Rabu, 01 Mei 2013

Boot up your Android device with these launcher apps

One of the things that I love about my Android phone is the ability to customize wallpapers, themes, icons, you name it. Custom launchers are the other main apps Android users can use to help customize the phone to be what they want and need it to be. I have tried a few of them over the years with, and GoLauncher is the one I have used the most. In todays post I cover a few of the other launchers out there. A couple quality apps not mentioned here were covered in a post back in December 2012.

Vire Launcher (Free)

VIre Launcher comes in free and pro versions, and its available for most Android devices out today. The pro version has some added features, but the free will probably suit most users. With Vire you can add 3-D effects to your phone. When you first launch the app, you are set up with a basic home screen with a neat looking clock widget and a set of the standard icons. As with any launcher customization is the key. Vire will allow you to create folders, resize widgets and manage your screens.

In addition to being able to add shortcuts to app and widgets on your screen, Vire has its own Vire applets which are the metal clock, clock, and picture frame. When you add a shortcut to an app, Vire will adjust the icon to fit the theme. This is pretty cool, giving your screens a uniform appearance. In the settings of the app you can enable reflections, HD shaders, full screen transitions, change the UI theme and in the free version they show the various features which would be unlocked when you upgrade. Overall, this launcher is pretty easy to use.


Also on Android Apps

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FTL Launcher (Free)

FTL LauncherFTL Launcher also comes in free and pro, and it too works with most Android devices and OS versions. The lite version has some of the configurable options pre-loaded and cannot be changed, which is reason enough to download the pro version. When you first launch the app, you are taken to the settings screen which has a ton of options in it. In it is the theme manager, background, number of desktop rows, endless looping, transition speeds, and more.

The option that caught my eye is that you can (in the pro version) use existing ADW, GoLauncher and LauncherPro Icon and Dock theme. This is very,very cool. I have used the GoLauncher for a while. You can mix and match the theme aspects. This launcher does have a lot of different options and really allows you to customize your phone.

Chameleon Launcher for Phones ($2.91)

The Chameleon Launcher was initially compatible with Android tablets, but theyve broadened their appeal with a new version for Android phones. It should be noted that you cannot use one version on both tablets and phones, and Chameleon will not run with some of the older phones and Android OS. With Chameleon you can create multiple home screens as with any other browser, but the key aspect of this launcher is the widgets. They have some of the best looking widgets. You can create specialized widgets for your calendar, Facebook, music, weather, Twitter, and more.

Another cool feature of this launcher is that you can set up within the app context rules based on time, Wi-Fi networks, even GPS location different home screens. I like this feature because when I come home each day I normally switch to my Wi-Fi and being able to get customized screen for when I am home is just cool. I have a larger screen phone so not sure how it would look on a sma ller screen. They do have a calendar add on if interested. Unfortunately there is no free version to try out.

Nemus Launcher (Free)

Nemus LauncherI recently discovered Nemus, a decent little launcher that will run on most Android phones and OS. It has the basic settings setup such as the home screen settings (page looping) wallpaper, grid size, dock number and more. With the app you can lock contents and editing capabilities, which is new to me. You can of course set the orientation and backup/ restore your settings, and hide apps with Nemus Launcher.

The developers behind Nemus Launcher also produced Regina 3D launcher, which has been out for some time. The launcher does not seem as fancy or glamorous as say the Chameleon launcher, but it most cer tainly gets the job done. I like how you can adjust the grid size and in the dock, the apps/home button is always in the middle with the other dock icons sliding around it. With the apps listing area, there is a task killer feature. This is a nice free alternative launcher.

These are just a few of the launchers out there and I suspect there will be more as Android phones and OS change and develop. Which do you use?

New Android apps worth downloading: Facebook Home, Fotor - Photo Effect Studio, Epic Pirates Story

Facebook Home has finally hit the Google Play Store! Facebooks new app lets users add social networking feeds from the service to their home screens and integrate the service a lot more deeply into the Android experience, but it's currently available for select devices. We've also got the powerful photo-editing app Fotor Photo Effect Studio, and Epic Pirates Story, a simulation game in which you build up a powerful band of scallywags so you can take down an evil pirate king who's terrorizing the Caribbean.


Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts

Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, teachers and students find great education apps.


Facebook Home (Free)

Whats it about? Facebook Home plugs the social network into your Android device's home screen, integrating your feeds into your phone experience on a deeper level than ever before.

Whats cool? Instead of popping into an app and waiting for it to load to access Facebook, Facebook Home brings the social network to your Android device at the top level. You'll see messages, comments, status updates and more on your home screen and be able to interact with other people without having to pop open the app, and Facebook Home includes an app launcher that lets you quickly get to other social networking essentials, such as Instagram. The app is only available on certain devices for now, so make sure to check your compatibility before downloading.

Whos it for? Facebook junkies, this is the app you've been waiting for.

Whats it like? The standard Facebook app is still a solid alternative if your device can't yet support Facebook Home, and you can get more social networking on your home screen with the help of SO.HO.

Fotor - Photo Effect Studio (Free)

Whats it about? Fotor brings powerful photo-editing capabilities to your Android device, packing it with new effects and features to make your mobile photography even better.

Whats cool? Fotor is an enhanced camera, but the focus of this app (as opposed to the other Fotor camera app) is the post-production side of your Android photography. It includes some 60 effects, the ability to enhance your images with a single tap, borders and frames, and full capabilities such as cropping, blurring and sharpening. When you're finished making your photos better , Fotor packs a full range of sharing capabilities across social networks, as well.

Whos it for? If you find yourself shooting lots of photos with your smartphone or tablet, try Fotor to help make them better.

Whats it like? Fotor Camera and Photo Editor is slightly scaled-back alternative from the same developer, and PicShop - Photo Editor also offers some useful photo-editing features.

Epic Pirates Story ($1.27)

Whats it about? Simulation title Epic Pirates Story tasks players with creating their own pirate strongholds by adding buildings, then sending their pirates out on quests.

Whats cool? Working through Epic Pirates Story starts with you control ling a single pirate, sending him out on missions and earning money to make him more powerful. As you complete quests and add buildings to your pirate town, you'll gain more fame, which will bring more pirates to join you, and allow you to finish more quests. As you make your pirates stronger, you'll eventually be able to take down your nemesis, Duke A. Blizzardo, as well as fight other bosses and monsters along the way.

Whos it for? Fans of management and simulation titles, as well as pirates, will have lots to do with Epic Pirates Story.

Whats it like? Check out games with similar mechanics such as Epic Astro Story and The Simpsons: Tapped Out.

Download the Appolicious Android app

Why we created appoLearning

My son was born about a month before the debut of the iPad, and has quite literally grown up alongside touchscreen devices. As a parent and longtime app reviewer, I can tell you with conviction that most educational apps for the iPad stink.

While there are countless educational apps that claim to teach my son how to do things like count, trace letters, or identify his home state on a map, the vast majority fail to deliver on what is promised in their iTunes Descriptions. I hear the same complaints from friends and family who are trying to find legit apps to teach their older children topics ranging from fractions, to physics to foreign languages.

Downloading substandard educational apps is at best a waste of time and money. More disturbingly, bad educational apps can promote poor learning ha bits or compromise privacy.

On the flip side, the iPad is ushering in a new revolution in learning. Many schools across the country are rolling out 1:1 iPad initiatives that put devices in the hands of every student. Apps likeDuck Duck Moose Reading,Monster Physics andLearn Spanish with Lingo Arcade are engaging students in ways not possible with traditional textbooks and other learning materials.

There are apps available that can at least complement the study of virtually any subject for students of all ages. The challenge ultimately lies in finding the good ones and determining if they are useful for your kids particular needs.

It's way too hard to find relevant educational apps

Unfortunately, there are few meaningful ways for parents, teachers, or students to find quality educational apps for their desired age group and field of study. There are three reasons why:

  1. There is no consistent and organized metho d in the iTunes App Store - or elsewhere - to discover and learn about apps specific to both a subject and age group.

  2. Most user and professional reviews of educational apps lack context, and fail to explain in specific detail what an app teaches, how lessons are presented, and whether or not your kid will use it without much parental prodding.

  3. All too often, educational app reviewers have no teaching experience or credentials to convey if and why a given app offers any educational efficacy.

As parents and media publishers who specialize in mobile app discovery, we concluded that there has to be a better way to curate and categorize the best educational apps for the iPad.

Here's what makes appoLearning different - and better

We collaborated withdozens of teachers, administrators, educational consultants and technology specialists to create the most comprehensive and detailed showcas e of quality educational apps available.

Together, we came up with an ever-expanding category taxonomy that features nearly 100 subjects (and growing) across four distinct age groups: Early Childhood, Elementary School, Middle School and High School.

For each subject, our experts showcase the five best educational apps available and explain in detail what factors motivated their selections. The hundreds of educational apps reviewed on appoLearning are givenReport Cards so parents, teachers and students can understand how and why they were deemed to be the best of the bunch.

Report Card evaluations are based on the following criteria:

  • Educational Content: What are the apps educational objectives and what skills does it teach?
  • Kid Appeal: How wi ll the app stimulate and engage the student?

  • Assessment: How can parents, teachers and students best track lesson progress?

  • Features & Design: Is the app unique, and does it encourage repeat use?

  • Value: Does the app justify its download price and offer enough meaningful content before asking for more money?

  • Safety & Privacy: Will the app expose kids to external services or solicit personal data?

All of the apps curated by appoLearning Experts are cross-checked by a team of app review specialists. As new and innovative educational applications are released seemingly everyday, appoLearning subjects are constantly updated in order to showcase the absolute best apps available at any given time. We also will be adding new categories that focus on more particular skills, subjects and disciplines each week.

Invariably, there will be apps that you and your children use t hat should be showcased on appoLearning. If you have an educational app that you think is worthy of consideration, pleaselet us know.

There are incredible educational opportunities with the iPad, and we are just scratching the surface. Let appoLearning serve as your guide and trusted resource for educational app discovery.

Zinio Guest Post: Digital magazines all mothers will love

Although we love to talk about the momeconomy and mommy bloggers, there is no typical mom. Theres no content that appeals to every woman who does what Jackie Kennedy Onassis called the only job that matters. But there is a lot of content that digital publishing has made available to the wonderful diversity that is mom.

Here are are some of my favorites:

Readers Digest: I know. Could we start out any more square and boring? But here us out. You havent seen Readers Digest in its digital version, which has gone way beyond the doctors office. It has become a great compendium of womens interests and issues and, to its credit, has focused on physical and emotional health without the celebrity obsession. Readers Digest digital is colorful and accessible. On Zinio it curre ntly sells for ten issues for $10.

Check out Reader's Digest on Zinio here.

Hello! Tabloids Brit-style. If you dont get enough of the royal family from People, Us, and E! Online, prepare for the royal deluge. This is a weekly with more cred than the Enquirer and a little less cruelty and disregard for privacy than the British dailies. A little less. The magazine claims to be balanced with practical features. It does have a surprising amount of them, but this is the royal-fest. Nothing wrong with that.

Check out Hello! on Zinio here.

Working Mother: I dont like some of the stereotypes around what moms want. Were a lot more than horoscopes and diet tips. Leave it to Working Mother to get this right. It manages to present the greatest balancing act of all within its digital version. Its the kind of magazine I refer and share a lot of article from, so digital is pe rfect. Its the only magazine that helps you deal with a tough boss and a tough babysitter. On Zinio its eight issues a year for $9.99.

Check out Working Mother on Zinio here.

Professional Womans Magazine: This is a quarterly that flies a bit more under the radar than Working Mother. I like it because it is almost completely focused on career and business development. In a word: Opportunity. I love the profiles and each issue is a case study in success.

Check out Professional Womans Magazine on Zinio here.

Organic Spa: Now were talking. Actually this magazine is more about a healthy lifestyle than it is a travelogue about spa destinations. Yes, it has those (and brilliant artwork and photography to match). But its main mission is to bridge spa wisdom and wellness with the modern green lifestyle. It manages to inspire and inform. Its one of my favorite wish books.

Check out Organic Spa on Zinio here.

Eating Well: This magazine strikes a great balance for me. It balances food that tastes good with food thats good for you. It balances nutrition with economics. It balances cooking healthy food with a busy schedule. Again the digital version is great for sharing recipes and the photos and prose actually make you aspire to make healthy eating a way of life. On Zinio its six issues for $6.99.

Check out Eating Well on Zinio here.

Selasa, 30 April 2013

New Android apps worth downloading: SendHub, The Traveler, Rayman Jungle Run update

Today's apps worth downloading start with SendHub, an app that provides a free phone number over your Internet connection, which is great for business professionals. The Traveler is up next, which helps in documenting travels through GPS, photos, video, audio and even drawings. Finally, the popular platformer Rayman Jungle Run has just received an update that adds 20 new levels.


Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts

Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, teachers and students find great education apps.


SendHub (Free)

Whats it about? SendHub sets you up with a free phone line for your business, and gives you the option to set it in any area code you want.

Whats cool? Firing up SendHub gives you the ability to send and receive calls and text messages through the app, providing you a voice-over-Internet alternative to your phone. You can request a number in whatever area code you want, so it's great to create a phone number when you need one for your business (like if you're a freelancer, for example) or to keep your personal number, you know, personal. SendHub also supports features such as voice mail and call fowarding.

Whos it for? If you could use a spare phone number for whatever you've got going on, try SendHub.

Whats it like? A solid alternative is Google's free phone line service, Google Voice.

The Traveler (Free)

Whats it about? Part digital sketchbook, part travel journal, The Traveler helps you document your trips and save your memories.

Whats cool? The Traveler is basically everything you need to capture everything you can about a given trip or excursion. The app lets you shoot photos and video, record audio, and even draw what you're seeing, in order to help you save anything from a trip that you want. You can even track your movements with your Android device's GPS capabilities and replay the paths later, syncing the things you record to it so you can see them in context, or watching the path played out in 3-D through Google Earth.

Whos it for? As the name suggests, travelers are going to get the most out of this one.

Whats it like? Try getting more GPS info straight from the dedicated Google Earth app, and plan vacations with the help of Gogobot.

Rayman Jungle Run update ($2.99)

Whats it about? Starring Ubisoft's well-loved character, Rayman Jungle Run is a running title mixed with a platformer, challenging players to power through levels that include dodging hazards and helicoptering through the air.

Whats cool? Rayman Jungle Run is a running game that has players maneuvering Rayman through each level and grab as many floating points as possible. The challenge is to execute perfectly, hitting every jump and dodging every obstacle as you work through the game's challenging levels. Packing high production values and simple touch controls, the game manages to be just tough enough to be addictive, and its latest update brings in 20 new levels for players to work through. This one was among 2012's most p opular games in Apple's iTunes App Store, and the Android version is just as good.

Whos it for? Fans of platformers shouldn't miss Rayman's mobile excursion.

Whats it like? You might also like Babel Running and Prince of Persia Classic.

Download the Appolicious Android app

Android App Video Review: Nimble Quest

Many hardcore gamers have looked at Tiny Tower and Pocket Planes, realizing that there is quite a lot of talent over at Nimblebit, even if those kinds of social management games aren't their cup of tea. Many of us have been waiting for the day Nimblebit releases a more traditional kind of game, and that day is now here. Nimble Quest is still pretty casual, but it's also very creative and interesting. Essentially, it's the classic arcade game of Snake mixed with an RPG. Interested yet?


Als o on Android Apps

Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


The game is simple as can be. You lead a snaking conga line of heroic heroes around an arena as enemies spawn. You start with one leader hero, and pick up more as you play. Different heroes have different abilities, from the sword swinging knight, ranged archer, mage, and pirate, and bomb throwing Gizmo. Different conga line formations make for different play styles and strategies, like hitting enemies head on with melee front liners, or zig-zagging towards them with ranged front liners. The leader of your party gains experience and eventually levels up, getting a cooler costume and better stats.

As you play, various power-ups and gems will be dropped by enemies. Power-ups include healing potions, attack rate boosts, enemy clearing bombs, shields, and ice that freezes all enemies in place. Gems are used to sometimes heal your leader, and also to buy all the various upgrades. You can make those power-ups more effective, or skip the grind and upgrade your heroes right away through gems. There are also tokens, which are much more rare to see dropped, but they still pop up enough. These are used to buff your heroes before a level, add extra heroes right off the bat, or replay a level if you die, thus avoiding having to restart the level progression.

You'll spend a lot of time replaying the same levels again and again, as the whole point is to get as far through the levels as you can. Each new level you beat unlocks a new hero and increases your party size. This can feel like a brutal grind, but it's not so bad. The amount of pride you feel when you unlock a new hero or upgrade an existing one pretty much makes up for it. There is also a kind of competitive multiplayer. Essentially, you can play with a pre-set hero if you've unlocked them, and compete with other players for top scores. The winners get some pretty nifty in-game stuff.

The pixel art and music are all top notch, and full of that beloved Nimblebit charm, and while extended play sessions will probably bore you, this is a great game to pull out a few times a day when you've got a moment to spare. It's simple, fun, and a great distraction. Not quite hardcore, so to speak, but worth playing nevertheless. And it's totally free too, so check it out.


Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts

Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, tea chers and students find great education apps.


New Android apps worth downloading: Do It! Pro update, Notifications Off, Dungeon Hunter 4

Get organized and accomplish your daily goals with Do It! Pro. The to-do list app syncs with your Google Tasks to help maintain organization of all the things you need to accomplish across multiple devices. For those of you with rooted devices, we've got Notifications Off, an app that gives you centralized control of all your device's notifications. Finally, there's Dungeon Hunter 4, the latest in Gameloft's action role-playing game series.


Also on Android Apps

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Do It! Pro: ToDo & Tasks Lists update ($2.99)

Whats it about? Do It! Pr o Is a task list manager that lets you sync up with Google Tasks to keep track of everything that needs doing.

Whats cool? There are plenty of to-do list apps in the Google Play store, but the really good ones come bursting with features. Do It! Pro starts by letting you take down tasks, create lists and monitor what you have to do in a day, but it begins to expand by letting you sync with Google Tasks in order to stay more organized. It also can produce account-specific reminders about what you have to do and when you have to do it, and supports multiple lists that you can swipe between to keep organized. The app supports widgets for the newest versions of Android, and its latest updates include a number of changes that make everything work better.

Whos it for? If you need help staying organized with everything you need to get done, try Do It! Pro.

Whats it like? Grab Tasks To Do Pro and Clean Gtasks Widget for alternative to-do organization.

Notifications Off (Free)

Whats it about? Need a quick way to shut down all your phone's notifications? Notifications Off can handle the job.

Whats cool? Notifications Off centralizes control of the notifications that pop up on your phone, allowing you to bypass shutting them down individually by going to each app and hunting down the controls to do so. If you've got your Android device rooted, you can use Notifications Off to shut down all notifications at once, or switch off the notifications of individual apps even as soon as they're installed. Keep in mind that this one's a beta release, though, so it might contain some bugs.

W hos it for? Notifications Off requires your device to be rooted, so if you're not into that sort of thing, you'll want to skip it.

Whats it like? Notification Toggle and Notification Launcher offer more ways to control your notifications and what you do with them.

Dungeon Hunter 4 (Free)

Whats it about? Gameloft's Dungeon Hunter series expands again with Dungeon Hunter 4, which takes a free-to-play stance on the developer's Diablo-like action-role-playing franchise.

Whats cool? Like the rest of the Dungeon Hunter series, Dungeon Hunter 4 packs great production values and some solid gameplay as players take on the roles of heroes and venture into dungeons to kill m onsters and demons. The series takes a page from action-RPGs such as Diablo III on PC, with players grabbing loot and weapons while raising skills and unlocking new abilities. You can choose from one of four types of warrior to play with, each packing different capabilities, but keep in mind that the free-to-play model limits what players can do in the game without paying.

Whos it for? If you like Gameloft's other high production value games or PC games such as Diablo III and Torchlight 2, you'll want to try the Dungeon Hunter games.

Whats it like? Check out Dungeon Hunter 3 and Zenonia 5 for more role-playing fun.


Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts

Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, teachers and students find great education apps.


Facebook Home leads Android Apps of the Week

Facebook HomeFacebook is back with a brand new app, and theyre after your free time. Facebook Home is its name, and replacing your current phones home screen is its game. Weve also got a cool way to share videos in Cinemagram, an upstanding new photo editor, a way to record your phone calls as MP3s, and even an app to help us all sleep better through the magic that is science. Here are the top Android apps of the week!

Facebook Home (Free)

The latest bombardment in Facebooks ongoing war against all productivity in the world comes in the form of this brand new launcher. This official Facebook launcher turns your home screen into a news feeding, status updating, and friend messaging machine. Facecbook Home is pretty basic, a bit clunky, and makes it harder to reach non-Facebook or social media related apps, but its a decent start for any Facebook lover. Most people will probably be OK with just launching the apps normally, myself included. Dont pay too much attention to the Google Play review score, though. This doesnt deserve nearly all the one star ratings its gotten, even if it does need a lot of improvement.

Cinemagram (Free)

CinemagramSpeaking of social media apps that need some improving, the popular iOS app Cinemagram has finally made its way over to Android. This creative little app makes it easy as pie to share short, short videos or GIFS with your friends and family, with the ability to add some fun effects while youre at it. Anything from a sunset to a rainbow to horrible weather and traffic can be sh ared to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. I cant really see a great many moments being adequately captured in about four seconds, but I probably lack imagination. The initial release is a bit buggy, and lacking in the device compatibility department, but this is a great app all the same.

MP3 InCall Recorder & Voice (Free)

This next app from GrinZone is super practical above all else. It lets you record any phone call you have and save it as an MP3 for future reference. Just imagine the possibilities. You can refresh yourself on business related conversations, record a phone interview as a journalist, or more likely, make a record of every single wrong thing your significant other ever says like its the Cold War and youre stocking up on nukes. It isnt perfect on every device, but the developers are always patching and fixing things up, and there are plenty of features to make it easy to manage all your recorded calls.

Fotor - Photo E ffect Studio (Free)

Twilight After some success on the iOS front, Everimaging Co. have brought the Fotor camera app and now this Fotor editing app to Android, tossing their hat in with the bevy of other available photography and editing apps on Google Play. Even though you probably already have an image editor or two that you prefer, you should definitely check this fully featured app out. It boasts around 60 effects, plus one-touch enhancements, cropping, borders/frames, and plenty of social network sharing to help show off your mad skills. This is a solid addition to the collection of any serious Android photographer.

Twilight (Free)

Twilight is a simple but useful app designed by people far more intelligent than myself. I wont bastardize the science stuff too badly, but essentially, this is a light filter app for helping you get to sleep. Its been shown that certain portions of the light spectrum, mainly blue, can mess with your circadian rhythms and interfere with sleep cycles. This is why you might have trouble falling asleep right after sitting at a computer or using your phone or tablet in bed. The app tinges everything red, and looks a bit odd, but its been reported to be effective by hundreds. As Breaking Bads Jesse Pinkman would say Yeah Science!


Also on Android Apps

Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


New Android apps worth downloading: Zombies, Run! and Pocket updates, Frontline Commando: D-Day

Need a workout plan? How about fleeing from hordes of the undead? That's what's on offer in Zombies, Run!, an app that provides a bit of a game, as well as a back story, to go with your jogging routine. We've also got an updated (and more social) Pocket, which allows you to save articles you're reading to return to them later. Finally, Frontline Commando: D-Day puts players in the boots of an Allied soldier in a third-person shooting game.


Also on Android Apps

Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


Zombies, Run! update ($3.99)

Whats it about? Make working out a it more terrifying with Zo mbies, Run!, a workout app that provides a zombie apocalypse story to go with your time on the treadmill.

Whats cool? Zombies, Run! helps you get motivated for running (and other physical activities) by providing you with an audio adventure to go with it. Your headphones pipe in stories of zombies chasing you to go with your fitness goals, with a story that has been penned by novelist Naomi Alderman, and also provides you with missions and other goals to meet, to make a bit of a game out of your workout. The app's newest update starts Season Two, which brings in new missions and new stories for runners to enjoy (and fear).

Whos it for? If you like zombie stories and could use a little motivation to get in shape, Zombies, Run! is for you.

Whats it like? Try Runkeeper and MapMyRun for more running tracking and motiviational help.

Pocket update (Free)

Whats it about? Pocket lets you save things you're reading on the Internet on your computer for later, picking up where you left off on your Android device.

Whats cool? Ever find yourself wanting to read an article on the Internet you find during work or while you're doing something else, but you don't have time to commit right then? Pocket is the solution it allows you to save that article (or videos and other content) to read for later on your mobile device, and strips out the noise of excessive images, ads or links to make the reading experience easier and quicker. It also lets you sync your progress between devices, so you can start an article on your computer, pick it up later on your Android phone, and then go back to your computer to fin ish. Pocket's latest update makes it more social, adding more features and allowing you to share content with friends, and to receive shared articles right in the app.

Whos it for? Anyone who finds themselves wishing they had more time to read interesting articles should check out Pocket.

Whats it like? Instapaper also is a well-loved alternative for finding time to read articles.

Frontline Commando: D-Day (Free)

Whats it about? Third-person shooter Frontline Commando: D-Day sends players to the beaches of Normandy and beyond to fight Nazi soldiers.

Whats cool? Great graphics and a fast-paced, high-action single-player campaign await players in Frontline Commando. Y ou play an Allied soldier as you make your way through trenches and across barriers, fighting enemy troops along the way while taking cover behind boxes and sandbags. You'll need quick reflexes and a sure aim to make it through alive, and there's plenty of action to be had. It's important to keep in mind that Frontline Commando is a free-to-play game, which means you can experience its lengthy single-player campaign for free, but you'll need to make in-app purchases for additional things like more powerful weapons.

Whos it for? Fans of shooters will find themselves right at home in Frontline Commando.

Whats it like? Check out Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour and Shadowgun for a pair of solid shooters, one with a first-person perspective, the other with a third-person.


Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts

Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, teachers and students find great education apps.


Crazy Climber reaches the top of Android Games of the Week

Crazy ClimberHave you ever wanted to climb up the side of a skyscraper? Chances are you've never had the chance to do that before, but thanks to the magic of Android video games you now have to chance to give it a try. But that's not all you'll get to do this week. You will also get the chance to drive futuristic race cars on futuristic race tracks, run past zombies instead of right into their arms, and play some hockey. Yay, hockey.

Crazy Climber (Free)

Thankfully, this game from ICLOUDZONE about climbing up the side of a building does not deal with the consequences of screwing up, and so there will be no emotional trauma from falling 70 floors off the side of a skyscraper to your bloody death. Crazy Climber is a family friendly game, an endless runner with a twist. You go up and up and and try to collect coins while also avoiding those places where the gaps between handholds are too large for your incredible jumping skills. Also, sometimes you'll encounter open windows, and trying to jump through an open window is not a smart idea. Don't try that. You will fail. That's about the entire game, but it's very fun, though if you last long enough that objects fall on your head, you may get angry. I know I did...


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Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


Repulze ($2.99)

RepulzeHave you ever played a Wipeout game on a Pla yStation system? If so, you'll find a very familiar experience here. If you haven't, I guess I should explain what's going on. Repulze is a racing game where you drive a car/hovercraft, and you go really fast through courses that don't look particularly safe to drive. They twist, turn and loop. You must maintain control through it all even as you try to hit gates that give you booster fuel. As with most Android racing games, Repulze cars accelerate automatically, but they lack a key safety feature: brakes. You also get a number of control schemes to choose from, and you'll likely need to try them all before settling on one.

Into The Dead (Free)

Into the Dead is just another zombie game, and just another endless runner. But it's different than the staples of either of those game genres. Here, you are playing from the first-person perspective, and you are running through a field. In front of you, there are zombies. In general, you're just trying to avoid the zombies, rather than killing them all, though you can kill some of them, because you'll pick up weapons while you run (or you can buy the privilege of starting with a gun from the cash shop). But it goes on and on, and there will always be zombies in front of you, and since you can't stop running you will eventually run over one of them and get eaten. This game is really just a metaphor for all zombie stories. You can run and run and run, but they'll get you in the end because there are more of then than there are of you. And theyll never say sorry.

Ice Rage ($0.99)

Ice RageThough we're in spring now, we're still doing hockey, and boy is it about time we had some solid mobile hockey action this year? Well, we have some now, in the form of I ce Rage from HeroCraft, which is a two-on-two ice hockey experience. You've got your goalies, and you've got two dudes fighting over the puck on a rather small rink. Controls are simple you steer your dude with one thumb, and you shoot the puck (hopefully at the opponent's goal) with the other. Since there's no aiming stick, you can only shoot in the direction your dude is facing, which is a real challenge. You can play against the computer, but that gets old. You'll want to take Ice Rage online to face some legit human foes who might actually be able to beat you.


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New Android apps worth downloading: Facebook Messenger update, Cut the Rope: Time Travel, Anthill

Facebook Messenger received another big update for Android users, throwing in new multitasking capabilities. We've also got some new games to help you have some fun this week: Cut the Rope: Time Travel, which adds more complexity to the Cut the Rope formula, and Anthill, a strategy defense game in which you send ant soldiers to protect your colony.


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Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


Facebook Messenger update (Free)

Facebook MessengerWhats it about? Chat with your Facebook friends through the social network's dedicated Facebook Messenger app, which now supports voice features for Android users.

Whats cool? Facebook Messenger was already a pretty handy app, bringing the chat functions of the social network that users enjoy on its website to a specialized mobile app. Messenger allows for things like group chats, video and photo messages, and more, and it's a big boon just to have instant messaging access to everyone on your Facebook friends list. You can also use the app to check messages you aren't receiving in real-time, so it essentially functions as a dual chat and email service that's specifically run through Facebook. Recent updates have added VoIP chatting and multitasking that allows you to continue chatting even while using other apps.

Whos it for? If you're a big fan of Facebook as a means of contacting others, Facebook Messenger is extremely useful.

Whats it like? Try Facebook's other maj or apps, Facebook Home, which integrates the social network into your device's home screen, and the original Facebook app.

Cut the Rope: Time Travel (Free)

Cut the Rope: Time TravelWhats it about? The green monster Om Nom is back and has been accidentally sucked through a time vortex, creating new puzzles in which players have to cut ropes to feed candies to him (and his ancestors).

Whats cool? Like Cut the Rope: Experiments before it, Cut the Rope: Time Travel is less of a sequel and more of an expansion of the original Cut the Rope idea. The basics are the same: each puzzle has a candy hanging from a rope (or otherwise suspended) that players need to get into Om Nom's mouth. Cutting r opes by swiping or tapping to pop bubbles can set the candies in motion, and quick reactions from players, as well as logical steps, get them where they need to go. In Cut the Rope: Time Travel, developer ZeptoLabs adds more elements, such as rockets and portals, to the repertoire of Cut the Rope elements, and switches up gameplay by adding a second candy and a second location to bring it to. This leads to puzzles that have players doing two things at once, or some in which timing is key to feed both monsters.

Whos it for? Anyone who enjoys puzzlers (and cute monsters) should check out Cut the Rope: Time Travel it's a solid addition of the well-loved series.

Whats it like? The original Cut the Rope also offers some great puzzles, and Cut the Rope: Experiments add a number of twists on the original idea.

Anthill ($1.92)

AnthillWhats it about? Strategy game Anthill has players using the real behaviors of ants to send troops into battle against enemy bugs, destroying them for the good of the colony.

Whats cool? Players of Anthill spend their time directing various kinds of ants to fight off incoming enemy bugs, but instead of moving troops around in groups or setting up towers for defense, you'll send them in streams using lines of pheromones left on the ground. Anthill keeps its controls simple, requiring that you just draw a line to where you want to send troops in order to issue them orders. You'll need to protect the ant hill, but how you do that depends on how you deploy your four different kinds of troops. Over time, you'll be able to upgrade your ants and your colony to make them more effective.

< p>Whos it for? Strategy fans, you'll want to try this one for its interesting but simple controls and twist on tactics.

Whats it like? Ant Raid is another quality ant-based strategy title, and takes a different approach to similar ideas.


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The best Android app for processing credit cards: Square Register

In a world where customers increasingly eschew cash, its plastic or perish. A number of apps have seized on the opportunity, but thanks to a big deal with Starbucks, Square Register has a head of steam. The brainchild of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Square Register has a lot going for it, but a certain future isnt one of them. Square has been locking horns with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation since January, when the agency delivered a cease and desist order for alleged violation of the Transmitters of Money Act. Our best guess is Square and the state will find a way to make amends. (iOS, Android Free)

Applauding

After swiping, customers can opt to have their receipt emailed, texted or printed.

Appalling

Custom ers always have to sign, which can be unwieldy on a smartphone.

Applauding

Square allows users to run analytics and sales reports.


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Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


Appalling

You must own an iPad to sync wirelessly with printers and cash drawers, and gain access to important daily and custom transaction reports.

Applauding

Businesses can pay either a flat rate of $275 per month or 2.75 percent per transaction, no matter the card.

Appalling

The flat rate is only available for the first $250,000 in sales. After that, Square charges 2.75 percent per swipe.

Applauding

Signing up for either payment plan lands you a free Mobile Card Reader. The app is free for download.

Appalling

Small businesses need to purchase additional hardware. Squares Business in a Box bundle costs $300, and another bundle throws in a receipt printer for $600.

See more information about these apps from our partner ChicagoGrid.

Five Android apps that lessen the stress of your daily commute

The first time I lived in Los Angeles there were no smartphones. I spent 45 minutes each morning and each evening traveling four miles on the 405 commuting from Westwood to Beverly Hills, which was infinitely boring. But we live in a new age, and these days we have tools to help you get where you're going more efficiently.

Starting with navigation

If you've been doing your current commute for more than a week, you've probably settled in on a route that you believe is the fastest possibility. Of course, if you're using popular navigation apps like Google Nav or Waze, it could be that you're wrong. Those apps, I've found when I try to use them to get around L.A., always put you on the freeways, though you do have the option of telling the map to always avoid them. Even so, there are times when you will want to take your local freeway or interstate highway.


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Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom."


But navigation apps are still good for one very important reason: they show you where you are on a map, and both Google Nav and Waze boast some cool map features. Google's key bit, to me, is its heat map. When in navigation mode, you can zoom out and view traffic levels on any street. Green means you're clear, orange means slow, and red means it's going to be a while. While Google does not take this data into account when giving you a route, you can use it to make your own, certainly. It's easy to loo k at the heat map and plan your own alternative route or to detour yourself when the need arises.

Waze, on the other hand, doesn't have a complete heat map of your city, but that's probably because that app has less data to work with since it's not pulling GPS data from every Android phone. It does, however, have other helpful information. It gives better freeway data than Google does, as it actually tracks vehicle speed and feed that information to other users. In those times where you need to know exactly how long it will take to get there, this is helpful. Still, you might get data on your route in some places but not others.

Waze, though, is also a social network, and it allows you to feed in information about the world around you. Waze users will, for example, make a note on the map when they drive through a construction zone, and then everyone else can see that information. If there's a bad wreck holding up traffic, they'll let you know that, too. More specific information is always good. Making educated decisions is also good.

Texting, tunes, and gas stations

A lot of folks, though, are happy with their routes and don't need a navigation app. Maybe they've gotten so used to it that they could sleep through their morning drive. Those people, I might think, would be tempted to text a bit while sitting in the car. That, as we all know, is bad news, and in some places it can earn you a ticket if you're spotted doing that by a police officer.

What those people need, then, is an app that won't let them text while they speed along the highway. That app does exist, and it's called Textecution. Allegedly, this app will prevent you from texting if you're moving more than 15 miles per hour, and you can also set it to shut off mobile data. It also costs $30 for some reason. While thats probably too pricey for most, if youre in the market for such an app, take it as a sign that you could have a s erious problem.


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While using your phone to actively entertain yourself while you're driving is a terrible idea, it can be quite helpful in keeping you entertained nonetheless. Most of us like to listen to something in the car or during a subway commute, and you don't need to use the FM radio or CDs or an MP3 player. Your Android phone can do all that stuff for you. If you're in the market for free apps, I heartily recommend iHeartRadio, which collects radio stations from all over the country in one streaming app. So if you've been living for years away from your homet own and feeling sad that you can't listen to your favorite childhood radio station during your commute, chances are this app has what you're looking for.

Alternatively, the ubiquitous Spotify is also available in a mobile app, but you'll need their premium service to use it. A subscriptions costs $10 a month, but the advantages are plenty. You can stream or download any song in the extremely extensive Spotify library to your phone. Finally, you can see how many different covers of Seals Kiss From a Rose you can get through in the morning before you go mad.

One last thing I want to discuss, and it's GasBuddy. Most of us need to put gas in our cars, right? Well, this app keeps updated prices for gas stations all over, thanks to users, and it will help you find the best options near where you are and where you're going. It's an invaluable tool, especially if you live in a large city where prices can vary greatly from one neighborhood to the next.

New Android apps worth downloading: Swoon, Trial of the Clone, Sporos update

Looking to meet someone new near you? Try Swoon, the social networking app that lets you anonymously check out the profiles of people near you, and if you like them, you can escalate things to messaging and maybe, eventually, meeting in person. Weve also got Trial of the Clone, a gamebook app that lets you choose your own adventure as you read it, and an update to logic puzzler Sporos, which tasks you with taking over cells through careful puzzle-solving.


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Founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908, Mothers Day is just around the corner. Zinios tribute to mothers offers magazines for the wonderful diversity that is mom.


Swoon (Free)

Whats it about? Social network Swoon helps you find interesti ng people around you, and maybe even connect with them, if you choose.

Whats cool? Swoons goal is to help you find people youd like to meet or maybe a significant other among the cool people who live around you that you dont even know. In order to make meeting them easier, Swoon lets you page through profiles anonymously, liking the ones that appeal to you to save them for later. If you find someone youd like to meet, you can use Swoon to exchange messages while remaining anonymous until youre ready to take the next step.

Whos it for? Anyone interested in meeting people near them that they might connect with should check out Swoon.

Whats it like? Try OKCupid Dating and DH Dating for more help with meeting people.

Trial of the Clone (Free)

Whats it about? Discover the story of a clone born to a group of monks in Trial of the Clone, a sort of choose your own adventure book thats also something of a game.

Whats cool? Trial of the Clone is a member of the gamebook genre of apps, which bridges visual novels with choose your own adventure stories, putting the reader in the role of the protagonist and asking you to make decisions about what to do throughout the story. Trial of the Clone is a humorous sci-fi adventure that riffs on some of the ideas and tropes of Star Wars, and is a lot like playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons by yourself. The game even keeps track of your character stats and other important info along the way.

Whos it for? Fans of sci-fi stories and role-playing games should try Trial of the Clone.

Whats it like? Try one of Tin Man Games other gamebooks, Blood of the Zombies, or The Forging of a Legend.

Sporos update (Free)

Whats it about? Puzzle game Sporos has players carefully interacting with a group of cells on the screen, with the goal of using the right interactions to activate each one.

Whats cool? Each level of Sporos presents players with a grid made up of different cells, and a group of other cells the player can place on the grid. Each of the cells that can be placed includes lines that will light up other adjacent cells in a certain direction, so the idea is to put each cell in the right place to take over each of the other cells on the grid. Sporos includes some 300 free levels that will challenge you r logical brain and reasoning skills, and its latest update includes more levels and SD card support.

Whos it for? Puzzle fans who like the slow approach to solving them will like Sporos.

Whats it like? Check out Puzzle Prism and Super Sudoku for a pair of games that have similar logical underpinnings.


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Zinio Guest Post: Help Save Earth By Reading Digital Magazines

Earth Day should be everyday. If only the world would be a little more veggie, a bit more green, and read more digitally, we would be a much more sustainable and environmentally sound planet. And, we would save and sustain trees.

On a serious note, Zinio helps save more than 104,000 trees every month. And it contributes more wealth in terms of information and entertainment on our newsstand. We recognize we have a lot of magazines (over 5,500), but sometimes we look twice and realize we've aggregated more quality content in one arena or another than just about any source you can find. There's a lot of great writing and photography from a broad spectrum of journals from around the world. Zinio has something for everyone, whether it's the politics of global warming or just getting out and enjoying the natural world.

Were celebrating in two ways this week. First, with a sale of over 100 titles at up to an additional 50 percent off www.zinio.com/reforest. And, weve created a content collection of some of our favorite magazines that support sustainable articles you can read for free here:

Sierra: Its a lot more than the official magazine of the Sierra Club. Sierra is arguably the only magazine that can teach you how to fly. Its most recent issue features a series of stories on wind energy, including a piece on gear you can buy to harness the wind to literally fly. Get your wingsuit. What I love about Sierra digital are the great photos and the balance between caring for the environment and caring for the economy.

http://www.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=500618227

Green Ideas: The US market should have one of these. Its a New Zealand-based magazin e. But the practical and tactical content in Green Ideas are truly global. For me that, what digital publishing is all about: No borders. Its A consumers guide to living more sustainably loaded with ideas and practical advice for people who want to know more about the environment and minimize their impact on it.

http://www.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=500668739

Whole Living: Think Martha Stewart goes green. Whole Living puts a bit of a glitzy spin on eating with a healthy approach, entertaining with a green approach and looking into the healthy circle of upscale communities that are living closer to the earth.

http://www.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=253430564&sch=true

Green Source: Another great case for digital publishing. I discovered this magazine while I was looking for some design advice for a home improvement project. I found this, which is a brilliant looking journal for professionals. Green Source covers sustainable design, green building case studies for architects, engineers, designers, contractors and owners. It might sound boring on the surface. But it feels like youre being invited into an exclusive club.

http://www.zinio.com/www/browse/issue.jsp?skuId=416242264&prnt=&offer=&categoryId

Outside: This pick might be a little popular but you simply cant ignore the excellence, writing and sheer visual power of Outside. The only thing its readers are more passionate about than working out and extreme sports is the environment. http://www.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=216990576&sch=true

Zinio Guest Post: Mothers Day Rewind, Parenting Picks

Last week we put the digital spotlight on moms. This week we shine it on moms-to-be. The Zinio newsstand has hundreds of family oriented titles, and womens magazines but for me its parenting calendar is the strongest. It ties together our international presence and shows the pure discoverability of our content. So, if youre a new mom, a mom-to-be or know one, check us out:

Natural Child World: This just might be the best magazine that you never heard of in any category. Natural Child World is an upscale, environmentally conscious and international magazine that blends parents with parenting. What I like about it is that it doesnt set out uber-parents as the goal. It sets happy parents as the goal. And great design in the tablet format.

Kiwi Maga zine: Thats kiwi as in a healthy fruit, not a New Zealander. Kiwi is bright, full of practical advice and features the latest in everyday green, natural and organic family livinghelping parents raise their children the healthiest way possible.

Oh Baby!: This one is from New Zealand. Its billed as the worlds most stylish lifestyle and parenting magazine. It has more awww thats cute photos to clip and share than almost anything Ive seen in digital publishing. Great lifestyle content for new moms.

Parenting School Years: Any mom knows that its a big deal when you put your child on a school bus, or even the first day of kindergarten. Its a big deal for parents and a bigger deal for the child. Parenting School Years is a great content extension from Bonnier that explores the questions and unique challenges that moms face with their school-age children.

Parenting Australia: The great thing about Zinio is that you get the real sense that we share issues and experiences all over the world. What I love about Practical Parenting is that it is what it says it is. Its absolutely loaded with things you can do to face specific situations with newborns through preschoolers. It is the leading parenting magazine in Australia, but it speaks across the globe.

Canadian Family: A truly unique and tactical approach to parenting that speaks across borders. Canadian Familys main section is Family 411. It covers what it calls ages and stages, and if youre a parent or planning to be one you will find this to be invaluable. Instead of the general category of parenting you can go deeper into prenatal care, first year issues, the 1-2 year st age right on up to the 13-16 year stage. Great use of the digital platform.

Fit Pregnancy: This magazine is more than it says it is. Fit Pregnancy will give you workouts a mom-to-be can actually do without being superwoman. It also delivers the latest fashions for mom and baby, essentials for parenting and infant care, workouts that will get you back into shape after delivering and simple meal plans for staying healthy. Fit Pregnancy also has a lot of special issues that add value to the digital subscription.

New Android apps worth downloading: One Today by Google, Indigo, Manuganu

One Today by Google is an app that provides a new nonprofit project each day and allows users to donate $1 and share that donation with others. Next theres the Indigo Android app, a personal data assistant that answers your questions, followed by Manuganu, a running game with platforming elements, great graphics and controls that include the ability to stop, unlike other runners.


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Instead of celebrating Earth Day once a year, adopt an eco-friendly consciousness. Zinio s digital newsstand saves 104 thousand trees per month, and heres how you can get involved.


One Today by Google (Free)

Whats it about? The latest app from Google lets you be social and help out those less fortunate by p roviding you with new charities each day, to whom you can donate $1 through the app.

Whats cool? Pretty much the only goal of One Today is to facilitate helping people give money to worthy projects. Each day, Google provides a new nonprofit project to its One Today app, and users have the option of donating a dollar to that project. If you do, great; if not, that's fine too. But if you do give to the project, you can then amplify your signal by sharing the donation through social networks and possibly educate others to the cause. That can cause them to give, and share, and so on, potentially snowballing into an outpouring of charitable support. And then it can happen tomorrow, too, and the next day.

Whos it for? If you're looking to do something a little more altruistic with your mobile apps, One Today might be the way.

Whats it like? Give to charities in a different way wit h Give 2 Charity, and track your charitable donations with Charitable Donations Log.

Indigo (Free)

Whats it about? Indigo is a voice-enabled personal data assistant that includes one feature that sets it apart from the crowd it can talk back to you.

Whats cool? Data assistants seem to have become all the rage in the mobile space, ever since the appearance of Apple's Siri program. Indigo is one such data assistant, helping out its users by allowing them to speak to it and providing services such as web searches, sending updates to Facebook, finding out important information quickly or getting recommendations on restaurants. The thing that makes Indigo cool, however, is that it's capable of carrying on a conversation wit h you, making finding what you're looking for easier and faster.

Whos it for? Anyone who likes the idea of talking to a computer to find important information hands-free (and really, who doesn't?) should give Indigo a spin.

Whats it like? Other solid personal data assistants that can answer your spoken questions include Evi and iris.

Manuganu (Free)

Whats it about? Manuganu is a running platformer, in which players dodge obstacles with careful timing, and move as quickly as possible to get to the end of each stage.

Whats cool? Like other running games with a heavy emphasis on platforming, Manuganu is all about timed jumps, careful slides, and grabbing c oins. Unlike those other titles, however, the game also has a big element that's about stopping that is, it includes a halt control that lets you stop Manuganu altogether when he's running, in order to avoid things such as swinging rocks and other dangers. Players will also jump to scale wall and climb or descend ropes across Manuganu's 30 levels.

Whos it for? Fans of running titles should check out Manuganu's interesting take on the genre, as well as it's great graphics.

Whats it like? Rayman Jungle Run includes similar mechanics and a platforming emphasis, while Temple Run 2 turns the perspective to behind the main character's back, for a different approach.


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Android App Video Review: Into the Dead

Into the Dead from PikPok is an endless first person runner game full of zombies, and ironically, in absolute defiance of all expectations and despite combining two of the most common tropes in mobile gaming, it's actually a very unique and stylish game unlike any other. That's probably due to the creativity of a developer like PikPok, though.

Essentially, you're just dropped in the middle of a zombie apocalypse world, and immediately have to start running. As you run, you'll notice one or two zombies in your path, and then one or two hundred. The idea is to keep pressing onward, slanting your run left or run via tilt or touch controls to dodge any zombies directly in your path. You don't have to dodge them perfectly. Even if you hit one to some extent while dodging, you'll glance off the side and stagger for a bit before regaining your composure. You'll also bounce off trees and other such obstacles in the same fashion. It's while you're staggered that things can get tricky in a jiffy. Also, you'll jump over fences and logs automatically.


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You aren't totally defenseless though. As you run, you'll see weapon crates marked by a glowing flare. As you complete mission objectives and reach higher level s of difficulty, you'll unlock cooler weapons, from shotguns and chainsaws to an eventual mini-gun. If you're having trouble picking up crates, they're also marked by a ring of birds in the sky, which you can see from a much greater distance. In the main mode, weapons serve to help you get through tricky choke points and corn fields, while in the massacre mode, they're the point of the game.

Everything is built around the coin and mission system. Coins earned through play and completed mission objectives can be used to buy starting perks, like extra ammo, a starting weapon, or a starting distance of 1,500 meters. They can also be used to get early access to weapons, and even to straight up bypass certain difficult mission objectives. Your gamer pride will probably keep you from doing this for a while, but believe me when I say that some objectives just aren't worth it, and will take too long to pull off. Naturally, you can buy coins in-app with real money. The game b ecomes repetitive and formulaic quickly, but what it lacks in variety, it excels with in style and presentation. No other runner has ever felt so atmospheric or tense, and the first time you run into a zombie that ends your run, it's kind of freaky. All in all, I can definitely recommend Into the Dead, as it's totally free.


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New Android apps worth downloading: SlipperFits, Tango update, Big Win MLB

Get an idea if your Facebook crush also has a crush on you with SlipperFits. It lets you secretly poll Facebook friends for their feelings, without giving yourself away. We've also got an update to voice-over-Internet app Tango, which allows you to make free voice and video calls, as well as send text messages.. Finally, there's Big Win MLB, a card battle baseball title that puts you in charge of managing your own dream baseball team.


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Instead of celebrating Earth Day once a year, adopt an eco-friendly consciousness. Zinio s digital newsstand saves 104 thousand trees per month, and heres how you can get involved.


SlipperFits (Free)

Whats it about? Use Facebook to find out if friends you have feeling for share the sentiment with SlipperFits.

Whats cool? SlipperFits is something of a dating app, in that helps you find out if the people you have a crush on (and also happen to be Facebook friends with) feel the same about you. The app lets you page through Facebook friends and tag any for whom you have feelings that might go beyond friendship then, it has you send a recommendation out to 50 friends (with your crush included) that lets them download SlipperFits, too. If the person in question downloads the app and marks you as a crush, the app notifies both of you; if the feelings aren't mutual, nobody is made any the wiser.

Whos it for? If you're hoping to find out if a Facebook friend might be more than a friend, try SlipperFits.

Whats it like? Try Swoon for more crush-finding, and the standard Facebook app for its social networking prowess.

Tango update (Free)

Whats it about? Tango is a voice-over-Internet app that lets you make voice calls and video calls, or send text messages, all for free over your device's Internet connection.

Whats cool? It's the breadth of communication possibilities available in Tango that makes it so handy. The app allows you to get in touch with other users through a variety of means you can set up text chat sessions, voice calls, video calls, and even play games with the person to whom you're talking while you're taking. The app's latest update adds group chat functionality, which means you can send photos and other items to the whole group while chatting, and it also squashes a few bugs to make the app work better in g eneral.

Whos it for? If you'd like a communication alternative that doesn't use your call minutes or plan's text messages (but will use your cellular data allowance if you're not connected to Wi-Fi), check out Tango.

Whats it like? Contact the people you're connected with the social network appFacebook Messenger, and make more calls and send more texts with Skype.

Big Win MLB (Free)

Whats it about? Create and manage a fantasy baseball team and play cards to help them make their way to victory against other teams.

Whats cool? Big Win MLB is all about creating the best team you can and managing it well. It's not unlike a card battle game you ope n a pack of cards at the start and can buy or earn more packs over time, and each of those packs includes players and big impact cards that alter how the game goes. You create your team based on what's in you deck and play against other players or the computer and its decks. At the start of each game, you choose which one-time big impact cards to use, which can alter the abilities of your players and make them better on the field. Games are played automatically while you watch, allowing you to see where your team is weak and make adjustments. You can play against friends' teams in Big Win MLB, or take part in events and battle with the app's decks by yourself.

Whos it for? Baseball fans who also get into card-battle titles should check out Big Win MLB.

Whats it like? Check out Home Run Battle 2 and 9 Innings for more great baseball games.


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One Today by Google leads Android Apps of the Week

One Today by GoogleThis week brought us a new app from Google that's actively trying to make the world a better place, one day at a time, one dollar at a time. That app is One Today by Google, and it's the top app of the week. We've also got a new voice activated personal assistant, the ultimate travel-log app, a new way to meet people online, and a way to keep your business and personal lives separate, at least as far as phone numbers are concerned.

One Today by Google (Free)

Google may be a company hell bent on taking over the entire world, but it's always quite possible that they'll be benevolent and merciful new overlords, ushering us into a new age of peace and prosperity! At least, that's what you might conclude thanks to their new app One Tod ay by Google. Probably the most noble app to be put out by such a massive company, One Today brings a different nonprofit group or project to your attention every single day, and asks that you donate one single dollar to the cause, hopefully sharing that donation with social media and getting larger chunks of change to the people who are trying to make the world better. We're all philanthropists in Google's new world order! But seriously. This is great stuff, and I'm glad to see it.


Also on Android Apps

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Indigo (Free)

Speaking of awesome futuristic sce narios that we've all seen in movies, haven't you always wanted your very own AI assistant and companion? Well Indigo from Artificial Solutions is a pretty close alternative for now. Like the beloved Siri on iOS, Indigo is a voice enabled personal assistant that actually chats back at you. It'll look up directions, let you leave notes and reminders, find restaurants and showtimes, and most importantly, play YouTube videos, let you update Facebook, and also read, tweet, and retweet on Twitter. As with any app this advanced, there are plenty of kinks to work out and bugs to squash, but just because this isn't quite Cortana from the Halo games series doesn't mean it isn't really cool!

The Traveler (Free)

The Traveler from Frog Baby Apps is looking to be the ultimate app for documenting any and every vacation you ever take, from family road trips to nowhere USA to gallivanting tours across Europe and the rest. The app will let you record video and take photos, sketch things you see and leave notes, and even record your paths, replaying them and showing any photos, videos, or sketches you take at the context appropriate times. Talk about a literal walk down memory lane. This is a great concept and should definitely be downloaded by anyone who travels with regularity.

Swoon (Free)

People have had to figure out all new ways to date and find that significant other in the Internet age, and 'Swoon: who's crushing on you?' is just the latest in a long line of OKCupids and lesser OKCupids. Breaking things down to a basic level of face shots and primary interests, you can play a little game of 'hot or not' and like or pass on various people in your given area anonymously, and you can even message each other in-app if it turns out that you and someone else 'like' each other's profiles. The app is super buggy at the moment, but it's a neat idea worth checking out if online dating is your scene.

SendHub: Free Business Phone (Free)

SendHub from InfoReach is the latest in a long line of apps that seek to make business communications easier, while also keeping your personal number as personal as possible. Offering a voice over internet alternative phone service, you can make a free business line in any area code, text and call right from the app, plus enjoy nifty features like call forwarding, group texting, voicemail, and the rest. It's also got a few bugs skittering about in its system, but it works quite well as is, and is definitely a great place to look if you want to keep your business and personal lives separate.


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