7 sizzling new Android apps of the week (November 2 issue)

The Google Play Store is bubbling and oozing with apps. Apps for games, productivity, videos, music, and all you can think of can be found on the Google Play Store. As we speak, hundreds of new apps appear in Google’s toy box, waiting to be used on your Android device. Thanks to the continuous support of app developers, we can enjoy a lot of apps on our Android handsets.

To make your search easier, we scouted the vast ocean of apps and manually picked the hottest new apps from the Google Play Store. In this post, we focus the spotlights on the new Android apps freshly released this week, with the hope that you will find them as interesting and/or useful as much as we do.

Enter Google’s playground and enjoy these new apps for the week.

MANGA FU CAMERA (FREE)

Do you like reading manga comics? How do you like making your own comics by taking pictures of your surroundings and instantly turning them into manga? With SODA, Inc.’s MANGA FU CAMERA you can instantly turn your surroundings into manga. Just point and shoot at your friends, toys, and anything around and watch as the app instantly turns it into manga. When you have compiled enough photos, you can use those to make your own manga comics. Get the ads-supported MANGA FU CAMERA for free from the Google Play Store.

Wake N Shake Alarm Clock ($1)

Do you sleep like a log and have a hard time waking up every morning? You should probably use the Wake N Shake Alarm Clock by Andres Canella to wake you up. This is just like your ordinary alarm clock, but instead of pressing the Stop button to kill the alarm, you will need to shake your phone until the bar gauge fills up in order to stop the alarm. For more challenge, you can set the shaking intensity and shake your phone like there’s no tomorrow. Wake up and do your daily phone shaking exercise with Wake N Shake Alarm Clock for a dollar from the Google Play Store.

Long Exposure Camera (FREE)

Using A&A’s Dream’s Long Exposure Camera, you can take gorgeous long exposure shots with your Android device. Tap to focus on your object, set the desired number of seconds, and hit the Shutter button. Once time is up, you can apply some color, brightness, and contrast tweaks before you finally hit Save. The app’s free version allows you to save only 400×300 images, but the paid version allows you 960×720 images. Start taking long exposure shots with Long Exposure Camera. For best results, don’t forget to mount your Android device on a tripod.

Deadlines Reminder (FREE)

With how hectic our lives can get, the best reminder apps are the simplest ones. Deadlines Reminder, developed by Tatkov Lab, is as simple as it can get. Tap the + button to add a task, set the date it’s due, and watch as your tasks, from most urgent to least urgent are color-coded for you: red for urgent tasks needing completion in 3 days, orange for 7 days, and green for non-urgent. You can set the app to remind you of your tasks once or twice a day. Deadlines Reminder runs as a background service and relaunches with every device reboot. Never forget those deadlines. Download Deadlines Reminder for free from the Google Play Store.

TonePush Beta (FREE)

Let your friends know that it’s you calling them by assigning yourself a ringtone on their devices. Sounds impossible? Not for Richard Green and his TonePush Beta app. It sends your friend the ringtone of your choice, so you can best represent yourself on her or his device. You can choose default ringtones in the app or one that you recorded. That’ll definitely alert your friend that you’re ringing her/him up. To share personalized ringtones this way, the other device also needs TonePush. Download TonePush Beta now for free from the Google Play Store.

DealPly (FREE)

Thinking of shopping this weekend while remaining within budget? Developed by PriceRhythm, the DealPly app can help you with budget shopping. You can search for products you through the app. If you are already in the store and need to get more details about an item, scan its barcode through DealPly and the app will provide you with the product details. You’ll also have access to a forum where you can discuss products you shopped for, plus a Deal & Coupons feature that lets you find great deals and discount sales. You can even keep a wishlist. In my testing, though, I noticed that the app sometimes takes a bit of time to launch; I often needed to relaunch it. Once it’s running, the app goes smoothly. Try DealPly today — free from the Google Play Store.

Battery Saver PRO (FREE)

If you frequently travel without bringing your wall charger, Battery Saver PRO can be your lifesaver. It does only one thing — save battery. It is light and easy to use — as easy as flicking a light switch — no complicated settings and options. Just tap the button and leave the app to work on its own. The app also shows you your battery statistics and battery usage. It promises to lessen battery consumption by about 20 to 35 percent, and, although we haven’t exhaustively tested its claims, it seems to deliver on its promise. Try Battery Saver PRO free and see whether it gets the job done for you.

Source: AndroidAuthority.com

Google brings new security features to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

The advent of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean brings new security features to the platform, features that have been required for a while to protect users from the many dangers associated with malicious apps.

The new security features are built natively into Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and the most vital of them, is in essence similar to the Bouncer feature rolled out for the Google Play store in February this year. While the Google Play store is now supposedly cleaner because this feature, Android users are still at risk when sideloading apps from other sources.

Completely opt-in, the ‘verify app’ feature can be toggled from the ‘Security’ section of Android 4.2 settings. Each time users download and sideload an app, it is sandboxed, with virtual walls put up between the app and other software on the device. A pop-up box will then ask user if they want to check the app for potentially ‘harmful behaviour.’ The device will then send information about the device to Google’s servers, and compare it with a database of known applications.

Even if the app is not also listed on the Google Play store, Google is confident it can detect if it is safe or not, as the company says it is constantly scanning the web for newly appearing APKs, and has a good understanding of how the ecosystem works. If the app under scrutiny is detected as safe, the installation will continue, if it is detected as dangerous, it will prevent you installing it. If however, the app is questionably secure, but not strictly harmful, the user will have the option to continue with the installation.

According to Google, the app installation process will not be greatly slowed down by the new security process, as most of the processing happens on the company’s servers, and the user device only has to send an APK signature onward.

As for the other new security features, Google has also introduced an improved app permissions screen, for sideloaded apps, which is apparently much simpler to read than before. Android 4.2 also brings a scanning feature, that detects any attempt by an app to send a text message to a known fee-collecting short code (premium number), and will alert the user. The user will have the option to then allow, or deny the app from continuing with sending.

Source: thinkdigit.com

Best Nexus 7 Apps: Top 10 Apps Built For The Android Tablet

The Nexus 7 is one of the most popular tablets on the market, and it's our favorite 7-inch tablet on the market. In our comparison, it bested the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Apple iPad Mini by offering incredible processing power, a high-resolution screen and a gigantic app market.

The Nexus 7 can't live up to its full potential without downloading at least some of the apps specifically designed for 7-inch tablets. Our list of the best Nexus 7 apps does not include some of the most obvious apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Netflix. With that in mind, here are the best Android tablet apps that look great on the Nexus 7:

1) SwiftKey Tablet ($3.99): If you purchase can only purchase one app, do yourself a favor and purchase this one. This custom keyboard treats users to predictive and auto-correcting while typing. SwiftKey Tablet automatically increases the accuracy and speed of typing. We're huge fans of it, and there's really no other way to put it. This app is essential for any serious Nexus 7 user.

2) Mint.com (FREE): Mint is one of the most beautifully designed apps on the Nexus 7. This personal finance tool makes it easier than ever to track expenses and plan for or future investments. The user interface is gorgeous, and if you're interested in managing your money using the Nexus 7, this is one of the best ways to do it.

3) Instapaper ($2.99): If you're a fan of magazine journalism or have any reason to bookmark website articles for later, this app is essential. Instapaper saves articles and clears the screen of any clutter or advertisements. You can save entire articles on the fly and Instapaper will sync the article across multiple devices. If you use this app on the Nexus 7, stories will automatically be sent to your device when they're saved, and they can be read without an Internet connection—crucial for travelers.

4) MX Player (FREE): It's not the best interface, but MX Player does one very important thing. It plays all popular file types including .avi and .mp4 files. If you want to store videos on your Nexus 7, this app will let you watch those videos.

5) 100 Floors (FREE) : This is one of the most innovative games on the market. Users must solve 100 riddles to reach the top floor. There's an incredible variety of riddles that require a variety of steps including mathematical, mechanical, auditory and many more. If you've ever enjoyed a good puzzle game, you should try this best-of-class mobile game.

6) Triple Town (FREE): This is another puzzle game that's beautifully designed and is extremely addicting. The purpose of the game is to build the largest city you possibly can. By building items of the same kind next to each other, you'll ultimately grow your town. Triple Town is unlike any game available, and it's adorable characters and excellent gameplay will easily draw you in for hours.

7) Death Dome (FREE): This fighting game has intuitive controls and awesome animations. Build up your character with new weapons, shields and armor by destroying enemies. Fight head-to-head with dozens of mutants and freaks using a creative variety of weapons. This is a no-nonsense fighting game, and it's a must-have.

8) Dead Trigger (FREE): This game had such a high rate of piracy that it was eventually made free to the public. It's a classic zombie shooter with amazing character animations and very intuititve controls. If you're looking for gory, high-intensity shooting game, Dead Trigger is a game you'll want to download.

9) ShadowGun ($4.99): IGN called this game of of the best-looking mobile games ever created, and that claim still holds throughout this day. This third-person shooter has been optimized for the Tegra 3 processor used in the Nexus 7. If you're looking for a console-style experience from a mobile game, this is the one to have.

10) Tablified Market HD (FREE) : It's hard to keep track of the best Android tablet apps available, but Tablified Market HD tries its best to sort through the never-ending stream of apps uploaded every day. Apps will still be downloaded through the Google Play store. Tablified simply helps users find the latest and greatest apps that are optimized for the Nexus 7.

Source

iPhone 5 vs. Google-LG Nexus 4: Android or iOS Smartphone?

Google just announced its new line of hardware today through a blog post, after an event in New York was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy.

One of the devices announced by the company is its latest Nexus smartphone courtesy of LG. The Google-LG Nexus 4 is rumored to be equipped with 4.7 inch screen display with 1280x768 resolution, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 8 MP camera and 2100 mAh battery.

The upcoming Google-LG smartphone will run with Android 4.2 Key Lime Pie that will soon be unveiled by the search engine company.

According to the blog post, "Android 4.2 brings other great goodies like Gesture Typing, which lets you glide your finger over the letters you want to type on the keyboard-it makes typing fast, fun and a whole lot simpler. Android 4.2 also adds support for wireless display so you can wirelessly watch movies, YouTube videos and play games right on your Miracast-compatible HDTV."

Tech giant Apple also unveiled the new generation of its smartphone last September, which features a 4-inch screen, slightly bigger than earlier versions of Apple's device with 1136x640 pixel resolution, 4G/LTE connectivity, and iOS 6 mobile operating system.

Below is the comparison of the two devices. Note that the specs and features of the LG Nexus 4 are still unofficial.

Screen Display - iPhone 5 sports a 4-inch full HD screen display while LG Nexus 4 is rumored to have a 4.7-inch True IPS display with 1280x768 pixel resolution.

Processor - The Apple flagship phone is powered by quad core A6 chip processor. The LG Nexus 4 is rumored to have 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM.

Operating System - iPhone 5 runs with the company's own operating system - iOS 6. LG Nexus 4 is expected to be introduced with Android's new Key Lime Pie version, which is rumored to be unveiled on the same date.

Storage - iPhone 5 is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants. Some tech websites claimed that the LG Nexus 4 will be released with 8GB storage option while others claimed that it will be equipped with 16GB of storage.

Camera - The iPhone 5 sports an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. LG Nexus 4, on the other hand, is thought to have an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front shooter.

Battery - Apple's latest smartphone boasts 9 hours of battery life. The upcoming LG Nexus 4 is also speculated to come with 2100 mAh battery.

iPhone 5 is available in Apple Stores and through various carriers. However, more details are expected to be known about the LG Nexus 4 in the coming days.

 

Source

Google’s 32GB Nexus 7 tablet spotted at Office Depot

Google has canceled Monday’s Android event because of Hurricane Sandy, but it looks like a 32GB version of its Nexus 7 tablet is already in the wild. Droid Life and Beta News both reported on Sunday that Office Depot had begun carrying the higher-capacity Nexus 7.

It looks like the device will be priced at $249.99, and the 16GB will drop to $199.99. The Google Play store still lists the 16GB Nexus 7 model at $249, while the $199 8GB version is listed as “Coming Soon”.

The 32GB Nexus 7 was first confirmed by UK retailer Argos earlier this month, though it had been expected for some time.

Leaks have been pretty regular in the run-up to Google’s fall Android lineup announcement. A Nexus 4 smartphone is also set to arrive from Google and LG soon. A curious tale emerged over the weekend of a Nexus 4 test device that was left in a bar in San Francisco. It seems this whole prototype walks into a bar meme is becoming an annual occurrence.

So far, everything we expected Google to reveal at the now-postponed event appears to be checking out. A 10-inch Nexus tablet is also on its way, as apparently confirmed by a user guide leak.

Source: thenextweb.com

Google Nexus 10 tablet stars in awfully short video

After seeing plenty of leaked images that confirmed the existence of Google’s 10-inch Nexus tablet a few days ago, we’re now going to show you a very short video of the device in action.

Don’t get too excited though, because at only 5 seconds, the video is hardly going to reveal anything spectacular about the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean device. In fact you may want to look at the leaked images from a few days ago if you want to better check out design lines and potential software features, as they’ll certainly be more revealing.

Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear the device has been handled in the wild, several days ahead of Google’s upcoming Nexus event. And since Google had to postpone the October 29 event to a latter unannounced date, due to Hurricane Sandy, who knows how many more Nexus-related leaks we’ll get to see in the coming days.



Source: androidauthority.com

Hurricane Sandy Forces Google to Cancel Android Event on October 29th

With Hurricane Sandy on a possible course to slam the Northeast early in the week, Google is canceling an Android-related press event that had been scheduled for Monday morning in New York City. Among the possible devices Google was expected to unveil at the event: a new Nexus smartphone (made by LG Electronics) and a new 10-inch Android tablet, made by Samsung.

Google did not announce a replacement date for the event in the email sent out to invitees alerting them of the cancellation. "We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more," the Android Team wrote in the missive, adding that folks should, "stay safe and dry."

The cancellation comes in the aftermath of rival Apple's unveiling of a new 7.9-inch iPad mini, as well as a brand new 9.7-inch iPad model.

Microsoft Releases Xbox SmartGlass app for Android Smartphones

Finally, Microsoft announced that it has released the Xbox SmartGlass app for Android Smartphones via Google Play App Store. This Android app allows Android users to experience using their touchscreen devices to interact with the Xbox 360.

Reported by from Cnet, application developers can use the Xbox SmartGlass App to interact with TV shows, movies, sports and games. The app works with the recently launched Internet Explorer browser for Xbox 360, as well as Xbox Video and Xbox Music apps. Games that will work with SmartGlass in the coming months include Dance Central 3, Forza Horizon and Ascend: New Gods. Halo Waypoint, NBA Game Time, HBO GO, ESPN and other Xbox 360 apps will also work with SmartGlass.

In addition, there is also the social aspect of the trying to embedded into it, that is user can interact with friends on Xbox Live service, comparing the acquisition of rank in the game and dressed their avatars.

Xbox SmartGlass app requires Android operating system Ice Cream Sandwich and Xbox Live membership in order to be used. IOS version is also planned to be present, but is not currently available. For additional information, SmartGlass app is not currently compatible with Android tablets. You can get an This app for free from the Google Play App Store.

Creating a mobile office with Google Android – Security

Taking your office on the road is a great. Not only do you get phone calls you can receive and reply to emails and edit documents too.

All of this freedom comes at a price though if you loose your phone. And that is very easy to do. So it is important that you have measures in place to secure your phone.

Setup an Android lock screen

Before using your android phone as a mobile office you need to setup the lock screen. Depending on the version of Android you have three choices

• Pattern unlock – You swipe your finger across a pattern of dots to open up the phone. This offers a minimum level of protection.

• PIN unlock – You have to enter a code like the ones you use at a cash machine. This is offers a medium level of protection

• Password unlock – Another password to remember but it is the strongest protection level.

There is an experimental face recognition security system on some phones. I don’t recommend this and it is marked as a low level option on the phones that offer it. Nobody has explained how the phone can tell the difference between your face and a photo of it. Fun but not an option to lock up your mobile office.

You can set the security feature you want to use under the Security option in the Settings screen.

Losing your mobile office phone

You have locked your mobile office with a password which will prevent most people getting into it if you lose the phone. But if you are unfortunate to mislay your phone you need some way to get it back or ensure it is disabled. That may sound hard if you and your phone are no longer together but there are ways of doing that. The one I like is through an app called Wheres My Droid.

With this app installed on your phone you can use another mobile to make yours ring or to return GPS coordinates. All you have to do is send a text to your phone containing keywords that you have selected when setting up the service. The same features can be activated on your PC through the Wheres My Droid website.

The basic app is free but with the full version (currently $3.99) you can remotely lock the phone or even wipe the device and SD cards if need be.

Source

Google's Nexus 4 Android Phone Details Leak Early

UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has spilled the beans on the next Google superphone that will ship at the end of this month with cutting-edge hardware and the latest version of the Android OS.

Spilling the Jelly Beans

Ahead of Google's major product refresh event, its next official smartphone has been leaked in Britain on the Carphone Warehouse site. The Nexus 4 is pretty much what people expected and will compete with the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy SIII and other devices.

It offers a slim, 9.1mm thin, design with a 4.7" display and a HD resolution of 1280x768 at 320ppi, protected by Gorilla Glass 2. Inside is a SnapDragon S4 1.5GHz processor for great graphics and games, and fast response from apps, plus NFC.

There's also an 8MP camera for recording 1080p high-def video and creating 360 degree panoramic photos. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and comes with all the latest Google features and services, including Google Now, Google Answers, Google Maps and Gesture Typing.

The fastest and smoothest version of Android yet, Jelly Bean, improves on the simplicity and beauty of Android 4.0, and introduces a new Google search experience. Making the things you do on your device, more simple and fun. Because this is a Nexus device, it will get Android updates faster than other phones.

Superphone Super Fight

The phone will be available at the end of this month on the usual contracts, and will compete directly with the latest Android class leaders, Apple iPhone and Microsoft's upcoming range of Windows Phone 8 devices.

Google will officially announce this alongside likely Nexus tablet upgrades, including a 10" model, and the new Chromebook on Monday. Just before Microsoft kicks off the Windows 8 mayhem. In a world of converging larger smartphones and smaller tablets like the iPad mini, will users stick with their phones and invest in tablets instead?

 

Source

Google to release Swype-like ‘Nexus Keyboard’ for Android

One of the major rumors that is surrounding the upcoming Google announcement on October 29th is a new keyboard for the Android platform. The keyboard has been rumored to contain Swype-like features and be a complete replacement for the existing Android keyboard. If true, this will mark the third time Google has performed a major overhaul of Android’s virtual keyboard. With each release, the keyboard has improved dramatically, but the core functionality has never changed so drastically as the current rumors seem to suggest.

The team at Google is more than familiar with Swype. During the Android Fireside Chat at Google I/O this year, towards the end of the discussion (42 minutes into the YouTube recording), someone from the audience asked the team if they had considered buying Swype. The keyboard replacement, now owned by Nuance, is pre-loaded on a variety of Android handsets. The Android team explained that a lot of time and effort was spent on making it easy for users to choose their own keyboards, and it was pointed out that while there are no shortage of Swype fans out there, plenty of people still enjoy the stock keyboard.

It’s unlikely that Google would buy Swype, but there’s nothing stopping them from making their own version. Unlike Apple, who uses Nuance to power Siri, Google has never needed to license anything from the speech recognition company. In fact, in this arena, Nuance and Google compete directly. Nuance purchased Swype to improve their own keyboard, Flex T9. While Swype offered a vastly superior typing solution on their keyboard, Nuance’s voice controls were a key feature that Swype could really benefit from. The merger created a much more powerful keyboard backed by a larger company.

Swype is now so popular that HTC has implemented a knockoff on their One line of devices. If Google were to build a new keyboard, it is unlikely that they would go the same route as HTC.

It would make much more sense for Google to continue following their plan for their Nexus devices. Take Chrome, for example. While the Chrome browser is in many ways superior to the stock Android browser, Google does not force anyone to make it Chrome the default. When an OEM makes a device, they can choose to use Chrome, or they can implement the stock browser. On Nexus devices, Chrome is pre-loaded as the Google experience.

Following this thinking, if Google were to release a radically different keyboard, it would make more sense to release it as a separate app that can be installed by anyone and included on Nexus devices. This would enable the entire Android user base to take advantage of new software, and dramatically raise the bar for existing virtual keyboards, like Swype.

It seems like Google has a lot in store for everyone on October 29. If a new keyboard is among the news, it would make the most sense for Google to include it on the new LG Nexus 4, but release it as an app for anyone to use instead of replacing the stock Android keyboard.

 

Source :Geek.com

iPad Mini vs Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire HD, which one shouldI buy?

Apple has finally released the 7.9-inch tablet size which later was named iPad Mini, but there are interesting moments in the launch and introduction session was held at the California Theater, San Jose, USA. Marketing vice president Phil Schiller compares Apple once quipped Android tablet.

If seen from the shape and the hardware specifications, the iPad Mini will compete directly with Google's Nexus 7 from Asus, and Kindle Fire HD from Amazon.com

If until now you still do not bias should determine which gadget should you buy, below I give the following comparison table

	[caption id="attachment_32" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Ipad Mini"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_33" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Asus Google Nexus 7"][/caption]	[caption id="attachment_34" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Amazon Kindle Fire HD"][/caption]
Processor	Dual-core A5 processor	Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3	1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP4460
Operating System	iOS 6	Android 4.1	Custom Android OS
RAM	?	1 GB	1GB
Memory	16GB, 32GB, or 64GB Without MicroSD Slot	8GB or 16GB Without MicroSD Slot	16GB or 32GB;
Display	7.9-inch IPS	7-inch IPS	7-inch IPS,
Size	7.9 x 5.3 x 0.28 inches	7.8 x 4.7 x 0.41 inches	7.4 x 4.7 x 0.45 inches
Weight	0.68 lbs/308 grams (0.69 for cellular)	0.75 lbs/340 grams	0.88 lbs/400 grams
Camera	5-megapixel rear-facing, 1080p HD video; 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 720 HD video	1.2-megapixel front-facing	720p "Web chat" front-facing
Battery	"16.3-watt-hour"; 10 hours battery life (rated)	4,325 mAh; 10.1 hours video battery life (tested)	4,400 mAh; 5.1 hours video battery life (tested)
Conectivity	WiFi, Jack Audio 3.mm, Tethering, GPS, Bluetooth, Lightning Connector	WiFi, Jack Audio 3.mm, Tethering, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, MicroUSB, NFC	Dual Band WiFi
Ports	Lightning connector	MicroUSB	Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB
Extras	4G LTE versions available	Tegra games	Whispersync, X-Ray, Amazon Prime
Screen Technology	LED-Backlight IPS	LED-Backlight IPS LCD	LED-Backlight IPS
Screen Resolution	1024x768 pixels	1280x800 pixels	1,280x800 pixels (216 ppi)*
NFC	no	Yes	No
Color	Black, white	Black	Dark gray
Release Date	November 2, 2012, for Wi-Fi; cellular 2 weeks later	July 13, 2012	September 14, 2012
Price	Wi-Fi: $329 (16GB),$429 (32GB),$529 (64GB).Cellular: $459 (16GB), $559 (32GB),$659 (64GB).	$199 (8GB)$249 (16GB)	$199 (16BG),$249 (32GB)
Consument Review	Click Here	Click Here	Click Here
	Not Avalaible

So, a 7-inch tablet which should you buy? it back to your own needs. I hope this comparison table about iPad Mini vs Google Nexus 7 vs Amazon Kindle Fire HD can help in determining your choice