Ryan Whitwam - 15/30 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Ryan is a freelance tech writer, skeptic, lover of all things electronic, and Android fan. In his spare time he reads golden-age sci-fi and sleeps, but rarely at the same time. His wife tolerates him as few would.

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Dec

Anomaly Korea Review: Tower Defense Is Dead – Long Live Tower Offense

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

You've probably played loads of tower defense games on Android. There's a reason they're so popular, though. See, tower defense games are fun and hard to screw up. Still, the same old thing can get boring after a while. So it's nice to see Anomaly Korea show up and continue turning the genre on its head like its predecessor did. In Anomaly Korea, you play the creeps trying to get past the towers.

Gameplay And Controls

The backstory is that the aliens have invaded and they are not the nice kind that want to invite us to join a galactic federation.

Dec

[Deal Alert] Register Your Galaxy S III Or Note II With Samsung And Get A Free Flip Case And TecTile NFC Stickers (US Only) [Update: All Gone]

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Deals, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, News

The holidays aren't over yet, and Samsung is playing Santa today if you have a US Galaxy S III or Note II. Just register the device with Samsung and you will get a free flip case worth $40 and 6 NFC TecTiles worth another $15. Not bad for doing almost no work.

All you have to do is install the Samsung Mobile Facebook app on your PC (yes, you have to use Facebook). Then just use the app to register your device and email address. You'll need the IMEI number, which can be obtained by dialing *#06#. An email should arrive in short order with links to claim your free cover and TecTiles.

Dec

[New App] Sing! Karaoke From Smule, The Maker Of Audiorap And Songify, Puts Your Voice To The Test

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Okay, get those pipes warmed up for the show. Sing! Karaoke has just dropped in Google Play and it's free to try. Don't worry if your friends and family flee from the room when you get up to sing – you can share your performance later via Facebook, Google+, Twitter, email, and SMS.

Sing! Karaoke includes all the songs the kids are into these days, but not all of them are available to sing for free. You can earn in-app currency by completing offers, or just pay for a subscription and get all the tunes. Once you choose a song, the app will scroll the lyrics and display pitch lines to help you (maybe) sound less terrible.

Dec

[New App] Kii Keyboard Is An Input Alternative With Tons Of Customization

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Last Updated: January 2nd, 2013

Google has really gotten the stock Android keyboard spruced up in recent versions of the OS. Of course, it's still a limited experience lacking in the bells and whistles of some third-party solutions. Speaking of bells and whistles, the new Kii Keyboard has more tweaks and settings than you'll believe.

Kii takes some of the most popular features from the established keyboards. It has swipe input like the Swype keyboard, word prediction like SwitfKey, and a split layout for tablets like you get in several other apps. Want Emoji? Kii has so much Emoji you'll [hamburger] your [football].

Dec

[Deal Alert] Marvel Puts Avengers Initiative On Sale For $0.99, Down From $4.99

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Games, News

Are you feeling a little too normal? Want to feel more super? For the low price of $0.99 you can now pick up Marvel's Avengers Initiative from Google Play and get into that superhero mindset. This game is usually $4.99, so this is a substantial drop. It's not a perfect game, but maybe this price is the sweet spot.

Avengers Initiative is an action fighting game made in the mold of Infinity Blade. You play as the Hulk and get to go up against a variety of villains, monsters, and miscellaneous bad guys. The download is hefty at 1.3GB, and device support is somewhat limited.

Dec

[New Game] Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery Arrives In The Play Store After Debut In Humble Bundle 4

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Games, News

We see a lot of the same tropes repeated over and over in mobile games, but Sword & Sworcery is something fresh and new – at least to Android. After showing up in the Humble Bundle a few weeks back, this innovative title has made it to the Play Store.

Sword & Sworcery is an adventure game that prides itself on its unique style. The music and retro art have been expertly designed to flow together. It's playful and really fun to experience with the social media integration and environmental variables. This isn't a throwaway game – it's engrossing.

Dec

Oops – Google Calls Its Own Device An iPhone If You're Swedish

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Android OS, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

The Nexus line is still one of the few places you can find Android 4.2. The software on most Nexuses has zero interference from carriers and OEMs. That's great for Google as it gets to control the entire software experience. The downside is that there is no one else to point the finger at when something goes wrong. And something is pretty hilariously wrong in the startup wizard on the iPhone – I mean, the Nexus.

Anyone with their language set to Swedish gets the confused system dialog when setting up the device. Even if you don't read Swedish, you can probably pick out the word 'iPhone' right there in the pop up.

Dec

[New App] Small Call Is A Floating Call Notification That Lets You Pick Up, Hang Up, Or Text Back

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

The incoming call screen got a big overhaul in Android 4.0 last year, but it's still not perfect. An incoming call pulls you away from what you might be doing with your phone. Writing an email? Not anymore you're not. Reading a webpage? You can reload that after the phone call. Small Call notifies you of incoming calls in an unobtrusive way while still preserving functionality.

When your phone rings, Small Call will pop up a floating bar at the bottom of your screen. It has answer and ignore buttons on the sides, and a text button in the middle.

Dec

[New App] Twist Tells Your Friends How Late You Are Running

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

We all have that one friend – you know the one. Always running a little late, and everyone has to wait for him or her to show up. Well, now that Twist is on Android, you can find out in real time how much longer you're going to be standing around. It's like putting one of those radio tracker animal collars on your friends.

Twist uses GPS and cell tower location to accurately determine how long it will take you to arrive at an appointment. You can share that information automatically with your friends so they know when to expect you.

Dec

[New Game] Kairosoft Releases The Pyraplex, Walks Like An Egyptian All The Way To The Bank

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Games, News

There is something undeniably addictive about Kairosoft's games. Whether you're developing video games, slaying monsters, or racing cars, Kairosoft grabs you by the eyeballs and won't let go. This time you're going way back in time to run your own pyramid/bazaar in The Pyraplex. Stop me if this sounds familiar.

Your goal is to build up your pyramid's amenities and reputation as you quarry stone, attract visitors, and search out treasures. People will swing by regularly to tour your pyramid and shop for ancient goods and services. Random event will also crop up to keep things interesting. It's probably more engaging than it sounds, but I have to wonder if this is just Megamall Story with a pyramid.