Don’t let the changeable British weather get you down – it’s time for this week’s best Android apps! The randomness of the English Summer may have you fretting about pegging your washing out just in case it happens to tip it down, but you can always be sure that we’re on hand to recommend the very best digital downloads on your Android device.
So, grab a deck chair, erect it in the safe and dry surroundings of your front room and make sure you’ve got the Barcode Scanner app already installed – it will allow you to effortlessly jump to the relevant section of the Android Market, you see. If you’d rather take the old-fashioned approach then you can use the text links shown below.
Approx 59p
This insanely playable platform title has only been available on Android for a short while, yet it has jumped to the top of the most downloaded list in record time. It’s not difficult to see why, either. The colourful visuals are instantly appealing, and the addictive gameplay grabs hold like a rottweiler on a tasty rump steak. Dubbed a “360 degree platformer” by the developer, They Need to be Fed is unique in that it’s impossible to die by falling, as your character is drawn to each platform by its own gravitational pull. It’s a lot like Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii, in fact – and for anyone who has played that particlar classic, that should come as high praise indeed.
Free
We know what you’re thinking. How can something as mundane as a home utility tracker make it into our coveted Best Android apps of the week list? Despite the rather dull purpose, the British Gas app (which is currently in beta testing but is available to the public) is very useful as it allows you to monitor your gas and electricity usage to make sure you’re not depleting the world’s valuable resources unnecessarily. You can check what you’ve consumed since your last bill and even compare your results to those of people in your area. Granted, it’s hardly likely to provide the same entertainment value as Angry Birds, but this is a genuinely useful download regardless.
Free
Developed by the same team behind the fantastic Gun Bros, Star Blitz offers old-school blasting action with a modern visual twist. It’s a glorious throwback to the days when plots were peripheral in video games and all that truly mattered was instantly gratifying gameplay and enough explosive firepower as your fingers could manage. It’s not all retro-themed, though – you can link up your Facebook account and call upon the ships of close friends to aid your quest for intergalactic domination, and it’s possible to upgrade your fighter with new weapons as you advance through the levels.
Free
While most Android Twitter apps now boast the ability to upload photos to either Twitpic or yFrog, few permit you to publish live-action footage to your favourite 140-character social network. Twitvid is here to change that. Using this intuitive app, you can take your mobile-recorded masterpieces and make them available for public consumption with just a few taps. The app even allows you to post the video to Facebook as well. We predict that it won’t be long before this feature is baked-in to existing Android Twitter clients, but for the time being this is the best and most reliable option.
Free
Skype on Android has been one of our most-used applications for ages, and it has just become a lot more useful thanks to this update. Previously, the number of phones that could use Skype’s video-calling capability was sorely limited, but now more devices than ever before are supported. The full list is (deep breath): Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Droid Charge, Samsung Galaxy Tab, HTC Desire, HTC Thunderbolt, HTC Sensation, HTC Evo 4G, HTC Evo 3D, HTC Incredible S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Flyer, LG Revolution, Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro and the Acer A5. The only proviso is that your device must be running Android 2.2 (some HTC Desire models are still stuck on 2.1), but aside from that, you’re all set for a wonderful new world of face-to-face video-calling.
