Apps/Games - 263/392 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Oct

Birzzle Puts A Twist On Block-Matching Gameplay - Results In A Brilliant, Fast-Paced Puzzler

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Games, News

Making their first entry into the Android Market, the developers at Enfeel Inc. may have struck gold with Birzzle, a fast-paced puzzle game that offers familiar "match three," Bejeweled-style gameplay with a refreshing twist.

While the game ostensibly relies on the tried-and-true premise of matching objects in a grid formation, Birzzle offers something a bit new - the player can drag and drop birds to create groups, but can only grab hold of those birds who are not blocked by others. This speeds up the gameplay considerably, and, along with a multitude of special blocks, keeps the game interesting and fun.

Oct

Android Users Can Now Control Their ADT Home Security Systems From Anywhere Thanks To ADT Pulse (Beta)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Last Updated: October 10th, 2011

ADT's mobile home security offering, ADT Pulse, has been available for iPhone for some time now, but has recently made its debut on Android. ADT has released its Pulse Beta app into the Android Market, bringing highly sophisticated security controls to the palm of your hand.

ADT's Pulse Beta not only allows you to arm and disarm your ADT security system, but includes very impressive controls for lights, security cameras, and even thermostats. For those concerned with the security of having control of their home security system on their mobile, it is worth noting that the app requires users to log in before accessing any security features.

Oct

[Exclusive Download] Google+ 2.0 From ICS - Offers New, More Polished Interface

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, Exclusives, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

Earlier today we gave you a quick look at Chords from the new Google Plus 2.0 app that should be included in ICS. Now, let's take a closer look and compare the updated Google+ app to the current release, shall we?

What's New

^{Left: Old, Right: New}

First off, the notification bar has been moved from the bottom to the top. Other than that, nothing really to see here (aside form Chord, but we've already talked about that).

Much like the Music 4.0.1 app, this update seems to be all about polish. Everything looks cleaner and more intuitive. The overall organization and layout has been improved.

Oct

[Update: Doesn't Work On Some Phones] Minecraft Pocket Edition Now Available For All (Well, Most) Android Handsets And Tablets

Posted by David Ruddock in Games, News

Update: While the app has been updated and will install on all devices now (if they meet performance and memory requirements), please test for functionality using the demo version, here.

Here it is, Minecraft: Pocket Edition for Android - and it's no longer monopolized by Sony's XPERIA Play, as had been the case for the past several months.

Minecraft: Pocket Edition

QR code for https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe

DEMO:

Minecraft: Pocket Edition Demo

QR code for https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mojang.minecraftpe.demo

This should work on your Android phone or tablet (Honeycomb included!), so get going! We haven't confirmed that it works on all Android devices, but this is the release we previously said would be coming to bring support to virtually every major Android phone.

Oct

[Exclusive Download] Google Music 4.0.1 Built For ICS - All New Interface, Better Controls, And More

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, Exclusives, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

Oh, do we have a story for you. It's a story of mystery, intrigue, and a lost prototype Nexus Prime. Yes, a lost Nexus Prime. Or Galaxy Nexus - whatever it'll end up being called.

Our story begins like any other -- with a person. Not just any person, though -- this person is special. They go by the name of Geek Vundotra, and they work for Verizon. Geek is a Verizon engineer who happens to be carrying a very special phone. A phone he happens to leave in a bar... or something like that. Now, thanks to Geek's screw-up, we have some goodies for all of you that are sure to get you excited for what's to come.

Oct

Exclusive: Google Plus Messenger And Conversations Will Become "Chords" According To Google Plus v2.0 App Found In ICS [Screenshots]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, Exclusives, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

Get ready, folks - the next few days are going to get really interesting. We've already started seeing Ice Cream Sandwich leaks, so why don't we join the fun as well?

This tidbit comes from the Google Plus app found on the Verizon Ice Cream Sandwich device (thanks for dropping some goodies at our porch, Geek Vundotra!). The Google Plus app found on this device is no ordinary app - it's marked as v2.0 and contains numerous UI changes from the v1.0.x that is in the Market right now. But we'll dedicate a separate post to that - right now I wanted to point out something that immediately jumped at me as soon as I installed and opened Google Plus 2.0 on my EVO (yes, it's compatible).

Oct

[Game Review] Musaic Box by HeroCraft Takes Hidden Object To A New Level

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

The same developers who brought the kitsch hit Farm Frenzy to Android have recently released what they're calling their best game ever: Musaic Box - a game that successfully combines the hidden object and puzzle genres, and adds some truly unique twists that make for a dynamic, interesting experience.

At A Glance

The very first thing I noticed about Musaic Box was the stunning visual style. The environments are clearly polished, with an astonishing level of detail, and almost everything you'd expect to be interactive actually is. The gameplay is challenging, but not unmanageable. Since Musaic mixes in puzzle elements to its hidden object base, the pace feels steady and the game stays interesting.

Oct

[Hunt For The Best Dialer, Part 5] DW Contacts & Phone & Dialer: A Little Cluttered, But A Powerful Option Nonetheless

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Hunt For The Best Dialer

From developer DWP, DW Contacts & Phone & Dialer (hereafter referred to as DW Contacts) makes our fifth entry in the hunt for the best dialer, combining a slew of features into one versatile (if a little clumsy) interface.

At A Glance

The first thing I notice about most apps is their visual design. DW Contacts was no different in this regard, but that isn't necessarily a good thing. DW doesn't offer anything really new in the design department, except for the ability to change the colors, transparency, and font size of pretty much any element of the app. This is nice, but nowhere near as flexible as the theming we've seen with certain other dialers.

Oct

Google Docs App Updated With Full Support For Honeycomb Tablets

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

When the official Google Docs app was released a few months ago, we were all pretty excited about it. Since then, I've been using it on my phone and tablet, but have longed for an update that improved the interface on Honeycomb. That day has finally come.

Google just announced via the Google Docs Blog that an update is now available for the app, bringing an entirely new design for Honeycomb tablets. It's intuitive, fluid, and is exactly what I've been waiting on.

It features a three-pane view that allows quick access to your collections, as well as owned a starred items on the leftmost panel; a list of your docs in the middle, and a preview of the selected doc on the right.

Oct

[Video] Pre-Release Preview: ShadowGun Isn't Just A 3rd Person Shooter, It's A Technical Marvel

Posted by David Ruddock in Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

When we first saw ShadowGun back in May, we were immediately struck by what was at the time a platform demonstration for NVIDIA's Kal-El quad mobile processor. Character textures were the best we'd seen on any Android game, and the environments looked rich and well-crafted.

Now the developer, MadFinger games, has given us (and a number of other sites - no one has the full version yet, and I mean no one) a pre-release version of the game to try out - optimized for Tegra 2 processors (a Kal-El optimized version will be released later). Here's a screenshot from the Kal-El version: