new - 8/45 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Dec

US Cellular's Samsung Galaxy SII Receiving Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 Update (FK19)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy S II, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News, US Cellular

If you're still toting the US Cellular-connected Galaxy SII, good news – it seems the device's update to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.4 is ready to go and can be installed using USC's "Simple Upgrade Tool" any time now.

The update, which carries software build number FK19, brings with it all the Ice Cream Sandwich goodness some other carrier variants already enjoy including Face Unlock, TouchWiz improvements, and more.

^{Image: US Cellular's Ice Cream Sandwich Promo Document}

While US Cellular's Galaxy SII may be a bit late to the Ice Cream Sandwich party, it's nice to see continued support for the device, 10 months after it first debuted on the carrier.

Dec

Verizon's Pantech Breakout Getting Update To S8995VWCA55F.BB With A Long List Of Tweaks

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Breakout, News, Verizon Wireless

Listen up, Pantech Breakout owners – Verizon has just announced an update to build S8995VWCA55F.BB that brings with it a laundry list of tweaks and enhancements. While it's not a bump to the next version of Android, the update is still refreshing, given the Breakout's debut on Verizon is now more than a year behind us.

The update, which should be rolling out to Breakout owners any time now, comes with improved SMS delivery, memory management fixes, enhancements for data connectivity, and improvements made "to reduce SD Card issues" among other things. Here's a full look at update S8995VWCA55F.BB from Verizon's own support document.

Dec

56 Best New Android Games From The Last 3 Weeks (11/20/12 - 12/12/12)

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

The Tiny Bang Story

Today's roundup is sponsored by The Tiny Bang Story by Herocraft. Your hero is assigned with rebuilding his miniature planet, but this is no Sim-style game - it's an old-school point-and-click adventure through and through.

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

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

SoundCloud App Updates With A Slick New UI, Improved Search, And The Ability To Repost

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Applications, News

SoundCloud may not be the most famous app around, but when it comes to sharing a simple audio clip or a song, it's hard to beat. Now, the company's mobile app is getting an overhaul and with it comes a shiny new interface that doesn't suck. The UI upgrade makes use of the action bar, side navigation panel, notification controls and all the other fancy new features that we've grown used to since Ice Cream Sandwich and beyond.

The update also brings improvements to the search features that should help you track down public audio (like our podcast!) more easily.

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.

Dec

[New Game] Gameloft Launches Heroes Of Order And Chaos – The First 'True' Online Battle Arena Game For Android

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

Bringing what it calls the first multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game for mobile consoles to Android, Gameloft today released Heroes of Order and Chaos to the Play Store.

The game, a spinoff of the original Order and Chaos, takes place in a "unique fantasy setting" where players will join a battle that's been raging for centuries. It pits teams of three or five players against each other in one of two maps (depending on your party size), combining non-stop arena combat with RPG elements. Players can choose from 30 unique characters, six of which will be offered for free each week.

Dec

[New Game] Yesterday Comes To Android, Point-And-Click Noir Adventure Intact

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

Offering a point-and-click adventure that asks players how far they will go to find out who John Yesterday is, Bulkypix has brought the aptly-titled Yesterday to the Play Store.

The game, which relies on "an innovative interface based on innumerable blow-ups," follows the story of three playable characters including Henry, a "young NGO volunteer," his friend Cooper, and John Yesterday himself as they try to solve a mystery surrounding a chain of murders in New York. Aimed at adult players looking for a thrilling noir gameplay experience, Yesterday has a unique art style that resembles a mix between reality and comic-book exaggeration.

Nov

[New Game] Zynga Brings 'Family Friendly Weirdness' To The Play Store With Clay Jam

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

Partnered with Fat Pebble, Zynga officially launched Clay Jam for iOS and Android today, bringing to market a game made entirely of clay. Charged with the mission of saving the land of Clay Jam, players control a ball of clay called Fat Pebble as he rolls down hills collecting clay, avoiding obstacles, and maneuvering about using a "gouge control system."

Clay Jam, which has plenty of hills to roll down and unique hand-built monsters to encounter, is free to play, with optional in-app purchases to "save Clay Jam even sooner." The real story, though, is the impressive thoughtfulness and craftsmanship behind the game.