Welcome back to Android Gaming Weekly, our weekly recap of new game releases. We still plan to cover upcoming releases and games we’re playing, but this column is dedicated to new games that you can start playing right now. Check out our top picks and let us know in the comments section if you have any suggestions for next week’s post.

spin-circle

Description: Spin and dodge. Spin around the circle and avoid oncoming projectiles. Red and blue squares shoot in from the outside, bouncing off the inside square. Move clockwise or anti-clockwise around your circle to dodge them, collecting points and increasing your score.

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Scribblenaughts Unlimited

Description:  Welcome to an adventure into a wide-open world, where the most powerful tool is still your imagination. Help Maxwell solve robust puzzles across dozens of seamless, free-roaming levels by summoning any object you can think of.

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Cavernaut

Description: Pilot your spaceship through a maze of caves on an alien planet. Try to reach the surface, while collecting luminum crystals which you can trade for upgrades.

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 Space Jet

Description: Join a global online space war, face with everyone or join with your friends and create a team! Complete simple daily tasks and earn game currency by taking part in battles.

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Metro 2033: Wars

Description: Metro 2033: Wars is a turn-based, open-world, strategy game, based on the story of Dmitry Glukhovsky’s best-selling novel series, Metro 2033.

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Mechanic Escape

Description: In a world oppressed by ruthless machines, a stronghold full of die-hard TV-sets resists the persecution. Your lost friends and the lack of resources drive you to take action against the extinction.

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Blown Away: First Try

Description: Hendrik is a schlimazel! One last hair on his head, and a pair of teleporting shoes, are all he has left. Everything else was blown away by the wind. Let yourself get carried away and and find the scattered remains of Hendrik’s house. Charge your batteries and teleport Hendrik through the ever-moving levels.

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Shadowgate

Description:  Shadowgate is one of the most well-known and beloved point-and-click adventure titles in gaming history. Thrust into the role of “The Seed of Prophecy,” players travel deep into the living castle, in hopes of defeating the evil that dwells within – the dreaded Warlock Lord.

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Mean Spheres Attack

Description: Mean Spheres Attack is an FPS game that will take you back to that old times when you had to prove your skills in the game instead of paying to win and buy upgrades as you advance.

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Peter Moorhead’s Murder

Description: Murder is a short story about the intersection of morality and sentience, told in the form of a point and click adventure.

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The HTC One X9 rumors and leaks were spot on. HTC China has published the product page for the HTC One X9, revealing its official spec sheet and product images. As expected, the HTC One X9 is powered by a MediaTek Helio X10 processor, clocked at 2.2 GHz with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and support for 2GB of expandable storage with its microSD slot. The phone’s Full HD (1080p) display measures in a 5.5-inches which means the non-removable 3000 mAh battery should easily be able to get the phone through a full day on a single charge. On the back, the 13 megapixel camera is equipped with a BSI sensor, optical image stabilization and can capture video in 4K. The One X9 does not have an UltraPixel camera, but it’ll still manage decent selfies with its 5 megapixel sensor and f/2.0 lens.

The HTC One X9 measures 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.99, allowing the display to cover 82% of the phone’s front. On the design side, the back and sides of the HTC One X9 is wrapped with a unibody aluminum shell and a single pane of glass protecting the display on the front. While the phone looks similar to other HTC phones, the aluminum shell has a plastic insert on the back, around the camera module. We’re not sure why HTC chose this particular design approach, but we can assume that the phone’s NFC chip and various antennas are housed there. But the main thing to stand out is the One X9′s use of capacitive buttons below the display. While HTC hasn’t used this setup on a One phone in the past few years, capacitive buttons are still quite common on China-bound devices these days.

We have yet to spot an official press release for the HTC One X9, so we still don’t know when the phone will go on sale or how much it will cost. As soon as those details are revealed, we’ll be sure to let you know.

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Bubble level apps aren’t new to Android. They have been around since Android made its debut, but when was the last time you actually used or had one installed on your phone? Since Google Search is installed on nearly all Android devices, Google thought it would be a good idea to incorporate a bubble level card into the app which shows up if you search “bubble level” or “spirit level.” The level can be used with the phone on any of its sides or flat on its back, but we found that it can get stuck from time to time. To reset it, you can change the orientation of the phone or close out Google Search and start again.

It’s nice to see Google Search gain new features, but we have to imagine that additions like this tend to frustrate app developers. We’re sure that millions of people will still rely on Google Play to find a bubble level app before thinking about pulling one up from search, but developers will likely miss out on quite a bit of income if even 10% of Android users make the switch.

If you could add one new feature to Google Search on your phone, what would it be?

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The stock browsers that come with Android devices rarely get any attention, but recently the spotlight is now shining on ASUS’s browser thanks to a deal that the company has made.

Adblock Plus will be built into the default browser of ASUS devices starting sometime in 2016. Exactly when that’ll begin happening isn’t yet known, but AdBlock Plus co-founder Till Faida confirmed the news, saying that his company is “extremely happy to team up with ASUS, the first major hardware manufacturer to integrate ad blocking into their mobile devices.” Faida went on to describe ASUS’s decision as “another call for innovation in the ad industry — a call getting louder by the day.”

Ad blockers are nothing new on Android, but typically the user has to go through the effort of seeking one out and then installing it. That won’t be the case with ASUS products next year. And while the user base of ASUS’s browser isn’t exactly huge — it’s said that around 15 million people use it — this partnership is still notable. What will be interesting is seeing if other device makers follow suit.

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Samsung is one company that helped to make phablets a thing, launching the original Galaxy Note way back in 2011. Fast-forward five years and Samsung is still cranking out phablets, with the latest model being the Galaxy A9.

The Samsung Galaxy A9 has been officially introduced in China, boasting a 6-inch 1920×1080 Super AMOLED display that’s the largest in Samsung’s Galaxy A family of devices. To compare, the Galaxy A3 has a 4.7-inch screen, the A5 has a 5.2-inch display, and the Galaxy A7 has a 5.5-inch display. One thing that the Galaxy A9 has in common with its Galaxy A siblings, though, is its Galaxy S6 styling, which includes a metal trim.

The Galaxy A9 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 652 — formerly Snapdragon 620 — processor that’s paired with 3GB of RAM. It’s got 13-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front cameras, 32GB of storage, a microSD that’ll let you supplement that with additional storage, and both NFC and MST support for Samsung Pay. One other notable feature of the Galaxy A9 is its battery, which measures in at 4000mAh.

Samsung is planning to launch the Galaxy A9 in China, but there’s no word yet on how much it’ll cost.

The A9 looks like an interesting phablet option for folks that are into those big devices. It’s not quite as high-end as the Galaxy Note 5, but its spec list is pretty respectable. And when you combine features like a 1920×1080 display and Snapdragon 652 with a 4000mAh battery, the Galaxy A9 should get some pretty decent battery life. So if you like phablets and want one with solid battery life, be sure to keep an eye out for the A9 in China’s shops or your preferred device import shop.

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New apps need lovin’ too, right? Every day there are thousands of additions to the Google Play store, but many go unnoticed and never receive the attention they deserve. We’ve shown in the past that this community can discover great apps and propel them to new heights. Our weekly Fresh Meat column highlights new apps with fewer than 100,000 installs. Browse our new Android app picks below and let us know which ones you enjoy.

Skype for Business

Description: Skype for Business, formerly Lync 2013, for Android extends the power of Lync and Skype to your favorite mobile device: voice & video over wireless, rich presence, instant messaging, conferencing, and calling features from a single, easy-to-use interface.

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KeyMe

Description: KeyMe is a safe, smart and inexpensive solution to frustrating lockouts, and a convenient way to copy and share your keys. Simply scan your keys into the app and our software does the rest.

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Connections

Description: Connections, a Microsoft Garage project, helps you better manage your relationship with your contacts – be it friends, family, customers, vendors or suppliers. It helps you capture and surface important information so that you can be organized and prepared.

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Jaunt VR

Description: Experience the widest array of premium cinematic virtual reality experiences with Jaunt’s re-imagined fully immersive app. Jaunt delivers unparalleled and all enveloping VR experiences anytime, 

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Wallpapers QHD

Description: Wallpapers QHD (Backgrounds) are beautiful wallpapers for your phone and tablet. Cool wallpaper in the highest resolution (HD wallpapers and QHD wallpapers) and, of course, 3D wallpapers.

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Developer Browser

Description: Developer Browser is a fast,small & incognito browser , easy-to-use. Developer Browser delivers a frictionless user experience designed for one task – to search the web effortlessly.

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WEARVR

Description: The WEARVR App is here to help you find the latest and greatest Virtual Reality content for your mobile device. No longer will you have to scour the web for Android compatible VR apps – they’re all here!

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Chromer

Description: Chromer allows you to use chrome custom tabs on your phone without requiring app developers to implement it manually. By doing so, you get a lighter, faster and secure browsing experience!

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Microsoft Apps

Description: Microsoft Apps makes it easy to find the best apps from Microsoft available on your Android device. Browse Microsoft’s extensive selection of apps across categories like Productivity, Education, Entertainment, Communication, News, and more.

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Triller

Description: Pick the perfect song for the moment and shoot a few takes, anywhere. With the tap of a button Triller edits them together to create a celebrity-quality music video starring you and your friends that looks like the ones your favorite artists produce.

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Battery life on phones continues to be a major issue, and while manufacturers aren’t using larger batteries, there are some interesting technologies to help ease charging. Some manufacturers have been using fast charging, which delivers more power to the phone by using a special wall adapter that regulates the power flow based on how much juice is already in the phone.

Fast charging still requires you to be tethered to a cable if you want to charge. For those who prefer the convenience of not having to plug in, wireless charging has become an increasingly common option. Wireless charging uses magnetic induction to charge the phone by having it rest on top of a wireless charging pad or cradle. But wireless charging is slow, taking significantly longer than standard wall chargers.

Now, new technology has allowed the two to essentially come together to create fast wireless charging. This combines the speed of fast charging with the convenience of wireless charging, bringing together the best of both worlds. The catch? Very few phones currently support the standard that enables fast wireless charging.

Choetech is one of the accessory manufacturers that has jumped on board to create a fast wireless charger. The T518 charging pad supports devices that use the Qi wireless charging standard, which is a pretty sizable list. In addition to offering the standard wireless charging, it also offers fast wireless charging to those devices that support it.

One of the popular phones that supports fast wireless charging is the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. For the review, I was able to borrow a Note 5 from a relative to give fast charging a shot. Needless to say, I was impressed. While fast charging through a wired charging was slightly faster, the fast wireless charging capability drastically cut down the time needed to charge wirelessly. As an estimate, I’d say that fast wireless charging cuts around an hour off of the time needed to fully charge the device.

I also tested the Choetech Fast Wireless Charging Pad with a Nexus 6 and Nexus 7 (2013). Both of these devices support standard wireless charging, so there was a definite increase in the amount of time needed to charge the device. With the Nexus 6, the time needed to charge wirelessly was particularly frustrating, as it paled in comparison to the Nexus 6′s usual Turbo Charging speed. If you to were wirelessly charge the Nexus 6 from zero, you’d probably need a solid three or more hours to do so, as compared to about an hour and a half using the wired Turbo Charger. In addition to that, you can’t get any quick fill-ups when you’ve got a low battery like you can with the Turbo Charger.

In my time with the wireless charging pad, I found that it was a bit finicky in regards to the placement of the device on top. You may have to move the phone around a bit before it begins charging, and even then, it can be unsteady. For example, I placed my Nexus 6 on the charging pad before bed, ensuring that it was charging. But I bumped the charger slightly when I turned off my lamp and I woke up in the morning to a phone that hadn’t been charged.

Perhaps this is an issue with other wireless chargers, but I haven’t tested enough to know for sure. In any case, if you don’t have fast wireless charging, it’s almost more of a hassle to use the wireless charger in comparison to a standard wired charger. Sure, you don’t have to plug in the device, but you have to fiddle with the positioning and, once you do get the device charging, you’re going to have to wait much longer than you would with a wired charger.

At the end of the day, I can highly recommend the Choetech Fast Wireless Charging Pad to someone who has a device that supports fast wireless charging. It’ll be convenient and you won’t be sacrificing speed for the ease of not having to plug in.

For others without fast wireless charging, it comes down to personal preference. If you’re okay with giving up charging speed for the convenience of ditching wires, the Choetech Fast Wireless Charging Pad should work well for you. It’s simple, it does its job well and it’s quite affordable. If you value speedy charging, you may want to stick with your wired charger for now.

You can follow this link to purchase the Choetech Fast Wireless Charging Pad from Amazon for $29.99.

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After a month and a half of leaks and rumors, the HTC One X9′s unveiling may be right around the corner. While we were expecting HTC to show off the phone at CES in two weeks, HTC has posted an image on its Weibo page that suggests that the phone may make its debut on December 24. The image is one of many that have been posted on HTC’s Weibo site that hint at the launch of the HTC One X9. None of them have revealed the name of the phone or the specs, but a few have shown the capacitive buttons that we’re seen plenty of times in the leaked pictures of the phone.

The HTC One X9 is expected to be a mid-range Android phone with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, MediaTek Helio X10 MT6795 processor, microSD card slot, UltraPixel front-facing camera, 13-megapixel rear camera with OIS, 3,000mAh battery and BoomSound speakers on the front. Based on the rumors, the X9 will have two different versions that will feature 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage or 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

The phone is expected to sell in China, Taiwan and a few other markets in Asia, but there’s no indication that the phone will make its way to Europe or the Americas.

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If you’ve got an unlocked HTC One A9 or One M9, the next 24 hours are going to be good for you.

HTC’s Mo Versi has confirmed that the unlocked versions of the One A9 and One M9 will both be getting Android OS updates within the next 24 hours. The One A9 will be getting Android 6.0.1, complete with new emoji, while the One M9 will be getting its Android 6.0 Marshmallow update.

Happy Holidays! Updates to the Unlocked A9 6.0.1 and Unlocked M9 6.0 will be able to be downloaded within next 24 hours! Enjoy 🙂

— Mo Versi (@moversi) December 23, 2015

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When HTC announced the One A9, it said that the unlocked phone would get Android OS updates within 15 days after they hit Nexus devices. It’s keeping to that commitment with this Android 6.0.1 update, which is good for the company and folks that bought the unlocked One A9. Meanwhile, the unlocked One M9 is getting Marshmallow before most other non-Nexus devices, which serves as evidence that unlocked phones are often the way to go if you care about fast OS updates.

If you’ve got an unlocked HTC One A9, or One M9, keep an eye out for your update!

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The Chromecast is am immensely useful tool for streaming content from your devices to your TV, but for the holiday season, Google is making it a bit more useful for the family. A bunch of games have been added to the list of Chomecast-supported apps, and a lot of them are Hasbro games.

Angry Birds Friends and Driver Speedboat Paradise have been added, and you play them using your phone as the controller. Hasbro has also added Monopoly Here & Now, Yahtzee Blitz, The Game of Life, Scrabble Blitz 2.0, and Risk. Unfortunately, the Hasbro games are only available in the US and Canada.

While the quality of gaming on the Chromecast can vary (in games like Driver, latency can be a problem), but the Hasbro games are perfectly suited for the big screen. The moves are shown on the TV, while your cards are on your phone or tablet.

Hit the source link for more info and start playing! But remember, Monopoly is dangerous and may cause lots of raging.

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