Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.
This is the app roundup. The game roundup from this week can be found here.
Featured App
3CX Mobile Device Manager
Today's roundup is brought to you by 3CX Mobile Device Manager. The app is designed as an employee, device, and inventory tracking service, allowing employers to take a fast and accurate look at where all their mobile devices are at any given time. That's not all: Mobile Device Manager allows you to push or remove apps from remote Android devices, lock them down with the push of a button, and send and receive alerts to and from all hardware. The web-based administration portal and app is free for up to five Android and/or iOS devices, with both hosted and on-site systems available for larger organizations.
Take advantage of all the 3CX Mobile Device Manager features by signing up for a free 5 device account here.
MDM (Mobile Device Management) allows companies to manage, find & track, and secure their mobile devices. MDM is already a major player in the mobile market as companies need to ensure the sensitive corporate data that's on their employees phones remains in house. 3CX MDM can review where all connected devices have been (via the Location History feature), can find & track lost or stolen devices, send custom apps directly to individual or groups of devices, and manage which apps are installed. Securing the sensitive information your employees have on their smartphones and tablets is paramount. Our MDM platform (which is a hosted MDM solution) allows administrators to remotely lock and wipe connected devices, even if those devices aren't connected to the internet, meaning sensitive customer and/or internal data won't fall into the wrong hands.
Apps
Beautiful Widgets Free
Android Police coverage: LevelUp Studio Releases A Free Version Of Beautiful Widgets, Gives You Basic Functionality For The Cost Of Nothing
Beautiful Widgets is one of the most popular customization apps on the Play Store, and it's likely to remain so thanks to this new free version. There are a few limits: you can only use three basic widget types, and you only get ten downloads of different themes. More options are available as in-app purchases.
Tons of widgets, tons of themes, just for you. Beautiful Widgets is your best friend for customizing your home screen. Make it personal, be unique & express yourself.
For free, discover a lot of function :
- A dedicated screen for weather forecast with beautiful animations
- Precise information for your location using Accuweather data
- 3 different kind of widgets : Clock, Weather and Toggle Wifi
- 10 downloads for beautiful themes in a database for more than 2000+ different themes
SoftKeyZ ★ root
Android Police coverage: [New App] SoftKeyZ Lets Rooted Users Easily Change Android's On-Screen Navigation Buttons
Plenty of custom ROMs allow users to change or theme Android's virtual navigation buttons, but so far that privilege has been denied to most stock software builds. SoftKeyZ changes that, at least for rooted users, by giving them a way to expand and visually change soft navigation buttons. A variety of themes are included, but if you're using a deodexed ROM, you might want to hold off - early users are reporting problems.
This application will let you change the SoftKeys / Navigation Buttons fast and easily. This app comes with more than 150+ different soft-buttons to choose from and more will be added with every update. If you got some navigation buttons you would like to see in this app just write an email about it. Until I've added them, you can just use the import feature for these soft keys. This application needs root and "BusyBox" to be installed. This app will NOT overwrite your applied themes, or enable the navigation buttons on devices without them.
STARZ Play
Android Police coverage: Starz Releases Trio Of Video Streaming Apps: STARZ Play, ENCORE Play, and MOVIEPLEX Play
Good grief, it's about time. The Starz media empire (such as it is) has been too long absent from Android devices. This week they made up for it in a big way, by releasing a full streaming suite a la Netflix or HBO Go for three separate movie channels, Starz, Encore, and MoviePlex. And before you ask, yes, you still have to subscribe to cable to get access to them.
Your STARZ subscription just got better. Now you can watch fiercely entertaining originals as well as hit movies anywhere you go. You can play episodes of past season original series as well as current season episodes the day after they premiere on STARZ. Plus, get immediate access to hit movies right when you want to watch them.
MOVIEPLEX Play
Your MOVIEPLEX subscription just got better. Now you can watch movies on your terms. Get immediate access to great entertainment with just the touch of a finger, anytime, anywhere. MOVIEPLEX Play gives you maximum user control by letting you play, pause and rewind. You can stop watching a movie or show and resume it, right from where you left off, whenever and wherever you want.
ENCORE Play
Your ENCORE subscription just got better. Now great entertainment goes wherever you go. Get immediate access to a huge library of hundreds of your favorite movies. Plus, enjoy a huge selection of your favorite TV shows and mini-series. ENCORE Play has everything you could ask for – from Westerns to dramas to action, your favorites are ready to go.
XonoMail BETA- Smart Email App
Android Police coverage: [New App] XonoMail Beta Promises Smart Automatic Organization Of Multiple Email Accounts
I've got six email accounts spread through four different sites and services - sometimes, Gmail doesn't cut it. XonoMail is a beta app that is specifically designed to easily handle multiple POP and IMAP accounts, along with standard setups for popular services. XonoMail can automatically sort mail based on contacts and/or photos. Unfortunately, the app can't support Exchange or Google Apps accounts.
XonoMail is the first mail app that automatically categorizes your email. In the inbox, our smart app adds a category icon next to your email so at a quick glance, you see what the email is about.
Support:
- Supports email protocol: POP3 and IMAP with Push IDLE
- Automatic setup with major email accounts: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Aol...
- Multiple email accounts with Unified inbox.
Dextr Email Beta
Android Police coverage: Dextr Is A Gmail Client That Brings You Closer To The People You Love - And Cuts You Off From Everyone Else
Think of Dextr as a supplemental Gmail app, rather than a replacement for Android's most popular email service. With a more robust collection of filters and automatic sorting functions, it's designed to allow you to more easily separate your home and work life... or just shield you from the people you don't want to interact with. That said, those who like to keep a close eye on their inbox probably won't find Dextr all that helpful.
Dextr is a new mail experience that brings you closer to the people you love. Use Dextr to cut out the clutter of your inbox and focus solely on conversations with the most important people in your life (family, close friends, clients, partners or anyone you choose). We believe mail should be minimal, beautiful and personal. Build a list of your friends (or VIPs) and their messages will be collected in a unified stream. Browsing feels fast and light and remembering to follow up is effortless.
BBC Sport
Android Police coverage: BBC Finally Takes Its Sport App Outside The UK, Now Available To Users Worldwide
Ready for the finest coverage of footy, cricket, and that weird non-circular version of NASCAR? The Beeb's official sports coverage app is now available outside of the UK. Most of us won't be eligible for live video, but you can still get live scores, news, and various clips. It's like ESPN, with more refinement... and more yellow.
The official BBC Sport app is the sports fan’s guide to live sport news, stats, fixtures and results, curated by the BBC’s team of sport journalists.
• Home screen displaying the top stories across the world of sport.
• A page for Football, Formula 1, Cricket, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Tennis, Golf
• A page for all the other main sports, plus major events
Weebly
Android Police coverage: Weebly Releases Official Android App, Makes Mobile Blogging Even Easier
Weebly is an alternative to Tumblr and the like - easy websites for those without the skill or time (like me!) to sift through lines of code. It took the service long enough to get an Android app going, but now that it has, it's a pretty impressive one. You can view and edit posts, create new ones, and manage traffic and comments. Even better, push notifications alert you to new site activity.
Weebly gives everyone a surprisingly easy way to create a high-quality site that they are proud to share. Millions of people have started a site, blog or online store on Weebly and you can too. Featured in Newsweek, The BBC and TIME, Weebly sites work brilliantly on computers, phones and tablets. From your Android, start a new blog and manage it on the go. As a site owner, check your site stats, view your form entries, and respond to customers from anywhere.
Fixya
Android Police coverage: Internet DIY Community Fixya Releases Official Video Android App - Get Your Fixes On The Go
Fixya is a common destination when things go wrong. Their Android app features the community-based guides for fixing computers, accessories, home hardware... just about anything. Even cooler, there's an integrated function for taking photos or videos and uploading them to Fixya, ostensibly for other members to comment on. The app and the service are free.
Have a product question? Ask almost anything by using your device’s video camera to easily communicate your problem instead of trying to describe it with just text. Helpful Fixya community members will watch your video problem and will try their best to provide you a solution. As a part of the Fixya community, you can help other members with their video questions too. It’s fun and helpful.
ArcNote
Android Police coverage: [New App] ArcNote For Android Transforms Your Crappy Photos Of Presentation Slides Into Amazing Full-Size Images
OK, this one is undeniably cool. Take photos of your lecture's PowerPoint slides, and ArcNote will automatically crop and align them, then paste them in your own digital copy of the slideshow. These presentations can be shared in an easy PDF file. Check the video below - it's an impressive system to be sure. Best of all, it's free.
The easiest way to take perfect notes with your Android phone camera. Whether grabbing content from a whiteboard, slide projection, poster or brochure, ArcNote will automatically crop and correct skewed presentations into nice visual notes. No more jotting down messy notes. No more missing important details. Save your time. Free up your hands. All you need to do is take a snapshot and let the app do the rest. Instantly share your notes with colleagues and friends.
Smart Remote for Galaxy S4
The old Palm fanboy in me is thrilled beyond measure that the new batch of flagship devices have infrared ports built in. Here's one of the first apps that take advantage of an IR blaster to make it to the Play Store, a basic universal remote control application for the Galaxy S4. It's got all the standard learning and pre-programmed features, but the app is more focused on control than discovery. It also integrates with the S4's air gestures, and automatically mutes your TV when you get a call - how cool is that?
Why should you need to use more than one remote for all the devices you own ? With Smart Remote for your Samsung Galaxy S4, you can add, create and customize any number of remotes, combining controls from any of your existing remotes. Imagine a single remote on which the CHANNEL UP button controls your Set Top Box from your TV provider, the VOLUME keys control your home theater system and the arrow keys control your TV's menu. On top of all that, since you're holding a phone, why not use some of it's unique features?
Schemes - Scheduled Networking
If you know you need to send text massages or emails at a certain time but don't want to set an alarm, you'll definitely want to check out Schemes. For SMS, Twitter, Facebook, and Gmail, it will allow you to schedule messages or posts whenever you like. True, some services allow you to do this already, but very few have wrapped up all the common ones in such a slick, tidy app.
Schemes is a simple tool that allows you to send scheduled messages via SMS, Facebook, Twitter or Email (Gmail only.). Whether you want to send that happy birthday text at midnight (or a minute before midnight if that's your thing), Tweet about your favourite time of the day, make a Facebook status without your friends on the other side of the world missing it, or send that important business email right on the hour, Schemes will do it for you.
Now Playing
Android Police coverage: Friday App/Game Sales: GTA Vice City, Walk N Text, Jones On Fire, And More [Updated]
There's no getting around it: Google Play Music is ugly. Now Playing aims to give you an attractive, Holo-compliant music player that doesn't look like it's stuck in Honeycomb. Extras include a music widget, lyric and album art fetching, a DashClock plugin, and a built-in equalizer. Gesture controls are great for driving, it's just too bad that this app (or any non-Google app) can't pull music down from Google Play storage.
Now Playing is a powerful, elegant music player for Android. Featuring a simplistic Google Now-esque theme, Now Playing is the most beautiful Music Player in the Play Store. Now Playing is streamlined, containing only the necessary features, without the bloat and complex UI's of the competing music players. Now Playing's streamlined approach to your music collection allows you to quickly navigate your library to find the song you're looking for. It's built in search function speeds this process up even further if you already know what you're looking for.
Earbits Radio
Plenty of apps have promised to be a new kind of music discovery engine, but Earbits caters only to the indie set. It proudly eschews the hit parade in favor of... well, music even that annoying guy with the beanie in Starbucks probably hasn't heard. Instead of ads or subscriptions, Earbits uses "Groovies," arbitrary credits earned by sharing music on the usual social networks.
Earbits makes it dead simple for artists and music lovers to find each other, and create meaningful connections. Our team of experts brings you the best independent music from around the world, hand-curated and served up hot. But that’s not all. Earbits for Android analyzes the music from your phone and recommends channels you’ll like from over 350 genre-based selections, then we intelligently blend your own music into those channels. The result is awesome music discovery with your favorite tracks mixed in. It gets better. On Earbits, you won't find commercials. You won't find unrelated ads. And you won't find subscription fees.
Player FM
With Google Reader not long for this world, plenty of you are looking for new ways to get your podcast fix. Player FM does that and then some, allowing users to select shows from a huge library, then sync RSS feeds with the web app of the same name. In addition, your feeds are turned into an optional personal channel. Users have the option of downloading or streaming, always handy for those whose devices are lacking in local storage.
Bored while commuting? No time to read? Learn something while working out? Player FM helps you discover and play talk shows on hundreds of topics. Offline playback is supported too. Yes, it's a podcast app, but not the one your grandpa used. This is our first release, the downloading model is optimised for simplicity. That means: The app just downloads latest episodes, and that's it. You can't delete episodes manually, they're auto-deleted. To download older episodes, you can use the app's Export feature to save audio files to file system. A future version will let you download and play older episodes inside the app.
AudioBox™
AudioBox is an alternative to the likes of AmazonMP3 and Google Play Music, a service which offers cloud storage for your massive collection of (ahem) legally-purchased digital music. It offers a few bells and whistles that the others don't, like integrated lyrics, easy sharing, and streaming from DropBox, Google Drive, Box.com, and SkyDrive. Of course, no audiophile app would be complete without Last.fm scrobbling.
Your media collection is now truly portable. Stream from anywhere, it doesn't matter where your files are stored. Upload and stream from the cloud, directly from your desktop or from the most popular cloud services. Mix your favorite tracks in custom or smart playlists, even if they are stored on different cloud sources. If you don't know how AudioBox works just drop a line at support@audiobox.fm and we'll be happy to help.
Cloudii
Tired of having separate apps for the "big four" cloud storage services? So are the developers behind Cloudii. The app uses the APIs for Google Drive, Dropbox, Skydrive, and Box.com to integrate all the services into one app. It's a lot like the cloud storage version of the old "all in one" chat programs. You can access all of them from one relatively secure PIN login.
Cloudii is the best app to manage all your cloud services within a single app. Cloudii brings full service integration as well as a powerful synchronization tool. Give it a try. It's free.
SERVICES
[+] Google Drive
[+] Dropbox
[+] Skydrive
[+] Box.com
[+] ...more will follow soon..
flayvr: photo and video albums
If you use your phone or tablet camera like I do, as a means of documenting receipts, phone numbers, and the occasional Kodak moment, you might find flayvr useful. Despite having an annoying as Hell extraneous letter and missing vowel (it's like I'm really in 2007!) the automatic sorting function groups all your photos based on time, content, location, and other magical factors. It's also got the standard social sharing features.
With flayvr, all your photos and videos are magically sorted into exciting fun albums to keep or share with friends. flayvr puts an end to endless scrolling in your photo gallery or photo browser in search of your favorite life moments. flayvr is the easiest way to re-experience your most precious memories. Simply keep on shooting with any Android camera and let flayvr do its magic.
FitScales (Wii Balance Board)
Android Police coverage: Put That Tired Old Wii Balance Board Back To Work With FitScales, An App That Turns It Into A Useful Bluetooth Internet-Connected Scale
If you've got a Wii Fit balance board lying around from Christmas 2008, put its Bluetooth connection to good use with FitScales. Syncing with popular exercise apps RunKeeper and FitBit make it more useful than it might otherwise be, since the Wii Fit board doesn't have a digital readout. You can display your weight in various formats, and get your body mass index at the same time.
Weigh yourself quickly and easily with a Wii Fit Balance Board and Bluetooth enabled Android device. Weighing yourself is as simple as starting FitScales, syncing the balance board then standing still on the board when FitScales is ready. You can optionally sync your weight with RunKeeper and/or FitBit for easy tracking. FitScales makes for a convenient free (open source) alternative to costly high-tech bathroom scales. Suitable for both phones and tablets.
Dock Clock Plus (Night Clock)
This certainly isn't the only dock/alarm app out there, but with a massive list of settings and features, it might be the most flexible. At the top of the list is the ability to activate the app by docking it, or just by connecting it to power. Various views and widgets fill it out, including lots of things you'll want to know first thing in the morning, like weather and email/text counts. There's also the option to "wave to wake" via the proximity sensor.
From the developer of the popular free Dock Clock comes the new ultimate version with almost every requested feature, and some more. Dock Clock Plus is an 'always on' desk or night clock which is activated automatically when you connect your device to a charger or dock. During the day Dock Clock Plus is in an invaluable desk clock with at-glance count information, at night Dock Clock Plus transforms into a low-light night clock.
Dreamboard Mobile
There are a lot of reasons to keep a dream journal - counseling aid, inducing lucid dreaming, or just your own enjoyment. Dreamboard beats the good old legal pad with a bunch of easy modifiers, like moods, events, and colors. The app will automatically track the events (such as they are) and sync across devices with your login.
Dreamboard Mobile is the #1 digital dream journal app. 100% FREE, private, secure and confidential. The most fun and beautifully designed dreams app. Cannot remember your dreams? Want to analyze them? Lucid dreaming? Use Dreamboard Mobile on your Android smartphone and on the web. Log your dreams on your mobile when you wake by selecting a simple set of options like moods, feelings and colors and jot down a dream description.
AT&T Digital Life
Digital Life is AT&T's branded home management system, encompassing security, automation, remote surveillance, and all that jazz. The official app lets you log in remotely, granting access to various feeds and settings. Naturally you'll need an active Digital Life account and a connected house to take advantage of the service.
Stay connected and in control. This app lets AT&T Digital Life customers view and control their Digital Life system while on the go. An active Digital Life account is required.
Beauty and the Beast
Another in the growing list of digital pop-up books, this app takes the more traditional version of Beauty and the Beast as its source material. Eight scenes use puzzles and mini-games to help keep kids' attention when the story and narration aren't enough.
The bewitching tale of beautiful Belle, who must leave behind her father and sisters and live with the Beast in his enchanted castle. Can she really find happiness and her own true love? From the creators of the award winning Grimm’s series, Beauty and the Beast is a unique and beautifully rendered version of this much loved classic. With eight different interactive 3D scenes, all carefully woven into the narrative of the tale, young readers will be magically drawn into the very heart of this magical story.
RightLane™ Beta
If you're a regular long-haul commuter and your car or truck has a factory-installed Bluetooth connection, State Farm Insurance would like to talk to you. Drive 500 miles in 25 days (a round-trip commute of at least 20 miles a day) then fill out the questionnaire, and they'll send you a $50 Visa debit card. Hurry, though - only the first 5,000 U.S. drivers who complete the test will qualify.
State Farm is inviting you to help test a new driving application and you could earn a $50 Visa® gift card for participating.*
Eligibility requirements:
• Resident of the United States
• Android phone running Android 4.0 or greater
• Factory-installed Bluetooth in your vehicle
• Download the app, register, and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA)
• Drive a minimum of 500 miles over a period of 25 days (the 25 days need not be consecutive and can occur anytime within the 120-day test period.)
• Complete a short survey after you have met the driving minimum
Live Wallpapers
Live Pixels Free
Watch as hundreds of pixels, each with a mind of its own, fly around and change color to create beautiful and interesting images and scenes. From fireflies in the night sky, to cats shooting through space, the possibilities are endless. Free Version: The free version is limited to 5 scenes. Please purchase the full version to unlock all scenes. (All scenes can be viewed in preview mode. Limitations apply once the wallpaper is set.)
Origami Live Wallpaper
The Origami Live Wallpaper is a fully customizable animated wallpaper for your Android home screen showing colorful, fading rhombs.
• 9 different themes
• 62 customization options enabling a fantasticatillion different variants
WTF App(s) Of The Week
Switch to Windows Phone
Android Police coverage: Microsoft Just Released An Android App That Prepares You For Switching To Windows Phone By Lying To You
Microsoft really, really wants you to switch to Windows Phone 8. And to prove how easy the process is, and how many popular apps they have in their anemic Windows Marketplace app store, they've released this helpful app. It will tell you how many of your apps are also available on Windows Phone. It's too bad that it won't tell you which ones, it'll just show a rotating set of tiles. Many of which are for popular apps (like Yellow Pages or IMDB) that may or may not actually be on your phone. So, Redmond guys, how long are you going to make us wait for Office, hmm?
Are you thinking about switching to Windows Phone and want a convenient way to migrate your app experiences over? Look no further, Windows Phone has an app for that. Use Switch to Windows Phone to see how many of your Android apps are available on Windows Phone. Just run Switch to Windows Phone on your Android, and this app will check to see if your installed apps are available in the Windows Phone Store. It’s that easy. Then (if you choose) Switch to Windows Phone can save your results so you can retrieve them later on your new Windows Phone and install the apps. You don’t need to remember every app you had on your Android, and you download only the apps you want.
DICKORATE
Android Police coverage: [Hands-On] Dickorate Spruces Up Your—*Ahem*—Parts With Hats, Mustaches, And Self-Loathing
Gentlemen. This is an app for taking pictures of your, ahem, unmentionables. Then you decorate it like Mr. Potato Head. That's all.
Think big. Next time you sext - upgrade your game. Download the Dickorate APP for free and supersize your dick in a click. DICKORATE lets you photograph and enlarge your dick from your Android phone, then add some dick-identity: a tattoo, rings, mustache, a hat or full seasonal regalia, and e-mail or text to a friend or lover with a personalized message. Your anonymity is assured; you are truly a Private Dick. Whether you are a rock star, cowboy, or an athlete - they say, the wardrobe makes the man. Make sure your dick is photo is ready.
Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!
If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.
Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.
- the app's launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
- it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc - the cream of the crop
Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: oh.no.its.the@androidpolice.com.
1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) - please contact us for details.