Posts Tagged ‘rpg’

Ask NerdGirl: AndroidTapp Mobile Site, Verizon Abroad, and Avoiding Repurchasing Apps with New Gmail Account!

Thanks for everyone’s input about the Incredible. I think I’m going to wait for a price drop or a used one to pop up…or a donation perhaps. ^_^ Great job! This one is off subject a bit. Can we get tapp to give us a mobile site? Current ones takes forever to load. Just me whining There is a mobile site. When I go to http://www.androidtapp.com/ on my phone it brings up a “dumbed down” version, if you will. This should work on your phone too. If it doesn’t, check your browser settings and make sure it knows to redirect to the mobile site if available. If I call Verizon and ask them to unlock my phone so I can use it over seas is that the same as rooting my phone? Before I cover the difference between rooting and unlocking, let me cover a little about using your Verizon cell phone internationally. There are only 6 Verizon phones that can do this; BlackBerry Tour 9630, BlackBerry Storm2 9550, HTC Imagio, HTC Touch Pro2, HTC Ozone, and Verizon Wireless Escapade. None of these phones are Android based. Assuming that you have an Android phone, this isn’t going to work for you. When you root your phone you are doing nothing that has anything to do with your service provider, aside from voiding your warranty. You are just changing the actual operating system. Unlocking your phone allows you to use it on other providers’ networks and changes nothing about the actual operating system. The best solution for you, depending on what country you’re traveling to, is to rent a phone. If you want to stay with Verizon, you can call their Global Services at (800) 711-8300 and they may be able to work out the best plan for you. Ok, so i have been using my android phone on one account for a couple years but the spam and other issues has caused me to sign up a second gmail address. I switched my phone to the new email address and now non of the apps will update without me re-paying for them. I still own the other email address and it is active. Is there a way i can transfer the purchase history from the old account to the new one.? or specify the old account just for the market place so i can get my apps updated? Its very frustrating everywhere i check it doesn’t seem like there is ANY solution from anyone including Google who hasn’t commented what so ever on there own support forums that they claim they monitor. So now i’m out of luck on several applications that cost up to 30.00 each. Please let me know of ANY work around that you can think of. thanks, Unfortunately, there is no work around. This is the official word from Google : “Your application purchases are tied to your Google Account and can be installed an unlimited amount of times on any device. So, for example, if you remove ‘My Favorite Game’ to save memory, you can reinstall it at a later date with no charge by simply visiting My Downloads . Note: free applications are not saved to My Downloads after you remove them. If you change devices, you can install previous purchases by making sure you sign into your device with the same Google Account you used on your previous phone. Additionally, if Android Market is attempting to charge you for an application you have already purchased on an existing phone, your device may have been reset and a new username and password created. Because the application is associated with a different Google Account, you are being charged to purchase it again. Please note, if you would like to continue using the device with your current Google Account, you will need to purchase the application again. If you would like to access your application without purchasing it again, reset your phone and sign in using the Google Account used at the time of purchase. To complete this process, you will need to complete the following steps: For Android 1.6 devices, visit Settings > SD Card and phone storage > Factory data reset . For Android 2.0 devices, visit Settings > Privacy > Factory data reset . This will wipe all data on your device; the SD/memory card will not be touched. Sign in to your phone using the username and password of the Google Account you originally used to purchase your applications. If you do not know the password for this account, please visit the Google Checkout Help Center article about Passwords for instructions to reset the password. Reinstall the application by visiting My Downloads .” So as of now, you can not use a new Google account regardless of what you change in your settings. It’s done for security, which I understand, but for the legitimate users there should be a way around this. But Wait… The Chief Editor’s 2 cents: I had this same issue, but the fix came built into Android 2.0+ as it supports multiple Gmail and/or Google apps accounts. When I first set up a new phone I used a different Gmail account and got the same surprise in the Market as it wanted me to pay again for apps already purchased. So I signed in with the original purchase Gmail account. Unfortunately it sounds like your phone may be Android 1.6 or lower (here’s a good guide to tell what version your phone is ) , if that is the case then NerdGirl’s advice applies to you. Keep sending those questions to nerdgirl@androidtapp.com ! ~ n3rdg1rl Related Posts: Ask NerdGirl: What’s all this Rooting about? And Permission to do What? How to Sync your Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar and Android Phone Calendar HTC DROID Eris Android 2.1 Update Coming Soon! What New Updates to Expect Rhapsody Beta Streaming Online Music App Available for Android

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Android Developers: PayPal Offering Solutions to get Paid from Android Apps

At Google I/O today, PayPal announced the Mobile Payments Library . The Mobile Payments Library allows you to add checkout functionality for donations, personal payments, physical goods and services sold through apps on the Android phone without having to worry about keeping customers’ personal financial information secure. It was recently released beta to the iPhone development community and now available for Android. Download it today from http://www.x.com . (And yes that URL is correct and goes to PayPal’s X Developers Network) . Are you a Dev, tell us what you think! PayPal user? Would you pay for purchases with your account within apps without the need of a credit card? Tell us in the comments below.

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Blockx 3D Pro

Blockx 3D Pro ! Falling blocks game in 3D, classic with a completely new twist. The ultimate 3D brain teaser! Customizable pit, 3 block sets, Customizable controls, Autosave & load, Global high score, Landscape mode support.  There is no affiliation with The Tetris Company, LLC, Tetris Holding and Tetris trademark. Price: UK£0.75 AndroidTapp.com Android Game Review: Pros & Cons: Pros Think Tetris to the third dimension! Fun, challenging and addictive game Cons Initially can be difficult to control piece movement and rotation, but this be tweaked in the Options menu Features: Blockx 3D Pro Android Game is like Tetris to the third dimension. Forget everything you know about 2D style of play and image playing from an aerial bird’s eye view and the goal is to position and fill the pit in layers racking up as many points as possible. You’ll know the layers are correctly filled as the colored blocks will match. Move the blocks with either the phone’s trackball/trackpad, designated keys for physical keyboards, or tweak the settings to allow touch screen gesture movements. Then see how your high score ranks online. Brought to you by Hyperbees Ltd. , the folks behind Speedx 3D , as an entry in Google’s second Android developer Challenge. Fun Factor & Addictive: The game is fun, as challenging as traditional Tetris with the added complexity of 3D and addictive. How to Play/Control Blockx 3D: Move Blocks can be moved in horizontal and vertical axis. Depending on configuration, move scan be executed through gestures or touch activated hot spots, also hardware input devices can be used to perform moves. Moves with physical keyboard can be done with J, I, K, L letters. Rotate Blocks can be freely rotated along X, Y and axis, rotation can be performed clockwise or counter clockwise. Generally the touch screen is used to rotate blocks. Flick up/down for X axis rotation, flick left/right for Y axis rotation, and gesture in circular motions for clockwise or counter clockwise rotation. Drop Blocks can be “fast dropped” into pit by pressing the trackball/trackpad button. Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound: The game has vibration and accompanying futuristic sound effects when you drop blocks and game board quakes; simple yet detailed touch. AndroidTapp.com Rating (4.2 out of 5) Should you Download Blockx 3D Pro? Yes! Puts a New Spin on an Old Classic!

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Apps While Driving

Ford, the American auto maker, will feature a one of a kind software in its 2011 model Fiesta. The software known as SYNC AppLink will allow the driver to access Android and Blackberry via voice commands. Some of the first applications to be utilized with the feature are the popular internet radio Pandora , and OpenBeak (Twitter app), and many more to be named toward the release of the Fiesta. Ford plans to update all SYNC enabled vehicles with the SYNC AppLink in all 2011 models to be released. I don’t own a Ford but they are making it real hard for me not to give them a try… keep it up Ford!

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Interview with HyperBees Ltd, Developers of Speedx 3D

Today we are interviewing HyperBees Ltd , developers of the awesome Speedx 3D accelerometer fast pace 3D game for Android. Joining us is Bartlomiej Janusz, Speedx 3D Developer and Tom Mleko HyperBees Ltd, Speedx 3D publisher. Lets learn more: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Bartlomiej: I work as an embedded Java developer for a multinational company in southern Poland. I live in Katowice, Poland. Tom: We are a young and ambitious publishing company focusing on the Android Market, based in the UK. Why did you create your app? Bartlomiej: I bought an Android phone and decided to write a simple app – and that turned out to be fun. As I’m familiar with 3D graphics, I created a 3D falling block game called Blockx 3D , which even made it to the ADC2 finals. With base code ready and some experience from previous projects, I decided to go for something more challenging and that’s how Speedx 3D was born. What technology did you use in creating your App and why? Bartlomiej: Eclipse running on Windows. I use these tools on a daily basis so I’m quite comfortable with them. About how long did it take to create your App? Bartlomiej: About two months of after-hours work, but as I said, I used a lot of code from my previous 3D game. What other interesting uses can come from the App? Bartlomiej: Funny thing but a lot of people on the XDA forum say they use Speedx 3D as a benchmark for custom ROMs. Can you tell us about future feature enhancements with your App? Bartlomiej: More types of obstacles, more challenge and more fun. What did you really like about creating Apps on the Android platform? Bartlomiej: It’s easy I work with embedded Java on a daily basis so I’m really familiar with it, and I love seeing so many people download and enjoy my game. What are some things you would like to see improved with Android? Bartlomiej: Definitly less fragmentation, developers have to support the still broadly used Android 1.5, it’s becoming painful to support all OS versions that are in the wild. What is your opinion of the Android App Market’s distribution method? Bartlomiej: In comparison to Apple’s model (with its strict control over the iTunes store) or the Windows Mobile model (no store at all), I think that some basic application screening would be great. Lately we’ve had thousands of “sexy models” (and similar spam) apps spreading over all possible categories and bloating the market. Tom: I fully agree, a bit of control would be nice. There are some gaps in the model, like the 24 hours refund policy, piracy and limited access to paid apps, but we’re sure Google will take care of them. Sooner or later What is your Opinion on the state of the Rating/Feedback system in the App Market? Bartlomiej: It’s simple, and that’s what makes it work, even if there are some abuses. Do you have plans on releasing Apps for other markets (i.e. iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, etc.)? Bartlomiej: Not for the moment. Tom: HyperBees focuses on the Android Market, but if there is an app that looks promising, we’d give it a try for sure. Your app is a paid app, why did you choose this model over the free model, and how to you project its success? Bartlomiej: The Android market has been growing really quickly. I assumed there should be enough potential customers and I was right, Speedx 3D has had almost 10k downloads in 2 months. It’s more than I had hoped for so I think it’s quite a success. Tom: We, as publisher, are obviously very happy that Speedx sells so well. We decided to go with a paid app because we believed people would be willing to buy it. We were right. No surprise here, Speedx is a great app after all. It’s also difficult to copy, as it requires real programming skills to ensure smooth 3D performance – also on older phones. Must-have Android Apps? Bartlomiej: ES File Manager, StreamFurious . Can you tell us what future Android Apps you have brewing? Bartlomiej: I have some ideas, but currently I’m focused on enhancing Speedx. Tom: First of all we want to work with Bartlomiej on making Speedx even more exciting for the players. He’s one of the best coders we have ever worked with, so expect some interesting stuff! We are also looking for developers with great ideas and products willing to sell their apps on the Android market. If you are such a developer, even from the market where paid apps cannot be sold, give me a shout (tom@hyperbees.com). We’ll be happy to help you. Thank you Bartlomiej and Tom for your time and for producing an awesome game. Don’t forgot to check out our Android Game Review of Speedx 3D which was recommended “ App of the Week “!

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Leak Alert: Dell Streak Tablets in 7 and 10 inch Models

If you’ve seen the Dell Mini 5 , which has a custom version of Android operating system Michael Dell was seen touting, then we would assume the 7 inch and 10 inch tablet models will run Android as well. Engadget is speculating a late 2010 launch of the 7 inch and early 2011 launch of the 10 inch. No confirmed word from Dell. [Via Engadget ]

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Recent Chart of Android Fragmentation

Android Fragmentation has been a frustrating problem for consumers, developers, resource websites (like us) , carriers and handset manufacturers. However Google and partners are taking steps to close the fragmentation gaps, take a look at the two charts below of data collected by Google of OS versions among handsets in the market in December of 2009 and again recently in April 2010. It shows the gaps closing however more than 60% of handsets are still below 2.0 which is the reason why some consumers cannot find some apps in the Android Market that they see in our Android app reviews as they may be targeted at higher OS versions. [Thanks Nonie via Android Developers Blog and Android Platform Versions ]

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Air Control

Air Control . In this simple yet addictive drawing game you take on the role of Air Traffic Controller. It is your job to direct airplanes to runways while avoiding collisions. Price: Free, UK£0.60 AndroidTapp.com Android Game Review: Pros Fun, challenging and addictive Cargo Game mode Cons No background music, only sound effects Features: Air Control Android Game is an extreme simulation of air traffic control where you draw lines to land the planes successfully avoiding mid-air collisions. More similar to the popular iPhone game  Flight Control and Android games Flying Aces and  Flight Director . However its distinction from the latter mentioned is the Cargo Game Mode. In Cargo mode the planes can and only land on airports where the color or playing type matches the last plane. Control game speed in bottom left for more challenge. View high scores online with others around the world. Video Review: Air Control http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkp9pxYts_w Fun Factor & Addictive: With the addition of controlling game play speed and Cargo Game mode it can be quite fun, challenging and addictive. Graphics: Good job of the graphics, features vector based graphics for planes and airports. Game play is smoother than other flight control games for Android. Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound: The game features sound effects but no background music… AndroidTapp.com Rating (4.2 out of 5) Should you Download Air Control? Yes! Be the Ultimate Air Traffic Controller!

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DoubleTwist Launches Android Market on the Web

DoubleTwist , universal media playing platform, recently launched an iTunes-like desktop experience for Mac users to search Google’s Android Market. The biggest gripe there was that it only had a Mac version and no PC version. However recently we noticed they launched a Web-based version apps.doubletwist.com so all can browse the Android Market from the Web. It features a clean user interface of top recommended categories, top paid and top free Android apps. Detail pages include app descriptions, rating, pricing, screenshots, QR code for scan and download, user comments, and more. They join the ranks of many resources for browsing Android Apps from the Web including: AndroidTapp.com Android Market Search , AndroLib.com , AppBrain.com , Cyrket.com , AndroidZoom.com , and  Bubiloop.com .

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Camera Illusion

Camera Illusion is a camera application that lets you process photos in real-time, previewing and taking amazing pictures with filters, effects and masks. Features: ASCII art filter (optionally, save image as text/html), Comic art filter, X-ray filter, Rough glass effects. Price: Free AndroidTapp.com Android App Review: Pros & Cons: Pros Create cool camera phone effects and photos Cons Refresh rate is laggy Features: Camera Illusion Android App provides cool effects on your phones’ camera. Unlike other camera effects apps for Android these effects are rendered in real-time on the screen versus processing the effects after. Some effects are weird and some are really fun to play around. Effects include ASCII art filter (compositions are depicted by characters and numbers) , Comic art filter (simulate comic book style) , X-ray filter (black and white radiant graphics) , Rough glass effects (effects of looking through glass) and even create borders and distortion effects. Once done share your creations. Usefulness: Not really useful but a fun app for tweaking camera phone pics. Ease of Use: Exploration with the settings is the best way to learn various filter. AndroidTapp.com Rating (4.0 out of 5) Should you Download Camera Illusion? Yes! What Camera Illusion can You Create? Twitpic us @androidtapp

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