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May

Autodesk AutoCAD WS Updates To Version 2.0, Becomes AutoCAD 360

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Applications, News

Autodesk's AutoCAD has made the jump to the big v2.0, and it's received a makeover in the process. The app formerly known as AutoCAD WS is now AutoCAD 360. Microsoft may have run with the 360 branding for nearly a decade now, but clearly its appeal remains alive and well.

Computer-aided design software like AutoCAD enables users to make both 2D and 3D designs for real-world products and structures. The mobile version is an easy-to-use remake that helps professionals share and view designs out in the field. With this latest update, the Android app can now open larger and more complex drawings than before.

May

Amazon Introduces Cloud Drive To Canada, Expands Access To File Synchronization Service

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Applications, News

The old adage is as true today as it's ever been: good things come to those who wait. Today, Amazon.ca finally granted Canadians access to Amazon Cloud Drive. Our North American siblings can now re-upload all of the photos they've already backed up to iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive to Amazon's servers using Cloud Drive Photos for Android and iOS.

Cloud Drive works well for storing music, especially for people who have stocked up on the $5 albums that Amazon rotates each month. Amazon's Cloud Player allows users to stream all of their uploaded songs to any computer or Android device, but tracks purchased via the Amazon MP3 Store don't count toward their storage limits.

May

[New Game] Arma Tactics THD Brings Top-Down, Turn-Based Military Strategy To Tegra Devices

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, News

Armchair generals, take note: tactical games are making a comeback. This top-down micromanaging genre was once dominated by the likes of Shining Force, Tactics Ogre, and Final Fantasy Tactics (and just recently by XCOM: Enemy Unknown) but it's surprisingly perfect for touchscreen devices; see the Great Little War Game series. The ARMA series is known for painstakingly realistic shooters, but it's stepping back for Arma Tactics THD to give the player a bird's eye view of the battlefield.

You control four commandos whose mission plays out on an impressive 3D grid, strategically moving and utilizing their weapons in turn-based combat. (If you're wondering what that's like, Call of Duty players, imagine chess with guns.) Each soldier specializes in a different tactical role, with unique weapons and abilities assigned to him.

May

Great News For Game Developers: Unity Makes Android/iOS Basic Publishing Tools Permanently Free

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Development, Games, News

Things just got a little better for any game developer who uses the Unity3D Engine – the formerly $400-a-piece mobile add-on packs for Android iOS are now free for life. This is a massive bonus for game devs, as it allows them to easily brings their games to the mobile scene with very little effort.

Of course, there are limitations within these now-free add-ons that will require the Pro version of Unity ($1500) to circumvent, but this will at the very least give you a good idea of what's in store if you wish to port a game.

If you already have Unity installed, you need only update the software to access the Android and iOS build options.

May

[New Game] Official Fast & Furious 6 Game Hits The Play Store - A Driving Title That Forgets To Include The Driving

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, News

If you've watched television, browsed the Internet, seen any movies, used the highway or mass transit, or generally made any attempt to leave your house in the last two weeks, you know that the Fast & Furious film series has come 'round for another entry. Naturally that means a new line of toys, games, and licensed fuzzy dice, but only the Android version of the game has garnered our attention. Fast & Furious 6 is available as a free download for devices running Gingerbread or higher.

Naturally, the game focuses on the drag-style racing and over-the-top stunts seen in the movies.

May

Completely Redesigned Opera Browser Exits Beta, Now Available In The Play Store

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

Opera has been talking up its new browser entry into the Android world for a few months now, with a beta version hitting the scene back in March. That beta has now graduated into a final release, which just landed in the Play Store this morning. The overall appearance and functionality seems to be largely unchanged from the beta, so users who have been testing out the browser should feel right at home with the first stable offering (which is a completely new listing in the Play Store, not an update to the beta).

This is a much-needed leap for Opera, as it forgoes the Presto rendering engine in lieu of Webkit (a la Chrome), which is arguably much faster.

May

Google's Field Trip App Finally Does Something Useful By Offering Free Admission To 13 Museums Around The US

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

Field Trip is a somewhat experimental project out of Google's Niantic Labs, an internal start-up that is also responsible for the game Ingress. Field Trip is a location-aware experience just like Ingress, but its purpose is to alert you to notable stuff in your general vicinity. Showing you mildly interesting landmarks is one thing, but Field Trip can now get you free admission to 13 museums in addition to telling you where they are.

Wander near any of the participating institutions and Field Trip will pop up a card (in the Nearby tab) that contains instructions on how to get your free culture injection.

May

Yahoo Updates Flickr App To v2.0 With Slick New UI And A Ton More Storage

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Applications, Apps/Games, News

It seems like Yahoo is really trying to make waves lately with new-ish CEO Marissa Mayer at the helm. Not a day after announcing its acquisition of Tumblr, the company's other vowel-deficient service is getting a makeover, and that includes a new Android app. Flickr, that photo-sharing site of yesteryear, has been updated in Google Play with a new interface. Don't let the old Google Play screenshots fool you – the app has been totally redesigned to match the new desktop site.

The photostreams are now made up of large tiles set against a dark background. There is a slide-out navigation menu and a new interface for applying filters to pictures.

May

DISH Network's Anywhere App Updated To Version 2, Adds On Demand Streaming And Dedicated Tablet UI

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News

DISH Network may be hard at work trying to woo Sprint away from the clutches of SoftBank, but in the meantime, they've got a few million TV customers to satisfy. The DISH Anywhere app left a lot to be desired when it debuted, but version 2 adds much-needed features like access to the company's growing library of on-demand content. Of course, most of the on-demand content comes from HBO, Cinemax and the like, and if you're paying for them, you've already got access to the (usually better) dedicated streaming apps.

Other improvements for version 2 include a revamped user interface for tablets, with both a program guide and remote that make better use of the larger screen area.

May

ShaqDown Available For Free For A Limited Time, Though We're Not Sure How It Will Become Paid Again

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Games, News

Back in the early 1990s, Shaquille O'Neal was one of the largest players in the NBA, and the country could not get enough of him. He released a few albums, starred in a few movies, and even appeared in his own fighting game for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. That title, Shaq Fu, released to instantaneous infamy. When ShaqDown appeared in Google Play back in January, it ended the nearly two decade long wait for proof that Shaq could indeed star in a decent action game. Several months later, One Spear Entertainment is now temporarily making ShaqDown available for free.