Android 4.4 KitKat to feature a “Google Experience” launcher

A new report says that Android 4.4 KitKat will bring a “Google Experience” launcher, a feature that previous reports digging through an older KitKat build log file have also hinted at.

Android Police has it that Google is working hard on a new launcher for Android 4.4 KitKat which will be called Google Experience. That’s the name found in an earlier build, where the launcher’s packages was called com.google.android.gel, which Android World identified then either as a launcher or a “hub” for Google services.

According to Android Police, gel is the short version of Google Experience Launcher, and the fact that its name is com.google.android.gel instead of com.android.gel seems to suggest that the launcher will be available in the Google Play Store – the same Android World pointed out a few days ago the same thing about the name of various Google apps which will apparently have a .google in their name, indicating a possibility that those apps will be available as independent downloads from the Play Store.

Finally, Android Police points out to KitKat’s motto – “to make an amazing Android experience available for everybody” (see top image) – which seems to suggest that with KitKat, Google may want to offer users that won’t immediately have access to the latest OS update some of the latest versions.

VLC for Android beta

Download VLC for Android

Although VLC application is still a work in progress, it’s one of the most popular media players available for Android devices.

Developers have just announced that the eleventh beta version of VLC is now available for download on Google Play. Unfortunately, an official changelog has yet to be published.

However, developers have tweeted the news on their official account and have stated that “VLC for Android 0.0.11 is getting deployed through Google Play. Still a beta, but fixing many crashes and issues.”

Keep in mind that this VLC for Android is available for devices with an ARMv7 CPU or an x86 CPU. ARMv6 devices will be supported in a further release.

VLC 0.0.11 beta is now available as a free download via Google Play Store and it should be fully compatible with all devices running Android 2.1 and up. Check it out here.

$45 dual-SIM 7 inch smartphone

To be honest, this phone isn’t all that good when you look at the basic specs. It has a 1 GHz MediaTek MT6515 ARM Cortex-A7 processor, a 7 inch, 800 x 480 pixel display with poor viewing angles and a little too much screen flicker, only works on 2G networks (not 3G), and it doesn’t appear to have a lot of memory or storage.

But it’s kind of neat anyway, for three reasons:

It sells for just $45 at retail in China.
It features dual SIM card slots.
There are three batteries, including two that you can swap out without even turning off the tablet.
Charbax from ARMDevices picked up this Android 4.1 phone/tablet in China recently, and Roland at MobileGeeks filmed a little video showing off the device’s features.

Sunnycube V7 $59 dual-core tablet

Fast and Furious 6 for Android Download

Fast and Furious 6: The Game is based around the newest installment of the Fast and Furious film series. In the game, players travel around the city, meeting characters from the movie, and drag and drift their way through the ranks with the goal of becoming the city's top racer. It's a setting that looks to appeal to fans of the movie series, but the references are light enough to not push away players who aren't familiar with source material.

The game starts off by dropping players behind the wheel and walks them through the process of a drag race. Since the race is a straight shot from point A to B, there's no steering wheel, gas pedal, or break system. Instead, each race starts with a countdown at the end of which, the player hits a "launch" button. During a drag race, the only controls are a lever to shift gears and a nitrous oxide boost. There are also drift races, which work identical to drag races, but about halfway through a race, the gear shift lever is replaced with a drift button, and players must hold it as they float along curves. Both race types are simple enough for most players to grasp, but the timing required to compete with high-level opponents may be a bit much for some players.

Download Sonic the Hedgehog for Android

Sega, the once mighty gaming company that duked it out in the ring with Nintendo for living room supremacy, has long dropped out from the console race and concentrated solely on gaming titles instead. Well, this time around, Sega has announced the official debut of Sonic The Hedgehog for Android, where folks who have fond memories of this Sega Genesis favorite would be able to pick it up from Google Play for $2.99/£1.99/€2.69/AUD$2.99 a pop, depending on which region you so happen to live in.

This particular version would let you take a look at Sonic’s world in a new way, where it has been optimized with widescreen support and carries exclusive features just for smartphones only. Not only that, gamers can unlock Sonic’s pals Tails and Knuckles as playable characters to make the game more desirable. Sonic The Hedgehog is available for iOS via the App Store, and the all new content is available for free for those who already have the game on their iOS devices. Will this be a more enjoyable experience compared to Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (with Episode II as well)?

Download Sonic the Hedgehog for Android via Weebly

Download Kingdom Rush for Android

One of most fun and time consuming tower defense games has finally been ported over to Android. Kingdom Rush, originally a popular flash game, is a great little time waster and definitely a must for anyone who likes the tower defense genre.

Fight against a plethora of different enemies, including orcs, trolss and evil wizards, in your attempt to stop them from reaching your stronghold. By using a variety of 4 basic towers, users are given the option of upgrading to 8 different specialized versionsof the towers, each excelling at taking out a different type of enemy. As well, each tower has certain "abilities" that can be upgraded as well. Want to have your sorcerer's summon an elemental to help you out? No problem!

With over 50 different style of enemies to encounter, the gameplay is definitely a fresh take on an old genre. Incorporating "boss" battles as well, it definitely requires some strategy and forward thinking as you get more comfortable with the controls and gameplay. However, the learning curve in Kingdom Rush is set at a nice pace and allows the user to ease into the style before challenging them too much.

As well, the game incorporates the newly added Google Play Game services and tracks your achievements across devices.

Having played this game for hours via the original flash version, this is definitely a must buy now that it's in the Android store. I easily spent over 4 hours in one sitting when I first got this game on my tablet and will most likely be spending a ton more time trying to complete all the available game modes and challenges!

Download Kingdom Rush for Android via Weebly

Download Eternity Warriors 2 for Android

For Android gamers on tight budget who hate paying an entrance fee when doing a little gaming on their devices, listen up. Glu Mobile is getting ready to unleash the follow up to their hack n’ slash, gore-fest Eternity Warriors, with the aptly named Eternity Warriors 2 (no fancy subtitle).


According to DroidGamers, the game is set to release in the Play Store as early as tomorrow afternoon-ish. While gameplay and controls should feel mostly similar to those that’ve spent some time with the previous installment — find monsters, hack, slash, repeat — here’s all the features Eternity Warriors “Part Deux” will bring to the table when it arrives tomorrow:

It’s been 100 years since the First Demon War tore the land apart. Thanks to the Eternity Warriors the demon threat was held at bay. However the demons have been consolidating their power in a series of Demon Towers built in locations throughout Northern Udar.

You’ve been tasked with cleansing these Demon Towers and defeating an even deadlier demon army than before …

STUNNING HIGH DEFINITION visuals and EPIC MELEE gameplay!
Fluid REAL TIME COMBAT against dozens of NEW demon enemies!
ONLINE CO-OP MULTIPLAYER! Battle with a fellow warrior in the ONLINE MULTIPLAYER MODE!
Use your SPECIAL SKILLS to slice your way through MULTIPLE UNIQUE DUNGEONS!
COLLECT ARMOR, WEAPONS and other LOOT! Upgrade your gear to become the ultimate Eternity Warrior in Udar!

You better believe there will be a plethora of in-app purchases for gamers who need that competitive edge. Not the ideal business model for every gamer, but as previously mentioned, it’s nice for those on a budget. We’ll keep you posted once it lands in the Play Store tomorrow but for now, peep the gameplay trailer below.

Download Eternity Warriors 2 for Android via Weebly