TechnoHeck

20 Best Apps For Android Users That You Should Not Miss

2015-05-25T02:30:00.000+08:00

Technology
by Jane Hurst

Many apps are created with one thing in mind, and that is to help make your life a little bit easier.
There are thousands of apps out there though, and it can be difficult
to figure out which ones you can actually use, and which ones you don’t
need to bother with. Here are some of our favorites, and we recommend these apps for all Android users.

Notes & Lists

1. BuyMeaPie – Grocery Shopping List

Download link: Free | Paid

This app has more than 5 million downloads and is considered one of the most popular of its kind.
It has a smart cloud synchronization that allows users to create and
manage lists either on web app or mobile device, and sync them with a
number of devices. With this app users can also share their lists with friends and family and collaborate on shopping together.

Price: there is a free version and a paid one for $2.98.

2. Google Keep – Create Custom Notes and Lists

Download link: Free

If you are forgetful and need to take notes for reminders, this is the app for you. Color-code all of your notes, take photos using the app, and even transcribe recorded voice messages.

Price: Free.

Productivity

3. Swype – Type Fast, Swype Faster

Download link: Free | Paid

Typing on a small device can be difficult. If you want a better keyboard option for your device, this is it. Once you get used to using it, you will find that you have better speed and accuracy with your typing.

Price: Free version and paid for $0.99.

4. Plague – Spread Information Like A Virus

Download link: Free

You want access to information, and you want it now. That is what you will get from this app. This is a new way to share information with others all over the world. It’s like a virus. Once information is shared, it spreads from user to user.

Price: Free.

5. Link Bubble Browser – Do The Right Mobile Browsing

Download link: Free | Paid

Don’t you just hate how much time you end up wasting browsing online? Change all of that with this app.
You can click on a link and the app will load the link in a bubble in
the background, so you can keep on browsing while it loads.

Price: Free and pro version for $4.04.

6. tTorrent – Simply The Best Torrent Downloader Client

Download link: Free | Paid

If you download torrents, you need this app. It is a great peer-to-peer app that lets you browse and download torrents quickly and easily. It has all of the same great features as the expensive torrenting programs.

Price: Free lite version and paid version for $4.99.

Messengers

7. HoverChat – Never Interrupt What You’re Doing To Answer A Message

Download link: Free | Paid

Do you hate having to stop in the middle of something just to send a message? You won’t have to do this any longer when you use HoverChat. You can watch a movie and have a conversation at the same time, and you can customize your messaging windows.

Price: $3.99 and a free promo app.

8. Mighty Text – SMS From Computer or Tablet

Download link: Free

Never miss a text again with this app. Even if you can’t access your phone (during meetings, classes, etc.) you can still see them on your tablet or computer. It even works with Gmail.

Price: Free.

Security

9. Cerberus – The Best Protection You Can Get

Download link: Free

This is an awesome anti-theft app that everyone should have.
In addition to tracking stolen devices, you can also use the app to
control the stolen devices through the website or with a text message. You can wipe all of the information from the device, lock it using a special code, have the alarm go off, and more.

Price: Free trial, and a one-time upgrade fee of 2.99€.

Personalization

10. Muzei – A Living Museum For Your Android Home Screen

Download link: Free

If you love art, this app will allow you to be able to look at some of the most famous works of art in the world. Muzei gives you wallpapers for your home screen, and you get a different piece every day.

Price: Free.

11. UCCW – Create Your Own Custom Widget

Download link: Free

If you prefer having custom widgets for homescreens, this app will let you create them. Choose from a variety of skins, and start creating. You can decide what the widgets display, from low battery to missed calls to weather and much more.

Price: Free.

12. Cover – The Right Apps At The Right Time

Download link: Free

This app will put all of your apps on the lockscreen, so everything is in one convenient location. It can tell when you are working, at home, driving, etc., and gives you the apps you tend to use most often for these and other activities.

Price: Free.

13. Light Flow – LED & Notifications

Download link: Free | Paid

You can use this app to get into your smartphone’s LED to get custom
notifications, as long as your phone has an LED light that alerts you to
notifications. It will give you a special color for texts, emails, phone calls, etc., and it can even let you know when your battery is running down.

Price: Free lite version and paid one of $2.49.

14. Lux – Improve Your Phone’s Automatic Brightness

Download link: Free | Paid

If you hate a screen that is too bright or too dark, you can use this app to change the brightness settings. This comes in pretty handy when you need more or less brightness depending on the light conditions you are in.

Price: Free and $3.80.

15. Tasker – Automate Your Android Phone

Download link: Paid

This is another app that will let you customize your phone based on actions. You can set up customized actions for apps, time, your location, various events, shortcuts, and a whole lot more. You can even use this app to create and sell apps.

Price: $2.99.

16. Locale – Condition-Based Android Automator

Download link: Paid

Do you want to know who is calling just by the way your phone rings? You can do this, and a lot more, with this automation app.
You can customize how your phone works based on all kinds of factors,
including your location, who is calling, battery life, and more.

Price: $9.99.

Entertainment

17. Google’s Sky Map – Your Portable Planetarium

Download link: Free

Astronomy lovers will go crazy for this app from Google. Point it at the sky, and it will tell you what constellation it is pointed at. This is a great tool to help you learn more about the constellations.

Price: Free.

18. Yahoo Weather – Weather Forecasts

Download link: Free

Always be ready for the weather by downloading this popular app. You will be able to find out what the weather is going to be like, which is great so you can know how to dress accordingly.

Price: Free.

19. Instagram – Capture And Share The World’s Moments

Download link: Free

If you don’t already have this app, get it now. You can do a lot with your photos by using the filters, and you can instantly share your photos with friends and family.

20. VLC’s Media Player – Multimedia Player

Download link: Free

Enjoy videos anywhere, and at any time with this app. You can watch videos in any file format. Cost: Free.

4 things Apple should do to help kick start iPad sales

2015-05-24T04:40:00.000+08:00

The iPhone was once again the star of the show during Apple’s second quarter of fiscal year 2015.

During the period ending on March 28, Apple sold a whopping 61.2 million handsets. That’s an all-time record for the quarter.

The iPad, however, is heading in a decidedly different direction.
Apple sold 12.6 million tablets during the quarter, which was a 23
percent drop compared to the same time frame in 2014. For the first time
since 2011, Mac revenue even surpassed what Apple made on iPad sales,
which is definitely surprising.

During the conference call with analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was still optimistic about the iPad’s future:

So
my belief is, as the inventory plays out, as we make some continued
investments in our product pipeline — which we’re doing, that we already
had planned and have had planned for a long time — between that, the
inventory playing out, the enterprise starting to take over, I believe
the iPad is an extremely good business over the long term. When
precisely it starts to grow again I wouldn’t want to predict, but I
strongly believe that it will.

But here are four ways Apple can help to reverse the slumping sales trend.

Release the long-rumored “iPad Pro.” There’s no real
doubt that a larger, more professional-oriented iPad is coming as Cook
even slyly referenced “continued investments in our product pipeline”
during Monday’s call. But Apple needs to finally step up and release the
device.

While the all-new MacBook is spectacular to see in person, I’ve been
holding out for a similar device running iOS. Current rumors point to an
iPad with a 12.9-inch screen and maybe even an included stylus. I would
whip out my credit card in a second to purchase the larger form factor –
and I know I’m not the only one.

Once and for all banish the 16GB storage option.
This one is simple. Profit margins be damned, Apple needs to retire the
16GB iPad and iPad mini once and for all. The cheapest tablet options
needs to feature 32GB of storage, and buyers can pay more for a 64GB or
128GB version.

Figure out where the iPad mini fits in. The iPad
mini has had an interesting, albeit short, history. Back in 2013, Apple
proudly packed the iPad mini 2 with the same internals (the A7 chip and 1
GB of RAM) as the larger iPad Air. Buyers could simply pay more for a
larger screen.

But the landscape changed dramatically last year. The iPad mini 3
offered exactly one improvement from the previous generation – a Touch
ID sensor. Everything else remained the same, and I advised friends and
family to save their money and purchase a cheaper iPad mini 2. Apple has
a decision to make – either the iPad mini line should offer similar
specs to the larger iPad Air, or it’s the decidely cheaper, less capable
little brother.

Give users more reasons to upgrade. I will happily
admit my family owns way too many iPads, four in all. But short of an
iPad Pro, I don’t see upgrading any time soon because Apple hasn’t
really added any new “killer” features to the tablet line. While I
appreciate thinner and lighter iPads, that’s not a good enough reason –
at least for me – to upgrade. I’d happily purchase a slightly thicker
iPad with better battery life or a tablet with the same Force Touch
technology as the Apple Watch.

What do you think Apple should do to help spur iPad sales?

-- AppAdvice

The 16MP camera of LG G4 has been developed in-house

2015-05-23T13:43:00.000+08:00

in-house

The 16MP main camera module of the upcoming LG G4
has been designed in-house. The Korean giant’s components manufacturing
arm, LG Innotek developed the high-end sensor, which is already in mass
production.

LG’s innovative camera unit has a wide f/1.8 aperture. The latter
allows the camera to receive 80% more light than the already stellar
13MP snapper found in LG G3.

The 16MP main camera of LG G4 has been paired with an 8MP
front-facing unit, whose resolution is the highest offered by LG for a
selfie camera to date. The new front-facing camera features ultra-thin
IR filter, which keeps infrared light from entering the camera lens.

LG G4 will debut later this month, on April 28. The Korean manufacturer already confirmed that the smartphone will feature a new-generation 5.5” QHD display.

- GSMArena.com news