Reviews - 6/69 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Feb

Pocket Fleet Review: White-Knuckle PVP Fun, Five Minutes At A Time

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, Reviews

The term "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena" (MOBA) is a relatively new way to refer to an old idea: a multiplayer, somewhat symmetrical game, in which teams of players face off against each other. It's the bread and butter of online shooters and racing games, but up to this point hasn't enjoyed much success on Android, just because mobile controls aren't well-suited to the ultra-twitchy competitions that comprise most of the genre. Developer Overdose Caffeine is trying to change that with Pocket Fleet, a free space-based MOBA.

At its heart, Pocket Fleet is a space shooter in the vein of Asteroids. You get a single, relatively small ship, two weapons, and a 2D arena.

Feb

Roller Rally Snake Pass Review: A Fun Mashup Of Racing And Platforming

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, Reviews

It's surprisingly hard to make a mobile game, or at least, a mobile game that's worth playing. Mobile developers are still in their infancy, at least compared with their console and PC counterparts. So when someone manages to release a fun, polished game that works well on smartphones and avoids some of the more glaring pitfalls of the platform, we sit up and take notice. Such is the case with Roller Rally: Snake Pass, an Android port of a popular iOS title from MilkyTea.

The premise of Roller Rally is simple. Four animals are in a roller-skating race down a mountain, and the first one across the finish line wins.

Feb

Hideman Is A Stellar Multiplatform VPN App That Lets You Route Traffic Through One Of 22 Countries [Deep-Dive Look]

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

For the past few weeks, I've been testing Hideman - a VPN solution with a feature set I've been seeking for a very long time. I've been using both Android and Windows apps to test the service, and let me tell you - it is everything I was hoping it would be and then some.

Hideman is available for the following operating systems:

Android
Windows
MacOS
Linux (via OpenVPN - you can find configs once you log in)
iOS.

But let's start from the beginning.

Feb

Quick Look: MagNector Pogo Charging Cable For The Nexus 10

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Accessories, Nexus 10, Other Reviews, Reviews, Tablets

Since the Nexus 10's launch, users have been itching to make use of the device's pogo pins. No word has yet emerged from either Google or Samsung about the dock we spied last Christmas or the pogo charger many assumed was in the works, but in mid-December, a thread sprung up on XDA opened by a person who claimed to have the fabled pogo charging cable in the works and nearly ready for sale. After much hurried speculation, it turned out the poster was telling the truth – the MagNector pogo cable (from Town Communication) began selling on eBay, with an official web front following close behind.

Feb

AT&T MiFi Liberate Hotspot Review: It Has LTE, A Touchscreen, And Amazing Battery Life - Any More Questions?

Posted by David Ruddock in 4G, Accessories, AT&T, Other Reviews

Mobile data hotspots aren't the world's most exciting products, though if you travel consistently, they can be an absolute lifesaver. But let's be brutally honest: the average mobile data consumer really doesn't care about the hotspot itself - as long as it works. They care about the network, and the monthly pricing. That's really it.

The hotspot is basically just a tiny little Wi-Fi router with a cellular modem and a lithium-ion battery inside. If it functions properly, you only remember it exists when the battery dies. If it doesn't, it's the worst thing in the universe, and you actively contemplate just how many pieces it would shatter into after a fall from the 4th story window of Homewood Suites.

Feb

Carbon For Twitter Review: You Forgot The Beta Tag

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in App Reviews, Applications, Apps/Games, Reviews

Carbon has had a long and tumultuous journey on its way to the Google Play Store. It was a headlining app on the now-defunct webOS. After that it enjoyed a brief stint on Windows Phone before the developers rage-quit the Microsoft ecosystem. So here we are many months later and Carbon is finally tweeting from an Android phone near you. Was it worth the wait? Can it unseat the reigning champions of Twitter? Let's find out.

Features

Twitter apps on Android have gotten very mature in the last few years. You can't just throw out any old thing and expect people to use it – you've got to have the big features.

Jan

Pebble Smartwatch Review: A Rough Diamond In Need Of A Little Polish

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Reviews

If there's one product from the last year that's managed to capture the attention of just about everyone in the tech arena, it's Pebble. Between the somewhat tenuous underdog status of all Kickstarter projects, a general swell in "wearable tech" interest, and months and months of frustrating delays, it's proven to be even better fodder for bloggers than speculative hardware backers. Finally, 8 months after being successfully funded (and four months after the initial ship date) I've got one sitting on my wrist.

So, is Pebble worth the wait? Putting aside the fact that the wait isn't over yet (most Kickstarter backers are still waiting, and it'll be a couple of months at least before you can buy one outright) the answer is a resounding "maybe." While there are some serious deficiencies in the design of both the hardware and software, the idea and the execution of Pebble are solid.

Jan

Temple Run 2 Review - Is It A Worthy Successor Or Will The Curse Of The Sequel Strike Again?

Posted by John Thompson in Games, Reviews

With over 50 million downloads and almost a million 5-star ratings, Temple Run has set the bar rather high for its successor, Temple Run 2.

As is the case with most successful games, the basic premise of Temple Run 2 is the same as the original: you're in possession of an idol that's been stolen from an ancient temple, which has angered a particularly murderous monkey who wants to get it back.

Gameplay

So what's changed? Well, the maps are more elaborate - this you can tell straight away as you zip-line your way into a brand new environment. However, the basic swipe controls remain the same as the original game.

Jan

Official Nexus 7 Dock Quick Review: A Solid Accessory That's Worth Its Price – If You Can Find It

Posted by Liam Spradlin in ASUS, Nexus 7, Other Reviews, Reviews

After months of speculation, pre-orders, and cameo appearances, it's finally here (kind of) – one of the precious few official Nexus accessories users have ever been able to purchase: the Nexus 7 Dock. After snapping one up when they appeared at B&H, I was one of the unlucky handful to receive a "we regret to inform you" email, noting that the dock was not, in fact, available yet. Just a few days later, though, my dock showed up in the mail.

Jan

Satechi Bluetooth Smart Pointer For iOS And Android Review

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

I have a confession: I like things to be simple and convenient. Older generations may refer to this as "being lazy," but I think I just want things to work the way I want them to. I see nothing wrong with that, and I know I'm not alone. Ergo, when I caught a glimpse of Satechi's new Bluetooth Smart Pointer ($45), I knew I had to check it out. Why? Because when I'm streaming a movie from my tablet to the TV and I need to pause it, I'd rather grab a remote and hit "pause" instead of walking over to the device and doing it manually.