Welcome to the 462nd edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the highlights from last week:
- Google merged its Waze and Maps teams this week. Since both apps do the same thing, the company made it a cost-saving move. On the plus side, consolidation can help both applications. On the downside, Waze may lose a large amount of its freedom. Click the link to know more.
- Amazon wants to pay users $2 a month to spy on their phone usage. The company wants to know more about how people use their phones and the effectiveness of their ads. Now it’s not open to everyone, and certainly not a lot of money. However, some people may be reluctant to do so.
- Google Chrome is running low on power and getting memory hungry. The two new saving features are rolling out as we speak, and we should see them roll out in full in the next few weeks. The memory saver saves tabs when not in use, and the battery saver function starts when your device’s battery is below 20%.
- Google introduced a new spatial audio feature this week. It should land on Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 phones. Apps that support the feature include Google TV, HBO Max, Netflix and YouTube. The list isn’t quite as extensive as Apple’s spatial audio offering, but it’s a start. Click the link to know more.
- Google Photos is testing a new search function. The function helps you get people in front of them. Some users have noticed that the Google Lens button has also been replaced with a search function. The way it works is to tap on someone’s face, and Google Photos will show you more photos with that face. He’s innocent, actually.
Auto-scroll video for TikTok
Price: free
Auto Scroll Video for TikTok is exactly what the name suggests. Automatically scroll TikTok so you don’t have to. It works ok. Download it, give it access permissions, and then configure it in settings. Then when you open TikTok and start scrolling, it will automatically open. It will be adjusted for short or long videos when you run to them. It’s definitely an early app and could use some tweaking. That said, it’s a neat idea, and otherwise pretty neat.
Airship knights
Price: Free to play
Airship Knights is an idle RPG. Mechanically, it is similar to many others. You will find new characters, level them up and use them to progress through the game. Combat is mostly automatic. Although the voice acting is a bit amateurish, the game has an attractive premise. There is also a PvP mode with lots of locations to unlock. It’s decent as far as idle RPGs go, but people who don’t like idle games won’t like this either.
ZomokMe is an expense tracker specifically for daily expenses. It allows you to enter your purchases and expenses. Additionally, you can split checks among your friends as well if you are splitting one. In everyday use, it’s easy to use, and you can definitely see your expenses as you go. You have to create an account to use it, which isn’t ideal, but otherwise, it works fine. The only real downside is that it has a social component that doesn’t work if your friends aren’t signed up.
Zombie Hunter D-Day 2
Price: Free to play
Zombie Hunter D-Day 2 is the official sequel to the popular Zombie Hunter D-Day. The first game takes place 80 days after the apocalypse, and the second one takes place 160 days after the apocalypse. That means the games are definitely connected. It’s an FPS game where you take on zombies and monsters while trying to survive. There’s an arcade shooter quality to the game where you don’t move around much. The main gameplay is shooting zombies from a fixed position.
Some other features include offline support, a weapon mechanic and more zombies to shoot. It’s free to play, but not too greedy with its in-app purchases. It will be a hit or miss type of game for most, but it’s not a bad arcade shooter.
Color MS version
Price: free
MS Paint version is a mobile port of Microsoft paint application. It includes the tools you click and use. It doesn’t feel great with a finger, but it’s nice to use with a stylus or S Pen if you have one. The app feels like an early build. There are some bugs, especially the menu system doesn’t work properly. We think maybe the developer should have tested a bit more before launching. Still, once you get it working properly, it’s a fun little drawing app that looks just like old Windows.
If we missed any big Android apps or games news or releases, tell us about it in the comments.
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