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Gululu Water Bottle: Pricey, but fun (Review)

Keeping our kids healthy is one of the top priorities as parents. It has become increasingly harder to do so with all the fast food chains, numerous snacks, and drinks of all flavors. Getting them to drink water can be a task. Especially a 5-year-old who has just discovered the wonderous joys of sodas. But water is an essential part of life. Bowhead Technology has a Kickstarter that can change all that with its new Gululu Water Bottle.

Design

The Gululu water bottle is made of a durable rubber shell that withstands multiple drops, which is needed for kids. It comes in five different colors so they are sure to have something that will please your little ones.

The bottle can be taken apart into separate pieces. The main body is where all the sensors, screen, and the water is located. There are multiple sensors located throughout the bottle. The sensors and inclinometer on the inside are used to accurately measure how much water the child has consumed, while sensors on the outside allow the child to interact with the pet.

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Also removable are the lid and the spout. The spout breaks down into two pieces that are easily replaced and is also BPA-free. The bottle is leakproof and waterproof, but it is not dishwasher safe, so make sure you hand wash it.

Charging is a breeze with is easy to use charging stand. Just plug the charging station in and sit the bottle on top and you’re good to go. It also links to WiFi for data transfer.

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Setup

Setup takes no more than ten minutes with simple to follow instructions after downloading the app from the Play Store. Once you have created an account, you enter some information about your child and get a recommended water intake level.

Then comes the fun part for your child. They get to pick from three different cute companions that will accompany them on their healthy adventure.  Once that is done, it will walk you through the steps to of connecting to the WiFi.

Once you have set the bottle up, you can then adjust your settings in the app for more or less water, school mode and bed time. These two modes simply shut the companion down for a desired amount of time so there are no interruptions.

Review

Gululu is a neat water bottle that combines drinking water, virtual pets, and gamification. Think Tamagotchi pets on a water bottle. It makes drinking water fun as they help their new companion grow.

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The sensors on the side allow the child to interact in fun ways. The companion will do a few different tricks depending on how you touch the sides. It also has a built-in feature that allows to kids to shake their bottles together and their pets can visit each other and become friends.

The app is a simple and useful tool for parents. You don’t have to be any kind of techie to understand how to use it. Once the bottle is in WiFi, the data is uploaded and then open it up and monitor your kid’s habits.

What is there negative to say about this device? I mean it’s got it all. There has to be a downside right? Usually, all that would be followed by a no, but in this case, it’s not. This bottle has a future retail price of $129 before shipping and taxes.

I realize there is a lot of technology in this bottle and I understand. But it is hard to pay that kind of money for an item like this. If you go to the Kickstarter you can get one before that price kicks in for $89, which may still be pricey.

Summary

With a colorful array of bottles to choose from, there is no doubt this bottle is cool. Kids love it and it’s a wonderful aid in keeping kids healthy. I’m not sure what the long term future holds in pricing terms. But I feel they will have to come down in price at some point.

The Kickstarter has less than 20 days and is fully funded and expected to deliver anywhere starting in Septemer.

Pre-Order on Kickstarter

Inateck 2-Port USB Car Charger: 2 Ports and a bonus (Review)

I just recently wrote about an awesome 4-Port car charger from Inateck. It’s a sleek looking charger with a lot to offer. Today, from that same great company I present to you Inateck’s 2-Port USB car charger for $15.99. It not only has USB ports for charging your devices, but it has a little bonus.

Inateck2-port charger2

In the box

  • 2-Port car charger with built-in MFi Lighting cable
  • Four-foot microUSB cord

Review

Inateck’s 2-Port car charger isn’t quite as sexy as the previous charger I reviewed, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking the goods to make it worth your while. As you have seen the bonus is its built in MFi Lighting cable for Apple products. So when your non-Android friend forgets their charging cable, you’ll have their back.

Like many other modern chargers, it comes equipped with the built-in smart chip to deliver the safest current for your device. This lowers the risk of overheating, the potential of causing a fire and damage your device.

This 2-port charger’s outside is built with fire proof materials to ensure the highest standard of safety. It is also certified in many areas such as MFi, RoHS, CE, and FCC so you can rest assured it’s safe.

Summary

Inateck produces a reliable product that is gonna last and this product is no exception to the rule. This 2-Port charger with the lightning cable could be the life saver your friend needs. At $15.99 you can pick one up for yourself or even that friend.

Buy Inateck’s 2-Port Charger with Lightning cable

Dead Zombie Land: Simple game that’s close to fun (Review)

Overview

Sometimes you’re just bored and you don’t really want to think too hard, but you want to play a game. A couple questions you can ask yourself. Do you like tap style game? Do you like zombies? If you answered yes to both then, Dead Zombie Land may be for you.

Developer: Cruel Bytes
Cost: Free with In-App purchases

Review

Zombieland3This game takes place in a post zombie apocalypse world where the zombies have won and rule the world. The main character, you, are a zombie as well and your head is about to explode. So your goal is to take out as many zombies as you can before that happens.

The concept is quite easy to understand. You have ten seconds to take out as many zombies as you can. Once you explode you respawn in a different location and you are given another ten seconds to get yourself in the position to take out more zombies. The catch is each time you have to take out more zombies than your previous attempt. So needless to say it gets harder each attempt. If you don’t explode more zombies than before, then the game is over.

The controls for this game are simple, swipe your character in the direction you want to go and tap if you want him to explode earlier. While these controls are simple, I did have problems with the swipe. It just wasn’t as responsive as it should be. I would swipe and he just didn’t seem to move much, if at all sometimes. This made it hard to maneuver into a large group of zombies This should be a simple adjustment.

The graphics are done well and mimic the block style made popular by Minecraft, It also incorporate Google Play Game’s leaderboards and achievements to compete against your friends. You may also connect ” Dead Zombie Land”  with Facebook as well.  

There are various levels of in-app purchases to purchase coins that allow you to buy differentZombieland4 characters. They vary from 1500 coins for $.99 to 12,500 coins for $5.99. You can also collect coins based on how many zombies you kill and you can watch videos as well to get coins,free of charge. If you share a gameplay video that nets you another 20 coins. 

Conclusion

Dead Zombie Land isn’t an overly exciting game, but it is a time killer. I’m not sure how you make it more exciting as the general concept is not very appealing. I do give kudos however to the attempt at changing the way a tap game is done. If you’re interested in a game that will help you kill time when you’re bored, and don’t want to get hooked on a thriller, feel free to check out Dead Zombie Land at the Google Play Store.

Get Dead Zombie Land in the Play Store

Filmora Go: Editing on the go at it’s best (Review)

Overview

It’s summertime, 4th of July is around the corner, and lots of festivities are about to ensue. There’s no doubt there will be many cameras out snapping photos and shooting video. What do you do with all that content? Let it sit in one of your many storage services? Instead you can use Filmora Go – an awesome free app that helps you make your videos look amazing, and you don’t even have to be a techie to use it.

Developer: Wondershare Software Co.
Cost: Free

Highlights

  • Import photos and videos
  • Preview in real time
  • Music library
  • One touch themes, templates and effects
  • Overlays and filters
  • And more

Review

What started as a desktop version has finally been developed into a beautifully designed video editing app from the people at Wondershare Software. The developers took a product and made it possible to create eloquent videos, no matter if you are professional or just someone who does it for fun.

Filmora

As soon as you open the app you can immediately see the quality design and layout. Click one button and you’re on your way. You have the choice to choose from your library, Facebook, Instagram, or Google for photos or videos that you want to insert. Once you’ve made your decision it’s time to move on to the next phase.

Your next move is adding themes, music, transitions to your selections. Themes are presets that Filmora Go already has made up if you just want something quick. You can also go into the editing tools to find overlays, filters, elements add titles, speed it up and more. There are a ton of options.

 

The music library isn’t really that big, but not to worry as you can add your own music that you have downloaded to your phone. Make sure that you turn down the video volume so it doesn’t over power your music.

Transitions are also very important when making a video. You have six to choose from so you should be covered.

Once you have finished your project you are given the choice to share it on a number of different platforms. But if you really don’t want to, just keep it in your phone to show people later.

Conclusion

This is one of the best apps I’ve used in a while. I absolutely love it and enjoyed making videos of my kids dancing with Charlie Chaplin music playing. This app has so many different settings, and the fact that it’s free with no ads is amazing. I highly recommend Filmora Go.

 Download Filmora Go from the Play Store

[Review] Get up and go with Aukey Bluetooth earphones

Now that some smartphone manufacturers are killing off the 3.5mm headphone jack, now is a good time to start considering Bluetooth headphones and earphones. Over the past two weeks I’ve been reviewing a pair of Aukey Bluetooth earphones. Although Aukey mostly produces charging accessories, they’ve also made headway into the audio market.

First Impressions

The earphones are comfortable in the ear, and since they are sport earphones, they have a rubber attachment that keeps them secure in your ears. The earphones are plain black, so they will probably match with most of your other gear, as well as clothing.

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Features

  • Deliver balanced, clean, ultra-low latency sound in a lightweight, comfortable fit for active or stationary wireless audio consumption.
  • Better fit = better noise isolation and sound quality. Find your perfect fit with 3 pairs of included ear-tips (S/M/L) and secure-fit ear-supports.
  • Connect quickly and effortlessly manage audio playback and calls with volume controls, multifunction button, and built-in CVC 6.0 noise canceling microphone.
  • Compatible with Bluetooth-equipped computers & mobile devices, up to 6 hours playback or up to 106 hours standby.
  • Package Contents: AUKEY EP-B24 Bluetooth Headphones, Micro-USB Cable, Ear-tips (S, M, L), Stable-fit Ear-supports, Carrying Pouch, User Manual.

These earphones come with three different ear buds in small, medium and large so you can swap them out until you find the most comfortable pair. Although some earphones come with swappable rubber hooks, this pair doesn’t have them.

aukey_Bluetoothearphones03

A nice feature is that the back of each earphone is magnetic, so when you’re not using them you can wear them around your neck as a necklace.

Sound

The sound from these earphones can be quiet at times, and I often found myself increasing the volume whenever I could. As for the quality, I found that they didn’t represent bass and sub bass very well, but mid- and high-range tones were decent. These earphones are aimed at the lower end of the market, and that is reflected both in the quality and price.

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Battery

The battery on these is surprisingly good. I haven’t heard of many Bluetooth earphones whose battery lasts for more than four hours or so, but with heavy use these easily lasted around six hours. On standby they last several days before they needed to be charged again. Charging happens through a standard microUSB port, and only takes a couple of hours.

Conclusion

As I mentioned, these earphones are more affordable than most, at only $25. Unless you’re picky about sound quality, these should be good enough for any occasion, but especially if you need a pair when you go running or hiking.

You can pick these up for $24.99 on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

Samsung Galaxy J3 V now available on Verizon for $7 a month

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Tired of paying high prices for features you don’t need from today’s flagships?

Verizon announced the availability of the new feature-packed Samsung Galaxy J3 with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.The Samsung Galaxy J3 is now available in two flavors — the 16GB* Samsung Galaxy J3 V (available on the Verizon device payment plan) and the 8GB* Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) prepaid smartphone.

This is the perfect phone for anyone looking to step up from a basic device, upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime, Samsung Galaxy J1 or from a similar smartphone. Full specifications include:

– 5.0”  HD Super AMOLED display at 1280 x 720
– 1.2 GHz Quad Core processor
– 16GB (Galaxy J3 V)/8GB [Galaxy J3 (2016)]
– Expandable microSD slot (microSD sold separately)
– Camera: 5MP rear (with flash), 2MP front
– Removable 2600 mAh battery
– Android Lollipop 6.0.1

Pick the perfect device and plan

The Galaxy J3 V is available on Verizon device payment for $7 a month for 24 months ($168 retail).

The Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) is available for $109.99 with Verizon’s prepaid plans. Simply pay ahead of time and commit for as long (or as little) as you want — there are no annual contracts, credit checks or hidden fees, all on the best network in the country. Choose your plan:

– $60 per month for unlimited talk and text with 3GB of data
– $45 per month for unlimited talk and  text with 1GB of data
– $30 per month for unlimited talk and text with Wi-Fi only access for data

The Galaxy J3 V and Galaxy J3 (2016) are available online today. The Galaxy J3 V will also be available in stores on June 23.

Super Locker-DIY&Headlines: Lock Screen app with lots of options (Review)

Overview

In the world of phones, we are always looking for new ways to get information faster. Many developers have started with the lock screen. At a very basic level, stock lock screens carry some sort of shortcuts to the camera as well as time and weather apps. There are a few lock screens that even show you a few headlines or recent apps.

What if you want more? Super Locker- DIY & Headlines will bring you more.

Developer: Locker Headlines Team
Cost: Free ( With Ads)

Highlights

  • Customizable Lockscreen
  • News
  • Applock
  • Countdown
  • Search

Review

Superlocker6Super Locker is a highly customization lock screen with a number of ways to gain control of the information you see. Starting off, there are four main things you get to control, Notifications, Weather, Countdown Day, and News.

With the weather, just like most stock options, you choose your location, either automatically or manually, and Celsius or Fahrenheit. Now where it gets cool is the notifications. It gives you the option to light up the screen when you get a message from apps as well as which apps you get notifications from. The countdown day is exactly what it sounds like, where it allows you to set a timer. And the news setting gives you many options of the types of news you get to see.

Within Super Locker there are some deeper settings you can access such as the color for the time, date and camera icons. You can select different types of lock screen unlocks like slide to unlock, unlock sound and more. There are tons of style and wallpaper options this app offers for download. In order to download these you must watch a short video .

Super Locker also has a built-in a battery saving element that will alert you of things running needlessly in the background consuming precious power. I couldn’t confirm how well it worked, but that option is there. It also has the ability to lock apps individually to keep certain apps private.

Finally let’s get to the screen itself. It has a very clean setup: pull down from the topSuperlocker14 to search, from the right for news, pulling left to unlock (unless you select pulling from the bottom). You also have the notifications at the bottom left that will show you recently apps used.

Who knew you could get so much functionality from a lock screen?

Conclusion

There are a few apps out there that perform similar functions like App Lock and Battery Saver, but Super Locker-DIY wraps all these things into one. So if you’re in the market for a lock screen with multiple features, this is definitely one to consider. Super Locker-DIY is an all-in-one feature laden lock screen functionality tool that is well worth your consideration.

Download Super Locker- DIY & Headlines in the Play Store

Editor’s Picks: 11 apps we think you should try

We’re back this week with another installment of Editor’s Picks. This is a collection of some of the most popular apps with the staff of AndroidGuys. Be sure to give them a look for yourselves!

Journey

journey (FILEminimizer)

Capture life moments, from everyday thoughts to useful travel logs. Journey helps you to rediscover the joy of journaling through the warmth and humanity of the interface. Journey presents your life beautifully in calendar, photo and atlas view, allowing you to revisit the greatest moments anytime, anywhere. Apps are available on Android, Android Wear, Chrome desktop, Windows, Mac & Journey.Cloud. If you have a passion for blogging and recording memories, Journey is one to check out.

Download Journey on the Play Store

Notifly

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Notifly is a great alternative to the stock android notifications the pop up at the top of your screen. If you have ever used the facebook messenger app and love the floating action button or FAB that pops up when you get a message you will love Notifly. It takes any message you receive from many of the top messaging apps and turns them into FAB notifications. You can even quick reply to the messages by clicking the FAB without closing the current app you are in. Supported Apps include WhatsApp, Hangouts, Line, Skype, Twitter, GroupMe, Facebook Messenger, Google Messenger, Gmail and Inbox, and many more. A one stop shop for a new way to receive and respond to notifications on your device!

Download Notifly on the Play Store

Telegram

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A With its recent update to version 3.10, Telegram continues to step up its game, now featuring picture-in-picture videos, drafts that sync across devices, and other visual improvements. Coupled with bots, usernames, stickers, message editing, replies, and rock-solid performance, it’s safe to say that Telegram is the most advanced IM client currently in the Play Store, miles ahead other (admittedly, more popular) apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, and obviously Hangouts.

Download Telegram on the Play Store

Textra SMS

Textra

Textra is an SMS app that allows for deep customization of the laout and interface, as well as some great features that make it a fantastic alternative to default SMS apps. Per-conversation muting, GIF support, quick reply popups, and auto-night mode are just a few of the handy features that make Textra stand out. You can even choose your emoji style from different sources like iOS style and Twitter style.

Download Textra on the Play Store

Meme Generator Free

meme free (FILEminimizer)

Meme Generator Free is, as the name implies, a free meme generator. You can choose from thousands of existing popular images to make a meme, or instead, import an image from your gallery and make fun of your friends. It works flawlessly and is ideal for any moment.

Download Meme Generator Free on the Play Store

Stitcher

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Stitcher is the perfect app for podcast listeners. With custom playlists, countless sources, and offline listening, Stitcher hits all the right notes. It’s perfect for listening to your favorite podcasts while commuting, and with offline listening, Stitcher automatically downloads new episodes when your device is connected to WiFi.

Download Stitcher on the Play Store

Flipboard

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Flipboard is one of the coolest news reader apps you can get these days with its magazine style layout. It pulls in news and stories from Time, The New York Times, People Magazine, and any source you type into the search bar. If you don’t have time to read a story now, you can save each headline into your own personal magazine to read later.

Download Flipboard on the Play Store

Task Browser: Tangram

tangram

Tangram is a browser focused on productivity. It has features such as a Floating Link Launcher, support for multiple search engines, Web/stack/Bookmark sections, Adblock and the ability to take pictures of webpages in-app. If you’re in the market for a more efficient web browsing experience, Tangram is for you.

Download Tangram on the Play Store

Wear Tip Calculator

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An Android Wear app designed to help you calculate tip and bill splitting quickly and easily from your wrist. An everyday use app with a smooth simple interface that saves a ton of time when you need to split the check. If you have an Android Wear device, this is one must-have app.

Download Wear Tip Calculator on the Play Store

Splitwise

Splitwise-Android11252013

A bill sharing and money tracking app for individuals or groups. IF you share a home or responsibilities with someone, this app is an excellent tool. Easily set up bill reminders, split payments between people, track trends in spending and set up reminders. Splitwise really helps organize household finance and keep all your roommates in the financial loop.

Download Splitwise on the Play Store

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

hearthstone

If you haven’t heard of Hearthstone, it’s the wildly popular free-to-play card game from Blizzard, makers of Overwatch and World of Warcraft. Collect cards and build decks based on Warcraft lore, and battle against your friends or online in the arena for fun and glory. There’s a ton of strategy and depth in the game’s mechanics, but it’s very simple to pick up an play. Blizzard has provided tons of support and content for the game post launch, and it’s certainly become one of the best card games on the Play Store.

Download Hearthstone on the Play Store

These are our picks for this week! Be sure to check them out, and come around again next week where we’ll have even more great apps for you to try!

The Hottest Android apps and games around (June 18)

Welcome to Week 4 of The Hottest Android apps and games around! We are going to try something a little different this week. On top of pulling the top 10 downloaded apps and games from Google Play and the Amazon Appstore I have also included the top 5 New apps and games from Google Play and Amazon’s Underground project.

If you are not familiar with Underground check out this Article, but it’s basically Amazon taking apps that normally cost money and making them free, even the in-app purchases are gone so you pay nothing for an app that normally cost money! Please leave a comment below letting me know what you think of the new content.

Top 5 New Free Apps and Games (Google Play)

Top 5 New Paid Apps and Games (Google Play)

Top Actually Free  Apps and Games (Amazon AppStore Underground)

 
Goat Simulator Waste of Space
 
Angry Birds Rio
by Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
 
Wreck-It Ralph
 
Word Twist

Top 10  Free Apps and Games (Google Play)

  1. Facebook Messenger
  2. slither.io
  3. T-Mobile Tuesdays
  4. Snapchat
  5. Facebook
  6. Moments
  7. Instagram
  8. Pandora® Radio
  9. GO Speed (Clean & AppLock)
  10. Netflix

Top Free Apps and Games (Amazon Appstore)

  1. slither.io
  2. Color Switch
  3. Facebook Messenger
  4. Goat Simulator Waste of Space
  5. Hovercraft: Takedown – Custom Combat Cars
  6. ES File Explorer
  7. Netflix
  8. Facebook
  9. YouTube
  10. Amazon Video

Top Paid Apps and Games (Google Play)

  1. MineCraft $6.99
  2. True Skate $1.99
  3. Bloons TD 5 $2.99
  4. Geometry Dash $1.99
  5. Call of Duty:Black Ops Zombies $1.99
  6. This War of Mine $2.99
  7. Card Wars – Adventure Time $0.99
  8. HotSchedules $2.99
  9. Ultimate Guitar Tabs & Chords $2.99

Top Paid Apps and Games (Amazon AppStore)

  1.  Minecraft – Pocket Edition $6.99
  2. Plants vs. Zombies $0.99
  3. Minecraft: Story Mode $2.99
  4. Geometry Dash $1.99
  5. Mystery Case Files: Key To Ravenhearsarst Collector’s Edition $2.99
  6. Five Nights at Freddy’s $4.99
  7. PAW Patrol Pups Take Flight $3.30
  8. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 $2.99
  9. Toca Life: Vacation $2.99
  10. BlockLauncher Pro $3.30

Verizon procrastinators can send an eGift to their fathers using Verizon Messages

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Father’s Day is this Sunday, and millions of Verizon customers who procrastinated to buy a gift, can send an eGift using Verizon Messenger at the last minute.

Verizon Messenger is Verizon’s own messaging app that you can install on your Android or iOS device from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The app is also loaded with tons of other useful features and is rated 4.6/5 stars at the Google Play Store with over 10M downloads.

To help you get familiar with Verizon Messages, here are some of the most helpful tools and features on the app:

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FEATURES
• GIF burst: Share memorable moments in motion by tapping the Camera option in the attach menu.
• Calling: Advanced Calling customers (eligibility rules apply) can link their phone number to the Verizon Messages app on their tablet or compatible smart watch and make and receive calls wherever they want on any network (cellular or Wi-Fi).
• Send an eGift: Never miss the opportunity to send a gift card on that special occasion. Choose from over 50 merchants including Starbucks, Amazon, Domino’s and Gamestop.
• Extended Coverage: Send and receive messages over Wi-Fi from your smartphone, compatible smart watch, iOS device, tablet, PC, MAC, and web browser.
• Schedule a Message: Write and schedule a message to have it delivered at the date and time that you specify. Message is delivered even if your phone is turned off.
• Media Search: Use in app Media Search to find images, GIFs and videos to spice up your conversation.
• Driving Mode: Turn on Driving Mode to disable message notifications, send an Auto-Reply message and even let pre-selected contacts view your current location.
• Glympse: Share your location with friends or family. You choose who can follow your location and for how long.
• Photo Editing and Collage: Personalize and transform your photos and collages into beautiful or funny pictures using filters, wacky stickers and much more
• Personalization: Customize backgrounds with your photos, built in themes, fonts, colors, signatures and even conversation tones.
• Trim a Video: Edit your video to send your favorite part.
• Multi-Select: Select multiple conversations to Delete, Save, Mute or Mark as read.
• Emojis: – Express yourself with enhanced emojis by EmojiOne (http://emojione.com) or choose classic emojis