Phandroid
OnePlus is now selling invites to buy the OnePlus One on eBay
If you were annoyed by the “antics” OnePlus has resorted to for selling their first smartphone, then you might get a kick out of their latest actions. The company has decided to sell 15 invites to buy the phone on eBay — and here we were worried that selling invites on eBay would be attempted by a few bad apples in an otherwise good bunch.
There’s a catch, though — it’s for a good cause, so I guess we can’t chastise them too much. Whichever individual wins the eBay auction for the invites will be happy to know that the money raised will go to one of four charities that forum members are voting for over at the OnePlus community:
- Water.org
- Unicef
- World Wildlife Fund
- 1% for the Planet
From there, whoever wins the 15 invites are free to do with them whatever they wish. I’m not going to get too virulent in spitting my opinion on the OnePlus One invite system debacle here, but I will say that they should be looking to put an end to this sooner than later — there’s only so long some folks will be able to hold out with attractive options like the newly-announced LG G3 around the corner. We’re still hunting down the eBay auction if you’re interested, so check back periodically for the link.
[via OnePlus]
Best Android apps from May 2014
April showers bring May flowers, but also new app releases. Yes, another month has gone by and summer is just about to officially kick off. There were some great new app releases and major updates in the world of Android this month. If you’ve been outside enjoying the warmer weather you may have missed a few of them. That’s where we come in. Here are the best apps to launch this month, and a few major updates that you should check out. Go forth and be download!
AllCast Reciever
AllCast is an awesome app that allows you to send almost anything to a Chromecast. In order to get this working with the Fire TV the developer made a special app called “AllCast Receiver.” This app essentially turns the Fire TV, and any other Android device, into a Chromecast. Now you can send stuff from one device to another. It’s very cool. Check it out for free or unlock the full version for $4.99.
BoltBus
Catching a bus in the modern age is not nearly as difficult as it once was. BoltBus by Greyhound is the perfect example of this. With this new app you can buy a bus ticket right from your phone. No more fiddling with crappy machines or wonky websites. The app is actually really well designed. If you use a Greyhound bus often this app will quickly become one of your favorites. It is available for free from Google Play.
Bright Weather
There is no shortage of weather apps in the Play Store. LevelUp Studio, the creators of Beautiful Widgets, have entered the ring with Bright Weather. This gorgeous new app claims to be the most “comprehensive weather app” available for Android. We don’t know if that’s true, but it certainly could be one of the prettiest. You can try it out for free in the Play Store right now.
Klout
Klout has undergone some serious changes in the past year. The service that used to be all about tracking your social importance is now more about helping you share great content. It uses the same tools from before, but now it’s using that information to suggest things you might want to share. Their brand new Android app will help you do all of this on the go. It’s available for free.
Motorola Alert
Alongside the launch of the Moto E, Motorola unveiled a new app to be your personal body-guard. Motorola Alert works by sending location-based alerts to a circle of friends/family of your choosing. This can be set to alert a parent when their child arrives safely at home, or alert a wife when her husband has left for/arrives at work. This app can come in handy during emergencies, and it won’t kill your battery in the process. You don’t need a Motorola device to download this app for free.
NomNom Finder
Food trucks are all the rage these days if you live in a big city. Instead of you going to a restaurant to eat the truck can come to where the people are. Since they move around a lot it can be hard to find your favorite truck. NonNom Finder is a new app that allows you to easily see where food trucks are on a map. It’s well designed, simple to use, and super handy when you’re in the mood for some food. It can be yours for free.
Secret
Secret, which has been an iOS exclusive for the past 4 months, is now available for Android. Secret allows you to “speak freely” by sharing your thoughts with friends while being anonymous. The idea behind Secret came about so that people could share moments, like posts, and re-share other’s posts without the need to be embarrassed. The coolest thing about Secret is that the secrets are from people you know, which makes it more fun. Download it today for free.
Slyde
One of the coolest new apps from this month is called Slyde. This app is a new way to do multitasking on your Android device. Instead of using the built-in multitasking button you simply slide a little round button over to the app you wish to open. You can add your five favorite apps to the slide out area. It’s a really quick way to switch between your often-used apps. Slyde is $0.99 from the Google Play Store.
Swarm
What do you get when you take the social aspect out of Foursquare? Swarm. This new app from Foursquare aims to make all of the social aspects of the original app easier to access. You can see when your friends are close-by, tag friends when checking-in, see a feed of what your friends have been up to, and much more. Swarm has some stiff competition in this space, such as Facebook Places, but this is a good start. Swarm is available for free.
Yahoo! News Digest
Keeping up with the news can be a difficult thing to do, especially since we all have busy lives. Many apps have tried to remedy this situation in the past, and Yahoo is the next to give it a try. News Digest sends you personalized news round-ups every morning and night. The stories are bundled with information that makes them easy to digest. News Digest is the perfect app for the casual news reader. It is available for free in the Play Store.
Big Updates
Pushbullet
Pushbullet received a massive update this month. They have added a new sliding drawer navigation, a new sharing interface, the ability to push to all devices, easier notification mirroring, improved tablet UI, and a better widget. If you’re not using Pushbullet you really should be. Download it for free.
Tumblr
This month Tumblr got serious about profiles in their mobile app. You can now fully customize the way your personal page/profile looks. Some of the customization options include background color, cover photo, font type, font color, highlight colors, and more. If you’re a Tumblr user be sure to go in and customize your profile. You can get Tumblr for free.
Snapchat
One of the biggest updates from this month is Snapchat. This update puts the “chat” in “Snapchat.” Users can now send disposable text messages to each other ad view snaps in a conversation view. If your friend is viewing the conversation at the same time you can even do a live video call. It’s a whole new way to communicate with your friends. Snag the update for free from the Play Store.
That’s a wrap! Let us know if we missed any apps that launched in May. June should be another awesome month for new Android apps. We can’t wait!
Dragon Quest VIII finds itself in the Google Play Store, and it ain’t cheap
Gamers will want to give this $20 download a consideration. Yes, I said $20. That big bill will now get you one of the most beloved RPGs on your Android phone or tablet. I’m talking about Dragon Quest 8, a classic RPG from the PS2 era that is as unforgettable as anything can be.
Dragon Quest 8 follows the story of a royal family that was turned into farm animals and plant life via the spell of a court jester who was having far too much trouble for his own good. You play the protagonist — the lone guard who, for whatever reason, was unaffected by the spell — to help restore some normalcy to the kingdom.
The game features beautiful cel-shaded graphics, an epic soundtrack, and turn-based gameplay so good that it’ll make you wonder why Japanese RPGs have been on a decline in recent years. For $20 you’re getting access to the full experience as it was when it first launched on PS2, so there are no microtransactions, ads or other cash grab antics to deal with.
If ever there was a time that you complained about microtransactions and the lack of good, solid one-time purchase experiences, then this is your chance to show Square Enix and other developers that we enjoy a no-frill gaming experience for an upfront cost. Head to Google Play if you’re ballsy enough to spend the 20 bills.
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