Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. This week we have the official release of a Yahoo-branded group messaging app, an augmented reality exercise tracker, and a brewery app that can help users gather all of their favorite recipes and instructions together in one place. So without further ado, here are the most notable Android apps released in the last week.
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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Apps
Yahoo Together – Group chat. Organized.
Android Police coverage: Yahoo Together is another group messaging app nobody asked for [APK Download]
What was once known as Yahoo Squirrel has now been renamed to Yahoo Together, and it is officially available for everyone. The new group messaging app takes its cues directly from Discord and Slack, which is unsurprising. The real hurdle will, of course, be that few people are willing to switch their favorite messaging apps, which could mean this release is dead in the water before it ever really gets off the ground. I suppose someone had to top the ghostland that is Google's Allo.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c24zWBi-iU
Run An Empire
Android Police coverage: Run An Empire mixes AR strategy gameplay with an exercise tracking app
Run An Empire is the latest take on gamifying exercise. The app combines the basic gameplay concepts of the 4X strategy game Civilization with an exercise logger that concentrates on running, jogging, and walking. By running around certain areas, you can claim them in the game, but you'll have to make sure you exercise frequently, or else you may lose those territories to another player. The gameplay works well enough, though the egregious IAPs means it's also pay-to-win, which kind of ruins the competitive aspects.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $4.99 - $134.99
Brewy - My beer brewing assistant
Brewy is a nifty little brewing assistant app. You can easily input your favorite beer recipes directly into the app, and use it to guide you through your daily brewing process to ensure that your homebrewed beer is a success. Importing data from Beersmith is fully supported, so you can pretty find the info you need for just about any beer recipe you're interested in.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
NYC Secure
NYC Secure is a city-sponsored mobile security app. It has been designed from the ground up to protect your private information from threats by quickly sending you alerts and recommended actions. So if you happen to live in New York, or plan on visiting, this app should keep you secure by notifying you of any threats to your device or the current network you are connected to, plus it'll even keep track of your apps.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
NotaBene by Fin
NotaBene by Fin is a new note-taking app that is useful for jotting down quick notes or recording your spoken thoughts. You can also attach photos to all of your notes. The app ties into the Fin personal assistant service, but of course, this is not explained in the listing on the Play Store. You can't even use this release unless you sign up for an account, and yes you will have to verify your email. That's a lot to ask for in a note app.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Asolo in VR
Asolo in VR is the latest virtual reality exploration app from Lithodomos VR. You can use the app to explore ancient Roman Asolo. So if you happen to own a Daydream or Cardboard compatible device and you would like to explore this ancient city, I would suggest checking out this app to see what it has to offer. Every detail of this title has been researched and produced in conjunction with Asolo municipal museum. This way you know it offers an authentic experience.
Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Profiler
Profiler is an awesome little app that can display your phone's stats in a floating window. This makes it easy to view those stats at the same time as you are running a game or app. So far the supported components consist of CPU load and frequency, GPU load, RAM usage, network traffic, temperature, and battery voltage (temperature and current).
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $4.99
Fraction Basics - Easy & Effective Fractions Tutor
Fraction Basics is a new educational app from Visual Math Interactive, a studio that concentrates solely on apps that make learning math fun and easy. This particular release is designed for anyone currently struggling with fraction problems. So if you are looking for a quick, smart, and effective way to master the basics, this is the app for you. There are twelve visually interactive videos available to help users, and each one builds on the last's lessons.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $19.99
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOQb0D91hts
Invoice Ninja - Legacy app
Invoice Ninja is a free open-source online invoicing app for freelancers and businesses, though many of its features are locked behind a paywall. This particular release is the legacy version of the app, as a new design replaced this recently. So whether you enjoyed the old UI or would like to use the new one, Invoice Ninja has you covered.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $19.99 a piece
MTV Play UK
MTV has had an Android app since 2013, but only just this week did the company release an app for its UK viewers. MTV Play UK will allow those viewers to catch up on their favorite MTV shows, not to mention the daily MTV news. There is even some exclusive bonus content for the hardcore fans out there, such as an original mini-series and behind-the-scenes footage from your favorite shows.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $39.99
Manufacturer And Tie-In Apps
Xperia™ Venom Theme
New Xperia themes pop up on the Play Store every so often, and the latest is designed around the new Venom movie in theaters right now. This particular theme has the ability to change your wallpaper, lockscreen, color schemes, action bar, status bar, app tray button, folder icon, navigation buttons, lockscreen clock, and animated background.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Live Wallpapers
SwissClock Wallpaper and Widget
The SwissClock Wallpaper and Widget is a simple app that pulls double duty as both a live wallpaper and a widget. Both the wallpaper and widget consist of an analog clock that displays directly on your screen. The wallpaper can be customized to show the weather, date, battery level, and of course the time. You can even customize the colors used. The widget is a little more straightforward since it only shows the time.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $1.00 a piece
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.
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