5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week – Android Apps Weekly
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Let’s jump right into those headlines:
- It’s been found that Google Photos will keep uploading your photos to Google even if you uninstall the app. This is because it’s integrated with the Google Settings app that’s on every Android phone. So if you want to disable it forever, you’ll have to do so using the Google Settings app which is a little weird.
- According to reports, Facebook is working on a virtual assistant called Moneypenny ostensibly named after the James Bond character. Unlike most, Moneypenny is a virtual assistant to help you shop for things and it’ll be integrated into Facebook Messenger. Of course, we’ll provide more information as we get it.
- Late last week, developer Beamdog announced that they’ll be releasing a standalone expansion to Baldur’s Gate called Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear. The game, which is coming later this year, will tell the tale of what happened between Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2.
- Twitter and its third party developers have been at odds for a long time thanks to Twitter’s ridiculous token limit that prevents Twitter apps from becoming super popular. In a recent announcement, Twitter has conceded that they need to make some changes and we hope that leads to more third party Twitter apps.
- After an absence due to some pranking, the Google Map Maker is re-opening its doors sometime in August. The improved version will have a stricter approval process and more moderation to prevent things like that prank where someone added an Android urinating on an Apple logo.
For even more Android apps and games news, updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter! There we have the complete list of all the happenings in the app world including stuff we didn’t have time for here. If you’re so inclined, you can subscribe with your email and get this info beamed to your inbox every Friday!
Check out our Android Apps Weekly newsletter!
Subscribe to Apps Weekly Newsletter
The latest apps, games and Google play news in your inbox once a week.
Mountain Goat Mountain
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Mountain Goat Mountain is a new game out of Zynga. It features some colorful and enjoyable graphics along with arcade-style game play. The premise is that you must climb mountains while avoiding obstacles. The mechanics are simple tapping and swiping so anyone can get into it. It is a Freemium title which means there are in-app purchases but overall, it’s a fun little time waster and something a little bit different out of Zynga.
WiFiMapper
[Price: Free]
WifiMapper is a new application that helps you find WiFi hotspots. The idea is that you open the app and it shows you a map where you can get access to free WiFi. According to the developers, the app shows over 650 million hotspots that you can access. The information is crowd sourced so you can add more if you find them and it also comes with Foursquare integration. You can also see a history of the hotspots you’ve connected to and how well they worked. It’s a solid app with some decent features and it’s free.
Red Bull Alert
[Price: Free]
Red Bull Alert is a new alarm clock application that aims to get you up and out of bed before hitting the snooze alarm. It does this by integrating a social aspect where you can compete with your friends to see who wakes up the fastest. The app will also track your progress (or lack thereof) so you can see if the app actually does help you wake up faster. It’s a fun premise and it’s free to use.
HERE Maps Public Beta
[Price: Free]
HERE Maps is already a popular offline navigation option but this last week, Nokia released a public beta. It’s a bit convoluted to get as you have to join the beta group, become a beta tester, and then finally download the app. The public beta will have new features, a new UI design, and will be the place where Nokia tests all their new ideas. Do beware because that means there are bugs too. Click the button below for instructions on how to get it!
Traitor – Valkyrie Plan
[Price: Free demo / $1.53]
Last up this week is a new first person shooter called Traitor – Valkyrie Plan. This is an FPS game based on a true story from World War 2 and features decent graphics, plenty of shooting, and you’ll also need a bit of stealth. The mechanics are fairly simple and manages to miss a lot of the pitfalls of other shooters by sticking to a simpler mechanic. Of course, this means that it isn’t as exciting as some shooters. In either case, it’s cheap and fun.
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps and games news, tell us about it in the comments! See you all next week on the Android Apps Weekly show!
Twitter’s new dashboard simplifies your account security
Twitter unveiled a new data dashboard for users on Wednesday. Its aim: to make managing privacy and security settings across all your devices much easier. The controls, which are accessible at Twitter.com under the main Settings menu, will allow you to manage account access, edit the list of blocked users and see what data is being shared with third-party apps. That way if you notice that your account is being accessed by a device in a city you’ve never been to, you can quickly change the password. Or, better yet, you can enable two-factor authentication from the same screen.
[Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under: Internet
Source: Twitter
Pew: if you use Facebook or Twitter, you probably get news there
Do you read news on Facebook instead of a dedicated site, or catch breaking stories on Twitter instead of TV? You’re not alone. Pew’s latest study shows that 63 percent of American Facebook and Twitter users rely on the social networks as news sources — at least an 11 percent jump from two years ago. That isn’t entirely surprising given recent (and ongoing) efforts to highlight the day’s events on both services, but it also shows how some news is virtually defined by what happens on social networks. If you followed protests against police abuses, for instance, the best sources were usually Twitter-savvy marchers.
However, just what you see and when varies widely. Twitter users are much more likely (59 percent versus 31 percent) to follow developing events, and they typically see more stories about international affairs, politics and sports. In other words, the formats of both social sites are still dictating the kind of news you read. Facebook has made some attempts to capture the heat of the moment, but Twitter’s real-time feed still gives it an edge. And that may not change any time soon — Twitter is the social platform of choice for live video apps like Meerkat and (of course) Periscope, so it’s your only real option if you insist on first-hand footage.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Pew Research Center
Twitter looking to bring 3rd-party developers back on board?
In the midst of a new CEO search, Twitter is realizing it’s more than a mere social network. The service represents a “real-time information network” that would be better off treated as a platform, something Twitter co-founder Evan Williams claims they didn’t see before.
Every good platform needs extensive 3rd-party developer support, but the social network is in a tight situation, caused by a long time of pushing app makers away. Twitter waged war on 3rd-party developers some years ago. The company now finds itself trying to strategically re-think its model and get developers back on board.
“Twitter’s revenue stream is pretty good. I wouldn’t say we haven’t figured that out. The business is really solid, but we have so much potential with the new products we could develop.” -Evan Williams, Twitter co-founder
Twitter has a lot of convincing to do after all this time limiting support for developers. They wanted to keep tighter control on their ecosystem, which led to placing tighter restrictions on their APIs and limiting how many users these Twitter replacement apps could have. A couple of the most affected apps were Falcon Pro and Carbon for Twitter, which quickly became very popular and exceeded these limitations.
Williams goes on to mention Twitter is working on harnessing its service’s power as a news source. He states Twitter is “guaranteed to have all the info you are looking for: first hand reports, rumors, links to stories as soon as they are published. All that is there.” This will play an important role in moving forward.
Something that dampens the loud noise Twitter can make is the way the feed is set up. It’s a hassle to find important news in a sea of other irrelevant posts. “It’s hard to find exactly what you’re looking for,” says Evan Williams. Is it possible third-party developers are an important part of this? We are not exactly sure, nor is Evan Williams willing to say more. What we do know is Twitter sure does have much amending to do before they make it all right for our beloved mobile developers.
I, for one, would be excited to see Twitter opening its arms to more software creators. Wouldn’t you?
Twitter rethinks its war against developers
For the past three years, Twitter has sent third-party developers not-so-subtle clues that they’re unwanted — its programming rules arbitrarily limit the success of unofficial apps, such as their audience sizes or features. That low ceiling might not last for much longer, though. Co-founder Ev Williams tells tech conference guests that the restrictive API was one of Twitter’s “strategic errors.” Twitter should be a platform that developers genuinely want to build on, he says, and the earlier decision “wasn’t a win/win” for developers, users or even Twitter itself.
It’s not clear what the reforms entail, although Williams hints that Twitter might not be waiting for a new permanent CEO to shift direction. Either way, it’s easy to see why the company would have a change of heart. While Twitter is still adding lots of users, it’s also losing money. Critics regularly accuse it of a lack of focus (Williams now wants it to be a “real-time news platform”) and doing little to innovate besides snapping up other companies. Stronger third-party support might save Twitter from depending so heavily on its own apps and websites — it could ride the success of someone else’s smash hit by selling ads and generating buzz.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Business Insider
Twitter rethinks its war against developers
For the past three years, Twitter has sent third-party developers not-so-subtle clues that they’re unwanted — its programming rules arbitrarily limit the success of unofficial apps, such as their audience sizes or features. That low ceiling might not last for much longer, though. Co-founder Ev Williams tells tech conference guests that the restrictive API was one of Twitter’s “strategic errors.” Twitter should be a platform that developers genuinely want to build on, he says, and the earlier decision “wasn’t a win/win” for developers, users or even Twitter itself.
It’s not clear what the reforms entail, although Williams hints that Twitter might not be waiting for a new permanent CEO to shift direction. Either way, it’s easy to see why the company would have a change of heart. While Twitter is still adding lots of users, it’s also losing money. Critics regularly accuse it of a lack of focus (Williams now wants it to be a “real-time news platform”) and doing little to innovate besides snapping up other companies. Stronger third-party support might save Twitter from depending so heavily on its own apps and websites — it could ride the success of someone else’s smash hit by selling ads and generating buzz.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Business Insider
Vine for iOS updated with HD video uploads
We’ve adjusted to watching each other’s lives six-seconds at a time, but Vine’s shareable moments always come across a little …blurry. Thankfully, the short-video service is fixing that: as of today, folks using the Vine app on iOS will have access to a new HD quality option. Love it. Use it. Save all of our eyes.
The new quality setting can be found in the app’s settings menu under “Your Content,” but it’s not the first time Vine has bumped up video quality. In March, the service announced a slow rollout to “high quality” videos, bumping up videos to 720p from 480p. Vine didn’t clarify what was different about the HD videos in this update, but we’ve reached out for specifics. In the meantime, please enjoy this high-quality Vine of one of Engadget’s many cats:
Source: Vine
Vine for iOS updated with HD video uploads
We’ve adjusted to watching each other’s lives six-seconds at a time, but Vine’s shareable moments always come across a little …blurry. Thankfully, the short-video service is fixing that: as of today, folks using the Vine app on iOS will have access to a new HD quality option. Love it. Use it. Save all of our eyes.
The new quality setting can be found in the app’s settings menu under “Your Content,” but it’s not the first time Vine has bumped up video quality. In March, the service announced a slow rollout to “high quality” videos, bumping up videos to 720p from 480p. Vine didn’t clarify what was different about the HD videos in this update, but we’ve reached out for specifics. In the meantime, please enjoy this high-quality Vine of one of Engadget’s many cats:
Source: Vine
Prepare to be inundated with Happy Birthday tweets
Do you enjoy getting a truckload of birthday wishes on Facebook each year? Well, prepare for the same thing to happen via Twitter. The 140-character social network now allows you to add your birthday to your profile, letting the masses know the proper 24-hour period to ping you with a celebratory GIF. Adding that bit of info is optional, of course, and you’ll be able to configure the settings so that it only appears for the folks who you really want to be informed. And yes, you can leave out the year so the internet won’t know exactly how old you are. The new addition is said to be available “starting today,” so if you’re not seeing it now, you should be shortly.
[Image credit: OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Internet, Software
Source: Twitter
Best Twitter app alternatives [2015]
Twitter has a good Android app and it’s getting better after every new update. In fact, they’ve been focusing on the user interface and experience over advertising as of late. The native Twitter app, however, just doesn’t fit some users’ styles.
There is an arsenal of third-party Twitter replacements out there, and some of them are actually really wonderful. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Falcon Pro 3
If you’re not a fan of Twitter’s own mobile app, Falcon Pro 3 is probably the next best option for browsing your timeline and managing multiple Twitter accounts. In my testing, it’s faster than the normal Twitter app, it’s gorgeous, and it’s smooth as butter. Spending just a bit of money will return you some of Falcon Pro 3’s premium features that only enhance the overall experience.
Plume
Plume for Twitter is another excellent third-party solution, brought to you by the developers who created Beautiful Widgets. It’s highly customizable and has a lot of features, such as an internal browser, a lockscreen widget, in-app live streaming, geotagging, and much more. Of course, one of the best aspects of the app is that the developers remain on top of bug fixes and consistent improvements to performance. You will never have to worry about Plume growing old.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is another excellent solution as a Twitter replacement, but it’s much more than that. You can easily manage multiple social media accounts, whether it be Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. One of Hootsuite’s best features is the ability to manage and schedule posts, which is helpful for those that are on the go and still have a business or social media account to run. The app is free up to three social media networks. If you need more, there are in-app products to meet your social media needs.
Talon
As far as features go, Talon falls short compared to Falcon Pro 3, Plume, or Hootsuite. What it does have, though, at its core is customization, a beautiful design, gorgeous animations, and great performance. Not only that, but it’s one of the few Twitter apps to feature Google’s Material Design guidelines. Talon supports up to two Twitter accounts, has live steaming support, an excellent notification system, and much more. Really, this is one gorgeous Twitter app alternative.
Fenix
Fenix for Twitter is unique in that it provides an excellent tablet experience. It has all of the usual flavors you’ll find in Twitter apps–support for multiple accounts, themes, internal browser, and more. And its tablet layout is out of this world. It compiles your timeline into gorgeous card-like chunks, allowing for easy readability. If you’re one to come home from work, sit back in the recliner, and scan through your social media feeds on your tablet, Fenix is a great solution.
Tweetings
Tweetings is another great Twitter alternative, especially in terms of design. Tweetings offers an expansive theme engine, allowing users to pick from thirty-two different Material Design options. There are sixteen dark and sixteen light themes to choose from the app even includes options to create your own themes. As far as features go, you get a gorgeous Google Now-like UI with cards, support for multiple Twitter accounts, excellent navigation, and beautiful widgets.
Twidere
Twidere is better than the native Twitter app in many ways. It’s a powerful alternative featuring Google’s Material Design outlines and offers both dark and light themes, along with color theme support. It has the many features you’d expect in a Twitter alternative–multiple accounts, drafts, and better direct messages. One of its best aspects is that its open source, allowing the community to contribute various features and design tweaks to it.
Tweetcaster
Tweetcaster has a design that seems dated compared to other Twitter alternatives beautiful as many of the other Twitter alternatives; however, it does have a unique interface and touts some powerful features. Tweetcaster has support for multiple Twitter accounts, and lets you post to Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. There’s also this nice feature called Zip It which allows you to silence certain Twitter users and keywords from showing up in your timeline without unfollowing anyone. Yes, this identical to Twitter’s Mute button, but Tweetcaster supplies its own third-party option. Another really cool feature is that tweets will stream in real-time when connected to Wi-Fi.
Robird
Last up on our list is Robird, an intuitive and gorgeous Twitter alternative. The interface is sleek, easy to navigate, and relatively fast. As far as features go, it’s fairly minimalistic in this sense, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In a day and age where our apps have so much going on, sometimes it is nice to just have a fairly basic Twitter app that will perform all the functions you want it to do.
Conclusion
One of the unfortunate things about Twitter’s own mobile app is that it lacks Material Design and it doesn’t pack as many features as independent developers are packing in their own alternatives. That’s what makes other options out there much better than what Twitter offers, for the time being.
What’s your favorite Twitter app alternative? Sound off in the comments below or tweet us!
Come comment on this article: Best Twitter app alternatives [2015]
AIVAnet 
