new - 10/44 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Nov

Download The Android 4.2 Camera/Gallery App With New UI, Editing, Photo Sphere [Update: Now With Working Sphere Viewer]

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Applications, Jelly Bean 4.2, News

UPDATE: We've updated the links below with an install package that lets you capture and view Photo Spheres right on your handset.

One of the most popular features introduced Monday with Android 4.2 was a revamped camera/gallery app (that we got a peek at early). The camera introduces a new focus/settings UI (popping up with an "options ring" only when you need it), a refreshed gallery interface, and of course – Photo Sphere.

Photo Sphere, for those who missed it, allows users to capture 360° images of their surroundings a la Google Maps, using XML data in concert with an enormous JPG file to help you save an immersive photo experience of where you've been.

Oct

Samsung Announces The Galaxy Premier GT-i9260 - Available In November Starting With... Russia

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Premier, News

Adding to the steady stream of new phones, Samsung has now unveiled the GT-i9260, which will be publicly known as the Galaxy Premier. This phone was previously (and wrongly) rumored to be the Galaxy Nexus 2, as it sports a similar size to the original GN, but has the stylistic design of the Galaxy S III. Not all details are available at this time, but we know the device has a 4.65" 720x1280 Super AMOLED display, 8 or 16GB of storage, a microSD card slot, an 8MP rear shooter and 1.9MP front camera, 2100mAh battery, and Android 4.1. Unfortunately, processor and RAM info weren't announced.

Oct

51 Best (And 2 WTF) New Android Apps And Live Wallpapers From The Last 3 Weeks (10/5/12-10-30-12)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, News

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 3 weeks or so.

This is the app roundup. The game roundup from this week can be found here.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Featured App

Applorer: Game Recommendation

This week's app roundup is sponsored, appropriately, by Applorer. Though the Google Play Store has made leaps and bounds in usability, the sheer volume of games means that the average user (and Android Police writer) just can't weed through and find the silver in the dross.

Oct

Tons Of Stores Now List 16GB Nexus 7 At $199, A Few Selling 32GB For $249, Confirming Rumors

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in News, Nexus 7

Following yesterday's price drop at GameStop, it looks like the Nexus 7 is slashing prices everywhere. Staples, Sam's Club, Office Depot, Wal-Mart, and a few other places all list the tablet at $199 (or a rough foreign equivalent). What's a little more rare is the 32GB Nexus 7 going up for sale in a few locations, though it's unclear how approved that is. Sam's Club has it up for order here, and PC Advisor is reporting that at least one user was able to buy the slate from PC World by asking for it, though it wasn't on display.

Oct

SwiftKey Introduces 'SwiftKey Flow' - A Swype-Like Take On The Mind-Reading Keyboard

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

A nice perk for Android users is an array of other software keyboards. Don't like stock? Don't sweat it. There are tons of others to choose from. Depending on your typing style, there is probably one to fit your needs. Some users like Swype, which allows you to slide your fingers across the keyboard instead of tapping each letter individually. Or there's SwiftKey, which has the ability to read your mind thanks to its incredibly intuitive prediction engine.

But what if you can't decide? Maybe you want both. If you're in that camp, good news for you: SwiftKey just introduced SwiftKey Flow, its take on the gesture-based keyboard.

Oct

TinyLegends - Crazy Knight Makes Its Way To Android, Begs You To Put The Smack Down On Deformed Squarish Creatures

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Games, News

We've all been there: some crazy moon phase happens, awakening hordes of sleeping monsters that are now dead set on destroying... everything. When that happen in my town, I usually grab some sort of diabolical weapon and start swinging it like a madman, destroying every beasty that comes towards me. For those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this fascinating event, there's TinyLegends - Crazy Knight.

This game comes to us from the iOS side of the world, where it has achieved quite a solid fanbase. It's your job to slay as many little boxy-looking creatures as possible, using a variety of mess-stuff-up weapons.

Oct

Redbeacon For Android Helps You Find The Right Home Improvement Professional For Any Job You Need Done

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

Maybe you're looking for a pro to fix up some odds-and-ends things around house. Maybe you some painting done. Or perhaps you're in desperate need of a landscaper. No matter what your home improvement quandary is, there's someone out there who will gladly accept your money to perform said activity. The problem is, though, finding the right person for the job.

Fear not, oh unskilled one - you can now use the power of your smartphone to find just such a person, thanks to the new Redbeacon app.

For those who many not know, Redbeacon is a service that helps you find the right pro for the job you need done.

Oct

55 Best New Android Games From The Last 3 Weeks (9/30/12 - 10/23/12)

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Best Apps/Games/LWPs Of The Week, Games, News

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 3 weeks or so.

This edition focuses only on new games. The app roundup is coming up soon.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the AppBrain widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Featured App

Alchemy Classic HD

It was once believed that four basic elements (fire, air, water, earth, ~~and Milla Jovovich~~), combined to create every living and non-living thing on the planet.

Oct

[New App] Orbitz.com Launches Hotels By Orbitz App – Discover, Explore, Book Hotels On The Go

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Orbitz.com, one of the top online travel/booking resources around, has just released a new app – Hotels by Orbitz, meant to help users find, book, and enjoy hotels in thousands of destinations world-wide, whether you need a room tonight, or want to book a future stay.

The app, which has a somewhat slick – though not strictly holo – interface, not only lets users search for and book hotels, but also provides access to Orbitz Mobile Steals – "exclusive mobile-only discounts of up to 50%." The app also allows you to find hotels based on your current location, and sort search results, like with Orbitz's online interface, by best value, lowest price, or by distance.

Oct

Onyx International Working On Android-Powered E Ink Smartphone [Video]

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, News

E Ink has long been lauded as a versatile, universally legible display technology, making appearances in NOOK tablets, Amazon Kindle devices, and a couple of weird prototypes over the years.

Onyx International, a manufacturer of ebook readers, has evidently created a prototype smartphone – powered by Android – that uses a full E Ink display.

The phone you see above is apparently the only prototype of this device in existence (so far). While the specs aren't named, we can see that the device is running Android Gingerbread, and not without its issues. Of course, as a – presumably – unfinished device, bugs are to be expected.