appstore – Page 3

a game with BALLS – Free Amazon Appstore App of the Day 8/4/11

Name: a game with BALLS

Description:
The use of a spheroid object in play is believed to date back to the beginning of human history. Games involving balls appear pictorially on Egyptian monuments, while there is evidence that the Greeks and Romans used ball-like objects in simple contests. All of which, of course, has merely been a lead-up to the release of this dramatic Android app, a game with BALLS.

Following the Bouncing Spheroid Object
In this game you must use small objects to repel larger objects, both of which are primarily balls. With arcade-style gameplay harking back to the days of Asteroids and Space Invaders, you must use your trusty cannon to repel incoming balls of all shapes and sizes by firing two sizes of bullets.

Simple Gameplay, Complex Mechanics
To aim your cannon, choose your preferred control style: tilt or touch. You fire by tapping the screen, with one finger shooting small balls and two fingers launching the larger artillery. As you would expect, the larger balls carry more impact, but they also use up your supply of bullets faster (keep track using the bullet icons at the bottom of the screen). Also, your score is based on the number of shots fired, so shooting a strategic small ball is often better than a pair of big ones.

The object is to make sure none of the falling balls, squares, or other objects collide with your cannon. Knocking the balls to the sides will keep you safe, but watch out for a rebound as one enemy ball collides with another. Your balls also bounce around the screen crazily. The resulting melee is chaotic, which is why this is called a game with “BALLS,” not “balls.”

Graphical Diversity
The game features four colorful themes: CLASSIC, etherVISION, Indigo NOTIONS, and bubblegum ODYSSEY. Each theme offers different gameplay mechanics, colorful backgrounds, songs, balls, and more. It’s like getting four different games in one.

Each game is rated on how many minutes and/or seconds you lasted and how many balls you repelled. Climb the leaderboards and collect achievements on OpenFeint and X Game Center, then post your results on Facebook and Twitter. Show your friends who really has the best BALLS game.

Download Link: http://goo.gl/yRV73 (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

iCooking Barbecue – Free Amazon Appstore App for 8/3/11

	Name: iCooking Barbecue
	Description: This grilling season surprise your guests with unique new barbecue favorites. iCooking Barbecue offers dishes that will be a welcome change from the typical burgers and hot dogs. If you don’t think you’re a grill master, it’s time to reevaluate your skills. These easy-to-follow recipes will turn your backyard into the new place for the best barbecue. Beyond the Burger Simply searching for a recipe will make your mouth water. Vivid photos of each dish, and a search-friendly interface make it simple to peruse a variety of delectable options, from bacon-wrapped scallop kabobs to Asian-style beef patties. Search All Recipes to view every dish. If you’re set on grilling something specific–let’s say, beef–search recipes by type, and filter your search to eliminate all non-beef options. Grilling the Goods Once you’ve decided on a recipe, iCooking Barbecue lists all of the ingredients you’ll need, provides step-by-step instructions if necessary, and includes a nice photo of the completed dish. The app also lets you save your own original recipes as well as share your discoveries with friends and family via e-mail. Don’t forget to add dishes to your Favorites list for those that you and your guests just love.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/niZ3H (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

Sporcle – Free Game of the Day from Amazon Appstore

	Name: Sporcle
	Description: If you rule the local pub on trivia night, or just dream of the day you will, Sporcle is the perfect app for you. This popular quiz game for Android has got all the bells and whistles. More importantly, it’s got great quizzes! A Quiz for Every Occasion “Oh sure,” you’re thinking. “Another app with 10 or 15 lame quizzes.” Au contraire! Sporcle for Android has hundreds of inventive and challenging trivia games. Running the gamut from Entertainment to Religion, from Sports to Literature, there’s a quiz here for anyone and everyone. You can browse through 15 different categories or simply select a random quiz and start playing. Here’s just a small sampling of the types of trivia tests you’ll find on Sporcle: “50 Largest U.S. Cities.” “Name that Sitcom.” “Ancient Wonders.” “Baby Names from Shakespeare.” (?) “Guess Your NBA Team.” “SNL Cast Blitz.” “Famous Biologists.” (??) And on and on. These aren’t your grandpa’s multiple-choice quizzes, either–each one has a written answer that you must provide. Time limits make the experience even more challenging, and more fun. How Do You Measure Up? Sporcle scores your performance on every quiz and stores the information right in the app, so you can track which ones you’ve taken and how you did. You can also get more in-depth statistics on each game, seeing how your performance stacks up against others who have taken that quiz. And don’t worry; each quiz reveals the correct answers once you’ve completed it, so you don’t have to wonder. You can also take the same quiz again if you like. It Gets Better One of the best things about Sporcle is the “connectivity” it provides. You can see comments from other players about each quiz and compare your score against theirs right on your phone–but that’s just the beginning. You can then go online, create an account on Sporcle.com, and have even more fun. On the site you can comment on quizzes you’ve taken, rate them, view all kinds of statistics, invite and connect with your friends, post your results to Facebook and Twitter, and more. You can even create your own quiz. Even if you just stick to the app, there’s more than enough to keep you busy and entertained for a long while. It features dozens of quizzes pre-loaded in every category–and you don’t have to have network access to play them. Just download the Android app and start exercising your brain. With Sporcle, there’s always a new challenge waiting for you.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/YqGHn (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

Car Locator – Free Amazon Appstore App of the Day 7/31/11

	Name: Car Locator
	Description: A radar-style screen and Google map make locating your car easy. If you’ve ever gazed out at a sea of parked cars and realized that you have no idea where yours is, Car Locator is here to help. This GPS-based app for your Android device remembers your car’s location and leads you right back to it. It also keeps track of how long you’ve been parked, lets you know if you need to feed the parking meter, and more. Park, Save, and Go. Setting Car Locator to remember your car’s spot is easy. When you park your car, just open the app (or use the handy widget straight from your home screen). You’ll see your current location on Google Maps, along with a cool-looking radar display that signifies your car with a red dot. Just double-tap the location of your car on the map (or simply shake your phone) and Car Locator will remember where it is. Along with the visual help, Car Locator features a “sonar” function that emits a beeping sound: The closer you get to your car, the faster it beeps. This can be very useful in a crowded parking lot (or if you want to pretend that you’re piloting a submarine).


	Download Link:http://goo.gl/mtdSK (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

Alternatives to the Android Market

So you have an Android phone that you want to be able to make your own, or you may feel a little restricted by Google’s Android Market. What other options are out there? I do a lot of talking and linking to things in Android Market, but I also talk and link a lot about the Amazon Appstore. The Amazon Appstore (among others – see below) is an alternate place to download apps for Android and along with the below list gives you the freedom to get your apps from anywhere.

I will cover a handful of app stores below. Feel free to check them out and comment about your experiences.

	Name: SlideME App Store
	Description: SlideME is a great alternative to the Google Android Market, and is the site that has made recent (geek gamer) news because of the user yongzh getting booted out of Google’s market and pulling all of his apps and moving over to SlideME and releasing them for free. He is the author of the (insert-classic-system-here)OID games like, NESOID, SNESOID, GameBoid. Just for those apps alone you should go check out the SlideME appstore.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/P8VoU (SlideMe.org)

	Name: AndSpot.com
	Description: AndSpot takes a unique approach to the idea of an app store. One that all you power users out there will love. They have a monthly service that gives you UNLIMITED Android app downloads for a low low monthly rate of $8 per month. It is in Beta so you have to sign up for it and wait to get an invite.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/2EEMd(AndSpot.com)

	Name: Aproov
	Description: Aproov is a web based app “store” that specializes is only Free apps. This is great if you are someone that spends a lot of time looking through the regular market’s free section and struggle with it because it is not designed for just free apps, where this app store is designed just for that.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/Y930E (Aproov.com)

	Name: OnlyAndroid (Mobihand.com)
	Description: OnlyAndroid is an app store that has an option that is similar to the Amazon Appstore. It offers a “deal of the day” on an android app or service. Although it is not a free app, but it also does include services, for example the deal for today (7/29/11) is a 15 month subscription to the SmrtGuard service which gives you data backup and a lost phone finder service for 50% off. It is definitely a site to keep tabs on because they might offer a great deal on that certain app you have been eyeing.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/kNGYB (onlyandroid.mobihand.com)

	Name: Amazon App Store
	Description: Amazon Appstore is the alternative appstore that I am obviously a huge fan of mainly because of the feature they offer every day that gives you a FREE app that you can just download. No strings attached. They have a great selection of apps and almost all of the apps have a sale price that is cheaper than the “normal” Android Market.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/BRkOt (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

Star Chart – Free Amazon Appstore App of the Day 7/29/11

	Name: Star Chart
	Description: Now you can have a virtual star chart in your pocket. Look through the eyes of your Android onto the whole visible universe. All you have to do is point your device at the sky, and Star Chart tells you exactly what you’re looking at. Learn about stars, planets, and more Look for your favorites To the Stars! Using state of the art GPS technology, an accurate 3D universe, and all of the latest high tech functionality, Star Chart calculates–in real time–the current location of every star and planet visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are. Even in broad daylight. Want to know what that bright star is called? Point your device at it–you might just find out it’s a planet. Want to know what the night sky looks like to people on the other side of the earth? Just point your device down. Want to know where your star sign is in the sky? Star Chart tells you all this and more. This app has many features designed to bring the stars to you. Just point and view. No need to scroll around the screen to find out what you are looking at. Alternatively, look around the sky using finger gestures. Perfect for armchair astronomers. Supports dynamic device orientation viewing, allowing you to view the night sky while holding your Android at any angle. Accurately depicts all the visible stars of the northern and southern hemispheres: over 5,000 stars. Displays all the planets of the solar system, plus the Sun and the Moon. Displays all 88 constellations with constellation imagery based on the beautiful artwork by 15th-century astronomer Johannes Hevelius. Includes entire Messier catalogue of exotic deep sky objects. Just tap on anything in the sky and get the facts on what you are looking at, including distance and brightness. Its powerful zoom function lets you view the sky in exquisite detail, using intuitive finger gestures. Fully configurable, Star Chart displays only the sky objects that you are interested in. It allows you to view the sky underneath the horizon. So now you can see where the sun is, even at night. Manually set your location to find out what the sky looks like from anywhere in the world. And there’s a full search feature So point your Android device at the sky and see what’s out there. (Augmented Reality mode is only available if your device supports it, for this feature requires a built-in compass. Manual scrolling is supported on all other devices.)


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/2odLX (Amazon)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

Jamie’s 20 Minute Meals – Free Amazon Appstore App of the Day 7/28/11

	Name: Jamie’s 20 Minute Meals
	Description: A Letter From Jamie Hi Guys, Thanks for all your messages asking for 20 Minute Meals on Android. It’s finally here, and will help you to prepare and cook loads of delicious meals; each one in around 20 minutes. There’s 60 recipes in total; each one presented one step at a time, with photos along the way, so you really can’t go wrong! There’s also a cool shopping list feature which sorts your ingredients by aisle so you’ll be really speedy in the supermarket too. Breeze through the store using aisle view on the shopping list As well as all that you’ll find 21 videos of me shot exclusively-for-mobile with useful tips, tricks and kitchen skills from sharpening a knife to chopping an onion. Download it today and get cooking! Big love, Jamie Oliver xxx Jamie’s App: Who can help but be charmed by England’s Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef? Jamie is well known as chef, restaurateur, and an advocate for improving unhealthy diets, especially championing healthy school lunches for children. Watch an introductory video from Jamie and get right to the recipes. Search for a recipe or peruse 10 categories such as Delicious soups, Tasty stir-fries, and Simple risottos. Each recipe includes a summary with a picture of the dish, an ingredient and equipment list, detailed instructions, and relevant videos on tasks like garlic preparation or onion chopping. Double-touch the screen in landscape mode to see pictures of each step. Add ingredients to your list and then use the general shopping list to view by recipe or by aisle. Use the menu to quickly access any video or learn about what Jamie feels are kitchen essentials – both ingredients and equipment. Jamie promises that this app will “arm you with the confidence” to have tasty meals in 20 minutes!


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/TVtDs (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

Free Apps on Amazon. Can it be hurtful?

Free Apps on Amazon

Can it be hurtful?

As a potential developer, and a current website author I know that ratings and comments are incredibly important. You want to be seen in the best light and you want to be seen as an asset to whatever genre you are creating digital media in. Android apps are the same way. No matter where you get your app from their is always a rating that is considered and comments that are read before the app is downloaded.

So you get the opportunity to have your app listed as the “Amazon Free App of the Day”. You have to consider both the good and bad sides of it. the good is obvious. You are going to get your app out to thousands and thousands of people that might not have ever heard of your app before. A ton of publicity for your app. But at what cost.

the problem I see here is that because of the fact that people are just going to download it because it is free it puts you into the possibility for a poor rating or comment. And I am not talking about a justified poor rating. If there is a quality issue with the game, or something isn’t working. I am talking about a review like the following example:

1.0 out of 5 stars Supermarket chick game, July 27, 2011
*.********* “undulating tendril of disarray" (Over There) – See all my reviews(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Supermarket Scramble (App)These apps sure are full of exciting settings and themes. For chicks. What the hell is up with all the lady themed market bakery lame insulting to intelligent woman games? Does the dev really believe this type of marketing tactic will make women buy this cheeseball crap? Pfft more crappy apps…

You get a review from someone that shouldn’t have downloaded the app in the first place. I am saying this because the app is called: Supermarket Scramble. It is an app that appears to be marketing itself to a certian type of person, obviously not the type of person that downloaded it and reviewed it.

What would fix this? I think that Android Market has a great idea in the fact that you have to purchase or download the app to be able to rate it. Amazon will let anyone review any item on their site… Any suggestions on how to make this better?

Supermarket Scramble – Free Amazon Appstore App for 7/27/11

	Name: Supermarket Scramble
	Description: If you’ve always dreamed of owning your own business, here’s your (virtual) chance. There’s a catch, however. Your business is a grocery store, and the customers are quite demanding! In Supermarket Scramble, you’ll have to be quick on your feet–I mean, on your fingers–to succeed. Miles of Aisles Feeding the masses is a tough job, but you take great pride in your store and its customer service. In this game, you’ll be quite busy fulfilling shoppers’ grocery lists by lining up at least three in a row of that item on the “product grid.” It’s the classic match-three puzzle game, only with tasty food. Say Shopper One has apples, lettuce, carrots, and sandwiches on her list. As quickly as you can, find places on the grid where you can slide these objects around (swapping adjacent items) to make three in a row horizontally or vertically. Once you’ve found enough of the desired food, that item is checked off the list. When a customer’s list is completed, you tap on the cash register to make the sale. The Customer Is Always Right Sometimes you get the Little Old Lady, who waits semi-patiently while you track down her oranges and bananas. Other times, you get the Diva. She’s late for a cocktail party and needs you to round up her items pronto, do you understand? It’s not easy to make her happy, but if you do there’s a big tip in it for you. And there are plenty of other customers–some of whom you need to unlock–with their own unique quirks. Be sure to watch the patience meters that appear at the bottom of your customers’ lists, which reflect how fast you are filling their order. The faster you complete their order, the more bonus money you can earn. If the meter runs out, however, they leave in a huff and you just lost a sale.


	Download Link: http://goo.gl/moGlZ (Amazon.com)

Some “Best of the Best” accessories for your Android phone:

GRave Defense HD – Amazon Appstore Free App for 7/26/11

Name: GRave Defense HD

Description:
GRave Defense HD is the next step in the evolution of tower defense games. Follow the harrowing encounters of the Fellowship of Survivals as you battle mutated zombies and formidable boss monsters.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
In a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by a nuclear war, hordes of zombies hunger for human flesh. But these aren’t your garden variety zombies. It takes hundreds of rounds of high-caliber bullets to knock down these walking undead. It’s enough to make George Romero break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, you’re packing some serious heat. Obliterate mutant hordes across 20 levels using fire, electricity, lasers, and other things that go boom.

But the situation soon gets from bad to worse. Zombies aren’t the only threats you’ll encounter. Some creatures are flyers that can only be shot down by certain towers. You’ll eventually face off against some of history’s most notorious villains, including Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster.

So Many Zombies, So Little Time
Each battlefield is unique. Visit exotic locations such as the Amazon Rainforest, the Bermuda Triangle, and even a space station that makes the Alien movies look like a Sunday picnic. You must use your array of towers and evolving tactics to survive. As you knock down each creature, you earn money to buy more towers. GRrave Defense is essentially a terrifying balancing act of resource allocation and military necessity.

View animated briefings
GRave Defense Gold on Steroids
GRave Defense HD includes all the levels from the original GRave Defense Gold, plus a new larger, beautiful (beautiful to zombies, anyway) multi-screen level. All levels, towers, mutants, special effects, and achievements are rendered in high-res graphics. Unlock new achievements, enemies, and towers. Earn new military ranks and climb up to the top of the hierarchy.

New Features
Challenge yourself with the new survival mode and four different levels of difficulty. GRave Defense HD also features visible monster paths, tower states and cool-downs, and a display for showing how much money each monster generates. Are you ready to be humanity’s last chance for survival?

Reviews
“If you’re a fan of tower defense games and/or zombies and have a nice device to play this on, get it. Hands-down, Grave Defense HD is one of the best tower defense games on Android.” – Droid Gamers

“…for serious fans of the genre who relish a mighty challenge GRave Defense HD is a title worthy of your strategic prowess.” – Pocket Gamer

Download Link: http://goo.gl/L6EtQ (Amazon.com)