Pigs in Trees was released earlier this month in the Android Market and considering that I had so significantly enjoyable with it, I wanted to make sure it got your guys’ attention. The game features a bit of a role reversal from Angry Birds, this time putting you in command of pigs in planes that you should guide along the playing field to shoot down the horde of birds attempting to take over your HQ.
Very first thing you will notice are the visuals. Graphics are crisp and bright featuring cartoony hand-drawn sprites that compliment the game nicely. The developers PAN Vision AB genuinely did a great job at adding personality and generating Pigs in Trees attractive for all ages (or just huge youngsters like me).
Gameplay entails you drawing a path with your finger although your plane follows along. Combos are the name of the game, so lining up the ideal shot will take equal parts precision and skill. When swarms of birds fill the screen you will have to take full benefit of the loads of power-ups to collect in order to take them all down.
Pigs in Trees features four campaigns with a total of 75 jam packed levels to battle on and you can locate the game for free of charge appropriate now in the Android Market. The game has been a little glitchy on some devices despite the fact that it’s been much more than stable on my Evo 3D. Ahead of you leave the developer a negative evaluation make positive to email them first. Bear in mind — the game is free soon after-all. Have fun!
If you fancy your self a music aficionado but the current crop of music players for Android just aren’t doin’ it for ya, a new challenger has entered the ring. UberMusic was just released nowadays onto the Android Market place and comes to you from the creative force behind Launcher Pro, Federico Carnales. Certainly, Mr. Carnales knows a little one thing about customizing and this is where UberMusic receives arguably, its biggest feature: themes. Yup, it’s probable to get 3rd party skins from the Marketplace that will allow you to completely transform the whole UI of UberMusic, even adding custom themed widgets and an “uber” nice live wallpaper. So if you have often been into the appear of say, the Zune music player (guilty!), you can finally have your cake and eat it too.
UberMusic is accessible proper now in the Android Market place for $ 3.50 and if you’re one of “those kinds” that doesn’t like paying for their apps or merely can’t because of your region, Mr. Carnales mentioned right now via Twitter that a totally free version of the app could be in the works.
The fantastic looking and critically acclaimed tower defense game Fieldrunners HD has arrived in the Android Market and the Amazon Appstore. To kick things off, the developers are offering the game at a drastic discount. Consumers based in the US can download Fieldrunners for free today only through the Amazon Appstore while those living abroad can snatch it up for the equivalent of $ 1 US dollar. Hurry because after today, the game goes up to $ 2.99 in both distribution channels.
Charming visual style updated with high-definition graphics for Android!
Choose from 7 awesome weapons to defeat the Fieldrunners with style!
Over 400 levels across 4 unique battlefields!
Hours of fun as you tackle different modes, challenges, and achievements!
Have you been hoping for a bit more convenience when you use your Bitcoin currency? Developer of the app, Brian Armstrong has introduced to the Android Market an app just for that purpose. You can now send and receive coin from your Android device. As with any application under development, use at you’re own risk.
Over at github social coding the development of the application is being recorded, and the code is completely open source and can be accessed by anyone wanting to contribute. Hit the break for a video and more on the features with-in the app.
Cut the Rope has been available as a free download from GetJar since last week, but for those without access to the third-party app store or who would prefer a version of the game sans ads, look no further than the Android Market. The game was made available today at a price that won’t even come close to breaking your wallet. For $ 0.99 you’ll get all the rope cutting, candy munching magic that is Cut the Rope. A small price to pay for the same game found on GetJar without all the pesky ads.
The always hit-or-miss Facebook app for Android has been updated in the Android Market this time bringing yet another new set of features. Why these features were ever left out of the app in the first place is another topic for another time. New for this update: improved stalking with access to pages, video uploading (’bout time) and miscellaneous improvements to the news/friend feed. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have some creepin’ to do..
Feel like trollin’ my Facebook? Hit me up here and add me as a friend!
The rating system for the Android Market is its single greatest strength and also, its greatest weakness. Most of the time you’re relying on ratings of the illiterate and uninformed to see if and app is worthy to download. “Y THIS APP NO WORK FOR RAZR!?!? 1 STAR 4 U!” (sigh)
Well, our good friends over at AndroidPolice discovered today that the web version of the Android Market has slightly upgraded their ratings system to show a nifty little breakdown chart of an app’s ratings by star (not unlike Amazon.com). Still missing is a view of comments based on star rating but maybe they’ll add that at a later time. So jump on the Android Market from your web browser to check it out!
TouchType is releasing a new keyboard app into the Android Market today with their SwiftKey X Beta (expected any time). If you’ve ever played with any previous beta releases of SwiftKey’s keyboard then this one will feel very familiar. I’ve had a chance to play with a few titles from TouchType and really dig the way I can personalize it, having it learn from my email, Facebook, and twitter accounts. The phrase prediction is crazy; I can blast through sentences without having to type full words, sometimes in less than 10 letters total.
TouchType does a terrific job of listening to users and collecting feedback. In fact, many of the features you see in today’s release come as a result of listening to the users. Should you see something that acts buggy or find room for improvement, be sure to let them know!
There are plenty of alternative keyboards in the android Market and I suggest downloading one or two to see what fits you best. Having said that, SwiftKey X Beta should be one of the first you look at.
In a new report issued today, Distimo says that there are nearly three times as many paid apps on Apple’s App Store (211,369, by Distimo’s count) as on Google’s (71,801).
Android also generates far fewer runaway hits. The most successful app in the Android Market, with more than 50 million downloads, is a Google freebie: Google Maps. Nothing else comes close.
Among the other findings:
Looking at paid applications in the Google Android Market, downloads are significantly lower than they are for free applications. The percentage of all free applications that have been downloaded less than 100 times is 24.8%, and the percentage of paid applications that have been downloaded less than 100 times worldwide is 79.3%.
In March and April together, six paid applications have generated more than 500,000 downloads each in just the United States in the Apple App Store for iPhone. In the Google Android Market however, only two paid applications have exceeded more than 500,000 downloads (but under 1 million) worldwide to date.
There are five games in Google Android Market with over 250,000 downloads worldwide. In the Apple App Store for iPhone ten games generated more than 250,000 downloads in the United States alone in two months.
The Android Market is exploding at a terrific rate, adding apps and games at an almost exponential rate. And with 400,000 Android devices being activated every day, things couldn’t be better, right? Meh… Take it easy. There’s still plenty of room for improvement. Plenty of developers are finding it difficult to get exposure make headway against bigger players.
I’m sure you’ve heard before the argument that developers are having a tough time making money on their Android apps. It seems you can’t even talk mobile app monetization without someone saying that it’s not lucrative on Android like it is for iOS.
Distimo has released a new publication and it takes a look at how apps are faring as a whole, and as compared to other platforms. Let’s dig into a few bullet points, shall we?
Google Maps is the only application with more than 50 million downloads – the all-time most popular application in this store.
96 applications have been downloaded more than 5 million times in the Google Android Market.
20% of all free applications and 80% of all paid applications have been downloaded less than 100 times worldwide to date.
Compared to their Apple counterparts Distimo finds that Android developers have a tough time monetizing using a one-off fee model. Their report that only two paid applications have been downloaded more than 500,000 times in the Android Market worldwide to date. Contrast that with the App Store where six paid applications generate 500,000 downloads within a two month stretch…in the United States alone.
Further, there are only five games in the Android Market with over 250,000 downloads worldwide while the App Store has ten games with more than 250,000 downloads in a two month period – again in the US only.
One thing to keep in mind is that this report comes from data collected before Google turned on some of the new features in the Android Market. With increased pressure from Getjar and Amazon stepping into the mix, Google has had to get creative and adopt changes to their store front. Hopefully the next time Disitimo looks at these figures, they tell a different story.
In a very short 3 month period between November 2010 and February 2011, Android is proving to be a formidable force in the smartphone industry. ComScore is reporting that Android has gained 7% of the smartphone market, going from 26% to an impressive 33%.
A good portion of that gain was stolen right from Research In Motion (makers of the popular Blackberry smartphone) which as it turns out, lost 4.6% of the US market and dropped to 28.9%. Microsoft and Palm are also reporting losses while Apple has remained stagnant.
I think this is only the beginning as new Android handsets continue to flood the market. From the affordable budget handsets, to the top of the line premium devices like the jaw dropping Evo 3D, was there ever any doubt that Android will one day take over the globe?
Namco finally brings Flight Control, the popular plane landing game which has been present on iOS for quite some time. For a whopping $4.99, you can be well on your way to strategically landing planes on their respective colored runways. The addicting game allows you to trace out your route for multiple planes as you try to land them safely without crashing into each other. The game includes 10 different planes for you to choose from along with the ability to track your stats and high scores. If you’re ready for the challenge, then head on over to the Android Market for more info and to download the game. Don’t forget to give us your thoughts in the comments below. Is $4.99 a deal breaker for you?
Stuck in an endless loop of ”I don’t knows” with your friends or spouse on where to go out for the night? Let Bizzy help you decide. The highly popular and coveted application for iPhone is now available for Android lovers everywhere. Bizzy allows you to quickly locate places to eat, shop and play while on the go. Bizzy Inc’s recommendation engine incorporated in the app is pretty powerful and you shouldn’t have difficulty conjuring up a restaurant, shop or access to quick night life when needed. Read More…
EA has released the very popular Bejewelled 2 on the Android platform, effective today. The original Popcap game revolutionized the face of “casual” gaming on the PC as a flash game, and has inspired countless clones (like Jewels). But the sequel has been just as big of a hit, and is available today in the Android market. This hit puzzle game has you swapping gems to line up three in a row, which then vanish Tetris-style dropping the rows above them into place. It’s a very fun, addictive game, and is available in the Android market for $2.99, or you can scan the QR code below.
Plex, a popular media streaming application for the iOS platform has finally made its way over to Android. The application allows you to bridge the gap between your home theater and favorite Android smartphone seamlessly and without effort. Ok, maybe it will take a little effort. The Plex app touts a nice and friendly, yet a clean and attractive UI for Android devices. You can gain quick access to all of your media content at home and the app supports a wide range of various photo, audio and video formats. Read More…
In a statement made at MWC, Eugene Kaspersky (co-founder of Kaspersky Labs) said that he believes Android OS will consume 80% of teh smartphone market, leaving RIM and Apple to fight over the last 20% remaining, with Microsoft eating the crumbs off the table essentially. We know that Android has been hot and out-pacing many other mobile platforms in popular growth and activations as well, which may lend itself nicely to this type of prediction.
Eugene also said,”I believe that if Apple, BlackBerry, Microsoft don’t change their strategy very soon we will soon have the same mobile operating system landscape as we have with computers.” What he meant by that was the industry adoption of Windows PC’s, which left OS’s like Linux and Apple in the dust. Stephen Elop of Nokia mentioned that Android is a “black hole for innovation” for the wireless industry, but I’m sure he was just mad cause Google wouldn’t let Nokia mess with Android. I mean, why would you want to radically change something that is obviously out performing your own OS (symbian)?
Basically, it’s early to see if Eugene’s prediction come to light, but Android has definately been on pace to suggest those claims. Time will tell the tale.
Twitter has gotten itself a little update recently. The update brings you a noticeable UI tweak of sorts along with several other gladly welcomed functionality. For starters, the icon logo has been replaced from the teal “T” to a teal bird icon in order to better suit the application. The second thing you’ll notice is the absence of the menu screen. Twitter has done away with it, launching you directly into your timeline after tapping the app’s icon. The next thing you’ll notice is that the UI has been completely revamped. Scrolling my timeline was much faster and smoother than before, lacking any choppiness or lag. Other noticeable points include a new search system with the ability to search the contacts in your device’s address book. In addition, you can also view tweets and trends without actually having to sign into your account. Not too shabby if you ask me. I’m relieved at how Twitter has moved away from the cute fuzziness of the previous version to the newer streamlined and functional interface. If you’re ready to make the change, then head on over to our apps database or check it out on the Android Market and give it a go. And don’t forget to let us know what you think about it in the comments below.
Twitter released it’s 2.0 update today providing users a plethora of new enhancements to both the UI and overall performance. The new changes implemented are as follows:
Easier navigation and layout
Scanning your contacts to help locate your friends on Twitter
“Think mobile” with Google as they discuss the future of mobile industry marketing. Mary Meeker, Partner at Kleiner Perkins, Google’s Dennis Woodside, President of Americas, and Jason Spero, Head of Americas Mobile Advertising, will be discussing how marketers need to rethink their current strategies to reach todays and tomorrows “mobilized” consumers. The discussion will be held at 1:05pm EST, you can tune in via youtube.
Samsung announced that they have released their TV remote app for both the Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab devices. The remote sports pretty much all of the functionality you would see on a standard remote, only with a sleek and sharp looking UI. As of now, the application is not available for any other device, hence the reason it will not appear for you if you search for it in the market. In addition, we are told that there will not be an apk around the interwebs for you to sniff out. Who knows, maybe our boys over at XDA can take care of that. Read More…
Many users trying to download apps from the new Android Market Website are faced with a troubling error they can’t get past (we’ve got a solution). When they select an app to install they’re met with a message saying, “”There are no android phones associated with this account. Please sign in with a different account.”
If you’ve got the same problem (it’s affecting both rooted and non-rooted users), we’ve got step-by-step solution that should have you downloading apps and games from the market website in no time:
The Android Market Team took a few minutes as the day winds down to notify all developers about the significant changes to Android Market including uploading new assets for the websites, adjusting prices for different currencies, and In-app billing information. In-App-Billing seems to be the biggest change, a workflow of which you can see here:
There is a TON to learn about-inapp billing but Google’s guide seems quite extensive. Go ahead and dig in.
There are many more requirements in terms of uploading images and graphics, so app and game devs might want to enlist the help of designers to make their offerings look as appealing as possible on the new interface. Setting different prices for different currencies was interesting, and supreme marketers will likely take this into great consideration when setting price points.
Here is the e-mail in full:
Hello,
We’re writing to inform you of some new features and changes on Android Market that require your attention.
1. Android Market is now available on the Web. Users can now find and share information about apps from their favorite browser, then purchase and download them over-the-air to their Android-powered devices.
At this time, we recommend that you go to the Android Market site and review the presentation of your app details pages. If you need additional information about what assets you should provide, please visit Android Market Help Center:
2. We are introducing a new feature called Buyer’s Currency that lets you set prices for your apps separately in each of the currencies on Android Market. We are deploying this feature country-by-country over the next few months, starting with developers in the U.S. When the feature is available to you, we will notify you by email.
More information on Buyer’s Currency will be available on the Android Market Help Center:
3. In-app Billing is now available on Android Market. We are deploying this new service in stages — from today, you can download documentation and a sample app only. Over the next few weeks, we will be updating the Android Market client on devices worldwide. At that time, you can begin testing against the In-app Billing service. When the service is released to users, you will be able to do end-to-end testing with live transactions and publish your app.
More information about In-app Billing is available on the Android Market Help Center:
As we mentioned earlier today, and then later followed up with, by our own Micheal Murphy, Google held a Honeycomb event, where the company presented some new and upcoming features. Honeycomb wasn’t the only news at the event however, as Hugo Barra handed the mic over to Chris Yerga, Android’s Engineering Director for cloud services. Yerga kicked off his portion of the conference by stating that they were making changes to the market, changes that will “meet the needs” of both users and developers. One such change will be In-App purchases. We should expect to see things like purchasing music, upgrading to other versions of apps, adding extra levels or content to applications and even using virtual currencies, all within other apps.
Disney Mobile was also present at the conference as they showed In-App purchasing in action with their Tap Tap Revenge application. Yerga showed, while in the application itself, the ability to purchase a song from the market. It doesn’t take a genius to see how this can benefit both users and developers alike. Let us know what you think in the comments below. And if you missed the event earlier, no problem, you can hit the break where we’ve embedded the video from Google’s YouTube Page for you to view it in its entirety.
Dropcam, a popular consumer video monitoring system, now allows you to use their monitoring service via an Android app. The service works by integrating itself with your WiFi network, allowing you to fully monitor that which is important to you, remotely. The set up is simple, utilizing hardware made by a company called Axis. There are two models to choose from. One is a standard Dropcam camera, only offering video capture, that will run you $200 bucks. The second model will run you $280 bucks, the Dropcam Echo, which allows you to capture both audio and video.
The service allows you to monitor remotely from a PC or your mobile phone for free. However, the company offers an extended version of their service which gives you full access to DVR capabilities, beginning at $8.95. Sounds like a small price to pay for peace of mind. Head on over to our apps database for more info on the app and check out Dropcam’s site for even more details.
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