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Showing posts with label Apps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apps. Show all posts

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Best Android Widget Apps

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Widgets are one of the most exciting features of the Android OS. They adds to the aesthetic experience and also provide valuable information. Custom widgets make your home screen alive. The immediate deliverance of information is what makes widgets so utilitarian. With the latest version of Android you can also add widgets right on the lock screen which makes them all the more important.
Widgets can display various nuggets of information but mostly they are used for clocks and weather information. But that’s not all you can customize them any way you like. So here are some Widget apps on Android which will definitely help you carve your very own personalized Android experience

Android Weather & Clock Widget


The name says it all, the Android Weather & Clock Widget is a handy widget app which lets you display detailed weather reports right on your home screen. There are various sizes available to choose from so that you can either fill the whole screen or use a minimalistic approach. The best part of the app is that it is completely free. The widgets are also available for phablets so you can fit the clocks and weather bubbles perfectly on your Galaxy Note smartphones and tablets. The app supports Android version 2.2 or higher.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Top 5 Apps to Watch Live TV on Android

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So you love watching TV on the go? Well, thanks to an ambitious and competent pool of developers on the android platform, there are quite a number of really cool android TV apps that you can install on your device to watch live TV shows, films and more.

Of course, watching any TV show is fun, useful, interactive than spending your time reading web blogs. If we go by the count, there are numerous apps that are capable of streaming TV shows to your android mobile phone or tablet PC. However, not all of them will give you the best experience as far as content quality is concerned. As it is, you’ll find that a section of the highest reviewed and ranked android TV apps come from the biggest Television players.

1. Netflix


By all measures, Netflix ranks to be the best android TV android app which is free (although they require you to subscribe for their streaming service which starts at $7.99 per month). Netflix provides you with tens of thousands of videos that you can watch anytime and from anyplace just provided your android phone, phablet or tablet PC is covered by a sound internet connection.
The reason as to why we rank Netflix to the top android TV app list is due to the app’s undisputed high video and sound quality. This gives you a really entertaining experience when watching videos. If you rushed out of the house when your favorite show was broadcasting on your huge Plasma TV, you can just start Netflix and continue enjoying your show with nearly the same zeal. The Netflix app taps into your instant queue and shows you similar recommendations plus your viewing history.
The Netflix android TV app also has its negatives. Some users have been complaining about the amount of scrolling that you get to do especially if you have a huge queue. Netflix might also not be up-to-date with the latest TV shows, but at least offers a wealth of previous seasons that you can watch hour after hour on end from wherever you are.
With a high average rating by users on the Play Store, this android TV app is probably an app you must have on your device.

2. TV.com


TV.com is yet another great instant TV streaming android TV app for your android device. TV.com will provide you with video content from the CW, CBS, CBS Sports, CBS News, CNET, ET and Showtime! TV.com allows you to watch full TV show episodes over a Wi-Fi or cellular network and choose the programming based on the particular channel you are looking for.
TV.com comes with some current shows but is also equipped with a library of older shows. Like with many other free android TV apps, you will have to sacrifice a small fraction of your show time staring at ads. But the most important thing is that TV.com comes with a lot of full episodes and shorter video clips, so you can watch your favourite shows from anywhere and without having to commit to any subscription fees.

3. HBO GO


This android TV app is a streaming service from HBO that lets you watch and enjoy your top HBO movies, shows, sports, documentaries and comedy specials. They offer every episode of every season of HBO’s best, free with your HBO subscription.
With this android TV app, you will be able to:
  • Keep up with your best HBO shows, movies, comedies and any other videos. If you are a fanatic of True Blood, Girls, Veep, Curb your Enthusiasm and Game of Thrones, among many other premier shows, download this android TV app and watch conveniently on your mobile phone.
  • Personalize your HBO experience – this  android TV  app allows you to create a customized watchlist, and easily catch up and add your preferred new episodes with their Series Pass feature.You will be able to watch your favorite shows and particular episodes simultaneously as they premier on HBO.
Only accessible among android users in the US, this android TV app requires a minimum of 3G network to work smoothly on mobile phones.

4. Crackle


This is another free android TV app. The Crackle team adds at least twenty TV episodes and full movies every month, which means that you will always find great new content once you check back after a while. With Crackle android TV app, you will be able to watch full-length Hollywood movies and TV series. The app is also optimized for both android phones and tablets, so you will have an easy time navigating through it with your android gadget. With this android TV app, you can stream HQ video via 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi networks, build your watch list for viewing and easily browse through scores of videos.
The only drawback with this android TV app is that it will only work in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. So if you are outside these areas, it might not be of any use to you.

5. BBC iPlayer


This is a free service android TV app that lets you watch TV program from the past week. With the BBC iPlayer android TV app, you can either follow a show as it is being transmitted live or catch up later after broadcast.
This app provides you with the following features:
  • Watch live TV
  • Listen to live radio
  • Watch or listen over Wi-Fi and 3G networks
  • Scroll through and find a list of featured and ‘most popular’ program
  • Browse through  a schedule for upcoming broadcasts
To get the best video and sound quality with this android TV app, you need to download and install the BBC Media Player application from Google play store. You will be prompted to do this when you first play a program.
The BBC app is available for UK users, or any user who played a program when in the UK and then later traveled out.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Top 5 Weather Apps for Android

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1. Accuweather 


 The new AccuWeather app for Android offers users a new experience compared with the old app. For those who have been longtime users of AccuWeather for Android, the latest update will be a newer and richer experience. Receive severe weather alerts, and customize My AccuWeather lifestyle forecasts to fit health concerns including categories like Outdoor Fitness, Travel, Fishing and Game, etc. Current weather conditions are updated every 15 minutes and show the latest up-to-date information on humidity, wind speed, and times for the sunrise and sunset. You can download AccuWeather from the Google Play Store here.


2. WeatherBug


With WeatherBug, you can receive instant access to forecasts, conditions and alerts on your home screen. Users can view enhanced interactive maps, view images from over 2,000 weather cameras across the U.S, and DTA alerts provide warnings on severe weather. Know the weather and be prepared before you take your family to the beach. You can download WeatherBug from the Google Play Store here.

3. Eye in Sky Weather


Eye In Sky Weather is an elegant weather app for Android phones and tablets. View current and 48-hour forecasts, current conditions, weekly forecasts, and more. The app features customizable homescreen widgets and includes several icon sets you can toggle between, so you can pick a style you like the best. You can download Eye In Sky Weather from the Google Play Store here.

4. Weather by Macropinch


Weather is an easy-to-use app for staying updated on current weather conditions. Users can add and track the weather in multiple locations, view hourly and weekly forecasts, and switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit. The climate state is also animated so users can see the weather come alive. You can download Weather from the Google Play Store here.

5. InstaWeather


Going to the beach this weekend? Make your friends jealous by reporting the weather on your Instagram photos. InstaWeather allows users to share weather and forecast reports from their current location. Select from nine different skins and add current temperature, air pressure, rain, wind power and direction. Display forecasts for today, the next few days or one week. Create your own personal weather reports now. You can download InstaWeather from the Google Play Store here.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Upcoming YouTube Update To Bring Multitasking Interface, Background Audio Is A Possibility Too

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While Samsung has been dipping its toes into the single-screen multitasking world, Google has yet to do the same. According to noted Android and Google tipster ryan_socio  (Ryan Matthews), that's about to change. Ryan posted a message to The Verge's social user section , detailing an upcoming version of the YouTube Android app that will let users watch videos and interact with the rest of Android at the same time.





According to Ryan's description of the current test app, you'll start a video using the familiar interface, then send it to a smaller window via a swipe button in the corner. At that point you'll be able to continue browsing videos and whatnot. At the moment this functionality is only working within the YouTube app itself, but a system-wide implementation may be ready by the time the final update is posted.

We've spoken with Ryan on the topic, and he's told us that a much-requested audio-only mode may be coming as well. This would allow you to start a video and switch to another app while the audio continues in the background, not unlike desktop operating systems. This feature is apparently less locked-in than the multitasking window itself, and may or may not make it in the same update release. Ryan is broadly guessing that the new version of the YouTube app will be available in six weeks or so, though he cautions us that this is a very non-specific estimate.
We tend to pass on rumors like this, but Ryan has a solid history of accurately predicting Google-related events, like the new Gmail interface, Babel/Hangouts, the latest Nexus hardware, Android 4.2's multi-user support, and so on. Multitasking YouTube video is real, and it's in the works.

Monday, July 1, 2013

10 great Android widgets you should try

     


One of the big differences between Android and iPhone is that widgets can be installed on Android phones.From a widget,we can quickly access information we want.Among number of widgets,you may at a lose which one to pick,now I collect some popular useful widgets as for suggestions:

1 Beautiful Widgets 
Beautiful Widgets get rich features with fresh look.It once was Google Editor's choice for a year.You can customize your home screen in personal style with tons of widgets and themes. With this widget, you can easy access to the clock, the weather, your battery percentage, the current date or accessing some system settings more easily with toggles.It also provides Nice toggle widgets for WiFi, Bluetooth, Mobile, Brightness, GPS (shortcut), Silent, Vibrate, Plane Mode, Rotate and a Timed Silence! And by the way,if you don't like it after pay for it, you can get refund within 24 hours.


2 Rings Digital Weather Clock 
With 3 layouts include calendar,weather,time hang in the home screen, you definitely love this simple style.Color choice for all information displayed on the widget and 37 unique weather condition icons,you get a lot choices to fresh your day look.
 




3 Pulse News 
It's troublesome to gather information by launch different apps.Pulse saves your energy for this.Pulse collect all your favorite blogs, magazines, social networks and newspapers in one place for FREE. Exciting to use, quick to read, ready to share.Tap on an article to see a clean and elegant view of the news story. Save stories for reading later across all platforms or sync them with Instapaper, Read it Later and Evernote. Sharing a story via Facebook, Twitter, Google + and email is as easy as one tap.




4 Shazam 
Shazam is a free tool that recognizes songs by "listening" to them through your phone's microphone. Unfortunately, in order to use Shazam, you have to open the app and tap the button to begin the recognition process. By the time you manage to accomplish this, the song may be over.
Enter the Shazam widget, which puts a Shazam button directly on your home screen. Now, all you have to do is tap it when you hear a song you're curious about.

 
5 ESPN ScoreCenter 

ESPN ScoreCenter is a must-have for any sports fan.This customization app will let you pick your favorite teams from various sports leagues, from the NFL to Colombian soccer.
It comes with two widgets: a ScoreCenter widget, which shows you game and scoring information on your hand-picked favorite teams; and a Video widget, which scrolls through the day's hot sports videos. You can tap either widget to open the app and get more info.






6 AudioManager 
Audio Manager is a home-screen Widget and Volume manager that allows you to get live readings of your current volume levels on your Android phone like larm, media, alerts, ringer, system, and voice calls.. Tap on the widget to adjust the volume levels.





7 Clockr 
Clockr is a simple text-based clock widget that instantly transforms your Android home screen into a work of modern art.The widget is mildly customization: You can choose the format Clockr uses to display the time, and the color of the text.




8 Tiny Flashlight + LED 
Tiny Flashlight + LED is a tiny, simple flashlight app.The widget is just a button, but when you tap it, the your phone's LED flash instantly turns on for you to use as a flashlight.In addition, the app lets you choose different button interfaces.It's considerable to set Camera LED flashlight,Screen Light,Warning Lights,Color Flashlight etc for different situation.



9 Battery 
It's a great widget to let you know how much your battery left. This is especially helpful when you are on a tour. Before the battery runs out,you can make things prepared.And for the left battery,you can get to know how much time you can spend on music,video,internet,calls etc.It can serve as your battery saver.





10 Today in History' Widget 
Wonder to know what happens today in history?A lot people are interested in this.This widget gather information from The New York Times: "On This Day",DW-World: "Today in History",History.com: "This Day in History".So the information is reliable.The widget downloads the events for the next days and stores them on your device, so there is no need for permanent internet access.

5 Best Free Anti virus Apps for Android

     

According to the report 96% of mobile malwares targets to attack Android devices. So it is very important to use good anti-virus app in every Android devices. There are plenty of anti virus apps available for android devices, so users getting tired to choose good anti-virus app for their device. Are you in the same problem here I lists 10 best and free Android apps for your device.

1. Avast
Avast is a most popular antivirus program protecting desktop computers from very long period. The company extended its service to Android, offers real time protection for your devices. Avast for Android includes more useful features than paid apps.

The app offers complete protection for your device with scanning all installed apps, files and SMS. It includes various useful tools like Anti-Theft for finding stolen phones, Network Meter for measuring data transfers, Apps manager, Firewall and more.


    
 Link - Avast

2. Sophos
Sophos is an another best and free antivirus program for Android devices, offers real time protection without reducing performance and battery life. It scans installed apps both from your phone and SD cards and lets you schedule scanning process when you are in the sleep.

It comes with some useful tools such as Theft Protection, Spam Protection, Security Adviser and more.

    

Link - Sophos

3. TrustGo
Trust is also one of the best antivirus app providing better protection for your Android devices from dangerous malware and viruses. It includes find my phone features including remote location, lock, alarm and "Candid Camera" thief ID (via email), system tools and web browsing security.  

The app includes numbers tools including Data Backup feature for backup and restore your phone’s data securely in the cloud. 

    

Link - TrustGo

4. Zoner
Zoner antivirus is an another free antivirus app offers real time protection for your Android devices against viruses, dialers, trojans, worms, spyware, adware and other malware as well as phone call and message protection. 

    

Link - Zoner

5. NQ Security
Last but not least NQ Mobile Security best antivirus program for Android devices. It includes various useful tools same as above apps. 

    
 Link - NQ Security

Skype For Android 4.0 New UI, Sleeker Appearance

     
So here's the thing, Skype just received a major 4.0 redesign introducing a whole new look and feel that would feel at home on any Metro device. It just so happens that Metro's UI is pretty Holo-friendly. Windows Phone influence or no, the new version of Skype should still feel right at home on your Android phone of choice.



The new release doesn't usher in a wave of new features along with the new coat of paint, but Skype does boast that it is much faster and reliable, with emphasis placed on improving performance and load times. Skype is supposedly easier to use thanks to tweaks to the interface placing recent conversations front and center, minimalizing the amount of time spent looking for the people you actually want to talk to.
Since Microsoft purchased Skype in 2011, the company has slowly integrated the popular VoIP service in with its Windows and Xbox offerings. Skype's website already dons an appearance that would look right at home on a Windows 8 desktop. Yet regardless of whether the Android redesign was inspired by work done on the Windows Phone version of Skype, it makes little difference. Android has sported flat-UI elements for a long time now, so this update doesn't look like the fish out of water it could otherwise have been. With the upcoming release of iOS 7, which is also transitioning to a flatter UI, Skype's interface can be largely consistent across all three platforms without stirring too much fuss.



The update is still rolling out to the over 100 million Android users who have installed Skype, so hold tight for now if it has yet to hit your device.

(1,161,742)
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Best browser: which should you be using?

     



Web browser is not going to give best performance. There are lots of game and apps that you can use on Android which is also one of the main reasons for the success of Android as Mobile Operating System. Earlier I have also written articles on Android Apps such as Install WhatsApp on PC, Apps to Check Health of Old Android Smartphone, and Apps to Disable Background Service to improve Battery Performance. You may have read earlier also Top 5 Android Web Browsers but in this post I try to compare them with the parameters used by some of the online web services.


Top 5 Android Web Browsers
If you go through the Google Play Store, you will find hundreds of browser applications that can be used. But all of them are not good, but how to choose one. In this section I have selected Top 5 Android Web Browsers that are used by a majority of the users and very popular also.


App 1 – Next Browser from Go Launcher


Next Browser – Android Web Browsers
Next Browser  provides you fast and smooth web surfing experience. It’s a totally free app. Download free and try it now, and you will love it.
Features:
  • Custom Speed Dial
  • Tabs Browsing
  • Easy Search
  • Next Voice
  • Next View
  • Browser Extensions
  • Sync your bookmarks 


App 2 – Opera Mini Browser


Opera Mini web browser
Opera Mini Browser  is a web browser from Opera Software USA and it is completely free to install and use. Some of the features of Opera Mini Browser are Speed Dial, smart Page, and Tabs. It is a FAST and EASY to use browser.


App 3 – Firefox Browser for Android


Firefox Browser for Android
Firefox for Android  is the free mobile web browser that puts the power of the open web in your hands. The official Mozilla Firefox android browser is fast, easy to use, & customizable, with the latest security and privacy features to help you stay safe on the internet. Some of the Features are as follows:
  • Fast – Access, browse, and search the web at blazing speeds
  • Smart – Keep your favorite sites and mobile videos at your fingertips with smart searching, easy-to-use tabs, and desktop-to-mobile Sync features
  • Safe – Make sure your Android web browser stays safe & private with extensive security settings, add-ons, and features like Do Not Track


App 4 – UC Browser


UC Browser – Best Web Browser
UC Browser  is another Free Android Web Browser used by more than 400 million users worldwide. Some of the achievements of UC Browsers are as follows:
  • Best Mobile Browser Awards 2012&2011 – About.com
  • No.1 Downloaded Android Browser on Google Play in India
  • Browsers
    • Fastest – smooth Web surfing experience & maximum download speed
    • Smartest – Voice Control, Smart Gestures and Auto Fill make it intelligent
    • Most Secure – Incognito Browsing protects your privacy
    • Save Money – cut data costs with advanced compression technology
    • Watch Offline – Keep your favorite videos from web pages in your phone.
    • Screen Shot – Take screen shots of any web pages and scribble what you want to mark on the shots.
    • Ad Blocking – Intelligent blocking of advertisements in WWW sites without breaking the layout of the web pages. 

App 5 – Chrome Browser from Google


Chrome Browser from Google
Browse fast with the Chrome web browser  on your Android phone and tablet. 
Sign in to sync your Chrome browserexperience from your computer to take
 it with you anywhere you go. Features of Chrome Web browsers are as follows:
  • Faster Searching
  • Faster Navigation
  • Accelerated page loading, scrolling and zooming
  • Simple, intuitive experience
  • Open and quickly switch between an unlimited amount browser tab
  • Sign in Facility
  • Browse privately in Incognito mode.


Comparison between Top 5 Android Web Browsers

For the comparison I have tested the Android Web browsersmentioned in this post 
on different benchmarking sites. I have tested out all the android web browsers on 
Micromax Funbook P362 Tablet which has 1.2 GHz single core processor 
and 1GB of RAM. The following results may vary depending on the hardware
 specifications of the device.


HTML5Test.Com Results

The HTML5 test score is an indication of how well your browser supports the upcoming 
HTML5 standard and related specifications
  • Next Browser from Go Launcher – 298 and 3 bonus points
  • Opera Mini Browser – 62 and no bonus points
  • Firefox for Android – 421 and 14 Bonus Points
  • Chrome Browser – 410 and 11 Bonus Points
  • UC Browser – 400 and 11 bonus points


CSS3Test.Com Results

This test checks which CSS3 features the browser recognizes
  • Next Browser from Go Launcher – 49%
  • Opera Mini Browser – 42%
  • Firefox Browser for Android – 57%
  • Chrome Browser – 65%
  • UC Browser – 55%
Conclusion: Out of all the 5 Top Android Web BrowsersFirefox, Chrome and 
UC Browsers give the best results during benchmark testing. But they all need 
more space and consumes more memory where the Opera Mini browser requires 
only 1 MB of memory. And during the testing although the Opera Mini browser
 doesn’t perform up to the mark on HTML5 and CSS3 test sites but I really liked
 surfing on the Opera Mini browser. After the testing I recommend all the users
 to use Opera Mini Browsers as the Android Web Browser in their devices.
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