The Pre Match Warm Up

It’s always good to get some practice in before the game, so when I am on the train traveling to the game I get a chance to play a few hands. Usually, I tend to play poker games online or use one of the many poker apps such as Party Poker, as found on the poker app guide site, however there are plenty to choose from, some use real money whereas other are just for fun.

Poker Time

As we start the game and reminisce about our previous wins, we start one of our ‘timer’ apps to keep track of the blinds, so we can all concentrate on the cards. Depending on whether we use my iPhone or Craig’s HTC our timers of choice are; Poker Timer by Birdsoft (for both iPad and iPhone) or the Ultimate Hold’em Timer for Android. Both have simple, minimal displays that allow you to get all the information you need from a simple glance.

Who Gets The Beers

Playing on a custom made poker table at Andy’s is a pretty cool experience, but playing in the Kitchen, a stones throw away from the fridge also has its advantages; namely, its close to the beer. When we are separated from our precious drinks we like to use an app to designate who will make the mammoth journey. For this we like to use Tea Round for the iPad. It might be themed around Tea but with its simple customization it is easily re-purposed.

Who’s Hungry

What better way to compliment beer and cards than with a few Pizzas. So when 10pm comes around we use the handy Dominos App to choose and order our pizzas without having to break the flow of the game.

Are You Taking Notes?

If like me you are constantly looking to up your game then you can take you poker playing to the next level by using taking notes on the other players. For this I recommend Poker Notes Live (for both IOS and Android). This free poker utility app is a useful tool that will help you remember the moves, style, patterns, and tells you notice about other players at your table. Very handy for the serious player and it can be used when playing online as well.

Win or lose we all have a fantastic time and eventually we will take our game to Las Vegas when Andy hits 40, where we hope to take part in one of many tournaments held at Caesars Palace. Can’t wait!

The post Essential Apps for the Ultimate Poker Night appeared first on AppTrawler.

Whether you want to have a barbecue, plan a trip or just relax in your garden, there are some essential apps you really should download. We have listed 6 top apps to make your summer even more enjoyable!

RunKeeper (free)
What better way to start your day then with an early run! With the RunKeeper app you can track your running distance, pace, weight loss and more. Not a fan of running? Use RunKeeper to track your walks, cycling tours and other workouts! It also works on the Apple Watch when you combine it with your iPhone.

GrillTime ($1.99)
Do you want to enjoy the weather with a delicious barbecue? Grill the perfect steak or any other kind of meat with the GrillTime app. The app guides you through the actual grilling and notifies you when your meat is done. Select the meat, thickness and level of doneness you want and let GrillTime do the rest. The app can’t do absolutely everything for you, so you are needed to put the meat on the barbecue and flip it when it’s time.

Kayak (free)
Summer time usually means travelling. People are looking forward to spending their vacation in the perfect place. One thing most people do not look forward to is packing. What you need to pack, depends on the location you are headed to. Some will be staying in luxury hotels in far-flung places and calculating flying on a private jet costs to get there in style, whilst others will be planning local camping trips and adventures with their family. Either way, the packing will be necessary. Save time and do not forget a single thing with the GetPacked app. You have to answer a couple of simple questions and within a few seconds the app customizes a personal packing list. This is an iPhone and iPad app.

GetPacked ($1.99)
Summer time usually means travelling. People are looking forward to spending their vacation in the perfect place. One thing most people do not look forward to is packing. What you need to pack, depends on the location you are headed to. Save time and do not forget a single thing with the GetPacked app. You have to answer a couple of simple questions and within a few seconds the app customizes a personal packing list. This is an iPhone an iPad app.

Free WiFi Finder (free)
Nowadays most people can’t go a day without access to the internet. Not even when they are on vacation. Whether you want to find the best restaurant in town, directions to your hotel or the nearest monuments, with internet-access you have the information you’re looking for right away. However, using your mobile internet could be quite expensive. Not with the Free WiFi Finder app! The app uses your location to find free Wi-Fi access. The Free WiFi Finder app is compatible with an iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Point It app ($2.99)
Are you headed for a foreign country this summer? The English language is not spoken everywhere or at least, not as well as you would like. Even if you are familiar with the foreign language, it can sometimes be difficult to understand one and another. The Point It app is the solution! Simply choose a picture and point at it to make yourself clear. With the pictures of this app everyone can understand you. The Point It app is compatible with an iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Get the best out of your summer with these apps, which you can buy in the iTunes Store with a credit card or iTunes Gift Card. You can order an iTunes Card from iTunescard.com in an easy and fast way. It is even possible to purchase the newest movies, music and books with it.

The post 6 Apps You Should Definitely Have This Summer appeared first on AppTrawler.

Pokémon Go

Pokémon GO is an interesting concept that looks to enhance the mobile gaming experience for Pokemon fans. The game will focus on gathering and fighting Pokémon characters in the real world. Pokemon can be found through other players using GPS. This new unique level of interaction and gameplay could only work with Pokemon due to its due global user base. Gamers can expect to see the new game exactly 20 years after the original Pokémon game was launched.

Paranormal Activity

“Paranormal Activity” is spawning a new virtual reality video game that provides the scariest experience to the players. This game is developed by implementing virtual reality content and set to be released in 2016.

Epic of kings

Based on Persian mythology, Epic of Kings is an adventure RPG that is set in the fictional world Khunirath. When playing this game, players have to fight with various creatures and monsters through many dungeons and castles. Various weapons and equipment can be gathered and traded and it boasts and ‘epic’ amount of loot. Having high-end modern graphics and ‘built-for-mobile’ controls, this game looks to be one to watch in 2016.

Twilight Struggle

Twilight Struggle is a historical strategy game, reminiscent of the tabletop war games. This digital version comes with more punch and animations and allow players to take part in a series of scenarios that happened in the cold war.

Anshar Wars 2

Anshar Wars is a sci-fi, third person shooting game in which you take control of a spaceship with your head… Yes, I just said that. Anshar Wars 2 has no gamepad or on-screen joystick but is entirely controlled by your head. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t, either way I am eager to see it in action.

Tumblestone

Tumblestone match three game that contains shooting blocks at a descending set of stones. In simple, reverse of Tetris. When playing this game, players have to choose character to represent them and compete with up to 3 people.

Albion Online

Albion is a fully-featured cross platform MMORPG. This game is centred around certain events that take place in the middle ages. The game boast a huge play time and a day & night cycle. Albion Online offers players an extensive character customization system and a full open world to explore.

The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle has enjoyed a positive response on Steam and Consoles and now it is set to release on Android. The game sees players lost in a crumbling town with an array of puzzles to solve. The game definitely has a ‘Myst’ vibe and the graphics look stunning, especially for a mobile device.

John Wick – The Game 

John Wick, the virtual reality first-person shooter is due to make its appearance in 2016. This sleeper hit movie of 2015 did see a cameo in Pay Day 2 as a downloadable skin. However, in 2016, he is due to get his own VR title. Did they miss the boat or will people still be hyped for it in 2016?.

Galaxy on Fire 3: Manticore 

The third installment of this popular franchise will promises to be larger than any game in the company’s previous history. The story revolves around a distant part of space described as  ”a lawless fringe area of known space terrorized by ruthless warlords and greedy mercenaries.” Like in previous games you will play a bounty hunter doing various jobs for an array of colorful warlords in the Neox Sector. Which games are you looking forward to in 2016? Share with us in the comments section below. Summary:  Finding the list of upcoming Android apps can be tough. There are so many to be launched, but it’s hard to know which will be any good. Our list looks at some of the best announced at the time of writing.

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I seemed to download something new each week. The games and apps varied from gambling apps to bomb shelter management games. Here’s my rundown:

Leo Vegas Mobile Casino

Regular readers will know I like a flutter. The thrill of winning some money whilst waiting for a train or even sitting on the loo is fantastic. Leo Vegas Casino’s has a range of different game types for Android and iOS devices, from slots to poker. Personally, I love a game of Texas Hold Em and have won numerous times on various online casinos.

Fallout Shelter

The announcement that Fallout 4 was coming in 2016 set the gaming community alight. What surprised gamers more, was the release of a new standalone mobile game. Fallout Shelter was a highly addictive ‘shelter-management sim’ where you play the ‘overseer’, whose job it was to protect the inhabitants, manage resources and grow the community. Much of my summer was spent growing my shelter to over 150 residents and even renaming them to friends and family.

Markets.com

In my mission to earn more and learn more, I decided that I wanted to know more about the stock market. I’ve always been pretty reckless with money, but 2015 was the year I got organised. Part of this change was to trying and figure out the return in stocks. Markets.com was invaluable in showing me how stocks rise and fall like the tide. After investing heavily in Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Volkswagen I could see how it changes on a daily basis. I started using the app with ‘pretend’ money in order to see who investment savvy and I was so far I am over £500 richer.

Angry Birds 2

After 15 sequels to the original Angry Birds game, Angry Birds 2 finally arrived. The birds have raced each other, been tied to Star Wars, Rio and Transformers and even the evil pigs have enjoyed their own spin-off titles. However, with the new full length CGI movie on the horizon, it was time to go back to basics and release Angry Birds 2. Now i’m over 100 levels into it, I can safely say that it is great fun and has improved greatly over the original. The extra features, such as multi-stage levels and new cards system give it a golf game style experience and the spells add a new dimension to approaching levels. There is tonnes of monetisation options but they are subtle enough not to annoy a player.

Flipboard

Android finally got it’s own Flipboard app. As such, it has been my morning paper each day, as I enjoyed what little sunshine the English coast gets. Having all my favourite websites feed directly into an easily readable interface made it easy to keep up and stay social, as I read, shared and researched from the comfort of my own garden.

The summer of 2015 was hugely enjoyable, as I was able to make money, invest money, play games and keep up with the stories that interested me. Out of the many games and apps I used during the time, these had to be the best.

What games and apps entertained you in 2015, leave a comment below.

The post The Summer of Luck: The Best Android Apps I Used This Summer appeared first on AppTrawler.

Stop Drinking With Andrew Johnson

As with any addiction, alcohol is often used as a coping mechanism. The biggest thing we need to cope with in our lives is stress and anxiety. So, if you want to beat alcohol addiction you may need to find another way to cope with your stress. Many people do this through exercise, but others try calming techniques. Andrew Johnson is a professional at beating life’s anxieties. Through a series of techniques, he has taught hundreds of people how to cope with the issues in their lives. Now, you can get his treatment therapy on your phone and use it to beat your need for a drink at the end of the day

Biblical Encouragement – Alcohol Addiction

When it comes to their time in need, many people resort to depending on their faith and this is no bad thing. If you have a strong belief in a higher power we guarantee, at the very least psychologically, it can help you beat life challenges. This is because believing there is something else in charge of your fate takes the issue of blaming yourself away. You are also working towards reaching a better place. This app will help because you can find bible scriptures that will help you on your journey to sobriety. If you have friends who are going through the same issues, you can also share text that has helped you on any given day. This app may get you to the point where you are ready to seek help from one of the alcohol treatment centres for women or men.

Alcodroid Alcohol Tracker

Often the first step in reaching a level of complete sobriety is cutting back. But, it can be difficult to do this because first you have to establish how much is too much. To do this, you need to keep track of what you are tracking each day, month and year. On this app you can do this but more important also set a goal and then try to match it. You can even get a rough estimation of how sober you are and how much alcohol is in your blood based on how much you have been drinking. It can be a real eye opener.

So there you have it, three apps that you can use to beat alcohol addiction. But they are not the only ones, and there are many more you can use to help.

The post 3 Apps That Will Help You Give Up Drinking For Good appeared first on AppTrawler.

Although there aren’t any official stats on whether men or women users dominate the Instagram world, some internet pundits have claimed that more than two-thirds of Instagram users are female. And there’s probably a very simple reason for this. Whenever you’re at a gathering of family and friends, who is it who always backs into the shadows when the camera comes out? The men. Women on the other hand are the ones who want to be in the photo, and also want to get everyone else in the photo too. Of course, this is a generalisation, but think about the last few times you met up with a group of people, look at any photos taken at the time and you’ll see that there’s a pattern developing…

When you look at celebrity Instagram accounts, of course, there are some men as well as the women – Justin Bieber and Channing Tatum are up there with the Kardashians, Katy Perry and J-Lo. One man who certainly is happy to be photographed and share his pics with the world is poker player Dan Bilzerian. In most of his posts, he’s surrounded by women in bikinis while he’s seen in different shots living the high-life that the combination of his poker playing career and trust fund have made possible. Bilzerian shows off on Instagram on a regular basis and he’s now got 6.2 million followers. His Instagram fame must be part of the reason that gaming operator bgo got him to feature in its latest TV ad. And in true contemporary marketing style, you can see the ad both on the bgo site and Bilzerian’s Instagram account has a link to it as well.

If you take celebrities out of it, though, it seems in general that women are more comfortable and keen to post pictures of themselves doing anything, even mundane things such as having a coffee or going to the gym. And if you look at women’s Instagram pics, they tend to put a lot more effort into framing a shot, capturing a moment, than men do. Food’s a great example; men might take a quick snap of what they’re going to eat, but women check the lighting in the background and make sure the food looks great before they take the photo.

Like all things in life, the way men and women use Instagram reflects how they might be when you meet them face to face. It’s a cliché but there is some truth in the fact that women tend to make more of an effort about their appearance and to be more concerned about how the rest of the world perceives them – and that translates to the way they handle their Instagram accounts too.

The post How women use Instagram differently to men appeared first on AppTrawler.

Though the Android framework is not that complex, but its learning ropes might entangle you and trap you in the very beginning of your career. To reap the utmost benefits of Android app development, you need to work cautiously. You can avoid certain common mistakes and accomplish your project with ease.

Without any further ado, here is a list of few frequent mistakes that newbies generally make.

Avoid blocking requests on the User Interface-thread:

Isn’t it annoying and frustrating, when an application shutdowns or stop working while responding with an input? This could happen if the UI thread of the application is kept blocked for a longer period.

Every Mobile App Development Services provider uses various practices to develop an effective and user friendly mobile apps. Applications often initiate with a single thread that runs a message loop, and everything that is visible to the viewers, feedback that they receive, Activity onResume, drawing events, etc., all these are regulated via the message loops. If anything executing in this thread is consuming a lot of time, it will frustrate the users and force them to ultimately abandon that app.

You can use ThreadPoolExecutors and AsyncTasks to guard against blocking calls. It will toss these calls over worker threads. And for processing the results, you can implement callbacks and post messages in your message loop of the UI-thread, once the background tasks are accomplished.

Furthermore, you can enable “Strict mode” in your device to facilitate visual feedbacks to the users, while your app is running certain operations on the UI-thread.

Over commenting is a bad practice:

Indubitably, giving comments in between the chunks of code will make your program easy to comprehend in the future. But, adding extraneous or elongated comments is not a good practice, it can hamper your performance and make the code appear a bit clumsy and cluttered.

Avoid screwing up the programming format:

This has been observed quite often that newbie programmers screw up the formatting and make it rather hard to understand upon reading. It is that common that you can easily recognize a skilled programmer and a rookie one. Though, there are certain programming languages that demands formatting, but there are several others like JavaScript that do not.

Don’t forget the visuals – make it more interactive:

It has been observed that rookie developers often commit this mistake, but, it is quite simple to remedy this issue.

Creating an interactive application will add to its market success, thus it’s advisable to integrate certain functions to lend a positive feedback while the user interacts with the application. For instance, when users push a button, it must be highlighted before responding to the action.

With Android, you can assign StateListDrawable to your custom screen element and for this, you can build a drawable XML file featuring a state selector.

Read the Android documentation thoroughly beforehand:

Seeking guidance from the Android Developer website can help the beginners achieve their goal with ease. You will get a huge chunk of the documentation along with the SDK tools, which can also be downloaded online. This documentation not only epitomizes Javadoc API reference, but also includes tutorials, videos, etc., that can make Android app development a breeze.

Moreover, you can seek help from the Android Training for learning via resourceful tutorials that are well organized into several lessons and classes to assist the newbies and solve their doubts.

Efficient Java programming is required – Don’t be a lazy programmer:

Since, Java is a high end programming language featuring a virtual machine and demands high level skills; for developing using Java, you need to have your hands on the language prior to beginning the development process. It possesses standard programming guidelines. And, an inefficient and incorrect program can push your project into jeopardy; thus, it’s better to participate actively and work efficiently.

Maintain a regular backup of your work:

It is highly annoying when hours of hard work and efforts disappear in the end (or mid) due to certain stupid issues (either hardware or some other issue). Hence, it’s better to avoid such situations and take backup of your work at regular intervals while coding.

Integration with the OS:

There is a plethora of utile features that Android platform offers developers to easily and efficiently integrate their application with the other applications and systems. You can seek benefits of the intent handling, home screen widgets, and other useful functions, and ensure that your app is easily accessible over the mobile platforms and thus, can engage potential viewers with ease.

Wrapping Up:

The above mentioned are some of the rookie mistakes that newbies often commit while developing their Android application. Get familiar with these common mistakes and avoid them to ensure an effective application at the very first attempt. However, it’s advisable to keep improving your skills and efforts and reap its incredible benefits while contributing to the Android community. Remember: “Practice makes a man perfect”.

The post 8 Most Common Blunders That Android Beginners Should Avoid appeared first on AppTrawler.

Here are some of the best gambling apps available today. Of course, you could always read through http://www.sportsgamblingapps.com/ if you need more information.

William Hill

This app comes from one of the most successful gambling companies in existence. While you can’t play casino games like poker or blackjack, you can place bets on almost anything. The app mainly covers sports, but you can find odds on the next president, and even the next member of the British royal family to pass away. William Hill are famous for giving the best odds in town, so you should definitely add this application to your collection today.

To download this app from the Apple store to your iPhone or iPad, simply click the link: Download.

Bet365

If you’re looking for an alternative to William Hill, but you don’t want to stray too far from the nest, Bet365 could be perfect. The application is completely free to download, and once you’ve opened an account, you could be gambling in minutes. Again, this app focuses mainly on sports betting, but you’ll also find occasional odds on global events and the like.

If you’re a fan of horse racing, you need to get this on your smartphone as quickly as possible. The software provides real-time information and always keeps you updates on any wins or losses you might experience.

To download this app from the Apple store to your iPhone or iPad, simply click the link: Download.

Jackpot City

Presuming you prefer casino games, Jackpot City might be of interest to you. While it’s not the most famous casino app around at the moment, it offers the widest variety of games and winning potential. Regardless of whether you like to spend time on the slots, play roulette or engage in poker tournaments, there is something for everyone on this app.

Best of all? It’s completely free to download, and you don’t have to risk money if you don’t want to. There is an unlimited free-play option for people who don’t want to spend a penny while playing. That said, is there any point in using a gambling app if you have no intention of gambling?

To download this app from the Apple store to your iPhone or iPad, simply click the link: Download.

Having taken a look at the applications mentioned in this post, we hope you will have added them to your download list. All of the apps we’ve highlighted today are used by thousands of people all over the world. So, it’s safe for you to assume they’re completely safe and reliable.

The post The Best Gambling Apps Available Today appeared first on AppTrawler.

Some insights on Android TV

Android TV serves as a smart TV platform introduced by the web giant Google. Compatible with all Android enabled devices, Android TV creates an interactive television experience via a 10-foot user interface overlaid on existing television programming. Announced on June 25, 2014, this Android feature can be easily built into television sets as well as standalone set-top boxes. With Android TV, you can gain a quick access to the Google Play Store that serves as a hub for applications which allow you to cast media(photos, videos etc.) directly to your big-screen television. And that’s not all, Android TV also emphasizes on the usage of voice search feature which enables you to quickly find content as per your search criteria. Android TV’s interface is segregated into three sections viz: recommendations on the top, media apps in the middle and games towards the bottom. You can easily navigate through these sections via a remote control, a game controller or a renowned Android TV Mobile app.

Now, some words about Google Cast

Do you want to enjoy a big screen experience for your content? If yes, then Google Cast is for you. It is a software technology that enables you to send and control content(audio, video etc.) from your small-screen computing device like smartphone, tablet, laptop etc. to a large display like a television. You need to have an Android OS-based device that runs an application which you may also avail via any reputed Android App Developing Company that uses the Google Cast API. This API will serve as a platform for discovering and communicating with the receiver application running on your big-screen device like television etc. You may even choose to customize the communication between sender and receiver applications for authentication. The best part of Google Cast is that it enables you to multi-task on your device while the content is being played on the television screen. For example, you can choose to search for a video on your phone’s YouTube application and directly send the video to your TV via the Google Cast application. Moreover, you can also choose to play, pause, seek and control volume using your phone itself.

Here are some interesting Google Cast apps that have become an instant hit among serious television viewers:

VideoStream

VideoStream is a wonderful app that allows you to stream local media to your Chromecast. It supports a wide range of formats including MKV and FLV in addition to subtitle files. This free app comes with support for ads, playlist etc.

CloudCaster

CloudCaster is a brilliant Android media player cum viewer app that allows you to stream the cloud-based media including photos, video and music tracks directly to the Chromecast. This app supports streaming from Dropbox, Bitcasa, Drive and many other online data storage platforms.

Netflix

Netflix is yet another Google Cast-ready app that allows subscribers to cast the most recent episodes of popular television shows straight from the cramped smartphone/desktop screen to the wide television screen. While the video is being played on the television, you can enjoy surfing the internet via your mobile device.

Summing it all up

Android TV and Google Cast are indeed the sweetest surprises for television lovers residing in different corners of the world. If you too are one, then don’t delay in experiencing the features available with these two services. Hope this blog would’ve helped you gain a good insight into the same.

Do drop in your views/opinions on the above post using the comments box below.

The post Small To Big Screen Casting- Possible Via Android TV And Google Cast appeared first on AppTrawler.

Astro file manager

This is one of the widely used app used to transfer as well as mange files, pictures, music, videos, documents across devices or clouds like that of Facebook, Dropbox, Google drive, Skydrive , etc. without the use of USB cables or wire connections. It comes with a dynamic search technology that can conduct explicit search actions across locations as per specifications. It is also powered with its unique cloud hopping feature that you can use to move files from one cloud to another in a single move without any necessity to download them before transferring to your target cloud location.

ES File explorer files manager

One of the most popular Android app and also a long running overall player for file management, the ES File explorer file manager is available in both paid as well as free avatars. The app allows Android users, irrespective of their location, to manage, peruse or access all of the available files from your mobile device, and share them with others free of cost. It supports Dropbox, Box.net, Sugarsync, Google Drive, SkyDrive, Amazon S3 etc. You can also use it to access your home PC through 3G, 4G, EDGE, or Wi-Fi.

WiFi file transfer

This Android app, designed by the team of smarter Droid, supports file transfer over wireless connection from phones or tablet without any USB cable connection. It has an effortless file manager interface and can transfer multiple files at one go. It also offers easy access to external SD cards and USB external devices. All it requires is that the two devices t involved in transfer belongs to the same LAN or WLAN network.

Data Sync

Data Sync, as its name implies, allows for effortless synchronizing between multiple Android powered devices. It is principally designed to connect through Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth but can as well synchronize to your cloud or to your other devices in their absence too.

WiFly

Without using Wi-fi or cloud access, WiFly is designed to transfer or fly files of all types like apps, documents, pictures, music, game data, videos etc., from one device to other provided both share the same local area network. Additionally it supports multiple file transfers through easy drag and drop in the WiFly interface, transferred files can be opened by using any android app available on the device. You can download full files to your PC, or browse through downloaded files and folders directly on your mobiles without any need for additional supportive applications.

Conclusion

Easy migration of files from one device to another is a very needful concept in the present scenario. Given this necessity, android players and designers are working round the clock on easier and more relevant apps with wider features. So a regular check on the Android store will keep you abreast with the new developments and help you locate the perfect one that fulfills your specific requirements better and more precisely. You can always try out the free trial versions to get a better feel around the software before you invest your penny on it.

The post 5 Best Android Data Transfer Apps appeared first on AppTrawler.

New updates for Google Play Games Services

Gaming is an enormous market for Google, and the lead product manager for Google Play Games said that they saw 2013 as a breakout year. The company has seen more than a billion Android devices activated, which is an enormous target market. They also say that 75 percent of Android users use their devices to play games. No wonder Google is taking the gaming market so seriously.

As part of their commitment to gaming, Google has just released new updates for Google Play Games Services, and also the Google Play Games app, which bring some exciting new abilities to the Android gaming world. The element that will be most appreciated by gamers is the ability to have cross-platform games. Currently, Android users cannot play games with their iPhone friends, and vice versa. It is a frustrating limitation, and users will be happy to see the end of it.

Multi-player gaming across iOS and Android

The new Games Services toolkit update gives game developers the ability to create multi-player games across both platforms. While it still depends on developers to make use of this feature, this could lead to a wider game play experience – one where you can play with all of your friends.

Once developers incorporate this capability into their games, it will be possible to play both real-time games and turn-by-turn games with all of your friends, whether they are Android lovers or iPhone fans. There are benefits for game developers, too. Widening people’s pool of friends to play with could mean they become more engaged with the game, and keep playing longer. It also could lead to more players in a game, as people get their friends to play, regardless of what platform they are on.

In-game gifting – an excellent strategy to draw in more players

There are other changes in the newly announced updates, as well. One thing is that developers can now add gifting capabilities into their games. The idea is that players could send an in-game gift to any of their friends who are playing the same game, as long as that person is in their Google+ circles. This could help new players discover the game, when they see their friends sending and receiving gifts. It can also increase engagement by encouraging that interaction with friends.

The Google Play Store is also being redesigned for games, with eighteen new categories meant to exceed the expectations of every avid gamer out there. The intention is to help people find games they would like more easily. The store previously had very broad game categories like “Casual”. When someone is looking for a role playing game, for example, it is a lot easier to find something they want if they can browse through a more descriptive category.

There is also a change to help game creators improve their monetization with better in-game advertising. Google is integrating AdMob (which is their platform for mobile advertising) with analytics. This could let game developers target specific players with ads for in-game purchases.

The post Cross-platform game support between Android and iOS- Google added a boost in-app gaming engagement appeared first on AppTrawler.

The story of the game is unclear as you are plunged into a world with weapon wielding cyborg zombies, hellish minions and man eating slugs. The player must navigate their way from the start to a door at the end of the level. The game is fast paced and the restart is near instantaneous, which is very similar to League of Evil.

Enemies die is a splash of coins which can be collected to upgrade your weapons and costumes. It is here where the fun begins. Using the default player and the simple pistol the game is hard and unsatisfying but once you have traded up to an AK47 wielding Robocop it all becomes a lot more fun. There are a tonne of characters to choose from all more silly than the last; Rambo, Abe Lincoln, Neo, Clown, Cheerleader, they are all here. Each character has their own merits such as increased speed or agility but the only trait that seems to have any major difference is the damage as this dictates how many hits you can take before exploding into a cloud of pixels. Weapons range from standard pistols, shotguns and rifles to more elaborate missile launchers and futuristic pulse rifles. Whilst the shotgun feels different to the chain gun I found myself using the automatic weapons more due to their quicker fire rate.

You can play to earn coins or buy coin packs to upgrade quicker but it never feels forced or necessary to buy more.futuristic pulse rifles. Whilst the shotgun feels different to the chain gun I found myself using the automatic weapons more due to their quicker fire rate.

You can play to earn coins or buy coin packs to upgrade quicker but it never feels forced or necessary to buy more.

The controls use a simple left and right button along with a shoot and jump. The controls are responsive allowing you to navigate many levels in one sitting.

The levels take you from grimey city streets to green forests and the level design is fantastic as each simple level has multiple routes to the exit which encourages some re-playability. At the end of each level is a boss battle that is never too taxing but might take two or three times to beat. Sadly, my game was cut short on the last level as on of the lifts seem to be missing but hopefully a reboot will sort this.

Overall, random Heroes is a fun platform shooter that harks back to the olden days of gaming when CJ’s elephant antics was fun and James Pond was a AAA title. Whilst the lack of any real narrative is a shame, the customization of your player and weapon will keep you playing. The game can be beat in 3-4 hours so if you have some time and just want a throw a way game, this is a lot of fun!

The post Review: Random Heroes | Android appeared first on AppTrawler.

Who is Green Throttle Games?

Green Throttle Games produces a game controller that was designed to connect wirelessly to mobile devices by using Bluetooth technology. This can overcome the typical limitation of gaming on smart phones and tablets, by providing physical buttons for precision controls. Let’s hope that the Santa Clara Company that now belongs to Google will bring something new to the table sometime in the future.

Green Throttle Games came up with an Android app that demanded the use of its own “Atlas” controller, which by the way looked just like the Xbox 360 joystick, only it was connected to other Android phones via Bluetooth. The app was removed from Google Play at the end of 2013, and it looks like it only had a couple of thousands downloads. The company kept selling the Atlas controller in spite of the fact that gamers couldn’t download the app anymore. But all that is in the past right now.

This acquisition feeds industry speculation that Google is working on a TV set-top game box, which would enable customers to play Android games on the big screen. This is a hot technology area right now. Apple has a product on the market now, the Apple TV, and Amazon is expected to bring their set top box out within a month.

These big players became interested in this once they found how interested consumers are in their mobile games. In fact, both the iTunes store and Google Play have so many games on offer that they are virtual arcades. With sales like this, it is obvious the market is hot, and that the big companies are taking it seriously. Apple has their offering in position, and with Amazon hot on their heels, can Google be far behind?

We have high expectations from Google

Google has attempted similar products in the past, with little success, and industry insiders are speculating about what their next box will do. Their relatively new Chromecast dongle allows mobile content to be played on a television.

How will the new box operate? While it could be something as simple as a Chromecast-style connection to the internet, experts predict that it will be more capable than that, but still far short of the powerful mainstream gaming consoles that are already  on the market. Google does have money to invest, however, and they have proven their willingness to spend on new technologies before.

At the moment, it looks like the established consoles on the market, the Microsoft XBOX One and the Sony PS4 will retain their leadership positions. It doesn’t appear that the new boxes from Google, Apple, or Amazon will be powerful enough to take a bite out of their core market. However, this could be just the start. As hardware gets cheaper and cheaper every day, and cloud computing becomes more powerful, flexible, and integrated into our lives, things could change.

The public’s gaming tastes can and do shift, also. In a few years, these two powerhouses may be facing some serious competition. Years ago, people thought it was an odd choice for Microsoft to move into the gaming market from its traditional Windows and desktop software. They thought the same when Sony made their move into gaming consoles.

Google has some big advantages at this point – incredible financial clout and money to invest, teams of highly skilled engineers, and an Android platform with millions of users worldwide. They certainly have the potential to become a big player in this market, and the purchase of Green Throttle Games looks like a step in that direction.

The post A game console that Google is taking seriously nowadays appeared first on AppTrawler.

Essentially, the Galaxy S5 will offer users a head start on downloading some of the most popular apps and subscription services on the mobile market, which will no doubt appeal to an enormous range of potential customers. But what specific services will the S5 include? Here’s an overview of the most exciting offerings across various app genres, with a bit of help from BGR.

News

There are innumerable news sources out there for smartphone users, and truthfully many of them are free anyway. But many also prefer high-end news sources that require subscription fees for full content access—the S5 can help you there. Specifically, the Wall Street Journal app comes pre-loaded on the S5 with six months’ worth of subscription fees for a hefty value of $160. Additionally, users will be able to take advantage of a one-year subscription to Bloomberg Businessweek +, which typically costs $30.

Fitness

The S5 was seen as a phone focusing largely on fitness before news of included apps was even released. In the initial announcement of the phone and some of its basic features at Verizon Wireless, it was revealed that a new feature called “S Health” would essentially provide S5 users with a built-in fitness tracking tool that counts steps and even measures heart rate. But now it seems that Samsung went above and beyond with its fitness concern. The S5 will also include one year of premium access to the Run Keeper app (a $20 value), one year of premium access to the personal health assistant app Lark (a $36 value), six months of premium access to the Skimble app (a $42 value), which provides coached workout demonstrations, and even six months of premium access to Map My Fitness (a $36 value), which frankly does much of the same stuff S Health is supposed to do. Most users won’t wind up sticking with all of these programs, but they provide a great opportunity to find a fitness assistant app they truly use and enjoy.

Networking

The S5 will come with its share of networking services as well, the most exciting of which is a $75 package that amounts to three months’ worth of LinkedIn premium. This is a pricey service to stick with if you get hooked after three months, but on the other hand those who make this decision will clearly have gotten a lot out of the premium account. For a smaller networking perk, the phone will also have a free $2 download of the popular Flick Dat app, which allows for the quick “flick” transfer of simple data like short text messages, business cards, and photos.

Organization

Organization is another major aspect of the S5’s pre-loaded apps and services package, and really there’s quite a bit to be excited about in this category. Three months’ worth of the Evernote premium app ($15), six months of 50GB cloud storage space from Box ($60), and a three-month premium subscription with 1 TB of cloud storage space from Bitcasa ($30). For additional organizational needs, the $5 EasilyDo Pro app, which PC Mag calls “a stellar helper,” is available for free download.

For the most part, these apps and services make up the bulk of the S5 offerings. There are other miscellaneous inclusions at smaller values, such as $10 worth of credit for in-app purchases for the gaming app Cut The Rope 2, but for the most part these services make up the $576 worth of pre-loaded value on the S5. Not every app and service will appeal to every user, of course, but the bundle, as a whole is a very nice perk for this exciting new smartphone.

The post The Galaxy S5’s Included Apps & Services appeared first on AppTrawler.

Because of this, many of the Android phones available are quite different, and it can be hard to sort through them all. Here is a list of the top rated Android phones, based on several professional and private users’ reviews. These are phones that consistently were rated at 4 stars and above, and are in no particular order.

Motorola Moto G

This phone shows up repeatedly as the best value Android on the market, period. It is available in two memory sizes 8GB (~ £135) and 16GB (~£159). Though it doesn’t look very fancy, for the price, its features can’t be matched.

The 4.5-inch 1280×720 pixel resolution is particularly impressive. As is the slick interface (4.4 compatible), sturdy sturdy build, strong performance and battery life.
The downsides include a poor camera that takes dark photos, low internal storage with no expandability, and no NFC or 4G capabilities.

HTC One

HTC is quickly gaining a reputation for phones that rival Samsung and Apple. Their latest flagship model certainly underscores these claims. Sleek in both engineering look and ease of use, the HTC One is thin, light and powerful.

The newly enhanced HTC Sense UI runs beautifully on the fully HD 4.7 inch display. The strong metal frame is durable and looks slick, but can scuff easily. It comes loaded with 32GB of storage, as well as top-end Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G and 4G LTE connections.

The £500 price tag may scare off some users, while others may be disappointed with the “innovative” camera.

Sony Xperia Z1

This sleek and powerful phone comes with the great feature of being water resistant. Its polished glass and metal finish comes with a protective band, to keep it safe from most phone-killing liquids.

Also, as a Sony product, it was built off the technology that created the Walkman, and it shows in both stunning sound and photo capability (20 Megapixels). It comes with a full HD, 5 inch display, which though beautiful, makes it a bit cumbersome.

Unfortunately, the stunning technology also comes with a stunning price – about £540 without a contract.

Google Nexus 5

Google teamed up with LG to release this great phone at an affordable price. Though it’s a bit pricier than the Moto G at £299 for the 16GB model, and £339 for the 32GB phone. That’s pretty reasonable – doubling the storage space for just £40. Unfortunately, the memory is not expandable.

And unlike the Moto G, the Nexus 5 comes with a 5 inch HD display, and the latest version of Android, Kit Kat 4.4. As a Google product, you can always be assured of getting the latest updates as soon as they are available. It also comes stuffed with a 2.3 GHz quad-processor backed by 2 GB of RAM.

Unfortunately, they cut some corners on the camera, and there can be some software issues.

Samsung Galaxy S4

This phone is often touted as the most powerful on the market. One of its most striking features is the full HD 5 inch display. The design fits it well in terms of the phone’s orientation, but does make for a slightly bigger phone, though it doesn’t come off as clumsy.

It comes with a 1.9 GHz quad-processor with 2GB of RAM that makes it not only possibly the fastest phone on the market, but even challenges some laptops.

Unfortunately, it comes with a £540 price tag, which isn’t reflected in the cheap feeling plastic case.

The post 5 Great Android Phones appeared first on AppTrawler.

Playing poker efficiently has never been easier thanks to apps that users can easily whip out in times of need. Whether you’re a casual player or tournament card shark, these apps will give you the edge you need in keeping track of matches and calculating the odds of winning. Read on and see why the pros are treating these programs as essentials whenever they host matches or participate in tournaments.

Home Poker Tools – Clock

This poker tool is perfect for tournament hosts. Keeping track of time and matches can be a handful when done manually. So if you’re having a poker tournament with a lot of players, using this Home Poker Tool – Clock app made for the Android OS is a good idea. This easy-to-understand poker clock acts as an organizer that can automatically alert hosts of the tournament’s progress. It can keep track of the blinds, next blinds, number of players, number of players left, bounty, and provide suggestions on tournament payouts. The poker clock can be downloaded for free.

Poker Cruncher

Calculating the odds is a problem that many poker players face. Even professional card sharks sometimes find it hard to make accurate calculations especially during intense matches. Thankfully, there’s now an app that does this work for players, allowing them to fully concentrate on tournaments.

Poker Cruncher is a handy poker odds calculator. Users who are familiar with the Texas Calculate ‘Em program for the PC, which was made as a professional calculating tool for the partypoker.com software, will find the app’s functions quite similar. To date, Poker Cruncher is quite possibly the most powerful odds calculator available for smartgadgets. This is because it allows calculations for random hands and multiple player card input – features that aren’t readily available in other poker calculator apps. Like the Home Poker Tools – Clock app, Poker Cruncher can be downloaded for free.

There are also tools that can help poker players keep track of their opponent’s playing style and match history. Poker Tracker and Poker-Edge are examples of these tools. Unfortunately, such programs are currently only available for the PC and Mac. If you can find an app that has the aforementioned features, make sure to download it as well since it can help poker players improve their game.

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• Essential Apps for the Ultimate Poker Night
• Best Poker Apps on Android For the Casual Gamer
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The post Two helpful poker tools made for smartgadgets appeared first on AppTrawler.

It’s back with a vengeance

Hairbrained Schemes wanted to stay loyal to the original and the screenshots in the Kickstarter campaign really sold it. The project raised nearly 2 million in funding after only asking for $400k and the IP returned to the original creator.

but what about the game

The first thing that will put you off is the price. £7 / $10 is a lot to pay for a mobile game in this day in age, especially one by a small development company. As the game was originally built for PC you can expect more depth than the average mobile title.

The graphic mix detailed 2D backdrops with 3D character models and whilst both are good in their own right, the merging of the two is a little jarred. Personally I would have preferred one or the other. The team have tried the best to merge the two using subtle animations and the ability to walk behind the 2D backgrounds but its not without fault. I think the optimization done on the graphics in order to bring the file size down has give some of the visuals a slight grainy texture that might not be present on the PC version.

Sounds and music are limited but solid and the music fits the grungy and tired future it portrays. Weapon Sounds are spot on and whilst I understand why there is no voice acting I think the odd street vector call or ‘hello’ here and there would not have gone a miss.

The story and dialogue is where it really shines. There is a lot of text, a lot of story and decision trees aplenty. This is why voice acting was never on the cards as the audio files alone would have filled up a standard iPad’s memory. The film Noir style story mixes seamlessly with the crime thriller narrative and you feel like a futuristic Humphrey Bogarde after the next lead in your hot case.

The game-play is mainly point and click with turn based fighting. These work well and stay true to the original game.

Many on the App Store complained of problems and sections not loading. I did suffer some issues after downloading but once I had rebooted my tablet I did not have any further issues.

Overall, this is a big game so you get your money’s worth and if you liked the original then this trip down memory lane will be a lot of fun. If you are new to Shadowrun you might find it different to more recent titles, as it requires a lot of reading and remembering, as there is little hand holding so you will have to concentrate. This is not a game you can dip in and out of in 10 minute intervals as there is a lot to take in so i would recommend tackling it is large 2-3 hour sittings. The game plays well but the mix of graphics is slightly off putting at times but if you are a fan of the cyber punk genre then you will find a lot here to keep you busy.

The post Review: Shadowrun Returns | Android Tablet appeared first on AppTrawler.

NFL.com Game Center Lite Apps for Smartphones

Keep track of your favorite pro-football team anytime, night or day. Follow up-to-the-minute stats and scores into the post-season playoffs. The official National Football League is the perfect mobile-application formatted with all of the basic features: rundowns of play-by-play action, live scores, audio and video-clips, player profiles, team insights, and breaking news. The Game Center Lite version meets the needs of most fans, while additional functions and features are available for a fee.

NFL.com Game Center Lite App

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Game-Center app makes this the ideal choice for hockey fans.  Stats, scores, news, and standings can be customized to provide easy access to the latest team info.  Special audio/video features are available in paid versions of the app.

NBA Game Time Apps

Live scores, detailed stats, league standings, and team/player information are available on the official National Basketball Association’s (NBA) mobile-application. Game Times’ ability to interface prompts immediate navigation between games and player data. Upgrades allow users to remove ads and access visual and auditory game highlights. NBA Game Time makes it easy to keep track of teams and place bets.

MLB.com at Bat Lite for Smartphones

Major League Baseball’s official, MLB.com at Bat Lite, application presents pro-baseball scores, information, news, schedules, standings, player stats, and schedules. The free version runs a few video-clips each day on software that can be customized to highlight favorite teams. Paid versions feature game-day live audiovisuals for smartphones.

ESPN ScoreCenter Mobile Apps

The ESPN ScoreCenter app offers up-to-the minute sports scores and league information for teams throughout the world. Free and easily accessed, customized tabs can be organized according to preferred sports-teams. Whether you’re following baseball, cricket, basketball, rugby, football, hockey, and/or soccer, information is readily available.

Free Sports Betting and Injury Reporter Apps for your Smartphone

Any fantasy football player will appreciate immediate access to the most recent sport’s news. Find out what teams the fans are betting on, and where the sharp money is being placed. The Sports Insights’ Free Sports Betting App delivers betting trends, live odds, the latest scores, and more. The Injury Reporter App provides breaking news related to injuries and status changes through a text messaging feature. Both apps are free for smartphones.

These top sports and sport’s betting apps deliver the most current info about all major games in around the world. Fast-loading and easy to use, the apps can be easily customized. No matter what your sport, you can follow your favorite teams, establish your fantasy football line-up, set wagers, and search for up-to-the moment sport’s insights, tailor-made for you.

The post 6 Top Sports Apps for your Smartphone appeared first on AppTrawler.

As we know, the android app market is flourishing. Though, there are various app development platforms in the market, yet android has occupied the top position with maximum number of users downloading apps made for android devices. Besides, even developers are preferring android the platform for developing the apps, as it is an open source platform and free, developers don’t need to buy software licenses during android app development.

Whether you belong to a business or a non-business community having an app has become the quintessential requirement for all. Android app development helps in creating several type of apps, be it an entrepreneur app or a game app etc. One highly useful app that can be used by individuals as well as business firms is Cal Calendar.  Let’s review what’ll does this app offers.

What is Cal Calendar

Cal calendar is a new app added to Google Play. Brought by Any.do this app is one of the best looking calendar apps till date. Without a doubt, things that are pretty appeal more to the consumers but what actually matters is the working of the application – whether or not it works the way we expected.

Functionality of Cal Calendar

Well, you might be looking to have answer to what does this app actually do? It’s really not that difficult to figure out, as it name itself clears that it’s a calendar app. This app comes with all the functionality that you’d find in any regular calendar. Also, like any calendar app it has all the same features like adding and editing events, syncing your calendars, and there is even a to-do list plugin that you can download from the Play Store.

That’s it! This is just another calendar app that has some really nice widgets available for phones as well as tablets and exactly does what you’ll expect from any other calendar app. What makes Cal Calendar different from the others is its good look and feel.

Pros and Cons

Going by the saying that “there are two sides to every coin”, same is what we can say about the Cal Calendar app.

Positives about the App

• The bright, colorful images add a nice look and feel to the app. Additionally, the modular GUI of the app makes navigating throughout the app easy and pleasurable.
• The subtleness of the app is the main highlight. It’s undoubtedly the most simple calendar app, wherein adding events requires you to simply select the boxes with almost no or little typing.

Negatives about the App

A lot of people have complained about the app slow performance, which sometimes requires to “force close” the app. These are the bugs that still need to be worked upon.

A Final Word

After going through aforesaid points, we can say that this app is justly good. It has few bugs, but leaving them aside there is nothing bad in this app. In fact, it’s a really beautiful calendar app and very simple to use. So, folks this app is definitely worth the download.

Related articles

• 12 of the best calendar apps available for your Android smartphone today
• iCal calendars
• Cal, the Calendar App from the Team Behind Any.DO, Is Out for Android
• Sync Ical With Google Calendar
• Any.do’s Cal smart calendar app lands on Android

The post Review: Cal Calendar App | Android appeared first on AppTrawler.

2014 is going to be a big year for smartphones. The idea of a high powered handheld device which could do everything from making a phone call to writing an email with a bit of game playing and film watching in between is now somewhat more than a pipe dream. The arrival of the smartphone has been a long drawn out affair, but it’s fair to say that the products that have hit the stores over the last two to three years really are now what we have all been hoping for, since we were blighted with products like the Nokia N97 a few years back. With Android fully developed, a thriving and growing Windows 8 culture amongst many people, and of course the excellent Apple OS available, there is so much high quality choice for everyone out there. These days, the only difficult decision is choosing which phone is the right one to go for. 2014 is going to be chock full of new devices to choose from, but it’s going to be a question for many of whether or not to wait for new arrivals or opt for the strong and very able performers of 2013. Here are few from both camps to have a think about.

The post A Smartphone for 2014 appeared first on AppTrawler.