Videocam Illusion for Android is a camera effects application that works with the video camera on your Android phone.  We’ve seen similar apps that manipulate still pictures, and while they’re really fun and useful, Videocam Illusion takes it to the next level by adding effects on-the-fly to live video you shoot from your phone.  You can shoot up to 480p (720×480) video through the app, and the free version has four filters, four effects, and two masks to choose from.  You can also shoot video at 1.33x speed. 

The paid version has 18 filters, 13 effects, six masks, and your choice of five different recording speeds.  They both work really well, saving the video to your SD card in .mov format for easy playback on your computer.  And since stock Android doesn’t playback .mov files, the Videocam Illusion app includes a player to preview — and show off — your masterpiece.  There’s a video demo, some screenshots, as well as the download link for the free version after the break. 

Android Quick App: Videocam Illusion posted originally by Android Central

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Even hardcore Android geeks need a break from the shell and their code editor every now and then, and I like to spend some time getting a line wet at one of the many creeks and streams around my area.  I’m not the best fisherman around, and I’m certainly not at the level of expertise you see from fishing professionals (what a job, eh?), but like everyone else who shares my passion for angling, I’d love to catch more, and bigger, fish.  The secret to doing this, according to the experts, is to keep track of the when, where, and how you catch them so you can repeat what’s successful, and have a plan for any conditions.

What if you had an application for your Android phone (any version of Android is supported) that could help, and even fill in many of the important details for you?  You would have the records and locations, and know what to look for the next time your out.  Well we have such an app, FishNotes by Jimmy Houston.  It’s not cheap — it checks in at a whopping $12.99, so I think it’s pretty important to give this one a close look so you can decide if it’s for you.  We cover it all, with a mess of screenshots and the download link, after the break.

Android Quick App: FishNotes by Jimmy Houston posted originally by Android Central

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Combining great graphics, an ominous soundtrack, and challenging game-play, Galaxy NGC3D is a great new game on the Android Market.  The premise is simple — man your fighter, and destroy them before they destroy you, but if you’re looking for a cakewalk look elsewhere.  You need a bit of skill (or practice) to pilot your ship through space, and the physics and drifting in a zero gravity environment seem as realistic as can be, at least to an earthling like myself.  After a few frustrating hours playing, I got some serious satisfaction from flying in, putting an enemy in my sights, and blasting them into space dust.  And to make it even better, it’s one of the eleven new Open Feint games, so you can share progress and scores with your gaming buddies.

The game has a full plate full of settings, both the normal things like music volume as well as advanced settings for the on-screen graphics.  The app seems coded pretty well, on my Evo 4G it can handle things set pretty high, and the Nexus S runs it great with everything cranked up to the max.  There’s also a little bonus — it’s set up for use with a Zeemote controller, which should work really well with this one.  Speaking of bonuses — Hyperbees (check out their developers forum right here) has set up their own contest in the Android Central forums, where ten winners will be able to grab a free copy of Galaxy NGC3D, and one lucky winner will be sporting their own Zeemote controller to play the heck out of this one, and many other games.  High-tail it into the forums and try your luck, the contest ends Friday, Dec 31 at noon Eastern. 

You can grab the full version of Galaxy NGC3D on sale until the contest ends tomorrow at noon on the market for a 99 cents, and there’s a link to the free trial (thanks for that developers!), a gameplay video, and a handful of screenshots after the break — check em out.  Thanks Monika, Tom, and all the folks at Hyperbees!

Android Quick App: Galaxy NGC3D [contest] posted originally by Android Central

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You ever get a call from someone you really don’t feel like talking to at the moment and decide that you’ll just let it go to voicemail and wait and see if they leave a message? I know I do. In fact, I really dislike talking on the phone so I tend to do it a lot. That habit of mine used to make checking my voicemail rather annoying as well. Especially after letting 5-6 messages build in there.

So instead of actually, you know answering calls I decided I’d switch to a visual voicemail service and make it a lot easier on myself. I decided to go with YouMail. Read on after the break for a quick run down of what YouMail is all about.

Android Quick App: YouMail Visual Voicemail posted originally by Android Central

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Like I mentioned in the Nov. 19 edition of our Editors’ App Picks, I send a lot of text messages.  Maybe not as much as some of you, but, it’s not uncommon for me to have used over 3,000 text messages each month.

If you’re a heavy texter who spends a substantial portion of your day in front of a computer, you might be surprised how much you’ll enjoy SMS2PC.  Respond quicker, and type faster — without ever having to pick up your phone.

Join me after the break to dive a little deeper into SMS2PC, and get some download links.

Android Quick App: SMS2PC posted originally by Android Central

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We’re all waiting for PopCap to get Plants vs. Zombies on Android, but developer lzn1007 goes a step further, and has released pvz — a near-perfect clone.  Pvz has three modes, Day Mode, Night Mode, and Challenge, which correspond pretty closely to the original.  There’s also two challenge modes, and they, too are essentially the same as the authorized version.  Speaking of the authorized version, I fully expect this one to get taken down for trademark or copyright issues.  I’ll let the developers duke it out over those, I just wanna kill some zombies.

Fair warning — the application asks for some permissions you’re not going to care for, like location and phone state.  There’s an online social-gamer component that goes through a Chinese service called WiYun (use Google Translate, link is in Chinese, and seems legit), but you can leave it disabled and play offline.  I tested it here with WiFi and mobile data disconnected and had no problems.  I also ran it through Lookout, which didn’t find anything glaringly wrong.  When it’s all said and done, I’m certain that enabling the online component means your submitting data to the developer, so use your own best judgment. There’s a video, and download link (free, all versions of Android) after the break.

Posted originally at Android Central

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It’s fall here in the Northern Hemisphere, and for a good many of us that means days in the woods looking over a rifle or down an arrow shaft at our local big game.  Deer Hunter 3D, a new game on the Android Market from Glu Mobile brings the thrill of the hunt in a more compact form for those times when life, or even work, interferes with time in the stand.

Simply put, it’s fun.  You have a choice of venues and weapons, and as you get better and advance in the game, harder levels are bigger animals are unlocked, making it even more fun.  Successful hunts give points that can be used to improve your skills — which you’ll need in the hardest levels where only perfect shots and the largest trophies will allow you to advance.  As we’ve come to expect from Glu Mobile, the game is smooth, the 3D objects are nicely rendered, and the replay value is high.  You can find Deer Hunter 3D in the Android Market, with both a free trial version (Android 2.1 or higher) and a full version for $4.99 USD.  Check out a video of the game in action, as well as the trial version download link, after the break.

Posted originally at Android Central

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New on the Market from Hyperbees, JellyBalls is a simple ball popping game with a very cool twist.  Rotating your Android phone changes the direction the new balls drop from.  It’s funny how a small change like that makes such a difference in the gameplay.  JellyBalls includes five different gameplay modes, uses Scoreloop for a global online leaderboard (hit me up: gbhil), and has a groovy soundtrack.  I’m really loving the new breed of easy, time filler games on Android, and this one’s a perfect fit.  If I can wrestle it away from my wife, that is.  Grab it from the Market for £ 0.99 (about $1.50 USD).

If you’re into casual gaming like I am, you’ll like JellyBalls.  Check out the video, and download links after the break. Thanks Tom!

Posted originally at Android Central

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Fall is in the air, and in North America that means Football season is upon us — Flick Kick Field Goal for Android answers the call.  Just because you can’t (or don’t want to) be out in the mud, the blood and the beer doesn’t mean you have to go without your fix.  The aim of the game is to score field goals, at various distances, and fighting the wind the whole time.  It runs like butter on the Evo 4G, so most 2010 devices should run it well and a new Droid X or Galaxy S class phone should chew through it without a hitch.  The bottom line is that it delivers in the fun department, and is just hard enough to hold some replay value — I’m not refunding it, you probably won’t either.

We also have a quick look at Open Feint, as Flick Kick Field Goal (say that five times fast) is another Feint game (like Fruit Ninja and Mini Squadron).  I’m really glad to see this catching on, as I think having a big Android user base can only make the service more robust.  You can pick it up on the Market for 99 cents. Check out the video, and download links after the break.

Posted originally at Android Central

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For root users only! If you want to do some of the lower-level stuff with your Android phone, you’re going to need ADB, which stands for Android Debug Bridge — basically a way of connecting your phone to your computer. But what if you don’t have your USB cable with you? What if you’re phone is right next to your computer, but your nearest USB cable is in your bedroom, and you’re too lazy to walk in there and grab it (or your son is asleep right next to it and you don’t want to wake him up)?

The solution is ADB Wireless. With this app, if your phone and your computer are on the same network, it’s a cinch to use ADB. All you have to do is open a command line on your computer and use "adb connect <IP Address>:5555 and you’re connected to your phone via ADB just as if you were using your coveted USB cable.

Of course, you still need ADB on your computer, which usually means having the Android SDK installed. Hit the break for another screen shot, plus download links.

Posted originally at Android Central

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