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Apr

Amazon's Kindle App Hits Version 4.0 With Reworked Interface

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Amazon, Apps/Games, News

Amazon's Kindle app has just received a significant update, bringing the reader up to version 4 and introducing a refreshed UI, among other things.

Just when I'd decided to try switching to Play Books (despite giving up things like quick two-finger brightness adjustment), Amazon has introduced a redesigned library that's much more lively than a simple grid of book covers. The new library interface has your books plus a nice "carousel" up top for recent items. The navigation panel has also been expanded for quick access to documents and Newsstand items, along with items that used to hide under the overflow button.

Apr

[NSFW] Taint Wrangler Is A Gross, Perverse, Horrible Game That Will Probably Be Pulled Before You Finish Reading This Article

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Games, News

Last Updated: May 4th, 2013

You're a dick. I mean, in this game. Well, you could be a dick in real life, for all I know, but that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about phalluses. Why are we talking about phalluses? Because sometimes when we're trying to track down great games and apps for you guys to try, we accidentally stumble upon male genitalia. The Play Store is much like Chatroulette in that regard.

Note: NSFW cartoon imagery and language follows.

Apr

Indigo Is A Voice Assistant That Knows How To Carry On A Conversation Like A Normal Person (Or Clever Bot)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Here at Android Police, we love Google Now (and all the associated voice actions), but the natural language could use a bit of sprucing up. If you'd like to try an alternative voice assistant, Indigo may grab your attention on this front. The pitch here is that the app remembers your conversations and can sync those inquiries across devices.

If you ask a question like, "Where can I find Indian food around here?" you'll get a list of results. Tap on the one you're most interested in. You can then follow that up with "How can I get there?" From the context of your last question, the app can understand that "there" is "the indian restaurant." It even works if you switch devices, provided they're both logged in to the same account.

Apr

DJ Space Gets All Carl Sagan On Us, Lets You Create Music By Arranging Planets And Flying Through Space

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Last Updated: April 21st, 2013

Professional musicians, you are free to sit this one out. DJ space is probably not going to fill your needs. Unless you need to play god, turning the planets themselves into musical instruments as you conduct a cosmic electronic orchestra with naught but your fingertips. If that's something you've needed, then yes DJ space will serve your purposes quite nicely.

FL Studio this is not, however as the saying goes, "If you want to mix sweet tracks from scratch, you must first invent the universe." The app functions very similarly to Garage Band in that you select from pre-recorded loops of music and assemble them into tracks.

Apr

Google Invites Users To 'Do A Little, Change A Lot' With Charity-Minded One Today App

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, Google, News

Google has just launched a new app that brings a charitable side to the Play Store, making it easier than ever to – in Google's words – "do a little. Change a lot."

The basic idea behind the app (which, for now, is limited to the US) is that users can donate $1 at a time to a daily project such as saving cheetahs, bringing clean water to those in need, or providing a roof for school children. That's not all it does, though – users can track their "impact," and almost gamify the process by challenging friends to match contributions or sharing their good deed via social media.

Apr

MyGlass App Goes Live In The Play Store, Google Launches Glass Setup Page

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Applications, Glass, Google, News

It looks like Google is gearing up for the Glass Explorer program, launching the MyGlass companion app and a new Glass setup page, both accessible to the general public.

The companion app relies on Google's now-signature "Card UI," and the listing's screenshots show off some of the app's functionality, though Google reminds us "if you don't have Glass, then downloading this will be a waste of time. Sorry about that." The description goes on to comfort readers, however: "But if you swipe the screenshots to the right, you'll see there's a picture of a puppy in pajamas. So not a total waste of time after all."

Of course, users can still install the app, though it (obviously) won't be able to complete Glass setup properly without an actual Glass unit.

Apr

SendHub Arrives On Android, Provides Cheap Calling And Texting For Businesses In U.S. And Canada

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Google Voice is a great service for replacing your carrier's voicemail and texting options. If you need something that's a bit more robust, however, SendHub has launched on Android and allows business-class users to set up a phone number (or set of numbers) and get texting and calling for free or cheap, depending on what class of service you need.

Free users can get 60 voice minutes, 500 messages, and 3 groups of 50 contacts for their first line. That probably won't be enough to convince the average user to ditch their current phone number, but for a new business line (or a throwaway), it can be great.

Apr

Chat Heads Not Your Thing? Well, Maybe Ninja SMS, The Floating Text Message App, Is More Your Speed

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Today has become Facebook day, whether we like it or not, it seems. If you're sick of the social network, but still like the idea of having a floating app to message your friends, Ninja SMS may be what you need. This app commandeers your text messages when you receive them, hovers over whatever you're doing, and lets you roll up the conversation when you're not in the midst of a message.

Curiously, there doesn't seem to be a way to initiate a text conversation with the app. You can only wait for someone to message you first.

Apr

Facebook Home Is Now On The Play Store, Available For Select Devices [Updated]

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

We just saw updates to Facebook and Messenger that were preparing for Facebook Home to arrive on Android. Now, the app is rolling out to the Play Store, albeit slowly. As of right now, links to the app here are pulling up the entry on some devices. We've been trying it out here at AP and some of us can get the app to come up, some can't, but it's clearly on its way.

The app is due to come out today, per Facebook's anonouncement back on the 4th, so keep an eye on the Play Store and let us know if you're able to download it.

Apr

Chat Heads Come To Facebook Messenger Without Facebook Home, Regular App Updated To Prepare For Home Arrival

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

Today, both of Facebook's current apps have been updated to prepare for the arrival of Facebook Home. The main app merely added an extra permission that Home will eventually use. However, the real fun came to Messenger, which now has the ability to pop out Chat Heads, regardless of if you're using the replacement launcher.

As you may recall from the Facebook Home launch event, chat heads are little bubbles that float over whatever you're doing and allow you to jump straight into a conversation no matter where you are in the OS. Just tap your friend's face and an IM window appears.