It’s been way too long since we talked apps on PhoneDog, but that’s about to change because I have 10 Android apps I want to share with you for the month of February. These apps are in no particular order: some are new, some of them recently received updates, and some of them are just plain awesome.
Portalize
The first Android app worth checking out is called Portalize. If you’ve ever played the amazing game Portal, then you need to download this app because it's very similar. Portalize is a puzzle game that consists of shooting various portals around a room to get to a setdestination. There are switches you need to activate, and there’s even a companion cube like in the original Portal game made by Valve.
S Converter
The next Android app worth checking out is called S Converter. It’s my favorite converter app on the Play Store, not only because it’s got a Material Design, but also because it’s very useful. Whether it’s area, currency, energy, force, length, mass, speed, or temperature, you name it and S Converter can convert it. And it’s so dang simple. For example, if you enter in a number, it’ll automatically update various conversion units for you. Seriously, you need this app.
Google Opinion Rewards
Now who likes money? Trick question: we all do. Google has an app called Google Opinion Rewards that pays you Google Play Credit to answer surveys. Google will use the responses to the surveys you answer to send you relevant surveys from researchers. None of the responses from the surveys are connected to your Google profile, but a record of your participation is kept to credit your Google Play balance. The number of surveys varies along with how much credit you earn, but it’s free and it’s a good way to earn some money to buy some cool new apps like the ones I’m mentioning here.
Maplets
Maplets is another neat app that could be very useful for some of you. It costs a few dollars on the Play Store, but it gives you access to so many maps that it’s well worth it. For example, I live in Portland, and Maplets automatically offers a bunch of maps that I may find useful. It even tells you how large the files are, which is a neat touch. The maps themselves are used for reference only and aren’t made for navigation purposes, but they are awesome. They include bike and walking trails, bathrooms, various public buildings like libraries, as well as streets. It truly is a great resource.
WeatherBomb
WeatherBomb is a great app for anyone who has an interest in the weather. It shows you what kind of weather fronts are over a certain region in a very animation-heavy design, which I really like. I also like how you can slide from left to right to see how the system will move through an area throughout the week. You can customize all the units as well as set destinations. And WeatherBomb goes beyond just viewing the precipitation; you can also view cloud cover and wind as well. It’s definitely a must-have for any weather enthusiast.
CALCU
CALCU is a very simple but sexy calculator app that does just about everything you want it to. To access various functions, you either swipe up or down. It records your history as well, so all your problems will be stored. If you accidentally clear a problem, you can view it by swiping down. You can also add additional functions like operators and constants and a bunch of other stuff that is way over my head. Basically, this app can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, and it looks good in the process.
Bar Launcher
Bar Launcher is one of the best discoveries I found because it’s so simple but so useful. All it does is create a bar in your notification panel that gives you access to a selection of apps that you can customize. You can even add multiple rows that are categorized to your liking. Every time you slide down the notification panel, those apps will be there.
Wikipedia Preview
You know Wikipedia, that site you use for all your research papers that your teachers get upset about? Well, it has an app that recently got updated to include a Material Design. It’s called Wikipedia Preview and it’s one of my favorite recent discoveries because you can get all sorts of great information, with sources to back up the information, in a very aesthetically-enjoyable layout.
Google Play Music
One app that you undoubtedly have installed on your Android device is Google Play Music. It’s an app that you may not be using, but you should be because it recently received an update that allows you to upload up to 50,000 songs to the cloud for free. That’s right, 50,000 songs uploaded to the cloud for free. It also has a reasonably-priced All Access service that lets you to explore music from thousands of different artists for $10 a month. The first month is free, so you can try it out and cancel if you don't like it. Google Play Music is my favorite music app and it got even better with the latest update.
Pocket Tanks
The last Android app worth checking out is a game called Pocket Tanks. It’s essentially the mobile version of the Flash game Tanks. Some of you may be too young to remember Tanks, but it was a childhood favorite of mine. Pocket Tanks is super simple because it just involves controlling some tanks that you can upgrade with various weapons. You have a set number of moves and you just fire your guns and try to destroy a computer. It doesn’t have the best graphics, but graphics aren’t everything. Pocket Tanks is still a great game that brings back a lot of nostalgia, and you should definitely download it if you’ve ever played the original Tanks game.
So there you have it, there are 10 of my favorite Android apps of February 2015. Let me know which apps you like from this list, and if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them down below and I’ll check them out myself.