Amazon Free App of the Day - Thursday 3/31/11

written by: Nick Kosmides

Halfbrick Studios' fruit slicing mayhem can be had for free today on the Amazon Appstore for Android.  One of the better Android games available, Fruit Ninja should not be missed by anyone.

Plenty of achievements and unlockables, like the ability to change the background to better see the fruit splatter upon or equip different blade effects.  Classic Mode utilizes a simple 3-strikes rule and keeps track of your high score, but watch out for game ending bombs.  Zen Mode is where you go to rack up combos for 1 minute and 30 seconds without the fear of bombs. And finally the newly added Arcade Mode is a score based mode with bombs that deal negative points and 'special' fruit to liven the gameplay.

All this, plus its Feint enabled for leaderboards, achievements and social gaming. Pick it up for free on the Amazon Appstore and save .99cents on a game that's actually worth a buck.

Fruit Ninja - $0.99 FREE

Amazon Free App of the Day - Wednesday 3/30/11

written by: Nick Kosmides

From games like Angry Birds and Doodle Jump to apps like SwiftKey and now Sound Hound, Amazon is pulling no stops in diversifying early Amazon Appstore adopters with their free app a day choices.

Though, with Shazam having been free just a few days ago, what's the big idea behind offering up anything song recognition app for free? Sound Hound does offer users a few different features.  Like the ability to sing or hum the song yourself and have it be recognized.  This would be great for people who hang out in karaoke bars all the time, or if you wanted to cheat while playing Name That Tune.

Seriously, I'm getting the vibe that Amazon has an ace of spades up their sleeves.  Both Shazam and Sound Hound Infinity offering users the ability to go from song recognition to Amazon MP3 purchase in just a couple clicks.  Hmm, sounds to me like Amazon is phishing for some MP3 business through the FAAD deal.

Don't get me wrong, I love buying from Amazon MP3 over iTunes for several reasons. But this is all too suspect to ignore.  You can form your own opinions.  I have a feeling a lot of people will overlook this deep insight into these two apps.  With my games testing background, I simply shan't.

Sound Hound Infinity - $4.99 FREE

Amazon Cloud Player gives 5GB free storage

written by: Nick Kosmides

Every want to jump on this cloud bandwagon but didn't have the funds?  Still unsure what its all about?  Well Amazon is at it again introducing people to the latest and greatest technologies while making it refreshing and easy to understand.

The Amazon Cloud Player gives you 5GB of free online storage for you to upload your own tunes currently harboring refuge on your devices, or to store purchased Amazon MP3 tracks.  My weapon of choice will be both, since I personally chose the Amazon MP3 store over Apple's own iTunes due to Amazon's higher bit rate. Dollar for MB its a better deal.

On top of the storage, you can use the cloud to actual play the tracks on your internet connected devices simply by using a web browser or an Android phone.  But be careful as this will tax your mobile data plans if you aren't on one of them mysteriously disappearing unlimited plans. Not to mention what this will do to your battery.

Give it a go and tell me your experiences in the comments below.

Amazon Cloud Player

Amazon Free App of the Day - Tuesday 3/29/11

written by: Nick Kosmides

Android users had muscled their way through many iPhone vs. Android debates only to be faced with the age old recant "Well iPhone has Angry Birds so there." It wasn't long was quite a while until Android was tossing its own birds at safeguarded swine, only to be pestered by ads bogging the otherwise perfect gameplay down.  Albeit, it was all free, but at what cost?  Ads.

Not anymore thanks to the Amazon Appstore.  I'm not preaching its awesomeness, only reporting on it. Seasons in my eyes was the best one.  Not the first, not the worst, and loaded with skins.  Skins are the future of portable pocket-sized potable perfectly ported to p-Androids p-everywhere.  Err, you get the point. And yes, I said drinkable apps.  And its free!  Today.

Angry Birds is that game you sit down to play, and sip like a hot cup of Joe. Sip until its all gone or until it gets cold and you don't want to drink it anymore, but you can microwave it... I'm losing focus again.  Now hit the link below to grab Angry Birds Seasons free for today, full version, no ads.  A thing of beauty. Did I mention its free today?

Angry Birds Seasons (ad free)

Amazon Free App of the Day AGAIN? - Monday 3/28/11

written by: Nick Kosmides

It seems like it was just today that Farm Frenzy was free, oh, wait, it was just today.  At least throughout the morning. Unless I skipped a day and went back in time to relive Monday only to discover that a decent farm sim had been replaced with a shoddy news delivery service branded by Newsweek. Could this app replace your Google Reader or other top shelf virtual newspaper delivery boy, I think not.

If you're brave and can afford the once-$1.99-now-free app disaster than go for it. Take my advice, read the Product Description with a grain of salt.  The first sentence says it all, for "bewildered readers" only!

Newsweek Mobile

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Farm Frenzy

written by: Nick Kosmides

Developed by HeroCraft, who hails from Russia to bring us other PC hits such as Yumsters and Majesty, and now Farm Frenzy care of Amazon's free app of the day service.

Advertised as offering 48 levels in which to raise animals, sell crops and build buildings. As of this writing the game had a mere 4 reviews on the Amazon AppStore, but with this being todays free app of the day, that will surely change.

Though this is not for everyone (people with families and lives), if you are into time absorbing games about farming toward no end or reason then shoot past the link to download it for free today.

Farm Frenzy (Amazon.com)

Amazon pushes new 'appstore' with one FREE app a day

written by: Nick Kosmides

The Google 'run' Android Market has, for the most part, lived without contention for as long as its been around.  Taking what has seemed like an eternity to actualize many of their core concepts and practices, mainly searching. You'd think for a company like Google, anything and everything they represented would be ingrained with the notion that data would be easy to find and well advertised.  Not the case until most recently when they updated the mobile Android Marketplace and introduced the web-based Android Marketplace.  Too little too late?  Some developers say yes.

Enter Amazon, a virtual king in the virtual retail space of the internet. Once a small company aimed at selling only books out of a huge warehouse. Initially thought to have no chance against big box retail chains like Barnes & Nobles or Borders, Amazon has now opened their own web-based Android AppStore. Visit the site and you'll be greeted with a rarity in the Android app-sales world - discounted apps at the low low price of Free!

On their first day the doors were thrown opened and greeted their first customers with none other than the brand new Angry Birds Rio for free.  This is the full ad-free version to boot, and it has helped bolster the Amazon AppStore to compete directly with the Android Market. Have we a replacement means of getting our mobile MB fix for Android?  Possibly, though time will tell, and Amazon has come out strong with integrated searching and suggestions like none other.

My personal experience with it is nothing short of a miracle.  Things like showcasing discounted apps and displaying the old and new price as well as signature Amazon-ian filtering were not present via Google.  By going with Amazon, all patrons now have assurance in the fact that all purchases are made through Amazon with the currency they used everyday. The Android Marketplace forces US citizens to make international purchases with apps developed in other countries.  Amazon controls all the sales so you can even used an Amazon gift card if you have one.

If you haven't checked it out yet the link is below.  Do yourself a favor and make the switch. Oh, and make sure you have enabled the installation of apps from unknown sources (Settings>Applications>Unknown sources). Sorry AT&T customers, you don't have this option, but Amazon says they are working closely to resolve this.

Amazon Appstore for Android