Google Play Store update bringing new “Designed for Tablets” section on November 21st

The Android team team took to their official developer blog today to talk Play Store, specifically, how it deals with tablets. Android’s tablet market share has been skyrocketing, and isn’t about to slow down with the holiday season fast approaching.

To better help new and current tablet users find the applications and games tailor-made for their larger screened devices, Google will be implementing a new “Designed for Tablets” section in the Google Play Store. This can be the default view when searching through Top Paid, Top Free, Top New Free, and other tabs in the Play Store. The Android teams stresses that this will be a huge opportunity for developers to gain some extra exposure, all they need to do now is quit dragging and get to writing their apps with tablet users in mind. Let’s just hope they don’t go making any of them exclusive to specific tablets.

Changes will go into effect November 21st and if you’re a developer, head over to the source link for helpful tips on how you can get your app optimized for tablets.

Droid Stars | Android 4.4 KitKat

Toast Time for Android Review

I’d imagine that Force of Habit, the Bristol based developers behind the zany arena shoot-em-up Toast Time, conjured up the idea for this game through a cocktail of sleep deprivation and missed meals. I can hear their mad proclamations in my head as I type: “We’d love to treat the team to a nice breakfast of eggs and soldiers, but our toaster’s run off to save the world…”

More Android games

Toast Time begins with our heroic kitchen appliance-cum-agent of death TERRY (clever shorthand for Toast Ejecting Recoil & Reload system) taking a stand in the middle of a sky blue playfield as adorable alien assassins charge from all sides. This cosmic menace has their sights set on a ticking clock counting down to the end of one level and the beginning of the next, and it’s up to TERRY to zap them with a lethal assortment of baked goods before they reach said timer, end the game, and impose Martian law on this fever dream of a planet.

Samsung set to unveil smartphone with curved display in October

It seems that Samsung is trying to keep up the pace and ensure it’s spot as a top dog of the mobile device manufacturing industry by pushing forward innovative, if not intriguing, designs and technology. The manufacturer is now publicly admitting its plans to release a smartphone with a curved display next month.

Curved displays on a smartphone might raise some eyebrows but the significance is less on the display itself and more on what it ushers in: an age of flexible displays and devices. Gadgets that can be folded, rolled, or assume shapes other than a flat, rigid surface are the stuff that tech dreams are made of. Of course, curved displays are nothing new, being a known technology in the realm of TVs. But scaling those down to smartphone size will indeed be a manufacturing, not to mention financial, feat.

Remote lock device option added to desktop Play Store under Android Device Manager

The Android Device Manager has added the new remote lock device option to the desktop version of Google Play, and can be found under the “gear” icon at the rightmost part of the screen. Once in the module, you’ll be given the option to either make your phone ring at full blast (no matter the current volume setting on your device), lock it with a new lock pattern (overriding the current lock pattern/PIN), or doing a complete factory reset— all without touching your device.

Official: Moto X will be available at AT&T on August 23

Previous rumors indicated August 23rd for all U.S. Carriers to offer the Moto X. At this point, we can confirm that you will be able to buy the phone at AT&T on that date with a price of $199 for the 16GB version or $249 for the 32GB version. AT&T will have black and white versions available in stores or you can customize one via the Motomaker website and have it delivered within 4 days.

Speaking of Motomaker, we had a chance to play with it yesterday, and it’s not only easy to use, it’s a blast customizing your phone the way you want. Motomaker is exclusive to AT&T for now, but should open up to more carriers in the coming months. Android commander

Official: HTC One to land on Verizon Wireless on August 22 for $199

Those of you on Verizon that have waited oh so patiently for the arrival of the HTC One will be happy to know that we actually have an official release date. Verizon just announced via Twitter that it will be available next Thursday, August 22 for $199 complete with the Verizon logo. At this point in the game, it is probably worth waiting to see what the One Max is all about. Of course, there is no guarantee that one will wind up on Verizon. Anyone going to grab one?

Robert Downey Jr. helps HTC kick off new ad campaign

While hints of Robert Downey Jr’s involvement in HTC’s latest ad campaign have long been apparent, the company made it a lot more formal with a press release today. The campaign stresses “Change,” with HTC saying they plan to show the world how their ideas and products define change and lead the industry.

Robert Downey Jr’s commitment lasts at least two years, and it sounds like he will be more than just a familiar face attached to a big brand. Downey is said to be working closely with HTC’s global marketing agency to shape the creative direction of the Change campaign.

The first of those ads can be found above, and while it’s not the most groundbreaking piece of marketing we’ve ever seen it’s still quite significant for the company. Go ahead and watch it above, and look out for more with Mr. Iron Man in the months ahead.

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Leaked Sony QX10 and QX100 are lens cameras that attach to your Android devices (Sony Honami also pictured)

Sony Alpha Rumors received one helluva tip with outing of a new line of Sony cameras. Unlike most anything you’ve ever seen before, these cameras are housed entirely inside of lenses that can be attached to your smartphone, giving smartphone shooters a huge upgrade in performance.

Both the Sony DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 feature built-in camera sensors, WiFi, NFC, and an SD card slot. One of the models (the bigger one) features the very same sensor/lens combo as the Sony RX100, that means a 1-inch 20MP sensor, f/1.8 Carl Zeiss glass. The other (the smaller one), features the same optics as Sony’s consumer-grade WX150 with an 1/2.3-inch 18.5MP sensor, f/3.3 10x zoom lens.

Oh, and if you were looking for a Sony Xperia i1 (Honami) leak, you’ll notice the man using what looks to be the i1 in one of the promo shots. Pricing and release date for either of the lens cameras wasn’t mentioned, but it’s possible everything will be revealed at an upcoming Sony event.

What do you guys think? Any Android photographers that wouldn’t mind carrying something like this around with them while on a family vacation? As far as this blogger is concerned, I’m already sold.

affordable android smartphone

Download Droid VPN for Free

DroidVPN is an easy to use VPN software for android devices. It can help you to unblock regional internet restrictions, web filtering, bypass firewalls, and browse the web anonymously by tunneling all your internet traffic from your android device to our servers.

What separates DroidVPN from other VPN Applications is it can tunnel your traffic through ICMP(IP over ICMP). This means you can browse the internet even if you are only allowed to send ping requests and internet browsing is blocked on your firewall. Personal Android VPN app

Notes and Reminders

* FREE ACCOUNT is limited to 100MB/day and can only login to FREE SERVERS.

* Subscription is required if you want to use all the servers and remove the 100MB/day limit

* If you are using any Free RAM/Task manager application, then add DroidVPN to it's exclusion list to avoid DroidVPN from being unloaded in memory.

* PLEASE DO NOT REPORT customer support issues in REVIEWS! We will not be able to help you troubleshoot or report back to you any fix. Please send an email describing your problem in detail to support@droidvpn.com.

* If your phone is rebooting please read: http://droidvpn.com/page/phone-reboots-when-connecting-droidvpn-7/

* For CyanogenMod(Jellybean) users that cannot connect: http://droidvpn.com/page/droidvpn-cannot-connect-using-cyanogenmods-jellybean411-update-27/

FEATURES
- 1 Tap connect through widget
- Gives you unrestricted Speed
- Encrypts your internet traffic
- Unblocks web sites
- Tunnel IP traffic through ICMP or UDP (ICMP only works on rooted devices)
- Can sometimes connect to paid hotspots for free
- Save network traffic through data compression
- Block all annoying ads all over the web

LOCATION OF SERVERS
- Multiple Locations in US
- United Kingdom
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Italy
- Germany

View complete list here: http://droidvpn.com/servers.php

PREREQUISITES 
1. Android version below 4.0 requires root.
2. On android phones below 4.0 you need a working tun.ko for your phone. (Look for our "TUN.ko installer")
3. DroidVPN account. Signup for free here: http://droidvpn.com/signup.php
4. Working internet connection. DroidVPN is not a replacement for your ISP.

HOW TO USE
1. Enter the email that you registered and the password that is sent to you.
2. If you are using a free account make sure to change your server to "Free Server" by tapping the flag.
3. Press the large rounded connect button.
4. If the "DroidVPN is now connected" message appeared, press the home or back button
5. You can now start browsing and all your internet connection will pass through our VPN server.

How to Set Up Android VPN

Download VLC for Android APK

VLC for Android is a version of thepopular media player for mobile devices running the Google OS.

This version of VLC for Android is still in development stages and, as a message warns when you launch the app, it is not stable and can cause problems if you don't know what you're doing with it. We experienced crashes on several occasions, and in one instance it froze our Motorola Xoom completely in testing.

When it's working, VLC for Android makes for a good alternative to the Android media player. It handles a wider range of file formats (audio, video, and streaming media), and has the same minimalist interface as the desktop version.

The video player window in VLC for Android is well designed, playing video at full screen resolution with gesture-based controls for changing volume and brightness settings. You can scrobble through videos simply by sliding your finger across the screen.

Video-wise, VLC for Android supports a range of formats and playback of supported formats is generally very smooth. However, HD video is not officially supported and we found watching high definition movies to be impossible due to lag, or simply getting a black screen.

VLC for Android performs better for handling audio files, with simple player controls and a widget giving you basic controls from your home screen.

There's no question that VLC for Android is very rough around the edges, and you'll encounter problems if you want to play HD video. However, as an early build it shows signs of emulating the success of the desktop version of VLC.

Recent changes

• This is the ninth beta of VLC for Android
• The new beta is an important release after 0.0.8; it tests new audio and video output methods, and fixes many bugs
• The audio now uses OpenSL ES, which should help improve audio/video sync. However, a preference setting allows you to use the former method, AudioTrack (Java)
• For video, one can now select YV12 output: it should be faster, if it works :)
• For older devices, 16-bit output should help display speed
• But remember, this is still a beta ;)

Notes

Clicking the Download button will take you to a page on Google Play, from where you can purchase and install the app.

Download VLC for Android APK

Best Cheap Android Handset

Magicon M3 Atom

Last but not the latest is the Magicon M3 Atom, which is cheapest phone in the category at Rs 3,250. The device sports a 3.5-inch display with a 2-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front camera for video calling and chatting.

Backed by a 1100mAh battery, the device is fueled by a Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform and 1GHz Qualcomm processor with similar storage, and connectivity options as the M2 Elegante.

This model like its sibling also has accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, orientation sensor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. In addition it also supports popular apps like Skype, Facebook, Fruit Ninja, and Magicon Care.

Price: Rs 3,250

Cheap Android handsets at DroidStars

Fast and Furious 6 for Android Download

Quite often we have to notify our readers about great new applications that are becoming available to the mobile world, but have to bring the news that Android users are left waiting. This was certainly the case recently with the Fast & Furious 6 game but we now have the great news that it has been released for Android users via Google Play.

Only two days ago iOS users got access to the new game that comes along with the Fast & Furious 6 movie release, and the developers of the game didn’t leave millions of Android users waiting for too long as the free game is now available to download.

The game is based on the streets of London as players compete in a number of races purchasing new cars and tuning them up along the way. After only playing the game for a short time it was found to have some stunning graphics at least on par with CSR Racing.

While the game is a free download you are encouraged to progress at a quicker pace via in-app purchases, which won’t go down to well with some users that would prefer to pay upfront and just get on with the game.

The game sees you join a crew and you will need to earn their respect by showing off your driving skills that will see you drifting around corners. Early impressions show that the controls take a while to master as you have to change gear and perfect the art of drifting around corners at top speeds.

If you fancy having a race around the streets of London burning some rubber head over to Google Play.

Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles for Android Download

Download Diner Dash for Android

Few words sound less exciting next to each other than "time" and "management," but time management games have attracted legions of fans thanks to their accessibility and addictive gameplay. Diner Dash is the most popular franchise of the genre, and its debut title has now made its way into the Play Store with both free and paid versions available.
 
The game stars Flo, a former stockbroker who quits her job and starts her own restaurant. As Flo, players must seat and serve customers as quickly as possible. Flo will eventually upgrade her fledging restaurant and even open new ones. Part of Flo's appeal is how well she exemplifies the American Dream.

Flo has served quite a few households over the past decade. Diner Dash first appeared in 2003 for the PC and has since arrived on home consoles such as the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. Mobile versions have popped up on feature phones and iOS devices along with the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS. Porting Diner Dash to Android removes the last excuse anyone who wants the game could make for not downloading it.

Exclusive restaurants can be purchased via in-app purchases, but gamers who spring for the Deluxe version will also get ten bonus levels for free. The latter version is temporarily available for just 99 cents below.

Download Diner Dash for Android

Top Free Apps on Android for Photo Editing

PhotoShake! Pro lets you create photo collages. Select the photos you want to use and randomly switch between different arrangements by shaking your phone or tablet. Choose from dozens of papers as background and move photos around within mini-frames. After editing, you can share photos to the most popular networking sites for everyone to see. There’s also the option to add stickers and speech balloons much like PicSay Pro.

With PhotoShake, you can easily combine one or more photos to make exciting and fun new images. PhotoShake is a photo editing program that you can use to share photos with family and friends on social networking sites.
You can easily create a collage photo as follow;
1. Select a theme.
2. Import photos for your collage and select paper type.
3. Simply shake your phone to get random collage images. (click "Edit" for manual select)
4. Also editing tool is available to create special effects on the final collage.

KEY FEATURES:
★ 6 photo theme support (MultiPhoto, SinglePhoto, InstantPhoto, GridPhoto, WidePhoto, SquareMania)
★ Easy photo creation by shake action.
★ High quality frame pinking
★ Various frame patterns
★ Place photo using translation, rotation, and scaling
★ Image filter for photos
★ Storytelling with various balloon item.
★ Funny sticker support.
★ Social media support (Twitter, Facebook, Flicker, Picasa, Blogger, Tumblr)
★ Save & Export.
★ Wallpaper support

PhotoShake allows user to create images from various occasions like everyday life, memorable moments, social gatherings, photo that has a story.
Make a precious memory with family, friends, or others.
Share your beautiful memories and fun episodes with your friends.
Joy and happiness start from your touch.

Top Free app on Android for photo editing

Download ooVoo Video Call for Android

No one is better at video calls than ooVoo — it’s why more than 75 million people use us. 
ooVoo video chat gives you two things no one else can: Free multi-stream video calls with up to 12 people at a time along with unsurpassed stability and quality.

If you hate dropped calls, try ooVoo. Our unique technology means stunning video and crystal-clear audio. Here’s how we do it: Other video chat apps depend on the processing power of your device; our robust cloud servers give you rock-solid calling no matter where you are. And ooVoo adjusts your video call to match your connection speed so you can keep talking without interruption even when your network speed is low.

ooVoo with your crew and never miss a thing. Watch TV together, gossip, do homework, or go shopping — taking your friends along with you is easier with ooVoo on your Android smartphone or tablet. ooVoo video calls and text instant messaging (IMs) connect to other ooVoo users on any Android device, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or desktop and laptop PCs and Mac computers letting you make free video calls, voice calls, and send free instant messages from anywhere, at anytime.

ooVoo is free! It’s easy to sign up, quick to download, and a snap to use Facebook and Twitter to find and to invite your friends. Just say “ooVoo me!”

ooVoo is packed with features:

•Unlimited video calling, voice calling, unlimited instant text messaging. (Why? Because we love you.)
•12-way multi-stream group video calls with 4-way display. (It’s the only time you’ll be happy to be put in a box.)
•Send instant messages even while you’re on a video call. (It’s 2013—everything and everyone should multitask.)
•Search your address book, Facebook and Twitter for friends already on ooVoo. (Because “poking” and “following” are creepy.)
•With push notifications for incoming video calls and text chat messages, you’ll never miss an ooVoo call. (But you’ll have to come up with a different excuse for ignoring your ex.)

Best Video Call Apps for Android

Download Kingdom Rush for Android

Ironhide Game Studio's Kingdom Rush, which nabbed a shiny Gold Award when it hit the App Store all the way back in December 2011, is now available on Google Play.

Kingdom Rush is a colourful fantasy-filled tower defence title in which you're pitted against hordes of orcs, waves of trolls, mobs of evil wizards, and all manner of other otherworldly nasties.

Your aim, then, is to use the large army and the vast array of defensive towers you have at your disposal to repel the advances of these nefarious beasties before they destroy your glittering kingdom.

At review, we said that Kingdom Rush "breathes new life into the tower defence genre", and noted that it "has a whole lot of laughs doing it".

You can grab Kingdom Rush from Google Play right now for £1.30.


Download Kingdom Rush for Android

Thor: Lord of Storms for Android Free Download

Summoning units consumes mana, which slowly recharges during the battle. Mana is also dropped by slain enemies, along with gold, which you can use to upgrade Thor's abilities and the abilities of his troops. To add more complexity, you can also build (and subsequently upgrade) defensive towers, which pummel your enemies during the conflict.

Thor is also lucky enough to be in possession of some pretty serious magical powers, and can use these during the fight to inflict massive damage on rival forces. These skills take time to recharge once used, but can prove decisive if utilised correctly.

Although gold is used to acquire enhanced powers, green gems are required to gain many of the more important items in the game - and predictably, they cost real-world money.

Thor: Lord of Storms is quite subtle when it comes to in-app purchases, at least at first. You're given ten gems at the start of the game and can use these to unlock an ability which allows you to take an additional soldier class into each battle.

However, unlocking the third "special power" slot takes 25 gems, essentially tempting you to spend some cash. One-use items - which give you energy bonuses or increase your strength - also cost gems. On some of the later levels, it's almost impossible to proceed unless you have these items in your arsenal.

Thor: Lord of Storms APK

Thor: Lord of Storms for Android free Download

Carmageddon for Android APK Download

As was expected, Stainless Games Ltd has released Carmageddon. The app can be found by way of the Google Play Store and at the moment is available in two versions. There is the promo release and the paid release. The key here, both of these are the full and complete game. That being said, lets cover what Carmageddon is and break down these two versions to see which you may want to grab.

Carmageddon originally launched back in 1997 and while having sold more than two million copies, it was not without its share of controversy. Without getting deep in that story, lets just say that Carmageddon is on the violent side. Stainless Games Ltd eventually lost the rights to the game and things stood still for quite some time. More recently though, they secured those rights and proceeded to launch the game as a Kickstarter offering. That project has since closed and that is why the game has returned. That is also why there are several versions available.

The Promo release, which is free for the first 24 hours (basically, you will need to download this on on May 10th if you want it) as a thank you to the Kickstarter project. The other release is priced at $1.99. As mentioned, both are the full and complete game. The catch with this, the Promo release will be removed from the Play Store after 24 hours which means it will never be updated. In other words, if you want updates, you may want to grab the paid version.

Of course, there is always the option to download the promo release and play it for a while to make sure this is the game you want. Otherwise, Carmageddon will run on devices with Android 2.3.3 or later and for those wondering, this is the same game that many came to love (or hate) back in 1997. Those looking for the links, you will be able to grab the Promo version here and the paid version here.

Carmageddon for Android APK Download

Carmageddon for Android

CSR Racing for Android

Here's a description of CSR Racing:

"Race your dream car in the ultimate test: a drag race along deserted city streets. CSR Racing combines stunning, high-fidelity graphics with addictive gameplay to create a new type of racing experience.

Upgrade your Audi R8, BMW M3 or Chevy Corvette with turbos, nitrous injection and aerodynamic tweaks to beat tougher and tougher opponents. And when you’re ready, it’s time to challenge the crews that rule the city.

STUNNING GRAPHICS
Featuring a breakthrough in graphics fidelity, CSR Racing smashes the barriers between consoles and your Android device. Stunning detail and next-gen lighting combine to beat any 1080p console racing game on the market.

LICENSED CARS
Officially licensed cars from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GM, Mini, McLaren, Pagani, and Nissan; incl. Audi R8, Ford GT, Chevrolet Camaro, McLaren MP4-12C, Nissan GT-R, BMW M3 and a few surprises!

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
R8 vs GT-R, Continental Supersports vs SLR McLaren. Your car against theirs. In a straight line. It's about power, skill and tactics. Hit the right revs and let that turbo work. But deploy the nitrous at the wrong time, and you're toast.

UPGRADE YOUR CAR
Choose from turbos, engine stages, ECU tweaks, racing tires and much more to strategically upgrade your car to fit your driving style. But remember: no two cars are the same – don't overload a RWD on skinny tires with power it can't handle.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR RIDE
Make a statement with custom license plates, custom paints and original custom decals.

RULE THE CITY
You are not alone. The crews that rule the city are watching you, and you will soon face their best drivers. Beat their bosses, and you'll take over their district. So far so good – but all is not what it seems…"

CSR Racing for Android

Real Racing 3 for Android

Developers tipped the upcoming availability of this update earlier this month, but it was first launched on App Store for iOS users.

Fortunately, it didn't took more than a few days for EA to publish the major update on Google Play as well. Hopefully it won't bring any bugs that might break the game.

 As the name suggests, Real Racing 3 is a racing game featuring real tracks and real cars. It provides Android users with the option to drive more than 45 cars, including Porsche, Lamborghini, Dodge, Bugatti and Audi.

With the latest update Android players will be able to enjoy two new cars and a brand new event. EA added the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Camaro ZL1 cars, which are available for players as soon as they update.

In addition, developers included a new Hunter mode. In this mode, players will only have one lap to overtake another car, but the rewards to make up for the trouble.

More importantly, the update brings Cloud Save functionality, which means you will be able to play the game on multiple platforms and still get to keep your progress, which is saved not only on the devices but also in the cloud.

The are also more than 100 new events introduced as well as an improved tutorial for new players and a new main menu.

Last but not least, developers added the option to see who is online and compare how their friends are doing with the statistics leaderboard.

Real Racing 3 1.1.5 is now available as a free download via Google Play Store and it should be fully compatible with all devices running Android 2.3.3 and up.

Real Racing 3 for Android