with your unique tastes and lifestyle. Sign up to Mealime and join over 100,000 people who have used our meal plans to eat healthier, reduce stress, lose weight, save money, and live happier, more productive lives.

App Shortcut Maker

Nova Launcher includes a basic shortcut functionality for apps and internal app functions, but if you need something that does more or less the same thing independently, here you go. App Shortcut Maker can see a bunch of app processes and put them on the homescreen with ease, including custom app icons from images or icon packs.

Create shortcuts of apps, activities on your phone using App Shortcut Maker. Its allows creating shortcut with variety of unique options like: Custom shapes for the shortcuts. Unique option that allows creating shortcut icons with heart, Ace, apple shapes. Icon packs supports, all Nova, apex, Adw, Aviate, Go, Start launcher icon packs supported, choose any icon from these icon packs for Creating shortcut. You can create app shortcuts using images from gallery.

Poncho: Wake Up Weather

This is an app that is cute. It does other stuff, but cute is its mission, and it succeeds. Within the walls of Poncho you'll find an alarm clock and a weather widget that gives some surprisingly detailed info for your home area (or wherever you happen to be at the moment), and it will even play you a little music and give you public transit alerts, too,

Personal weather forecasts written by a cat just for you. Poncho has you covered with a cute alarm clock, GIFs, and jokes that will make you smile whatever the weather. Weather doesn’t need to be boring. Poncho’s free forecasting service brings the weather to life and helps you plan your day. Start with Wake Up Weather, the cutest alarm clock ever, which will wake you up with a personal forecast and weather-appropriate music that will get your day started right.

Connected Timer

Connected Timer is for those people who are really obsessive about their timekeeping. It's essentially a clock and countdown timer that's synced across multiple devices. Usefulness will probably depend upon how creatively you can apply it to your situation - the suggestion of grouped intervals for fitness training seems pretty apt. The pro version is needed to pause and resume the timer across more than one device.

Connected Timer lets you create a timetable with named intervals, and have it count down on multiple devices at once. Create the timetable and enter each interval and duration. Then, join the timetable on other devices by running the app, and selecting the timetable when it appears. Start the timetable from any device, and they will all count down together.

Connected Timer Developer: RockGecko
Price: Free
Download

Hive Q&A

Hive is a group communications platform centered around work and student groups. It's essentially a fancy forum, but the presentation is good and conversations should at least be relevant, since you're talking with people you already know.

Hive is communities of people sharing answers, helping each other, and having fun together. Connect with current and former classmates and co-workers to discuss meaningful topics and let your curiosity loose.

Cinemute

You would think that eight different messages to turn off your %^&*ing phone before the movie starts would be enough to deter most people. You would be wrong. Cinemute appears to be an attempt to make the whole process automated, tracking phone locations and automatically muting them when users are in a known movie theater. The concept seems a little flawed though, as 1) it's a paid app (though there is a free version) and 2) the people who are passionate about this turn their own phones off anyway.

Wouldn't it be great if your smartphone could automatically silence itself when you're at the movies? Now it can. Introducing Cinemute, the app that mutes your phone when you're at a movie theater so you don't have to. No more embarrassing phone calls or texts mid-movie after you realize you forgot to silence your phone. Cinemute has you covered.

Between Us

Between Us is a widget that constantly measures the distance between two phones, and by extension, two people. The idea is that it can keep a connection between (I'm assuming) close friends or romantic partners, with a few cutesy graphics and games to flesh everything out. Participants will need NFC-equipped phones and GPS tracking to keep the widget working.

Between Us is an Android Experiment that explores distance and connectedness between two people. Pair two devices with NFC, then install the widget to see the distance between them in real-time, with fun units like basketballs, pencils, mountains and whales. This app is open source and illustrates use of NFC for device pairing, animated widgets, power efficient background GPS updates and simple communication with a server.

Phantom Companion

Phantom Companion feels like an ominous name for a drone management app, but that's because it's specifically for the Phantom series of drones. It's not actually a remote or a readout, it's just a set of instructions and precautions meant to aid novice pilots in safe flying. Though the app is intended specifically for the Phantom series, the basic instructions can probably be applied to other models as well.

You just bought an expensive phantom drone and are concerned you're not informed enough about the flight procedures and regulations? You're looking for a simple to use and intuitive application to help you remember the crucial preparation steps for getting your drone ready? You want to enjoy flying your drone and not worry about forgetting the important stuff?

Houseparty - Group Video Chat

Following a multi-person chat in text is hard enough, so I don't think I'd ever be able to communicate simultaneously using a half-dozen video feeds on my phone at once. But if you'd like to give it a try, Houseparty is game to let you.

Welcome to the House, where the Party is always on. When you and your friends are in the app at the same time, you’ll see each other instantly.

Clashem - Video Battles

This app allows you to vote on "video battles," basically watching two Vine-style clips at the same time and deciding which one is better. It's the short, bite-sized video app meets a "who's hotter" format, essentially. Naturally it includes a baked-in social network with categories and global leaderboards.

CLASHEM. Get ready for hella awesome 5 second video battles - anything goes, as long as it’s AWESOME. Discover the best videos and choose the winner or upload your best 5 seconds to get discovered. Fast & unpredictable 5 second video battles. Claim your fame by uploading your best 5 second video clips and climb the leaderboards or discover fresh, viral video content by judging video battles: two videos playing simultaneously in a loop, you decide which videos win.

The Hunt - BBC Earth TV series

The Hunt is a series of interactive videos from BBC Earth. Each segment of the app includes a museum-style finger-friendly layout that helps viewers learn more about a specific animal and its habitat, then watch some of the great footage that the Earth team is known for. Each episode needs to be purchased via IAP, but there's an option to buy them all as well.

Watch The Hunt - Bbc Earth Natural History Tv Series In A Brand New Immersive And Interactive Way. BBC Earth and Synchronized present The Hunt - Series App - a fully interactive companion to the BBC documentary TV series. The Hunt Series App allows you to view the full series on any web enabled device either as a companion piece to a TV or DVD broadcast adding related and unique content to enhance your viewing experience or as a standalone broadcast on your device of choice with full interactive features.

The Economist Films

Do you want to watch a collection of short films sponsored by The Economist newspaper? For the love of God, why? If you really must, here they are. I dare say some will find the mini-documentaries interesting, but I don't think tying them in with The Economist brand is the way to increase your audience.

What do the jobs of tomorrow look like? Can you make meat without animals? Will startups take us to the stars? What’s the best way to regulate drugs? What if malaria drugs stop working? What does the future hold? Economist Films makes short, mind-stretching documentaries that examine big global themes. Each one combines analysis, on-the-ground reporting and a dash of humour to capture the essence of The Economist, the leading current-affairs newspaper, in video form.

A Color Story

Here's the latest attempt to make the Instagram lightning strike twice. This one includes custom filters (some of which are locked behind in-app purchases) and a series of tools to help spruce up photos of your dog and dinner.

A Color Story focuses on fresh photos, bright whites, and colors that pop. Rather than forcing you into a moody look, the app has—

• over 100 carefully crafted filters, incl. purchases

• over 40 movable effects, incl. purchases

• over 20 FREE tools, including curves

• custom filters saved from your editing steps

A Color Story Developer: A Color Story
Price: Free
3.9
Download

Mobcrush

Another week, another game streaming gallery. If you need a competitor to Twitch that will also allow you to stream local games directly from your phone (plus camera and microphone feeds), here you go. The description says that famous "eSports" celebrities and notable streamers are already onboard, but it's all Greek to me.

Mobcrush is a community for streaming games, watching tournaments and connecting with other gamers that love the same games you do. You can start streaming your screen, camera and microphone with just a touch, right on your phone. Note: Officially supported Android devices include: the Nexus 5 & 6, and the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, and S6 Edge+. We encourage you to try using Mobcrush with other devices, we'll be supporting more in the future. Viewing content is supported on most devices with Android 4.1+.

NBC Sports Gold

NBC used to release a new Tour de France app every year, but it looks like they want to unite all of their cycling coverage under just one now. Because there weren't enough NBC Sports apps already, I suppose.

NBC Sports Gold is the ad-free, streaming service of NBC Sports dedicated to delivering the worlds best cycling content live and on –demand to passionate fans anytime, anywhere. Watch over 15 races including the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, Paris Nice and Paris Roubaix. Don’t miss any of the action, extensive highlights as exclusive features and interviews with the biggest names in cycling.

NBC Sports Gold Developer: NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Price: Free
3.1
Download

Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps

Plex Media Server

Android Police coverage: Plex Media Server Android app appears on Google Play ahead of SHIELD TV update

NVIDIA's SHIELD TV will soon be able to serve Plex media directly, something that wasn't possible from mobile hardware before now. The update to the firmware itself isn't actually available yet, but the app on the Play Store is ready to go.

The Plex Media Server scans and organizes your media, then lets you stream it to all of your devices. It's the central, most important piece of Plex. Once installed, it gets to work scanning and cataloging every piece of media, making it look beautiful and intuitively organized.

Plex Media Server Developer: Plex, Inc.
Price: Free
3
Download

Microsoft Classroom

Microsoft Classroom is a front-end app for Office 365 Education, Microsoft's attempt to unseat those awful school management systems that I loathed in my college days. Students can check their schedules and assignments, set reminders, and even turn in documents if the teacher is using the included tools. Your school needs to be in the Microsoft camp for this app to be useful.

Microsoft Classroom makes managing your class assignments a snap. Keep tabs on your homework across all of your classes and turn in your work whether it’s an Office document, a link, or a photo from your mobile device. Microsoft Classroom is free and integrates with your school account for Office 365 Education. Use the app to help you stay organized. Plan what to work on next, view assignment details on the go, or chat with your classmates or teacher about a homework problem.

Live Wallpapers

Smart Wallpapers

Android Police coverage: Smart Wallpapers, from popular Wear watchface designer RichFace, puts phone and Google Fit stats on your wallpaper

This is the first time that a live wallpaper has been given a full post on Android Police in ages, so you know it's special. Smart Wallpapers essentially embeds phone hardware data, like CPU, RAM, and battery performance, onto a static wallpaper underneath your shortcuts and widgets. The app has some rich customization options, and the premium version includes Google Fit data, call and SMS alerts, and even more cosmetic settings.

How many times you have been bored with a simple wallpaper? With the Smart Wallpapers you will have lots of information at first glance or double tap. Live indicators show you information what you need on your device screen and this is a just beginning because we are planning to add a huge number of indicators. HD quality backgrounds are updating every day. Customizing indicators and their positions have never been easier than with the Smart Wallpapers.

Earth Time Lapse Mobile

Earth Time Lapse Mobile is a Next-Gen 3D Live Wallpaper with view of detailed 3D Earth simulation based on footage made from ISS International Space Station. Launch your private satellite into space to stream Earth Time Lapse view on your mobile device. Control the satellite to fly where you want or stay in an interesting place to look closer. You can choose from Time Lapse or Globe camera mode and look around by gyroscope.

WTF App(s) Of The Week

Adult Swim Keyboard

"What the hell, Rick, how did we get here?"

"I don't know, Morty. It appears that we've jumped into a dimension where all human communication is achieved with GIFs and emo[BUUUUUUURRRRP]emojis."

"We're emojis now? What the - what are we gonna do? We gotta get out of here Rick!"

"Is it GIFs with a hard G, Morty, like gifts, or GIF with a soft G, like giants? I never got a straight answer on that one."

"Shut up about GIFs Rick, we have to get the [BLEEP] home!"

"Relax, Morty, relax. This place isn't so bad. Look, there are those Aqua Teen Hunger Force guys. They look like, uh, pretty cool guys, right?"

"One of them is just a bunch of meat, Rick! He's really freaking me out!"

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on there."

"Oh jeez Morty, don't get your panties in a twist. We can still communicate with any app that has keyboard input."

"And h-how does that help us get home?"

"I don't know. Maybe we can ask one of those Meeseeks guys. Let's chill out over by the bump builder and let me think about it for a while."

When you can’t use your words, use a sentient ball of meat. The [as] Keyboard replaces your old and busted keyboard with a bump builder, GIFs, and soundbites from your favorite Adult Swim shows, along with our own private stash of emoji. Why sext when you can send that special someone a picture of Mike Tyson covered in pigeon crap?

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.