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5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week! - Android Apps Weekly

Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! This week we talk about some Google Photos controversy, apps that mine Dogecoin, and more Android apps and games news!
By
July 3, 2015

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Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are your headlines for this week:

  • First up this week, it’s been announced that Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, will be killing off support for another one of their games called Scrolls. Reports are that you can still play the game through June 2016, but that’s one less game in the Mojang library.
  • CyanogenMod has been teasing a new browser called Gello. This is based on Chromium like many others but this one includes some fun customization features like site-by-site privacy settings. There is no ETA for release yet but this looks like it could be pretty good.
  • Recently, an application was taken down and the developer was sued by the FTC. The reason was because the app was designed to mine Dogecoins when not in use. This not only makes devices slow with terrible battery life, but it’s also illegal in the United States. They settled for just shy of $50,000.
  • Google Photos saw some controversy this week after the app mistakenly tagged black people as gorillas. As you can imagine, this is not good news and people are understandably upset. The developers have issues apologies and have removed gorillas from the database until a permanent fix can be worked out.
  • Select theaters will be having way more fun with the upcoming terminator release than others. It’s been announced that some theaters will let people play a Terminator Genisys game on the theater screen before the movie shows. This is really cool and it should happen more often.

For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There we’ll have the complete list of headlines, updates, and new releases that we didn’t have time for here. If you’re so inclined, you can subscribe with your email address and have this info sent directly to your inbox every Friday!


PushBullet most useful apps for android
Pushbullet

[Price: Free]
Normally we don’t include app updates here but Pushbullet has one so big that we want to talk about it. A recent update has not only cleaned up the user interface a whole bunch, but it’s also added full messaging support. Other improvements include better pushing between devices and your regular bug fixes and performance improvements. If you want a one-stop shop for connecting your computer to your Android device, Pushbullet seems to be the way to go.

Get it on Google Play

Yahoo Aviate Android apps
Yahoo Aviate Launcher

[Price: Free]
Yahoo’s Aviate Launcher is another app that got a huge update this last week that’s worth talking about. The app now includes a new feature called Smart Stream. This is kind of like a competitor to Google Now. It keeps an eye on the stuff you do on your device and then tries to compile a feed of stuff that you might be interested in. This also includes weather data, directions, and it’ll even pull your music app to the front if you plug speakers in.

Get it on Google Play
yahoo aviate launcher android apps weekly

geometry wars 3 icon android apps weekly
Geometry Wars 3

[Price: $4.99]
Geometry Wars 3 was released to the Google Play Store this last week to positive reviews. The game features a glorious display of colors and fast paced game play. It includes over 50 levels including classic arcade levels, 10 battle modes, and multiple control set ups. It’s $4.99 but there are no in-app purchases and the game currently has over 500 positive reviews versus 16 negative reviews. This one’s a no brainer for those looking for a time killer.

Get it on Google Play

vainglory icon android apps weekly
Vainglory

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Vainglory is a hotly anticipated MOBA that released on Android just yesterday. It features a League of Legends-style pay scheme where you can play as much as you want for free but some of the more specialized items and characters may cost a couple of bucks. It features long game matches, customizable hero builds, and all of the awesome stuff that you’d expect in a MOBA. Do be warned, this game packs a serious punch so low end devices may not handle it well.

Get it on Google Play

half life 2 episode 2 android apps weekly
Half-Life 2: Episode 2

[Price: $7.99]
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 was released on Android but there is some bad news. It’s only available for the NVIDIA Shield Tablet and NVIDIA Shield’s Android TV device. If you’ve never played the Half-Life series before, you’ll probably need to at least play Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1 to know what’s going on. This, however, is a console level game with great graphics, a good story, and plenty of things for you to shoot. It’s $7.99 with no in-app purchases.

Get it on Google Play

Wrap up

If we missed any great Android apps and games news this week, let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading and watching. See you next week.