If you enjoy drawing or sketching and own an Android phone or tablet, this article is for you. There are a good number of apps currently in Google Play that will help you tap into your creative side. I was pleasantly impressed with these apps and what you can do on an electronic canvas.
Infinite Design (Free Version) Free
The app starts off with a nice selection of video tutorials on how to use the app and its features. It also provides an explanation of each menu item and some helpful tips. The app layout is done in such a way to maximize the drawing area. The top of the screen is your menu, while the buttons on the bottom set colors and brush styles. There are over 10 different brush styles and five different types of symmetry you can use. You can create layers, have unlimited undo/redos and can save/export your file. There is a pro version to remove the ads and the developers also offer the Infinite Painter app.
Picasso - Draw, Paint, Doodle! Free
Picasso - Draw, Paint, Doodle is one of three drawing/painting apps from DPs World. This ad-supported app is very simple to use. There is no help section and it has only five menu items: paint the whole canvas, color selector, brush selector, eraser and undo. Within the brush selector, you can choose the size and up to four different styles. The app allows you to load stored photos from you device and paint on them The app does have a share feature so you can email your masterpiece to others.
Download the Appolicious Android app
Pocket Sketchbook Lite Free
Pocket Sketchbook has a nicely done help section to get you started with the features and even indicates which are only available in the pro version. To start, you set up your canvas or loaded photo. Once that is done, the menu is then displayed. As with the previous app, it has a very simple menu. The first button is the pen setting and within there you can choose color, style, shapes, text and so on. Many of these items are only available in the pro version, though. One of the other buttons on the menu is a zoom in/out button. This works very well when you need to work on small details. You can use the app in either portrait or landscape mode.
SketchBook Mobile Express Free
Sketchbook Mobile is one of the more popular drawing apps out there. When you first open the app, you see nothing but a small circle of dots. Tap those dots and the menu options open up. This app definitely was designed to give you the maximum drawing space. To start a new drawing or get to the very detailed help section, hit the phones menu button. The app has a huge number of options you can customize. You can add text, use different style brushes, add layers, create symmetric drawings, and import/export drawings. The free version offers a lot, but with the pro version, you get 40 extra brushes, a brush editor, up to six layers and can create larger sized canvas.
Paint Commander (Free Drawing) Free
Paint Commander is another easy to pick up and use drawing app. It is very straightforward and has no help section. Select your canvas, your brush style and color, and go. The app does have some nice options to it. There are 12 different brush styles and with each style you choose, you can select/edit a number of options. The app also has an image adjustment section where you can change saturation, contrast, brightness, hue and more. A pro version is available with no ads.
This game is the unofficial version of the newer game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? This game is still in beta but is actively being developed. The game has a complaint button where you can send comments to the developer. Also, there is a form where you can submit your own questions and answers. For a new game is there is quite a bit to it. You can set the music and sound, orientation of the screen, language, and the answer wait time (in ms).
This is the official game of the game show The Price is Right. You have the lights, the music, the sound bites awesome! The premise of the game is you need to look at these old tapes from different years, and help them identify them. Well the next thing you know is that you are the next contestant on The Price is Right for that year. Like the show you need to get the correct bid, without going over, to move onto the next stage. If you do not guess correctly you will have a few more chances. Once on the stage you can play Plinko, the Big Wheel, just to name a few, and then finally the Showcase. If you win, you can continue to another year, and play some more. Once you finish a year, it is put in the archives, so you can play it again.
This is the official game for Jeopardy!, so you get all of the sounds and music from the real game show. When you first start you will need to sign your name card, just like the real show, pick the game type and difficulty, then it is off to the stage. You will be competing against two others and have to provide the answer to questions in six different categories. In this game, when you decide to respond you will have a number of answers to choose from.
This is the official game for Wheel of Fortune. It was developed by the same company that produced the Jeopardy! game, so the set up is very much the same. In the options area, you can customize your avatar and check out the leader board and/or career stats. You can share you info and find the local broadcast of the show. You can play against the computer or with friend(s) on the same device.
Whats it about? If youre a Quicken 2013 user, this handy app lets you keep track of all your finances on your Android smartphone or tablet while out and about.
Whats it about? Heres another great video portal for Android users as AOL continues to revamp and enhance its web and media offerings.
Whats it about? So, in keeping with the TV theme, how about an app from the Showtime channel which allows you to watch their programming directly from your Android device?
Magisto - Magical Video Editor, one of ourdaily app picks a few weeks ago, also made it into our Android Apps of the Week, we liked it so much. It offers a simple and easy way to edit the videos on your Android phone or tablet automatically. Its a clever app which analyzes the footage youve shot and splices it together to create a good-looking movie which is then easy to share with friends and family.
OB: I think that the photography sector is the most innovative (especially video), as it completely revolutionizes the basic concepts of photography. I believe that in a few years from now, capturing video/photo without an app to process and share them will be inconceivable. Photography photos and ideos has been essentially reinvented.
OB: Getting your app to provide a consistently good UX on all platforms as they evolve (more screen sizes, hardware capabilities, operating system versions etc.)
In Everlands HD your job is help the nice animals stop the evil animals from taking over the forest. Why are some animals going bad? Follow the story mode and see. Everlands HD provides a slightly different spin on turn-based strategy games and its a refreshing change. The story mode provides 20 levels of play. There is also a duel mode where you can challenge your friends (on the same device). The game does have a very helpful tutorial and will give you hints as you play if needed. A free feature-limited version of the game is available.
The goal of Age of Conquest: Europe (and all of the titles in the series) is very straight forward: conquer all of your opponents. There are numerous titles in the series; all play the same, just with different maps. There is a Iite version so you can try before you buy. You start off with your kingdom occupying one territory and some resources. On each turn you need to create more troops and then move them to conquer new territories. The more territories you have, the more money you earn, thus more troops you can create.
Highborn is an easy to pick up and learn casual turn-based strategy game. The game follows the story of Archie and his fellow heroes and their battle against Decay. This game is broken up into three chapters. Each is independent of the other, so they can be played in any order but they do follow a general story arc. The games are only available on the Amazon Appstore currently. Each chapter is made up of eight levels plus a tutorial, but each level will take some time to complete, thus it is not a fast game.
This is just a great little game! Great Little War Game (GLWG) plays on both small and large screen, has pinch-to-zoom, and gives the player a ton of options within the game. This has become one of my favorites. The game is broken up into three modes: Skirmish (play against the computer), Pass and Play (multiplayer locally) and Campaign (progress through a series of battles with the Generalissimo assisting you along the way). The game has at least 19 maps and each varies in size, starting locations, resources and terrain.
The game Uniwar has been out for some time for both iOS and Android devices. It has won numerous awards and has been highly rated by its users. Recently it has undergone a major update, it is now Uniwar HD and is better optimized for Android tablets and provides a built in map editor. With these recently changes, the game is definitely worth the price.
Whats it about? This free Google TV app from The Washington Post lets you watch some great newscasts from the comfort of your easy chair.
Whats it about? Plague Inc. is a game from Miniclip which merges both strategy and realistic horror simulation of infecting the world.
Whats it about? Air Navy Fighters is an advanced flight sim where you get to fly some of the worlds best combat planes.
After an iOS release back in June of this year, we finally get the follow up to Tiny Tower that we've been waiting for on Google Play. Pocket Planes takes that same NimbleBit charm and pixel art style and applies it to a worldwide flight management sim. Decide which planes go where with what cargo, trying to earn a profit so that you can expand your horizons (quite literally) with more airports and planes. If you're truly bored, you can even collect floating money mid flight! This game is every bit as good as Tiny Tower, and still quite original. NimbleBit is the only developer that makes social management sims that I find original and worth playing these days.
What is with this latest frenzy of Pokemon cloning we've been seeing in mobile gaming? Is it just the latest craze? From Montopia to Monster Warlord, there's always some monster capturing/battling game around. Even Kairosoft has given in to the madness, though at least you know with Kairosoft you'll be getting a quality product. That gorgeous, vibrant pixel art is ever present in this island civilization/monster hunting sim. You're still building a town and expanding it, researching better gear and technology, but you're also venturing out into the wild unknown to explore and to capture and trade the various animals. It's also a Kairosoft game that's free without a 'lite' at the end of the title, so that's odd.
And here we have a flight combat game from the house that built Pac-Man, Namco. Set in World War I, this is a surprisingly well done and versatile dog-fighting game, from the days when aerial dogfights were much more personal and way less precise. You can pilot several historically accurate planes through the campaign and custom game dogfight missions, or you can participate in eight man online multiplayer with several different game modes. The 3D graphics are a bit lacking, but still manage to convey a sense of awe through their huge landscapes. Check it out.
Whats it about? The trusted navigation service makes its transition from standalone GPS device and onto your smartphone.
Whats it about? Pictoreo is a great way to bring your photos to life with animation.
Whats it about? Noodlecake Studios have finally ported over this popular iOS 8-bit style old-school platformer, and it was worth the wait.
This new app is unique to Android and well worth a look. Field Trip runs in the background on your device and when you get close to something interesting, it pops up a card with details about the location. It could be a fun place to shop, an historical site or a new place to eat. The content comes from some great sources like Arcadia, Zagat, Cool Hunting, Flavorpill and Atlas Obscura and could be a great companion app if youre in a different part of town or traveling somewhere new.
Excitement over an accounting app? Its an easy target for jokes, but theres no denying: Xero is one of the smartest-looking, yet fully functional, finance and accounting apps weve ever seen. Its design is clean and slick but its still plenty powerful, letting you track your finances and easily manage your cashflow. You can check bank balances, invoice customers, upload receipts or submit expense claims and it integrates with multiple payroll, CRM and inventory management systems so its versatile, too. Oh, did we say it looks nice?
Whats it about? This app allows you to use and control your Android device using a regular web browser.
Whats it about? The Last Defender is a first-person shooter that puts you in the shoes of a modern-day mercenary.
Whats it about? Jaws Revenge lets you be the most feared great white shark of all time and munch on all manner of puny humans.
Its claimed that smartphones will replace our wallets one day, centralizing our bank and credit card information so well always have them on hand. Making our financial information readily available through the cloud could even subsidize the negative impacts when we misplace our smartphones instead of our wallets, though security remains an issue in this new area. The result is a bubbling anxiety over mobile wallet standards, especially as the dominant platforms iOS and Android fight for patrons with two very different methods.
On the downside, PassWallet is a third party gateway to a proprietary Apple service, which means it could be shut down at any time. If Apple finds PassWallet is competing with its own Passbook, or decides it doesnt want PKPass files so readily accessible across platforms, then PassWallet and its Android user base will be up a creek without a paddle. Another snag is the base technology behind Passbook itself, which doesnt have the history and experience of Google Wallet. Early testing shows that Passbook hasnt worked out all the kinks, botching two of my movie ticket purchases that resulted in a confusing conversation with the theater manager, who was clueless as to how the service worked.
Whats it about? Heres an app thats not only full of great recipes (with nutritional info), but also includes cooking tips, timer, a glossary and organizational features.
Whats it about? Xero is probably the best-looking accounting app youre ever likely to see!
Whats it about? Get the ultimate drifting experience with Drift Mania Championship 2 complete with optimized 3D graphics.
Many Android smartphones and tablets including the Samsung Galaxy S III and Google Nexus 7 are offering the latest Android operating system update, version 4.1 Jelly Bean. Although Jelly Bean enhances many of the great features offered in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, users should consider the new operating system more of an evolution than a revolution.
Based on your personal Google search history both on your device and when logged-in to Google services elsewhere, Google Now helps to inform you of events, activities and more. It is location-aware and can tell you the weather in the morning, how the traffic will be on your commute, or how your favorite sports team is doing. Cards appear during the day, popping up from the bottom of the screen, and you can choose which ones you want to surface. They can track everything from flight delays, upcoming appointments, public transit, local currency rates and even suggestions of places to visit nearby.
There are many improvements to the Google+ app, including the ability to create and manage events directly from your device or see the live streams of all participants in a video Hangout. Gmail sees improved notifications, while YouTube gets a slicker and more intuitive interface. Google Chrome takes advantage of Jelly Beans advanced rendering to improve responsiveness, while Maps adds support for offline viewing, built-in Zagat ratings and even indoor walking directions. Fortunately, as these apps are available independently, even non-Jelly Bean users can take advantage of their latest updates and improvements.
The official Vimeo Android app has the best of the video-sharing network, ready-made for mobile users. You can upload, manage and view clips from your handset and checkout recommended videos from Vimeos curated channels. You can set shared clips to private or public, download videos to your devices camera roll, pause and resume uploads and organize clips by Groups, Channels and Albums. Better yet, share clips across the social web including Facebook and Twitter.
Cisco may have canned the Flip mobile video camera, but sharing lives on through the FlipShare Android app. With FlipShare you can upload videos and post them to Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. Watch all your friends clips from the app, leaving comments along the way. Theres private and public sharing with groups and shareable links, plus search filters to locate and organize videos in the Flip network.
When it comes to editing, VidTrim is a great choice for Android users. The app trims videos, grabs frames and compresses clips to make them ripe for sharing directly from your phone. Edited videos can be saved as new clips, renamed and uploaded to YouTube. With the pro version youll get additional features like the frame grabber, which gives you the ability to extract and save frames as images, and a transcoder for resizing and compressing clips. And of course, the pro version comes without ads.
Socialcam is all about sharing, with support for email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, Tumblr and even cloud storage service Dropbox. With this Android app you can record, upload and share clips directly from your handset. Add tags to make clips more searchable, and view clips your friends have uploaded. There are quite a few perks that come with Socialcam, including unlimited video length and storage, the ability to upload video while youre recording, offline recording for later uploads and tagging friends. Youll get a notification when someone tags you in a clip so youll never miss a beat with Socialcam.
All about video discovery, DailyMotion brings video search to your Android smartophone with millions of clips from the web. You can create your own channels by picking the users you want to follow, making for a personalized dashboard. You can also stream hours of video content with playlists and channels, and browse countless clips with related recommendations and keyword search. See a clip you like? Add it to your favorites and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
One thing Viddy is known for is its filters, but its not the only mobile app that lets you add effects to your video content. Videocam Illusion lets you record video with effects in real-time, including filters, for unique and creative clips. You can even change effects while youre recording and save combinations of your favorite video effects for later use. The pro version comes with 24 filters including sepia, black & white, Chicago-style and comic art. Theres also a dozen or so effects to blur, glow, twirl and pixelate your videos. With five recording speeds and another dozen masks, VideoCam also lets you upload videos to YouTube, Dropbox and more.
Whats it about? The official app of the North American train service is now on Android and offers plenty of handy travel information for riders.
Whats it about? Sierra Trading Post, which sells a large variety of seconded or overstock brand name apparel, now has their very own Android app.
Whats it about? Burn some rubber on exotic race tracks around the world in this 3D retro grand prix racing game.