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Google Blogger gets surprise Material Design update on Android after years of neglect [APK Download]
Blogger used to be the go-to platform for anyone who wanted to share their words and opinions with the internet, but it has long been surpassed by social media on the consumer side and Wordpress and Medium on the more professional side. We assumed that Google would just let the service die slowly by not providing updates to it anymore, but today, a new Android app version has been released on the Play Store after two years of stagnation. The update replaces the Holo interface of old with a modern Material redesign, bringing the product in line with Google's other offers.
VUDU might be one of the lesser popular video streaming services, but it's still used and loved by many loyal customers. Its Android app, however, wasn't that good. It was functional, we'll give it that, but it was slow, not quite responsive, and stuck in the Holo era of Android app design. That was version 1.5. Today, the app jumped to 4.1. Whoaaaaaaaaa.
It's 2012 and WebMD, one of the web's leading medical information sources, has decided to get its affairs in order and finally brush up its Android application to implement those cool holo design ideas that Google unveiled back in October 2011. Waiiiiiit. Checks calendar. Refreshes time & date. Checks calendar again. I'll be damned, it's 2015!
While I don't consider myself a hardcore gamer, I do tend to get quickly addicted to casual math games. Give me a set of numbers, some form of logic problem to solve in a few seconds or more, and I can start round after round, often resulting in hours of continuous play. I have tried dozens of math games for Android and kept finding myself drawn toward the most minimalistic ones. Below is a list of ten such games, with simple designs that don't detract your focus away from the riddles.
Simply getting the news is not enough – your news source should also not be horrible looking. The CNN app has long failed on that second count, but now it has a shot at redemption. CNN has updated its app with a Holo UI and support for multiple screen sizes.
[New App] Feature-Packed uPod Podcast Manager Rises From The Ashes Of GoodNews Reader
The uPod Podcast Manager features quite a bit.
Those of you who've ben lamenting the GoodNews reader, especially its tight integration with podcasts, now have a new alternative to consider. The developer of the aforesaid app has finally published a replacement that doesn't depend on Google Reader, and the wait has not been for naught: uPod crams in just about every feature a podcast fan could want. A free trial version of uPod and a $4.49 license are now available in the Play Store.
More than two years after the Holo visual style became standard, there are still quite a few major apps and publishers that aren't on the trolley. Plenty of eager graphic designers have submitted visuals for Holo versions of these apps, but the two-man team at Holofication Nation has gone further: they've actually remade the apps themselves. If that's not enough for you, they've also released an official HN app to the Play Store, making it easy to download and update these unofficial app mods.
Samsung claims that it has 100 million users of its proprietary ChatON messaging service. With that many eyeballs on your software, it makes sense to give it a little spit and polish, right? To that end they've release the 3.0 version of ChatON to the Play Store, complete with a fresh Holo interface and a few more options. Those of you with Samsung devices are probably getting the update anyway, but the cross-platform chat service is available to most Android devices.
Most developers who use the Google Play beta program don't seem to make monumental changes, but Twitter is really taking the beta label seriously. A few weeks after rolling out a completely new UI to the beta app, Twitter has updated the interface substantially again. It's cleaner in some places, but less so in others.
There are many ways to move files between your computers and your Android devices, but most of them feel like a hassle. PushBullet makes things far more simple. This combination web browser plugin/mobile app can send files and links from your computer directly to your notification tray, where you can access them without having to dig around, and its Android app just received a substantial update to version 11.1 that makes it both more attractive and accessible than before.
One of PayPal's problems is that it's immensely popular. As the service implements more features and grows to support a larger user base, it inevitably loses some people along the way. If you want an app that makes it easy to send money to friends that isn't PayPal, Venmo is worth a look. It's simple, doesn't charge to send money from most bank accounts or debit cards, and it just received an update that makes the experience look more at home on Android.
If you're in Twitter's Android beta program, better grab the nearest Android device and check for updates. The official Twitter client has been updated with a completely new interface, and it's not the one leaked at the Samsung IFA event. This version has Android-style tabs, in-line media previews, hamburger navigation, and a proper action bar.
The latest trend in Android user interface modifications is the gesture-based meta-launcher, a way of quickly launching and switching between huge numbers of apps. My personal favorite is still SwipePad, but the current fashion is for Holo-style, scrollable sidebars. Appsi is the latest among these, but differentiates itself with a ton of customization and plugins.
Bitcasa Android App Updated To Version 2 With New UI, Recent Files, Pull To Refresh, And More
Bitcasa Android App Updated To Version 2 With New UI
Bitcasa has had a hard time of it since launching on Android seven months ago. Thanks to a buggy app for its unlimited storage service, it's currently sitting at a 3.5-star rating in the Google Play Store - not good when you're up against juggernauts like Dropbox and Google Drive. Hopefully the completely revamped 2.0 update will fix that. In addition to the seemingly ubiquitous UI overhaul, stability and performance improvements are mentioned in the changelog.
Reddit Now Updated To Version 2.0, Adds Card UI, Pull-Down Subreddit Menu, And More
Reddit Now Been Updated To Version 2.0 Adding New Features
Here at Android Police, we love us some Reddit apps, almost as much as we love the gaming cat meme cakes our Libertarian Atheist girlfriends make us from locally-farmed flour. We featured Reddit Now way back in January, and since then the developer has made some noteworthy changes as the app has updated to version 2.0. The app has been slavishly dedicated to Holo standards since its launch, but the new version includes a Google Now-style card interface, not to mention a reworked look on tablets.
So here's the thing, Skype just received a major 4.0 redesign introducing a whole new look and feel that would feel at home on any Metro device. It just so happens that Metro's UI is pretty Holo-friendly. Windows Phone influence or no, the new version of Skype should still feel right at home on your Android phone of choice.
One of the most popular fitness apps on Google Play has long been MyFitnessPal. This was true in spite of how it looked – the app's UI was absolutely awful, and performance left a lot to be desired. But no more. MyFitnessPal has gotten a new Holo interface in the most recent update.
Imgur Beta App Updated To 0.1.11 With Not-Really-Holo User Interface, Still Has A Long Way To Go [Update]
Imgur Beta App Updated To 0.1.11
Imgur has become one of the standard Internet destinations for quick and dirty photo sharing, but its official Android app leaves a lot to be desired - though to be fair, it's still in beta. The latest update adds a much-needed Holo interface... sort of. The UI has definitely been improved over previous versions, and according to the changelog, it's Holo. While it's clear that the designers were trying for a more standardized app, the guidelines have been followed in some places and not others. It could be called "I Can't Believe It's Not Holo."
[New App] Version 4 Of Popular Forum Browser Tapatalk Drops Into The Play Store As A Free Public Beta
Tapatalk: love it or hate it, it isn't going away any time soon. For those who fall into the former category, version 4 of the ubiquitous forum browsing
Tapatalk: love it or hate it, it isn't going away any time soon. For those who fall into the former category, version 4 of the ubiquitous forum browsing platform is now live in the Play Store, in a public beta version chock-full of new features. The app has been circulating among the Tapatalk faithful in private beta for just short of two months now. Tapatalk 4 is a free download, but requires Android 4.0 or higher.
Expensify App Updated To Version 4.0 With Holo Interface, Puts Renovations On The Company Card
For jetsetters and workaholics who require a little more than a legal pad to keep track of their billable expenses, Expensify has done solid if uninspiring
For jetsetters and workaholics who require a little more than a legal pad to keep track of their billable expenses, Expensify has done solid if uninspiring duty as a mobile companion for some time. Yesterday the Android app got a brand new, Holo-compliant look, making form follow function right out of the land of Froyo buttons. While this update is the biggest change to come to the Android app in quite a while, the core functionality has not been affected that much, with only some new rule filters mentioned on the Play Store page.