Thursday, April 19, 2012

Update - 284



Posted: 23 Mar 2012 11:18 AM PDT
Welcome to our weekly column where we aim to help users find new applications for their Android smartphones and/or tablets.  Called Five for Friday, these are small collection of apps or games centered around a common theme.
While we recognize that there are going to miss a bunch of titles or appear to have a partially completed list, that's hardly the case.  Rather, these are just five apps that we've picked to get you going in the right direction.
We understand that each of you is unique and typically have your own preferred apps for various tasks.  For this reason, we ask that you add your titles to the comments below.  This way other Android users can discover the stuff that we may overlook or omit.

This week's topic: News and RSS readers

Keeping up with websites, blogs, and news outlets is pretty tough stuff if you don't have the right tools.  And while there are plenty of ways to manage things efficiently and cleanly on a desktop, the same could not always be said of mobile.  Fortunately, the last few years have given way to some pretty sharp Android apps that put a twist on traditional news and rss readers.  Here's a collection of five fun and fresh news rss and news apps for Android smartphones and tablets.

Flud News
Flud News
Keep your news in a clean and clutter-free layout with this new Android app.  After finding success with iOS devices, Flud recently came to Android smartphones and will soon grace tablets as well.  Find and share news across a variety of topics and sources including your favorite blogs and outlets.  Keep an eye on what your friends are up to with the Activity Feed or share your favorite articles over social networks, email, and more.  We love the easy setup and immediate integration with Google Reader, Facebook, and/or Twitter.  Extra credit for the ability to read articles offline making this one sharp app to have on the daily commute.  Here's to hoping for an equally impressive tablet design in the near future!
Here's our hands-on demonstration of Flud for Android


Pulse
Pulse
One of the first of its kind to see Android 3.X  Honeycomb support, it has been a favorite of ours for keeping up with various websites and blogs.  We're big fans of the optimized layout and and split-screen summary display for articles, but we love being able to open directly into web browser.  Offline sync keeps things up-to-date for those long road trips or daily subway rides.  Additional features include multiple pages for large volumes of feeds, integration with Google Reader, Read it Later, and much more.  Once you get hooked on the sliding rows and tiles you will have a hard time reading news any other way.

Google Currents

Google Currents
Google's official way of handling magazines, news sources, blogs, and other outlets, it's among the best.  Thanks to working relationships with publishers such as Forbes, Popular Science, Good, and Fast Company, the Publisher Editions really shine with videos, photography, slideshows, live-maps, and more.  Updated hourly, Currents will keep a list of items trending across Google and deliver them in categories such as world, entertainment, sports, and science.  As you would expect, integration with Google Reader is a breeze and turns your feeds into a magazine-like experience.  Toss in some offline reading and you can see why we're in love with Google Currents.


News Republic
News Republic
Recently updated to a 2.0 design, this is one of the more customizable news apps we've encountered along the way.  We love the ability to set alerts for specific topics and seeing them arrive on our notification bar, like an instantly-delivered Google Alert. Thousands of news sources with multiple angles on the same stories ensures you get every side of the situation.  When done reading a story make sure to share your mood on the topic or share it across your social network(s).  For those of you into the geekier tech side of things, the developers have an equally impressive APPY Geek worth exploring.  Gossip lovers and entertainment hounds are also encouraged to check out Glam Life.

News360
News360
More than 10,000 different news sources from around the world help make this one of our favorite apps to install across multiple devices.  Bonus points are awarded for Google TV optimization as not too many developers have embraced the platform.  Features include personalized news based on your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ accounts, GPS-based local coverage, and the ability to search quickly from links to companies and brands.

Your Turn!

What app(s) did we not mention above that are still worth sharing?  List them and some of the reasons you really enjoy using each so that other Android users can discover their next favorite app.
Five for Friday: News and RSS readers originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
Follow AndroidGuys on Facebook and Twitter and download the free AndroidGuys app for your device! Save a bunch on your next Android. Check out Amazon's best sellers! UPDATED HOURLY
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 10:15 AM PDT
You'd have to be living under a rock these past few weeks not to know that Rovio has released a new edition of their wildly popular Angry Birds franchise.  Making its debut yesterday was Angry Birds Space, a new take on the "classic" game found on phones, PCs, blankets, toys, etc.
We took to Twitter and Facebook earlier today to gauge your thoughts and impressions on Angry Birds as a franchise.  Has Rovio jumped the shark with this new edition or does it breathe new life and potential into their series?  Do you still update the current games with each new release or have you uninstalled the game to make room for Draw Something or another game?
Below, you will find some of the things that you, the Android user, are saying about Angry Birds.  If you have not shared your opinion yet, please do let us know in the comments that follow!
Space is really good. A nice lil twist. - James E.
Angry Birds: Yawn... - Mats H.
I could care less about angry birds. - James M.
I think the space is a nice change of pace on Angry Birds. I dont play it that much but for a level or two its nice. - Drew C.
Got bored of it right before Rio. Needs to release something besides Angry Birds. Return to it later. - Matt P.
Love the physics of this game as a teacher. - Ricardo R.
...over it - Cyril A.
angrybirds jumped the shark long ago, but its nice to see them do something that seems kinda different - Robert R.
Got tired of the game mechanics almost a year ago. Does anyone care anymore? Who still buys angry birds games? - Daniel S.

Now it's your turn...

It appears to us that the beloved Angry Birds series has lost a bit of its luster.  Of course, there's probably an eight-year-old or teenager who would be willing to argue against that.  Tell us what you think of Angry Birds.  Are you just now falling in love with it or have your eyes already wandered to something else?
What’s your thoughts on the Angry Birds franchise? #androidfeedback originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
Follow AndroidGuys on Facebook and Twitter and download the free AndroidGuys app for your device! Save a bunch on your next Android. Check out Amazon's best sellers! UPDATED HOURLY
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:48 AM PDT
Amazon updated their Kindle app for Android this week, adding in support for a wider assortment of illustrated children's books, graphic novels, and comic books.  It's now possible to access popular titles such as Brown Bear , Curious George, and Superman and enjoy them in a much richer format.
The second major feature added into the update gives users the ability to "Send-to-Kindle" any documents that they want to view later.  These documents are stored in the cloud using Amazon's Cloud service and are automatically synchronized much like books and other media.  Once tied to your account (via email) you can access these files across all of your devices, including the Kindle Fire.
If you haven't had the chance to check out Amazon Kindle for Android, head to Amazon's site or Google Play Store for more information.
Updated Kindle app gives new access to comics, graphic novels, more originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
Follow AndroidGuys on Facebook and Twitter and download the free AndroidGuys app for your device! Save a bunch on your next Android. Check out Amazon's best sellers! UPDATED HOURLY
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:17 AM PDT

The full set of hardware details for Verizon's LG Lucid have landed online weeks ahead of its expected  official announcement.  Specifications point to a mid-range Gingerbread handset so we're expecting something far below the $299 price point that typically accompanies 4G LTE devices.  The LG Lucid should arrive at Verizon sometime in April so we should anticipate a few "in the wild" images to hit the internet soon.
LG Lucid specifications:
  • Android 2.3 Gingerbread
  • 4-inch IPS display (Gorilla Glass, 800X480, 262K Color TFT)
  • 1.2GHz dual-core processor
  • 8GB of internal storage
  • Dimensions: 4.69 x 2.45 x 0.45 inches
  • Weight: 5.0 oz
  • 4G LTE
  • Mobile Hotspot capable
  • Bluetooth v3.0, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), USB 2.0
  • Standard Battery: 1700mAh
    • Standby time: Up to 350 hours
    • Usage time: Up to 8 hours
  • Micro USB Charging port
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • S-GPS support for location accuracy
  • Share Genie
Source: Droid Life
Full details for LG Lucid arrive online originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
Follow AndroidGuys on Facebook and Twitter and download the free AndroidGuys app for your device! Save a bunch on your next Android. Check out Amazon's best sellers! UPDATED HOURLY
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 09:01 AM PDT
AT&T has offered up a list of their Android devices expected to see an Android 4.0 update in the coming weeks and months. Much like Verizon recently did, the carrier has put together a collection of smartphones and tablets that will get their Ice Cream Sandwich update.
As some of you know, AT&T announced yesterday that the 4.0 update is now ready for HTC Vivid smartphones and can be manually installed by users.  For whatever reason, there are no other HTC models on the list below, including that expensive Jetstream tablet.  Perhaps there were not enough sold to even consider the update.
Although AT&T has not set up a dedicated tracking page for the Android 4.0 update, we know it should include the following:
  • LG Nitro
  • Motorola ATRIX 2
  • Motorola ATRIX 4G
  • Pantech Burst
  • Pantech Element
  • Samsung Captivate Glide
  • Samsung Galaxy Note
  • Samsung Galaxy S II
  • Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
Are you an AT&T subscriber anticipating Ice Cream Sandwich?  Is your phone or tablet listed here?
AT&T promises Android 4.0 updates for ten more devices originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
Follow AndroidGuys on Facebook and Twitter and download the free AndroidGuys app for your device! Save a bunch on your next Android. Check out Amazon's best sellers! UPDATED HOURLY
Posted: 23 Mar 2012 08:29 AM PDT
Perhaps one of the toughest thing for an Android developer to figure out is how to monetize their application.  With so many options to choose from, things can become pretty daunting pretty fast.  One particular model that has emerged over the last year or so is the ability to make in-app purchases.
A lot of developers have started offering up a free, limited version of their app with the option to unlock the full edition through in-app billing or purchases.  Some have chosen to use the Google Play Store billing method while others are looking to Paypal and alternate players.
After six months of beta, Zooz has entered the fray with a pretty appealing option that requires very little back-end work.  Featuring an SDK that consists of three lines of code, Android and iOS developers can monetize their apps with credit card and Paypal acceptance.
Claiming to have  the"best rates in the industry", ZooZ says developers can look to  2.8% plus $0.19 per transaction.  What's more, the service works in 150 countries around the world, ensuring large-scale compatibility. Developers who integrate the SDK can expect to payout via a bank draft, PayPal, or through a dedicated MasterCard.
If you are an Android developer looking to offer a freemium model game or app, we invite you to check out ZooZ and their publicly available SDK.
Zooz’s credit card SDK now available to all Android developers originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
Follow AndroidGuys on Facebook and Twitter and download the free AndroidGuys app for your device! Save a bunch on your next Android. Check out Amazon's best sellers! UPDATED HOURLY


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