Android Game Review: Jelly Defense

The Jellies of planet "Diploglobe" are in a bind, they are getting invaded by strange alien species seeking to steal the Jellie's emeralds. This is where you come in. You are to help the jellies construct intricate tower defenses to ward off the alien invaders. Fear not though, as you destroy enemies and collect coins from the discarded alien remains, the Jellies will be able to advance and develop stronger tower technologies to help you in the Jellie's resistance. 

However, don't think of Jelly Defense as the traditional tower defense, where positioning and upgrades play the critical roles; Jelly defense is more about spells, tower selection, and strategic "trading" of towers. The reason for this is that the enemies comes in two favors: red and blue. The towers can only attack monsters relative to their own corresponding colors. And as the levels becomes more complex, you will soon notice that the selection and placement of the towers that defeated the previous wave will not be able to handle upcoming onslaught... Therefore, quick adjustments is constantly needed.

Android App Review: Email App Alternative

While the stock email app on Android Tablets and Phones is amazing enough, there are many reasons as to why an alternative app is needed. Whatever the case, Android has a large establishment of alternative email apps avilable on its Andorid market. One of those app is the K-9 Mail.

Of all the email apps I have used, this would be hands down the best alternative. Not only is it free, it incorporates and integrates all your email into one application. The app has a similar feel to that of Microsoft Outlook in that all mail from every account is displayed on one huge list.

Android Game Review: DESTINIA

GAMEVIL, developer of the popular Zenonia and Baseball Superstar series, recently released another RPG on the Android Market - Destinia. Like most of the other GAMEVIL games, this free to play RPG plans to offer unlocks, specials, and upgrades for ingame money purchased by real, hard cash. In this "action" RPG, you will encounter combinations of enemies and puzzles with a single character in form of one of three classes: thief, warrior, or gunner - yes, they took out the mage class. The gameplay is almost identical to Zenonia, while the story takes on the more serious note(summary and video below).

If you get bored of the 20-30hours of the campaign, there is also the multiplayer mode, where you can challenge other players, sell items, read mail, and many more.

How-To #40: Remotely Access Android Devices

You may be familiar with using the Android device to remotely access the home desktop PC but did you know that you can do the opposite and control the Android device remotely using USB or WiFi? There is probably that one person in your life that has little or no experience using the Android system. With this app, it makes setting up or debugging their Android device a painless experience. The app that will be used is in beta and is for Root users only.

Requirements:
- Root
- *Optional* Android SDK, adb shell, and Android USB driver: Needed for USB remote connection

How-To #38: Build the Android NDK

Did you know that you can integrate C/C++ code into your Android app? Sure, Android runs on the Java platform, but with the Android NDK companion tool, you can build performance critical portions in native code.

For you C/C++ junkies, just think of it like coding Assembly inside C/C++ for that extra performance increase. The Android app that uses the NDK tool will still be packed into the .apk file and can run on any Android device or virtual machine.

Reading, Creating, and Sharing QR Codes

Have you ever seen the little picture below? They seem to be everywhere these days. I’ve seen them on TV, ads, t-shirts, and even tattoos. So, what is a QR code? What’s the purpose of them? QR, or Quick Response, codes are complex 2d barcodes, similarly to the one you see on food labels. They provide quick access of information. Where the barcode can only provide serial numbers, QR code takes it a step farther by delivering complex text or strings.

Accessing the information is simple: download a QR code scanner app for Android/iOS and “scan” the QR code using the camera on the device. The app should decrypt the data automatically and then typically brings up the app/browser for the corresponding data type. Test it out by scanning the QR code below on your tablet or phone and you will see that it brings up the app market for the AndroidSim Mobile App.

AndroidSim Mobile App QR Code

Android Game Review: Third Blade

Com2us has finally ported over their popular hack n slash game, Third Blade, from iPhone/iPad. This is your typical side scroll slasher, where the enemies come in the dozens and where your goal is to spam attacks and skills to get to the next level. This game stays true to the proven methodology of hack n slash gameplay. If this style is your cup of tea, then know that this game pretty well executed for a free game(Apple App store sells it for $1.99). The animation is beautiful and the skills are plentiful. The customization on the other hand is a bit lackluster, as the character attributes are set in stone from stage to stage. You can only change the equipment and what skills to level up and where to place them on the hotkeys. 

Android Honeycomb 3.2 SDK Released

~Welcome to Android 3.2!~

The SDK for Android 3.2 Honeycomb, the latest platform for the Android tablet, was recently released. If you haven't already jumped on the Android development train, now is a good time to do it. The tablet app market is still in its infant stages, with only a handful of apps optimized for tablet use. Slowly, but surely, tablets will replace the common household laptop as the primary means to access the internet.

Use this opportunity to improve your chances of selling a popular Android app by entering in the market early. Selling Apps is undoubtedly one of the best passive income any individual or business can earn. Learn what it takes to make an app here then read the guide for SDK Installation.