Google Translate adds 10 more languages from Africa, Asia

How many times has Google Translate "rescued" you from a potentially difficult situation when you badly needed to know how to say "how much is this?" or "can I ask you out on a date?" in another language? It's always handy to have the app on hand, especially when you're traveling to another country where communication may be difficult. They have now added 10 more languages to their system, which includes languages from Africa and Asia.

The languages added are three from Africa (Chichewa, Malagasy, Sesotho), four from India and Southeast Asia (Malayalam, Myanmar, Sinhala, and Sundanese) and three from Central Asia (Kazakh, Tajik, and Uzbek). More than 200 million additional people will now be able to enjoy using this service from Google. This also brings to 90 the total number of languages supported by translate.google.com.

While sometimes the results of Google Translate is highly inaccurate or at least, amusing at best, they are now beginning to realize the value of having active users in their Translate Community. Normally, they rely on translated data that they find on the Internet, but it makes a huge difference when you also factor in humans in creating the algorithm. If you want to help them improve, you can either click on the "Improve this translation" option on the page or better yet, actually join the community to give your important input on your own language.

The 10 additional languages are already available on translate.google.com. However, for the Android app and the built-in functionality in Chrome, you need to wait a little while longer. If you don't have the app yet (and you should!), you can download it for free from the Google Play Store.

SOURCE: Google

Android team says 2014 was a good year for entertainment

Year 2014 has been great for Android and the rest of the entertainment industry. Google released the Best Apps and Best Games on Android for 2014 last week. We said it's too early to tell and we didn't know the criteria for choosing the best but folks at Google, particularly the Android team, is so busy right now rounding up things and making lists just before the year ends. Google said 2014 was a big year for entertainment. New addictive games have popped up. More movies, songs, and stories have kept us interested and entertained.

Google published an infographic of the state of entertainment this year. Here are some highlights:

Most Downloaded App by Cateogry

☻Education – Dualingo

☻Health & Fitness – MyFitnessPal

☻Music – Pandora

☻Photography – Flipgram

☻Social – Facebook

☻Entertainment – Netflix

☻Sports – NFL Mobile

☻Travel – TripAdvisor

Fastest Growing App Category is Health & Fitness, thanks to the numerous wearables launched this year.

Top Downloaded Games: Candy Crush Saga, Don’t Tap The White Thile, Farm Heroues Saga, Subway Surfers, and Clash of Clans.

Movie of the Year: Frozen (of course!)

TV Show of the Year: The Walking Dead

Comeback Movie: Toy Story

Album of the Year: Frozen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack,

Song of the Year: Dark Horse by Katy Perry

Song of the Summer: Fancy by Iggy Azalea

Fastest Growing Genre: Soundtracks

News Sources of the Year: The New York Times, TMZ, Forbes Now, The Verge, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, The Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo

Books of the Year: The Fault in Our Stars, Fifty Shades of Grey, Divergent, Twelve Years a Slave, and Insurgent

Most searched actor on Google Play: Robin Williams (Search interest surged after he passed away in August)

(Click on image below to view full infographic)

How did the Android tema come up with this list again?

SOURCE: Android Blog

Story Timeline

• Google names Best Android Apps of 2014


• Google announces Best Android Games of 2014


• Android Community Weekly Digest: Dec. 7, 2014

Logitech Type V designed for Ellipsis 8 Tablet

Logitech has made it easier for you to carry around your new Ellipsis 8 tablet. The Logitech Type V serves as a protective case and keyboard. Now you won't have to worry about buying a separate case and keyboard; In this case, it'll “kill 2 birds with 1 stone” (pun intended).

The keyboard is connected via Bluetooth. Only the first time setup is needed, uses after that will connect the keyboard to tablet automatically. According to Logitech - a single charge can power the keyboard for up to three months, which is based off an average use of 2-hours per day. The case should be able to protect your Ellipsis 8 from normal wear and tear. It is designed to stand up right or lay flat - however you feel comfortable typing.

You can pick up the Type V for $99 with the only color option of black. The keyboard has a pleasant appearance as the key buttons are raised versus touch sensitive keys, and the function keys are illuminated with blue font - which makes it a nice color contrast. It's all preference, so some will like it, while other will choose different.

If you're looking for an entry level tablet, the Ellipsis 8 could be for you. The tablet performs on Android's KitKat OS and equipped with a 5-megapixel camera. Storage space is limited with a 16 GB internal memory. The 8-inch HD display tablet will have you shell out $249.99. You can also choose to go with a 2-year contract through Verizon for $79.99 or the VerizonEDGE payment plan for $10.41.

SOURCE: Logitech / Verizon

Guide the walking-sleeping people to safety with the Sleepwalkers game

Some fairytales would have the prince wake up the princess to save the kingdom or to defeat the wizard in order to wake up the whole land under a sleeping curse. Then there are those where the hero just has to keep the sleepwalkers sleeping but bring them to safety while evil forces abound. This is basically what you have to do with the new Android game from developer Digital Fairytales, and it's called, well, Sleepwalkers.

For some reason, the people in the kingdom are sleepwalking all over the place, and they have no idea of the dangers that surround them (well, because they are sleepwalking after all). Your duty now is to deliver them safely to their own beds, all the while avoiding monsters and other hazards and obstacles along the way. The physics-based puzzle game starts off easily enough but as it progresses, more and more obstacles are thrown in your way, so don't think leading sleepwalkers is as easy as it sounds.

You need to move, push and drop the things that you see along the way, either using the accelerometer or touch controls to move your sleepwalker, as you travel from room to room and from one town to another. You also get a surprise gift for each day that you play the game, although what that gift is, we don't know yet. And if you want to compete with your friends on Facebook, you can also do so with the game's score tracker.

And if you use various devices, you can save your progress so you can continue playing where you left off even if you transfer from your smartphone to your tablet. You can download Sleepwalkers from the Google Play Store for free, but with in-app purchases available.

Mojang’s Scrolls card-slash-board game launches on Android

When Minecraft makers Mojang announced that it would be making a new game based on a new IP, all eyes were on it. Almost all of those eyes probably rolled when it was revealed to be a card game, which meant somewhat competing with Magic: The Gathering and the more recent Hearthstone from Blizzard. Pushing through adversity, doubt, and a trademark lawsuit from Bethesda (owners of the Elder Scrolls line), Mojang finally releases Scrolls on PCs, Macs, and yes, Android as well.

Scrolls is touted to combine the best of both worlds of card collecting and trading games as well as board games. You collect scrolls, the in-game name for cards of varying creatures, spells, and structures. But instead of playing them in a rather boring card game, they actual do battle on a board with hexagonal tiles. And all scrolls, all 350 of them, are fully animated to make battles entertaining. And who do you battle? Well, either the game AI or other players around the world. Suffice it say, whether playing solo or against others, the game requires an Internet connection.

As with any card game, there is some trading, collecting, and buying to be had. Mojang's take on buying cards, however, is a bit interesting. Professed critics of pay to win schemes, Mojang implements a limit on how much you can pay with real world money in order to balance the game. They say you don't have to spend more than $5 to beat the game. All scrolls can be bought with in-game gold or traded with players.

Scrolls is now out on Google Play Store for free but, of course, with in-app purchases. The game is also available on PCs and Macs, for a price tag of $5, and players can battle with others no matter which platform they're using. Sadly, the game is available for Android tablets only, so smartphone users are left out, with no word on future availability.

SOURCE: Mojang

Pumpex BMX 2 lets you digitally live your biking dreams

If you've always wanted to someday do those ridiculous stunts that you see from your favorite bikers, you can now do so digitally and without hurting a single bone on your body (well, maybe your finger). Pumped BMX was a huge hit back in 2012 and now it's back with an updated edition of the app called, of course, Pumped BMX 2, now available on Android.

The game is in collaboration with long time BMXer Adam Hunt and this shows with the gameplay involved in the app. There are 50 levels and 500 challenges that you can try, all the while trying to pull off the craziest stunts possible. But lest you think they're just pulling these tricks up in the air so to speak, these are actually based on things you can do in real life. There are 16 legit tricks like kickouts, cliffhangers, etc, you can choose from and whether you can do it in real life or not, you'll be able to do so in this virtual world.

There are 6 authentic rider styles you can choose from, as well as 10 bike colorways so that you can personalize a bit your bike as well as your costume. And if you don't know anything about biking or controlling bikes from your smartphone or tablet, there's an excellent tutorial included in the app. Competitive players can also see how they fare up against other users in a leaderboard, which also includes actual BMX pros.

The 3D game is based on actual physics, also from the actual experiences of Adam Hunt so this is really the closest you can come to doing actual bike stunts. You can download Pumped BMX 2 from the Google Play Store for only $2.99.

Limefuel 20,000 mAh Battery Pack 58% off at Android Community [DEALS]

We’ve all been there: you’re out and about all day, using your phone for GPS, music, maybe streaming some video. Then, when you need it most, you run out of battery and your super-powered Android device becomes a useless brick in your pocket for all intents and purposes.

Well you can finally put that fear behind you with the Limefuel LP200X portable battery pack, which boasts a huge 20,000 mAh capacity, two USB ports to charge two devices at once, and an LED showing how much juice is left in the Limefuel. Normally $85, you can grab this battery pack for just $34.99 at the Android Community Deals Store - that’s 58% off.

To put the 20,000 mAh capacity into perspective, the Samsung Galaxy S5 sports a 2,800 mAh battery. Doing a little math, one full charge of the Limefuel is good for over 7 full charges of a Galaxy S5! It’s tough to find a high quality battery with that capacity (and this relatively small size), especially below $60.

Portable batteries come in handy for charging tons of stuff: phones, tablets, bluetooth speakers...basically anything that can be charged through USB, which encompasses almost every piece of portable technology these days. Whether you throw it in your backpack, leave it in your car, or use it on trips when you’ll have limited power connectivity, it’s extremely convenient to always have a charge at arm’s length.

Stay Charged! Pick up the Limefuel LP200X for $34.99 at the Android Community Deals Store!

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