18 new and notable Android apps from the last two weeks including Firefox Private Network VPN, Socratic by Google, and PotatoNotes (2/08/20 - 2/22/20)

18 new and notable Android apps from the last two weeks including Firefox Private Network VPN, Socratic by Google, and PotatoNotes (2/08/20 - 2/22/20)

Android Police·2020-02-22 23:14

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have a new VPN from Firefox, Google's release of the homework-helper Socratic, and an early-access note app that offers a design similar to Keep. So without further ado, here are the more notable Android apps released in the last two weeks.Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.Featured AppSOTKASOTKA is the first 'edufitness' app to land on the Play Store that was specifically developed to offer a minimalistic approach to working out. No longer is a gym membership required to get the best workout possible since all you'll need is this app, your body, and a little bit of space. Gravity will be the source of your resistance, and so your body weight will be the most useful tool in your arsenal, thanks to SOTKA's "less-is-better" approach.SOTKA guides its users through their exercise journey quite competently, so even if you can only perform a single pushup, 20-30 minutes of exercise a day will wield results without the headaches of a gym.By following the app's 100-day educational course, you won't have to worry about useless shortcuts. Only proven information from scientific sources is included, covering knowledge from the fields of fitness, nutrition, self-development, motivation, and self-management. Best of all, this is a purposeful design created by the founder of Street Workout - Anton Kuchumov, and it's already helped more than 350,000 people from around the world, which is why AP is proud to present SOTKA as our app roundup sponsor this week.AppsFirefox Private Network VPNAndroid Police coverage: Firefox releases Android app for its VPN serviceFirefox Private Network VPN just landed on the Play Store, but for now, the VPN service is still in beta, so while the app is available, the service is only accessible to those in the closed beta. This limited availability means the VPN is listed at a discounted rate for beta users, coming out to $4.99 a month. Of course, this may not reflect the release pricing of the app, so the price may change once the service comes out of beta, which is worth keeping in mind.Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs ?Socratic by GoogleAndroid Police coverage: Socratic, the homework-helper app picked up by Google, gets an AI-enhanced Android releaseSocratic is a homework assistance app that was originally released in 2017, and Google picked up the property last year and has just released a new version of the app, complete with access to Google's AI algorithms to improve performance. So if you're looking for a homework app that uses AI to help on any subject, Socratic is an excellent choice.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsPotatoNotesAndroid Police coverage: The best free and open-source alternatives to Google Keep on AndroidPotatoNotes is an early access note app that was recently listed in Corbin's Google Keep alternatives article, and for a good reason. The app offers a design that's very similar to Keep, which should make it easy for Keep users to transition to PotatoNotes without too many issues. Of course, if you're looking for original features, you'll probably get a kick out of the app's theme personalization, which one of its many features that sets this release above the competition.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs Opera News Lite - Less Data,More NewsOpera News Lite is the latest mobile app from the Opera team, and it's a newsreader. What with the current trend of fake news, it would seem every tech company is rushing to create its own news aggregator, and Opera is no different. Of course, it might be a good idea to ask why so many companies want to control the apps that allow you to read the news, but I suppose this just comes down to which companies you trust and which ones you don't.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsCreator StudioCreator Studio is a new release from Facebook designed to offer all of the tools someone would need to analyze and monetize their Facebook videos. This means you can view published, drafted, and scheduled posts, all from the comfort of your phone. You'll also have the ability to edit video titles and their descriptions, and you can even post on a custom schedule, should you have a specific time a video needs to go up.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsIoT AssistantIoT Assistant comes from Carnegie Mellon University, which is located near my home turf, so this release hits a little closer to home than most. At its core, this is a security app designed to help you discover and control what personal data is being collected by IoT resources around you. This way, you'll know who is receiving this info, who it is shared with, and for how long it is retained, which is a great tool indeed. Honestly, it's comforting to know that there are still a few universities out there that are actually interested in providing free security tools for the public, especially when it's one that's located in my home city.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs[removed]Okay, I know our weekly app roundups are for listing out Play Store releases, but today I have something special, and you can thank Artem for digging this one up. Removed is an Android app designed to quickly view [removed] or [deleted] comments on Reddit, and let me tell you, it works like a charm. So if you've ever found Reddit's removals and deletions rather hamfisted, and wish to see what people are saying without the site's mods ruining all of the fun, then Removed is exactly the tool you're looking for.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsDownload [removed] here: https://github.com/Humzaman/removedPalettes - Theme ManagerPalettes is a universal theme manager for apps that support dynamic themes on Android. There's a set collection of themes available inside of the app, and of course, users can create their own themes, or simply customize the ones currently available. You can even save your theme setting in the cloud so that when you change your device, you can easily pick up your theming where you last left off.Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPsT-Mobile SyncUP PETST-Mobile SyncUP PETS is a pet tracking tool that can send notifications when a pet leaves its home, as long as your pet is wearing a tracker. So if you have a habit of losing your dog, or you happen to own a devious pup that loves to break out of the home, then T-Mobile SyncUP PETS may be the solution you're looking for.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsElection Meme MakerI think it's pretty clear at this point that US elections are the perfect opportunities to create some wicked memes. With that in mind, Election Meme Maker is a new app designed to add captions to pictures, ideally for the creation of political-themed memes. So if you're keen to create the next meme that could very well change the course of American history, just like Pepe, then Election Meme Maker is the app for you.Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPsAlmighty Volume KeysAlmighty Volume Keys is the latest volume key remapper to arrive on the Play Store. Much like every other app of this nature, you can remap your volume keys to launch a plethora of different apps. You can even program your keys to turn on your flashlight, record sound, or turn off your radios. The sky is the limit it would seem, though you'll have to pay $2.49 through an in-app purchase if you'd like to unlock every feature in this release.Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $2.49 a pieceOne Shade: Custom Notifications and Quick SettingsOne Shade is an app that can replace your notification drop-down menu with something that's a lot easier to customize. This means you'll be able to fully theme the color of the One Shade drop-down, as well as take advantage of advanced notifications. Heck, you can even set a custom background image, if you wish, which really rounds this out as one of the better notifications shade replacements. Of course, most of the app's features come at a cost, so be prepared to shell out a few bucks through IAPs if you wish to get the most out of this release.Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $4.49SayCheeze - Remote CameraSayCheeze is a remote camera app that just entered into early access, and it can tie into a second Android device to act as the remote for its camera. So say you and a friend are about town, and you both would like to take a photo together that's not a selfie. Well, you can install this app on both of your Android devices, where one phone will act as a remote for the other device that you've ideally positioned to take a photo. Easy peasy.Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $13.99Weather Assistant by ClimaCellWeather Assistant by ClimaCell offers global hyper-accurate local forecasts, and its forecasts are used by the aviation industry, to give you a feel for its accuracy. The app's layout is easy to navigate and is very intuitive, though since it's a newer release, it's missing a few features, like status bar notification support. Luckily the dev is working hard to round out the app, and so widgets and a dark mode just made their way to Weather Assistant in the last few days.Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $19.99Bulldog Blocker – Porn Filter & App BlockerBulldog Blocker is a simple app with a built-in internet filter that blocks pornographic websites as well as any app you choose. Ideally, this is something you would install on a child's phone, though the app isn't free, so you will have to cough up a monthly subscription fee after the app's 14-day free trial.Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $4.99 - $38.99Vimeo Create - Video Maker & EditorVimeo Create - Video Maker & Editor just entered into a beta testing phase, though it would appear the release is regional, so it is unavailable in the US at the moment. Notably, the video editor contains in-app purchases that for some reason range up to $400, which is the current Play Store limit, so may be for purchasing a business plan, but then again, that business plan normally costs $600, so until Vimeo actually releases this app in the US, I suppose we'll just have to guess what a $400 purchase could cover.Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $24.99 - $399.99Manufacturer And Tie-In AppsGalaxy Buds+ PluginGalaxy Buds+ Plugin comes from Samsung, and ties into the company's Galaxy Buds+ device so that users can easily access the bud's settings. So if you don't own a pair of Galaxy Buds, you can skip this listing, and if you do own a pair, I'm sure you already know all about this app.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsVozsis with AlexaVozsis with Alexa comes from Pioneer, and it's a tie-in app for its in-dash multimedia receivers. Essentially, if you'd like to take advantage of Amazon's voice assistant in your car through a WebLink compatible Pioneer receiver, then this is indeed the app you are looking for. By using this app, you'll easily be able to access your Amazon Prime Music, Audible audiobooks, and Kindle library while cruising down the highway, all with your voice, instead of using your hands.Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsKnow A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.the app's launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks agoit has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc - the cream of the cropNow, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: [email protected].1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) - please contact us for details.

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