Enjoy some classic art on your lock screen with Muse Art Lock Screen

Art has always held a spot close to the hearts of human beings. We’ve been painting scenes to describe life since before we could write words and there have been some truly prolific artists over the years. Even if it’s not as popular a medium as it once was, almost anyone can appreciate art and with Muse Art Lock Screen, you can view it on your lock screen. Let’s take a closer look.

Functionality

What Muse Art Lock Screen actually do? As the name implies, this is a lock screen replacement application that aims to replace your current lock screen with a random piece of artwork. It’s really very simple to use. You download the application, open it, and then it will replace your lock screen. You then go into the settings, disable the stock lock screen, and from that point forward, you’ll be greeted by a piece of art every time you turn on your device.

The app allows for light customization. You can browse art by the publication it was published in, the museum its held in, in art collections, or by the artists themselves. From there you can find the art that you like. Once you do, you can give it a favorite. Muse Art Lock Screen will use art that you’ve favorited to try to show more art that you would like based on the art you’ve viewed and favorited. All art that gets favorited also shows up in My Gallery so you can view them whenever you want.

On top of all of that, the app will also let you check out various art blogs and sites including the Huffington Post art section, The New York Times, and other prominent sites. It’s hidden a little bit inside of the app and you’ll have to browse to find that sort of stuff but it is there.

That’s really it. Muse Art is a very simple application with a lot of content. You just set it up then you can browse art or just wait for it to appear on your lock screen. There isn’t much else to it!

The Good

Here’s what we liked about Muse Art Lock Screen:

• It’s very simple. No ridiculous set ups or anything. You download it, enable it, and it goes.
• There is a lot of content. Currently over 100,000 pieces of art that you can browse through.
• You can find additional information about each painting by swiping your finger to the left. This lets you see additional details about the artist and the artwork.
• You can pseudo-customize the kind of art you get by browsing through the collections and finding your favorites. This helps the app choose art that is better suited to your tastes.
• It’s free with no in-app purchases.
• You can sign up for a Muse Art account if you want to or not. The app works either way.
• The developers do a fairly good job of listening to customers. For instance, a recent update removed nudist art from the lock screen portion of the app after users complained about it.

The Bad

And here’s what wasn’t so great:

• Organization could have been a little better. If you’re browsing artists, you can search but there’s no easy way to just browse artists whose names begin with M without scrolling all the way down to M yourself.
• The app will occasionally show you the same piece of art multiple times. This only seems to happen if you only have a few pieces of art favorited and you don’t have an account logged in.
• This is both a pro and a con. Muse Art itself does not have any security settings. However, it does allow for the stock Android lock screen to remain enabled in case you need it for security purposes. It’s a bit annoying going through two lock screens but if you use an actual lock on your lock screen, you’ll have to get used to using both this and the stock Android lock screen.

Wrap up

Overall, this is a fairly simple and easy lock screen. It has a lot of art and it shows right up on your lock screen. The app itself is a bit of an after thought but still a fun place to browse around and check out artists and build your collection of favorites. Obviously, for maximum enjoyment, you’ll probably want to disable the stock lock screen unless you use it for security. In our testing, both configurations worked very well and we have no complaints about the basic functionality of the app.

It’s free with no in-app purchases so there’s no real reason not to try it out. If you’re interested, check out the button below!

Google now allows pre-registration of Android apps

Head to the Google Play store today and you’ll find that you can now pre-register for apps before they are released. Specifically, you can pre-register for the Glu Mobile game for Terminator Genisys: Revolution.

With no expected launch date listed we would assume the game debuts within a short window of time centered around the film’s premier date (July 1). Simply tap or click the button that says “pre-register” and you’ll be added to a list of people who want to be notified of the app’s release.

It’s worth noting that the expected price is not listed with the game. Should you decide that you ultimately don’t care to be notified, you can cancel the request at any time.

We like the idea of pre-registering for games and are anxious to learn more about the new feature. As consider the possibilities we have a new number questions, too.

We suspect that we’ll learn plenty more about pre-registration of apps and games in the coming days and weeks. If not a blog post or mention on Google+ perhaps something at Google I/O later this month.

Google Play Store

The post Google now allows pre-registration of Android apps appeared first on AndroidGuys.

NYTimes has revamped their app and here’s our review!

One of the hallmark struggles of print journalism over the last several years has been converting their operations to the Internet with websites and applications. The New York Times is among the few that have managed to make the journey successfully. Now, they’re re-releasing a totally revamped Android app and we’re going to take a look at it.

What’s new?

Perhaps the most prominent change in the NYTImes app is the user interface. They have abandoned their prior design almost entirely in favor of a much newer, far fresher interface that contains heaps of Android Holo with a pinch of Material Design thrown in for good measure. We can’t emphasize enough how quick and smooth the new interface is and it’s clear without resignation that a lot of work went into it.

Upon starting the app, you’ll see categories lined up across the top of the screen. You can swipe left and right between them to browse the various sections of the NYTimes. In the overflow (3-dot) menu in the top right, you can customize which categories you see across the top of the screen. In the hamburger menu on the top left, you’ll also see your 10 favorite categories along with a list of all categories and NYTimes properties that you can engage with.

This new swiping functionality is consistently present across practically all screens. You can easily swipe to the next article (or back to the old one) and some articles even have a comment section that you can swipe around as well. At any point you can open the left menu by swiping in from the left side of your screen. There are also dedicated phone and tablet interfaces so you can enjoy content no matter the size of the screen.

It is also worth mentioning that the articles themselves now follow a singular format with richer media than before and that makes them more enjoyable.

Functionality

The UI definitely takes center stage but the app does contain a number of other useful features. In the Settings menu, you can control things like notifications, categories, and your account settings if you decide to sign up for a NYTimes subscription. You can use the app for free although you are limited to 10 articles per month whereas subscribers generally get full access.

You can expect two kinds of notifications from this app. One is a breaking news notification that will pop up whenever big news is happening. During my testing, I received one when the NFL draft started and a few others. The second type of notification is called The Morning Brief that occurs every morning. This serves up the important news from overnight to get you caught up quickly.

There are two kinds of widgets you can use as well. The first is a fairly standard widget that shows you the latest headlines. You can scroll through the widget and tap on stories to launch the app and read them. The second is a brand new widget that shows interesting photographs from the day. Tapping on the photographs will launch the relevant article.

In addition, you also have a Twilight Mode to darken the screen for easier reading, the ability to switch between the U.S. and International editions of the NYTimes, and multiple links to send feedback about the app if you have comments, complaints, or suggestions.

The good

Here’s what we liked about the new NYTimes app:

• The new interface is simply stunning. We’ve seen few news apps embrace the Android design language and fewer still who have done it as well as the NYTimes has here. We especially enjoyed the consistent swipe controls on the main interface and articles as well as the grid layout on tablets.
• It is one of the best performing Android news apps that we’ve ever used. Articles load quickly (Internet connection permitting). Swiping between categories and articles has a satisfying smoothness that just screams high class when combined with the simplistic elegance of the new interface.
• The notifications are consistent enough to be useful but not so consistent that it becomes an annoyance. The Morning Brief is an excellent way to get caught up on what’s going on and we liked that both types of notifications can be configured in the Settings.
• You have the ability to save articles and read them across multiple devices (subscription permitting). This means you can start reading a story on your phone and continue reading it on your tablet or computer later or vice versa.
• The widgets included are simple but effective. They can be re-sized to an extent to fit your home screen needs.
• We’d like to talk for a moment about the subscriptions. The NYTimes offers more than a half a dozen subscription options and three of them are for their online content. Subscriptions are generally an all-or-nothing proposition and we appreciate the ability to go with a cheaper or more specialized options. For instance, if you don’t own a tablet, you can get a smartphone-only subscription.

The not so good

Here’s what wasn’t so great about the NYTimes app:

• The app is a total refresh. That means many features from the old app are now gone. This has irked some folks but the developers have been attentive in fixing issues and taking suggestions to re-integrate popular old features. You can expect the app to change a great deal over the coming months.
• When scrolling through the photo widget, we noticed that there were only about a half a dozen photos. We would’ve liked to have seen more photos. It does auto-update over the course of the day so this really is just a minor nitpick.

Wrap up

The NYTimes app developers clearly wanted to go in a new direction and they succeeded in their endeavor entirely. The emphasis on quick loading and buttery smooth performance meshes well with the high standards of the publication’s content and the two combined create one of the greatest news reading experiences available on Android today. That said, the app is in its infancy and we expect more features to be rolled out over time to make up for all the features lost in the transition.

Overall, it’s a fantastic application. You can read articles and test the app for free before committing to a subscription so there’s no actual harm in trying it out for yourself. Just click the button below to get started. Don’t forget to check out the gallery below!

7 best Android apps to transfer files from Android to PC and other ways too!

One of the more common things people need to do is transfer files from their mobile device or tablet to their desktop. Sometimes it’s a photo, sometimes it’s a song, and many other times it’s some sort of document, presentation, or other file that needs transferred. There are actually quite a few ways to transfer files from Android to PC (and back again) and we’ll take a look at them here.

AirDroid

[Price: Free]
AirDroid is one of the most popular ways to access your Android device from your PC. With it you can do things like send/receive SMS messages, see notifications, and they’re currently testing out ways to control Android and use apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, etc but that feature requires root. There are also plenty of other features. Of course, you can also send files to your PC from Android and vice versa and you don’t have to connect your device to any specific network to do it. It’s a great way to put your Android device on your computer.

Cloud Storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box.com, etc)

[Price: Varies]
One of the most popular ways to deal with files is to put them in cloud storage. Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box.com, and many other cloud storage companies let you sync your device to the cloud and also have integration with PC. Thus, you can send files to the cloud then access them in your web browser or download them to your PC for later use. Then you can upload stuff to your cloud storage from your PC and access them on your Android device. Cloud storage is a lot better than it used to be and it still has a way to go, but it works for this purpose quite well.

ES File Explorer

[Price: Free]
ES File Explorer is one of the best file managers for Android and along with its great set of features is the ability to interact with other devices on a network. For instance, you can connect your Android device to the same router your computer is on and then ES can see that computer (based on that computer’s privacy settings) and send files directly to the PC over the WiFi network. This is great for people who want to kill two birds with one stone in both a transfer app and a file manager and ES makes it fairly easy. There are other file browsers that allow for this as well so if ES isn’t doing it for, don’t be afraid to look around!

Mobizen

[Price: Free]
Mobizen is an app that doesn’t get a lot of press but works fairly well. Like AirDroid, you can connect your PC to your Android device and vice versa using Mobizen and that means you can do stuff like drag-and-drop file transfers, see your notifications, and do some other interesting stuff. It boasts being able to mirror Android to your PC for screen recording but that functionality is a bit limited. It’s great for presentations but not so great for long form recording. In any case, Mobizen is another solid option and it’s worth a shot.

Pushbullet

[Price: Free]
In the space of apps that connect PCs to Android devices, Pushbullet is right up there with AirDroid as one that is considered “among the best”. It does the SMS send/receive from PC along with stuff like copying a link from Android and pasting it on PC, check notifications, and file transfers. Like AirDroid, your device connects to your PC regardless of what data network its on so you can transfer files and check messages from anywhere which is nice and the developers have been working hard to create a clean cut and efficient interface as well. There’s also a Chrome extension for those who want that.

SuperBeam

[Price: Free / $0.99]
SuperBeam is a simple application that connects your devices directly over WiFi. To use it, both your Android device and PC will have to be on the same WiFi network but otherwise it works very well. SuperBeam has a clean interface that helps make it easy to use which we appreciate. You can also connect devices using NFC or QR code scanning if need be. It also keeps track of all file transfers so you can see the logs if needed and you get even more features if you buy the pro version.

Sync by BitTorrent

[Price: Free]
Sync by BitTorrent is an application that those with security concerns should definitely read more about. Sync allows you to pair your device with a computer without using the cloud or anything like that so you can transfer files between your devices securely. The app lets you view various folders and files that you pre-determine so it actually does work a bit like cloud storage but it’s as if your device is the cloud storage server. It’s simple to use and also totally free.

Non-app ways to transfer files

If apps aren’t your deal, there are still some other ways to transfer files from your PC to Android and vice versa.

• Use Bluetooth – If your laptop has a Bluetooth module or if you have a Bluetooth dongle for your desktop or laptop, you can pair your device with your computer using Bluetooth and send files that way. Do be warned, the transfer rates are very slow and you’ll probably only want to do this with small text files, pictures, or documents. You probably don’t want to use this for stuff like large videos or lots of files at once.
• USB On-The-Go – USB OTG cables allow you to connect your device to USB devices such as mice, keyboards, and external hard drives. That also includes flash drives. You can use the cable to transfer documents to your flash drive or external hard drive or off of those things on to your Android device. They’re also relatively cheap on sites like Amazon and eBay.
• Share to email – This only works with small files like photos or documents, but you can send most types of files over email. There is a size limit for most services (usually around 20MB), but that’s more than enough for something like a simple PDF file, a document, or even some music files. It’s not optimal but it’s easy and everyone has email.

Wrap up

If we missed any great apps or other ways to transfer files from Android to PC (and back again), let us know in the comments!

To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!

Get a closer look at your network speed with nPerf Speed Test

There are only a few big names when it comes to Internet speed tests. Speedtest.net, for instance, is a name many people know and trust. However, there is another speed test app that you should know about called nPerf Speed Test and we’re going to take a look at it right now.

Functionality

nPerf Speed Test tests not one, but three different metrics. It’ll test your Internet speed including upload, download, and ping. It can also test your browsing performance by opening a slew of websites and seeing how long each one takes. It’ll conclude the test with a YouTube streaming test that streams video at 260p, 360p, and 720p to see how long it takes to load, how much data is used, and buffer time if there is any. This far more testing than your traditional speed test and it makes nPerf feel like a real all-in-one kind of test.

Once the app has completed its workout, you’ll see the total results of the test along with an aggregate score. Your score can be compared to other ISPs and shared with others if you wish. The app is able to discern what kind of connection you have (3G, 4G, WiFi). On the History page in the app, you can also see and keep track of where you did you speed tests on a map so you can compare speeds based on your location.

In the Settings, you can tweak your experience to a degree. You can set things like your network type, bitrate units, default test, language, background style, and whether or not to record your GPS location. There is also an option to set a warning to let you know you’re about to reach your data plan limits (if you have limits). The developers also claim to use less than half of the data for their tests that other test apps use.

Design

nPerf’s UI is fairly straightforward. The interface is simple to understand with Holo-style hamburger menus so navigation is simple and reasonably predictable. It is very simple to use. You select your test type and hit the go button. Then you sit around and wait.

The design itself is colorful and enjoyable. The buttons are large and easy to see and nPerf manages to look good without overdoing it. Animations were fluid in our testing although we’re sure you’ll see some stutter on older devices.

The Good

Here’s what we liked about nPerf Speed Test:

• Doesn’t just measure speed like most competitors. It also measures streaming performance and website loading performance as well. The app also measures averages along with maximums for more metrics than most competitors.
• It’s very simple to use. You can run a full test as soon as you open the app or choose an individual test in the hamburger menu by tapping in the top left corner.
• The ability to map where you do your speed tests, review testing history, and compare to other ISPs and phone services are pleasant extra features for those who are seriously into network testing.
• The design is very clean.
• Contributing your speed test data to nPerf also helps them compile information like this from France where they can put together graphs and charts about what carriers do the best.
• According to nPerf developers, their official website will soon host coverage maps and network data performance.
• nPerf uses dedicated and optimized servers for a more accurate speed test.

The Bad

Here’s what we didn’t like so much:

• nPerf has a function to warn you when you’re about to reach your data plan limits. For instance, if you have a 1GB plan, you can have it warn you when you’ve used 800MB. Android has this functionality built right into the OS so we didn’t see a real need for this feature. It’s not bad, just redundant.
• Like most benchmarks, you probably won’t be using an app like this every day.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this is a very solid Internet benchmark app. The various levels of testing give it more of a real-world feel and the design is simple enough for anyone to use. It has a few features that aren’t really needed or necessary, but they can be easily turned off if you don’t want them. If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, click the button below!

7 best Android apps for screen recording and other ways too!

One of our more frequent requests from readers is to tell them how to record your screen on Android. The functionality has been around for quite some time but usually requires some tinkering and adjustment to get it. In Android Lollipop, they have a screen recording method building into the OS and that’s how most people do it these days. Let’s take a look at a few Android apps and some other methods to get you screen recording.

Android apps that work on Lollipop and later

AZ Screen Recorder (no root required)

[Price: Free with in app purchases]
First up is AZ Screen Recorder and this is one of the many screen recording apps that were designed to work specifically on Lollipop. Some of the features include the Magic Button feature to control recordings without showing anything on the screen, the ability to capture your front camera as well as screen recording, and some cursory stuff like countdown timers and video trimming. It’s free to use with some in-app purchases if you’re interested.

ilos screen recorder (no root required)

[Price: Free]
ilos screen recorder is a totally free option when it comes to screen recording on Lollipop. It’s a very simple app that doesn’t have a lot of bells or whistles but it does record audio and it should work on all devices running Android 5.0 and higher. They also tout no advertising, no watermarks, and no time limits. The company also has an interesting web recorder on their official website that will record stuff from your computer if you need that functionality.

One Shot Screen Recorder (no root required)

[Price: Free / $0.99]
One Shot Screen Recorder tries to keep the process of screen recording simple. It puts the whole process into four easy steps for your convenience and that’s really all you need. The process aims to keep it easy to use over other options and it does fairly well at it. The free version is a trial that puts a watermark on your videos with the premium version removing the watermark, adds the ability to impose your own logo, hide the notification icon, remove ads, and more.

Telecine (no root required)

[Price: Free]
Telecine is the highest rated app on the list with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Google Play. It puts an overlay on your device so you know you’re recording and boasts that it doesn’t clog up your notification with various things you’d typically see with screen recording apps. It’s also totally free and has no watermarks. It’s also open source so developers can submit fixes and patches all on their own or build their own app based on this one.

Unlimited Screen Recorder Free (no root required)

[Price: Free]
Unlimited Screen Recorder is our last Lollipop-centric screen recording app. It’s another totally free option that has no watermarks, unlimited video recording, and more features. It features a simple, one-touch interface and records both video and audio. There are also some advanced settings for experienced users.

Android apps that work before Lollipop

Mobizen (no root required)

[Price: Free]
Mobizen is an option that lets you do all kinds of stuff including sending SMS from your desktop, transfer files to PC, and stream video directly to your computer screen. You can also record the screen and this is one of the very few ways you can record using an Android app before Lollipop without root. Unfortunately, the screen recording isn’t great and there will likely be jumps, skips, and frame rate drops. It’s not perfect but it is there and it’s free.

SCR Screen Recorder (root required)

[Price: Free / $4.99]
SCR Screen Recorder is pretty much the best way to record footage of your Android device before Android Lollipop. Unfortunately, root is required for this one since this functionality isn’t available to non-root devices. It records audio, allows you to put your front facing camera footage on the screen recording, and much more. The app is still in active development so new features are being tested all the time and it’s about the best way to do this before Android 5.0.

Other methods

There are other ways to record your screen on Android and that is by using hardware. There are two main ways to do so using hardware:

• If you’re on a device with Android Lollipop (or higher), you can use ADB to record your screen. We have a great tutorial you can read to learn how and you can find it by clicking here.
• Professionals use a capture card to hook their Android device right into their computer and record it from there. Capture cards can get rather expensive but you’ll get probably the best frame rates and quality. Plus it records directly to your computer hard drive which allows for much larger recordings. Do note that you’ll have work around some potential HDCP problems so get the ole search engine up and running.

Wrap up

If we missed any great screen recording apps or methods, let us know in the comments!

To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!