Joshua is a music education major at Texas State University who jumped on the Android Central train in April 2011. Since joining, he's been moved to Apps Editor and spends a good chunk of time checking out some great (and not so great) apps to write about. Born and bred in the capital of the Lone Star State, Joshua maintains that, yes, everything is bigger in Texas.
He's been following Android since before the G1, but finally got into the handset game with a Hero and is currently rocking a EVO 3D Galaxy Nexus. When not writing, you can usually find him doing copious amounts of band director homework.
YouTube link for mobile viewing If I had to pick my favorite cuddly nature animal, squirrel would probably win. They have big, bushy tails, look really soft, and one time I saw one run up to a guy and take the remainder of his sandwich out of his hand. (No lie.) When I found a game about a squirrel busting open nuts on his head and eating them, I figured it was worth a look. That game...
YouTube link for mobile viewing When news got out that R-Type had been officially released on Android, I got pretty excited. Yes, R-Type is technically a year older than me. I still played it at the laundromat down the street growing up, and old games in general still occupy a soft spot in my heart. Simply put, this is an awesome, authentic port. There's eight levels, two modes of...
YouTube link for mobile viewing Sometimes you just need to play a game that makes absolutely no sense. Something with a completely nonsensical, ludicrous plot that has simple mechanics and colorful graphics. That game is Muffin Knight. Writing this, I'm still not really sure what Muffin Knight is about. I've gathered that you play as a little warrior and collect muffins whilst either...
YouTube link for mobile viewing I'm not sure what this wallpaper reminds me of, but it's cool. Maybe Tron? Maybe the last boss fight in Deus Ex: Human Revolution? A plane engine? It's hard to nail down, but I know I've seen something like it before, and like then, it intrigues me. That's the essence of Mystic Halo Live Wallpaper. Rotating rings, glowing, responding to your touch, etc...
YouTube link for mobile viewing I don't like bugs but I do like puzzles. I'm not particularly fond of spiders, either (too many eyes and legs for my taste), so the idea of depriving them of their meal seemed like a good enough premise to give a whirl. The result is many an hour lost and homework neglected. Greedy Spiders is a turn-based puzzle game where you (as some omnipotent, web-...
YouTube link for mobile viewing I buy a lot of games. Some are just a buck, some are a couple of dollars, but sometimes I'm just itching to find a really sweet free game to try out and mess around with. I stumbled upon A Space Shooter for Free today, which takes the old, retro shooter genre and adds some over-the-top characters to produce a pretty fine little game. You take the helm...
YouTube link for mobile viewingFirst things first: I know the video says iDevices. Obviously I didn't make it, but it's gorgeous and really captures the game experience better than any video I could do. With that out of the way, know this: Emissary of War is one of the best games on Android right now and probably the best game in its genre right now. Emissary of War is epic. It takes...
YouTube link for mobile viewingZombies, zombies, everywhere! In fact, not only are they everywhere, they're also every time. Such is the issue facing the world in Age of Zombies, thanks to a huge jerk named Professor Brains. (Don't worry, he gets his.) Enter protagonist Barry Steakfries, who quickly gets to what he does best: shooting things. From there you begin your epic tale of...
With the arrival of the CyanogenMod 7 alpha for the EVO 3D and the Sensation, it meant I could finally take advantage of the theme engine that's built in. I've been on a bit of a yellow kick lately, so I was pretty excited when I pulled the trigger and installed MellowYellow. For anyone who has used MattedBlues before, you'll probably be able to tell MellowYellow comes from the same...
Gaming on Android has finally taken off, so it can be tough having to wade through all the subpar stuff out there hoping you'll finally find a gem. Hooked tries to be the middleman for you in that, suggesting games based off of your personality and how you've rated previous suggestions. From the moment you open Hooked, the app starts working for you. You're asked four questions, and...
In a surprising and unexpected turn of events, rapper 50 Cent has unleashed his rapper-inspired UberSocial theme on the Android platform, creatively naming it Uber50. (You know, UberSocial, 50 Cent. You get the idea.) Called the "illest theme yet" by those who designed it, downloading the Uber50 theme gets you a nice, gritty, dark theme with red and white contrast. The Uber50 theme...
Another entry in the Seven+ Android project is StatusBar+. StatusBar+ is, as it sounds, a complete status bar replacement, but what makes it so revolutionary is that it doesn't require root or any flashing .zips in recovery. You simply install the app, enable it, and it replaces your normal status bar. StatusBar+ is technically still in its first alpha, but the only bugs I noticed...
I've recently stumbled across Seven+ Android, which is an initiative to create apps that can replace default Android UI's and stuff to give your phone a more WP7 feel. The whole thing is pretty intriguing and ambitious, so I decided to give their lockscreen replacement a shot. WP7Lock Pro is a full blown lockscreen replacement that, as its name implies, gives your phone a nice Windows...
Continuing our line of Windows Phone-inspired apps, we find ourselves looking at Seven+ Calculator. A calculator is a funny thing, because it's one of those apps we never think to download, it comes preinstalled on our phones, and at one point or another, we're going to need it. While the typical calculator apps are basic in function (and Seven+ Calculator doesn't deviate from this...
YouTube link for mobile viewingSlideIT is currently in its fourth iteration, and with that comes the introduction of skins. Scoff as you might, customization and aesthetic appeal are important to lots of people out there, so I've got to tip my hat to the SlideIT developers for making that so easy to do. How does SlideIT function as a line-tracing keyboard, though? On its own, alright...
It seems us Android folk can't live without our widgets. Be it Beautiful, Android Pro, or any other that doesn't come to mind, they're one of the more aesthetically pleasing and practical parts to being on Google's team. For those who're always looking for the best clock and weather combo on a tablet (a title usually defaulted to Beautiful Widgets), say hello to the newest kid on the...
So, I've got to be up pretty early every week day of the week. Some of you might find yourselves in the same predicament. Maybe you've got to commute to school. Maybe you need to get everyone's lunches made before you head off to work. Whatever the reason, feeling refreshed when I wake up is a huge deal to me, because I don't stumble around for the next half hour as I wait to finally,...
YouTube link for mobile viewing I'm a huge fan of Honeycomb. I think Google developed something really cool with the TRON-like aesthetic, plus all of the bee-related imagery appeals to me. By default, I use the included hive wallpaper that's built into Honeycomb. Since I stumbled upon the Digital Hive Live Wallpaper, though, I'm not sure if I can ever go back. Digital Hive Live...
YouTube link for mobile viewingGiant mechs have always held a special place in my heart. Be it the Megazord from Power Rangers (only the Mighty Morphin' variety), Xenogears, or even Gundam, giant robots have always been awesome. For us Android lovers, Destroy Gunners F looks to fill the mech-themed void on our platform with an imaginative and well designed game. Destroy Gunners F...
New phone needs a new case. It has been this way since the dawn of the smartphone era, and so it shall be until its end. Your HTC EVO 3D is no exception, and for those interested in maximum protection while still maintaining a relatively slim profile, there's nothing like the Otterbox Commuter for HTC EVO 3D. In typical Commuter fashion, you're looking at two pieces: the flexible,...