MeshBean: Download apps, earn coins (Review)

Overview

In Android, there are just some apps that are utterly useless but people still install them anyway. One large category of these apps are ones that reward you for doing stupid stuff or give you some kind of reward at one point, such as Lucktastic. This app is called MeshBean, and it rewards you for installing apps that I consider questionable.

Impressions

Setup

After installing MeshBean, it asks you to sign-in using either Google or Facebook. When choosing Google, it makes you go into your browser, sign into Google, and grant it numerous permissions that an app like this shouldn’t really need, including access to your friend’s list. This makes the whole setup slow and seemingly unnecessary.

User Interface

MeshBean is an app that tries to look good with a nice sharp menu and status bar, but fails on one fatal front: its icons and buttons. In the app, they’re easy to read, but all of them seem weirdly fuzzy for no clear reason. The whole app seems like a well-designed web page with bad plugins. In addition to the look, MeshBean is very slow. Scrolling through a list of 10 apps takes 20 seconds, with a bunch of weird pauses for no reason. Opening and closing the menu takes about two tries either way. All of these factors make the UI not very enjoyable for users.

Trustworthiness

MeshBean is mostly just a large ad for a bunch of different apps. However, some of these apps seem very questionable. The first one I downloaded, Avocado Guy’s World, popped up a warning at first boot saying that the app was going to use device identifiers. This raised multiple red flags. What would a game need with my device information? I quickly uninstalled it.

Conclusion

MeshBean is an app with a great premise, but a very flawed execution. The UI is slow, sometimes to the point of being unresponsive. Along with that, some of the apps and games it advertises are very questionable. I would not recommend this app to any safety-conscious user. Please download only after weighing all of the risks.

Download and install MeshBean from the Google Play Store.

Zeus Quest Remastered: A point-and-click adventure from 2008 – and it shows (Review)

Zeus Quest: Anagennisis of Gaia originally launched for PalmOS and Windows Mobile in November of 2008. The cartoony, point-and-click style adventure game in the style of the late-90s adventure games that made the genre popular.  In typical point-and-click style, the goal of the game is to wander around the world map, utilizing a hot-bar of objects on various people, items, and scenery within the world to progress the story.

Impressions

The very first thing Zeus Quest asks of you is to create an account using a third-party service to manage game saves and achievements. Now, I’m not a fan of creating a login for the singular purpose of playing one game. Straight away, this game should have used Google’s Play Games API for account creation, game saves, and achievements.

Zeus Quest opens with a short cutscene, fully narrated and animated. The graphics aren’t anything to write home about in this animation, but it’s a nice change from games that throw you into the fire. The music creates a nice atmosphere – playful, unobtrusive, and smooth. It doesn’t get in the way of the experience, but you’re definitely aware of it.

Zeus Quest’s World Map

After the cutscene, you’re walked through the opening scenes of the game by (extremely helpful) tooltips that show you how to inspect, talk to, and use the various people, items, and scenery in the world of ancient Greece. This was a welcome (and optional) addition, for I’d have sat there tap-tapping away without any clue what I was doing without it.

One of the main departures from the original Zeus Quest is the fact that Zeus himself is on each and every screen. He walks, talks, picks up objects (and hilariously, folds them, origami-style, to put in his toga-pocket). Props to the developers – they really made an effort to ensure that Zeus felt like a person in the world, rather than just a sprite.
Unfortunately, the original game was a static venture – scenes are not animated and the art style is distinctly abstract, to the say the least. In the Remaster, the original backgrounds are kept but Zeus totally new – and his art style can be more described as “early 2000s flash game” – joints between body parts are visible, shading is minimal, and the overall animation makes him look like a robot, not a god.

Unfortunately, the original game was a static venture – scenes are not animated and the art style is distinctly abstract, to the say the least. In the Remaster, the original backgrounds are kept but Zeus totally new – and his art style can be more described as “early 2000s flash game” – joints between body parts are visible, shading is minimal, and the overall animation makes him look like a robot, not a god.

The sound effects and general quality of the background animations are excellent; they’re a pretty stark change from the original Zeus Quest, and it definitely adds to the experience. The game features a strong narrative voice – not a literary voice, a literal one – and it’s spread liberally throughout.

Writing is, unfortunately the primary problem with this game, as it was with the original. In the eight years since the original launch of Zeus Quest, the world has changed as far as what passes for tasteful comedy. In the first half hour of the game, I ran into blatant sexism, sexual objectification, casual references to suicide…it really isn’t a good look. The jokes feel as though they were carefully crafted by a teenage boy, and while I’m typically not one to take political correctness overly seriously, the jokes in this game feel forced, tone-deaf, and juvenile.

Mechanically, the game is both functional and problematic; items are not labeled and you can’t examine them, so the items you begin with – a small pyramid, a coiled spring, a bowl of some sort, and some strange brown, abstract-looking item I can’t begin to describe – really don’t seem to serve a purpose, with no clue what they’re even supposed to be. It’s a frustrating experience, to say the least.

Summary

While the game clearly has it’s problems as a modern mobile game, fans of the original Zeus Quest will certainly find this to be a faithful remaster of the original. To me, this game deserves two different ratings – one for fans of the original, and one for those that never played it. If you haven’t played it before, I’d say it’s a pass. If you have, and enjoyed it, pick it up. The enhancements and changes are welcome.

Pick up Zeus Quest Remastered for $4.99 in the Google Play Store

Angry Birds Action: The franchise that’s here to stay (Review)

Overview

That crazy bird dynasty is back. Not that one, the other one: Angry Birds. It’s time for some crazy pinball action while Red leads the crew as they smash through different obstacles in their missions to save eggs and other various items. It’s the same Angry Birds you’ve come to expect, and deep down you know you love it. I mean – what is a smartphone without Angry Birds? It’s like Nintendo without Mario. It just doesn’t feel right.

Developer: Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
Cost: Free (in-app purchases)

Gameplay

Instructions

If you have played any of the previous games, you won’t have any problem understanding how to play Angry Birds Action. On the off-chance you haven’t, the mechanics are simple. Tap and hold the bird, pull back, aim, and shoot the bird in the direction you want.

The biggest difference between the traditional games and this one is that, instead of total destruction, you have a goal to achieve in each level. It could be to save 2 eggs, get 3 baby birds to the nest, or a few other tasks. Accomplishing these gets harder as you go, so you have power-ups to help you along the way. Some examples are beach balls that make you bounce around more, snowflakes that freeze whatever you aim at (making it easier to bust up), or even turn yourself into a ghost to go through things.

Your team consists of Red, Bomb, Chuck, and Terrance. Just like the other games, they all have their own special abilities that will help you get through each level. Of course, you don’t get them right away: you have to earn them as you go.

The Levels

You start each round by using a life to enter – you get three. You have to accomplish the goal set for you while trying not to run out of birds. If you do run out, then you have a chance to continue by using your gems. Gems can be earned throughout the game or you can buy them with real money. At the end of each round, you get a chance to win more power-ups by choosing from 9 different prize boxes. You can get up to three picks depending on how many stars you earned in the round.

While playing, you also collect coins which contribute to a goal that gets larger every time you reach it. Once the goal is met, you get a treasure box that has a prize inside.

Extra Content

BirdCode

BirdCodes is a special deal in which Rovio promotes the game as well as The Angry Birds Movie, coming out May 20th. These codes are special logos that you can scan to take a selfie inside the app. This will allow you to unlock mini games and earn rewards. These codes can be found in many places such as McDonald’s Happy Meals, PEZ candy dispensers, H&M apparel, LEGO building sets inspired by the film, Walmart and more.

Rovio is also giving more incentive to see the movie if you love the game. If you stick around for the end credits, then all you need to do is open the game and there will be a digital watermark that plays behind the end credits. This will unlock a whole new area of the game, plus an extra scene that can only be seen inside the game.

Review

Just like most Angry Birds games, Action is easy to understand with no surprises, which is one of the things I like about this franchise. Rovio makes it so simple a five-year-old could play it. The graphics are what you’ve come to expect from the developer.

Gameplay

There are two things I would like to address. First, you have three lives to play the game. You use one to go into each level. After you use one, it takes about 20 minutes to restore it. That’s fine, but they really should give you five lives; three seems too few. You can get more lives quicker by using your gems and that’s probably the point, but I think five is a fairer number.

The second issue deals with a couple of glitches that kept happening. You can be in the middle of a level and then it would kick you out of the game completely for no reason. You then would lose the life you used to enter the level, in addition to any progress you may have made.

There’s also another glitch that happened during gameplay. While playing, the character would freak out and never stop moving. Again, this causes you to leave the game and lose your life. The second glitch doesn’t happen as often, but the first one happens more than you would like.

Despite the issues, I think this game is a very fun take on the franchise. I’m sure it’s a matter of time before they work the bugs out. It keeps in the spirit of Angry Birds while still being a different game. In this writer’s opinion, it’s better than Rovio’s other attempts at expanding the franchise.

Conclusions

If you hate the Angry Birds franchise, then you’ll probably hate this game as well. But if you found the originals fun, then you should have no problem getting into it. When it comes down to it, Angry Birds is one of the original smartphone games, and they continue to make quality material. It’s the franchise that’s here to stay.

Download and install Angry Birds Action from the Google Play Store.

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The MPOW Cheetah are a worthy choice for Bluetooth earbuds (review + GIVEAWAY)

I previously sat down and reviewed the Spigen Bluetooth earbuds and really enjoyed the experience. MPOW are a direct competitor in the space and wanted me to give the Cheetah Bluetooth earbuds a shot to see what I thought. Spoiler: they’re pretty great.

Specs

• Nano-coating for water and sweat resistance
• AptX support
• Bluetooth 4.1
• 8-hour battery life
• Microphone for making and receiving calls

Build

Honestly, I was really surprised how well the MPOW Cheetah has held up. When you first pick it up out of the box, you notice how light it is and normally that means flimsy, but not in this case. MPOW is quick to point out that it used a titanium wire inside the body to keep it pretty light but dependable.

The earbuds are connected by the wire and while not in use fold up into a pretzel design for easy storage. While this is great for keeping them compact, a definite advantage of Spigen’s earbuds, it has its negatives. When you unfold them and put them in your ears, there is definitely pulling, and it frankly hurt my ears. I did get used to it over time, but the feeling wasn’t ideal.

As mentioned earlier, the MPOW Cheetahs are water and sweat resistant, but that’s only if you keep the flap shut over the micro USB charging port. It stays closed pretty well by itself, but I have noticed once or twice when I grab these that it’s popped open. I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but make sure you check them at the beginning of your workout.

I’ve kept these in my bag, which is my purely anecdotal torture test, for a couple weeks now and I’ve had no issues with them. The ear tips are attached very securely to the headset and haven’t even so much as moved since I’ve been using them. MPOW does include two other sets of tips if the stock ones don’t fit correctly, so be sure to test out the different ear-tips before you use them for the first time.

Sound

What’s the point in buying Bluetooth earbuds if they sound like crap, right? Well luckily, these are pretty good.

Music that emphasizes the highs and mids are going to sound best on the Cheetah, but the bass can be a bit lacking. There isn’t quite the punch I’ve heard in some of the better-sounding Bluetooth earbuds on the market, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever heard. Being middle of the road in this category is fine in my opinion given that you’re only paying $30.

At higher volumes the mids and highs are pleasant without being over-emphasized. No bleeding ears or shattered windows here. If you listen to a lot of spoken word (audiobooks) or acoustic music, I think you’re going to love these. Bass heavy music like dubstep or rap is going to be lacking a bit.

Controls

The earbuds have a total of two buttons and one charging port. One of the buttons is a volume rocker and the other is a call/answer button that acts as both the pairing and power button. Holding down the call button for about 10 seconds from an off state puts the earbuds into pairing mode. Holding it for only three or four seconds just turns them on.

Conclusion

I really do enjoy these Bluetooth earbuds. There are some setbacks like the pulling issue, but maybe I just have a big head (my friends say I definitely do!) and it won’t be an issue for most. The sound is perfectly reasonable for $30. Could you find a diamond in the rough that has better sound? Yeah, maybe, but these are right on par with everything else out there.

Where the MPOW Cheetah shines, though, is the construction materials. The ability to have it curl up so there are no tangles and the strong materials used are a winner in my book. These things will last forever if you take care of them.

You can pick up the MPOW Cheetah on Amazon.

Giveaway

If you’d like a chance to win a pair of these great Bluetooth earbuds, entering is simple! Just copy this and tweet it out:

I’m entered to win a @mpowfans #Cheetah from @AndroidGuys! #AGGiveaway

We’ll choose two winners on Friday!

GoEuro combines all your main European travel options in one app (review)

Traveling is fun. Planning your travels can be a real pain.

Here in the U.S., your main pain point in terms of options and scheduling is the airlines. In Europe, you can easily add trains and buses as equally viable and likely more cost-effective options. But, while they can save you money, they can also add an exponentially larger number of option and scheduling decisions for you.

Luckily, there’s an app that is attempting to streamline your transportation search through and across European countries: GoEuro. It’s a single-minded travel app, which you can download from the Play Store for free. If you’ve ever used Google Maps or another current navigation app, you will be very comfortable using GoEuro.

Upon downloading, you are presented with fields to input your source and destination locations, departure and return dates, and number of passengers. Upon filling these fields you hit the ‘search’ button, where you’re presented with the imminently available bus, train, and plane itineraries, with accompanying prices (in your choice of currency).

I can hear you asking: “What about Google Maps? Doesn’t it do the exact same thing?”

For the navigation, yes it does. I did a couple of test routes in both apps, and there wasn’t anything GoEuro does that good ol’ Google couldn’t do.

That’s where GoEuro goes one step beyond: booking your trip. Within the GoEuro app you can pre-load your country-centric discount cards and, using these (or not), physically book your trip right from the app. (OK, that’s not technically correct: upon booking the app will forward you to Raileasy, which is where your booking actually takes place). So, in a single app, you can research, select, and book your trip. Pretty cool.

As far as real-time (on-the-bus) navigation and tracking, well, the AndroidGuys editorial department repeatedly declined my travel advance to thoroughly test this out; so, I’m tabling this portion of the review until my corporate standing rises a few more notches. 🙂

What we like

• Modern, clean interface.
• Simple app navigation.

Could use improvement

• Smoother transition to the actual booking interface.
• A press kit, complete with complimentary trial European travel package.

Download and install GoEuro from the Google Play Store.

HEX TL: Studio quality Bluetooth speaker at a very affordable price (Review)

Straight-forward, No Frills

Shoppers looking for a solid performing Bluetooth speaker at a reasonable price should check out the Hex TL. It’s just a good ol’ speaker without the extra features that distract from its primary function: audio output. It doesn’t tell time. It doesn’t have an attached portable battery to take on-the- go. It doesn’t even come in different colors, only matte black (or at least that’s the inventory available on U.S. online retailer sites).

An 8-inch tall, 5-inch wide ovoid, oblong cylinder made of hard plastic, the Hex TL has honeycomb grills on the front and back, protecting a tweeter, full frequency driver, and rear bass resonator. Buttons at the top serve three main functions: power, volume, and Bluetooth pairing. There is an aux-in jack for a wired connection and a DC-in for charging the lithium ion battery.

Excellent Quality for the Price

An admitted hip-hop fan, I found the Hex TL hit my audio sweet spot. It’s no surprise since parent company Voxx created 808 Audio to target the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and hip-hop crowds who appreciate “studio quality sound” at an affordable price. Naturally, I put the Hex TL to the test with music by DJ Snake, Diplo, Skrillex, Timbaland, and Missy Elliot, along with my usual playlist that includes country, classical, pop, rock, and podcasts. I found the Hex TL handles the mids and lows well, with no bass distortion. The sound quality is surprisingly decent for a speaker priced at $79.

Sound projection is good, too. I didn’t need to turn the volume up very much to listen at a reasonable decibel level, which means it can really blast the music loud enough at a noisy indoor or outdoor party.

Notice I didn’t say pool party. The Hex TL isn’t waterproof so keep it away from places where it could get splashed by water.

I suppose the Hex TL could be used for conference calls but there isn’t a mic, which means it’s good for listening in on meetings, not for actively participating– not necessarily a bad thing if you’re a conference call lurker. When I did listen in on calls, the sound was clear.

Although the Hex TL is portable, it is on the heavier and bulkier side of the portable speaker spectrum. Similarly-sized to a hardback book and weighing close to 3 lbs, it’s not a speaker I would casually throw in a bag when heading to the beach. Plus, the front and rear grills aren’t going to offer much protection from the sand either.

In regards to Bluetooth pairing, I had no problem connecting to any of my devices, phone, tablet, or laptop. Once paired, the Hex TL proved it could play for a long time between charging. I estimate it easily lasted about 8-10 hours on one charge.

Summary

The Hex TL is a quality Bluetooth portable speaker for under $100. It’s perfect for hip-hop and EMD fans and also for anyone who loves listening to music in general. Since it’s almost June, I think it would make a nice gift for a graduate or your father—or grandfather—on Father’s Day to enjoy for the summer.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 8.0”H x 5.4”W x 2.8”D
• Weight: 2.65 lbs
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery with playtime up to 10 hours
• Includes aux-in cable and AC power adapter
• Full frequency driver, tweeter, and bass resonator
• Warranty: 12 months

Get the 808 Audio Hex TL speaker at:

• http://www.808audio.com
• Amazon for $79.99

TYLT ENERGI Charging Station review: Clean up your cords with style

These days, it’s typical that a household has a slew of mobile devices. So we can easily get to the point where power outlets get hogged and charging cables run amok. This is when it becomes smart to get a charging station.

Fortunately, one of our favorite brands, TYLT, has just dropped one into its lineup. Let’s see if the ENERGI Charging Station continues TYLT’s solid quality, and if it’s the solution to your mess of cords.

Design

If you’ve had the pleasure to use a TYLT device before, you’ll know that the manufacturer builds accessories with a mix of effortless design and high quality. The ENERGI Charging Station is no exception.

TYLT’s use of a sturdy matte plastic persists. Not that you’ll be carrying around a charging station, but for what it’s worth, the material’s smooth finish feels great to the touch. The unit’s white base is wrapped with a blue/grey layer. It looks nice, but more importantly, this design gives the user slots in which to route the cables.

The charging station provides a total of five USB power outlets. One of those has a neat feature – a removable battery pack (3,200 mAh) to take with you on-the-go.

This was a considerate addition and gives the charging station more value. It’s easy to use; just press the button to the right of the battery to eject it. It will charge when installed, and four LED indicators tell you how much charge it has.

The back of the charging station just has the power socket.

It of course draws power from a wall outlet. The benefit of a device like this is that you’ll only utilize a single outlet to power five devices.

Underneath, there are two rubber linings to keep the unit from sliding around.

Functionality

There isn’t a whole lot to say about a charger. It either works or it doesn’t. However, nowadays, there is a particular with mobile devices to comes into question – Quick/Fast Charging. Many of us are now used to our battery percentages climbing up quickly, and it’s annoying when we have to go back to yesteryear’s charging rates.

The ENERGI Charging Station doesn’t have the 3A output to achieve faster charging, but it meets us in the middle. The ports output a max of 2.4A (with the exception of the 1A removable power bank), which is at least faster than the original charging rate. Additionally, it uses a SmartDetect technology that automatically determines the max power that the device(s) can handle. So at least it’s efficient.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a quality charging station, then look no further. As always, TYLT does great job bringing ease and quality to yet another accessory offering. We’ll only say, if you’re in a low-battery bind, you’ll still want to keep that stock Quick/Fast charger handy.

The ENERGI Charging Station retails for $79, so it’s not the cheapest option on the block either.