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Welcome to the 466th edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the big headlines from the last week:
- Amazon is bringing Matter-over-Thread to its Echo devices this coming spring. The company announced the move earlier this week. It was already announced that the devices were getting Matter, so this is a bit different. Hit the link to learn more details.
- AetherSX2 is ceasing development. The sad news comes after the developer received death threats, attacks, and other negative user feedback. This shows a side of development that people don’t see too much. Between the insane amount of requests and demands, the attacks, and other negative stuff, it was just too much. It’s a shame too since AetherSX2 was the best PlayStation 2 emulator on Android.
- Dark Sky’s API shut down officially on the first of the year. Apps with the API will cease to function until the developers change the weather source to something else. At the link above, we put up a list of decent alternatives for both Android and iOS in case you’re interested.
- CES 2023 is one of our favorite times of the year. We even got some app news. The new Android Auto UI is officially rolling out. Android is also working with Spotify for a Spotify Connect feature. Hit the link to learn more, and keep up with what we covered already in our CES 2023 hub.
Wordicate
Price: Free
Wordicate is a word game similar to the ones you may have played before. You rearrange letters on a screen and the words fill in the blanks on the crossword portion of the screen. You win when all of the boxes are filled in. The game displays your score and you move on to the next round. The developers boast a near-endless supply of levels along with things like leaderboards. It’s also free with no in-app purchases, so it’s nice for time killing on a budget.
Energio
Price: Free
Energio is an app for estimating your energy consumption. It has functions that let you estimate how much electricity, water, and gas you use. The information can help you guess how much your energy costs will be. There are also functions to add readings from energy meters as well. It’s a niche app, and there are likely bugs we didn’t find in our testing, but those looking to min-max their energy use to save some money.
Resonance of the Ocean
Price: Free
Resonance of the Ocean is one of the more relaxing games we’ve seen in a while. You walk around an island while you collect various things washed up on shore. You use those things to make instruments. The instruments unlock sounds from the ocean. There really isn’t too much of a point to the game. You can get through it rather quickly. The enjoyment comes from the relaxing sounds, the hand-drawn graphics, and the simplistic gameplay. It’s entirely free, with no in-app purchases or ads to muddle things up.
Trendio
Price: Free
Trendio is a hybrid between a shopping app and an entertainment app. It features a bunch of videos from brands to showcase various beauty products. You watch the influencers use the products so you can see how they work and look. This whole app feels a bit like an advertisement, but it’s still somewhat useful. There are live events where you can see products used in real-time, and there are a bunch of brands represented on the app. Again, it feels like an advertisement, so we doubt you’ll see any negative reviews of products. Keep your wits about you.
Eversoul
Price: Free to play
Eversoul is a mobile RPG with gacha elements. It’s also the biggest release during a week when there are few app or game releases. The core of the game is pretty similar to most gachas. You summon characters, level them up, and use them to beat up bad guys. There’s a story to follow, and everything is done in decent, anime-inspired graphics.
The combat is kind of like an idle game. Your characters do their thing with minimal input from the player. There are other things to do in the game as well. It’s decent overall, and it certainly looks nice.
If we missed any big Android apps or games news or releases, tell us about it in the comments.
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