Mobile Apps

AT&T to sell Nokia Lumia 900 for $100 on April 8

2012-03-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Nokia's Lumia 900 smartphone will hit AT&T's store shelves on April 8, a move Nokia hopes will usher a return to the U.S. in a big way.
The phone will sell for $99.99 with a two-year contract, AT&T told CNET. It is one of the most affordable flagship products AT&T has ever sold.
There's a lot at stake with this launch. Nokia badly needs a buzz-worthy hit product in the U.S., a market it has struggled to operate in over the last few years despite dominating early in the cellphone business. AT&T hopes the 4G LTE-capable Lumia 900 will spark interest in its still new next-generation network. Microsoft, meanwhile, needs any Windows Phone to succeed in the market and establish some legitimacy to its platform.
The Lumia 900 faces the same challenges that many past Windows Phones have struggled to overcome, including convincing consumers that the relatively new mobile operating system is worth taking over Apple's iOS and Google's Android. The iPhone and a host of high-end Android smartphones dominate current sales.

Nokia already has a smartphone in the U.S. with the Lumia 710 for T-Mobile USA, and the device appears to be selling well. But the phone, which was designed to be more affordable at the expense of higher end specifications, hasn't been a blockbuster and is selling at the country's fourth-place wireless carrier.
The Lumia 900, by contrast, will come packed with some of Nokia's best hardware. The phone will have a 4.3-inch ClearBlack Amoled display, an 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss camera lens, and a higher capacity 1830 mAh battery. The phone will be available in matte black and cyan blue, while a white version will hit the market on April 22.
Customers can begin preordering the black and blue versions on March 30 in store and online.

At $99.99, the hope is the attractive price tag will be enough to turn some heads and get the device in the conversation for consumers considering a new phone. A typical flagship phone will sell initially for $200 or more.
The Lumia 900 should get a fair share of marketing support. Nokia's partnership with AT&T was one of the carrier's centerpiece announcements at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, part of a broader push for LTE products. The phone was Nokia's big announcement at CES.
With AT&T still rolling out LTE products and markets, the company will give this product a lot attention. Another planned LTE Windows Phone, the HTC Titan II, isn't expected to get the same kind of push.
With few indications that Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel are rushing to stock new Windows Phones, Nokia and Microsoft only have AT&T and T-Mobile to rely on in the near term, at least in the U.S. Elsewhere, there are signs Nokia's Windows Phone is starting to surpass its older Symbian smartphone platform.
But in the U.S., where Symbian never got off the ground, Nokia has a blank slate to work on.

Opera Mini comes to BlackBerry App World

2012-03-07T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Opera Mini browser has now, according to an official statement made its way to the BlackBerry App World. Those keen on trying out this newbie on their App Store, can do so by going directly to App World and downloading the Opera Mini 6.5 browser from there. To say that the Opera Mini browser has just arrived on the BlackBerry App World is no reason to presume that the browser isn't popular with BlackBerry users, affirms Opera in its statement. The statement further adds that the Opera browser, which reportedly is a favourite among users and is subsequently the world's most used mobile browser, is quite big on BlackBerry, too. It adds, "By downloading it manually from m.opera.com, BlackBerry users have been saving data and money on their BlackBerries for years. Now, it's even easier to download via App World."

In his statement, Sunil Kamath, Sales Director for India & SAARC, Opera Software stated that, "BlackBerry is ranked among top 5 mobile phone brands in India. We are thrilled to extend the Opera Mini experience through the BlackBerry App World. India has emerged as the second largest user base of Opera Mini users. This growth is clearly fueled by the shift in mobile usage pattern from enjoying basic features to getting online by using apps such a mobile browsers on smartphones." Interestingly, Opera claims that on using the Opera technology, the Opera Mini browswer only requires to transfer 10 percent of data to the user's phone, which they believe is "a lifesaver while traveling, struggling with crowded networks, for your data cap or if you pay per megabyte downloaded."

Further, Lars Boilesen, Chief Executive Officer, Opera Software stated that, "By adding another destination to Opera Mini's passport, we are extending our reach. As the world's most popular browser, we want to take every opportunity for people to have access to our browsers, regardless of the device."

Apple reveals "All Time Top Apps" after 25 billion downloads

2012-03-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

The Apple App Store is certainly pleased with itself, for reaching 25 billion downloads about two weeks after the contest was declared. While the winner has not been named, we do know that he or she is from China (apt). Apple has also released another list of "winners", as one may call them. This list comprises of the top 25 apps (seperate list for free and paid) across all their iOS devices. The list exists in iTunes and you can check it out by going to the Apps page in your iTunes. Here's how it looks.

25 billion reached. 100 app winners named

iPhone Top Paid Apps
1. Angry Birds
2. Fruit Ninja
3. Doodle Jump
4. Cut the Rope
5. Angry Birds Seasons
6. Words With Friends
7. Tiny Wings
8. Angry Birds Rio
9. Pocket God
10. Camera+
11. The Moron Test
12. Plants vs. Zombies
13. Skee-Ball
14. The Game of Life
15. Scrabble
16. Monopoly
17. Fat Booth
18. WhatsApp
19. UNO
20. Color Splash
21. The Sims 3
22. Flight Control
23. MotionX GPS Drive
24. Where’s Waldo
25. I Am T-Pain 2.0

iPhone Top Free Apps
1. Facebook
2. Pandora Radio
3. Words With Friends Free
4. Skype
5. The Weather Channel
6. Google Search
7. Google Earth
8. Angry Birds Free
9. Shazam
10. Netflix
11. Paper Toss
12. Twitter
13. Movies by Flixster
14. Bump
15. PAC-MAN Lite
16. Flashlight.
17. Unblock Me FREE
18. Temple Run
19. Instagram
20. Touch Hockey
21. Angry Birds Lite
22. ESPN ScoreCenter
23. Fruit Ninja Lite
24. Groupon
25. Angry Birds Rio Free

Top Paid iPad Apps
1. Pages
2. Angry Birds HD
3. Angry Birds Seasons HD
4. Penultimate
5. Scrabble for iPad
6. Fruit Ninja HD
7. GarageBand
8. GoodReader
9. Angry Birds Rio HD
10. Cut The Rope HD
11. Numbers
12. Keynote
13. Words With Friends HD
14. Star Walk for iPad
15. MONOPOLY for iPad
16. Plants vs. Zombies HD
17. Where’s My Water?
18. Friendly Plus for Facebook
19. QuickOffice Pro HD
20. Notability
21. Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad
22. Pinball HD
23. MyPad+ – For Facebook & Twitter
24. Infinity Blade
25. Real Racing 2

Top Free iPad Apps
1. Angry Birds HD Free
2. The Weather Channel for iPad
3. Netflix
4. Skype for iPad
5. Kindle
6. ABC Player
7. Pandora Radio
8. Angry Birds HD Free
9. CNN App for iPad
10. Words With Friends HD Free
11. Google Earth
12. Calculator Pro for iPad Free
13. Fruit Ninja HD Lite
14. Calculator for iPad Free
15. NYTimes for iPad
16. USA TODAY for iPad
17. Facebook
18. MyPad – for Facebook & Twitter
19. Flipboard
20. eBay for iPad
21. Angry Birds Seasons HD Free
22. Dictionary.com
23. Twitter
24. Solitaire
25. Friendly for Facebook

Of course, iPhone apps, include apps downloaded for the iPod Touch. The list doesn't include the top 25 apps downloaded for the Mac platform. This may be because the Mac App Store has only been around for a little over a year. Looking at the apps, games are still the more popular genres of applications to download and Angry Birds still dominates. Furthermore, Facebook retains its position as number one free app for the iPhone.

iOS App Store hits 25 billlion downloads

2012-03-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

Apple's download the 25 billionth app from the iOS App Store contest has come to a close, which means the iOS App Store has officially reached 25 billion downloads. The winner of the contest has not been named, yet, but some lucky girl or guy out there has a $10,000 (approx Rs.4,92,700) gift certificate to the iTunes Store to her or his name. According to Redmond Pie, this confirms that the iOS App Store is currently the biggest hub for mobile applications. Apple made the announcement on its website with a banner reading, “A billion thanks. 25 times over. The App Store has reached 25 billion downloads. Thanks for getting us there.” The winner can spend the winnings on apps, music or books from Apple's online stores.

The contest began on the 13th of February and was set to end whenever the 25th billion app was downloaded from the App Store or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 24,999,999,999th app, whichever came first. Contestants entered the race, either by downloading apps or by filling out a form online on the Apple website, which served as a non-purchase method. Last year in July, the iOS App Store crossed 15 billion downloaded applications. To compare notes, the Android Market has sold 11 billion apps and BlackBerry's App World has sold 2 billion apps. On the 18th of February, the download ticker clocked 24.328 billion apps and two weeks later, the contest target was met. According to The Next Web, this means that an average of 48.6 million applications were downloaded per day.

Ubuntu For Android Smartphones Coming For MWC

2012-02-22T07:33:00.001-08:00

Canonical is preparing to show off Ubuntu for Android at Mobile World Congress next week. The Linux OS package will dock to a desktop and sync with the Android phones contacts and services.

Linux software distributor Canonical Feb. 21 introduced a version of its Ubuntu Linux operating system for Android, a platform tailored for multi-core Android smartphones that can dock with a keyboard and monitor.

The software, which Canonical will show off at Mobile World Congress next week, aims to let users sync their contacts, SMS/MMS and telephony services between the Ubuntu platform on their desktop computers and their Android smartphones.

When an Android smartphone is connected to a computer screen it launches a full Ubuntu desktop on the computer display, Canonical wrote in a press statement.

The company said this solution will provide the same desktop experience enjoyed by Ubuntu PC users, and includes hundreds of certified applications, ranging from office productivity to photography, video and music.

If some of that instantiation sounds familiar it's because Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI) likes to pair some of its high-end Android smartphones, such as the Atrix 4G, Photon 4G and Droid Razr devices, with a lapdock.

When the phone is connected to the lapdock, it launches a full Mozilla Web browser. Users may create and edit documents, make calls and conduct other productivity tasks through the phone/lapdock combination.

Similarly, Canonical said Ubuntu for Android provides corporate road warriors a "company phone that is also their enterprise desktop."

Canonical Founder Mark Shuttleworth further expects the desktop will actually be the "killer app" for phones powered by quad-core CPUs this year.

That's because Shuttleworth sees quad-core phones as powerful enough tpo drive desktop-like experiences when connected to monitors and keyboards.

The way Canonical constructed Android for Ubuntu shouldn't be a surprise at all. The company has essentially used Android as Windows in the mobile ecosystem. For example, Ubuntu on the desktop is also designed to support Windows applications, using thin client and desktop virtualization tools.

For Ubuntu for Android, the customized version of Ubuntu shoehorns in alongside the rest of Android. The software supports HDMI and USB, among other standard features in high-end handsets planned for late 2012.

Canonical also said Ubuntu for Android will dock with a tablet, and will include Ubuntu TV for entertainment aficionados.

Intex launches 3D dual SIM Phone

2012-02-10T02:49:00.000-08:00

Intex Technologies has launched a 3D touch phone called Intex Avatar. Sporting a handy sleek design, Intex Avatar is a dual SIM phone with a 2.8-inch screen.

The phone comes pre-loaded with popular games like Crazy Birds, Fruit Ninjia, Pentachess, Call of Atlantis and Yumsters. The phone also offers support for accessing social networking sites such as Google, Yahoo and Facebook.

The phone bundles a free pair of 3D glasses and comes with 10 pre-loaded films available in 4GB multimedia card. The phone also lets users to store and watch unlimited videos at the rate of 30 frames per second.

The handset supports both English and Hindi languages and includes a Intex Zone -- an eclectic assortment of various functions like Answering Machine, Mobile Tracker, Auto Call Record, Google, MSN, Yahoo, Facebook and Games.

Intex Avatar is priced at Rs 3690.

Nokia 700 : How To Extend Battery Life

2012-02-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

The Nokia 700 may be slim, but it still manages to cram in all the features you might expect of a smartphone twice its size. That means web browsing, social networking, instant messaging music all come natural to the Nokia 700. And as one of the first Nokia Belle phones, the Nokia 700 ushers in a new era of Symbian functionality, as the most intuitive Symbian phone yet.

Using the Nokia 700’s energy-saving features you can use the Nokia 700 for longer. Here’s how to do it.

First of all, there are many ways to save power on your Nokia 700. You could tap the menu, go into settings and turn down the brightness of the display, or switch off bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you don’t need it. However, there’s a much easier way to do so, should you find yourself in a charger-less state.

Activate power saving

A handy power-saving mode ensures that even when your battery is at its lowest, you can make it last for as long as you need to squeeze the Nokia 700’s charge.

To activate it, simply hold down the end call button lightly. A menu will pop up with several options. One of these is ‘Activate power saving’. Simply tap on it to activate. You’ll see that your screen has dimmed, and that your battery meter looks different.

You won’t be able to browse the web. The whole idea is to extend battery life enough should you need to make a call or send any emergency texts. It’s a handy feature to have, and you never know when you may need it. It's that easy. Don't forget to deactivate power-saving mode the next time you charge your Nokia 700.

Nokia’s last Symbian smartphone, the 803: 4-inch AMOLED, Symbian Belle and the largest camera sensor you’ve ever seen

2012-02-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

Information has been appearing in dribs and drabs about Nokia’s last Symbian smartphone, the Nokia 803, but a trusted source of ours has come through with some details that vary a bit from earlier reports. For starters, the Nokia 803 will run Symbian Belle and serve it up on a 4-inch AMOLED display instead of the smaller 3.5-inch screen that had been reported. An HDMI-out port, microSIM support and NFC are all a go as well. We have also been told that the Nokia 803 will feature one of the largest camera sensors — if not the largest camera sensor — ever seen on a mobile phone. The Nokia 803 is currently expected to be released in the May timeframe.

Apple becomes third-largest Mobile Manufacturer

2012-02-07T02:13:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO: An outbreak of iPhone fever made Apple the third hottest mobile phone maker worldwide at the end of 2011, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

Apple jumped into the third spot globally from fifth place in the final quarter of the year due to a record-breaking quarter for iPhone shipments, IDC said in figures available online Monday.

Apple vaulted over South Korea's LG and China based ZTE in the mobile phone market rankings, IDC said.

Nokia remained king, shipping 113.5 million mobile phones in the final quarter of the year to claim nearly 27 per cent of the market.

Samsung was second with 22.8 per cent of the market, or 97.6 million handsets shipped.

Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter which ended on December 31, giving it a market share of 8.7 percent.

A total of 427.4 million mobile phones were shipped in the final months of 2011 in a 6.1 percent increase from the same quarter a year earlier, IDC said.

IDC warned that the growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2011 was weaker than the 9.3 percent seen in the prior three-month period of the year.

"The mobile phone market exhibited unusually low growth last quarter, which shows it is not immune to weaker macroeconomic conditions worldwide," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker.

"The introduction of high-growth products such as the iPhone 4S, which shipped in the fourth quarter, bolstered smartphone growth," he said.

"Yet overall market growth fell to its lowest point since the third quarter of 2009 when the global economic recession was in full bloom."

Review : Samsung Champ Deluxe Duos

2012-02-04T07:43:00.001-08:00

The dual SIM phone has a 2.8 inch screen, Qwerty keypad, 1.3 megapixel camera, MP3 player and FM radio etc.
Samsung has a new dual SIM handset - Champ Deluxe Duos.

Deluxe Duos (C3312) comes with a 2.8 inch display with Smart Touchwiz user interface that is intuitive. Native apps for sites like Facebook and Twitter are also there, besides Samsung's ChatOn Multi IM feature that offers new ways of instant messaging on the mobile.

ChatOn connects everyone in a single easy chatting service as it supports multiple platforms including Android, iPhone OS, bada OS, BlackBerry OS etc. It also supports group chats and multimedia transfer.

Champ Deluxe Duos has a virtual Qwerty, Hindi language input, native Facebook and Twitter apps, and all messengers including Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, etc. In addition, it comes with Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity at 24 Mbps, push mail with Activesync and Opera Mini Browser.

"Consumers are increasingly using their mobile phones to share files, data and music in addition to accessing SNS from their phones. The large display of the Samsung Champ Deluxe Duos and its TouchWiz interface provide a superlative mobile experience to consumers while dual SIM support ensures that users get maximum benefit by choosing the relevant tariff plans and at the same time separate their personal life from their professional life," said Ranjit Yadav, country head, mobile and IT, Samsung India.

The 1.3 megapixel camera, MP3 player, FM radio and 3.5 mm earphones jack make sure that the user gets an entertaining multimedia experience.

The phone comes with an offer of unlimited free music and games along with hundreds of Smart apps. There is a 2 GB free data offer from Airtel as well.

The phone has the new TouchWiz 2.0 Lite with new graphics and a homepage that is expandable to seven pages. The dual SIM phone also comes with a dual standby feature that keeps both the SIM cards active at the same time.

The SIM switching key helps the user to switch between the two SIM cards with a single click and without rebooting the device.

Champ Deluxe Duos is priced at Rs 4,790.

With the launch of Champ Deluxe Duos, Samsung has a range of 9 dual SIM phones, with three of them being touchscreen devices.

5 Best & Free iOS Games in the Appstore

2012-01-29T02:53:00.000-08:00

Many of you want to play the best games but with so many apps in the AppStore, you are not able to do that. Here, I’m listing the 5 best and free games for your iOS device with the download link given in the title of each game. Check these games out:

Zombie Life
You are a Zombie, newly risen in an unfamiliar town. Build your carrier, get a home and live life as you want but don’t reveal your zombie nature to the world.

There are different features and hairstyles and clothing options that will let you customize your look. You can decorate your home with cool and beautiful stuff. Scare the people but remember- it’s just for fun.

Contract Killer: Zombies
You have killed a lot of criminals. Now, it’s time to save the humanity. Save the zombie-infested city by killing zombies. Explode the zombie brains and get the best gaming experience and hours of excitement through this game.
There are a lot of survivors and you have to help them all. Get bonuses for headshots and multi kills. This task is for you. Are you ready?

Stupidness 3
One of the best games available for your iOS device, that will let you have more fun than Stupidness 2. If you have played the previous part, then you’ll surely like this one, too.
This app has a lot of highly unusual questions. Let your friends and family try it out and laugh how stupid they can be by their answers. Answers to questions are also provided, if you need them. You can post your IQ on Facebook.

Tap Fish 2
Have you played Tap Fish? Well, incase you don’t know-It’s the best aquarium app for your iOS device.
In this game, you have to rise a baby Clown Fish. Feed them, decorate the tanks and see your fishes grow. You don’t know what you’ll get when you breed Blowfish and Clown Fish. Check it out through this amazing, simple yet addictive game. I’m sure you’re going to like it as there are many other cool features that I haven’t discussed yet.

iNstein College
Learn, play and have a good time-all with this single app. Do you know that you can boil the liquid if you continue screaming at a glass full of water for 80 years? Many other facts are there. Take classes and get diplomas with this amazing free game.
There are easy, normal and pro subjects. Easy courses are those that are for children. If you are an adult, you should try normal and Pro courses. You can also share your knowledge with your Facebook and Twitter friends.

5 Hot Keyboard Apps for Android

2012-01-29T01:58:00.000-08:00

It's an all too familiar scenario: You went ahead and bought a shiny new Android smartphone, but now, you realise that-having used physical keyboards all this while-you're finding it rather tough to adjust to typing on a touchscreen.

Add to that the fact that most smartphones running the Google OS don't come preinstalled with the best touch-typing software. But have no fear; help is at hand in the form of myriad alternatives. Check each one out to see what's right for you.

SwiftKeyX

The more you use it, the more SwiftKeyX adapts to your typing style to present to you eerily accurate word predictions. Reviews across the interwebs, including user polls, have awarded it glowing epithets, including the keyboard for "fat-finger typists", "the virtual keyboard Google would be crazy not to acquire" and it even makes it to various lists of essential apps for Android.

The downside? Swift KeyX is free for use for just one month, after which you will have to shell out Rs 205 to use it further. Still, one month should be enough to figure out if it is indeed the keyboard for you.

Swype
It's no guarantee, but there's more than a fair chance that your Android phone comes preinstalled with two types of virtual keyboards - the normal Qwerty and SWYPE. (Go to Settings > Locale and Text.

Alternatively, Settings > Language and keyboard). Activate SWYPE and you're ready to go... Now, unlike the traditional poke-to-type keypads, this software lets you input text by merely gliding along the alphabets of a word - this, without you having to lift your finger.

For example, to write MUMBAI, place your finger on M and then glide it over each of the subsequent alphabets U-M-B-A-I. Of course, sliding your fingers over your touchscreen keyboard will mean that you touch many unwanted alphabets, but SWYPE's inbuilt algorithm is intuitive enough to discard the rest and only use the letters you intended.

Type a new word, and you have the option to add it to your dictionary list so it readily appears the next time you input it. Oh, and just in case your phone doesn't come with SWYPE, you can get it for free at swype.com.

TouchPal
It is similar to SWYPE, but has a few tricks of its own that may turn out to be exactly what you were looking for in your virtual keyboard. For example, it lets you blind type on your touchscreen after you have gotten used to the keypad layout.

It does this by more or less learning your input patterns. It also studies the curves as you glide along the keypad to predict the words that you want to type. Seriously, though, these features must be seen to be believed. TouchPal also supports some unique gestures - swipe up to input a number and swipe down for a special character.

And one can even cut, copy and paste from the keyboard itself. Currently, it is free for use as part of public beta. Check it out at www.cootek.com.

ICS Keyboard
In 2010, a company called BlindType demonstrated superb text-prediction software that worked with Android. But before the company could release its product, it was snapped up by Google. Now, some of that technology has made its way to the keyboard in IceCream Sandwich - the latest version of Android.

Well-meaning hackers have taken this keyboard out from ICS and put it up on Android Market for people using older versions of the Google OS. Features in the free version of ICSK include multi-touch, built-in dictionary, configurable auto correction, speech to text (select languages only), custom vibration intensity (haptic feedback), long press "Enter" key to bring up smiley alternatives and even long press on the "/" key in URL mode to bring up domains.

Go Keyboard
This free app on the Android Market is easily one of the best-looking keyboards for the Google OS. In fact, users can choose between various themes that are available for download. Other features include auto-correct as you type, multi-point touch keyboard, support for slide input. And if you are someone who likes to personalize their apps, you will love the customization options-position of various keys, size, smileys and so on-that Go Keyboard offers.

via TOI

Must-Have Android Apps For Business

2012-01-24T23:51:00.000-08:00

Any time you move to a new phone, you've got to determine if the software you've grown accustomed to or dependent upon will work on your new device. If you're moving from one device to another that uses the same mobile OS, this isn't a huge issue, but when moving from, say, a Blackberry to an Android smartphone, you have some big decisions to make.

There's a great deal of valuable software in the Android Market that can help you make the switch. Finding it is the hard part. Here are my suggestions for must-have apps that can help busy road warriors integrate a new Android phone into their daily routine.

Android Agenda Widget. Whether you are a C-level exec or a busy soccer mom, having your schedule in front of you when you turn on your device is a must. Unfortunately, the Android Calendar widget leaves a great deal to be desired. Android Agenda Widget from Everybody all the Time comes to the rescue. With its ability to display multiple calendars and support a number of different display sizes, this free Android widget fills a huge hole and makes it easy to keep your next appointment in front of you.

Go Weather. Everyone I know loves the HTC Clock & Weather widget. It's too bad you'd have to root your non-HTC device with a custom ROM to enjoy the same features. Fortunately, plenty of Android Market developers have jumped in with their own weather apps that provide a similar look and feel to HTC's popular widget. One of my favorite freebies is Go Weather.

Like the HTC widget, the app can display not only the current time and weather conditions on your home screen, but extended local forecast information. The app supports skinning and full-motion HD video, and has live wallpaper as well as a status bar icon that displays current temperature information for the location you're currently "following." This temperature status bar alone is worth installing Go Weather on any device you have.

Launcher Pro. Android's stock program launcher is okay, but there are better launchers out there at very reasonable prices. Take Launcher Pro, a free launcher that provides access to not only the standard Android application tray but also an unlimited number of scrollable docks. Launcher Pro also uses less memory than HTC's Sense UI widget. The $3.49 registered version gives you access to the app's custom home screen widgets.

Note: Using Launcher Pro on a Sense UI device might disable the interface.

Google Voice. Any Android phone can benefit from Google Voice. Its deep OS integration allows free, unlimited text messaging through your standard cellular data connection. Regardless of your carrier or voice and data plan, Google Voice's coveted visual voice mail features let you manage your voice mails like online emails, including filing and archiving. Sprint users get the added benefit of using their standard cell number as their Google Voice number without having to port their number to Google Voice, thanks to an agreement between Google and Sprint.

Google Maps with Navigation. Although Google Maps is a standard application from Google, not every Android device has it installed. This might be the case for you if your wireless carrier has a branded navigation app. In that case, installing and using this free, turn-by-turn navigation app is high on my recommended application list. It's one of the best free navigation apps available, and its data connection dependency for map delivery insures that you've always got the latest maps for your geographic area.

Mobile Wallpapers - Words All About LOVE 2

2012-01-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

Mobile Wallpapers - Words All About LOVE 1

2012-01-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

Mobile Wallpapers - Words All About LOVE 2

9 Great Phones At CES 2012 - Part 2

2012-01-13T06:31:00.000-08:00

9 Great Phones At CES 2012 - Part 1

Sony Xperia Ion (AT&T)

The first Sony-branded smartphone, the Xperia Ion offers a stunning 4.6-inch, 720-by-1280-pixel (720p) glass screen and a 12-megapixel camera. Under the hood is a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that can handle PlayStation-caliber games in addition to music and video. Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is the unfortunate default OS, but Sony is promising an ICS upgrade later this year. Sony is still sorting out just which PlayStation games will work on this thing (PS1? PS2? Xperia Play? Tablet?), but it's clear the Xperia Ion will be a serious competitor on its arrival in the second quarter.

HTC Titan II (AT&T)

America's first 16-megapixel camera phone is here, and it's a doozy. The massive HTC Titan II sports Windows Phone 7.5, LTE data speeds, and a 4.7-inch screen, and can snap photos with a resolution of 4,640-by-3,840 pixels. The rest of its specs aren't as impressive, thanks to some leftover Microsoft-specified restrictions, but you still get a fast (single-core) 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 processor, 480-by-800-pixel screen resolution, 720p camcorder, and 16GB of internal storage (albeit with no memory card slot).

Nokia Lumia 900 (AT&T)

Now this is what we were waiting for. Nokia finally shows off its first high-end Windows Phone 7 device, as the preceding Nokia Lumia 710 was too budget-oriented to inspire much buzz. The LTE-equipped Lumia 900 packs an 8-megapixel-camera, Carl Zeiss optics, and a 4.3-inch AMOLED Clear Black display. As part of Microsoft's last CES keynote, the powerful Nokia Lumia 900 may be a fitting sendoff.

Huawei Ascend P1 S (Carrier TBA)

Who would have expected the world's thinnest smartphone to come from Huawei? The Ascend P1 S is just 0.26 inches thick, which is two hundredths of an inch thinner than the Motorola Droid RAZR. The Ascend P1 S impresses in other ways too, with a 4.3-inch, 540-by-960-pixel Super AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 dual-core processor, a pair of cameras, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) preloaded. No word on a carrier yet for this one, though.

Lenovo K800 (China's Unicom)

Intel's Atom chip was fine for low-power netbooks, but it has traditionally been too power-hungry for smartphones. The Lenovo K800 could change that, at least in China—and, if successful, finally brand Intel as a player in the smartphone market, after years of empty promises and false starts. The K800 is no slouch otherwise, either, with a 4.5-inch, 720p multi-touch screen, Wi-Di, and a massive battery. We're keeping a close eye on this one, as well as Intel's other deal with Motorola, which could bring us a U.S. device sooner rather than later.

9 Great Phones at CES 2012 - Part 1

2012-01-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

This has been a heck of a year for phones. We're fast approaching the point where smartphone users outnumber regular cell phone users here in the U.S. Consequently, we expected big things out of CES 2012—and it looks like we got them for the most part.
In fact, many of the best announcements at CES 2012 happened either just before or at the start of the show. This year's lineup of goodies includes a heavy focus on next-generation 4G LTE data networks—including from Sprint, in a marked shift away from 4G WiMAX—plus plenty of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)-powered phones, NFC chips, dual-core processors, and even 12 and 16-megapixel camera sensors all vying for the spotlight.

Apple wasn't at the show as usual. But the story still centers around iOS and Android, as those are the top two smartphone platforms now. HP killed off webOS this year. Research in Motion was a non-factor and only showed off more of the same, albeit with a few significant OS revisions. The real comeback story could lay with Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5, a slick OS that's getting a big push thanks to more advanced hardware, Nokia's return to the U.S. market, and a vast increase in the number of third-party apps available. Still, it's a steep hill for Nokia and Microsoft to climb.
With all that in mind, here are the coolest, most significant phones announced at CES this year. Many of these should hit stores by the second quarter, so get ready to count off the remaining months on your current two-year contract.

LG Spectrum (Verizon Wireless)

High-definition phones are beginning to appear in earnest. The LG Spectrum sports an ultra-sharp 720p screen in a slimmer, lighter form factor than the existing (and also 720p) HTC Rezound. In addition to 720-by-1280-pixel resolution, the screen is "advanced high-def IPS," which to our eye looks brighter than other phones we've seen at least on the show floor. Text appears stunningly crisp even at tiny font sizes. It also packs a video editing program and an HD-specific app store, which the Spectrum should handle easily thanks to its 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 4G LTE network support . No Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) out of the box, but LG is promising an update by June 2012.

Motorola Droid 4 (Verizon Wireless)

The Motorola Droid 4 may be the nicest QWERTY Android phone yet, with a sleek slider design, a laser-cut five-row QWERTY keyboard with sharp edge lighting, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and (finally) 4G LTE data speeds. It also works with Motorola's array of Webtop mode accessories, including 10- and 14-inch Lapdocks, an HD Docking Station for the living room, and a Vehicle Navigation Dock. This one could push the remaining BlackBerry users—the ones dedicated to their hardware keyboards—over the line to Android if RIM doesn't right its ship soon.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus (Sprint)

The first flagship Ice Cream Sandwich phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, jumps over to Sprint, adding back the Google Wallet capability that Verizon Wireless had disabled along the way. The oversized 4.65-inch Super AMOLED screen and dual-core processor are impressive, but in this case take a back seat to LTE—Sprint's brand new, next-generation 4G network that it's powering up in 10 cities by the middle of this year.

LG Viper (Sprint)

The Galaxy Nexus may have the spotlight, but the LG Viper could be Sprint's Q-ship for 2012. It may snag even more buyers, thanks to its more manageable 4-inch screen size, brushed metal back panel, and lower price than the Galaxy Nexus. It only runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) out of the box, but its LTE radio, dual-core processor, and NFC compatibility mean it still has the future in mind.

9 Great Phones At CES 2012 - Part 2

Lenovo unveils first smartphone, powered by Intel

2012-01-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

The Lenovo announcement was followed by news of a new Intel-Motorola partnership, a look at Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge processor, and a cameo appearance by an overly scripted will.i.am.

The Lenovo phone is 10 millimeters thick and will run on China Unicom's network. It has a 4.5-inch screen, an 8-megapixel camera and offers 8 hours of 3G talk time, with 14 hours of standby. Otellini said the phone is the first example of Intel's smartphone reference design, which he said outperforms many popular phones now on the market.
Intel, the world's leading chipmaker, has long driven innovation in the PC market. And now the company is looking to move into mobile devices, such as smartphones, "ultrabooks" and tablets.
Otellini and Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha announced a "multiyear, multidevice partnership" to build Android devices powered by Intel chips. There will be Intel technology in Motorola phones this summer, with a commercial launch to follow. The executives offered no further details.
Intel said Monday that as many as 60 ultrabooks will be available this year based on its latest mobile processors. But this keynote made it clear that ultrabooks are just one part of Intel's strategy to take its microprocessors mobile.

Search App updated for Android 2.2 & 2.3

2012-01-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

Google has taken to stealth updating Search and Maps for Android while attention is squarely placed on CES this week. The updates for Maps for Android center on improved battery life with Latitude now featuring faster refreshes for locations and adds the ability to guess location based on vehicle speed if the GPS signal is lost during a drive and offers more public transportation route options for supported public transit systems.

Google has also updated its Search for Android to feature faster, smoother performance, with an updated and simplified user interface. Suggestions for search are now grouped by type, with web suggestions at the top as well as country-specific suggestions and search results for all countries with Google domains with long press capability added to remove history items.

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

With the latest update to Maps, Google is seeking to address the biggest issue with the application in battery life compared to previous versions as well as adding additional features for users of public transport while Search being updated for Gingerbread and earlier versions for Android is Google’s attempt to continually maintain the Search app for those versions of Android while gradually transitioning to the newly merged Ice Cream Sandwich.

Huawei uncloaks sleek, slim, sexy Smartphones

2012-01-13T05:27:00.000-08:00

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has unveiled a pair of high-end Android smartphones, including one that it dubs "the world's slimmest smartphone" – and at a mere 6.68mm, it's a skinny li'l fellow, indeed.

The Huawei Ascend P1 S, like its 7.69mm sibling, the Ascend P1, runs Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. Both are powered by a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 Cortex-A9 processor running at 1.5GHz, joined by an SGX 540 graphics engine.

Both handsets have a 4.3-inch, 960-by-540 Super AOLED qHD display protected by Corning's hardened Gorilla Glass, and the PS 1 manages to stuff that display into a body that's just 6.48mm wide. At that width, the metal-frame bezel on the right and left of the display is exceptionally thin.

Both phones provide a broad range of UMTS/GSM 3G and HSPA+ 4G connectivity capabilites, and Huawei chairman Richard Yu promised his audience at the phone's rollout on Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that his company's 20 years-plus experience in mobile infrastructure gives them a leg up in providing quick, clear connections. "We know the network," Yu noted, modestly.

Yu also claimed that the new handsets' 1670mAh and 1800mAh batteries will provide a 30 per cent increase in battery life over competing smartphones, and that their OMAP processors make the devices "the fastest in their class."

The phones are also equipped with Dolby Mobile 3.0 Plus 5.1 surround sound. "Now you can take your home theater music system away with you – a really fantastic user experience," Yu boasted.

Also notable is the software provided along with the phones' 8-megapixel, 1080p HD video–capable, rear-facing camera (a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera supports video calls). Among other tricks, the software offers face-distortion fun à la Apple's Photo Booth, panoramic image-stitching, in-camera image editing, low-light enhancement, and improved close-up images.

One feature of the camera and its software that we found especially intriguing is the ability to automatically take five shots of a group of people and have the phone's face-recognition technology choose which image includes the best shot of each subject – eyes open, for example – in the five-photo group and combine them into a single image.

Other specification nuts and bolts include 4GB ROM and 1GB RAM (expandable to 8GB with a microSD card), Bluetooth 3.0 HS, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, HDMI, dual-microphone noise reduction, PDF and PowerPoint editing, dual LEDs for its rear -facing camera, and the near-ubiquitous compass, accelerometer, and gyroscope. You can choose black, white, or "cerise" – aka red.

Yu didn't announce any carrier partners, but said that the Ascend P1 and P1 S would be available in April. Although carrier-subsidy deals have yet to be cut - or, at least, announced - he estimated that the phone would likely be priced at around $400. Both phones will be available in China, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Australia, and the Middle East at launch.

In the limited time we had to handle the P1 S, it seems that Huawei is jumping into the high-end smartphone market with both feet, and landing in a quite attractive location – the phone is solid, sleek, swift, and sexy. There's a manufacturer of a relatively chubby (9.3mm) and less-capable smartphone in Cupertino, California, that might want to look to its shiny-shiny laurels.

CES 2012: Vimeo launches app for Windows Phone and Android

2012-01-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

Vimeo launches first ever Windows Phone and Android application at CES 2012.

Video sharing site Vimeo was in attendance at CES in Las Vegas and announced versions of its app for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform as well as both smartphone and tablet builds for Android.

We spoke to Vimeo lead developer Joe Schmitt about the new launches and asked how Vimeo's app was aiming to appeal to users and compete with Youtube, which comes pre-installed on many devices.

Schmitt described the experience as ‘totally different' to Youtube, emphasising that Vimeo's focus was on using a device's camera to shoot and upload video seamlessly. ‘It's about shooting first,' he said, ‘Youtube is just a viewing experience.'

Schmitt also made a point about the community-driven aspects of Vimeo, the fact that Vimeo is built around uploading and editing high quality video footage and has a following of ‘enthusiastic' amateurs as well as professionals.

Vimeo is trying to bring its desktop experience to mobile devices, according to Schmitt. He said the company had paid great attention to the interface and design to create a ‘uniquely mobile' experience and emphasised the goal of having an app which looks attractive and feels good to use.

At its most basic it allows users to login to their Vimeo account, view, capture and upload video content, and to comment and interact with the content and community.

Schmitt said a good deal of work had gone into the tablet interface for the Android version: ‘We look at them [tablets] as a different device and really try to make use of the screen real estate to browse, comment and view simultaneously.'

According to Vimeo you'll be able to multi-task extensively within the app itself. It'll also be specifically optimised for the Amazon Kindle Fire to give the ‘best experience' possible.

For the Windows Phone 7 build, Schmitt said the company was ‘really excited' and explained that this was ‘not just a port'. Vimeo has taken Windows Phone's unique interface into consideration and designed the app around it. ‘It's visually different but functionally the same,' said Schmitt.

The company also revealed it would be updating its iOS app in the new year. The new build will feature native iPad support with a similarly tablet-tailored interface tweaked for Apple's larger device.

Perhaps the most stand-out feature of the app, which will at first be exclusive to the iOS build but will come to other platforms later, is the in-built editing suite which Schmitt said will include a music store with licensable music tracks, something he described as a ‘huge advantage' to users.

Nokia Launches the Asha 200 and Asha 300 in India

2012-01-13T05:08:00.000-08:00

Facing competition from increasing number of mobile phone producers, Finnish-handset manufacturer Nokia today widened its portfolio with the launch of dual SIM phones Nokia Asha 200 and Asha 300.

The phones, Nokia Asha 200, Asha 300 and Nokia X2-02 are aimed at attracting younger generation, equipped with 1GHz processor, Nokia India Director-South Markets T S Sridhar said at the launch.

Nokia Asha 200 and Nokia X2-02 are priced Rs 4,349 and Rs 3,599 respectively. Thephones offer multiple SIM management that allow the user to personalise up to five SIM cards and easy swap option without having to turn off the phone orremove the battery.

Nokia 200 is the first QWERTY based dual SIM device and comes with a 2MP camera. All the phones are equipped with an in-built Nokia browser.

The Nokia 300 is a music phone, priced at Rs 7,409, comes with a 5MP camera andalso offers connectivity to social networking sites.

To a query on the reason for launching phones in the touch and QWERTY category, he said world over, such phones were becoming the most preferred handsets.

Sony Ericsson: Introducing four new Xperia smartphones at CES 2012

2012-01-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Xperia S - the first smartphone in the Xperia NXT series - next generation smartphones from Sony.
Xperia ion - the first LTE smartphone from Sony, exclusive with AT&T in the US
Xperia NX and Xperia acro HD - two smartphones for the Japanese market

9 January, 2012, Las Vegas, Nev. - Sony Ericsson is showing visitors to the 2012 International CES Show a fully connected entertainment world with the first Xperia(TM) smartphones from Sony®*, including Xperia S, the first smartphone from the Xperia NXT series - next generation smartphones from Sony, and new Xperia smartphones made specifically for the US and Japanese markets, all with access to premium entertainment services and easy connectivity to other screens within the world of Sony.

The new Xperia smartphones announced are:

Xperia ion, first LTE Xperia smartphone from Sony available exclusively with AT&T in the US (above right).
Xperia S, the first smartphone in the Xperia NXT series - next generation smartphones from Sony, with Sony HD for stunning viewing experiences (above left).
Two new smartphones for the Japanese market:
Xperia acro HD, the follow-up to Xperia acro with popular Japan-specific features including infrared port data exchange, mobile wallet and mobile TV.
Xperia NX, a variant of Xperia S for the Japanese market.

Bert Nordberg, CEO for Sony Ericsson commented, "CES marks an important milestone for both Sony Ericsson and Sony with the introduction of the first smartphones from Sony. As the market continues to evolve into a world where we consume content and entertainment across multiple screens, the Xperia portfolio will deliver a mobile experience that is an important cornerstone of Sony's strategy to provide seamless connectivity and networked entertainment across smartphones, TV, laptops and tablets."

Sony Ericsson also unveiled a number of Android accessories that enhance the smartphone experience:

Xperia Smart Tags, small NFC enabled tokens that are used to launch pre-configured and personalised settings when you swipe an NFC Android smartphone against them.
Smart Wireless Headset pro, Bluetooth(TM) stereo headset that also works as a standalone MP3 player and radio when detached from the phone.
SmartWatch, micro display for Android to wirelessly access calls, messages and applications.
SmartDock for Xperia ion, an HDMI dock that turns Xperia ion into a mini-PC by connecting it to a USB keyboard, mouse and big screen TV.

Availability

Xperia S will be available to consumers globally from the first quarter 2012. Xperia ion will be available exclusively in the U.S. from AT&T in the second quarter 2012. Xperia NX and Xperia acro HD will be available in Japan from this spring.

For full details on all products news, please visit the press room www.sonyericsson.com/press and the product blog blogs.sonyericsson.com/products/

*For illustrative purposes only. Not for commercial use or re-sale. Use of "Sony" brand subject to regulatory approval.

via Reuters

Poor Lumia sales may have pushed Nokia back into acquisition talks with Microsoft

2012-01-08T04:23:00.000-08:00

Poor sales of the Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 may have prompted Nokia to resume acquisition talks with Microsoft during November, according to a recent Forbes interview with influential Russian tech blogger Eldar Murtazin. Rumors that Nokia was considering selling off its smartphone business to Microsoft first surfaced in June but were quickly shot down by both companies. Murtazin said, however, that the talks resumed again this past November and that it’s possible Nokia could be interested in selling its smartphone business to Microsoft and then focusing on delivering its next-generation feature phones in emerging markets and elsewhere. Nokia on Thursday denied all speculation surrounding the rumored potential deal. Murtazin also claims that Nokia only sold 2,000 Lumia devices in Russia during its first two weeks of availability.

Use Headphone to Capture Photos on iPhone

2012-01-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

iOS 5 is latest release for iPhone with so many new features, now with the help of iOS 5 on your iPhone you can easily click photos without ever touching the display screen. This means without touching the iPhone screen you can click you favorite picture with the least amount of camera shake. The trick is simple to use, all you need a iPhone with iOS 5 and headphone with volume buttons.

So how to use it, just open your iPhone’s camera app, ready your shot, and click the volume up button of your headphone to click the photos. If you have a Bluetooth headset with volume control, it’ll likely work with that, too. Any Bluetooth headset paired with the iPhone can be used in a similar manner to the wired headphones to take a photo.

If you are using the Bluetooth headset, this is perfect for taking photos on trips without having to use a camera app with a timer. Just attach your iPhone to a tripod and use your bluetooth headset volume + button as self timer remote to click the pictures.