In today’s busy world, it is very, very important to keep track of time and where you are wasting it. With so many distractions, especially with internet-connected computers (handheld or otherwise), it is becoming more difficult to stay focus and productive. On the desktop, we have software like StayFocus’d and on mobile platforms, well, the list is basically empty. That is until today. An app called App Timer has been released that lets you keep track of how much time you’re spending on selected apps. Check it out after the jump.

The Android-using world had reason to rejoice in the last few days thanks to the release of the Google Chrome browser for Android devices which many users feel has taken far too long to reach the public. Now that the dust had settled, and users have had time to get Chrome for Android installed and browse their favorite sites using it, the inevitable comparisons and tests between this Chrome browser for Android and Apple’s Mobile Safari for iOS are starting to filter through.

Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire is one of the best tablets money can buy for under $300. Besides offering tight integration with Amazon’s services and doubling as a great eBook reader, it is hacker-friendly: the device is rooted, has lots of great ROMs available and is heavily supported by a vibrant community of skilled developers. Earlier today, we received news of the official release of MIUI for Kindle Fire. The good news is that it is based on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and is pretty stable (for a ROM in Alpha state). Things like USB tethering, static wallpapers, hardware acceleration and themes don’t work, but they will be in the future. Check out our step-by-step guide after the jump!

Dropbox is pretty much the most popular cloud storage and syncing service in the market today. It is Redmond Pie’s favorite such service because of the fact that a. it syncs seamlessly with popular mobile, desktop platforms such as Android, Linux, iOS, OS X, Windows etc. b. besides the free 2GB starting storage space, the company regularly gives away free space for promoting their service and beta-testing preview releases. Dropbox has its fair share of competitors – Amazon Cloud Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive and SugarSync to name a few – but none of them have achieved the same level of popularity. Now, according to a recently published report, Google is looking to get into the cloud storage and syncing game. Details after the jump!

One of the most reasons why Android enthusiasts keep sticking to Android is its relative flexibility and vibrant developer/hacker community. While wireless carriers try to ensure a controlled user experience, talented folks from forums like XDA-Developers, Rootzwiki etc. keep coming up with ways to set Android devices free from the shackles of these wireless carriers. This setting free is called “rooting” and what comes after rooting is what makes Android… Android. You can change every single aspect of the software on your device to make it look and work just the way you want it. Of course, to do this yourself you need some pretty l33t hacking skills, but thanks to a newly released app called Omega Files Kitchen, you can customize and “cook” your own ROM. Check it out after the break.

Regardless of whether you are a fan of the Apple iPhone or not, it is very difficult to argue with the freight train momentum and success that the mobile smartphone has achieved in the last five years. Judging by the statistics that surround the sales of the phone, and the record breaking financial results posted by Apple for the end of 2011, it seems that the popularity of the iPhone is set to rise and rise with every release.

For any consumer who may be taking the time to consider purchasing a new mobile phone, or a tablet computer, they will more than likely begin by considering either an Apple iPhone or iPad as their purchase of choice. With over a quarter of a billion iOS devices sold around the world, the iPhone and iPad are insanely popular, and considered by many to be the leading products in the mobile computing sector.

While most people I know prefer sites like 9GAG, my personal favorite social news website is Reddit for one very simple reason: its community is, undoubtedly, the best you can find on the internet. Whether its helping you out when you’ve lost hope in everyone you know or making you laugh out loud at the mundane-est of topics, these guys will always be there for you. I love you, Reddit. With that awkward bit out of the way, let’s get into this awesome Reddit app we came across recently. It’s called RedditSync and, as the name suggests, it lets your sync posts on Reddit to view offline when you don’t have access to internet. Check it out after the break.

As an Android user, there are many reasons why you might like to check out the goings-on of Apple’s rivaling App Store. Although apps are often released contemporaneously on the two leading OSes, iOS tends to get priority on the major releases, leaving many an Android user to gaze longingly at App Store gems such as Instagram.

Of all the productivity apps available for our smartphone and tablet devices, it’s fair to say those of the note-taking variety aren’t exactly in short supply.

Although Skype is the foremost company when it comes to VoIP telecommunications, a host of companies – namely Google, have been working contemporaneously plugging similar services for a number of years now.

If you thought texting and driving was a dangerous combination, wait till you hear about texting and walking! Yes, while it isn’t as risky as texting and driving, texting and walking has its own risks: bumping into lamp posts, tripping on the stairs and getting hit by a car are just a few of the potential risks. The greatest countermeasure against this is, of course, to simply not text and walk but not everyone is willing to do that. Keeping that in mind, a new app called Transparent Screen has been released on Android that lets you see through your device’s screen for potential obstacles that you may come across while walking on the streets. Check it out after the jump.

It is finally, finally here, folks! Google has just announced and released Chrome for Android. It’s everything you love about Chrome on your desktop, now in mobile form. We are very excited about this piece of news as we are big, big fans of Google Chrome here at Redmond Pie. Details and download link available after the jump!

With the advent of the smartphone and handheld gaming consoles such as the iPod touch, “gaming on the go” has taken a whole new meaning. Games like Angry Birds, Doodle Jump and Fruit Ninja have active gamers in the millions which is quite close to the most popular console and PC games. More recently, a platforming game called Temple Run was released for iOS devices. As of typing, it is 3rd most popular free app on the App Store with a reported 7 million daily active users, and we’ve received news that it is coming to Android in just a couple of days! Details after the jump.

Folks who have watched futuristic science-fiction films and/or played futuristic first-person-shooters will probably be familiar with the term “HUD” which stands for Heads Up Display. These displays are included as part of the headgear and offer real-time information about whatever is in front of and around the person wearing it. Well, according to a recently published report, Google is working on “HUD Glasses” that work on a similar concept, and it is “coming soon”. Details after the jump!

Smartphones are the ultimate example of the convergence of technology. They play your music, TV shows, movies, take great photos, run games, can act as a flashlight, let you browse the internet, send/receive email and, before I get, let you make calls and send text messages. You can now add one more feature to that list: scan your documents. Yes, a new app called Handy Scanner essentially turns your Android phone into a document scanner. Check it out after the break.

When Siri was introduced back in early October, it was regarded as one of iPhone 4S’s greatest features. Siri, as most of you already know, is a voice-based personal assistant and a knowledge navigator that uses natural language processing to let users give it a wide variety of questions and commands in everyday language. It then taps into services like Yelp!, Google, Wolfram-Alpha and iOS system apps to give the required answer.

Instagram is one of those beautifully simple concept that has millions of amateur and professional photographers alike completely hooked. You take a photo, edit, and share. And that, as they say, is that.

Simon Prakash, Apple’s former senior director of product integrity, has just been hired by fierce rivals Google to begin work on a supposed “secret project”, details of which are currently unknown.

The smartphone industry is full of analytics, metrics and research companies that love nothing more than tearing through sales figures and producing lovely graphs and pie charts which detail every little intricacy about a company’s product sales. Needless to say, in recent times a lot of this attention has been centered around Apple and Samsung, not only because they are constantly competing against each other to be the largest smartphone vendor in the world, but also because the two electronic giants also seem hell bent on battling it out in the courts.