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I've gone on record that zombie games are the bane of the mobile landscape, the interactive equivalent of the buddy cop movie: creatively bankrupt, innovative as a brick, and now only rarely entertaining. I'm inclined to stay my hatred for all things green and groaning on this one occasion, if only because the source material is still relatively pure. The Walking Dead: Assault is a squad-based strategy game, born from the same comic book series as AMC's monster hit TV show (but not the show itself). It's available for $2.99 in the Play Store now.
One of the better recent additions to the Chrome browser is a remote desktop tool, developed and implemented by Google and usable between any two desktop computers running Chrome. When it showed up in the Chrome Web Store, we figured that it wouldn't be too long before some kind of Android integration was developed. Googler François Beaufort announced that work has begun on "Chromoting," an Android app that allows users to control remote Chrome clients.
I've been in this situation multiple times: a friend or family member gets their Android phone so bogged down with apps and extraneous files that I recommend a full device wipe. The first question they ask is not "Will I lose all my contact data?", nor is it "What about all the photos I've taken?" No, invariably it's some variation on this theme: "Will I lose all my three-star ratings in Angry Birds?" After years on the market, developer Rovio is finally presenting players with an easy solution in the form of an official Rovio Account.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a hilarious take on Fruit Ninja, a combination rhythm game/endless runner, an online Bomberman clone, and a game that's saved by its trailer. Without further ado:
There are three parts to any good Pac-Man game: a maze, some ghosts, and a little yellow dude eating dots and going "wakka wakka." That's it. Despite this seemingly simple formula, Namco has tried to make Pac-Man a mascot for the ages a la Mario, putting him in everything from platformers to kart racers to freaking Tekken. The latest indignity is Pac-Man Dash, in which the little yellow guy jumps on the endless runner bandwagon.
You've got to respect the American Red Cross: they're just a bunch of people who love to help people. As a recipient of their assistance through multiple emergencies (hey forest fires, you suck) I've been delighted to see their various disaster apps pop up on the Play Store. But their latest tops them all: Team Read Cross gives you a ton of information on volunteer opportunities in your area, then "gamifies" the act of completing them, sort of like a Foursquare that actually encourages you to do meaningful stuff.
The Google Analytics app for Android doesn't get a lot of love, despite the fact that the service itself is incredibly popular. Yesterday version 2.0 began rolling out, and it's improved in just about every way. It's another staged rollout - you might not be able to see the new version on the Play Store just yet - but a goodie bag of new and improved features should make nearly all users happy once they get it.
Yesterday's video for the allegedly "new" Nexus 7, widely speculated to be revealed at Google's July 24th event, was a bit low-fi to get the details. Today CNET has a new image, purportedly from the same source, that gives us a clearer image of that specification sticker on the back of the tablet. There's just one new piece of information that we couldn't make out before, under the "Memory" entry: DDR3LM 1600 256M*16.
Joss Whedon fans, you might want to go grab some duct tape. Got it? Now roll about eight feet of it around your head, just in case it explodes with shiny rainbows at this next bit of news: there's an official Firefly game coming to Android. Not a fan project. Not some promotional minigame. A real title based on the cult classic sci-fi TV show and movie. That sound you're hearing now is a million Browncoats shouting with unrestrained glee.
HTC Makes The One Mini Official: 4.3-Inch Screen, Snapdragon 400 CPU, And Aluminum Unibody, Launching In August
HTC Has Finally Made The One Mini Official
We revealed the full details of the HTC One Mini yesterday, but now the Taiwanese company has made the smaller phone's official debut. The One Mini is a 4.3-inch counterpart to the larger One, alike in design if not specifications: the general look and shape of the flagship is preserved, along with all the software features, plus the Ultrapixel rear camera and "BoomSound" front-facing stereo speakers. HTC plans a worldwide rollout of the One Mini starting in August and continuing into September, with no prices available yet.
Widgets are an indispensible part of Android for many users, including yours truly. It's just too bad that they're so ugly - who wants to use a 1080p screen for looking at Twitter feeds or checking emails when you could stare at some fantastic wallpaper instead? All joking aside, Popup Widget is a pretty fantastic solution for those who prefer their homescreens without clutter.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a long-overdue iOS port, a 2D game that will blow your mind with its insane graphics, an interesting take on Pac-Man, and a cutesy over-the-shoulder shooter. Without further ado:
Dateline: 1999. A 12-year-old Jeremiah Rice spends every cent of his allowance at the local Pizza Hut's dingy game room, trying to perfect an S-Class run on the brand new Crazy Taxi arcade unit. Another fourteen years have passed, and SEGA's ode to irresponsible driving isn't exactly the technical marvel it once was, but it's every bit as fun. And a single fiver will let you play as much as you want on Android.
For the desktop/web power user, the If This, Then That (IFFT) service is invaluable - it powers more than a few behind-the-scenes processes here at Android Police, for example. So it's easy to see why taking that idea into the physical world has got a lot of people excited. They've responded by funding the WigWag Kickstarter project, a combination device/service that talks to and controls some of the more common home automation gadgets through a central hardware hub. The project's $50,000 goal has been smashed in less than half its two-month run time - it's currently sitting at over $130,000.
At a time when T-Mobile is trying to redefine the less-than-stellar reputation of wireless carriers, it looks like regional player US Cellular has taken a big step backwards. The company is no longer allowing customers to access the upgrade reward in the Belief Project, which allowed those who had completed an eighteen month contract to buy a new phone at the subsidized price without signing another contract. After July 27th, US Cellular customers will have the same old contractual ball and chain if they buy a new device at the advertised price.
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.
Looking for a high-res tablet, and don't mind getting a model that's a bit long in the tooth? Then you'll want to check out Tiger Direct's listing for the 32GB Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. This 1920x1200 10" tablet is a pretty great deal at $279.99, assuming you're OK with a somewhat outdated Tegra 3 processor, a refurbished model, and a $50 mail-in rebate. Jeez, but I wish those things would die - the rebates, not the Tegra 3.
A few weeks ago the "Master Key" APK verification vulnerability rocked the Android security landscape... then immediately stopped rocking it, once Google revealed that they had patched the vulnerability months ago. Still, that's little comfort to users who aren't on a brand-new 4.2 phone (or, you know, a Nexus device that gets real updates). CyanogenMod has responded by patching all of its official ROMs (twice), and now noted security firm Duo has teamed up with Northeastern University's SecLab to do the same for all Android rooted users, regardless of their device. The patch is called "ReKey," and it's from both the Play Store and the ReKey website.
Whether or not you want to partake in T-Mobile's "Uncarrier" experiments, they're obviously having an effect on the wider American carrier landscape. Today AT&T announced plans to counter T-Mobile's JUMP! upgrade/trade-in plan with one of their own, called Next. The Next plan will allow similar installment payments on new phones with no money down, and users will be given the option to trade in their existing phone and begin paying off a new one. The program will begin on July 26th, and it will be open to new and existing customers.
Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got yet another Tetris game from EA, not one, but two MLB titles, a cute endless runner, a new take on Breakout, a pirate math game, and another marble puzzler. Without further ado: