Five to Try: HBO Now finally hits Android, This r of Mine is a gripping tale of survival

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Published 17 Jul 2015

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It’s the middle of summer, which means many of us are struggling with the conflicting urges to be outside active… or to hole up with air conditioning to avoid the oppressive heat. ckily, this week’s top new updated Android apps are well suited to both desires.

HBO Now is the big one this week, delivering on-the-go, on-dem programming without a cable or satellite plan needed, that’s hy at home or anywhere else. If you choose to go outside need public -Fi, the crowdsourced fiMapper will point you in the right direction— Booking Now can find you an immediate hotel room if you want to get out of town for a night.

If it’s games you seek, on the other h, the enthralling This r of Mine offers an unexpectedly affecting take on the tolls of conflict, while the new Ant-Man table for the great Zen nball lets you keep the buzz from Marvel’s new movie going after the credits roll. Clear some room on your device grab these from the ay Store.

HBO Now

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It’s a little different from HBO Go in look, but a lot different in approach since you don’t need a cable/satellite subscription.

Cord cutters, rejoice: no need to keep mooching off of your generous friends’ HBO Go passwords (although, feel free if they’re still cool with it). HBO Now is now available on Android, letting you pay $15 a month for unlimited, on-dem access to the cable channel’s treasure trove of original series big-name movies. 

Yes, that’s about double Netflix’s fee, but it’s a hard deal to shrug off if you love Game of Thrones, st ek Tonight with Oliver, or True Detective. And all of HBO’s past series—like The Sopranos Sex the City—are there in full. The hundreds of films, including recent fare like Gone Girl ck, are appealing as well, it’s all viewable on the go via the app. Been irritated about the lack of stalone HBO? Get Now, now.

This r of Mine

fivetotry july17 thiswarofmine

Scavenging, crafting, treading carefully around others are all essential for survival in this tablet adventure.

r games typically focus on the soldiers the thrill of combat. This r of Mine ($10), by contrast, is all about the civilians displaced threatened by the conflicts around them, the constant battle for survival that emerges. Inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo in the early 90s, this adventure game finds you seeking out resources making tough decisions as you constantly try to evade death.

You’ll comm multiple characters squatting in a battered building, each with specific skills (like running or cooking)—but they’re human, thus susceptible to illness, exhaustion, other maladies. At night, when the snipers aren’t active, you can send out a scavenger to find materials in the world, but interactions with other desperate refugees can quickly backfire. This r of Mine isn’t “fun” so much as it is interesting, weighty, impactful. Sadly, it’s only for tablets as of now.

fiMapper

fivetotry july17 wifimapper

fiMapper will find the free hotspots in your area, the crowdsourced design allows users to keep it current.

On the hunt for free -Fi? fiMapper arrives on Android this week with some big perks, relying on crowdsourcing to help you find connectivity wherever you are. The database has more than 650 million hotspots listed around the world, while many are fully private or password-protected, users can mark the networks they’ve accessed to help everyone else find the free ones faster.

It’s already been on iOS for a couple months, so their recommendations make it better for Android users from the get-go, the Android app has exclusive features: you can connect directly from the app, as well as view which networks you’ve used in the past. And bigger enhancements are coming—like cached offline maps the ability to share hotspot passwords through the app.

Zen nball

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Marvel’s latest movie adaptation joins the 20 other comic-inspired tables available for purchase.

The most unlikely entry to date in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe opened today, Ant-Man has weathered late director writer changes to come out pretty well, if reviews are any indication. If you hit the theaters to see it this weekend want to enjoy that world a little longer, grab the new Ant-Man table released for Zen nball on Android.

It’s $2 for the table (the base game is free), like the rest of the great licensed pinball experiences designed by Zen Studios, it plays just like a real table would. Familiar characters sights from the film are integrated into the design, it even has a bit of a story unfolding while you play. ed, if you’re looking for Ant-Man gaming this weekend, you have options: the free Marvel Contest of Champions Marvel Future Fight were also updated with tie-in content.

Booking Now

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Got the urge to bolt town? Booking Now is built solely to get you a hotel for tonight or tomorrow.

Booking.com has made a big splash the past couple of years with its amusing commercials showing perfectly planned vacations—but what if you just want a sudden overnight stay, or a quick jaunt somewhere? That’s what Booking Now is for, it’s a separate app from the company’s main offering.

Booking Now is all about finding a hotel room tonight or tomorrow night, it serves up available spots based on the map view, your price level, needs (like -Fi or on-site dining). You can quickly swipe through the options find out more about each place, the app provides a rating of how closely the hotel matches your desires. It’s similar in spirit to the popular Hotel Tonight, but the custom recommendations could prove useful.