Amazon's Free App of the Day - Jenga

written by: Nick Kosmides

At the time of this writing, one star ratings are a click away from 100 total, with the common complaint being the inability to install.  Boy, Amazon is on a roll picking the winners this week.  First it was yesterday's Nano Panda-monium with that pile that nearly bricked my phone, and now Jenga doing just the same to everything EXCEPT my phone.

Jenga, free today on the Amazon Appstore for Android, is a sound download on the Samsung Fascinate running 2.2 on Verizon (the best).  Other working phones seem to be the original Droid with CM7, one Evo 4G, Droid X, even a Galaxy Tab.  But there are tons of people saying it won't even install.  This sounds like a packaging issue on the part of the dev or Amazon.

The game itself is fun.  Takes a game to get used to how it works, but I think its a lot of fun.  With several modes of play including a multiplayer pass-the-phone mode to get everyone into the classic yet virtual brick pulling fun.

Download with caution everyone, though I would like to share with you all some ideas.  Here's a couple tips to downloading apps on anyone's marketplace, Amazon or Android:

Tip #1: If you don't want to install an app because its in disarray, though its free and want it anyway, you can choose not to install on your phone OR... on a computer, while logged into Amazon, click this:

You'll own it and see it in your New apps list yet its not downloaded or installed to your phone.  Then just wait for it to update before installing.  You still get it free and stay away from any serious temporary issue.

Tip #2: When writing a review for an app on either Amazon's Appstore or the Android Market, please please please note the phone you are using at the time of the writing and the OS, so everyone knows if the problems or praises you preach are present on the p-phone.

Now get to downloading you Fascinate users!

Jenga - $2.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Nano Panda [PSA: WARNING!!!]

written by: Nick Kosmides

I've not had to make a PSA yet, but don't download today's free app from Amazon!  Nano Panda, though looks extremely cute and fun, and has achievement support through Open Feint, has some serious problems.

I downloaded it only after reading everyone else's experiences on Amazon and basically ran into the same initial problems.  Extremely long load times getting to the main menu for starters.  Its not Feint's fault as many seem to think.  If you load Feint from the Main Menu, it operates perfectly fine on its own, but returning to the game and progressing anywhere within is where the problem lies.

The first level was really beautiful, I thought I might be one of the lucky few (literally) who made it to gameplay.  Upon completing the first level I had no idea how to play still.  Onward to the second level.

I fired off the two pandas and CRASH!!!  My phone's auto-brightness level seemed to increase which may have caused the crash, meaning the game could not handle certain phone features.  Not good.  So my phone is hard crashed, locked up, can't be recovered without removing the battery now.  Sweet.  But my screen starts to do something funny.  All these horizontal lines begin to slow cover the frozen image of gameplay.  A couple minutes later my phone's screen is covered in lines.

So I say once more, until a proper fix is released, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS APP!  If you do so, you will be putting your phone at risk of these same issues or worse.  Not every device will fully recover from this.  Heed my warning people.  I'm not even going to link the app below, its that bad.  If there appears to be a link below, its because the issue is reportedly fixed and I will update this post.

Nano Panda - $0.99 FREE

Get Wordfeud for $0.99 from Amazon's Appstore

written by: Nick Kosmides

Wordfeud is one of my favorite apps for Android.  It brings Scrabble gameplay to Android better than most all the other apps.  Wordsmith, Words With Friends and whatever contenders out there have been struggling to keep up with Wordfeud.  Why is that?

Because Wordfeud is quick, smooth, clean and fun.  It offers players the ability to connect on Android or iOS.  You can create a list of the friends you play the most so you can quickly send them a game invite and chat features are fast and responsive.  Where Words With Friends falls flat, Wordfeud has been excelling.

I can't speak more highly of this game, and having tried them all, I feel I know what I'm talking about.

The looks of Wordfeud is the only category where players may differ.  I know plenty of female players who aren't too fond of the black and grey hue of the boardgame, whereas the male players may prefer it.  Though its safe to assume there are more women than men playing, this could be something where the dev may consider offering skins or a level of customization also not found in any other word games.

Gameplay features are one thing that Wordfeud has been excelling in.  For example, the most recent Words With Friends update for Android has FINALLY brought the long desired Shuffle button to the game.  Forever, you were required to shake the phone to get the tiles to shuffle.  And you can only shake the phone once every 2 seconds.  With the Shuffle button you can spam that thing until you scan a word, and PRESTO!  Wordfeud has had this Shuffle button since it first hit the Android Market.  And the shuffle algorithm is still better than Words With Friends.  For some reason, it just works better in moving the letters around to find a word.

Another gameplay feature found in Wordfeud that excels is the ability to play a word, then place your letters for the next word before its your turn again and have them stay there even after closing and reopening the app.  As long as your opponent doesn't play their letters where you've placed yours, they will remain for you to simply hit the Play button to play those letters super fast during your next turn.  Rinse and repeat, and the games do move a lot faster, and you won't forget that 7 letter word you wanted to play in a specific twisted place on the game board.  Words With Friends does not save these placed letters, or the order in which you last left the tiles in your rack.  These features are paramount to playing your next word with ease.

If you visit the Amazon Appstore today, and maybe the near future, you'll find that the amazing Wordfeud is on sale for $0.99.  A bargain and a steal for the word game enthusiast or someone who wants to just try it out.  Also note that there is a free version with ads, but isn't supporting the developer for a third the price so much nicer!!!

Wordfeud - $2.99 SALE $0.99

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Virtual Table Tennis 3D

written by: Nick Kosmides

Clapfoot Games brings table tennis to the Amazon Appstore, and Amazon is giving it away for free today. Virtual Table Tennis 3D the big game os ping pong to your little touch screen Android.

Though the title says it, this game is far from "Virtual" and not exactly "3D" either.  The menu screens are all presented in 2D while the gameplay is in 3D, but not the 3D so many are advertising in movies and console video games.  As stereoscopic 3D is becoming more commonplace, people will begin assuming the 3D in the title for all things, maybe except fruit snacks, means you can where special glasses to play.  This is not the case with Virtual Table Tennis 3D.  In fact, the only thing that is actual 3D is the ball.  The paddle moves on a 2D plane and the table could very well be a 2D image of a table that appears to be going away from you.

The controls are not nearly as responsive as the iOS version of the same game.  A bit of lag may be present on many devices while the AI is unrelenting. One match in Intermediate and I was uninstalling.  The keystone to the game design arch is controls.  A game can look like a work of art or on par with the console version, but if the controls just aren't there, then everything falls apart.

Virtual Table Tennis 3D - $1.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Watchdog Task Manager

written by: Nick Kosmides

 Back on June 2nd, we were offered TaskKiller Pro for free on that Amazon Appstore and I went on and on about how we don't need task killers and there are other things you can do to extend your battery life.

Yesterday we were graced with Watchdog Task Manager, and the title nearly explains what this app is all about.  Instead of killing apps which the company explains on their website it bad, Watchdog will alert you to when an app may be using more resources  than it should while running in the background.

The user interface is simple and intuitive.  The app will notify you of any apps running over the expect CPU level or background processes that kick on when they should be on standby.  Give the app a try and decide if its worth the buy.

Watchdog Task Manager - $3.49

Amazon’s Free App of the Day - Yumsters

written by: Nick Kosmides

Yumsters is free today from Amazon.  A game about worm-like creatures stretching across the playing field in an effort to gobble up random pieces of fruit that appear from nowhere. I could only play this for maybe 10 minutes before it became boring.  The gameplay mechanic is a big odd to.  Why these pearl necklace looking worms are eating so much fruit seems to be the afterthought.  What is the purpose other than to consume, or is that what the app is reminding us of.  That we are just sheep lined up to be sheered of our hard earned cash?

The UI reminds me of a cell phone game from the 90's.  Even typing my name in at the start of the app was made difficult due to extremely tiny font on my 4" OLED screen.

Yumsters is fun for a fling, but not much else.

Yumsters - $1. 00 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Glow Hockey 2 Pro

written by: Nick Kosmides

Glow Hockey 2 Pro is free today from the Amazon Appstore.  The added name "Pro" brings nothing bug ad-free gaming to the table, literally.

The gameplay is solid and arguably top in its class.  This app has been played across nearly every platform including Palm devices, now HP I guess, and iOS.  Though its major fault lies in the noticeable lag when swiping for the puck.  Your paddle will not stay with your finger and this accounts for 99% of goals against yourself.  As you go to defend your goal after missing the shot, you'll knock the puck into your own goal.

During my first play session in Championship mode, I made it to level 9 before I lost.  I was exploiting the cpu by returning their server as a left bank shot and it would either go in on one bounce or the cpu's puck would knock it in.  Worked every time so long as the angle was right.  I just aimed for the center of the side wall on the cpu half of the field.

Fully customizable fields, pucks and paddles may keep you coming, but one shining feature is the 2-players-on-one-screen mode.  Each of you hold either end of the device and play a round to see who can adjust to the lag the quickest.

Ironically, the number of reviews on the Amazon page for this app forms a nice image depicting AT&Ts signal bars, from 1-star to 5-stars.  Download this app today for free and get future updates free too.

Glow Hockey 2 Pro - $1.99 FREE

That's A Good Idea! - Amazon Edition

written by: Nick Kosmides

With Amazon soaring in popularity and people becoming more comfortable with the choices of Android app marketplaces available today, glaring inconsistencies and short comings arise.  Amazon is a great place to get nearly everything under the sun, but because of its nature and the fact that its a retail site for all things thingy, they keep tight records of your transactions.

Whenever you buy something from the site they keep a record of it, for various reason all of which are business related.  When it comes to Android software, this is not entirely a good thing.  People complain frequently about the need to have a credit card stored in your Amazon account to get free apps of the day, but this is true with every app, even lite or demo releases.  One long list is created including every single app you've activated to your account or device.  Every demo, lite version and full or pro version is included.  Lets say you download the lite version of Wordfeud to give it a try.  Wow, this app is incredible and you say, "hey, its cheaper on the Amazon Appstore than on the Android Market.  I'll buy that!"  So you do.  But now it appears in your list twice, one is the lite and the other is the ad-free version.  This sucks!

What can we do about this???  Hmm, they most likely won't allow people to delete the apps in this list because they issue a receipt for everything including the free stuff.  To Amazon, every app is purchased and therefor must be catalogued.  But maybe, just maybe, they could allow you to hide apps of your choosing from your list.  Like layers of an onion, you could not see layers of apps beneath the first unless you so choose to.  At the very least, this would be extremely helpful on Android devices.  My list of apps has surpassed 50 and approaches 60, of which are not installed at this time.  More than 20 are currently installed.  I would like to hide some 30 or more if I had the choice.

What are your thoughts on the matter?  When compared to the Android Market, purchased apps paid for with a credit card where an actual exchange of currency is made are the only apps that remain on your list after uninstalling.  Demos are no longer kept in a list and therefor become a burden no more.  This is obviously something Google felt the need to consider when designing the Android Market and where Amazon deemed unimportant.

You can help by taking the thoughts expressed here and forming your own opinion of the matter.  If enough people were to send Amazon a feature request we may sway them to consider and eventually implement a fix to this potentially crippling oversight.  Find "Contact Us" on Amazon's Appstore for Android and do us all a favor.

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Grow

written by: Nick Kosmides

Grow is today's free app from the Amazon Appstore.

Familiar as it may be to some PlayStation gamers out there, this may be a new type of game to Android users.  Not many games are available with the food chain gameplay mechanic used as the primary motive for the game.  And to those faithful PS gamers a particular game bares the most resemblence in not just gameplay but also the title, Flow.  Like Grow, Flow is a food chain game whereby your aquatic life form begins as a single celled organism and grows only by eating similar or smaller sized organisms.  Although Grow follows nearly the exact gameplay design as Flow, Grow differs by including an upgrade system and loot to boot.  After eating fish they drop coins.  Collect the coins to afford upgrades in swim speed, accelerated growth, and extra item slots.

Grow also borrows its UI straight from another widely popular game, Angry Birds.  Each backdrop has as many as 12 levels where you'll attempt to earn 3 stars based on speed and performance, just like Angry Birds.  The Pause menu and Level Cleared/Failed screens have also have the replay, menu, and next level buttons from Angry Birds.

Touch controls are responsive and come with two optional setups.  By default you'll have the entire screen as a touchable control surface.  With your fish in the middle, touch anywhere around it to go in that direction.  This one was fun for a while, but my finger ended up blocking the action.  So you will most likely do what I did and switch to the static directional touch pad.  There is an option for left hand or right hand controls.

With 64 levels of gameplay, seven colorful backdrops, and two levels of difficulty, Adventure Mode is where you'll begin.  Seven levels in Survival mode come next where global online leaderboards may keep you coming.  Reviews are positive and I'm enjoying the game at least for a little while.

Grow - $1.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Ledgerist

written by: Nick Kosmides

Ledgerist is free today from Amazon's Appstore for Android.

The app description asks if you still use pen and paper.  Well, do you?  We do, and it hasn't failed us yet, other than forgetting to put all purchases and withdrawals in it sometimes.  This app helps eliminate the need to carry the big (big by today's standards) clunky checkbook register in exchange for another dollop of digital data downloaded to your device.  A device that you already use for nearly every facet of life.

Which makes an app like this questionable.  Do you get your spending habits involved into the storage device of a piece of electronics small enough to lose or mishandle?  Backups are easily managed with this app, though the csv files are backed up to your SD card.  You then need to get them off the SD card and onto a laptop or to a cloud storage system somehow, like by email or USB.  If you lose your phone, you also lose the SD card in the slot and all its contents.

Ledgerist features simple and clean interface with not many bells or whistles.  One good feature is the  four digit passcode security simply meant to keep others from looking at your finances.  Not by any means a secure 128bit encryption for wireless data transfer.  More like a privacy lock on a door knob.

I am hoping to see some of the Amazon reviewers suggestions used in future updates because there are some good ones.  But for now, go grab Ledgerist while its still free today.

Ledgerist - $1.99 FREE