Safely Navigate the Android Market

September 26th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Because of the constant devices and applications created for the Android OS, its popularity will continue to climb the charts. Currently, there is more than 10,000 various games and other apps made for Android phones and all of these applications can be found at the Android Market, which is Android’s app store.

A huge contributing factor to Android’s popularity growth is that unlike the Apple App Store, the Android Market does not utilize an approval system, allowing almost anyone to make an Android app to share with other users. With this being said, it is no wonder many Android users question the safety of purchasing apps through Android’s store. If the security of application purchases concerns you, this article will prove as a handy guide.

Viruses

The Android OS is similar to Linux in a few aspects. This platform does not have the tendency of having trouble with viruses, making it very secure. Of course, there is another aspect to the app installation threat one usually does not consider. It is possible to download an application with an attached virus that is not made for the phone itself but for a PC. So when a user decides to synch their infected device to a computer, that computer can become riddled with the virus.

Spyware and Phishing

Besides viruses, Android app users should be aware of security threats such as spyware and phishing. The most common way a user falls victim is by installing an application that has a keystroke logger or a type of software made to snatch private information. And with phishing, the user may click on a link to a fake website front that claims to be PayPal or eBay in an attempt to hijack your login information.

There Are No Android Apps to Combat These Problems

Even though Android has tons of applications, there is not yet one that fights against the security threats listed above. The security applications that are available only help recover stolen Droids or wipe out stored information. This is why the best measure you can take in protecting your Android phone is to utilize basic common sense. As long as you exercise caution when choosing apps to install, you should be able to avoid any trouble. Ask yourself the following two questions.

What Is the App’s Rating?

All applications for download via Android Market are rated 1-5 stars. The star-rating system can give the user a general idea about what apps to install and what apps to pass up. It is recommended to only install applications with a 4-5 star rating; anything with three or fewer stars should be avoided altogether.

What Do the Comments Say?

Android Market applications do not only have star ratings, but also user comments. The opinions of other Droid users are the ideal tool for anyone who is on the fence about an app installation. From these comments, users can highlight an emerging issue with the device model itself.

The Lowdown on Android Keyboard Options

September 22nd, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Those looking to update their mobile devices to an Android usually have concerns when choosing the best type of keyboard for their needs and comfort level. With the Android, there are three to choose from – MultiTouch, Standard and Swype. Here you can receive the information you need before you purchase one in order to save you unforeseen headaches down the road.

The MultiTouch

One of the latest additions to the Android keyboard collection is the MultiTouch made by Motorola. This keyboard was first seen on the Droid X and has been ported to other devices such as the Droid Incredible. In addition to being sturdy, like its Standard keyboard counterpart, the MultiTouch improves on the problem faced by users who type fast. Instead of becoming confused by the letters’ order when typing on a touch screen, the MultiTouch allows the user to hold down a single letter while continuing to type.

The Standard

Although this keyboard was given the name “Standard,” its users will agree that the name does not do it justice. The newest Standard versions even offer voice input, allowing the keyboard to become amplified. It also has very little “quirks” and tends to be extremely responsive. Conveniently, the Standard keyboard comes already installed as well as configured.

While there are many good points about the Standard, there are also some flaws in regards to special characters and symbols. For instance, if the user needs to press the “ALT” key, they will find their entire texting flow will come to a halt. It also is known for subpar word prediction, even though this has slightly improved after devices with this keyboard became equipped with HTC Sense.

The Swype

Swype is a fairly new type of keyboard that many find to be pleasant, if not downright fun, to use. It does take a little bit of time to become acquainted and comfortable with the Swype but once you do, it is extremely simple to utilize. There are some features of which your non-Droid friends will become envious, such as the ability to “magically” draw a line over a letter you wish to use and have it instantly pop up. However, it takes some adjustment to being unable to view the keys underneath the thumbs.

The Swype is considered to be one of the best keyboards in the mobile device industry as it offers speedy text entry, work insertion and fairly accurate word prediction. The only negative to this keyboard is that its users do have to take some time in order to master it. Overall, it is a well-designed keyboard and arguably the best to date.

Free Android Apps for All

September 20th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Most of today’s consumers are keeping a close watch on their budget and cutting back on unnecessary expenses. Plus, everyone loves getting something for nothing. Thankfully for Android users, there are some fun and useful applications that are available at no cost.

Astro File Manager

As one can easily guess, the Astro File Manager is an app that allows users to manage their files. Even though this application is free, it runs like a premium for-cost app. With Astro, the user can open and read .zip files, send files, manage files, backup applications and so much more.

Facebook

It is impossible to not mention Facebook – it is free and it is everywhere! Anyone who owns a computer and lives in a “developed” nation knows what Facebook is and has probably used it at one point of time. Now, there is a Facebook app just for Android users.

Backgrounds

Everyone loves to decorate their phones with various wallpapers. Unfortunately, getting a great wallpaper usually costs money. But not with Backgrounds for Android. This free app showcases a surplus of 10,000 wallpapers, all for free.

Barcode Scanner

This awesome application lets the user access reviews, prices and other interesting information about a product by simply scanning its barcode. Android users will also appreciate the Barcode Scanner’s ability to decode the various QR Codes related to the Android applications found online. For those who are clamoring to download this app, all that is needed is to take a picture of any QR Code; this will take the user to the app’s download page at the Android Market.

Google Sky Map

Even though this Android app is not considered to be a useful tool, it is a fascinating one. This app brings a planetarium – created by Google – straight to the Android phone.

Ringdroid

This application is extremely interactive, allowing the Droid user to edit their own audio files in order to create custom-made alarms and ringtones. Those who want to take their musical creations a step further can even make ringtones from scratch.

Shazam

Shazam is another free music app that is tons of fun to use. By using Shazam, the Android user can identify any song playing in an instant. With its noise-filtering ability, this app can name a song playing even with loud background noise, making it functional in restaurants, outdoor arenas and almost anywhere else imaginable.

FYI – Interesting Background Information About the Android Operating System

September 14th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Every since the Android operating system made its debut back in 2007, mobile device users across the world have come to love and rely on their Android phones. And throughout its short history in the mobile marketplace, Android has created many upgrades and updates to further feed the public’s frenzy for newer, better and faster technology.

This has given the older, standard smartphones a lot of competition. Truly, the cellular phone industry is no longer dominated by the Blackberry and iPhone. Because of the Android’s exploding popularity, it is worth the time to take a short look into its history in the modern world and how this mobile device invention came to fruition.

The Android Was Not Created by Google

The beginning history of the Android phone did not start within Google. Even though the credit is usually given to Google, going so far as to refer to Androids as “Google Phones,” the actually creators responsible for the Android Operating System are Andy Rubin and Rich Miner. In 2003, these co-developers sold their invention to Google for an undisclosed amount. However, Google waited several more years to release Android in order to further optimize this operating system for the general public.

The Open Handset Alliance’s Involvement With Android

Recently, the Open Handset Alliance, OHA, has become involved with the development of Android OS. Because of this joint development, mobile users will benefit from this multiple-company collaboration and the better advancements it will provide. Besides the company most closely associated with the Droid, Google, and the OHA mentioned above, there are other companies equally involved, despite the lack of press time. And all of these companies are nationally recognized.

The Variety Factor

Because of the OHA’s developments, users benefit from a greater amount of advanced handset options now available for all types of smartphones. For instance, iPhone users who find their headset cumbersome can choose from quit a few options. Or Blackberry users can trade in their old headset for one initially designed for Android phones.

The Popularity Factor

However, if you want the most options, using the “Google phone” is the best decision. Even many household-name cell phone makers are catching on and using some of the Android features to improve their own devices. Of course, the easier development and open-source aspects of the Android will always make Droid phones a popular choice.

The Android’s popularity is not solely limited to the United States. Droid users can even be found as far as Africa. And while the Blackberry and iPhone are more-recognized brand names, Android OS phones are used more than the average consumer believes. It is predicted that the number of users will only continue to grow.

Will the Samsung Galaxy S Really Beat the iPhone 4 for Picture Quality?

September 10th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Cell phone battles aren’t new. After all, look at the battles between the iPhone and the Blackberry, and then the iPhone and Blackberry against the Android platform as a whole. Cell phone wars will always be there, but some tech fans find them more amusing than anything else.

So, the new tech battle is a matter of getting specific with cell phone: does the Samsung Galaxy S really beat the iPhone in terms of picture quality? Well, there’s an easy way to find out if that’s really the case.

First, a little bit of background. The Apple iPhone 4 is the newest generation in the iPhone series. It brings a lot of features to the table, such as a larger screen and plenty of on-board memory to be had. There’s plenty of space on the phone to hold pictures, music, and video, which are must haves for anyone that’s on the go.

In the other corner we have the Samsung Galaxy S, which is also a great phone with a long list of features. Samsung has been quick to get on the Android bandwagon, because it’s become quite profitable to do so. Consumers are looking for phones that allow them to do more than use the phone as an expensive paperweight, so that means that Samsung has to step up to the plate and really make sure that they have a winning combination.

The Galaxy S has a very nice Super AMOLED display as well as a 1 GHz processor. The phone design does make it look very iPhone-ish, but it’s all about the technical specs.

There are plenty — a 4 inch screen, at 800×480 resolution. According to in the wild reviews, users report that the colors are very, very rich and happily saturated. The brightness is also stellar, which is something that people demand out of a phone these days.

However, does this line up with beating the iPhone 4 at a game that Apple knows it has to win in order to stay on top?

The answer might actually be in Apple’s favor, looking at the iPhone 4. The screen is 3.5 inches, which is smaller than the Galaxy S, but it has a bigger resolution at 960×640. The colors are definitely vibrant, which could definitely give the Galaxy a run for its money.

However, who really wins? The iPhone 4 is on its own development cycle, which means that the Galaxy S could pick up new features to use with that extra half-inch larger screen space. If screen size is more important to you than anything else, you may still want to go with the Galaxy S. However, if you’re thinking about sticking with Apple on the iPhone, it’s not necessary a bad choice. As always, it’s up to you to decide for yourself what device will be the best for your needs.

The Motorola i1 – Bringing Android to the Pre-paid Market

September 10th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Getting a phone on a pre-paid phone carrier has usually meant getting a basic flip phone and praying that you’ll be able to get the reception you need to make the calls that you paid to get in the first place. However, that may be changing soon, thanks in part to the Android platform.

Take Boost Mobile for example. The network is known for offering an all-inclusive all-you-can-eat plan for one low price, which means that you have plenty of usage …if you’re willing to deal with the phone lineup. With Android on the lineup now, Boost can actually entice more people into their network. They now have the Motorola i1, which brings the Android power to the pre-paid market, something that hasn’t been done previously. However, is it a perfect implementation of Android? Definitely not.

The failing comes from the fact that the operating system that is on the Motorola i1 is the Android 1.6, which means that there are apps that just won’t work on the i1. It’s something that Sprint, the network behind Boost Mobile, has not announced that they would change in the near future. The operating system for Android is currently at 2.2 — making it clear that the i1 is already behind from the beginning.

The speed isn’t going to be the best, considering that the phone is dependent on the iDEN network, which doesn’t boast the same speeds as what users of Sprint are used to from EV-DO. However, it’s definitely a step up from the classic pre-paid cell phone. Anyone that has had to suffer with a tracPhone will find the i1 is definitely a much better substitute from that type of flat, non-dynamic phone.

Just because it’s on a lower version of the Android operation system doesn’t mean that there aren’t apps that you can download and use with the phone. You may have to do more digging than someone already running Android 2.2, but it’s still a possibility.

A full keyboard phone on a pre-paid service is a rarity, and that’s one area where the Motorola i1 really does shine. The keys are stable and everything “feels” right. Web browsing is less slow than it would be expected to run, thanks to Opera Mini and extreme server-side compression of all the HTML data.

Overall, the Motorola i1 has some good aspects and some areas that definitely need improvement. However, there’s a good chance that if you’re on Boost Mobile, this is one of the best phones you can get. With the all-inclusive plan, you really can’t go wrong picking up a Motorola i1 with Android technology!

Five Fantastic Apps for the Android

September 9th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Over the past several years, there have been a slew of applications designed specifically for the Android cell phone that cover a wide range of categories – productivity, games, music, videos and basic utilities. Because the options are virtually endless, choosing among the best Android apps can be difficult. The following are five great choices almost any Androider will appreciate.

Documents To Go

The majority of Smartphone owners need the ability to view documents, making Documents To Go an excellent choice. This app makes it easy to not only look at documents on an Android, but also view PowerPoint files and edit files. Even better, this application’s full version can be bought for only $15. While there may be quite a few document-viewing apps for the Smartphone, Documents To Go is one of the few that also allows users to edit.

Pandora

Anyone who likes music will love Pandora – the ultimate music-entertainment application. Pandora is an app that not only streams all genres of music, but also allows the user to search for artists or songs. After providing a single piece of information, Pandora creates a user-unique playlist based on certain songs the app “thinks” they will like.

Photoshop Mobile

For the budding photographer, Photoshop Mobile is a highly-useful, must-have application. This software allows users to utilize many of the editing features they enjoy on their computer. While the mobile phone version of Photoshop is limited in regards to tools it provides, the basics are provided, such as contrast and brightness, cropping, red eye and sharpening. Everything one needs for great-looking photographs is at their fingertips.

Places Directory

Places Directory is simply a souped-up GPS unit. This Android application not only helps users find the exact location of any destination – theaters, restaurants, hospitals, stores – but also gives extra details in order to make the best decision on where to go. Obviously, this app is extremely useful for anyone who loves to visit new places and is constantly on the go.

Task Killer

Task Killer is the last Android application on this list. Most people who use the latest and best of today’s technological devices will agree that the speed of the device is of the utmost importance. Thankfully, multitasking is what Task Killer is all about. Anyone who tends to run several applications at once can use this app to quickly “kill” currently-running apps in order to maintain the speed of their device and prevent the memory from becoming bogged down.

Making the Transition from iPhone to Android

August 26th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

If you’ve been paying attention to the news in the techsphere, you definitely know just about everything there is to know about Android. Perhaps you’ve been reading along with the launch of all of the Android phones, including the hot Sprint EVO 4G, one of the fastest phones on the Android platform, if not across smartphones to begin with. The Android phone line has something for everyone, but if you have an iPhone, you might wonder if you should even make the transition.

Naturally, no one can force you to switch to another phone. But if you’ve found that the iPhone isn’t working for your personal situation, you might want to think about getting a nice Android phone and just transitioning from iPhone to Android outright.

One of the biggest things that may be different as you go from iPhone to Android is using Gmail by default. If you want to keep using a webmail service like Hotmail, you certainly can. However, Gmail is seriously integrated into Android, which isn’t going to go away anytime soon. You have to sign in with a Google account or create one when you initialize your Android for the first time, so you might as well get an account anyway.

From there, you will need to think about your contacts in your iPhone. The last thing that you want to do is lose your contacts, but you don’t have to go without them. You just need to make sure that you sync the contacts to your computer first through the iTunes app (which you should have if you have an iPhone!). There are instructions on Google’s website that go into more detail on this, but you basically go into your iPhone settings menu and sync contacts with your Google account.

Making the transition from iPhone to Android is a bit more complicated than just settings. It does require getting used to having things in different places, and also having the ability for more buttons to be used instead of being all touchscreen all the time. You will still have plenty of applications to choose from, so it’s not like you’re going to lose all the goodness from iPhone that you were used to.

Overall, the transition isn’t as painful as some super iPhone fans would make you believe. If you really take a few steps at the beginning to save your contacts and get started with email, you will have no trouble getting the most out of your Android phone!

Go Beyond 3G with the New Android Phone

August 26th, 2010 Admin No Comments »

Just got 3G? Well, we hate to break it to you, but you are definitely late. Way late. The new buzz is all about going 4G, and if you can go 4G with an Android phone, that’s even better. For those not in the loop, you might wonder why 4G is such a big deal — after all, isn’t it just the next generation of speed?

Yes, but it’s much more than that. The speeds can get pretty incredible, depending on the carrier you’re talking about. For example, Sprint’s 4G network runs on EV-DO, which naturally is CDMA/TDMA dependent. However, the latest version can reach speeds approaching 3.1 Mb/s. That’s not a slow data connection at all — videos get to your phone faster, web sites get to your phone faster, and transfers are pretty painless. Sprint has been rapidly expanding their 4G network, which means that as more phones that support the new generation become available, you’ll actually be able to take advantage of that speed.

When it comes to phones on the Android platform that support 4G at this time, your choices are a bit limited to start with. However, the Android trend has swelled in popularity to the point that it’s fast becoming the best selling smartphone around — giving BlackBerry and iPhone something to think about for sure!

As mentioned before, your choices are pretty much the Sprint EVO 4G and the Samsung Epic that has not yet been released. That won’t be released for another few weeks, but it’s part of the Samsung Galaxy S series. It’s called the Samsung Epic, and it will also be offered for Sprint networks.

Does that mean that T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are staying out of the Android craze and the 4G frenzy? Definitely not, but it looks like they’re focusing more on spreading out their network before they jump forward with more phones. They could pick up the Epic for their network in a GSM version, if Samsung feels there’s enough demand for it.

Is it time for you to upgrade to 4G? Well, if you’re someone that really cares about speed, it’s definitely something to consider. Going 4G will make things a lot faster, but if you’re not due for a handset upgrade, you might want to think about whether or not you really have an extra hundred or two burning a hole in your pocket. If not, stick with 3G — 3G support is pretty strong now, so you shouldn’t have a problem.

Kindle for Android Gives Amazon Customers More Options for Accessing their Library than Ever Before

August 22nd, 2010 Admin No Comments »

The Amazon Kindle is one of the best devices to come out in a long time, for several reasons. For starters, it’s getting people that weren’t very cell phone and technology savvy to embrace technology so they can go back to reading. It’s something that is giving people more options in entertainment, and you don’t have to be a techie to appreciate the Kindle. On the other hand, tech fans have embraced the Kindle because Amazon has been wise enough to make sure that they embrace a platform that tech fans are crazy about right now: the Android platform.

Indeed, Kindle for Amazon truly does give Amazon customers more options than ever before. The app is free from Amazon, and has several interesting features that are worth mentioning.

For starters, the app saves the last pages that you read on your Kindle and immediately marks that spot in the new app. It’s done via Whispersync, their special synchronization feature that truly makes your Kindle books more portable. There might be times where you need to leave your Kindle at home or leave it with someone else. This would still give you the ability to read all of your Kindle books without missing a beat. Turning your Android phone into a second Kindle through this app is actually quite clever, and gives you the ability to never miss reading your favorite books and magazines.

One of the first concerns about the Kindle for Android app was whether or not the books would resize themselves for the difference in screen space. After all, you’re getting a bit less space on an Android phone than you are with the actual Kindle. Howe3ver, that concern is unnecessary — Kindle for Amazon does indeed adjust everything — from the text size to the bookmark view — to fit your Android phone.

Even though the app was first created to support the current library that you have, you don’t have to live with never being able to buy another Kindle book again. You can go directly to the Kindle store from the Kindle for Amazon app and pick out new books whenever you like. You will still pay the same flat 9.99 for each book, which means that you won’t have to worry about any hidden charges just because you’re using a different app.

Overall, the Kindle for Android really gives you more options about how to interact with your Kindle books, but you have to check out the app in order to unlock the benefits!

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