Liam Spradlin - 18/99 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

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.

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Dec

[New App] Voice, Text Translator Vocre Comes To Android, Signature 'Table-Top UI' In Tow

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Vocre, a voice and text translator that won audience choice in TechCrunch's Disrupt, came to Android today, bringing with it a promising challenger to Google's own Translate app and a "tabletop UI" meant specifically for extended conversations with those on either side of the language barrier.

As shown in the video above, Vocre's interface is exceedingly simple. Users need only select languages and genders, then record their message, check for accuracy, and let the app do the rest. Vocre, for those curious, uses Nuance services to translate your words as a text string, returning results (with pretty reliable accuracy) in the desired language.

Dec

Sony Launches Cinemagram Competitor Motiongraph – Quickly, Easily Create Creepily Awesome Animated Photos

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Sony Digital Network Applications (Sony DNA) today announced Motiongraph – an app that aims to make the creation of cinemagraphs fast and easy for Android users. A cinemagraph, for those who don't know, is a still image with one or two minor elements animated (you can see some great examples here). They're a fascinating medium that can only be achieved digitally, and which have an eerie yet fascinating aesthetic.

Sony's app looks to give users more consistent and controlled results with a simple "rubbing" interface in which areas to be animated are identified by simply highlighting them with your finger.

Dec

Yota Devices Unveils YotaPhone – A Phone With Dual LCD/E-Ink Displays That 'Keeps You Different'

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Jelly Bean 4.2, News

Looking to "rebalance the relationship" between humans and their smartphones, Moscow-based Yota Devices has announced the YotaPhone, a smartphone with an LCD display on one side, and an e-ink screen on the back.

The reason behind (between?) the dual screens, Yota says, is to deliver the information users want, right when they want it, without disengaging from the real world by pressing a power button and unlocking a screen. Users can choose to see information ranging from news stories to social media updates, calendar entries, and more. The information updates itself constantly, and is always ready to be looked at. Since the e-ink display uses very little battery power, the phone's 2100mAh pack should allow users to enjoy usage comparable to devices with a single display.

Dec

New York Times App Updated To Version 3.0 With Adaptable (Tablet-Optimized) UI And More

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

It's always exciting to see a new app hit the Play Store intended for tablets, but it's even better to see an existing app's UI updated to accommodate larger devices. Looking to bring Android tablet users a more aesthetically pleasing experience when reading the news, the New York Times Company today updated its app to version 3.0 with an interface that is no longer just a blown up version of its phone-centric counterpart.

That isn't to say the interface is totally new, however. As NYT indicates, the UI is now adaptable, meaning it reacts to your device's display to deliver the most appropriate interface for the form factor.

Dec

YouTube Updated With Brand New UI For 10" Tablets

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

In an update to version 4.2.16, Google's YouTube app has received a (thankfully) refreshed UI for ten-inch screens, along with some bug fixes. The "revamped" UI seems to be the only thing of note in this update (though if there are any hidden goodies, you can be sure Ron will tell us about them soon), but it makes for a great refresh. For the sake of comparison, we'll take a look at a few before and after shots.

The app's start page is much cleaner, featuring a side-bar navigation system and bigger, cleaner tiles representing videos relevant to whatever selection you've made, defaulting to your subscription feed.

Dec

Here Are Our Seven Picks For Best New Game From November 2012

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games

Just like its collection of new apps, the Play Store made a strong showing in the game department last month. From Ingress to Clay Jam, there were plenty of great new games to choose from in November. With games, as with apps, there are often too many to download and try each one. To that end, we've rounded up the top seven games every Android gamer will want to take a look at from November 2012.

Ingress

Ingress was and is a big deal. A cursory search for "Ingress" on Google+ will reveal huge demand for the game (since it's a closed beta), and some impressive enthusiasm, and it's this community's hype that makes the game great.

Dec

Our Five Favorite New Apps To Check Out From November 2012

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications

The Google Play Store, as always, was abuzz with new apps last month. More than just new apps, though, the Play Store gained plenty of well-crafted, quality apps. The kind that have spurred the market's recent growth spurt, and which allow users to discover functionalities they never knew they needed. As always, we've sifted through all last month's new apps and selected our top five picks – a kind of short list for those looking to get the most out of their device with awesome apps.

Pixlr Express

Pixlr Express, despite its name, is an impressively powerful tool for on-the-go photo editing.

Dec

From The Creator Of Tweet Lanes: Chris Lacy's Action Launcher Now In The Play Store

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Chris Lacy, developer of the gorgeous, widely lauded Tweet Lanes, has finally brought his latest creation to the Play Store – Action Launcher.

As the name would suggest, Action Launcher is a custom launcher with an emphasis on its ever-present action bar. The action bar allows users to quickly open a side-panel app drawer which, in Lacy's words, "aims to allow you to load any app in one second from your home screen." The bar also features Search and Play Store shortcuts, along with an action overflow.

The action bar, as you can see in the video above, is not the only trick Action Launcher has up its sleeve.

Dec

Google Now Offering Up Play Books And Movies In Brazil

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Google, News

After the successful launches of Play Music in Europe, Magazines in Canada, and Movies in a handful of countries, Google has made another step in its international Play crusade, today bringing Movies and Books to Brazil.

Android users in South America's largest country will now have access to thousands of Brazilian titles from Google's collection, along with movies and TV shows. Interestingly, Google's own international availability page hasn't been updated at the time of writing to reflect the expansion to Brazil, but just the same, users can access the store and look for their favorite titles.

Of course, the addition of Brazil only brings the total number of countries with access to Play Books and Movies to around ten, but it's still nice to see Google continuing the arduous task of expanding their media services globally.

Dec

[New Game] SEGA's Spellwood: Word Game Adventure Combines Wizardry And Tile-Based Word Play

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

We know what you're thinking – a word game adventure? The combination definitely doesn't sound natural (if I were playing Game Dev Story, I wouldn't dream of trying this title), but SEGA of America has managed to make it work with Spellwood: Word Game Adventure.

The title, which just recently hit the Play Store, invites players to "become a wizard with words" through simple yet engaging gameplay that combines the concepts of adventure and magic with a tile-based word game.

Spellwood offers multiplayer using Facebook or Google+, or a solo mode in which players will confront over 90 enemies in various towers across the game's map.