Amazon's Free App of the Day - Fireworks (Live Wallpaper)

written by: Nick Kosmides

Another change of pace and a rarity among all the free apps of all our days, a live wallpaper is available for download for free today.

Fireworks fills your background with colorful fireworks and particle effects.  With a bit of battery drain sprinkled on the side which is standard fare when it comes to live wallpapers.  If you bring Fireworks to your home screen don't expect too much in regards to options.  The configuration screen includes but one setting, and I don't want to be the one to spoil the surprise.

So go hit up the Amazon Appstore link below before time runs out.  Oh, and hope you all had a swell Independence Day celebration.  I'm topping it off with a bit of Battle: Los Angeles.

Fireworks - $1.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Sign

written by: Nick Kosmides

For what I would call a change of pace, Amazon has released Sign, a speed dial alternative, for free on the Amazon Appstore for Android today.

Though this isn't a new concept as Google itself has a free app called Gesture Search that applies the same concept but with additional applications.  Sign allows you to create a custom gesture to apply to a contact.  Successfully draw the image and the contact will be automatically dialed.  I wouldn't consider this a time saver, maybe a safety feature for use while driving if you can't simply use voice recognition with your headset.

Sign - $1.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - aTilt 3D Labyrinth

written by: Nick Kosmides

aTilt 3D Labyrinth is free this fine Saturday, a decent game to start off an Independence Day weekend.  Many users of the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 are complaining about the app force closing and not even starting.

Seemingly, it works great on my Samsung Fascinate and the HTC Thunderbolt, Xoom, and Epic 4G.  Having played this game in the free version flavor featuring ads care of the Android Market, I can say its a fairly decent representation of the classic wood and marble game of my childhood.

Add to the nostalgia factor, the game supports Open Feint for achievements and also has a website whereby users can create their own levels and upload them using a unique device ID.  Play your own uploaded levels or share them with the aTilt community.

Get the silver ball to the goal hole without falling victim to the non-goal holes.  Don't read too much into this possible epitome of human sexual desire.  Just play the game.

aTilt 3D Labyrinth - $3.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - PBA Bowling 2

written by: Nick Kosmides

PBA Bowling 2 is a great game for Android now available for free on the Amazon Appstore for Android.  Regularly $3, the savings can now go toward things like rent or your car payment.

Bowling games are usually very shallow and don't feel like they have to staying power of nearly all other sports.  Though, for a mobile sports game, PBA Bowling 2 brings enough to the table lane to compete with that statement.

For devices that can handle this game, you'll see some pretty sweet graphics, superb ball and pin physics, maybe even some unlocks.  Everyone loves unlockables.  Complete several in-game tasks like two gutter balls in a row to unlock the Bumper Bowling special.  Use the specials you unlock on a custom bowling balls.

Aside from standard bowling modes, I noticed some very nice features that others may not have noticed.  PBA Bowling 2 has on-the-fly saves so you can hit the Home button on your Android and find Resume Game on the Main Menu when you return later.  Another is if you select New Game, the menu will remind you "There is already a game in progress. Abandon the current game and start a new one?", so you don't unintentionally lose your previous game for whatever reason.  Even the "Feedback & More" button on the Main Menu has quite the extensive list of options including Facebook and Twitter links.

The one problem I have is in the unlocks.  There is no place in the whole menu system where you can view all the unlocked and locked achievements.  It would be nice if Open Feint was used as well, maybe for online achievement tracking and multiplayer.  Other than this minor gripe, PBA Bowling 2 is a great game and I hope it receives updates.

PBA Bowling 2 - $2.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Doodle Fit

written by: Nick Kosmides

Games, games, and always games.  Some of the most popular free apps have been games.  And today we see another game enjoy its freedom.  Doodle Fit is a simple puzzle game where you fit Tetris inspired shapes into the puzzle for an exact fit.  Move on to see more difficult puzzles.  With a current total of 100 levels to complete, and a chip tune soundtrack worth listening to, Doodle Fit is the right fit for your Android.

Save up to five profiles if you happen to be sharing your devices with others.  The game allows the use of hints as well, in case you get a bit stuck.  I don't think I'll be needed those, but we'll see.  I'm only on 20 and counting.  There are two themes, notebook and chalkboard, to liven up the look.  Finally, there is no shortage of stats as the game allows you to track just about everything pertinent to a puzzler.

Set your sights on this doodle designed dilly and drop on by the Amazon Appstore to grab it free of charget today only.

Doodle Fit - $0.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Speed

written by: Nick Kosmides

Speed is free today on Amazon's Appstore for Android.

This will not be a long review.

Speed is a speedometer.  Don't know what that is?  Okay.  A speedometer tells you have fast you are traveling.  Speed will register speeds of 3 miles per hour or faster.  I would never recommend using an app exactly like this when doing any of the following: biking, driving a car or boat, standing atop a train shooting at mercenaries while avoiding missiles from an enemy helicopter, or while on a treadmill or stationary bike.  All but the last two are simply for safety reasons.

In response to one of the numb-nut reviewers I've added treadmill and stationary bike because this app does not work unless you are traveling across the face of the planet.  It uses your GPS signal to do all the work.  And it is displayed nicely with a leather seat background.

Speed - $0.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Aparatus

written by: Nick Kosmides

At $1.50, Apparatus constructs quite the challenge.  Though, today you can get your fix of all things mechanical for free from Amazon.

I sort of see this as a man's puzzle game.  As most puzzlers are designed to look pretty with lots of colors and sparkles in the effects, for which PopCap has made a killing, this game barrows from LittleBigPlanet in its simple looks yet sophisticated functionality.

The game has several modes, most of which are not found in mobile games, not even on iPhone and its ocean of options.  In the standard play mode you'll be familiar with yet another game using the Angry Birds UI for level selection.  Gameplay is straight forward though not simple.  Move the moveable pieces around to for a clear path for the little ball to land into the blue basket.  Simple enough, until they introduce electricity and all kinds of other physics based tools.

Back on the main menu you'll find two other interesting modes to choose from, Sandbox and Community Levels.  Within Sandbox is three more options, Apparatus, Building Challenge and Interactive Challenge.  All but Interactive Challenge are actually selectable as of this writing.  As you can imagine, both modes start you with clean slates for you to build a level custom to your tastes for you to share in Community Levels.

Community Levels is will take you online where you can find a plethora of custom levels made by people probably more skilled than you.  Just tap any level and you'll be presented with a screen shot of their custom level and the option to play it instantly.  Amazing premise and not something you see in games these days.  I would expect something like this to be used in Angry Birds before a surprisingly amazing game as this.

I love building and constructing and if you do to, definitely do not miss this game at any price!

Apparatus - $1.50 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Pocket Casts

written by: Nick Kosmides

Pocket Casts can be downloaded today for free from the popular Amazon Appstore for Android.

Do you do the podcasts?  Another term Apple coined, podcast, has sparked a popular craze amongst web and mobile users.  One way to get a favorite podcast is to subscribe to a sites RSS feed and download the podcast from within the feed.  Another is to use an official app of the site you frequent and hopefully it allows easy access to their own podcasts.  Though if you frequent a few or more podcasts from different sites, you'll have a lot of apps just for all those sites.  You could just use your mobile browser and bookmark each sites podcast page.

But one problem with most of these solutions is updating.  Apple does this right by allowing you to set rules to how many and how often podcasts are downloaded to your machine, though you must download to a computer then tether to transfer to an iPhone or iPod.  This should be changing if it hasn't already, thanks to Apples iCloud.  Its been a long time coming.  Heck, it may have not even come if it weren't for Android having done everything without needing to be tethered to a computer at all.  Don't get me started on the Notifications drop down.

Enter Pocket Casts, an all in one podcast searching, bookmarking, downloading, and updated utility to keep you up to date on all your audio and video podcasts.

My first attempts to view podcasts before downloading is posing some challenges so far.  I'm having to tap the same selection several times to get past errors suggesting there is no content when there clearly is.  Even of a solid WiFi connection this app is taking forever to load the Engadget podcast only to get an "Error: No podcast details available."  I'm going to keep at it though because this app has the potential for success if I can get it to work.

Give it a shot if you're into podcasts.

Pocket Casts - $2.70 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Solitaire Deluxe & Airport Mania

written by: Nick Kosmides

There are two free apps today, and think I know why.  The first one is seemingly innocent at first.  By offering you the ability to play many solitaire games in a paid app with credits or coins.  They give you a bunch to start with, but each game costs 1000 to play.  Then you can wait to earn more the following day similar to many popular Facebook games or buy more with actual money, up to $100 in your real money.

While still free from its original $4.99 price tag, Solitaire Deluxe is no longer the "Free App of the Day".  And the reviewers will tell you why.

It's my guess that to cover up the betrayal of this app and its developers ungratuitous ways, Amazon pulled it as the official "FAAD" and replaced it with a repeat of Amazon's own Airport Mania.

As with other dastardly apps, be cautious in downloading Solitaire Deluxe.  Read the reviews.

Solitaire Deluxe - $4.99 FREE

Airport Mania: First Flight - $0.99 FREE

Amazon's Free App of the Day - Big Sport Fishing 3D

written by: Nick Kosmides

Big Sport Fishing 3D is one of the few Android games I was planning to buy and good thing for me that I didn't, because its free today on the Amazon Appstore.  Set sail or fire up the two stroke and get ready for some 3D fishing fun.

Use the Android system compass to rotate your view and look for a collection of fish waiting to be snared. Though it won't be that easy, hold the device back and fling it gently forward as if to cast the line.  Low and behold, the line is cast and the reeling can begin.

If you feel like casting your shadow on some 21" trout, then cruise on over to the Amazon Appstore and fish up this great deal.

Big Sport Fishing 3D - $3.99 FREE