New Android apps worth downloading: Google Drive update, Adblock Plus, Littlest Pet Shop

The latest update to Google Drive kicks off todays apps worth downloading, bringing the capability of editing spreadsheets to Android users. Adblock Plus allows users to block ads in apps and browser windows without rooting their devices. Finally, Littlest Pet Shop offers virtual pet care opportunities to players.

Google Drive update (Free)

Whats it about? The Google Drive app lets users view and edit documents saved in the cloud.

Whats cool? The latest update to Google Drive brings users the capability of editing spreadsheets and content tables from their mobile devices. The app already made it possible to see documents shared with you, create new ones, add to and edit them, and now even more document types are available to mobile users. Google also made a few more improvements, like the ability to add shortcuts to Google Drive documents and folders to your devices home screen, and minor things such as better clipboard support and cutting and pasting capabilities.

Whos it for? Avid users of Google Drive will definitely want this mobile version, specifically as it becomes more and more capable.

Whats it like? Try Dropbox for more document sharing and cloud support, and Quickoffice Pro for another document editing solution.

Adblock Plus (Free)

Whats it about? Just like with its PC version, Adblock knocks out ads both in your mobile browsers and in your favorite free apps.

Whats cool? Theres not really too much more to Adblock, except the fact that it works across multiple different applications. The app will block ads in apps, browser windows, and even in videos, and doesnt require your Android device to be rooted. Its not foolproof the app works better on some Android devices than others, and there are some types of websites that Android prevents Adblock from filtering. But for the most part, this is a handy free app that knocks out ads from a variety of sources.

Whos it for? Anybody annoyed with ads should find some use in Adblock Plus.

Whats it like? AdFree Android and AdAway offer similar functionality to Adblock, but youll need to have a rooted device for them to work.

Littlest Pet Shop (Free)

Whats it about? Players collect and care for various animals in Gamelofts Littlest Pet Shop, by playing with them, building houses, washing and feeding them.

Whats cool? For a virtual pet game, Littlest Pet Shop offers quite a bit of content. There are a lot of animals that can be unlocked, for one thing, and taking care of them includes a lot of different activities. Mostly the game is about collecting, and you can unlock new stuff to work with your pets over time, as well. Like many of Gamelofts other casual titles, theres a healthy dose of management, and before long youll be creating your own entire pet town.

Whos it for? Littlest Pet Shop is primarily geared toward kids, but it might appeal to folks who also like pet simulation games.

Whats it like? Try Mini Pets and Pet Shop Story for mo re digital pet action.

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Pixlr Express leads Android Apps of the Week

Android photographers of the world, rejoice! A new professional-grade photo editor entered the fold; Pixlr Express boasts a crazy number of features and tools. When you're done editing your photos, we've got new ways to send them to people, plus new ways to avoid getting lost in a dead zone, new ways to track big savings, and new ways to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. Despite all that new, there's a lot of old fashioned to be found in this week's list.

Pixlr Express (Free)

Photography editing apps may not exactly be an endangered species, but that doesn't mean we can't sit up and pay attention when a new one comes along. Especially when that new editor comes from a company as titanic and gargantuan as Autodesk. Pixlr Express struts its stuff with some very im pressive assets to show off, including filters, auto-fixes, lighting and coloring adjustments, overlays, and many more. Hundreds more in fact, as the app claims to offer 600 different effects. If you're one of those Android photographers who loves professional-grade editing software, this may be your new mistress.

PostalPix (Free)

When you're done editing your photographic masterpieces with Pixlr Express, you can use this app to have prints of them mailed directly to your door. I know, right? It sounds so quaint. It's kind of poetic that in the age of digital and Internet bytes that a brand spanking new app would offer such an old fashioned service. Once you pick the size of your photos and fill out an order, you simply pay and enter a shipping address, making this a great way to send photos as gifts. In the short term, it is quite a bit cheaper than buying a professional photo printer.

ForeverMap 2 - Offline Maps ($0.99)

Speaking of quaint, old fashioned ideas in a world bustling with technology...When's the last time you read a map to get somewhere? People always say they'd be lost in this world without their smartphones. Particularly if they're in the middle of nowhere with no signal or Internet connection to use Google Maps! Well now you can download and archive dozens of maps, and you won't feel nearly as lost. Like many map apps, you can plan routes and input coordinates, searching the local area for attractions when you DO have wifi, and add those places to your favorites.

LinkedIn update (Free)

Finally LinkedIn, the go-to website for professional networking, gives us all the option to edit our profiles and settings on the go from within the mobile ap p. If I ever actually remembered to update my LinkedIn profile, I'm sure I would love this new feature! But when it comes to keeping your profile up to date, especially while you're walking the grounds of a conference or convention, where a lot of business cards are being handed out, this new feature offers a lot of convenience! The update also brought push notifications among other general improvements to the table.

Woot Check - Daily Deals (Free)

Woot.com has built a legion of users through their really impressive daily deals, with plenty of sibling sites rising up in the process. Now, with this mobile app dedicated to Woot, you can monitor all of those sites and the many deals with ease through a solid interface. You can also more easily rub your savings in a friend or family members face through social networking capabilities. Or you could just share those deals with them instead. Either or. Definitely keep an eye out for a "Woot Off," which is a 24 hour blitzkrieg period of deal bombardments that shouldn't be missed.

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New Android apps worth downloading: Rdio update, PostalPix, Sailboat Championship

Stream yourself some new music with todays leading new app, an update to the beta version of Internet radio app Rdio. PostalPix is an app that lets you order prints of the photos you shoot with your Android device, and shred waves and around buoys in Sailboat Championship, a boat-racing game with great graphics.

Rdio beta update (Free)

Whats it about? Another streaming Internet radio service, Rdio lets you stream music to your Android device from a library of about 18 million songs.

Whats cool? The Android Rdio app is still in beta testing, but that doesnt mean its not a solid way to stream yourself some music. The Rdio app was just updated with some big changes, including a new user interface and unified pl ayer that syncs listening across multiple devices. The app allows you to build playlists of music as you find it, and you can also collaborate with friends to create joint playlists. The Rdio service can be tried for free, and theres also a subscription version for $9.99.

Whos it for? Music lovers who want a different approach to streaming than Pandora and Spotify should have a look at Rdio.

Whats it like? There are a few other solid streaming options in the Google Play Store as well Pandora and Spotify, for starters, as well as MOG Mobile Music.

PostalPix (Free)

Whats it about? Lots of people use their Android cameras to take tons of pictures, but what do you do with them? PostalPix prov ides a service that prints digital photos and sends them straight to your door.

Whats cool? If theres one thing PostalPix offers, its convenience. The app lets you order prints of any images you have saved on your device. You just pick the size (and in some cases, the object) you want the print to be, pay for it, and enter a shipping address. You can send prints to friends or turn them into gifts, and PostalPix has options that are designed to accommodate the square shape of Instagram photos and traditionally-sized, rectangular photos.

Whos it for? If youre a smartphone photographer and youve got lots of images, print them with PostalPix.

Whats it like? LifePics is also a source for ordering photos from your Android device.

Sailboat Championship ($1.99)

Whats it about? Sailboat Championship by Infinite Dreams is a game th ats all about racing sailboats around various courses, and stands out with some great graphics and realistic-looking water.

Whats cool? Sailboat Championship hits big with players by being pretty beautiful, first and foremost. In a game about racing boats, water movement and weather effects are important, and Sailboat Championship uses your devices hardware to do a great job of rendering both. It also packs some well-built, effective controls that make the feel of sailing come through the game well, which makes the racing challenging, but satisfying. The game has players taking on computer-controlled opponents on a number of courses and race types.

Whos it for? Anyone, really, although the game is limited to some of the higher-end Android har dware out there.

Whats it like? For more boat-racing action of a different type, give Shine Runner and Battle Boats 3D a try.

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Casual Android games that will make you a gamer

There are a lot of folks out there who don't play video games in any form, believe it or not. As the rest of us know, gaming is a wonderful thing and should be experienced by all, but it can feel daunting at first. Most home console games feature complex control schemes, and even mobile games can sometimes seem as if they have too much going on for some people to handle without years of video game brain training.

But we need to try to share with non-gamers the gospel of video games. How do we do that? Well, we start with something simple. If you want your gaming-illiterate friends and family to discover the joy of that thing we love so much, buy them a Google Play card this holiday and force them to download the following games.

Ski Safari ($0.99)

Ski Safari, developed by Defiant, is as simple as games go, as there are no buttons. You simply have a guy who skis down a snowy mountain trying to escape an avalanche, and you tap the screen when you want to make him jump. That's it! Despite its simplicity, Ski Safari is incredibly addictive. Even I, as the kind of person who picks up mobile games at a ridiculous tear, stuck with this one for over a week, and that is quite unusual. I can't really give a better endorsement than that.

Zen Bound 2 ($2.99)

This is one of the more unique options in mobile gaming. In Zen Bound and Zen Bound 2, built by Secret Exit, you wrap a rope around a wooden object by turning it until there is no more rope left. The object is to have the rope touch all of the designated spots on the object before you run out. It sounds silly, but it's quite enthralling and soothing, as the name suggests. It helps that this is a ga me with no time constraints, and you can take it as slowly or as quickly as you desire.

Where's My Water? ($0.99)

In this Disney puzzler, you must move water from where it sits at the start of the level to a receptacle. You do this by dragging your finger through hard material, cutting holes. Where's My Water? is great for building the sort of critical thinking skills you need to become an active gamer, as it starts off quite simple and grows into something far more complex. The difficulty curve is gradual, so by the time it becomes really challenging you have the skills to take it on.

Bean's Quest ($1.99)

Even most non-gamers will recognize this style of game, as it is a platformer a la Super Mario Bros. In Bean's Quest, developed by Kumobius Games, you're only responsible for making the main character, a bean wearing a sombrero, move left and right, as he jumps on his own, and so you won't have a lot of buttons to keep track of. And it comes with a soundtrack that is quite pleasing.

Cut the Rope ($0.99)

In ZeptoLabs amazingly popular Cut the Rope, you need to feed your strange little pet pieces of candy tied to ropes above him that you sever with the swipe of a fingertip. Cut the Rope is wonderful at teaching you the mechanics of the game, and, like Where's My Water?, features tiers of difficulty. You can try to make the candy touch the collectible objects in each level, or you can just focus on beating the level, period. Most seasoned gamers will go for all the high scores, but it's good you can accomplish something even if you aren't super skilled.

SongPop ($1.99)

This casual title from FreshPlanet has grown in popularity significantly since I first reviewed it earlier this year, and it's a good introduction to multiplayer competition. In SongPop, the game will play a clip from a song, and you must identify the song as quickly as possible. Your scores are compared with a challenger and don't just exist in a vacuum. You can pick up and play sessions that last only seconds. You don't have to play a round at the same time as your competitor, too.

Angry Birds ($0.99)

This Rovio title and all its iterations are insanely popular for a reason, because the characters and gameplay concept are extremely accessible. At its heart, the mechanics are simple; you slingshot some birds at some pigs and the destructible buildings on or in which t hey sit. Rovio is constantly shaking up the formula, too, and so new editions of the game don't get old. This game is also based on trial and error, and while it can take a while to beat a certain level (though I should note each attempt at a level lasts only seconds), it rarely feels frustrating.

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New Android apps worth downloading: Skype and GTA Radio updates, Avengers Initiative

Skype received an update that makes it better for tablet users and stomps out a few bugs, and GTA Radio added more content from the beloved Grand Theft Auto video game series to bring you some hilarious radio shows and great music. Finally, Avengers Initiative will give you some stuff for The Hulk to smash.

Skype update (Free)

Whats it about? Internet phone service Skype lets users make voice and video calls across an Internet connection (mostly) for free.

Whats cool? The newly updated Skype revamped its interface specifically designed to make it easier to use on tablets. It also received a number of other improvements to increase audio quality, allow the merging of Microsoft and Skype accounts, and clean up various bugs. Beyond the update, Skype allows users to make calls to any other computer or Skype device for free, and you can use it to call phones, both domestically and internationally, for a relatively small fee.

Whos it for? If youre already a Skype user, youll want the Android app. If not, you might try it for a cheaper alternative to making standard calls.

Whats it like? Give Viber a shot for a voice-over-Internet alternative, and try IM+ for instant messaging capabilities.

GTA Radio update (Free)

Whats it about? GTA Radio brings music and audio from the radio stations found in the Grand Theft Auto video game series to your Android device, allowing you to liste n to all the hilarious talk radio and licensed music from the games anytime.

Whats cool? Grand Theft Auto fans are likely aware that the radio stations available to players in stolen cars in the game are some of the series best features. Developer Rockstar Games puts a ton of time into recording satirical and hilarious loops of radio shows and DJ commentary. Couple it with a series of great licensed soundtracks, and you have a very fun and funny set of things to listen to, aggregated in the GTA Radio app. The latest update to the app adds even more content, pushing some more stuff from Grand Theft Auto IV and making improvements to decrease buffer times.

Whos it for? Grand Theft Auto fans, certainly, but anybody will find goofy stuff to love in GTA Radios content.

Whats it like? For more Internet radio, try Pandora and Spotify. They probably wont b e as funny, though.

Avengers Initiative ($4.99)

Whats it about? With great graphics and lots of action, Avengers Initiative puts players in the role of The Incredible Hulk in a series of battles against the Avengers enemies.

Whats cool? Taking a page from the iOS Infinity Blade series, Avengers Initiative is all about dueling huge bad guys with the Hulks enormous strength. Youll take on enemies in one-on-one fights, in which youll need to block and dodge to get the upper hand before pummeling them with Hulks fists. The game carries awesome, console-quality graphics, and youre able to customize Hulk and improve his abilities as you play through the game. Marvel also says the game will have epi sodic content updates coming in the future!

Whos it for? Fans of The Avengers and The Hulk should check out Avengers Initiative, but the games strong action roots will appeal to most players as well.

Whats it like? Try Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty for another Avengers fix, and Dark Meadow for a game with similar mechanics.

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Seven free social Android apps to avoid Facebook fatigue

Every sitcom will eventually jump the shark, and if social networks had an equivalent, Facebook would be the pop icon on the verge of compromising its mainstream appeal. The tech savvy user is always on the hunt for the next big thing, and the arrival of our grandparents generation on the worlds most popular social network has signaled the inevitable exodus from Facebook. If youve grown weary of Facebooks bloated social graph and undying attempts to force ads disguised as friendships, these Android apps just may renew your faith in social media. Whether youre looking for the next fad or seeking refuge from living out loud, theres fresh options from newbies and old classics alike.

Instagram (Free)

Instagrams part of the Facebook family, but that doesnt mean its not a worthy haven. Our Facebook newsfeeds have become endless streams of TMI posts and random ads. Instagram is still a rising star, growing more popular by the day. The phot o-sharing and editing app has broken several records since expanding to Android, proving a popular platform for spreading media. Photos tagged for this years presidential election season, Hurricane Sandy and Thanksgiving holiday have surged by the millions, vying with Facebook to become the biggest image gallery on the web.

Flipboard (Free)

Facebooks done a few things to improve the look of its basic layout, but the blog-style newsfeeds can get monotonous nonetheless. Put a professional spin on your personal newsfeed with the Flipboard app, another iOS exclusive that recently made its way to Android. With a dynamic magazine layout, Flipboard turns your Facebook feed into a thing of beauty. Dilute the Facebook drab by adding other social and RSS feeds to your Flipboard.

Highlight (Free)

Facebook undoubtedly revolutionized the way we communicate, establishing itself as a foundation for countless social media sites. The next chapter in this story was enabled by the widespread use of smartphones, which add a layer of geo-awareness to social networking. With Highlight you can see which friends are in the vicinity, and trace your friendships in an instant. The ambient app was a hit at SXSW, where the hype machine deemed Highlight as the poster child for this new breed of social-mobile awareness. Though Highlights averted the spotlight since the spring festival, its recent Android debut has marked a second coming for the app. New features aim to further contextualize your Highlight experience, adding more information to your profiles and new sharing capabilities.

Google+ (Free)

Its not that you mind being Facebook friends with mom, grandpa and your boss. But you pr obably never thought an online network would become so accessible that your superiors could one day pull up your Spring Break 2008 album on a whim. Sure, you could reorganize your entire social graph on Facebook into Lists, each with their own privacy settings. But many have found it easier to start fresh on Google+, designed from the ground up with your digital identity crisis in mind. So even if Google+ does become as popular as Facebook it wont feel so crowded, granting you more control over friends and family members access to your content.

Pinterest (Free)

I recently came across an e-card that read: I escape to Pinterest to avoid all the drama and bad grammar on Facebook. If this snarky greeting tickled your fancy, youve surely experienced the allure of Pinterest. You cant turn away from the crowd-sourced photo stream, yielding to the urge to repin everything in sight. If you miss the joy of mindless media-sharing that was once F acebook, make the move to Pinterest.

Fast for Facebook (Beta) (Free)

Remember when Facebook was a place to share news, photos and reconnect with friends you thought youd never see after high school? Those were the simple days of Facebook, before integrated apps clogged up the user experience, always running in the background requesting your data and sending notifications. Get back to basics with Fast for Facebook, an app that strips down your Facebook experience by connecting only when you need to. Still in beta, Fast for Facebook aims to speed up your mobile activity in particular, circumventing the sluggishness you may experience with Facebooks own Android app. Because we all know a laggy network can cause a form of fatigue all its own.

Skype (Free)

You cant download Skype to a Chromebook netbook, but you can log onto Facebook and chat through Skypes integrated channel. Since becoming partners, Facebook and Skype have had the mutual benefit of shared users, which gives you an extremely easy way to connect with friends on an even more personal level -- voice and video chats. Why scroll through Facebook updates when you can have a face-to-face conversation, right now? Facebook has become the ultimate way to stay connected to society while keeping it at arms length, but you can escape the paradox by rekindling one of our oldest forms of communication: speech.

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Three top-notch games available only on Android

We Android device owners know all too well that many of the cool games seem to appear on iOS devices first, and then get ported over to Android. It can be frustrating but rest easy Android fanatics, there are quite a few games that come to Android first and then head over to iOS or not all. Todays post is a list of the Android-only games that I have come across. If you have any that should be added to the list, please post in the comments section!

Parallel Zombies- Zombies MMO (Free)

Parallel Zombies is a location-based MMORPG game. The game is played on a game board over a map of your current location. You can play by yourself or with others in the game. When you first start, you decide what your character will be and then its time to kill zombies. As you move across the game board, you will find objects, encounter wandering zombies, and discover missions. The main way to advance in the game is by helping the non-player characters with missions.

As you work through and complete missions, you use the items you find to trade, sell, or upgrade weapons. You control your character with on-screen joysticks. The game interface is nicely done and does not interfere with gameplay. In addition to upgrading your weapons, you can upgrade your character and complete missions with other players around the world. If you are a zombie killer, you will not be disappointed.

Tap Dragon Park (Free)

Tap Dragon Park is another building game where you use dragons to protect your village from troublesome trolls. You build dragon hatcheries, then hatch different types of dragons, each with different elements or powers. When the trolls arrive, you move into the battle sequence, where you choose which dragons to de fend the village. You will want to take note of each dragons element to help defend and attack against the troll and their element. If you win, you earn gold to help your village grow.

As you progress in levels, more and different types of dragons become available. This is a freemium game, and you can purchase gem with real money to help speed things up. After battles, your dragons need to rest; you can either wait or use gems to heal them quickly. As you progress you will need to expand your village to accommodate more dragon hatcheries, and you can invite friends to play as well. The game can easily be picked up, played a bit and then put down.

Daredogs (Free)

In this game you begin as Bravo, a top dog pilot and what do you do? Dog Fight! In this game, dogs h ead over to Daredog Island and take on numerous flying challenges. The game begins with a quick tutorial to familiarize you with the controls, which are pretty simple. This is a free game supported by ads and has a variety of in-app purchases available.

The game comes with four different game modes and you can unlock four different characters. In addition to characters, you can choose from a variety of different weapons. While in tournament battle, you will encounter 25 opponents and numerous bosses. Overall, there is a lot to the game and the developer says they will donate 10% of sales to various dog shelters.

These are just a few of the Android only games I have found. But I have also discovered that as time goes by, more and more games are released on both platforms, which is great for all mobile gamers!

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New Android apps worth downloading: Speaktoit Assistant update, ForeverMap 2, Hyperwave

Fire up todays leading new app, an updated Speaktoit Assistant, to get the most out of using voice commands with your Android device. In addition, ForeverMap 2, an app designed to make traveling easy whether youre offline or online, and Hyperwave, a 2.5-D arcade shooter with a flashy neon art style.

Speaktoit Assistant update (Free)

Whats it about? Another voice-activated command app, Speaktoit Assistant can launch apps, search the Internet and answer questions, all with commands spoken in natural language.

Whats cool? Speaktoit Assistant has undergone a huge overhaul, bringing a big redesign to the user interface and a number of improvements to the app. It also now features social connectivity that lets you share Assistants answers to questions with your friends. At its core, the app remains all about finding information, and mirrors similar technology like Apples Siri, giving you the ability to find a lot of different things, ranging from weather reports to maps and more. Just keep in mind that Speaktoit Assistant is still a beta release and is undergoing further improvements.

Whos it for? If you like voice command technology, you should definitely try out Speaktoit Assistant.

Whats it like? Check out other virtual assistant apps in Skyvi and EVA.

ForeverMap 2 Offline Maps ($0.99)

Whats it about? Maps app ForeverMap 2 lets you access online, GPS-style maps as you would get from other mapping applications, but lets you download maps for later offline use.

Whats cool? First off, ForeverMap 2 packs a lot of highly detailed and useful maps for a number of different states, countries and locations. If youre looking for an alternative map app, this is a solid one. Even better is that ForeverMap 2 can provide a ton of maps for offline use, too, allowing you to navigate new states, countries, or wherever. Youll get your first offline map set for free, and additional maps can be purchased.

Whos it for? Travelers who could use both online and offline map alternatives.

Whats it like? Googles Maps is a well-loved favorite, and Maps (-) lets you cache maps for offline viewing.

Hyperwave (Free)

Whats it about? Arcade shooter Hyperwave puts players up against waves of alien invaders, with tons of enemies to dodge and destroy.

Whats cool? Hyperwave uses a 2.5-D viewpoint, which means it looks 3-D, but players actually play on a 2-D plane. That perspective is something of a novelty, as is the games heavy neon, laser-inspired art style. Beyond the looks, Hyperwave effectively keeps players in the action all the time, forcing them to dodge incoming enemies while trying to defend the bottom of the screen, not unlike Space Invaders. You also find power-ups that make your ship more powerful along the way.

Whos it for? If you like arcade shooters and titles such as Space Invaders, Hyperwave is definitely worth a try.

Whats it like? Developer Catfish Game s also has a title called Hyperlight, which is similar but offers a different experience.

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Three top-notch game available only on Android

We Android device owners know all too well that many of the cool games seem to appear on iOS devices first, and then get ported over to Android. It can be frustrating but rest easy Android fanatics, there are quite a few games that come to Android first and then head over to iOS or not all. Todays post is a list of the Android-only games that I have come across. If you have any that should be added to the list, please post in the comments section!

Parallel Zombies- Zombies MMO (Free)

Parallel Zombies is a location-based MMORPG game. The game is played on a game board over a map of your current location. You can play by yourself or with others in the game. When you first start, you decide what your character will be and then its time to kill zombies. As you move across the game board, you will find objects, encounter wandering zombies, and discover missions. The main way to advance in the game is by helping the non-player characters with missions.

As you work through and complete missions, you use the items you find to trade, sell, or upgrade weapons. You control your character with on-screen joysticks. The game interface is nicely done and does not interfere with gameplay. In addition to upgrading your weapons, you can upgrade your character and complete missions with other players around the world. If you are a zombie killer, you will not be disappointed.

Tap Dragon Park (Free)

Tap Dragon Park is another building game where you use dragons to protect your village from troublesome trolls. You build dragon hatcheries, then hatch different types of dragons, each with different elements or powers. When the trolls arrive, you move into the battle sequence, where you choose which dragons to de fend the village. You will want to take note of each dragons element to help defend and attack against the troll and their element. If you win, you earn gold to help your village grow.

As you progress in levels, more and different types of dragons become available. This is a freemium game, and you can purchase gem with real money to help speed things up. After battles, your dragons need to rest; you can either wait or use gems to heal them quickly. As you progress you will need to expand your village to accommodate more dragon hatcheries, and you can invite friends to play as well. The game can easily be picked up, played a bit and then put down.

Daredogs (Free)

In this game you begin as Bravo, a top dog pilot and what do you do? Dog Fight! In this game, dogs h ead over to Daredog Island and take on numerous flying challenges. The game begins with a quick tutorial to familiarize you with the controls, which are pretty simple. This is a free game supported by ads and has a variety of in-app purchases available.

The game comes with four different game modes and you can unlock four different characters. In addition to characters, you can choose from a variety of different weapons. While in tournament battle, you will encounter 25 opponents and numerous bosses. Overall, there is a lot to the game and the developer says they will donate 10% of sales to various dog shelters.

These are just a few of the Android only games I have found. But I have also discovered that as time goes by, more and more games are released on both platforms, which is great for all mobile gamers!

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Appolicious Video Showcase: Talking Spooni: Xmas 3D Friend

Talking Spooni is one of the latest interactive friend apps around, brought to us by i-Free Innovations! The Android app boasts some of the most exciting options and features yet found in this kind of app. And as you are about to see, the graphics are sparkling. Take a look.

Anything you say to the furry, oddly cute if somewhat creepy looking gremlin creature is repeated back to you in a kooky version of your own voice. "But we've seen a hundred apps like that!" I hear you say? Maybe that's true, but Spooni pulls ahe ad of the pack with tons of unique features and animations, some idle, and some while interacting with his gracious new master and friend! He is rather ticklish, as the promotional images are quick to tell you. There are several of these to discover, and all of them are presented with crisp visuals and animations.

Interactivity and social connectivity

These animations are there to help breathe a life into Spooni that other interactive friend apps lack. But they can also breathe some life into your real social life, as you can compete with friends and family to create the funniest video clips of Spooni, easily saving and posting them to avenues such as Facebook and Youtube. Here is where the many unique items in Spooni's room come into play, as you can teach him tricks, have him dance to some music, or even nearly drop a piano on the poor thing's head!

Spending is optional

Of course, all of this amusement comes at no financial cost to yourself, as the app is totally free. But that doesn't mean you can't drop a few dollars to expand your options. Spooni can be given different voices (some deeper and slower, some even more high pitched) along with differently colored fur patterns and the like, thanks to a simple in-app currency. You never really feel pressured to pay, but it's nice to have the options.

Talking Spooni may tread old ground, but it treads it in its own unique sort of way, and is a great way to keep you or your kids occupied for an afternoon!

Download Talking Spooni from the Google Play store right now and let the fun begin.

This Appolicious Showcase article is part of a promotional campaign.

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New Android apps worth downloading: Amazon Mobile (Tablet), utter! Voice Commands, orgarhythmTHD

Today is Cyber Monday and if youre looking for some quality deals try Amazon Mobile, which has a new version specifically for tablets. In addition, voice command app Utter! released a beta version, and orgarhythm is a game that mixes the strategy and rhythm.

Amazon Mobile (Tablet) (Free)

Whats it about? Amazons mobile app now comes in a tablet version, which makes shopping the massive online retailer a lot easier.

Whats cool? All the cool features of Amazons mobile app are now available to tablet users. Amazons app lets you access the retailers entire catalog, and includes features like the one-click option for simplified purchasing. You also can view your Amazon order history and other account details.

Whos it for? Anyone who uses Amazon for shopping (and also has an Android tablet) has something to gain from Amazons mobile app.

Whats it like? Check out a few of Amazons other useful apps: Amazon MP3 provides access to Amazons cloud drive service and Price Check allows you to compare prices when youre at other stores.

utter! Voice Commands BETA (Free)

Whats it about? utter! Voice Commands is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, allowing you to control your entire device with voice commands.

Whats cool? utter! differentiates itself from other voice command apps by using very few resources and running in the background on your device. Its worth noting that utter! is a beta release, which means its likely to have bugs and that the developers are looking for feedback as they test it before its official release.

Whos it for? If youre a fan of using voice commands on your Android devices, youll want to give utter! a shot.

Whats it like? Both Skyvi and iris. offer similar voice command capabilities for Android users.

orgarhythmTHD (Free)

Whats it about? Mixing gameplay elements from strategy and rhythm genres, orgarhythmTHD has players moving troops around a battlefield while also keeping in step with music.

Whats cool? orgarhythmTHDs mixture of the two genres is a pretty interesting tak e on strategy. The game is arranged similarly to rock-paper-scissors. Youll need to assign the right troops to fight off other troops, which the colors and roles of each team determining whether or not theyre victorious in battle. Keeping your orders in time with the music makes troops more powerful, but missing the beat weakens them.

Whos it for? Fans of strategy titles, as well as rhythm games, will find something cool and unique in orgarhythmTHD.

Whats it like? For more quality rhythm game action, try Tap Tap Revenge 4. On the strategy side, give Modern Conflict a go.

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Does Calorie Counter by FatSecret tip the scales?

Losing weight can be as easy as watching what you eat and keeping a food diary. There are many fabulous Android apps that can help you reach your weight loss or even weight gain goals. The recently updated and free Calorie Counter by FatSecret Android app is just one of the more popular food diary apps and bonus.

Getting started with this tasty app is simple. You set up an account and set your weight loss goals. Then, it is up to you to enter your meal information each day. If you eat a lot of processed food from a package, you can simply scan the barcode to enter your meal. Any good dieter worth their weight in lettuce knows you should not be eating processed food if you are serious about getting healthy so this feature seems ridiculous to me. You can also enter meals by the Quick Pick feature allowing you to choose from foods, restaurants and fast food chains, popular brands, and supermarket brands. Once youve recorded a few days, you can choose from your most ea ten, recently eaten, and saved meals.

You can also keep track of your exercise, monitoring calorie intake and the amount you burn. One feature this calorie counter app has, that sets it apart from other calorie counter apps, is suggested recipes and meal ideas. If youre serious about eating healthy you have everything to lose with Calorie Counter by FatSecret.

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Paper Monsters tops Android Games of the Week

This week brings us an awesome lineup of titles from a great group of developers. Topping the list is the charming platformer Paper Monsters from publisher Crescent Moon Games, who are taking their first step into Android gaming. We've also got a zombie real time strategy game in which you play as the shambling undead, a sequel to Falling Fred, a new twin stick shooter from Triniti Interactive, and a Glu Mobile epic scale dragon battling game in the vein of Infinity Blade. Here are this week's top Android games!

Paper Monsters ($0.99)

Paper Monsters is the debut Android title form Crescent Moon Games. They've been wildly successful over on the iOS front, and they are one of my favorite publishers, always putting out unique, solid titles. Developed by Mobot Studios, t his is a modern looking platformer with a very retro heart. Clearly inspired by Little Big Planet, though with much simpler gameplay, a similar arts and crafts art style makes up your world, with more papier-mch and origami. This is an excellent little platformer, with lots of nods to classics games like Super Mario.

Brainsss (Free)

Here is a game I can get behind. It's one of the few games that lets you play on the side of the zombies, growing your horde and consuming all those pesky humans, instead of simply using zombies as easy targets for your gun. This is done with simple real time strategy gameplay from an isometric view. Between the two different game modes, there are a lot of tweaks you can make along with undead heroes and comics you can unlock. The visuals are simple and clean, and the controls can work surprisingly well. Mostly though, I just love the concept of this one, and I'm glad it's as well executed as it is.

< h2 dir="ltr">Super Falling Fred (Free)

Poor, poor Fred. The sadistic developers over at Dedalord seem to hate this gibbering ginger more than we could ever imagine. We've returned to the formula that initially introduced us to Fred over at Falling Fred, but this sequel cranks the violence and gore up to eleven. New traps, a shiny new art style that matches that of Running Fred, and plenty of new people to hurl down this bottomless pit of pain are but a few of the improvements and additions to be found in this sequel. These games are as hilarious as they are gruesome, and it's easy to recommend anything from Dedalord.

Call of Mini: Double Shot (Free)

Here we have yet another port from Triniti Interactive. Call of Mini: Double Shot is the twin-stick shooter of this bizarre little world full of oddly proportioned people. If you haven't noticed the pattern, Triniti basically created their unique little art style, and then decided to apply it to as many genre's as possible. This shooter puts you and your friends against zombies and each other, with tons of weapons and avatars to unlock across 500 escalating stages. It's a very simple shooter that takes the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to development, and it's definitely worth a look.

Dragon Slayer (Free)

Glu Mobile has re-entered the Infinity Blade style combat game arena, only instead of fighting gladiators in an actual arena, you'll be fighting tons and tons of terrifying dragons. The combat is based more on magic and spell casting then hacking, slashing, or bashing, and needless to say, this game feels a hundred times more epic than Blood & Glory ever did, with large scale, pulse pounding battles. It's much more co lorful as well. But of course, this being Glu Mobile, they had to throw a monkey wrench into their own game, making it insanely difficult to progress without in-app purchases. Still, the game is pretty enjoyable.

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Android App Video Review: Knights of Pen & Paper

Over last summer I finally tried, and got really into, tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Pathfinder was my groups game of choice, and it was fantastic fun. The freedom and variety of missions and locations and worlds is unparalleled when youre table topping, and the amount of life you can breathe into any given character is limitless. Id like to tell you that Knights of Pen & Paper personifies this to a T, but its really just a clever RPG that pays homage to the table top games of old.

Developed by the Brazilian Behold Studios, Knights of Pen & Paper puts you in the game room with a group of friends, which is always at the bottom of the screen while the game world is at the top. You technically play as both the players and the Dungeon Master. Each player fills one class role, and each class only has four abilities, with some of those being passive abilities. This is still a simple mobile game, after all. Unlike most conventional RPGs, you dont control and move an avatar around the world in real time with random battle encounters. At each area, you choose whether you rest, start a quest, further the story, shop, or craft. You even choose when to fight, what enemies to fight, and how many of each you fight. In that way, youre also the Dungeon Master.

As you gain experience points and earn money, youll spend that money on in-game actions and unlocks. Travelling and resurrecting pl ayers has a price, as does the purchase of items, furniture, and decorations for your gaming area. These items arent just cosmetic though, as they alter your game with small buffs, let you raise the enemy cap to seven, or even add new players to the party. There is an in-app purchase system for currency if you dont feel like saving up for the more expensive items.

Unfortunately, this currency system causes some serious problems. Quests are often very generic, and ask you to kill a certain number of enemies, or collect a certain number of items by killing enemies. Its nice that you get to set your own challenge level, but when dying or just travelling back to a safe town will set you back a few dollars each time, youre far more motivated to play it safe, and fight those twenty bats one or two at a time. And its almost always 20 of something. Even fighting three or four enemies at a time, this makes the quests very generic and repetitive. I once got stuck in a forest w ith no money to travel or revive my fallen team mates. It was up to my lone wizard to fight enemies one by one, rest, and fight more, until I could afford to leave, all because I spent a big chunk of change unlocking a fourth player.

The story is also very basic, but the way its told with your players commenting the whole time puts you in the mind-space of a real table top gamer. Unfortunately, the Brazilian studio had some issues in the translation, with lots of lines in the vein of We did not succeeded or I did not noticed. The retro visuals and chip tunes are really well done, and slightly reminiscent of a Kairosoft outing. This game is super charming with great ideas at its core. Its also overflowing with nerdy references and in-jokes. Even though the execution of those ideas is somewhat lacking, Im still going to recommend this two dollar game, especially if youre a tabletop RPG player!

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New Android apps worth downloading: Woot Check, Apollo, SHADOWGUN: DEADZONE

Great deals will pop up on the Internet in the coming days, so you might want to use Woot Check to stay up on a few of them. Also, consider sleek music player Apollo for jamming out to your favorite tunes. Finally, SHADOWGUN: DeadZone lets you take on other players in third-person shooting game combat.

Woot Check Daily Deals (Free)

Whats it about? Keep up-to-date with daily deals site Woot.com with this handy app. Woot Check showcases the deals from all of Woots sites, as well as buy anything you see there.

Whats cool? Woot.com has some pretty impressive deals every day, and since the site gained popularity, it also added lots of specific sister sites. Woot Check lets you monitor all the sites, including ki ds.woot and wine.woot, for anything you might like, but the app is especially useful during a Woot Off, in which the site sells as many deals as it can in a 24 hour period. The app also now includes a number of social capabilities, so you can share deals with others, and Woot Check will also send you notifications about the days offers.

Whos it for? Woot.com fans should definitely give Woot Check a look, but with Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, frugal shoppers will find some use in the app.

Whats it like? Check out Deal Drop for a similar daily deal app, and get more limited-time offers from Groupon.

Apollo (Free)

Whats it about? Music player Apollo carries a slick interface and a lot of features to give you more control over the tracks you play through your Android devices.

Whats cool? Apollos many interesting features set it apart from other music players, like pinning albums and artists to your devices home screen, text and voice search through your music, and social features that let you share what youre listening to on Facebook and Twitter.

Whos it for? For those who listen to music on their Android device, as it might replace your current music-listening app.

Whats it like? For some other music player alternatives, give Google Play Music and Amazon MP3 a try, especially if you use either companys cloud music services.

SHADOWGUN: DeadZone (Free)

Whats it about? Now that its released from beta, SHADOWGUN: DeadZone lets players battle one another in intense third-per son shooter gameplay.

Whats cool? Battles include up to 12 combatants, and like the single-player SHADOWGUN, it covering and tactics are keys to winning. You use a host of weapons as you move from position to position and work to take down enemies. DeadZone includes two game modes for players to enjoy. The game was previously available as a beta release, but now that its officially out in the Google Play store, it also includes voice chat support.

Whos it for? Third-person shooter fans. If you enjoy titles like Gears of War on the Xbox 360, youll like this.

Whats it like? Try the original SHADOWGUN for a single-player experience, and give Gun Bros. a go for additional multiplayer mayhem.

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Augment the reality of holiday shopping with these Android apps

The holiday season is a joyous time of year, but also the most stressful. Between travel, coordinating family and friends, and shopping for gifts, the holidays can feel like more trouble than theyre worth. And while technology cant always save you from awkward moments at the family dinner, it can help you stay on track while shopping for gifts (or for yourself) this year. Augmented reality is one technology thats particularly promising for the retail sector, especially as local search becomes a heavily contextualized way for businesses to cater to their customers.

Flow Powered by Amazon (Free)

An extension of Amazons mobile retail efforts, Flow for Android is an augmented reality app that lets you research products without the hassle of snapping a photo. With Flow you can identify tens of millions of products, from DVDs to books, food and packaged household items. Just aim your smartphone camera at the item and Amazon will recognize it (if its available on Amazon.com), overlaying product information on your screen. This product information is interactive, so you can click on it to pull up the website details, or access any available audio or video clips (think movie trailers for a DVD).

IKEA Catalogue (Free)

A day trip to the IKEA store requires plenty of planning, extra caffeine and a really big trunk. But maybe you can avoid the store altogether with IKEA Catalogue app for Android. Bridging the physical magazine and their online retail site, IKEAs app leverages augmented reality tech to make catalog pages come alive. Use your Android camera to scan catalog pages, gaining access to additional content like images, films and 3D models. Its a nifty way to explore products in greater detail , looking inside cabinets and seeing items from different angles, without having to trek to the store. Saving you time (and gas money), IKEA Catalogue makes great use of AR capabilities.

Layar (Free)

Navigating your way around downtowns shopping district? Layars Android app creates a layer of augmented reality to enhance your surroundings, displaying links, videos and other interactive features to learn more about nearby objects and venues. While Layar has a bevy of real-world applications, shoppers will find the navigation features useful for tracking down banks and ATMs, retailers and good restaurants where you can rest your weary feet and re-up on carbs and caffeine. Youll also be able to pull up local ads to see what promotions nearby venues are running, helping you save money in the end.

VouchAR (Free)

While Layar provides a range of AR features, VouchAR is specific for local deals. Use your phone as a magic window to a world of deals, vouchers, coupons and other specials for retailers in your vicinity. Pulling from several deal providers including Groupon, VouchAR is a personalized app that learns your taste over time and displays deals accordingly. Deals are also social, so you can share them on Facebook, Twitter and Google. If youre a social shopper and a savvy spender, this app could help you find the right gifts for friends and family, and save money this holiday season.

Car Finder AR ($1.99)

Theres nothing worse than wandering the rows of a parking lot, arms laden with shopping bags, in search of your car. So while youre using all these AR apps to help you shop, why not use AR to keep track of your car? Save your parking location automati cally and use an augmented reality map to find your way back with either driving or walking directions. Car Finder AR supports up to three cars, and you can even send a cars parked location to other phones. The app has a few other helpful features too, like a parking meter timer, alarm and location history.

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New Android apps worth downloading: Expedia Hotels & Flights update, Pixlr Express, Sleepwalkers Journey

If you plan to travel this holiday season, you might want to check out the latest update to Expedia Hotels & Flights that makes mobile booking easier. You might also grab Pixlr Express if you plan to take lots of photos, and Sleepwalkers Dream, a relaxing and lighthearted side-scroller game.

Expedia Hotels & Flights update (Free)

Whats it about? The mobile app for travel site Expedia.com now includes lets users book their flights from their Android devices.

Whats cool? Expedias newly streamlined app adds better capabilities for finding flights and hotels, and now you can book from your phone in about 30 seconds. Of course, you can still search for flights and hotels, and compare prices. The app also provides exclusive deals that arent available anywhere else, and doles out Expedia rewards for your bookings.

Whos it for? If youre looking to set up travel quickly and easily and you like the Expedia service, the mobile app is definitely for you.

Whats it like? The major competitors, including Travelocity and Priceline, have quality travel apps as well.

Pixlr Express (Free)

Whats it about? Adjust your photos with a huge number of different effects and editing tools with the powerful Pixlr Express.

Whats cool? Altering, filtering, and improving photos is a cottage industry in the mobile market, and Pixlr Express offers a ton of options to do just that . The app boasts some 600 effects, ranging from auto-fixes to alterations to lighting and color adjustments. Pixlr includes all the basics and a lot of other useful features, and you can favorite any effects, overlays or other adjustments that you find you really like.

Whos it for? Android photographers should check out Pixlr, even if your device doesnt have a camera you can still alter shots saved to your device.

Whats it like? Both Adobe Photoshop Express and PicsArt Photo Studio include a lot of photo-manipulation tools.

Sleepwalkers Journey ($0.99)

Whats it about? Side-scrolling puzzler Sleepwalkers Journey has players moving elements around the screen to build a path for a roving sleepwalker, helping him to gather items and keeping him from falling as he makes his way back to bed.

Whats cool? A great art style and a lighthearted atmosphere surround Sleepwalkers Journey, and its puzzles arent bad either. Your job is to move obstacles out of the sleepwalkers way and keep him from plummeting off the path, but youll also need to act fast to make sure he collects all the stars and moons found in each level to get the best score you can. The game is all about reflexes and easy-to-learn touch controls, and manages to be challenging without getting frustrating.

Whos it for? Casual gamers, fans of side-scrollers and those who are fond of puzzlers will get a kick out of Sleepwalkers Journey

Whats it like? Give Wind-up Knight a try for a similar feel and tone, but with an emphasis on running. Bad Piggies also includes a similar puzzle-solving flare.< /p>

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Play these Android games when you have time on your hands

I recently found out that I had the shingles. I will not go into all of the details but nevertheless, it is not fun. Since I had some time on my hands as I recovered, I decided to try some different games. Most of the games listed are long; you can play for a while and come back to them. There were a few more, but these are the ones I found I enjoyed the most.

Catan ($3.99)

Catan is the official electronic version of the great board game that our family regularly enjoys. The app originally came out on iOS and last year came out for Android. There is also an expansion called Cities and Knights that you can purchase in-app. The object of the game is to dominate the island through resources, settlements, building roads and cities. With these accomplishments you earn victory points and most games will go until the first person reaches 10 points. If you have played the board game you will have no problem with the mobile version.

The graphics are beautiful in the game, the menu system is nicely done and provides plenty of space to see the board. The game comes with a number of options, such as different boards and tile sets, modifying the number of victory points for a game, the number of players, and more. You can play against others locally but I prefer playing against the AI. You can only save one game at time. Overall it is fun game and for those who have never played the board game, there is a helpful tutorial and almanac to give you all of the basics.

The Tribez (Free)

I heard about this game a few months back so when it was released for Android, I had to give it a try. The Tribez is a city building game where youre on an island and tasked to help the natives develop their village. The game takes y ou through and provides different quests, and even points you in the right direction if you need guidance.

The graphics and gameplay are well done and although there is a lot going on, you can easily keep up with the game actions. Thankfully, the omnipresent menu system does not take up a lot of screen real estate. Unlike many building games, you do not need social gaming friends to help you complete missions or get resources. Also, if you are patient you can play without having to spend any real money. I find myself checking in numerous times a day, doing quests and reorganizing the village.

Top Eleven Football Manager (Free)

If you enjoy soccer and team management games, then Top Eleven Football Manager is for you. It is a cross-platform game where you can pla y on Android, iOS, and Facebook. The mobile app is very good and can do most everything in the game, but to get the full experience you need to connect via Facebook. You start off with a group of players and your job is to manage and develop them into a successful soccer team. As manager you get to organize the players, formations, facilities, medical, and finances. When it comes to the actual soccer game, you are only a spectator as the computer runs the show. This game is truly for those who enjoy the strategy and business aspect of running a team.

A season runs for 30 actual days and your team will play anywhere from 1 to 3 games in a day, depending on your league(s). You can also arrange to play friendly matches with friends or simply work your players out to help them gain more experience. You can sign free agents if needed and upgrade the facilities to improve your teams performance. The game is truly international and I find myself playing opponents from all o ver the world. It really is simple to keep up with once you get the hang of things. Now if you get super competitive, you can of course spend some real money to improve your players and team even more.

Crossworlds: the Flying City (Free)

Crossworlds: the Flying City is an interesting game. It is a cross between a hidden object and point-and-click adventure genres. Professor Dumbdore disappeared and his daughter Monica asks for your help to track him down. To do this you travel to four different worlds, solve puzzles, complete hidden object games to collect needed items and more. The story connects the different worlds together, but at times you can easily forget why you are there.

This is a free game but to you can only play so much of the story. To finish the full game/ storyline, you will need to complete an in-app purchase. The graphics are quite nice in the game but at times the text seemed a bit small on my phones screen. After you play for a while, you earn some credits you can use to skip a puzzle if needed. The game comes with the option to have multiple profiles so you can let your kids, siblings, or friends have their own game if needed.

If you are looking for games to play on a daily basis or ones that can be easily put down and picked back up, I suggest you check out these Android games. Do you have any others you would add to this list?

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New Android apps worth downloading: Paper Monsters, LinkedIn update, Deal Drop

Professional social network app LinkedIns update makes editing user profiles easier, so it kicks off this weeks apps worth downloading. Following it is Deal Drop, a daily deal app that helps customers find savings for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and Paper Monsters, a fun platformer with a great art style.

Paper Monsters ($0.99)

Whats it about? A side-scrolling platformer, Paper Monsters has a papercraft look, taking players through a fantastical world filled with, as you might guess, paper monsters.

Whats cool? Although its graphics are beautiful and has a quality soundtrack, as well as touch on a whimsical tone throughout, Paper Monsters really excels at being a quality platformer. Its just fun to play, packing lots of content, hidden secrets, and levels that mix up the formula by adding swimming and flying through power-ups.

Whos it for? If you like platformers, youll like this. The fantastical papercraft art style doesnt hurt, either.

Whats it like? Wind-up Knight has a similar art style and feel, and for a tougher, somewhat bloodier platforming, try League of Evil.

LinkedIn update (Free)

Whats it about? The app of the social network for professionals, LinkedIn lets users access their profiles, interact with people theyre following and former co-workers, and make recommendations about other users skills to help employers find them, and vice versa.

What s cool? LinkedIns new update gives users a few new capabilities for interacting with others. For one, you can now update and alter your profile on the fly through the app, which lets you get the most accurate information available at a faster rate. The app also adds push notifications, some general improvements, and it carries all the social networking capabilities youd expect, like searching for other users, connecting with them, and seeing their updates and messages.

Whos it for? Users of LinkedIn should probably check out the app as well, because if you use the social network, this is a great way to stay connected at all times.

Whats it like? Another social networking app thats great for networking is Sonar: Friends Nearby, which helps you find people you know on the Internet when together in a real-life location, like a convention. You can also use Bump to exchange contact information when meeting new people.

Deal Drop Track Daily Deals (Free)

Whats it about? The end of this week has some of the busiest shopping days of the year, but Deal Drop can prepare you for Cyber Monday and Black Friday madness by showing you daily deals from all over the Internet.

Whats cool? Deal Drop aggregates tons of national and local deals from a bunch of different stores, and updates frequently with new deals from all over. Thats good, because as the extremely popular online shopping day Cyber Monday approaches, more and more deals will become available to savvy Internet shoppers. Deal Drop focuses specifically on daily deals for a number of sites, but it finds lots of great things on sale and should be useful in planning your shopping after Thanksgiving.

Whos it for? If youre planning to take to the Internet for Cyber Monday and actual shops on Black Friday, consider the companionship of Deal Drop.

Whats it like? LivingSocial and Groupon are also similar in their focus on short-term deals, and youll find more Cyber Monday information with TGI Cyber Monday.

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Arcane Legends tops Android Games of the Week

This week brings us a solid line-up of titles. At the head of the pack is the latest MMO from Spacetime Studios, Arcane Legends. It takes a more action-oriented approach than their previous titles, but its just as good as the rest. Weve also got a few solid games from Miniclip.com, one being a brawler and the other an adorable runner. Additional releases include a clever image-based puzzler, a dragon breeding management simulation, and the tie-in game three-pack to movieWreck-it Ralph.

Arcane Legends (Free)

The MMO masters over at Spacetime Studios just released their latest hit. Arcane Legends takes us back to a fantasy setting, like Pocket Legends, but with more of a hack and slash combat system like Dark Legends. It seems somewhat inspired by Torchlight, the critically acclaimed dungeon crawler. You can choose to play as a brutish warrior, cunning sorcerer, or agile rogue and you also choose between three different pet companions. The visuals are colorful and well done as always, and this is another fantastic game from a perpetually solid studio. A studio which, I might add, is quick to respond to fan complaints and bug reports, so any issues you may have will be cleared up right quick!

Anger of Stick 2 (Free)

Anger of Stick 2 is the latest game from J-Park and Miniclip.com. It takes us back to the dawn of popular internet flash cartoons, where stick-men acting out complex action sequences were all the rage. Its a simple side-scrolling beat-em up with simple controls. Button mashing in this game is fun and frantic, and often leads to really cool accidental combos. Various weapons are also at your disposal, and an in-game currency with optional in-app purchases provide you with plenty of options. There isnt much too the game, but its great mindless fun, with plenty of content and modes.

Off the Leash (Free)

Off the Leash is a brilliant tilt-control runner from BigPixel Studios, also published by Miniclip.com. After dogs are outlawed and a nationwide dog-hunt goes underway, you decide to lead the revolt. As you run from the police, youll pick up more and more dogs, food, coins, and power-ups. The common three cycling objective mission system is present here, too. You can only get so far at first, but through in-game upgrades, you build larger mobs of dogs and run longer. The art is bright, vibrant and unique, with a heavy use of bold lines. Also, as with any good game, there are hats. Hats on dogs.

DragonVale (Free)

Backflip Studios seems to do a great job, no matter the game genre in which they work. They are one of the few developers to make a Farmville style social management sim that I actually enjoy, which is kind of rare. Instead of farming crops, you farm and breed rare, colorful dragons to build your own dragon park. The different kinds of dragons available range from strange to adorable, but theyre all unique. There are plenty of side games and missions to enjoy as well. In terms of management sims, this is one of the best.

Pixel Twist (Free)

Pixel Twist is a very simple, but brilliant puzzle game from BobbleBrook, brought to Android by Noodlecake Studios. The novel concept is that simple, pixilated pictures have been blown up in a three dimensional way, and its up to you to rotate the blown up image so that the original 2D image reforms. As youre doing this a timer counts down. The game can be repetitive, as several images appear again and again, despite the fact that a gallery of all images youve completed shows just how many options there are. The game only offers a couple modes, but this free title is definitely worth checking out.

Wreck-it Ralph ($0.99)

Wreck-it Ralph was a brilliant little film, full of nostalgic references and nerdy jokes alongside a fun, original story. It seems like the perfect movie to get a tie-in game, being about games, but how do you make a tie-in game without featuring all the games featured in the movie? By giving us three small games in one! The main game is an adaptation of Ralphs own game, Fix-it Felix Jr. The other games, based on Sugar Rush and Heros Duty, are a simple endless jumper and top-down twin stick shooter, respectively. Still, for one dollar, these three simplistic games make for a nice deal.

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New Android apps worth downloading: Call of Duty ELITE and YouTube updates, Waking Mars

An update to Call of Duty ELITE, the companion app and service to the millions-selling console video gaming phenomenon, leads todays new apps. In addition, Google updated its YouTube app, adding the capability of interacting with Google TV. Lastly, the great side-scrolling title Waking Mars made the leap from Apples iOS platform over to the Android side.

Call of Duty ELITE update (Free)

Whats it about? The companion app and service to the incredibly popular Call of Duty video game franchise, this app lets you track multiplayer stats, watch videos, compare weapons and keep an eye on how your friends are performing in-game.

Whats cool? Theres a crazy amount of information in Call of Duty ELITE for fa ns of the franchise, so if youre into the game, you should already be using the app to help you improve, discover better ways to use weapons, and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. The app includes lots of information about the game and even lets you chance your weapon loadouts for future matches from within the app. The most recent update to Call of Duty ELITE brings in new functions to go with the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Whos it for? If youre a Call of Duty nut that helps the franchise set entertainment records every time a new title comes out, you definitely want this app.

Whats it like? If you need more Call of Duty on your mobile device, try Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies.

YouTube update (Free)

Whats it about? Googles YouTube app allows users to stream from the video sharing website across any Internet connection, and now contains more functionality that lets the app interact with other devices.

Whats cool? The new stuff in the most recent update concerns other devices that have YouTube apps specifically, Google TV, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The Android YouTube app can now sync with your Google TV, so you can quickly pass videos from your phone or tablet to your TV with a single button. You can also manually pair your Xbox or Playstation to your Android device for similar functionality.

Whos it for? If you use YouTube a lot, youll get a lot of use out of the Android app. Thats going to be doubly true if you use one of the set-top devices mentioned above.

Whats it like? Sprint users will find similar capabilities from Qik Video, and you can share and view video clips from others with Klip Video Sharing.

Waking Mars ($4.99)

Whats it about? Side-scrolling platformer Waking Mars is less of an action game, and more of a game about discovery. Players take on the role of an astronaut exploring and restoring life to Martian caves in order to find his way home.

Whats cool? The puzzle-solving mechanics at work in Waking Mars are pretty interesting. Rather than destroying stuff, like you do in most games, your goal is to create using different items and abilities to help return some green to the Red Planet. Spreading plant life around the caves is key to opening new areas, and theres a huge a mount of ground to cover and explore throughout the course of the game.

Whos it for? Fans of the Metroidvania genre of games, in which players explore and unlock a huge map one piece at a time, should look into Waking Mars.

Whats it like? Other titles in the Metroidvania genre of side-scrolling, exploration-heavy games include INC: The Beginning and Dark Incursion.

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Via: New Android apps worth downloading: Call of Duty ELITE and YouTube updates, Waking Mars

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Pinterest update leads Android Apps of the Week

This week was a slower in terms of prominent app releases, but plenty of old favorites received big-time updates to make up for it. Topping our list is the latest update from Pinterest, bringing some much requested functionality to the fold. We've also got a few ways to save some money while driving to work in the morning, a special app for hunters and fisherman, and a great video collection app that's all about science!

Pinterest update (Free)

Everyone and their mother uses Pinterest these days, and all those same people often shared the same complaint that the mobile application lacked the ability to control their accounts. Well, I'm happy to tell the hundreds of thousands of you Pinterest users that the latest update finally gives you the connectivity you've been craving, letting you edit your boards and add text from the app itself. You also get to create secret boards that aren't publicly visible. There is a lot more work to be done on the app version of everyone's favorite public pin-board, but this latest update was a great step in the right direction.

ConnectMyRide (beta) (Free)

This app is still in beta, but it has a lot of promise as a money saving application. Basically, it lets you "connect your car to the cloud," which means it can keep track of all of your trips and expenses, compare and contrast them, and then share all of those stats with Facebook and Twitter. I guess there are some people who would want to brag about the fuel efficiency of their car! Still, it brings a lot of neat information to light, like the exact distance you travel to get to work, how much fuel you use, and even your carbon emissions. It'll probably drain your battery something fierce, but it's pretty novel .

Mobento (Free)

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love watching a nice TED Talk or random lecture every now and again. It's a great way to learn a little bit, even if you're not retaining everything, without having to hit the books so hard that they hit back. Mobento brings together hundreds of educational videos from sources such as Stanford, NASA, and the aforementioned TED Talks. These videos cover all kinds of interesting topics from natural selection to free will, to more philosophical debates. Science is totally awesome, and videos about science are almost as awesome.

HookHunt (Free)

While I'm not much of a hunter or fisherman, I understand the appeal. You get to enjoy the serenity and tranquility of nature just before things get really exciting, and it becomes a life or death situation (for the animals, anyway). HookHunt is a GPS based app that seeks to show you the best areas to hunt or fish, based on population density, geography, and other factors. It also tracks things like weather info, trails, and a whole lot more. It's a cool idea that's great when it works, but unfortunately the device compatibility rate is a bit low, with app-breaking bugs on many devices.

Dunkin' Donuts update (Free)

We end our list today with a wonderful combination of caffeine, sugar, and savings! The Dunkin' Donuts app has had a serious evolution recently. Now, instead of simply offering a store locator and virtual menu like a standard website would, the mobile app actually gives you a special reason to use it via exclusive coupons, virtual gift cards, and other such features. Since "America runs on Dunkin" this app will surely bolster the whole economy with suc h great deals. I joke, but coffee is something I take seriously, and cheaper coffee is even better!

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New Android apps worth downloading: ConnectMyRide, HookHunt, Arcane Legends

Todays new apps include ConnectMyRide, a GPS app that helps you get the most gas mileage out of your car, and HookHunt, a hunting and fishing app that makes it easy to log your favorite spots and find more to explore. In games, a beta release of Arcane Legends gives players a taste of the latest massively multiplayer offering from Spacetime Studios.

ConnectMyRide beta (Free)

Whats it about? Using your Android devices GPS capabilities, ConnectMyRide helps monitor information about your driving, like fuel usage and speed, to keep your driving costs down.

Whats cool? Using your Android devices to make driving both more affordable and more environmentally friendly is a cool idea in and of itself. ConnectMyRide offers a lot of us eful features toward those ends. For one, you can track multiple cars with the same app, as well as use it both offline and online. The app provides you with driving tips to increase your cars mile-per-gallon ratio, and lets you compare your driving and gas usage to other app users.

Whos it for? Anyone who would like to save money on gas or is concerned about things such as carbon emissions. Just be warned that it uses your GPS, which is a known battery-drain for smartphones.

Whats it like? You can get similar fuel tracking from FuelLog, and keep an eye on your speed habits with SpeedView Pro.

HookHunt (Free)

Whats it about? Hunting and fishing app HookHunt helps navigates the best places to hunt and f ish by providing maps, GPS capabilities, weather information and trails, among other features.

Whats cool? Heading out to hunt or fish can be tricky, because the whole point is to move away from civilization. HookHunt can give you a bit of an edge by making navigation in the wilderness a little easier, giving you a heads-up on different spots that might be good for finding game, and lets you track your successes based on weather, location and lunar cycles. The app keeps you up to date on regulations and licensing, lets you mark where youve been and what your favorite spots are, and even instantly communicate with other members of your party when youre out in a group.

Whos it for? Hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen will find a lot of useful stuff in HookHunt.

Whats it like? Try Hunting Calendar for some tips on your best hunting times, and Solunar to get in sync with lunar cycles.

Arcane Legends (Free)

Whats it about? The latest massively multiplayer online game from the creators of Pocket Legends and Star Legends, Arcane Legends is more of a cooperative role-playing game, and includes Pokemon-style pets.

Whats cool? Arcane Legends combines the MMO gameplay Spacetime Studios is known for with the addition of pets. That means you can raise and train animals to assist you when you go into battle, giving you the option to fight with your own weapons and magic, as well as send your pets in for additional backup. Add in the ability to play in either cooperative or player-vs-player modes with others, and youve got a pretty robust, free-to-play mobile MMO experience.

Whos it for? If you like Space times other offerings, you should check this one out. Players of mobile MMOs will undoubtedly have a good time as well.

Whats it like? Check out Spacetimes various other MMO offerings: Star Legends, Pocket Legends and Dark Legends, all of which have different features and themes.

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