Apps/Games - 272/393 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Sep

Google Goggles For Android Updated To 1.6, Wants You To Snap More Pictures

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Applications, News

Google's neat-o Goggles app has just been updated to 1.6, and brings intelligent photo recognition to the table. What exactly does that mean? Well, I can't put it much better than the official announcement:

Let’s say that I’m going on vacation, and I decide to use my Android-powered phone as my primary camera. Goggles would identify landmarks, paintings and other interesting objects in my photos. I can share these facts about my vacation with my friends right from my Goggles search history.

In other words, Goggles is running in the background. You snap a picture, and Goggles recognizes it. The app will notify you that it recognizes the content of the picture, and attach that info to the picture in the Goggles app.

Sep

Captain Unobvious Tip: New Facebook For Android Has Swipe-To-Delete For Wall Posts And Comments, Swipe-To-Archive For Messages

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News, Tips & Tutorials

If you belong to the dying breed of people still using Facebook (at least that's what everyone on Google+ seems to think), I think you will find today's tip quite handy, to say the least.

As it turns out, you can actually delete wall posts and comments (on your own wall or ones you created) as well as archive messages all by swiping away the item in question. Both left-to-right and right-to-left gestures seem to work, though left-to-right is a bit more reliable and natural.

Note: The gesture doesn't work everywhere - for example, it didn't work when I tried to swipe away a post by page (Android Police), probably because it still uses the old layout.

Sep

Weather And Business Apps The Top Grossing Categories On Android, Games Come In At Number Seven

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Android OS, Applications, News

Each month, Research2Guidance puts out a report on Android Market paid apps, which includes how they stack up against each other. The current state of the Market is somewhat of a surprise, as weather and business apps hold the top two grossing spots, with productivity, media & video, and books & reference rounding out the top five. However, one of the most downloaded categories on the Market - games - doesn't show up on the list until number seven, suggesting users would rather download a free game, rather than pay for one.

If you're looking to make money on Android, though, R2G suggests focusing on business apps, as it's highly unlikely for anyone to make "yet-another great weather app."

For more information, check out the full edition of Android Market Insights, available for free at Research2Guidance's website.

Sep

Facebook For Android Updated To v1.7, Brings Pull-To-Refresh, New Sharing & Tagging Options, Photo Swiping, More - Finally Back In The Tablet Market Too

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Facebook for Android got one step closer to being a viable replacement for its online counterpart today, after receiving an update today that brought several anticipated sharing, privacy, and interface changes.

Users now have access to the same privacy controls for posts as in Facebook's online interface and can tag friends and places as well. The update also brings improved messages and notifications, fixes for performance issues, and a couple of interface changes including redesigned profile and group walls, and a swipe interface for photo browsing. The developers have also added some other subtle enhancements such as pull-to-refresh capabilities iOS users are already so used to.

Sep

Amazon Appstore Introduces 'Geek Week,' Drops The Price On Some Very Useful Apps

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

While the Amazon Appstore may have its downfalls, it also has its upsides -- namely good deals and free apps. Thus is the case with its new promotion called "Geek Week," in which some very useful apps designed for hardcore Android enthusiasts have received a nice price drop.

As for the apps in question, you'll find some well-known tools and utilities in the mix:

Easy Tether for $4.99 (normally $9.99)
Root Explorer for $0.99 (normally $3.99)
WidgetLocker for $0.99 (normally $1.99)
Wave Launcher for $0.99 (normally $1.99)
SetCPU for $0.99 (normally $2)
RepliGo Reader for $1.99 (normally $4.99)
Xtralogic Remote Desktop Client for $12.99 (normally $24.95)
BackupEverything for $0.99 (normally $1.99)

Among those, I highly recommend Root Explorer and SetCPU (for overclocked devices), but the majority of those apps are definitely worth the sale price.

Sep

DirecTV Brings NFL Sunday Ticket To Honeycomb Tablets, Lets You Keep Up With All Games At Once

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

I have absolutely no problem admitting that I'm not a football fan. What I do have a problem with, however, is when an amazing app like DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket for Tablets hit the Market and I have no use for it. For the football fans among us, though, this is pure gold.

NFL Sunday Ticket for Tablets lets you monitor every Sunday game all in one place, as well as stream whichever one you like in a smaller window, making dreams come true for the football-multitasking-maniac (like my Dad, for example). It also gives you highlight reels and instant updates on scores, stats, and schedules, so you always know what's up.

Sep

Netflix App Updated, Now Officially Supports All Android 2.2 And 2.3 Devices

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

While there have been plenty of Netflix builds available for download to be sideloaded onto "unsupported" devices, many users have been waiting for an official update to be pushed out by Netflix.

That day has come, as the app received an today today that brings support to all Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices. Oddly enough, though, the app also updated on my Galaxy Tab 10.1 which I had previously sideloaded it onto. There's a good chance that this build may support other devices than the ones suggested by the Market listing (read: tablets), but we'll have to wait for more evidence of that.

Sep

[Game Review] Gravity Wins Brings Connect Four To Android With A Twist

Posted by John Thompson in Game Reviews, Games

Believe it or not, Connect Four was originally released in February of 1974, which makes it 37 years old. In that time, it's seen some minor updates and variations, but it mostly remains the same game that it was all those years ago with a plastic grid and some colored tokens.

Fast forward a decade or four, and the old classic seems to have been somewhat re-imagined and brought into the 21st century thanks to an Android game called Gravity Wins.

There are two versions of Gravity Wins: a free, ad-supported version, and a paid, ad-free version. The game is identical on both, so as long as you don't mind an ad at the bottom of your screen whilst you're playing, you can save yourself a buck.

Sep

[New App] Got An Android Tablet? Like YCombinator's Hacker News? Grab The Excellent HackNewsBot For Honeycomb Tablets

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Applications, News, Tablets

I'm a huge fan of 2 community news sites - Reddit and the more technical/nerdy Hacker News by YCombinator. The former has a few tablet apps but Android users haven't had as much luck with Hacker News apps for tablets. The website, while fast and looking just fine in the browser, is far from optimal for those using a touch interface with its tiny links to discussions and buttons.

Enter the new HackNewsBot app by Jason Ostrander, designed specifically for Honeycomb tablets.

We have the independently scrolling list of stories on the left which can be toggled on and off to make room for the browser on the right.

Sep

Official NFL App Comes To Honeycomb Tablets For The 2011 Season

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

We've covered a few different football-related apps lately, and for the football fanatics among you, the NFL released an official app specifically designed for Honeycomb tablets into the Market just a little while ago.

The app allows you to watch on-demand NFL network news and other info, check out the latest on your favorite teams, keep up with game action, stats, and drive charts; and check out team rosters, stats, and player info, all while looking mighty good doing it.