30 Best Android apps

30 best Android apps of this year

Viewers can now play along with the Antiques Roadshow on their smartphones

With the number of impressive Android smartphones and tablets increasing steadily – see this week's Nexus 4 review for the latest example – it's good to see that the flow of interesting Android apps is also continuing in early 2013.

Here's our pick of the 30 most notable new apps on the Google Play store, with a slightly extended focus to reflect the fact that the last weekly roundup was on 21 December. This week's 30 Best iPhone and iPad apps roundup is now also live.

Antiques Roadshow Play-along (Free)

The BBC has launched this "play-along" app for its Antiques Roadshow TV programme, taking the form of a valuation game that tests whether you can guess how much items are worth before they're valued on-screen by the show's experts. The app is designed to play along live with the show, whether you're watching live or on catchup.

Zombies, Run! 5k Training (£0.69)

The excellent Zombies, Run! was a fitness app with a twist: virtual zombies chasing you along your running paths. Now it's got a spin-off based on an eight-week training programme for people to work up to 5km runs. As before, it comes with a zombified storyline from author Naomi Alderman.

Pitfall! (Free)

Atari reinvented its classic Pitfall game as a freemium Temple Run-style game for iOS last year. Now it's available on Android too, as Pitfall Harry runs through jungles, caves and villages leaping over obstacles and whipping beasties. Power-ups add spice, with in-app purchases prominent in the gameplay mix.

Facebook Pages Manager (Free)

This app went live quietly on Google Play on 3 January with no official announcement at the time of writing, and it also appears to be US-only – something that may change by the time you read this. It's an Android version of Facebook's iPhone app for Page admins, helping them post updates, read and respond to comments, and analyse traffic to their Facebook Pages.

Sing! Karaoke (Free)

Developer Smule has made its name with a series of quirky-but-creative music apps, with Sing! Karaoke being its latest – initially for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, with more device support to follow. It gets people singing into their microphone to a selection of current hits, sharing their performances with the world and (hopefully) getting praise in return. In-app purchases are used to get premium songs to sing along with.

MailOnline Tablet

With website traffic continuing to rocket, MailOnline is also ramping up its tablet publishing with this new Android app. Designed for larger-screened devices, it offers the latest stories on all things Kardashian (plus other topics, of course) through themed channels, with social features and photo galleries thrown in.

Zime (BETA) | To-do + Calendar (Free)

Looking for a whizzy personal productivity app? Zime's schtick is its 3D timeline of upcoming tasks and meetings, which scrolls off into the distance on-screen. It syncs with various calendars, with the promise that it'll soon go beyond pure diary dates to "become your personal time coach". It's currently in public beta, so may be a bit crashy.

Tapatalk HD Beta (Free)

Another beta here to test out, this time for Android tablets. Based on the existing smartphone version, it's an app for visiting tens of thousands of online forums, making them play nicer with the touchscreen. Version 1.0 is set to launch as a paid app at the end of January, with a discount promised for beta users of this version.

Final Fantasy II (£6)

Games publisher Square Enix has been working hard on bumping up its Android efforts, particularly around its classic RPG franchise Final Fantasy. This is the second game in the series, originally released in 1988. Expect plenty of retro dungeoneering, although some device owners are reporting crashes while playing, so it's worth reading the Google Play comments before buying.

Final Fantasy Dimensions for Android

Final Fantasy Dimensions (£13.99)

More expensive, but arguably more appealing to fans who've already played FFII a couple of times, is Final Fantasy Dimensions. The basic ingredients are similar: battles, character growth and a suitably epic storyline – plus chiptune background music as an additional in-app purchase, which feels a bit rich considering the basic price.

GymPact - Reward your workout (Free)

It truly is the time of year for new fitness apps to launch, promising to help smartphone owners shift their festive bellies'n'bottoms. GymPact has been available on iPhone for a while, but now it's on Android too: a US-based app to track your workouts, and reward you with actual cash if you stick to your plan – funded by payments from those who don't. An intriguing idea.

Sonic Jump (£1.46)

More famous old gaming characters leaping onto Android – literally in the case of Sonic the Hedgehog in this game. It sees Sonic leaping upwards through a series of 48 platform levels, including boss battles with arch-foe Dr Eggmanm with online leaderboards and challenges adding a social spin.

BBC News Widget by Feedly (Free)

Feedly is a simple but effective Android homescreen widget for the BBC News website, joining several others for rival sites in its roster. Available for free, it's a quick way to keep abreast of popular news stories on the Beeb's news site.

Demons' Score THD (£13.99)

And one more game from Square Enix, albeit this time not based on Final Fantasy. Instead, this is a music rhythm game with umpteen demons, talking teddy bears and a college heroine called Serenity who has to make sense of it all. It sounds strange, but plays very well.

Dueling Blades (Free)

Social game publisher 6waves is also committed to Android releases, with Dueling Blades its latest. It's a 3D fantasy action strategy game that sees you battling against bandit, pirate and undead enemies, as well as your friends over the network.

Kii Keyboard (Free)

And still the alternative Android keyboard apps keep coming, despite SwiftKey, Swype and Google's own revamped keyboard seeming to have the market sewn up. Kii Keyboard is another beta, too, aiming to combine SwiftKey-style prediction with Swype-style, er, swiping.

Mrs. Brown's Boys (£0.99)

Love it or hate it – and there are plenty of people in both camps – TV sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys has been a huge hit in the UK and Ireland. Its official app is more of a marketing tool, with soundboards, a translator and bundled ringtones.

Space Ace (£3.99)

Here's a blast from the past for gamers of a certain age: Don Bluth's Space Ace, which back in 1984 came from the same laserdisc studio that made Dragon's Lair. Running on smartphones and tablets, this Android version sees you guiding space-hero Ace through a series of perils.

Kasabian (Free)

Kasabian are the latest band to get their own Android app, serving up social media posts, backstage photos and video clips, and fresh tunes when they're posted online. The app also promises competitions, ticket access and "the facillity to interact with the band at live shows in real time".

Ant Raid (£0.60)

HeroCraft's Ant Raid has been getting some storming reviews on iOS and Android alike, putting you in charge of an ant colony trying to fend off swarms of monsters. It's real-time strategy meets Plants vs. Zombies, with lots of legs. Well worth a look.

It's a Small World (£0.61)

Here's an interesting idea from Disney: an Android live wallpaper based on a musical boat ride from its theme parks. The wallpaper features a number of Disney characters, with bright colours and a characterful visual style.

Metal Slug (£1.49)

More retro gaming here, courtesy of SNK Playmore's update of its Metal Slug 2D action-shooter. This is a port of the original NeoGeo version of the game, as you blast your way through a series of levels rescuing prisoners-of-war and upgrading your weapons. There's also a Bluetooth co-op mode for local multiplayer.

Zoo Train for Android

Zoo Train (£1.22)

As more Android devices make their way (via parents) into the hands of children, there's going to be a big market for kids' apps on Google Play in 2013. Zoo Train is a good-looking example from developer Busy Bee Studios: a collection of five mini-games with light educational elements: letters, music, patterns and shapes.

Our Solar System - Kids Book (Free)

There's also an appetite for free children's apps on Android, meaning Our Solar System may prove popular in the weeks to come. It focuses on the planets of the solar system, with facts, memory quizzes and an asteroid-blasting mini-game.

Fitsby (Free)

Fitsby is another app aiming to help people stay motivated in the gym, with this one also focused on encouraging competitive support within groups of friends. The idea: you check in when starting a gym session, and bet real or virtual money against friends to see who works out most. I'm a bit uneasy about gambling as the mechanism to spur keeping fit, but it'll be interesting to see if others disagree.

ExZeus 2 (£2.57)

Another Android game that's good for showing off the capabilities of Tegra-powered devices, ExZeus 2 is a 3D shoot 'em up with robots battling in the air and on the ground, with an experience-point system to upgrade your own robo-fighter as you play through the game.

Killer Escape (Free)

One more game to cover this week: the spooky Killer Escape, which sees you waking up "in a cold and dirty cell confronted by a twisted serial killer". Those Christmas party comedowns can be tough... The Google Play description is terse, to say the least, but its demo video makes Killer Escape look like an interesting touchscreen take on point'n'click adventures.

GMD Smart Rotate (Free)

A simple, one-use app for Android devices that uses the front-facing camera to rotate the screen based on your face's orientation, as well as using it to keep the screen turned on when you're gazing at it.

MoodPanda - Mood Diary (Free)

This mood-tracking app has picked up some impressive reviews for its iPhone version. Now it's available on Android. It aims to get you tracking your moods day-to-day, then looking back at them over a period of weeks and months, for more awareness of what's been affecting your happiness.

SleepyTime: Bedtime Calculator (Free)

If it's lack of sleep that's making you grumpy, SleepyTime may help. It's one of a number of apps aiming to wake you up in a better mood by timing it between sleep cycles, so you're less "groggy and exhausted". If your morning routine allows you to be this flexible, it could be just the thing.

That's our selection, but what's been floating your boat on Android devices over Christmas and New Year? Make your recommendations or comment on these picks by posting a comment
.

Android devices

Jelly Bean now on over 10% Android devices, Gingerbread finally below 50%

Google has shared the monthly Android distribution data, and if you had money on Jelly Bean hitting the 10% mark, it's time to claim your share of the winnings.As per data released on 3 January 2013, Jelly Bean now accounts for 10.2% of devices, with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0.x) now present on an impressive 29.1% of the devices. Gingerbread (Android 2.x) is still going strong, but is finally below the 50% mark for the first time since reaching that milestone.
Android 2.2 and 2.1 together stay above the 10% mark, at a combined marketshare of 11.4%, down from 13% last month. With no upgrade path for most of these devices, the reduction is likely down to people finally ditching their old devices in favour of new ones.
While Jelly Bean hitting 10% mark may seem like good news, it's not all rosy if you look closer. With Jelly Bean having come to represent two different Android versions - Android 4.1 and Android 4.2 - there's further fragmentation, with Android 4.1 accounting for 9% of the devices, while Android 4.2 being present of 1.2%. In other words, hiding behind that over 10% figure for Jelly Bean is the fact, that only 1.2% of Android devices are running the latest Android version.
Contrast that with the iOS world, where barely a week after iOS 6 was released, over 50% of iOS devices worldwide were running the latest version of Apple's OS.

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Top 5 car racing action games

Top 5 car racing action games on Android: Jan 2013

Car racing games have always enticed gamers, and even on Android car racing and related games have a long list of followers. Believe it or not, car racing is popular among all age groups, and with accelerometer and gyroscope based controls Android devices have given a whole new meaning to car racing action games. While there are plenty of applications out there we have shortlisted a few of the most popular and most liked games on Android. So if you are in search of some four-wheeled action, look no further.

NFS Most Wanted

Bringing the best in racing, Need for Speed merchandise has always been dear to gaming fanatics. Now designed for a new, more connected generation of racing fans, Need for Speed Most Wanted offers players an expansive open world packed with exhilarating action where you can choose your own path to become the Most Wanted. Players get the ultimate freedom to drive anywhere, discover hidden game play, take down rivals, challenge friends, or take it out with the cops. Everything you do counts towards the end goal of becoming number one on the personal Most Wanted list.

The only rule in Need for Speed Most Wanted is to race without rules. There's a start and a finish to every race, but how the player races; where; when they choose to compete; and the skills they choose to compete with are all up to them. It isn't enough to be the Most Wanted amongst rivals and cops. Along with that players can also go one on one with their real life friends using the Autolog online game play service developed in house by the developers of the game.

The game brings a host of new limited edition cars for racers to race and test-drive with. There are also limited edition vehicles like the Hummer H1 Alpha made available for users for some serious heavyweight action.

Asphalt 7 Heat

While NFS had its own share of popularity, the Asphalt 7 Heat for mobile devices has just turned the heat up, literally. Asphalt 7 Heat is the sequel to Asphalt 6 Adrenaline, and the game brings better graphics and much more immersive and visually appealing game play as compared to all the older versions that have been launched till now.

In Asphalt 7 Heat players get to drive 60 different cars from the world's most prestigious manufacturers, like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin, including the legendary DeLorean to name a few, and race against opponents in an action packed game. Players get to race on 15 different tracks set in real cities around the world, including brand new tracks in Hawaii, Paris, London, Miami and Rio.

There is plenty of offline action for gamers, but there is much more online competition as well. The completely revamped multiplayer game play lets players take on up to five friends locally or online. Keep track of who's the best with the new Asphalt Tracker that lets players compare stats, show off achievements and challenge rivals. And that's not al: players can also find new online opponents with the matchmaking system and gear up for some new challenges.

GT Racing: Motor Academy Free+

Well well, if you are struggling to keep yourself in the podium position then its time for some training behind the wheel and what is better than the GT Racing Motor academy. The application tries teaching the basics of how a person should race and the bottom-line is that everything should be done responsibly and respectfully.

If you think this is going to be boring and monotonous then you are absolutely wrong. The GT Racing Motor Academy teaches as well as offers challenges that players have to go through in order to succeed in their careers, and what they get for this is newer, faster, more powerful cars to race with, better experience points, and much more.

The game is a comprehensive package when it comes to motor racing on mobile devices and to top it all up it teaches players how to be responsible, rather than just going in full throttle.

Drag Race

Drag racing-be it in real life or on screen, requires a great degree of neuromuscular coordination to achieve the perfect gearshift that accelerates you beyond the finish line while your opponent struggles beside you. Drag racing for Android is based on the same basic principles but makes the game a lot more mobile and pocket friendly.

The game play can largely be classified into two different modes, one being the online mode, and the other being the offline mode. In the online mode the game can be played amongst other players worldwide on the drag racing servers, which the game automatically connects to. The more you score the better it gets and highest scorers also get a chance to showcase their name across all the mobiles playing this game.

The player basically starts at level 1; you know how it goes from there. As the player graduates the cars get costlier and so do the upgrades. But users need to keep their cars upgraded and tuned to the maximum when competing against real life opponents. Upgrades also increase the category or tier of the car so control your urge to upgrade the car to the max as a fully upgraded tier 2 car is as good as a tier 4 stock car.

Zombie Highway

And in all, if you are a bit tired of the racing then take a break with the Zombie Highway where in you don't need to race anyone but you get to kill zombies along an endless desert highway. The Zombie Highway game has been popular on the iOS operating system, but with the Android version things have just turned sweeter. The game play involves players having to drive a car, along with a selection of weapons and loads of zombies to kill. But it's not as simple as it might sound because zombies are also clever and they won't exactly come in front of the car to get squashed like bugs, but will fight from the sides and will try to tip your car over in order to stop you and make you their prey.

The more you kill the better your score, and the better you score the more money you earn for powerful weapons and vehicles that resist zombies better than a normal mini car.

Users can also scrape off zombies with the other vehicles that form a barrier on the road, so if you have a zombie on the side just scrape it off with the help of a lying vehicle or just kill the damn bugger, but beware there are no second chances, and if the zombies get hold of you once then you are done and the game just ends there, so play smart and play bold.

MacBook Pro and Air

Apple to launch new versions of MacBook Pro and Air in June 2013

It seems that Apple is already working to release new improved version of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro by June 2013, according to a report in Digitimes. The report states that Apple has asked supply chain makers to revise the notebook models.

It also states that the sources pointed out that the MacBook Air for 2013 will feature a new processor platform, but its industrial design will not see any major changes. 

The MacBook Air is seen in this file photo. AFP

The report also hints that Apple could reduce the price of the old MacBook Air models before the launch of the new version and thus cause put pressure on makers of Ultrabooks.

Apple had launched new versions of the MacBook Air and Pro at its annual WWDC conference in June last year. It had sharply reduced the size and thickness of the MacBook Pro to make it nearly as slim as the Air.

Apple says 'do not disturb'

The bug keeping iPhone owners awake at night: Apple says 'do not disturb' issue will not be fixed (but not until next week)

Apple has confirmed it cannot fix a bug that has woken thousands of iPhone owners every night since January 1.

The phone's 'do not disturb' feature is designed to silence the handset during set hours to prevent any disturbance while users sleep or if they are in a meeting.

However, it stopped working on New Year's Day, and the firm today confirmed it will not work again until January 7 to a glitch in the way Apple's software deals with dates.

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Venus and Serena Willliams in a new TV ad for the Do Not Disturb feature - which Apple has been forced to admit has not worked since New Year's Day

'After January 1st, 2013, Do Not Disturb mode stays on past its scheduled end time,' Apple said in a statement on its support site.

'Do Not Disturb scheduling feature will resume normal functionality after January 7, 2013.

 

'Before this date, you should manually turn the Do Not Disturb feature on or off.'

The Do Not Disturb feature was added to the latest version of Apple's iOS software so users could sleep without being woken or go to meetings without being disturbed.

Users can manually turn Do Not Disturb on or off, or can set a scheduled time for Do Not Disturb to kick in automatically and then reset later. 

The software is used to silence the phone during meetings and at night - but will not work properly again until January 7th due to a glitch

Many users set Do Not Disturb to turn on around bedtime and reset the following day so they are not disturbed by calls on new message alerts during the night.

However, users discovered on January 1 that Do Not Disturb did not automatically reset as scheduled, so calls and message alerts sounded as normal - causing many to wake up, or be interrupted during meetings.

It prompted scores of iPhone users to flood blogs and internet chat boards to vent their frustration.

Apple's explanation of the problem, telling users to simply wait

Apple iOS developer Patrick McCarron suggested on Twitter that Apple had made a common mistake by incorrectly formatting how its iOS software defines dates, allowing the underlying software, based on Unix, to define the final week of 2012 as ending on January 7.

Apple has previously had a string of similar problems with dates. 

In March 2011, the iPhone 4 clocks went back rather than forward as daylight saving changed. 

Earlier in the same year, a clock glitch prevented alarms from sounding on New Year's Day, and the devices also struggled to adjust to the end of daylight savings time back in November.

 

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robotics competition

NASA Glenn helps kick-off high school robotics competition

NASA Glenn scientists and engineers will partner with high school students from across the state on Jan. 5 as part of the kick-off event for FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. 

NASA Glenn scientists partner with high school teams to provide expertise in the field of robotics.Sun News 

FIRST is an annual robotics competition that challenges students from across the nation to design and build various robotic appliances. 

The Jan. 5 event will be held at the Cuyahoga Community College Unified Technologies Center at 10:30 a.m. NASA television will broadcast the event. Berea and Midpark High School will both have teams participating in the competition. 

Glenn scientists partner with a number of teams. The NASA employees share their experience and expertise with the students.

Happy New Year

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Earth to be closest to Sun

Earth to be closest to Sun on Wednesday

New Delhi: Stargazers will get a celestial treat on New Year with Sun coming nearest to our planet on Wednesday.

The Earth will be at its nearest point from the Sun at 10:10 am on Wednesday at a distance of 147 million kilometres, Planetary Society of India General Secretary N Sri Raghunandan Kumar said on Tuesday.

Every January, the Earth is at perihelion, the closest from the Sun for the year, and in July it is at aphelion, the farthest to the Sun for the year, he said.

This year the earth will be at aphelion on July 5. 

The word perihelion comes from the Greek words "peri" (meaning "near") and "helios" (meaning "sun").

All planets, comets and asteroids in our solar system have elliptical orbits. Thus, they all have a closest and a farthest point from the Sun -- a perihelion and an aphelion, he said.

Explaining the reason why the temperature does not rise on Perihelion Day even when the sunlight is more, Kumar said, "There are many reasons for it. Blame it on the tilt of the Earth's axis. Actually, our seasons are determined by the tilt of the Earth and not by how close the Earth is to the Sun."