95 awesome Android apps that will transform your tired tablet

Welcome to our huge Android tablet apps listing. Whether you’re rocking a Galaxy Tab S3 or an old Nexus 7 these are the best tablet apps for Android, no matter what you’re looking for. The list below is comprehensive, and links back to the Google Play Store, which is the best place to download apps. Right now we have almost a hundred different apps in twenty different categories, but we’ll add new apps on a regular basis, so this list isn’t set in stone.

Let us know what you think and leave a comment if you have something nice to say or have some constructive feedback.

Movies, Music, and Reading

Movies and Videos

Netflix

With a constantly changing library of thousands of TV shows, movies, and exclusive content that you can stream direct to your tablet, Netflix offers a whole lot of entertainment for $8 a month.

Google Play Amazon

IMDb

Satisfy the film-buff inside with this virtual encyclopedia of movie facts, actor biographies, and fascinating trivia. Millions of people rate regularly and chat about their favorite movies at IMDb.

Google Play Amazon

VLC

VLC is the media player that can handle everything you throw at it. It’s in beta, but it’s fully capable of handling any sort of video, audio, and media file including DVD ISOs. If you’ve used VLC for desktop, you’ll want it on mobile.

Google Play Amazon

Hulu Plus

Hulu’s app is the ultimate tool for enjoying your subscription. It grants you access to more 100,000 TV episodes, and even functions as an in-app remote for your streaming box and TV.

Google Play Amazon

Music and Audio

TuneIn Radio

There’s no better radio and podcast app than this. Music, sports, talk, news, and more can be found with over 100,000 worldwide radio stations to choose from and more than 2 million podcasts.

Google Play Amazon

Pandora

Pandora is an internet powerhouse when it comes to radio. Like its web-based counterpart, the mobile app allows you curate personal stations based on your favorite bands, songs, or composers.

Google Play Amazon

Poweramp ($4)

Every feature you could want in a music player is packed in here. There’s support for all sorts of formats, a 10 band graphic equalizer, crossfade support, and a lot more. It costs $4 after the trial.

Google Play

Shazam

Hear a song you like? Shazam can recognize the tune and supply you with buying options within seconds. Recommended tracks, lyrics, and the ability to add it to a Rdio playlist come second.

Google Play Amazon

Spotify

Spotify’s mobile interface is one of the sleekest around. Moreover, it lets you browse an extensive catalog of music, personalized radio stations, and curated playlists for lovers of all genres.

Google Play Amazon

Google Play Music

Looking for a music service that more deeply integrates with Android and Google Now? Google Play Music is the service for you! Play Music, like the others, allows you to subscribe to listen to all the music you want, plus lets you upload and stream your already-existing music library.

Google Play

Reading

Moon+ Reader

Load up your ebook collection and enjoy it in this fully customizable reader which lets you define your preferred aesthetic and even tweak gestures and keys. It supports every format under the sun.

Google Play Amazon

Kindle

From the classics of yesteryear to contemporary bestsellers you’ll find over a million books to browse through in here. There are also magazines, newspapers, and a built-in dictionary to try.

Google Play Amazon

Nook

Barnes & Noble offers more than 2.5 million books through this app and 1 million of them are free. You can also enjoy free trials and subscribe to all the top newspapers, magazines, and comics.

Google Play

Comics by ComiXology

If you’re a comic buff, ComiXology is for you — whether you’re into Marvel, DC, Dark Horse — whatever — ComiXology has the comic books for you. The app is Amazon’s primary partner when it comes to digital comic distribution, and there’s a huge library of titles to choose from. You’ll have to pay for a subscription, but the app itself is free.

Google Play Amazon

News 360

A nice clean layout offers a window onto the world of news, pulled in from a wide variety of top sources online. Choose your favorite topics (there are thousands) and it learns what you like.

Google Play Amazon

Apple almost banned Uber from the App Store over invasive tracking

Why it matters to you

Uber’s persistent tracking is bad news for privacy-conscious users.

Ridehailing app Uber’s phone-tracking features have come under fire before, but a new report suggests they were more extensive — and resilient — than the company let on. According to the New York Times, Uber secretly tagged iPhones even after its app had been deleted and the devices erased — a move that prompted Apple CEO Tim Cook to threaten to ban the Uber app from the iPhone App Store in 2015.

At issue was the Uber app’s use of “fingerprinting,” a method of identifying an individual iPhone after it’s been reset. Apple prohibits the practice in its developer terms of service agreement, which Uber sought to skirt by geofencing Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. The offending code was obfuscated for employees within a specific geographic range, preventing them from seeing Uber’s fingerprinting.

Uber devised the method in response to widespread fraud, reportedly. According to the New York Times, Uber’s expansion into China was hampered by criminals who bought stolen iPhones, erased them and resold them, and then attached dozens of fake Uber accounts to them. Uber drivers would request and accept rides from those phones, for which they’d earn credit.

Despite Uber’s efforts, Apple engineers discovered the company’s ruse. According to The New York Times, Cook warned Uber CEO Travis Kalanick that if its ridehailing app didn’t stop tagging iPhones, it would be removed from the App Store — and lose access to millions of iPhone customers in the process. Kalanick then conceded.

“We absolutely do not track individual users or their location if they’ve deleted the app. As the New York Times story notes towards the end, this is a typical way to prevent fraudsters from loading Uber onto a stolen phone, putting in a stolen credit card, taking an expensive ride and wiping the phone — over and over again. Similar techniques are also used for detecting and blocking suspicious login to protect our users’ accounts. Being able to recognize known bad actors when they try to get back onto our networks is an important security measure for both Uber and users.

Lightpoet/Shutterstock

This is not the first time Uber has been accused of tracking users’ iPhones. Late last year, the company updated its terms of service to allow the Uber app to collect location data even when it’s not being used.

And some former Uber employees used that feature to violate users’ privacy. According to a report from Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, some used Uber’s “God View” — a location-tracking tool to which the company allowed broad access — to monitor the whereabouts of ex-girlfriends and celebrities, including Beyoncé.

The new allegations do further harm to the embattled company’s image. Uber has been accused of fostering a toxic corporate culture, and stands accused of mounting a program — Greyball — which it used to deceive law enforcement and evade regulators in cities where the service wasn’t welcomed by municipal authorities.

HP debuts new DreamColor pro displays at broadcaster trade show

Why it matters to you

When it comes to color accuracy, HP’s DreamColor displays are some of the most beloved of professionals, and these new ones offer something for all budgets.

At this year’s National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show, HP showed off two new professional-targeted displays as part of its DreamColor range. They vary widely in price and are targeted at opposite ends of the spectrum, though features are strong across both monitors.

While it may often seem like gaming-focused displays might have the most cutting edge technology incorporated in them, when it comes to color accuracy, displays aimed at animation often take pole position. In that market, HP’s DreamColor range is impressive, with some 80 percent of academy award winners for visual effects utilizing the displays over the past six years (thanks Toms).

With that in mind, launching some new DreamColor monitors is quite a big deal. The first is called the Z31x and it’s a 31-inch, true 10-bit IPS panel, with a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160. That might not seem like your typical 4K resolution and that’s because it’s actually a little wider than that, using an aspect ratio of 17:9 — the same kind used in cinema screens.

The refresh rate maxes out at 60Hz, but that’s no bother for commercial movie and TV development. It has a wide, 178-degree viewing angle, a brightness of 250 cd/m2 and a 1,500:1 static contrast ratio. Response time is as high as 10ms, though outside of high-speed gaming that’s not really a problem.

It is in color support that this display really stands out. With 100-percent support for sRGB, BT.709, AdobeRGB and 99-percent support for DCI-P3, it covers the whole gamut. In terms of connectivity, it has twin DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, twin HDMI 2.0 ports and a USB Type-C connector, along with five other USB 3.0 ports.

All of those features do come at a price though: $4,000.

For something a little more affordable and perhaps what HP hopes visual effects firms will kit out all of their animators with, the HP DreamColor Z24x G2 offers decent features, but at a price of just $560.

It measures in at 24 inches diagonally at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200. It too operates at 60Hz, though its color depth is 8 bit + FRC — which should offer comparable visuals to full 10bit support, without added cost. Its brightness is measured at 300 cd/m2, with a contrast ratio of 1,000:1. Response time is six milliseconds and its color support is still 100 percent of sRGB and BT.709, with 99 percent support for Adobe RGB.

Connection options include twin DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, an HDMI 1.4 port and a single DVI-D connector, along with five USB 3.0 ports.

The smaller Z24X G2 is set to go on sale in June, while its bigger brother will arrive sometime later this year.

Never miss another delivery with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro for just $200

Our friends at Thrifter are back again, this time with a great savings on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro!

Thrifter deal alert! Who’s that knocking at the door? Oh, just a $50 savings on the awesome Ring Video Doorbell Pro? Well, come on in, don’t be shy. This savings drops the video doorbell to its lowest price yet, coming in at just $199.99. With the Video Doorbell Pro you’ll be able to not only see who is at your door in 1080p from anywhere but also interact with them without having to answer the door.

That’s right, you can interact with the delivery guy so you don’t miss that important package, catch the kids who keep ringing your doorbell and leaving, and much more. You can also pick one up through Best Buy’s official eBay store at the same price, so don’t miss out on this awesome savings. Order one now so you don’t regret it later.

See at Amazon

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Will somebody please make a Chromebook with LTE?

All I want is a proper replacement for the laptop that has served me for four years.

Some people have found that a Chromebook is just the best way to compute. I’m one of them and unless I need to do something that requires the big loud PC on my desk you’ll find me with a Chromebook in front of me. And if I’m away from home it will be a really beat up aluminum model from early 2013 that is in dire need of a new battery. I still use the original Chromebook Pixel because it has its own data connection.

I reach for my old Chromebook Pixel instead of newer, better Chromebooks because it’s connected and ready when I open the lid.

Now the Pixel was a great laptop in its day and still isn’t horrible. I’m not trying to say that at all. But I have a few other, newer, and I’ll say better Chromebooks here I could slip into my rucksack and take places, Ones with far better battery life (even before the battery in my Pixel started to go it never had all-day battery life) and Android apps. But none of them have a data connection and that makes a big difference for a lot of people. I’m one of them.

Having a laptop with its own connection is probably one of those things you have to use to appreciate it. I didn’t want a Pixel because it has an LTE modem. The fast processor and 64GB of storage caught my eye and having used the “regular” 2013 Pixel for a review I knew I would get enough use out of it to justify the cost. LTE (including free data from Verizon every month) was a bonus. As it turns out, the bonus ended up being my favorite feature. I can tether with my phone and that works, but I use the data connection enough that I really don’t want to watch the battery meter on my phone nose dive because I’m working somewhere with no Wi-Fi for hours at a time. It’s a small luxury and I don’t want to lose it.

Other Chromebooks had LTE, too. It’s likely nobody was buying them.

I get why Acer or Samsung or any other company isn’t making LTE Chromebooks. People buy Chromebooks because they are cheap and capable. An LTE connection and the thought of a monthly service fee doesn’t fit very well when you’re buying cheap and capable, and companies are smart to make things that sell well. What I don’t get is why Google isn’t making one.

People bought the Chromebook Pixel for two reasons: They liked Chrome and wanted something really nice or they realized that buying one was cheaper than paying for the 1TB of Google Drive space that came free with the things. The price wasn’t the deciding factor because they were more expensive than a MacBook Air. Tacking $150 on the price for native connectivity isn’t going to change any of that. The 2013 Chromebook Pixel with LTE was $1,449 and it went on back order on day one like every other Google hardware thing. They would be able to sell as many as they made unless they got silly and made millions of them.

Pictured: A Project Fi data-only SIM card and all the devices Google sells that can use it.

And then you have Project Fi. Anyone with a Project Fi line can get an LTE data-only SIM card, specifically designed for use in tablets and laptops. Yet Google doesn’t sell a tablet or laptop that can use it. That’s a complete head scratcher and fodder for another article, but still. Google, you provide service designed for products you don’t sell — are you kidding me?

If anyone were to make a new Chromebook with an LTE connection, I would be buying it.

These days, my Pixel is on its last legs and I’m not going to spend $300-$400 on another used or damaged one just to snag the battery out of it. I’ll carry around my Chromebook Flip and a battery pack for my phone so I can tether, The Flip is a lot more portable and has great battery life so I don’t feel too sorry for myself. But I would totally put another $1,500 on the credit card and buy a new Pixel with LTE if Google would make one. Instead, I’ll think of this as a eulogy for the laptop that served me so well for four years.

Chromebooks

• The best Chromebooks
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
• Acer Chromebook 14 review
• Join our Chromebook forums

Best HOTAS Controller for PlayStation VR

Is there a HOTAS controller I can use with PlayStation VR?

Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS) controllers are extremely popular in the flight simulator community and are now gaining a lot of traction in the VR world. These controllers essentially give you a ton of control over your airplane or spaceship, and you can also look and feel like a boss while playing. HOTAS controllers will usually have a familiar joystick for one hand and a throttle for the other.

With the rumored addition of War Thunder to the PlayStation VR library and with a few VR games already supported, including EVE: Valkyrie and Starblood Arena, you might be tempted to set up a cockpit in your VR space. Here’s the best — and so far really the only — one you’ll want to get for PlayStation VR.

Read more at VR Heads!

Become a certified hacker with 2017’s most popular eLearning Bundle for only $59

As the online landscape grows and changes, so does the requirement for security. One tried and true way of testing security is to crack through it, after all, it’s easier to know what needs to be fixed once something breaks through. Believe it or not, this is actually a job known as ethical hacking, and the people who can do such tasks, they are in high demand.

Learn the skills needed to become an ethical hacker! Learn More

Companies, especially ones that work primarily online, would rather have someone on payroll breaching through their security than someone with bad intentions. Whether you consider yourself adept with tech, or you’re just starting out, you’re probably wondering how to get started in the world cyber security.

Android Central Offers has a fantastic deal on the Computer Hacker Professional Certification Package. This package contains over 55 hours of course content that you will train you to be an ethical hacker. Plus, you’ll have unlimited access to for 12 whole months!

If you’ve looked into online courses for ethical hacking in the past, you know they don’t come cheap, but right now you can get the Computer Hacker Professional Certification Package for only $59 rather than the regular price tag of $1499. You read that right; you’ll get a savings of 96%.

With job markets in many sectors dwindling, one thing that doesn’t seem to be going away is the need for tech security, so why not get started on this course today? Some of the highlights include:

• Learn how to breach wireless network security with over 55 hours of training.
• Understand how to handle digital evidence within legal standards.
• Use Access Data’s Forensic Toolkit, EnCase, and other special steps to review data whilst leaving all evidence intact.
• Learn how to implement an Info Risk Assessment Process and integrate enterprise business objectives with information security policies.
• Discover IT Strategy and Information systems maintenance practices.

Don’t miss out on the most popular eLearning bundle of 2017! Learn More

The bottom line is you need a change. Whether you dislike your job, or you are looking for a way to increase job security, this is a great a great opportunity for an extremely low price.

How’s the battery life on your Galaxy S8 or S8+?

How’s your Galaxy S8 holding up after a few days?

A phone can be perfect in practically every other way, but if it falls down on the battery life front, no one is going to recommend it. Samsung’s recent flagships have always done alright on battery tests, but even without increasing the size, the Galaxy S8 is putting out considerably better results than its predecessor — at least according to our review.

But now that the phone is out, we wanted to see what sort of battery life you’re getting, so we took to the forums to take a look.

dlee1001
04-21-2017 06:06 PM

“

This was my first full day with the S8 Plus on Verizon, and I want to say, I’m pretty impressed. I know I still have quite a ways to go, but this is my battery life so far. This is with AOD, FHD, around 30% brightness, sync on, with heavy video streaming and web browsing, and a few phone calls.

257609257610257611

Reply

A lot of people seem to be getting significantly better battery life than on the Galaxy S7, ending the day with roughly 30% or more in the tank. This is likely due to the confluence of a more efficient processor in the Snapdragon 835 and a default resolution of 1080p.

erasat
04-21-2017 06:53 PM

“

I just got my s8+ in the morning and immediately charged it to 100%, 7.5 hours later and half of that time installing all my apps and setting everything from scratch, I’m at 50% with 4.25 of SoT. Pretty impressed so far with battery and the buttery smooth performance in general, that and this Orchid Grey being so gorgeous.

Basically everything on, AOD, Location History, QHD, only Uninstalled…

Reply

So many people are wowed by the unexpectedly good battery performance on the Galaxy S8, especially because the batteries themselves are no bigger than those in the S7 series. In fact, the Galaxy S8+ has a smaller cell than the Galaxy S7 edge!

msm0511
04-21-2017 10:21 PM

“

TBH I’m not all that impressed with the battery life, but I’ve never really been all that impressed with the battery on any Android phone I’ve had. It’s mostly standby that kills it for me. I have an S8+ and an iPhone 7 Plus, and my iPhone may go down to 93% during a work day. My S8+ was down to 50% with only 45 minutes SOT

Reply

Of course, not everyone is having perfect results. Some people are experiencing battery life that is just good, while others are outright upset by the uptime.

blaine07
04-21-2017 09:38 PM

“

Looks like I got some work to do… 😯https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170422/b3c6c2b5b9f12da393a8804521aad291.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170422/e6a0b7a22c75a0ef1c4889366f300580.jpg

Reply

Others are finding that battery usage spikes when connected to Wi-Fi, which isn’t unusual, but may be fixable with an update.

steelers1
04-23-2017 09:28 AM

“

Well, here’s my stats on my s8+ at almost 24 hours on battery. Auto brightness and WQHD. Not quite as good as everyone else’s but still good. The one thing I noticed is the high phone radio and Wi-Fi usage. This is not normal on my other phones. I have good signal too. If it wasn’t for the two radios my battery would be amazing

Reply

Got thoughts on Galaxy S8 battery life? Jump into the forums!

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

• Galaxy S8 and S8+ review!
• Galaxy S8 and S8+ specs
• Everything you need to know about the Galaxy S8’s cameras
• Get to know Samsung Bixby
• Join our Galaxy S8 forums

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Sprint

Peggy Whitson breaks the US record for cumulative time in space

US astronaut Peggy Whitson has officially broken the US record for cumulative time spent in space. As of 1:27 AM ET today, she had spent 534 days, 2 hours and 49 minutes in space — a number that has obviously increased since then. But that amount of time spent in space broke the record previously held by Jeff Williams. Her current run on the International Space Station started on November 17th, 2016, and her mission was recently extended from March until September. By the time she returns to earth, she’ll have accumulated more than 650 days in space. Whitson has also spent more than 53 hours outside the ISS doing spacewalks, a record for female astronauts.

Nearly every U.S. president since Nixon has called astronauts in space. Today @POTUS continues the tradition:
https://t.co/jzAeRnaaUo pic.twitter.com/tOd69zLR1q

— NASA History Office (@NASAhistory) April 24, 2017

President Donald Trump and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins will be calling the ISS today at 10 AM ET to congratulate Whitson — NASA is offering a livestream of the event which you can watch below. It’ll also be broadcast on NASA’s Facebook and YouTube pages; you can find all the details on the stream here.

NASA’s excellent Tumblr also has details on four other times Whitson made history. She was named the first NASA Science Officer aboard the ISS way back in 2002 and was the first female to command the ISS in 2008. She was also the first female to become Chief of the Astronaut Office, the most senior position for active astronauts. And, as previously mentioned, she also just recently broke the record for most spacewalks for a female. Her 53+ hours and eight spacewalks are both records.

Source: NASA (1), (2)

Samsung is helping Sennheiser bring 3D audio to Android

When Sennheiser unveiled the first earbuds to use its Ambeo 3D audio technology, it limited them to iOS users. Are they ever going to come to Android? Yes, apparently — with some help. Sennheiser has revealed that it’s partnering with Samsung to bring Smart Surround’s binaural, recording-based sound to Android devices. The company’s Andreas Sennheiser says the collaboration is necessary for “credibility.” South Korea is “one of the most technology-savvy countries,” he says, and makes an ideal testing ground for new hardware. We’d add that Samsung is also the dominant Android phone maker, so any support from its side virtually guarantees a solid foothold in the market.

There are still plenty of unknowns outside of the expected release sometime in the second half of 2017. Will there be Samsung-branded models, or Samsung-specific features? Will you need a relatively recent phone? And of course, we still don’t know the price. However, the team-up will definitely help with availability — you won’t have to be too picky about your choice of handset to find out whether or not Sennheiser’s technology is as immersive as it’s supposed to be.

Via: The Verge

Source: Korea Herald