Pros:

• Multi-player game, up to five players
• fun and addictive draw and guess game
• Supports live play
• Can play turn-by-turn
• Zoom indication
• Fresh, well designed UI
• Multiple drawing tools
• Leaderboard stats
• Full drawing history is on Chardium.com

Cons:

• Game costs $1.99

How it works:

The object of this game is to either successfully draw a word that is given to you, or guess what the word is that your opponent has drawn. Here’s how it works:

• When you open up the game the app randomly selects the first person to draw
• Once a player is selected the person can draw the word provided or skip the word
• Points are deducted if you skip a word
• After the player accepts to draw the given word, then the game begins and the timer starts
• If you are the one drawing you can choose from different drawing tools or colors
• If you want to “undo” anything you can use the trash can. The trash erases the whole drawing and allows you to start over, but the timer stays where it is at and keeps going
• As the timer continues your points continue to decrease
• Both the person who guesses the drawing correctly and the person who is responsible for drawing it get points for winning
• If a person fails to get any correct guesses and the timer runs out, the person who drew loses points

Conclusion:

As a fan of multi-player games, I love Charadium II. The concept is simple but surprisingly addicting. The drawing tools and color options make it fun to try out your drawing skills (or lack thereof). I actually enjoy playing with random players sometimes because I am always shocked at how fast some of these people can draw. The user interface is fresh and well-designed making this game enjoyable to play and absolutely worth the download.

Charadium is available for $1.99 in the iTunes Store. Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.2 or later. iTunes Link

This is part of our iOS App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for iOS for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.

This app allows users all over the world to defeat the language barrier for just $0.99! When not surfing the web and writing reviews of uber-trendy apps, I am constantly struggling to exchange words with the eclectic New York City population, my Greek stepsister, and my two Dominican roommates. Plus, the guy at my bagel shop only speaks Portuguese. My dry cleaner only speaks Korean. My manicurists only gossip about me in Chinese.

I can only imagine my manicurist’s surprise when I am able to say, “Yes, I know my cuticles are gross, but would you please stop laughing at them?” in perfect Chinese or quip, “Look, I realize my jeans are covered in beer. Please wash them on cold,” in effortless Korean. Thanks to iSpeak, I can now be sassy in over 15 languages.

Pros

• Save your conversations
• Send text translations via SMS, Email, or share it on social media
• Human accents
• Unlimited text translations
• Offers free trial
• Languages include but are not limited to:
• English
• French
• Italian
• German
• Spanish
• Japanese
• Chinese
• Dutch
• Korean
• Swedish
• Norwegian
• Danish
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian

Cons

• Limited to 20 speech translations per day (both in trial and full versions)
• Complex user interface

How It Works

Speech Translator
iSpeak is a speech translator that allows two people who speak completely different languages to carry on a normal conversation. Start by selecting your desired languages and rotate your phone upside down to start speaking-iSpeak takes advantage of your phone’s accelerometer!

After the beep, speak clearly into the phone’s microphone and turn your phone sideways to see what you said.

Here’s where it starts to get a little acrobatic. Once your speech has been dictated, turn the phone to the left 180 degrees to see the translation.

Your translated speech will learn from your voice and automatically say the translation aloud.  Turn the phone upside down one more time to bring up the microphone and continue the conversation.

If you make a mistake, simply hit “Cancel” to try again. Click “Save” to save the conversation, which will prove super handy, guys, when you refuse to ask for directions.

To end the conversation, simply return the phone to its original upright position. (Dizzy yet??)

To view past conversations, scroll to the right two screens and select the conversation you wish to view, which appears like an SMS conversation. You can delete these at any time.

Text Translator:
Select the languages your wish to translate, i.e. from English to Spanish. Then, simply input the text you want translated and tap the translate box to translate the text.

You can then send these translations via SMS, Email, or share on Facebook, and there’s no limit to how much you can translate per day.

Conclusion

iSpeak is an extremely handy tool for world travelers (or people who frequent the deep South), international business professionals, exchange students, and others. iSpeak sets itself apart from the slew of translation apps available by allowing two people of different cultures have a normal, albeit slow, conversation.

While there is a limit of 20 speech translations per day in both the free trial and full versions, and the user interface would make even a professional gymnast dizzy, the true appeal lies in the ability to have face-to-face conversations with ease. Despite the translation limit, iSpeak sets itself apart from other translators with this “handy” feature. Text translations are unlimited, so users can text and email freely. With SMS, Email, and social media capabilities, iSpeak makes communicating in different languages via text extremely simple.

I.  Before You Begin

1.  Make sure you have the necessary drivers installed before you begin.

2.  This procedure is written with the Verizon version of the LG Revolution running Gingerbread in mind; if you are running Froyo, make sure you update to Android 2.3 using the LG Mobile Support Tool before you proceed with this guide.

II.  Necessary Downloads

LG Revo All in One Package

III.  Rooting the LG Revolution

1.  Extract the LGRevoAllinOnePkg.zip to a folder on your desktop.

2.  At this point, if you haven’t installed the necessary drivers already, you can install them now by running LG VZW_United_WHQL_v2.3.1.exe from Drivers folder in your newly extracted LGRevoAllinOnePkg folder.

3.  Enable USB Debugging on your device.  Go to Settings > Application > Development and then check the USB Debugging tickbox to do this.

4.  Connect your device to your PC using a microUSB cable.

5.  From the extracted LGRevoAllinOnePkg folder, run Root&RecoveryAIO.bat.

6.  To just root the device, select Option 1 and follow the on-screen instructions to completion; if you want to root and install ClockworkMod Recovery at the same time, select Option 2 and hit Enter.

Now, sit back and wait for your device to be rooted!!

IV.  Unrooting the LG Revolution

1.  Open up the tool by double-clicking the Root&RecoveryAIO.bat.

2.  Select Option 4 if you have rooted your phone or Option 6 if you have installed ClockworkMod Recovery also, and hit Enter.

All credits go to mtmichaelson on XDA for packing everything into a nice little tool!!  We urge you to donate to him or at the least, say a thank you if you thought this was useful!!

Pros:

• If you are into anatomy at all this app is fantastic
• Fun and addictive game play
• Great way to keep brain exercised
• Contains 28 levels including an overview of bones, muscles, arteries, veins, respiratory system and digestive system also more detailed levels covering bones, lungs, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity,oral cavity, dentition, liver, pancreas, brain, auditory system and visual system
• English, French, German/Latin, Italian, Spanish translations
• Could be helpful if you are actually studying anatomy for school
• Earn points for precision and speed

Cons:

• If you don’t have a basic understanding of the human anatomy you will get frustrated
• You can’t save where you left off, or select which level you want to skip too
• Free version with ads, sometimes ads overlay on organ

How it works:

Once you download the app, you can immediately begin playing. The home screen allows you to either start a game or play in practice mode. Starting a game is simple. At the top of the screen the app will display the name of an organ and you have to tap the organ as fast as you can to score points. You are awarded precision points (accuracy) and time bonus points (speed). If you tap the incorrect organ the app will make a buzzer sound and you can continue onto the next organ. There are no points deducted for selecting a wrong organ.  The app will highlight in yellow the correct organ and will display a blue pinpoint of what you selected. If you can commit your incorrect selections to memory this will help you when the organs reappear. You can see a running total of correct answers on the bottom of the screen as a quick view of how well you are doing.

The app runs you through 28 levels including an overview of bones, muscles, arteries, veins, respiratory system and digestive system also more detailed levels covering bones, lungs, pharynx, larynx, nasal cavity,oral cavity, dentition, liver, pancreas, brain, auditory system and visual system.

Conclusion:

Speed Anatomy is the perfect way for adults to sharpen their brain muscle while having fun. The 28 different levels keep you on your toes and also encourage competitiveness with bonus points for speed. It took me a few weeks to really sharpen my accuracy using this app, but now I am playing for sheer speed. I’ve been out of school for a while now, but it’s a good feeling to know what and where my vermiform appendix is. This app would also be perfect for anyone studying human anatomy in middle school or high school, as it would be a fun educational study tool. If you’re into anatomy or fun brain puzzles, then Speed Anatomy is a must have.

Speed Anatomy is available for free in the Google Play Store. Requires Android 1.6 and higher. Play Link

This is part of our Android App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for Android for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.

I.  Before You Begin

1.  Make sure you have ADB drivers installed.  If you haven’t done this already, look to our How-To on this to guide you.

2.  You won’t absolutely need to back your data up, but do so just in case you run into problems.

II.  Download the Necessary Files

DooMLorD zergRush Tool v.4

III.  Rooting the CSL Mi357

1.  Enable USB Debugging on the device.  To do this, head to Settings > Applications > USB Debugging and check the tickbox next to it.

2.  Enable installation of applications from unknown sources (non-Market apps).  To do this, go to Settings > Applications and check the Unknown Sources tickbox.

3.  Connect the Mi357 to your Windows-based PC.  Windows should automatically load or install drivers at this point if you haven’t done so already.

4.  Extract DooMLoRD_v4_ROOT-zergRush-busybox-su.zip to a folder on your desktop.

5.  From the extracted folder, click on runme.bat to run the root tool.

Your Mi357 should reboot when the whole procedure is complete.  Once the device reboots and the tool confirms that the procedure is done, look for the Superuser app in the app drawer or download the Root Checker app to confirm root access.

All credits go to DooMLorD and if you feel he deserves something more than thanks, be sure to donate!

This is part of our Android How To’s. We have how to’s on rooting, loading ROMs, and tons of other tips and tricks for your specific device or for Android devices in general! For all of our Android How To’s, head here.

Pros:

• Allows you to instantly voice message any US number
• Skip a phone conversation completely
• Save time
• Can Slydial anyone (US numbers only) directly from your contact list
• The other person won’t know you are using Slydial

Cons:

• US numbers only
• Free service plays short in-call ads
• Will have to pay for Premium service to avoid advertisements
• Slydial service is not compatible on all Android devices

How it works:

Once you have downloaded the free Slydial app, you can either choose to Slydial someone directly from your contact list or enter a number in manually. After hearing a touch tone dial, you will hear a voice prompt that says “Slydial will now connect you to this person’s voice mail”. In just a few seconds you will then be connected to the person’s voice mail and can proceed with leaving your message. If you choose to manually enter a phone number in to Slydial the app connects you the same way. The Slydial interface is simple and easy and the in-call advertisements are brief with the free basic service.

As an added perk, if you are ever in a situation where you don’t have the mobile app installed you can simply dial 267-SLY-DIAL to use the free service. This works in the same way the mobile app works. After using Slydial for a few months the only thing I saw on my phone bill was the “267″ area code calls. It is important to note that domestic long distance charges or cellular airtime will apply. So keep in mind that if you would normally get charged for calling a phone number with a “267″ area code then you will get charged making a Slydial call.

Here are some situations where Slydial might come in handy:

• You need to get some detailed information to somebody, but don’t have time to chit-chat
• Just have enough time to let someone know you care
• A text message is too impersonal, but a phone conversation is too much
• It’s a friend’s birthday and it’s too late to talk

Conclusion:

I have been using Slydial for three months now and truly love this app. As with most free services, the way Slydial makes their money with the free app is through advertisements. The app plays very short in-call ads before your call is connected, which is a small price to pay if I really don’t want to talk to someone. If advertisements bother you, then Slydial does have a Premium or pay-per-call option. The Premium plan will run you $2.95 a month or $29.95 a year. Pay-per-call will cost you $0.10 a call. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the free basic service and love that Slydial has gotten me out of several awkward situations. Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Slydial is available for free in the Google Play Store. Requires Android 1.1 and higher. Play Link

This is part of our Android App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for Android for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.

I.  Before You Begin

1.  There have been problems reported while running the tool used in this guide on Windows XP, so make sure you have a Windows 7-based PC.

2.  Make sure you have the necessary drivers installed before you begin.  If you are unsure about this, check the next section to download and install the proper drivers.

3.  This solution works only on a Blaze running Gingerbread (Android 2.3.x).

II.  Necessary Downloads

1.  Automatic Root Enabler.

2.  U8510 USB Drivers.

III.  Rooting the Huawei Blaze

1.  Enable USB Debugging on your device.  To do this,  go to Settings > Application > Development and then check the USB Debugging tickbox.

2.  Connect your device to the PC using a microUSB cable.  Windows should install the drivers at this stage if it hasn’t done so already.

3.  Double-click on Automatic-Root-Enabler–U8510–v1.1.exe you downloaded above.  The tool should now automatically begin rooting and flashing CWM Recovery to your device.

When the Automatic Root Enabler tool displays a message saying, “Root permissions enabled.  Enjoy!“, your device will be rooted and have ClockworkMod Recovery installed!!

All thanks go to lowskill on the Android-Hilfe forums for making it so easy!!  Be sure to thank him (in German if you know the language!) or donate if you can!!

I.  Upgrading to Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread

Skip this section if you are already running Android 2.3.6.

1.  Download and Kies Mini.

2.  Make sure USB Debugging is not enabled on your device.  Go to Settings > Application > Development and then uncheck the USB Debugging tickbox to do this.

3.  Open Kies Mini and connect your device to the computer.

4.  Select Kies when your device asks for the type of connection.

5.  Once the device is recognized and the necessary drivers are installed, click Upgrade.

Once your device reboots, it should be running Gingerbread 2.3.6.

II.  Backing up the efs Folder

The files in the efs folder at the root of your device’s file system are very important and if anything should go wrong, these files will aid in getting your device working again.  Here’s how to back them up.

1.  Download and install File Expert.

2.  Open File Expert on your device and click on My Files > Phone Internal Storage.

3.  You should now see a folder named efs here.  Tick the checkbox next to it and then click on Copy.  Now, navigate to a folder on your SD card and paste it there.  You can then connect your device to a computer and back it up in a safe location on your PC.

III.  Rooting the Galaxy S 4G

1.  Download SuperOneClick.

2.  Extract the SuperOneClickv2.3.1-ShortFuse.zip you download above to a folder on your desktop.

3.  Enable USB Debugging on your device.  Go to Settings > Application > Development and then check the USB Debugging tickbox to do this.

4.  Connect your device to your PC.

5.  Double-click SuperOneClick.exe from the extracted folder.

6. Click on Donate Later.

7.  Finally, click on Root.

Your Galaxy S 4G should be rooted once it reboots!!

All credits go to shortfuse for creating SuperOneClick tool and to lumin30 for clearing up the finer points of the whole procedure!!  Be sure to thank or donate to them (you can click on Donate Now on the SuperOneClick application when prompted) if you liked this procedure!!

I. Changing Icons

1. Hold your finger down on the app you want to change; you will feel a small vibration if you have haptic feedback enabled.

2. A menu will come up that says ‘Add to Dock’ at the top, and will have a list of app shortcuts.

3. Select the app you want in the dock and it will immediately change.

4. Be careful not to replace the apps shortcut, or you will not have access to your apps menu.

Pros:

• Fresh, clean, well designed UI
• Full screen lyric display
• Quick music identification
• App has a built-in music player with playlist management
• Instantly search for songs by title, song name, artist, or lyric phrase
• Save lyrics to a favorite list
• Share single phrase on Twitter, Facebook and foursquare
• Artist discography available
• Lyrics available offline
• App is constantly being updated with bug fixes and improvements

Cons:

• Not all major 3rd party music players are supported yet

How it works:

Once you download musiXmatch, the home screen provides four main options: my music, musicID, favorites, and settings. The UI is noticeably fresh and well designed with large icons for great ease of use. As soon as you tap on musicID you can begin to identify lyrics for any song you are listening to. This app works in a similar fashion to Shazam as you place the device close to the speaker of where the song is playing and after a few seconds the song is identified.  Once the song is identified, a list of additional features becomes available including full screen lyrics, what album the song appears on, and complete discography. You will always have the option to purchase the full song through the Amazon store or you can listen to the song with others.

The app makes it easy to share the lyrics you’ve discovered with the quick share icon on the bottom right side of the screen. Here you can either share lyrics to Facebook, Twitter, or foursquare. This is a great feature for people who identify song lyrics to match their mood or situation and want to express that with their social network.

As an added benefit you can also use musiXmatch as a plugin with almost all major music players.

• Default Android Music Player
• HTC Hero Music Player
• Archos Music Player
• Rhapsody Android Beta
• bTunes
• ³ (cubed)
• WIMP
• Zimly
• Just Playlists
• PowerAMP
• Winamp
• myTouch 4G
• Google Music (visit support.musixmatch.com for automatic notification issue)
• Player Pro (market)
• DAAP Media Player
• Folder Player (market)
• GoneMAD Music Player
• MIUI Music Player

Conclusion:

After using musiXmatch for a considerable amount of time now I’ve grown to really rely on the app for more than just lyric identification. I use musiXmatch to identify songs, obtain artist information, and share lyrics with friends. The app’s improved UI is fresh and has a minimalist feel that makes it easy to navigate through and get in and out without hassle. Now I can actually sing along to new songs and purchase the tracks directly from the app, which is a great bonus to have on my Android device. If you love the discovery of song lyrics and enjoy being able to sing along to your favorite music, then musiXmatch is the perfect companion app to download.

musiXmatch is available for free in the Google Play Store. Requires Android 2.1 and higher. Play Link

This is part of our Android App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for Android for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.