It's a new month, but we're going to keep moving along with our Apps of the Week column just like nothing changed. As we do each Saturday, we've asked the Android Central writers to each submit an app that they have been using on their devices and tell us a little bit about why it works for them. We round them up in hopes that you'll find them just as useful as we do.
This week we have an interesting live wallpaper, a game you can get hooked on and a few tools as well. Stick around after the break and see how this week's picks stack up.
Sean Brunett - Gyrospace 3D
GyroSpace 3D is an amazing interactive live wallpaper that is perfect if you love space. In the settings for the app, you can choose which theme you’d like, if you’d like snowfall or not, the planet rings, asteroids and whether or not you want a pulsing background. It’s a highly customizable live wallpaper that also uses the gyroscope much like its name suggests so you can turn your phone or tablet to make the wallpaper move. It’s a good looking live wallpaper for $1.59, which I find is pretty reasonable for something you’ll be looking at every day.
Casey Rendon - Flashify
There are many great apps that offer attractive and easy to use GUIs that work with custom recoveries like ClockworkMod or Team Win Recovery Project, but they do have their limitations. For example, flashing a kernel in the form of a boot.img must be done using Fastboot, a computer, and a USB cable, but those things aren't always available (or are, and I'm just lazy). That's where Flashify comes in. This handy app will allow the direct flashing of a boot.img, right from the app. It can also flash a custom recovery in the form of a recovery.img, as well as flash zip files for ROMs or minor mods. Multiple files can be flashed in a row, with the option to wipe cache, dalvik, and data. It will even backup your kernel and recovery and sync them to Dropbox. The app is free to use, but has a limit of 3 flashes per day. An in-app purchase of $1.99 will unlock the app for unlimited flashes.
Simon Sage - Rymdkapsel
A really sweet strategy game I spotted at GDC was released in Google Play this week. Rymdkapsel combines Tetris-style base building and real-time strategy resource management, in a minimalist and finger-friendly package. Players have to build residences, feed the populace, and expand towards objectives, all while fending off wave after wave of progressively more difficult enemy air strikes. Rymdkapsel is decidedly unique in both its art and play style.
Andrew Martonik - The Transit App
Since moving into downtown Seattle and relying solely on public transportation, I found an app called OneBusAway that has been a life saver for keeping up on transit routes and arrivals. A popular iOS app called The Transit App ("Transit", for short) has recently made its move over to Android and I naturally had to give it a try. The app takes a different approach from OneBusAway by giving a list of routes available around you rather than a map with pins for stops, but it still gives you plenty of great up-to-the-minute information.
Once you get used to the interface, it becomes just as easy to use as anything else out there, and can be useful when you're in an unfamiliar area and want to scan multiple nearby stops at once. Best of all Transit has public transit info for 43 major cities nationwide, so although I may rely on OneBusAway in Seattle, I'll be keeping Transit installed for my travels to other cities.
Jerry Hildenbrand - Network Monitor
Sometimes you need to know your download and upload speeds. There are several ways to find this, but the easiest I've ran across is with Network Monitor Mini. You can set it up to display the upload and download speeds (the actual speeds, not the connection maximum) right on your screen in any location, customize the font and color, and with the Pro version set it to auto hide when not using any bandwidth or when certain apps launch.
If you do any sort of network troubleshooting, it's a must have. If you just like to see how fast your network connection really is instead of how fast your connection to a SpeedTest.net server is, it's a great way to find out. The app has been around for a long time, the developer is always on the ball with updates, and it works with any Android device running Froyo (Android 2.2) or higher.
Chris Parsons - Flow for Reddit
I have a pretty unhealthy Reddit addiction. Even worse, I have a pretty unhealthy Reddit app addiction though, I might finally be getting over that now that I've found Flow for Reddit. It's a Reddit reader app that is currently in beta but feels quite complete in my opinion. With support for themes, YouTube and images, it has quickly become my favorite Reddit app hands down. I've tossed bacon reader aside and Flow now has my love. The feels are strong here.
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