Android Central Editors' app picks for Jan 28, 2012 Posted: 28 Jan 2012 03:02 PM PST You want apps, and the Android market has plenty of them except at times finding what you want or something new can be a bit challenging. Don't worry, we have got you covered, so let's hit the break and check out some of this weeks picks. read more

Sprint Galaxy Nexus official Google sign-up page now live Posted: 28 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST The official Google sign-up page for the Sprint Galaxy Nexus is now live, waiting for all Sprint subscribers to register for "more information".  We've known it was coming since Sprint verified the rumors on January 9, and I know plenty of folks who are pretty darn excited at the prospect of an LTE powered Samsung Galaxy Nexus on the Now Network.  And who could blame them?  Ice Cream Sandwich on that gorgeous 720p display is a thing of real beauty, and pairing it with the last chance at unlimited data in the USA is a great idea. It should be the networks first LTE device, and we know it's coming with 32 GB of storage.  There's also a lot of rumors still going strong about features that may be different in the Sprint version.  Some think there may be a higher CPU speed (don't count on that one) because of an early advertisement that showed it with a 1.5 GHz CPU which may have been a misprint.  Also, because the folks at CES didn't want anyone to capture the back of the device on camera, many think it will have a larger stock battery than either the Verizon version or the GSM world version.  We'll have to wait and see, because at this point nobody has a clue just when we're going to see this one on the shelves.  Sprint's been cryptic, like smart companies always are, saying things like "soon" and "mid-2012".  Anyone who claims to have a date is just guessing for the most part, so we're not going to add to the confusion. In any case, just about everyone reading this who uses Sprint is ready to get their paws on an LTE Galaxy Nexus, so proceed to try to crush the servers hosting the sign-up page with hope and love.  Then jump into the Sprint Galaxy Nexus forums and share your excitement with everyone in hopes that it makes the waiting seem shorter. Source: Google; via  Android Central forums.  Thanks, DaEXfactoR!

Steam mobile app beta invites now rolling out; we go hands-on Posted: 28 Jan 2012 08:51 AM PST As we reported on Thursday, Valve Software recently took the wraps off the Steam mobile app for Android (and iOS), as part of a limited beta. Steam users could register their interest by downloading the app and entering their details, and over the past day or so, the first beta invites have started to roll out. Steam is a big deal in the world of PC and Mac gaming, which makes the launch of an official mobile app a big deal for Android. As such, we decided to take this initial beta version of the Steam Android app for a spin. We've got more words and pictures for you after the break. read more

DoubleTwist updated, includes integrated podcast catalogue, for a price Posted: 28 Jan 2012 08:28 AM PST DoubleTwist has long been a favourite for those who like to sync their music and podcasts between iTunes and Android. Todays update among other things brings an integrated podcast catalogue. The catch, this particular part of the app is a 'premium feature' with a premium price. In UK money, unlocking the podcast feature in doubleTwist costs £4.99 (about $7.85). It does, however, feature the worlds greatest Android podcast in its listings by default -- Google Listen we're still looking at you. Aside from podcasts, the update brings improved performance and reliability, fixes to AirPlay and AirTwist playback issues, an expandable and collapsable now playing screen with easier access to your queue, and design and interface updates many of which are designed for Ice Cream Sandwich. It's a welcome update to an already very good application. Hit the break for the download links. read more

Latest Android Malware scare might be premature Posted: 28 Jan 2012 06:40 AM PST The folks at Symantec have tipped everyone off about a new piece of Android Malware, calling Android.Counterclank "a bot-like threat that can receive commands to carry out certain actions, as well as steal information from the device."  They note that starting one of the apps "infected" with the apperhand SDK package will show a second service running, and often places a search icon on the home screen.  They have verified this is in 13 applications on the Android Market and are calling it "the highest distribution of any malware identified so far this year."  Some reports on the internet claim it may have affected 5 million users.  That's 5,000,000 -- a huge and scary number. And it makes for a great headline. But it looks like Symantec might have jumped the gun a bit. Lookout, a competitor in the Android security field, says that the applications are not malware, and the apperhand package actually is a legitimate, but aggressive, advertisement component.  It's part of an advertising software development kit that's a modified version of the "ChoopCheec" platform" or "Plankton" SDK that was the focus of some privacy concerns in June 2011.  This newer version is cleaner, but it still has capabilities common to many ad networks. Writes Lookout: It is capable of identifying the user uniquely by their IMEI number, for instance. But unlike some networks, this SDK forward-hashes the IMEI before sending to its server. They're identifying your device, but they are obfuscating the raw data. (That's a good thing.) The SDK has the capability to deliver "Push Notification" ads to the user. We're not huge fans of push notifications, but we also don't consider push notification advertising to be malware. The SDK drops a search icon onto the desktop. Again, we consider bad form, though we don't consider this a smoking gun for malware provided the content that is delivered is safe.  In this case, it is simply a link to a search engine. The SDK also has the capability to push bookmarks to the browser.  In our opinion, this is crosses a line; although we do not believe this is cause to classify the SDK as malware. We're not sure exactly how far is too far, but if the applications are using practices found in "many" other ad networks, we agree with Lookouts points listed here and have to call this one a non-issue when talking about malware.  On the issue of privacy and wanton sharing of user data, we're not loving it, but it's not malware. We're not security specialists, and we never claim to be.  We can tear applications apart and see what's hiding in there, but in-depth scanning and analysis is best left to the experts.  That being said, we are experts at catching bullshit, and this one reeks of it.  Nobody likes ads, but we can't just call them malware anytime we like.  They're a part of the ad-supported app model, and we should expect to see more than we like.  When they misbehave, call for someone's head, but not before. But that's not sensational.  Headlines like Computerworld's "Massive Android malware op may have infected 5 million users" cause controversy, and everyone loves a controversy.  Explaining that the 5 million mark is from adding the high end of the download counters, which allows for a 4 million-device margin of error, is conveniently forgotten.  And we'd like to think that if as many as 1 million devices on the low end had been infected, Google and the Android Market team would have said something. The long and the short of it is, we're sleeping just fine tonight. Move along. More: Symantec; Lookout

Fly Delta Android app updated to ease international travel Posted: 28 Jan 2012 05:49 AM PST Delta Air Lines' Fly Delta Android app has long been one of the first things I install on a phone. It's well-designed, and has added a couple killer features since its release nearly a year ago -- mainly the ability to view upgrade/standby lists and check and change seats from your phone, and more recently they added the ability to track your checked baggage. Good stuff. And now Delta's added even more functionality in Version 1.7. Here's the full changelog. Check in for flights arriving or departing international locations Discover Delta's valued partners within the "Traveling with Us" section Support for Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwhich) [sic] Fixes for many of the bugs reported by our customers, along with several speed enhancements It's nice that Delta's added check-ins for international flights. (Though you'll presumably still have to get your boarding pass when you arrive.) The "Traveling with Us" section is a little bit of advertising (we've got a screen cap after the break), where so far we have promotion of Delta's American Express credit card and something from TED. It's pretty unobtrusive, though, so no big deal. Then there's the ICS support and other bug fixes, which is always good (though the app had been working just fine for us), though there's still a menu button down at the bottom, and not as an Action Bar "overflow" as Google's pushing everyone toward. (On the other hand, the app's design is otherwise very nice, so we'll overlook that.) But what really gets us excited is the prospect of "several speed enhancements." With previous versions of the app, you needed to fire it up a few minutes before you could get to your itinerary and find your confirmation number or seat assignment or mobile boarding pass. Things definitely feel a little quicker; hopefully that's not just a placebo -- it really was a big gripe with the Delta app. read more

Late night poll: Do you hack your Android phone? Posted: 27 Jan 2012 11:12 PM PST Hacking is half (or more) the fun for many an Android user.  With the right phone, you can change just about everything, making it have little resemblance to the way it came out of the box.  It's fun and addicting for the same reason computer tweaking and hacking is -- we do it because we can.  There's a good chance many of you guys reading this are the same way.  The simple fact that you found an Android site on the Internet makes you a more informed user, and you're exposed to all this hacking jazz. There's as good a chance that you're not into breaking hacking your phone.  We get that.  You like things well enough the way they are, and just use your phone.  We wanna hear from both sides this evening, so let us know in the poll. Do you hack your Android phone?

Drunk Green Robots [Android Quick App] Posted: 27 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST What's more fun than playing a game on your Android phone?  Drinking while playing a game on your Android phone, of course.  Enter Drunk Green Robots, a new app from fiveHellions development.  It's easy to get started, just grab a friend or two, a bottle of Kentucky's finest (or less than finest works, too), and your Android phone.  It's the high/low black/red game most of us know, but instead of using a deck of cards you use your Android. Dares are included, and the less risqué package is free to download, but the raunchier and more sexually explicit ones require an in-app purchase of "shots".  You get 100 shots for a buck, and ad-removal costs a 100 shots as does the "naughty" dare pack.  It's not going to break the bank.  And everybody knows being naughty is always better while drinking, right?  Anyways, you take a turn guessing if the next card will be higher or lower than the current, or what color it will be.  If you're correct, your turn ends and you pass your phone to the next player.  If you're not correct you win lose and have to either take a shot, or a random dare.  I'd recommend the shot, but to each their own. It's silly, it's fun, and involves getting hammered.  If you're of age (stay safe kids), check out a few screenshots and grab it for free using the link after the break.  Try not to drop your phone. Via: Android Central games forum read more