Amazon’s Android appstore loses one of its best features
Free. It’s a price we love. Ironically, free usually comes at a price. Today, that price, is the loss of Amazon’s try-before-you-buy TestDrive service for Android apps. It turns out, with more and more apps being free (at least to download), there was less demand for a service that let you test ‘em out in the browser/virtual machine. Makes sense. Accordingly, Amazon has pulled the TestDrive feature from the appstore — this has no effect on any apps that used it, just the feature is gone. The downside being there’s no longer a way to (easily) check out apps that don’t use the free-to-play/freemium model on Amazon’s store any more. But, coming full circle… that’s the price you pay for having more free apps, right?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Amazon
Source: Android Police
Amazon kills off its Test Drive service, announces it the day after the fact
Amazon’s Appstore has been around a while now, providing a viable alternative to Google’s Play Store, as well as a couple of quirky features. One of which was the ability to try out apps in your browser before making the decision to install it on your device. That feature was called Test Drive, and according to Amazon’s announcement, it has been swiftly pulled from service as of April 15th.
Amazon has said that although 16,000 apps had been launched via the Test Drive service, there has been a significant decline in customers in recent times. This has been attributed to the increase in popularity of free-to-play business models with In-App-Purchase options. Although the Test Drive service is discontinued, apps that have used the service will still be available, although the Test Drive function has been removed. You may have noticed that Amazon gave zero notice that it was planning on killing off the Test Drive function, basically announcing it a day after they’d already removed it from service. Did you ever use the test Drive service? If so, will you miss it?
Source: Amazon
Come comment on this article: Amazon kills off its Test Drive service, announces it the day after the fact
Amazon Game Studios spooks gamers as ‘Lost Within’ arrives in its Appstore
What happens when Amazon Game Studios works on a project with Human Head Studios? The new horror survival game Lost Within. The two worked on the game set inside an abandoned asylum that just so happens to be occupied by the Inhabitants, a group tortured and left behind only for players to fight and escape from. Players must navigate through the asylum and collect materials for weapons and health. Lost Within is a first-person game and that means players can expect a truly immersive experience that may or may not keep them up at night.
Hit the break for the launch trailer.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Lost Within is priced at $6.99. While that is a bit higher than other games, the trailer shows that Amazon Game Studios has nailed it in the quality department. The $7 seems worth it.
[Lost Within – Amazon Appstore]
Come comment on this article: Amazon Game Studios spooks gamers as ‘Lost Within’ arrives in its Appstore
Amazon launches Lost Within – a new horror survival game for Fire tablets
If you’re a fan of really scary mobile games and own a Fire Phone or tablet, Amazon may have something that will get your adrenaline pumping. Lost Within, a new game out of Amazon Game Studios, has just launched in the Amazon Appstore. It’s a creepy survival game that puts you in the middle of an abandoned insane asylum, and your goal is to get out alive.
Weatherby Asylum is where all of this scariness goes down, and it’s now overtaken by monstrous Inhabitants. You can choose to go through the game by sneaking around, running away or fighting. If you choose to fight, you’ll need to create makeshift weapons out of materials lying around to thwart off the baddies. Any way you choose to play the game, it’s bound to give you a fright or two.
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Here’s a bit more on the game’s storyline:
The building itself seems to be trying to tell you something. Strange visions of the past reveal buried secrets— terrors that are now coming alive all around you. To get out, you must solve a series of dark mysteries and discover the shattering secret that led to the asylum’s condemnation. But the legendary serial killer who is rumored to inhabit the asylum is no myth … and he knows you are here. His howls of rage seem to shake the very walls. You must escape, but be careful. Though there are many doors, there is only one way out.
Unfortunately, the game is currently only available on the Fire Phone, Fire tablets (2013 and newer) and iOS devices. We’re really hoping Amazon will soon open up compatibility to all Android devices, but for now, it’s unavailable if you don’t own one of those compatible devices. Lost Within can be yours for $6.99 from Amazon.
Amazon offering 26 paid apps and games for free today (April 16)
Amazon is at it again, offering up a handful of normally paid apps and games for free today. This time around we find them giving away 26 titles worth more than $100 in overall value. Among those listed in the bundle are Plants vs. Zombies, Runtastic PRO, Amazing Alex Premium, Prince of Persia Classic, and Pudding Monsters HD. The best part is that you can pick and choose which ones you want; it’s not required that you install all of them.
The post Amazon offering 26 paid apps and games for free today (April 16) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Amazon is giving away $105 worth of games and apps via the Appstore
There’s no such thing as having too many apps on your smartphone, am I right? And sure, while you’ll always have your favourite apps, there’s so many others to try out, perhaps you are bored of your current game or you are looking at trying our a new fitness tracker. Whatever your needs, Amazon have probably got you covered with its latest collection of free apps worth a combined $105.
The free apps cover a variety of different categories ranging from games, fitness trackers and technical search engines to flight trackers and dictionaries among others. The list of free apps are:
- Plants vs. Zombies
- WolframAlpha
- Table Top Racing
- Runtastic PRO GPS
- MeteoEarth
- Songsterr Guitar Tabs
- Adventure Time Wizard
- Amazing Alex Premium
- Osmos HD
- Virtua Tennis Challenge
- Flightradar 24 Pro – Kindle Edition
- CityMaps2Go Pro
- Pudding Monsters HD
- F18 Carrier Landing II Pro
- Splashtop Whiteboard
- Unmechanical
- Prince of Persia Classic
- LectureNotes
- A Better Camera Unlocked
- RDP Pro Client: aRDP
- Mobile Doc Scanner
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary
- TouchDraw
- Fun English Course
- Chess and Mate – Premium
The good news is that the free apps are available for both the US and the UK.
Come comment on this article: Amazon is giving away $105 worth of games and apps via the Appstore
Amazon is offering apps and games worth $105 for free today
Amazon seems to think you shouldn’t be spending money on Android apps and games – why else would the retail giant regularly offer apps and games worth north of 100 bucks for free?
Yes, Amazon has another Free Apps of the Day bundle and this one sees 24 titles worth a total of $105 discounted to zero. As in most cases, today’s bundle is a mix of games, productivity, and utility apps, with highlights including Virtua Tennis Challenge, Osmos HD, Runtastic PRO, Prince of Persia Classic, or Splashtop Whiteboard.
Here’s the full list:
- Wolfram|Alpha
- Adventure Time Game Wizard
- Table Top Racing
- Runtastic PRO
- F18 Carrier Landing II Pro
- Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords
- Flightradar24 Pro – Kindle Edition
- MeteoEarth
- Virtua Tennis Challenge
- Amazing Alex Premium
- Unmechanical
- Pudding Monsters HD
- Prince of Persia Classic
- Osmos HD
- CityMaps2Go Pro
- LectureNotes
- A Better Camera Unlocked
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary
- RDP Pro Client: aRDP
- TouchDraw
- Mobile Doc Scanner (MDScan)
- Fun English Course
- Splashtop Whiteboard
- Chess and Mate – Premium
Head over the bundle page to get your free apps and games filling and let us know if you picked anything up. The deal is valid today only.
Amazon is offering apps and games worth $105 for free today
Amazon seems to think you shouldn’t be spending money on Android apps and games – why else would the retail giant regularly offer apps and games worth north of 100 bucks for free?
Yes, Amazon has another Free Apps of the Day bundle and this one sees 24 titles worth a total of $105 discounted to zero. As in most cases, today’s bundle is a mix of games, productivity, and utility apps, with highlights including Virtua Tennis Challenge, Osmos HD, Runtastic PRO, Prince of Persia Classic, or Splashtop Whiteboard.
Here’s the full list:
- Wolfram|Alpha
- Adventure Time Game Wizard
- Table Top Racing
- Runtastic PRO
- F18 Carrier Landing II Pro
- Songsterr Guitar Tabs & Chords
- Flightradar24 Pro – Kindle Edition
- MeteoEarth
- Virtua Tennis Challenge
- Amazing Alex Premium
- Unmechanical
- Pudding Monsters HD
- Prince of Persia Classic
- Osmos HD
- CityMaps2Go Pro
- LectureNotes
- A Better Camera Unlocked
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary
- RDP Pro Client: aRDP
- TouchDraw
- Mobile Doc Scanner (MDScan)
- Fun English Course
- Splashtop Whiteboard
- Chess and Mate – Premium
Head over the bundle page to get your free apps and games filling and let us know if you picked anything up. The deal is valid today only.
Amazon Fire Phone $189 with 1 year of Prime starting now
Amazon Fire Phone
You might have heard about the Amazon Fire Phone which debuted are this time last year (if you didn’t, we don’t blame you). It was a mid range device that ran Amazons Fire OS, had a quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 13 MP camera and some Amazon exclusive features such as Firefly, Mayday, Dynamic Perspective. The device was supposed to help propel Amazon into the smartphone industry but unfortunately the Amazon Fire Phone sold very poorly due to its lackluster specs and features. Nonetheless, if you are in the market for a cheap phone without a contract, the Amazon Fire Phone is now going for only $189 with a 1 year subscription to Amazon Prime.
This is a great deal if you wish to have a spare phone around, or had been meaning to renew your Amazon Prime subscription but had been putting it off. Now you can do so and get a smartphone while doing so (albeit you will have to pay a bit more..) Anyway, if you wish to take advantage of the reduced price, you can head over to Amazon using the link provided below.
Source: Amazon
The post Amazon Fire Phone $189 with 1 year of Prime starting now appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Watch the entire first season of Orphan Black on Amazon for free April 17th
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It would appear that Amazon is looking to wrangle in some new Prime customers with a new promotion that is set to take place all day Friday, April 17th. Under normal circumstances you ned to have a Prime account to watch Prime Instant Videos or purchase them separately. However, Amazon is attempting to lure you in to the service with all of season one of Orphan Black, which is 10 episodes, of the show without Prime. It is a very limited offer, but a person could feasibly get through the whole season in one day.
“Orphan Black has been extremely popular with Prime members since the series became available exclusively in Prime Instant Video–that’s why we’re excited to make season one available to all customers for free, for a day,” said Michael Paull, Vice President of Digital Video at Amazon. “We saw an incredible response when we made our Golden Globe-winning original series Transparent available to everyone, so we’re giving customers an opportunity to try out another great series that Prime members already love.”
The show is a pretty great story of a street smart girl named Sarah who witnessed a suicide of a girl that looked just like her. Thinking the best course of action was to steal her identity and drain her bank account, she quickly found out she had inserted herself into a deadly conspiracy. Now she has to stay alive, keep others alive and battle a mega corporation. It really is a pretty good show.
Anyone with a Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire Tablet or Fire Phone will have access pretty easily. Everyone else will need to grab the Amazon Prime Instant Video app or log on to Amazon.com/PIV to catch all of season one.
Source: Amazon | Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
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