Best Android Apps of the Week: Horizon, Pandora 5.5, Instapaper, and More

It’s Monday again and this means that we are here to bring you another round of our Best Android Apps of the Week column. In this post you will be able to find the noteworthy applications that were launched in Google Play Store over the past week.

If you’re one of our loyal readers you would probably know that you will be able to find both new and older apps in our Best Android Apps of the Week column. The older ones have received major updates, therefore they are worth to include in our weekly column. Some of the apps may be free, other may be payed apps, and some might have in-app purchases. We’ll give you a heads up for each of them.

Horizon – Free

Do you suffer from the vertical video syndrome? Well, if the answer is yes, then you should definitely check out this app.

It’s called Horizon and it helps you record horizontal videos no matter how you hold your device. You will also be able to add filters or use the front or back camera. It uses your device’s gyro, and the result will be a video that’s always parallel to the ground.

Horizon is free. You can install it from Google Play Store using this link.

Starbucks 2.7 – Free

Starbucks’ Android app already worked pretty fine, but it has received a pretty big update anyway. The new update makes the jump from version 2.4 to version 2.7, adding a couple of cool options.

It still shows rewards for loyal customers and allows you to find coffee shops using the built-in map, but you will also be able to tip your barista. The new version also arrives with a homescreen widget and it also shows your remaining balance of your main card.

The Starbacks 2.7 update is currently rolling out to users. You can also check the app (it’s a free download) in Google Play Store here.

Bleep (alpha) – Free

Bleep is an alternative service that aims to satisfy your data-only calls and text messages. Even though there are dozens of similar apps in Play Store, only a handful are focusing on privacy. Bleep is one of them.

Bleep was available invite-only since July, but now it went public, even though it’s just in the alpha phase of development. Unlike other calling and texting services, Bleep requires no central server or service, so no one would be able to hack and steal your personal information.

Bleep is free and you can download it from Google Play Store. Because it’s still in Alpha you might encounter some glitches. Here’s thedownload link.

Harmony 4.0 – Free

Logitech’s Harmony app brought great functionality already, but it was a bit too ugly. The 4.0 update arrives to address and to add even more features.

Harmony 4.0 arrives with support fro Harmony Living Home products (Harmony Ultimate Home, Harmony Home Control, and Harmony Home Hub), while the new interface allows you to access your Activities with ease. You will also be able to start Activities and control devices from out of home and even make schedules for starting or ending Activities.

Harmony 4.0 is free. You can download it from Google Play Storehere.

Pandora 5.5 – Free

Pandora is one of the most popular internet radio services in the world, but their Android app didn’t change much over the years. The update to version 5.5 comes to change that.

Pandora 5.5 has received a flatter interface that ditches the old blue gradients. Even though most of its features remained the unchanged, you will also be able to notice that the screen for currently playing music has received a major makeover.

Anyway, it’s best if you check out the app yourself. You can get it from Google Play Store at this link.

Shazam – Free

If you want to identify a song that it’s currently playing, then you would want Shazam to come and help you. We are glad to announce you that Shazam received improved functionality via an update over the past week.

The latest Shazam update adds Google Play Music to the list of supported streaming services. It also shows the store alongside Rdio, Beats Music, and Spotify.

The update is currently being rolled out to the users. You can check it out in Play Store by clicking this link.

Duolingo – Free

Duoling is one of the best methods to learn new languages. Even though it already had dozens of courses, a new one is available with the new update.

If you were planning to learn Dutch you will be able to do it using Duolingo, courtesy of the new English to Dutch course. The developers also announced that the app now weighs 20% less.

Hit this link to download Duolingo from Google Play Store. It’s a free and very useful app.

Instapaper 4.0 – Free

Even though Pocket is the most popular article saving service for Android, Instapaper is also a good alternative. The update to version 4.0 makes it even better.

Instapaper 4.0 introduces text-to-speech, user profiles, and a new Browse section. From now on you will be able to create your own profile and share articles or browser articles your friends saved. There’s also Instapaper Premium which will bring you extra features for $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

Instapaper is free. It can be downloaded from Google Play Store atthis link.

Sunrise Calendar 1.3 – Free

There are tons of calendar apps available in Google Play store, each wanting to attract users with unique features. Calendar is one of them, it’s easy to use, has a lot of features, and it has been updated to version 1.3.

After the new update, Sunrise Calendar 1.3 syncs immediately with Google Calendar. So if you make a change in any of the apps, whether you are using, the PC, your smartphone, or you tablet, the changes appear in-real time across all devices. The new update also brings support for Todoist and Trello.

Sunrise Calendar is completely free and it can be downloaded from Google Play Store. Here’s the download link.

Photo Editor by Aviary

There’s no shortage of photo editing tools in Play Store, but Aviary’s Photo Editor is one of the most popular. The latest update adds a feature that was requested by most of you.

The latest Photo Editor by Aviary update brings… drum roll… Undo! Yes, from now on you will be able to undo or redo any recent edits after applying an edit. And just like any other update it brings various bug fixes and improvements.

Photo Editor by Aviary is free. You can check it out in Play Store by clicking this link.