Google released a new version of Search for Android today, bringing devices running Android 2.2 and 2.3 into the world of Ice Cream Sandwich. The UI has been simplified and is also much faster than any versions before it.

Here is the full list of changes:

• Faster, smoother performance, with an updated and simplified user interface.
• Suggestions for your search grouped by type, with web suggestions at the top.
• Country-specific suggestions and search results for all countries with Google domains.
• Long press to remove history items.

Google also tossed out some tips to try out during your next search:

• Tap the arrow to the right of a search suggestion or history item to add it to your search term before searching.
• Get suggestions from other apps on your phone – check out searchable items in Search settings.
• Long press on home screen to add the Google Search widget, if you don’t have it already, to access search faster.

Market Link

Via:  Google

Our good friends over at ASTRO launched a public beta for their newest service, cloud storage. It allows you to backup, access and download your files from any device you might own. To begin, the amount of storage you have is limited, but they told us that this is just for initial launch to test the waters. ASTRO has been one of the apps that we have used since the beginning, all the way back to the “OG” days, so be sure to check out their newest services.

We spoke with their CEO earlier and here’s what he had to say about the cloud:

“ASTRO Backup is simply the easiest way for any Android user to store their mobile content to the cloud. There are a lot of services for backing up and syncing to the cloud. However, we are focused solely on users of Android devices and since our 25 million users are already using ASTRO to organize and manage their files, we are giving them the easiest way to store them in the cloud without having to open or connect to other applications.”

Sign up for the public beta here.

Yesterday at NVIDIA’s press event we got a sneak peak at a couple of apps that are sure to get Android users excited. If you happen to own an i*ad, then it is quite possible that you have heard of Snapseed. It has recently won the “iPad App of the Year” award, but is now coming to Android. The Snapseed application allows users to turn any ordinary photo into a work of art. With its amazing filters and effects software, it is no wonder why it won app of the year.

Another announcement that came from yesterday, is that MadFinger is working on a multiplayer edition of ShadowGun. It’s called ShadowGun: DeadZone and it will keep folks busy for a long time with the ability to play with others just as you would any other online multiplayer shooter.  And from what we saw yesterday, they were playing with Xbox controllers. Oh boy. 

An open beta version of SoulCraft THD is now available on the Android Market for Tegra powered devices. Lovers of action RPG games will be right at home in this visually appetizing game from MobileBits GmbH. If your phone happens to be powered by a Tegra processor, then be sure to check this one out before it leaves beta. 

According to a job posting, Microsoft is looking to bring Xbox Live to other mobile platforms besides their own. Along with the posting, a developer who works closely with Microsoft confirmed the info to Business Insider. If this pans out to be true, then we can say, “au revoir” to Microsoft’s marketing scheme of listing Windows phones as being the only ones with Xbox Live built in.  A clip from the job posting reads as:

“As the team inside IEB (Interactive Entertainment Business) dedicated to mobile experiences, we work closely with console software team and Xbox LIVE services team to bring the latest and greatest gaming and entertainment experience to mobile platforms including Windows Phone, iOS and other mobile platforms.“

As Android users, we don’t even have an official way of signing into our Xbox Live accounts yet, so an entire app that would include games would be fantastic.  No time frame has been stated, but rest assured we’re looking out for one.

Via: Business Insider

We understand that not everyone is interested in rooting their Android device. While doing so usually introduces you to a whole new world of phone fun, some just do not have the time or simply do not care. One thing is clear though, they still want a wireless tethering solution that doesn’t include calling up Verizon and forking out another $30 a month. That’s where “Wifi Hotspot and USB Tether” comes into play. There are both free and full versions of the app that according to our readers, both work with the Galaxy Nexus. It even has a snazzy little toggle widget to get you up and tethering in seconds. Oh, and the developer offers a 5-day warranty of sorts to get you a refund if you can’t seem to get the app working correctly.

Worth a shot, I’d say.

Market Links:  Free | Full ($9.99)

Cheers Scott and everyone else that sent this in!

Head on into Amazon’s Appstore today and check out the free app of the day.  It’s called Splashtop Remote Desktop and it allows for users to connect to their PC over 3G, 4G, or WiFi.  But this isn’t just some simple syncing app.  Oh no.  This is full hands on your actual desktop, scaled down to fit on your handset – tablet or phone. Once you install the needed software on your Windows PC or Mac, the key feature that people will love is that you are able to stream audio to the device from your computer.  Want Hulu on the go?  Now you have it.  Want your iTunes on your tablet?  Now you can.  The app is fantastic so make sure you give it a go.

Amazon Link 

Cheers Elwin and Nathan!