[Deal] Pay what you want to learn everything about Android development
Usually the deals here at AndroidGuys are either a set price, or they are a giveaway. There are some deals however, that fall in that “in between” margin. This is where The Android Coding Expert’s Bundle sits. You’ve probably heard about the likes of the Humble Bundle. In case you haven’t, it’s a bundle of games and apps where Indie developers are looking to get their apps noticed. So in order to bring everyone to their apps, you essentially set your price for the bundle apps.
Pay What You Want isn’t a new concept, but it’s one that is great no matter where you go. Of course there’s a minimum, so you can’t just pay a couple pennies, and get all the goodies. But the “Pay What You Want” price is so good that you can’t miss out on the deal. The case is the same for today’s deal.
- Master Marshmallow App Development Using Java
- Java Programming for Beginners
- Java Essentials for Android
- Build Android Apps with the Marshmallow Studio Course
- Learn to Reskin Android Apps for Fun & Profit
As of the writing of this post, you can get five different courses, all which teach you different aspects of Android development, for only $4.82. That’s an insane price for what you get, and when you consider that all five courses cost about $500 when sold outside of this deal, that’s an astronomical amount of money you’ll be saving.
Additionally, there have been over 1000 bundles sold, and for an average price of less than $5, why not give it a shot? Even if you get started, and decide this isn’t for you, you’ll only have spent less than a cup of Starbucks, so….what are you waiting for? Over 75 hours of interactive training for only $5 is a deal that just can’t be passed up.
Drop us a line below and let us know what you think about this great deal, and whether you signed up for it or not. You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
AndroidGuys Deals: Pay What You Want: The Android Expert’s Coding Bundle
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10 best note taking apps for Android
One of the many great things about having a smartphone is the ability to take notes. Gone are the days where inspirations were lost because you couldn’t find a notebook and you now carry your grocery list in your pocket all day, every day. Of course, you’ll want the right app for that job so lets take a look at the best note taking apps for Android!
ColorNote
[Price: Free]
First on our list is ColorNotes. This is a simple note taking application that allows you to create text notes, lists, and more. Its namesake feature is the ability to change the background color of notes to help you stay organized, a feature it had long before Google Keep came out. Some other features include calendar support, backup support to both internal and cloud storage, some task reminder features, and more. Best of all, it’s completely free.
Get it now on Google Play!
Evernote
[Price: Free / optional subscription]
Evernote is pretty much the upper tier when it comes to note taking apps. It is loaded with features of all kinds, including various note types, notebook support, organizational features, collaboration features, note sharing, and, of course, cross-platform support. If you get the optional subscription, you’ll get more storage space, offline access, PDF annotation, and more. It’s powerful and it’s definitely worth a shot if you need something a little more than just a basic note app.
Get it now on Google Play!
Fast Notepad
[Price: Free]
Fast Notepad is a relatively newer option in the note taking space and it’s already getting some seriously positive reviews. This Material Design-inspired application is just a quick note taking app. There are no extra features, no ads, and nothing to bloat the app whatsoever. It works very quickly and well enough for what it’s designed to do. It’s a great option for people who just need something simple and quick. Of course, the caveat is that to maintain quickness, the app does lack some features.
Get it now on Google Play!
FiiNote
[Price: Free]
FiiNote is from the same developers who did FreeNote which used to be on this list many years ago. FiiNote is a fun little note taking application that provides a more authentic experience. It comes with a grid background along with stylus/drawing support so you can type notes, write them, or draw them if you want. You can also add images, video, and voice if you want to. It’s free to use and comes with a decent set of features for those looking for a hybrid note taking experience.
Get it now on Google Play!
Google Keep
[Price: Free]
Google’s note taking app is called Google Keep and it’s one that you’ll hear a lot of people recommend. It uses a very colorful, Material Design-inspired interface that both looks great and is highly functional. Notes show up as cards that you can quickly scroll through and select. The app is integrated with Google Drive, allows for voice and photo to be added to notes, and you can even share notes and set reminders. It’s a good note taking app that has just enough features to be super useful but not so many that it’s bloated.
Get it now on Google Play!
LectureNotes
[Price: Free demo / $3.59]
LectureNotes is a popular, highly rated, and powerful note taking application. This one isn’t so much geared toward general note taking as it is geared toward things like academia and professional use. It was one of the earliest apps to include stylus support and remains one of the best ones to have this today. It has support for OneNote and Evernote along with PDF support, audio and video recording capabilities (for recording lectures or meetings), and a lot more. It’s a seriously good app.
Get it now on Google Play!
NotePad+
[Price: Free / $0.99]
Notepad+ bills itself as a universal application for taking notes, drawing, doodling, sketching, and all sorts of other stuff. It’s a bit different from other apps in this category thanks to its free-flowing nature. You can literally do anything from doodle a picture to take actual notes and pretty much everything between the two. It comes with various color themes, unlimited notes (limited only by your own internal storage), multi-page notes, and even a passcode feature for security.
Get it now on Google Play!
OneNote
[Price: Free]
Microsoft’s OneNote is a standalone note taking app that works on the OneDrive surface similar to how Google Keep works on Google Drive. It has a bunch of features including organization features, cross-platform support, widgets, Android Wear support, collaboration features, and support for voice, text, and photo additions to notes. It’s fairly powerful and a must-have application if you use Microsoft’s series of productivity apps.
Get it now on Google Play!
Simplenote
[Price: Free]
Simplenote, as the name implies, is a simple note taking app. Must like Fast Note, it intentionally removes a lot of the features you’d see in other apps in favor of speed and to help keep the app lightweight. Unlike Fast Note, it does have some other features. It offers syncing between your devices and also an organization system that works off of tags and pins so you can quickly find the notes you’re looking for. All of it is also totally free.
Get it now on Google Play!
SomNote
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Last and certainly not least on our list is SomNote. This note taking application has quite a few features and caters more to long-form note taking rather than simple things like grocery lists or reminders. It has a folder system for easy organization, a locking mechanism to keep things secure, and theming options. There is also a syncing feature so you can go back and forth between devices. It’s a good, solid app that does what it says it does.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great note taking apps, tell us about them in the comments! If you want to stay up to date on the latest Android apps and games news, you can use the form below to sign up for our newsletter!
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Android Wear can switch to LTE, works without your smartphone
Your next (or first) Android wearable needs not for Bluetooth or Wifi. Android Wear’s cellular support has finally arrived, just as the first compatible watch starts to ship. LG’s Watch Urbane 2nd Edition crams an LTE radio beneath its circular 480 x 480 screen, with models that’ll work on AT&T and Verizon — carriers that are both selling the watch in the US this week.
Source: LG, Official Android Blog
BlackBerry’s second Android phone might look like this
BlackBerry is reportedly working on another Android phone after the Priv, and CrackBerry has gotten its hands on renders of what it could look like. The publication calls it “codename Vienna,” and if these images do indeed depict its final form, then the device is dropping the Priv’s slide-out keyboard for BB’s typical candybar form, with a large screen and a textured body. This could just be an early design, though, and the phone might end up looking like something else entirely. Nothing’s certain at this point other than what BlackBerry has confirmed: it’s developing a range of new products, so expect to see more devices fresh out of the company formerly known as RIM.
[Image credit: CrackBerry]
Source: CrackBerry
Razer’s Android TV box quietly leaves Google’s store
You may have thought that Razer’s Forge TV was hot stuff back at CES, but it’s not clear that the buying public felt the same way. Google has quietly stopped selling the Android TV set-top on its official store — swing by its product page and you’ll find that it’s “no longer available for purchase.” It’s not certain that Razer has discontinued the media hub altogether, but things don’t look good when its own store only lets you sign-up for in-stock alerts. We’ve reached out to Razer to get the full scoop on this disappearance.
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Store
LinkedIn Android app finally fills position for ‘Material Design’
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The LinkedIn Android app is pretty much a must for anyone who is serious about professional social networking, but the ageing interface hasn’t always made that easy. Thankfully, LinkedIn has updated their app according to the Material Design guidelines which should make plenty of people happy and generally make for a better user experience.
Gone is the grey bar at the top of the app – it’s been replaced by a blue bar that gives a bit more consistency to the app. The menus have also been reshuffled quite a lot, making it easier for users to make changes to their profile without needing to dig around in the app. While the update is live for some, it appears that it is rolling out in stages – you’ll need to keep an eye out for the update on the Play Store.
http://playboard.me/widgets/pb-app-box/1/pb_load_app_box.js
What do you think about the updated LinkedIn Android app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Android Police
The post LinkedIn Android app finally fills position for ‘Material Design’ appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Russia demands Twitter store user data within the country
Russia’s social media shenanigans continue. After first blocking Reddit over a thread on ‘shrooms, banning Wikipedia for a single entry on cannabis, threatening Facebook over gaymojis, outlawing memes and demanding Google loosen its Android policies, the Russian government has now reportedly ordered Twitter to move data on the country’s citizens to local servers.
Source: BBC News
Google deliberating on building its own smartphone – Should it?
Google may have inadvertently put itself in a pickle with the Nexus program. The software giant did benefit at the beginning by joining forces with popular OEMs to build special Google-exclusive smartphones, but as the company and Android have matured, it’s appearing that the strategy has to change in order for the hardware to follow.
According to an insider report provided by The Information, “People who work at Google say there is debate and discussion about the topic right now”. It doesn’t sound like there’s a decision yet, but the constant hardware challenges have been brought up – such as inhibited control over phone design. Also, the non-uniformity of Android among manufacturers has not been good for its image.
Let’s examine this conundrum for a second. What’s the problem with changing things up for growth? Well, Google’s revenue is dependent on manufacturers. These alliances and partnerships is how Android got to where it is. Also, buddy-ing up with phone-makers portrayed to everyone what Android was all about – openness, flexibility, and “be together. not the same” ideology. If Google distances themselves from OEMs, it could not only be biting the hand(s) that feeds them but also fragmenting the ideals it built itself on.
Please bear with me while I argue with myself now. Should Google actually be afraid of its partners running away? I mean, where would they go to? As Microsoft has shown, it’s not easy to build an OS and convince people that it’s better. We’ve known Samsung has been home-brewing Tizen for a while now. Why hasn’t it emerged? Well, the fact that Tizen is only on the Gear S2 answers that question. It’s only because Android Wear is so new that it can actually compete (or can it even?).
Android has evolved so much that the only competitor can be the other long-standing giant – iOS. Therefore, I am in concurrence that Google should do what it wants to better its product. When I look at the newly launched Nexus 5X and 6P, I don’t see unified design. Apple is much more refined with its products lineup. If Google is going to mature to that level, it needs to take control and make it happen.
The launch of the new Pixel C tablet (which runs Android has opposed to Chrome OS as on the Chromebook Pixel) could very well be a foreshadowing of Google’s new in-house direction. Pixel devices are built by Google, and moving forward to a Pixel phone makes so much sense at this point.
What are your thoughts on the whole ordeal? Should Google stick with its roots, or do you think the prospect of a Pixel phone sounds rad?
The post Google deliberating on building its own smartphone – Should it? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The mobile world’s walls are crumbling
Ponder the photo you see above for a moment. Yes, that’s Apple Music running on a BlackBerry phone powered by Android — products from three mobile rivals working in harmony. The very concept of this would have been outlandish just a year ago, let alone a few years earlier when these companies were at each other’s throats. This is the best sign yet that some of the walls in mobile tech are finally tumbling down. Companies are realizing that they sometimes have to play nicely with each other if they want to succeed… and that’s good for everyone.
Periscope’s skip-ahead update hits mobile, with 3D Touch on iOS
Periscope’s latest update hit the web late last week, and today it’s live across Android and iOS devices, with some special twists. Mobile users can now fast-forward and rewind through replays, as promised. The app’s Global Map has a few more functions, as follows: Zoom in on a location and the map will show live broadcasts (red dots) and replays (blue dots) from the past 24 hours. Anyone with Periscope on an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus can use 3D Touch to press down on the app icon and pull up a menu of options: Search People, Teleport (which takes you to a random live stream), Broadcast Mutuals and Broadcast. Android users finally get pinch-to-zoom in this update, as well.
[Image credit: Periscope]
Source: Periscope on Medium
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