Phandroid

Zipwhip

| FREE | Zipwhip Inc.

Zipwhip Lets You Send Text Messages From Your Comp or Tablet (Order Espresso Too) [Video] - Phandroid

They’re calling it “Textspresso,” and it’s brought to you from the clever minds at Zipwhip who have come up with the world’s first, text-enabled espresso machine. Using an Android based phone, anyone can order up a cup of coffee by doing little more than shooting off a simple text message. Once your SMS is sent, the robotic barista whips up a custom cup of coffee and and lets you know when it’s ready by messaging back. Don’t expect to find one of these Textpresso machines at your local coffee shop tomorrow (the barista from the Samsung ad is safe). This proof-of-concept was little more than Zipwhip showing off their cloud-based SMS technology in a very unique, and pretty damn cool way (I have a thing for robots). Zipwhip did mention that they would be open sourcing their Textpresso machine in the near future so that anyone can build one of their very own, and place in their home or office (margarita machine, please). You can see the Texpresso in action via the video below. So, what exactly does Zipwhip do when they’re not building fancy expresso robots like this? If their name sounds familiar, Zipwhip is the company behind group messaging and cloud texting apps currently found in the Google Play Store from their partnerships with T-Mobile and Sprint (and may have come pre-installed on your Android device). With their latest application for all Android devices, they provide a way for users to send and receive text messages from their Android phone, directly on their desktop computer or tablet. I’ve come across a few solutions like this in the Play Store in the past, but none that have Zipwhip’s level of polish. If you ever wanted to send or receive text messages while taking advantage of your computer’s full keyboard, you Read More

Twitter

| FREE | Twitter, Inc.

Twitter receives a small update for people around the world - Phandroid

Twitter has become one of the most important social networks in the world. All the big news usually hit our Twitter streams much faster than TV reporters can get to us. So if you have your Twitter account set to Dutch, Finnish or Hungarian, you will be happy to know that Twitter’s most recent app update fixes all your app crashes. Also, Indonesian has been added to the list, so have at it. It is a sweet little update for those that can take advantage of it. You can get your update from the Google Play Store. Follow your interests: instant updates from your friends, industry experts, favorite celebrities, and what�s happening around the world. Get short bur... Read More Downloads >250,000 Read More

Times Square Official Ball App

| FREE | Countdown Entertainment

Watch the Ball Drop from Your Android Phone with the Official Times Square App - Phandroid

People across the globe ring in the new year in a variety of ways, but one of the most iconic celebrations occurs in New York’s Times Square as the Waterford Crystal New Year’s Eve Ball descends at the stroke of midnight amid a teeming crowd of revelers. It’s a moment no one should miss, and thanks to the release of an official app in the Android Market, no smartphone owner will be left out. With the app, users can read up on the history of the event, share photos that could be selected for display in Times Square, and stream the ceremony live. Those attending the event can check in via the app, and for the rest there is a customizable countdown clock. You can even send a virtual kiss to your New Year’s sweetie. Head over to the Android Market to download the app now. Read More

Real Racing 2

| $0.99 | Mikus Group

Real Racing 2 Speeds Into The Android Market – Leaves Part 1 In The Dust - Phandroid

Electronic Arts has just released another arcade racing  title in the Android Market with Real Racing 2. If you’re wondering why you never heard of part 1 well, that’s because it was only available for that other App Store until EA wised up. No matter. Real Racing 2 ups the ante from the previous version with absolutely insane visuals for Android devices, delivering ultra realistic environments and shiny car models. I mean, seriously — just look at those screenshots! The game allows you to jump behind the wheel of 30 different high-performance cars in 15 different locations around the globe. Jump quickly into a 15 car race with Quick Race mode or take your time with circuit racing in Career Mode — however you decide to play, you’ll have a good time doing it. Full features include: Test your racing prowess on a 16 car grid against highly skilled AI drivers. Keep in mind that while Real Racing 2 is free to download, unlocking the full version of the game comes through an in-app purchase. The only problem I encountered was the same one others in the Market had with the game’s 470MB resource failing to download. Also, the game isn’t compatible with a good amount of Android devices (even high-end ones like the Evo 3D). But if you guys want to give it a go for yourselves, buckle up and test drive Real Racing 2 for free right now in the Android Market. Remember — no texting while driving. Read More

R-Type

| €2.99 | DotEmu

Happy Holidroid Contest: Video Challenge - Phandroid

If you’re unsure what this whole "Holidroid Contest" thing is all about, be prepared to get excited. From November 24th through December 25th, Phandroid is giving away a Kindle Fire every single day along with other great prizes like the Galaxy Nexus Galaxy Tabs, JAMBOX, SmarTouch Gloves, Android Phones, Android T-Shirts, Seidio Vouchers and more. Read our announcement post for details. Yesterday’s Winner Yesterday was Galaxy Nexus day and to celebrate we had you guys submit captions for a photo of a nice-sized line outside of a Boston Verizon store.  Brad Myers was our winner with the following caption: “Geeez.. everyone’s wearing black!” … “Yeah.. this is not only the line for the Nexus, it’s also the line for the iPhone funeral” Congrats to Brad for winning all of yesterday’s great prizes. What’s that, you say? What’s up for grabs today? Let’s take a look… Amazon Kindle Fire The Kindle Fire could be this holiday’s hottest product: at only $199 it’s not only one of the most  affordable Android tablets, it’s also one of the best. That’s a killer combination. With a beautiful UI, great battery life, carefully curated apps/games, and an amazing array of media options thanks to Amazon’s Digital Content Ecosystem... the Kindle Fire is a sure win. Good luck winning one in our contest, but at only $199 it’s probably worth buying one just in case! Everyone seems to be craving Samsung Android devices these days, and for good reason. Samsung makes some of the best hardware out there, coupled with great software integration, and the Galaxy Nexus (above) and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus are two great examples of Samsung’s industry leading products. These devices were sponsored directly by Samsung, thanking our readers and forum members for their excitement, interest, and support over the past year. With a 7-inch screen, 1.2GHz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, MicroSD slot, camera that Read More

Evernote

| FREE | Evernote Corp.

Evernote for Android Update Tightens Things Up a Little Bit - Phandroid

Evernote has recently gottenn a major facelift and now the team behind its Android application are making sure their ducks are in a row. They have updated their application to spruce up a few minor things with a redesign of the login and registration screen, new icons to differentiate between different notebook types and your general slew of bug-fixing goodness. Find the full details below and head to the Android market fo your download. What’s in this version: Read More

Alfred

| FREE | CleverSense

Google Moves Closer Into Siri Territory With Acquisition of Clever Sense – Alfred App Now Available For Android - Phandroid

Google is slowly making efforts to move into mainstream “Siri territory” with their latest acquisition of Clever Sense, a company who has just released an app called “Alfred” (think: Batman) onto the Android Market. Clever Sense had this to say on their website: Today, we are excited to join Google and start a new chapter in curating the world around us! Together with the Google team, we will accelerate our efforts toward this shared vision. Using the Clever Sense platform, Alfred is able to find and make recommendations based on the things you like. At the heart of Alfred is a technology Clever Sense is calling their Extraction and Serendipity engines and is most likely what caught Google’s eye to begin with. Using Alfred, a user has the ability to: Although I haven’t had much time to play around with it myself, if you’re curious to see what all the hoopla is about, you can find Alfred for free right now in the Android Market (US only). Make sure you let everyone know what you think in the comments! Read More

Grungy Ball

| $1.00 | SimpleGamesStudio

Check Out Grungy Ball for Android [Video] - Phandroid

We were just tipped about a cool looking game called Grungy Ball for Android. It’s a very simple game – just like the name of the developer implies – but looks fun and looks great doing what it does. You have elevated panels on which to roll a grungy-looking ball, trying to make your way to the finish line without falling off of the track. The g-sensor is used to control the movement just like in any labyrinth game you’ve ever played. The sensitivity seems a bit wonky at times and the ball is given a running start at the start of each level, something we wish wasn’t the case. There’s also very little incentive to play through it more than a few times. Still, its visuals impress us and it’s a fun, quick experience if you don’t have time to get down and dirty on a more involved game. Find the demo version in the Android market here and get the full game for $1 if you enjoy it. Read More

Catch Notes Notepad

| FREE | Catch.com

Catch For Android Updated In The Market – Now Includes Folder Streams And Sharing - Phandroid

Catch — my personal favorite note taking app — has been updated in the Android Market, finally adding the option of shared folders or “Streams,” allowing for users to team up on note collaborations (a hot feature in note taking apps these days). The difference between Catch and “the other guys?” Catch emphasizes a clean, simple UI, large feature set and unlike Evernote (which charges for note collaboration), your first 3 shared Streams are free. If you haven’t had the chance to try out Catch, there is no better time than right now. You can download Catch for free from the Android Market right now. Catch Notes is a feature-packed app that allows you to capture your ideas and experiences in text, voice, images, and locations, all with free sync & ... Read More Downloads >250,000 Read More

Thuuz Sports

| FREE | Thuuz.com

Thuuz For Google TV Lets You Know Whether or Not You Should Be Watching a Sports Game - Phandroid

If someone had to convince me to get a Google TV device with one application, Thuuz would be it. Thuuz, a  play on the word “enthusiast,” is a sports application for Google TV that delivers users an excitement rating for each game of each and every sport/league thewy cover . They use a unique algorithm (which they won’t be revealing, of course) that comes up with a rating to deliver to your television letting you know whether or not you should waste time watching. It comes up with a number on a scale from 0-100. And even if the ratings are a bit wonky sometimes they are always monitoring games and the excitement engine in real time to tweak things to near perfection. The sports they support are MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAA football and basketball, MLS and 5 European soccer leagues, cricket and rugby. What excites me even more is what’s in store for the future: There’s still plenty of work ahead to add more sports, features and content, plus individual athlete excitement alerts for your favorite players.  We’ll also be building out the personal preferences, as we’ve learned that each fan has his/her own take on what makes a game exciting. Thuuz is also available for Android phones so be sure to give that a shot as well. Find the Google TV version here and the phone/tablet version here. Oh, and it’s all free! Read More