Free multi-player Scrabble comes to Android

Electronic Arts has released a free multi-player Scrabble game for Android, and it’s almost exactly like the company’s iPhone app, but with three major exceptions:

1. The iPhone version has a single-player mode. The Android app does not.
2. The iOS app costs $2.99. The Android app is free.
3. The Android app opens an extraordinarily annoying full-screen advertisement after every single move!

That last one pretty much sucks most of the fun out of this game for me, but to be honest, so does the first. I generally prefer playing Scrabble against a computer than against friends or random people online. I may be in the minority there though, or Words With Friends and WordFeudwouldn’t be as popular as they are.

Anyway, if you can get past the ads, Scrabble Free for Android does have a few nice features including the ability to play with people using either the Android or iOS app. You can play up to 50 games at once, so you always have something to do while waiting for your opponent to play their hand. There’s also a “Teacher” tool which shows you the best word from the round you just played, letting you know just how many more points you could have had if you had a larger vocabulary.

Maxthon browser for Android now supports add-ons

One of the things that helped make the Mozilla Firefox browser popular (among geeks anyway) was the early support for add-ons that could enhanced the browser’s capabilities, add new features, or change the look and feel of the browser. Now we’re starting to see mobile browsers take a similar turn toward the add-on. Dolphin Browser HD and Firefox Mobile already support add-ons, and now the Maxthon mobile web browser does as well.

Maxthon 2.2 came out last week, and it brought a new add-on framework. Right now there are only a handful of add-ons available and they were all developed from the Maxthon team:

• Bookmark Backup: Backup your bookmarks to an SD card or restore previously saved bookmarks.
• Web Snapshot: Take  a screenshot of the full-sized web page that you’re viewing.
• Task Killer: Exit apps that are running in the background.
• File Manager: Expolore and manage files on your phone from within the browser.

You can download the add-ons from the Android Market. There’s also a setting within the browser that gives you a list of available add-ons.

The Maxthon browser is generally a pretty decent alternative to the stock Android browser. It features tabs at the top of the screen making it easy to switch between open browser windows. The user interface is also customizable with themes. There’s an integrated RSS reader. And you can customize the new tab page with links to your favorite web sites.

Android App Review: Grenadier

Grenadier is a grenade throwing game from BitWhiz. It’s basically an android version of Fragger on the iOS devices, and a poor version at that. The game can be fun, but the controls often ruin it, and graphics could really use an overhaul.

The game has you throw grenades from a fixed position. You control the direction of the throw and the force behind it. You have to kill every enemy in a level with the limited number of grenades provided to you. There are some other obstacles introduced, like breakable boards blocking certain enemies or rockets that you can launch. The game can be quite difficult at times, but never for the right reasons. It’s almost always because of the poor controls. Aiming is difficult, and doesn’t seem to follow the arrow like it should. This is a constant issue in the game, and drags the entire experience down with it. Even after you get used to the controls, the levels just aren’t very fun. Something that really kills this game, for me at least, is that it isn’t just a clone using the same mechanics of another game. That’s a common occurrence, but those games often add a new element or two, and a different art style. This game rips of Fragger in multiple ways, from the arrow to some of the aesthetics, and even some exact duplicates of level designs, identical to Fragger. That just bothered me.

The game doesn’t look very good. It’s not awful, but several things just look awkward. It’s also a pretty glitchy game, which can actually help you at some times, but hurt you at others. On one hand, it’s just a mediocre clone. On the other hand, there really aren’t many games of this kind on the Android. And since this app IS completely free, I guess there’s no harm in trying it out for yourself. There is another version of the game called Grenadier Pro, but the only thing it does is subtract advertisements, so avoid it unless you really can’t stand advertisements. Check it out.

Gameloft to Release 9mm Gunfight Game like gta to Android

Gameloft has released info and a new trailer for its up-coming title 9mm, a GTA style game with lots of gunfights. The game will be available soon for iPhone, iPad and Android. Here is more info along with a couple of character art and a video. Be aware: the video includes some mature content:







John "Loose" Kannon is the leader of a special team of hardened cops that aren't afraid to bend the law to clean up the streets. But when they kill a local drug lord's brother and steal millions in cash, Kannon's whole team becomes a target of revenge. Now Kannon has only one option: Take down the gang leader that's hunting them, legally or not, before his team gets taken out first.

Key Game Features:
- Up to 12 players multiplayer in both online or local mode with free for all and team deathmatch, 4 unique maps
- Dive headlong into stylish gunfights where you’ll jump, shoot and fire clip after
clip in stunning slow motion stunts to take out rooms full of criminals
- Become engrossed in the dark story of gang wars, crooked cops and betrayal
that will take you through 12 levels and lead you from the dankest slums all the
way to Mexico.
- Arm yourself 16 different weapons & numerous power-ups that can be bought in the shop
- A hip-hop/rap soundtrack that emphasizes the tone of the game, including
artists such as: Apathy, Beanie Sigel & Freeway & Jake One.

Enjoy Skype Video Calls on your Android Phone!

Android phone owners can now have their fill of free video conferences with the updated Skype application! Got 3G and WiFi connections? If you do, you’re on your way to a series of enjoyable video chat!

Some of the handsets that can have this updated Skype app for Android are HTC Desire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro, Sony Ericsson Xperia neo, and Google Nexus S. And if you are an owner of Samsung Galaxy S or S II, no worries because there’s a patched version that will work on both courtesy of theoS0o at XDA.

Take note, however, that your phone needs to have Android 2.3 version or above in order to run the Skype app for Android. And of course, video chat calls for a camera, so yours must have one, specifically a front-facing camera.

With Skype in your handset you can easily make video calls to your contacts in various platforms including iPhone, Mac, Windows PC, and even a handful of TVs! Talk about convenience!

And that’s not all! Skype app for Android has a handful of new features that you’d love! Check it out for a new main menu, dial pad, new mood message box, and ability to send SMS messages from the Android app.

Don’t have the Skype app for Android yet? Head on now to the Android market or Skype.com/m to get it!

HTC Desire Android 2.3 Update Coming Soon

HTC Desire was one of the company's flagships at the time of its launch, but the handset has been left behind today, with the arrival of other HTC droids (as is the case with any Android smartphone). As a result, the company had announced that the Android 2.3 update will not be provided to the Desire, a statement it retracted almost immediately. Yet there was no specific time frame mentioned by the company. While some users in the UK have already received the update, others around the world are still left waiting.

HTC has put out the word on Facebook that the company has finished testing the Gingerbread update and it's only a matter of time before they roll it out to users all over the world. The company says that most users around the world will get the update by the end of this month. However, HTC Desire users may be disappointed to learn that the update comes with certain limitations. Since the HTC Desire has limited ROM capacity (512 MB), some of the application will be removed from the update. Nevertheless, the applications can be downloaded to the smartphone without much trouble from the Android Market or HTC's app hub.

It's good to know that HTC will be rolling out the update to most of its users, which shows that old customers are still a priority for the company. That being said, most users will have already opted for custom ROMs to get the Gingerbread experience. Developer groups like XDA and Cyanogen Mod make it easier for the users to get the latest Android experience without having to wait for the update provided by the manufacturer.

Google Secretly Launches Version 3 of Disco Group Messaging App

Google+ has hogged all the limelight though Google pretended it did not want all the attention it is getting at the moment.

Of course, it was a clever PR strategy to hide something and reveal bits and pieces about it, invite a few and then bar the rest so that there is a flurry of activity and desperate attempts to get in. That is exactly what happened with Google+, and Google did succeed in getting all the positive attention it wanted.

However, what most of you may not know is that Google has been secretly working on Disco, a group messaging app for Smartphones. It is made by the Slide team within Google, and the company has refused to talk about it no matter what. According to an article written by MG Siegler moments ago, the Slide team is still furiously working on the Disco app, and today they have unveiled Version 3 of the app.

Things according to the reviewer have really begun to look great. Disco not only allows you to chat with a number of people at once, but the new version announced today allows the user to share photos, chat one to one, and also have surprisingly integrated rival products Twitter and Yelp. The new ‘Star’ command would allow you to choose to follow Twitter feeds if anybody within the Disco group and you could also call up Yelp recommendations from anyone within the group.

Finally, you can also create polls and get them answered by those who are in your Disco list. If your friends are not on Disco yet, you could even SMS them right from within the app. Neither the Slide team nor Google would talk about Disco and its developments, and it clearly shows that Google has not stopped at just Google+ and work is underway for further developments in the field of instant messaging and chatting. Disco is available at App Store and Android Market.

At the moment, Disco seems to be available only for US phones and it would allow group texting to almost 99 people, have private chartrooms, use ‘Star commands’ for feedback and answers, and even conduct polls as mentioned earlier. While the Facebook – Skype deal and Twitter’s BackType Acquisition have all pointed towards a larger social media battle, it looks like the big technology companies are leaving no loose ends that might cause competition to stifle their businesses.

Hungry Shark 3 for Android

The Hungry Shark will available in a new form in this 3^rd part. It is a wonderful game you can enjoy this feel while you play the game. You can control the shark, you will eat anything what you see, By navigating the shark you can eat and grow as bigger as possible and it will make harder to navigate in smaller areas and obstacle areas and also if you don’t eat anything or eat lesser amount you will end up in dyeing. The Hungry Shark hit the mark of 6 million download

Android malware spies on your SMS messages

The Symbian, Windows Mobile and Blackberry modules of the notorious Zeus malware toolkit (also known as ZBot) have been known about for some months, and it has been clear that Zeus gang was interested in developing malware for mobile platforms.

However, until now we have not seen any evidence of Zeus targeting users who own Android or iOS (iPhone/iPad) devices.

This fact was quite surprising to us, considering the popularity of the Android and iOS platforms and the growing prevalence of malware being written for the Google Android operating system in particular.

In the last couple of days, however, there has been quite a lot of discussion on the mobile malware analysis mailing lists about a version of a an Android version of Zeus.

We eventually concluded that this was a malicious application that Sophos products have been detecting as Andr/SMSRep-B since 31st May 2011.

The malicious application pretends to be an Android version of Trusteer Rapport banking security tool, and was served to devices running the Google Android OS by a web server which was set up to deliver Zbot malware to multiple platforms.

After the fact, it was not difficult to connect the Android application with Zeus toolkit, although we could not conclude 100% that there was a connection.

The installed application uses a stolen Rapport icon and displays a simple screen when launched on affected device.

The fake Rapport application registers a Broadcast receiver which intercepts all received SMS messages and forwards the messages to a malicious web server using HTTP POST requests. The stolen SMS messages are encoded using a JSON encoding scheme, often used by
various web services.

Although the application is clearly designed to steal the content of SMS messages, its not very sophisticated.

That's why we cannot be 100% sure that this is indeed a part of the Zeus kit. The URL of the command and control server is hard-coded into the source code, for example, which makes the application quite inflexible for installation on an alternative server.

Nevertheless, this malicious Android application is interesting as it combines spyware functionality with the concept of fake security software. As we've seen recently in the Mac OS X world, fake anti-virus software is one of the most common themes adopted by malicious hackers in their attacks.

Eventually, the doubt whether this is really part of the Zeus family or not remains.

I suppose only the developers of Zeus kit know for certain. Unfortunately I have no means of contacting them, and even if I did I doubt they would be prepared to confirm or deny this theory.

Android app picks for 10 july

CardioTrainer Plus ($9.99)

OK, I’ll be honest: I don’t exercise nearly as much as I should. Heck, if there isn’t a cheeseburgerincentive, I won’t do it all. But on the rare occasion that I feel energized enough to get off my couch and go for a run, I love CardioTrainer Pro. It’s got a ton of cool features: in-app music player, GPS route tracking, an exercise scheduler for each day of the week, and a nifty planner to plot your weight-loss goals on a long-term basis. It’s got a widget for your homescreen that shows your calorie-burning goals and how long it will take to achieve them, and if that isn’t enough incentive to get off your butt, you can even share your fitness progress with other CardioTrainer users. If you’re more of a casual trainer, start off with the free version—Pro will cost you $10. If you’re serious about fitness, though, it’s well worth the Hamilton. [Market Link]

 Sony Ericsson Data Monitor (Free)

It's easy to lose track of your cellular data usage at times. With constant app updates, web browsing and new features like Google+ Instant Upload, you could be approaching your monthly allocation of ones and zeroes before you know it. Unfortunately, not all carriers provide a convenient way to keep an eye on how much data you're burning through. However, if you've got a Sony Ericsson phone, then the manufacturer has you covered with a newly-released app on its Android Market channel. The Sony Ericsson Data Monitor app tracks mobile data consumption in both directions, and gives you the option to set an alert when your usage hits a certain level. If you're on a monthly contract, you can set the counter to reset at the start of your billing month. If you've already pre-paid for a set amount of data, there's the option to enter a start date instead. There's even a chart function included to allow you to see how your data usage has changed from day to day, or even during specific hours of the day. If you've got a Sony Ericsson phone and would like a little more control over how much mobile data you use, then this one is a no-brainer -- it's available for free from the SE channel on the Android Market. [Market Link]

 BBC News (Free)

If you’re a fan of the BBC or just want easy access to top stories throughout the world, BBC Newsis a must have app. The homescreen of the app is very well done. It displays a variety of stories separated by category, such as Top Stories, US & Canada and Technology. It allows you to edit the topics that are displayed as well. The stories displayed have thumbnails that give users a quick glimpse as to the main theme of the story. There is also a nifty feature where you can swipe right and left on the categories to gain access to more stories. The app allows the stories to be shared to basically wherever you want, including Google+, Twitter and Facebook. Other features include live audio and video streams. This is a terrific news app that has an incredible UI and makes it easy to read and browse the top stories of the day. [Market Link]

Pzizz $5.59

During college, I stayed up insanely late at school and worked third shift when I was on break. Even though I'm several years out of school, I still find it hard to get to sleep at a "normal" hour, and if something is occupying my mind at all, I can lay in bed for hours before I finally nod off, just to wake up restless in the morning. A few weeks ago, I started seeing reviews pop up for Pzizz, and they were positive enough that I decided to give it a try. How Pzizz works is you set it to go off and then this monotone voice will speak over background noise that the developer says will be unique each time. The guy talking says some pretty silly things, but the point of it isn't to listen to him, it's more like white noise that will help you calm down. I've used it pretty consistently since I first installed it and while it didn't "cure" my insomnia, I find it a lot easier to get to sleep on most nights, and for whatever reason I feel better in the morning as well. The app is on the pricey side, but if you're like me and are tired of waking up grumpy every morning, it could be the best $5 you'll spend this week. [Market Link]