13
Feb
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SugarSync App Moves To Version 4.0 In First Update Since Summer 2012 With New Design And More

Posted by in Applications, News

Popular cloud syncing and sharing app SugarSync, which promises to give you "all of your data at your fingertips," got a major update today – its first since July 20th, 2012.

Probably the most obvious change is to the app's interface. In the 4.0 update, SugarSync has been totally redesigned to bring it closer to its desktop and web counterparts, adding – among other things – a new gallery with larger thumbnails, thumbnail support for common video formats, and some holo-esque elements.

Besides its visual overhaul, the app has several handy new features. Among them are cloud search (which lets users search across all their computers), the ability to sync folders from your SD card, and some under-the-hood performance/battery life enhancements.

07
Jul
espnradio

ESPN Replaces Its Old, Crappy ESPN Radio App With Brand New, ICS-Ready Hotness

Posted by in Applications, News

ESPN hasn't exactly been the poster child for great app design in the past. While the company has made several Android apps, many of them have looked rather atrocious and a bit too iOS-y. ESPN, however, has re-launched its ESPN Radio app. The old app appears to have been made by independent company Airkast, while the new app has been brought in-house. And, apparently, ESPN's house does a fine job of making an app. Just take a look:

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The old ESPN Radio app

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And the shiny new one

The new app adheres much more closely to Google's app guidelines and looks much better for it.

29
Jun
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[New Game] Cthulhu Saves The World Is A Retro RPG Parody Featuring The Slumbering Elder God Himself

Posted by in Games, News

You are Cthulhu. Feels good, doesn't it, being an ancient Elder God? Well, I've got some bad news for you. Your powers have been stolen. Don't ask me how the mighty Cthulhu lost his powers, but he did. Now, it's up to you to get them back by becoming a hero and saving the world...so you can destroy it later.

Cthulhu Saves The World is styled like an old SNES, 16-bit RPG, and it's every bit as charming as Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy. The game was originally released on XBLA and Steam, but now it's available for Android, and slightly cheaper at that.

27
Jun
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Jelly Bean Feature Closer Look: Expandable, Interactive, All-Around Enhanced Notifications

Posted by in Jelly Bean 4.1, News

"Android has always put you in control when it comes to staying notified and connected. Now you can take action directly from the notifications shade," says Android's updated "What's New" page. Indeed, today's Jelly Bean announcement saw a number of improvements to the already handy notification system we've come to know and love in previous iterations of Android. Not only can the new notifications system display larger, richer notifications, developers can create actionable notification with interactive controls for telephony, music, and more.

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With a new and improved Notification Builder, apps can create notifications with a height of up to 256dp.

11
May
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[New Game] Machinarium Combines Puzzles, Mini-Games, And A Beautiful, Award-Winning Art Style

Posted by in Games, News

Bringing an incredible art style and steampunk-inspired puzzling fun to Android today, Hothead Games released Machinarium to Google's Play Store.

Machinarium puts players in a "world of robots," requiring quick wit to solve puzzles, work through challenges, and complete various mini-games to help the protagonist Josef save his robotic girlfriend in the city.

If you're wondering why the game looks visually amazing, it's because the graphics are completely hand-drawn. The artistic style of Machinarium is undoubtedly impressive, and adds a ton to the overall experience.

Besides amazing, thoughtful graphics, Machinarium features "an award winning and original soundtrack," ensuring great gameplay without even taking into consideration the various brain-teasing puzzles you'll need to solve to progress through the game.

07
May
pixtiny

Pix'n Love Rush Is A Delightful Retro Platformer, Hearkens Back To A Simpler Game

Posted by in Games, News

Sometimes, we don't want complex games. Sometimes, adding new rules or features to existing genres is a bit overwhelming. Pix'n Love Rush is, in contrast to many games that come out these days, very simple. You're in a side-scrolling platformer world and your goal is to run around collecting things sans dying. Simple enough, right? The game has a colorful retro aesthetic and easy gameplay.

The game has 4 play modes that offer different challenges, but the general idea remains the same. The on-screen controls are as good as on-screen controls can get (which is to say, okay, but not great).

05
Apr
plumetiny

Plume Updates With A Fancy New ICS Theme, Looks Better Than Twitter's Official App

Posted by in Applications, News

Android, as a platform, has an advantage in that apps designed for phones scale to tablets dynamically, so many are functional without a proper tablet interface. The disadvantage? Some developers take their sweet time making said tablet interfaces. Twitter, for example, is still a giant, stretched-out version of the phone app. Enter Plume, an app that sticks much more closely to the ICS design style guide.

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While adhering to the style guide may not always be enough to make an app great, Plume provides a highly-customizable UI that makes use of the best parts of Android's new design elements.

04
Apr
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[New Game] Kairosoft's Cafeteria Nipponica Hits The Play Store – Micromanage Your Own Restaurant Like Never Before

Posted by in Games, News

Kairosoft, makers of the wildly popular Game Dev Story (and a ton of other "Story" games), released Cafeteria Nipponica to the Play Store today, bringing a familiar art style and gameplay format back once again, but this time in a restaurant.

The game poses players as "chef de cuisine" at their very own restaurant, allowing for total control over every detail from tables to TVs to menus, ingredients, salary negotiation, dish development, and much more.

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Like in Kairosoft's other games, players must recruit a top-notch crew to make their way up the restaurant ladder. Successful restaurateurs can even host special events including eating contests and cooking classes.