Liam Spradlin
 
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Besides being an avid Android fan and blogger, Liam is a photographer with a degree in both Anthropology and Sociology. He can usually be found reading through blogs, taking photos, or studying ancient pottery. Liam has been known to leave on international trips at a moment's notice, and can't resist a new challenge. |
January, like most months, had plenty in the way of new apps and games. We've already published our list of the top five games from last month, so it only seems right that we follow up with the month's best apps.
From backup utilities to social/RPG/motivational fitness apps, January 2013 had something for everyone. In the interest of saving our readers time, energy, and perhaps some money, we've rounded up the six very best apps every Android user should know about from the past month.
If you're the gaming type, you probably didn't get much done this January. The month saw the release of plenty of addictive, time-wasting games that demanded players keep coming back to unlock one more achievement, or pick up a few more coins, or destroy just a few more blobs. If you weren't able to keep up with all of the Play Store's new entries last month, don't worry – we've once again rounded up a short list of last month's very best new games. The list covers everything from basic rhythmic games to chaotic bullet hell, to clever, beautiful physics puzzles, and should suit even the most discerning mobile gamer.
Facebook Pages Manager debuted quietly last month, with more widespread availability hitting after several days. Just over a month later, in its first major update (to version 1.1), the fan page management tool has gotten three new features: post promotion, post scheduling, and event creation.
The new features are essentially just what they sound like, and – for all intents and purposes – match their counterparts in Facebook's web interface. Post promotion allows page managers to increase their post's reach to users that may not ordinarily see them, post scheduling lets you compose posts ahead of time or on the go, and event creation…well…allows you to create events.
If you're in the market for a Nexus 7, don't want to pay full price, and yesterday's 1SaleADay deal left a bad taste in your mouth, eBay might have what you're looking for.
Through eBay's Daily Deals, seller Tiger Direct is offering up refurbished 16GB models for $169.99 shipped. That's about a $30 discount over the Play Store's price (plus shipping).
Popular (and well-established) music manager/player Winamp got an update today, bringing the app to version 1.4.6 and introducing (among other things) long-awaited notification player controls. The controls match the look and feel of the app they belong to, using a design language that (unfortunately) doesn't look like it's been revisited in a while. That said, they work like a charm, and add much-needed functionality.
Besides that, users will enjoy several bug fixes (primarily involving SHOUTcast and AAC playback), and some streamlined code on the Now Playing screen. In other words, behind-the-scenes stuff.
If you're already loving Winamp and want to get the notification player controls the app has so long been wanting, hit the widget to grab the update.
Claiming the title of the first MSM8660-packing devices to get CyanogenMod 10.1 nightlies, LG's Optimus LTE and Nitro HD (su640 and p930) joined the lineup today.
In a post to Google+, CyanogenMod is sure to note that the introduction of the Nitro HD and Optimus LTE does not necessarily indicate the imminent support of other devices that use Qualcomm's MSM8660 chip. "What it does mean," the post goes on, "is that the first hurdle towards more devices has been achieved."
That said, the nightlies are still great news for Nitro HD/Optimus LTE owners who have been hankering for an AOSP-inspired Android 4.2 experience with the full CyanogenMod treatment.
A few days ago, Samsung published their "El Plato Supreme" promo video in which Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen try to develop a pitch for Samsung's don't-call-it-the-Super-Bowl ad. Rounding out the story, a full two-minute video was uploaded earlier today which shows how the two ended up working together on the pitch, throwing in a few more self-aware marketing gags along the way.
In the deliciously meta ad, Rogen and Rudd bicker over who's "the next big thing" before finding out that they're working together not in the ad, but on the pitch. Their meeting with Saul Goodman (I mean Bob Odenkirk) covers topics from diapers to crowd-sourcing to space travel before LeBron James abruptly joins the meeting by way of a Galaxy tablet, suggesting he make a cameo in the ad on – you guessed it – a tablet.
Update: The CyanogenMod team has chosen a new name: cLock. According to the Google+ post, the new name was chosen by virtue of its simplicity.
In a post to Google+ titled "Pitfalls of being so big" earlier this evening, the CyanogenMod team informed followers that CM had been served with a C&D (Cease and Desist) request regarding their Chronus clock widget.
For those unfamiliar, Chronus is CyanogenMod's acclaimed lock screen (or home screen) clock widget, introduced last December, that displays the time in Android 4.2 fashion along with configurable calendar and weather information.
Specifically, the "entity" serving the C&D seems to have issue with the widget's name, which is similar to the entity's own "Cronus." CyanogenMod's post emphasizes that while the team does not agree with the C&D claim, they do not have the time or resources to fight it so, naturally, they're looking to crowd-source a new name for the clock.
Since the debut of the Nexus 4 last year, users have been craving official accessories. The Nexus line has never had great luck in seeing OEM accessories come to market, but the long-awaited release of the Nexus 7 dock brought a glimmer of hope.
It looks like Nexus owners have even more to be excited about today, though, as the Nexus 4's wireless orb charger is up for grabs from Pure Mobile. We saw a few stories floating around about the listing earlier today, but it appears the item has entered stock for pre-order in the last few hours. Units are expected to arrive in "2-4 weeks."
If you're a Nexus 4 owner looking to take advantage of the device's wireless charging capabilities with an official (not to mention aesthetically pleasing) accessory, hit the link below.
If you've got a hundred dollars to burn and love awesome technological toys, J&R has a deal for you. The self-described "gadget wonderland" is offering the Sphero ball for $99.99, a $30 drop from its normal price of $129.99.
For those unaware, the Sphero is a robotic sphere than can be controlled from your smartphone or tablet. The concept sounds simplistic, but all it takes is a bit of imagination to make Sphero an awesome gadget. Readers may remember Sphero's holiday display in New York last year:
What's more, Sphero has an open API, allowing developers to make their own Sphero apps.
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