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5 Android apps you shouldn't miss this week! - Android Apps Weekly
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This week’s Android Apps Weekly show is brought to you by VarageSale. VarageSale is a Craigslist kind of application where people can post things they want to sell and you buy them. Unlike Craigslist, you’ll be required to create an account before you can interact with the site which is a mechanic we liked a lot. From there, you simply search around, find the stuff you want, and then buy it.
During our testing, we found all kinds of stuff from cloths to electronics and even an engagement ring. You can browse various categories in areas near you and you can even leave seller feedback which helps show which sellers are the most reliable. It has a lot going for it and it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re getting ready to sell stuff or just want to look around. It’s totally free so check it out and show your support for the Android Apps Weekly show!
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Let’s take a look at the biggest headlines from the last week:
- We managed to get a hold of the official Reddit beta application last week and wanted to show you what it was going to look like. It seems to have a modern design full of Material Design along with a few other fun features. We don’t know when it’ll be released but it seemed to work pretty well to us.
- SoundCloud announced a new stations feature that will give users a chance to listen to music similar to how they do on Pandora. This comes not long after announcing signing deals with a couple of major labels and announcing that they’ll be turning into a legitimate streaming service to battle the likes of Spotify.
- Nintendo has announced that people can start signing up for the closed beta of Miitomo, their first Android game, starting on February 17th. We know a lot about the game already and how it will emulate social media to an extent. However, we won’t know everything until we get our hands on it and that may be sooner than later.
- Even though most of Apple’s apps have received a slew of terrible ratings in the Play Store, they seem to be doing pretty good. How good? Well, Tim Cook announced this week that even more Apple apps will likely be making their way to Android. We don’t know which ones yet, but our guess is likely iCloud and other productivity apps.
- Perhaps the biggest app news from the last week was Microsoft purchasing SwiftKey for $250 million. There hasn’t been a lot of information from either company but the popular guess is that Microsoft is after SwiftKey’s legendary predictive algorithms and AI. For now, nothing is changing, but after seeing what happened to Sunrise Calendar and Accompli, we wouldn’t blame you if you were a bit worried.
For even more Android apps and games news, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter! We had a metric ton of news there that we didn’t have time for here. If you want to sign up, use the form below and we’ll send you the Android Apps Weekly newsletter every Sunday!
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Sundance VR is a newer application released with the idea of showing you full VR content including short films, music videos, and other types of VR stuff. It’s a newer app and there aren’t a lot of selections yet so you may not find the app overly enjoyable right now. However, if you own Google Cardboard or you’re interested in VR, I would keep this app in your crosshairs because it should get a decent selection of unique VR content eventually.
[Price: Free]
The latest LEGO game has hit the Google Play Store and like many were before it, this one is entirely free with no in-app purchases. This one continues the Ninjago series where the prior game left off and includes a lot of the same graphics and mechanics as prior Ninjago games. There is a stealth element where you can hide in the shadows instead of engaging in fights and the controls are very simple. It’s a great title for kids or adults and is especially great if you’re low on money.
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Marvel Avengers Academy is the latest adventure/simulation game out of TinyCo. They are the same developers who did Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff. The game lets you play as your favorite Avengers as teenagers who are just beginning to find their abilities. You’ll battle bad guys, level up your characters, and even do teenager stuff like go on dates. It’s a mixture of adventure and simulation so there will be some management here and there and then some action here and there. It’s free to download but does have in-app purchases.
[Price: Free]
Promo Codes is a new application that is meant to take advantage of the new promo codes feature in Google Play. It’s very simple. Developers sign up for the service and once per day, people using the app can check and see if they get a free promo code. If they do, they get a paid app for free. If not, well, better luck tomorrow. It’s a fun and unique way for developers to utilize their promo codes and even if the users lose out, they get to see a fun new app every day. This should be on every smartphone. Get it.
[Price: $13.99]
Adventures of Mana is a classic RPG that was originally released on Game Boy in the early 1990’s. Don’t worry, though, because Square Enix has updated the graphics and soundtrack to make it look way better than it did back then. The story line and content remains intact and you’ll play once again as the hero trying to keep the Dark Lord Glaive from reaching the sacred Mana Tree and destroying all life. It has simple, touch-based controls. There is also a steep price tag but at least there are no in-app purchases.
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If we missed any big Android apps or games news, tell us about them in the comments!