Android users can boast something over all other smartphone platforms – the ultimate choice of keyboards. As the mobile operating system from Google has matured over the years, the stock input method that is a part of the AOSP has also gained more and more capabilities, becoming handsome enough to become the daily driver for many users. With Android 4.2, the Swype-like gesture typing has indeed taken things to a whole new level, putting to shame the offerings of its competitors like iOS and Windows Phone, for instance. However, nothing is ever perfect – not so much in the ever-evolving world of technology anyway – and this is precisely why the Google Play Store is riddled with alternative keyboard and voice input methods, each with its unique set of features.
At the present moment in time the most popular mobile operating system of choice is Android. It isn't a coincidence that Android is also one of the most configurable and customizable operating systems that ships with mobile devices, allowing users to not only change the look and feel of their device, but to also change input methods through the installation of various different keyboard layouts and configurations.
Everyone loves a good update to an app that is regularly used and highly thought of, and that is exactly what has happened with Google Now for compatible devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and up. The official Android blog took great delight in introducing the latest update to the intelligent personal assistant software that was first introduced to the Android world with the release of Jelly Bean back in July of this year and should be an extremely welcome update for those travel conscious Android owners out there.
Snapseed has been a revelation in the increasingly-popular image editing game, but since Google acquired Nik Software - the firm behind the iconic app - last September, there have been few recent murmurings touting the demise of Snapseed. Those have been well and truly put to rest today, though, with the release of Snapseed for Android; and in more good news, it's also absolutely free of charge.
Rockstar Games promised, and has finally delivered a mobile version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. To commemorate ten years of the legendary title, a touch-friendly version has been created, and for those running on iOS, it is now available at the App Store for download.
The Gangnam Style music track might be the most immediately recognized sounds of recent times, but without the power, that is YouTube, it is extremely likely that the majority of us would have never even heard of it. There's a good chance that the majority wish they never had heard it, but gathering the momentum of a runaway steam train and becoming the most viewed YouTube video of all time has propelled PSY's track into a worldwide phenomenon, and now thanks to the official Gangnam Style live wallpaper app, Android users can ensure that they are never without a small piece of that horse dance in their lives.
Amongst all smartphone platforms, Android holds a certain appeal to power users. This is because none of its competitors offers the level of control and customization for that technologically elite crowd that Android puts on the table. From cooking custom ROMs based on a stock one, to concocting an entirely new mix from AOSP, to the likes of hybrid creations like the famous ParanoidAndroid series, which has now extended to a large number of devices, there’s always something for everyone in Google’s mobile operating system. Then, there’s that other kind of control – the one that lets the user play around with things like battery longevity, and factors associated with it. Among those, control over CPU is of great importance. Why? Because next to the screen, there’s nothing as bad as an over-hungry CPU drinking through your battery juice in a matter of mere hours. Don’t believe me? Ask someone who’s faced the recent bug with CM10, where the device didn’t go into deep sleep!
A new Facebook app? Does it really deserve a mention? What’s so special about it? Why should I consider recommending it to my readers? What does it have to offer that current ones don’t? These, and some more, are generally the questions I ask myself whenever I come across a new client for any platform – iOS, Android, Windows, or anything else – for the social networking giant. There are some obvious reasons for that. Being the largest social network on the planet, Facebook has no shortage of client apps – both official and third-party – for any platform. Some of these, like the one for iOS, are really functional and decent, while others are catching up pretty rapidly, and the Android counterpart is no exception. With all of that, a new player like oStream does make one raise eyebrows. However, after my run with the unofficial Facebook client for Android, I was pretty impressed, and satisfied enough to recommend it for your downloading pleasure.
LED Notifications are a great way of finding out whether your Android smartphone or tablet has any new information or notification to show you, without having to actually activate the device or turn the screen on. Not only is that friendlier on the battery, but also more convenient. However, there’s a limitation – the device has to have an LED notification light in the first place. While most of the devices out there actually have that these days, not every one them comes equipped with an LED. For such cases, there have been apps like BLN (Back Light Notifications), which uses your device’s capacitive touch buttons to double as LED notification lights. Their restriction: almost all of them require root access. What if you’re unrooted, or rock a device that perhaps doesn’t have root yet, and still want some level of notification control akin to what we have discussed above? LEDBlinker has the answer.
In a few earlier posts of mine as well, I have stated the biggest challenge that I faced when I jumped ship from iOS to Android – the terrible battery life of the phone, and the quest to improve it. It’s not really a particular device’s fault, either; the way Android is coded, it’s bound to eat more battery. Nevertheless, there were quite a few tips and tricks that I came across, along with apps like JuiceDefender that worked wonders as per masses, and perhaps rightly so. However, then I came across another reliable source that advised against using the said app, since that actually contributed to poor battery life, according to them. Beyond that, JuiceDefender is paid if you want total control, so that’s another caveat.
