While Apple offers a more straightforward unified system of backup and restore of its iOS devices through iTunes, Google has a more modular approach with Android. Your contacts are backed up through Gmail, apps and other purchases through Play Store, list of apps, bookmarks and system settings. Other, more important data such as photos, text messages, homescreen configuration, apps settings etc. have to be backed up through third-party solutions.
Much of the animosity between Apple and Samsung / Google stems from two-way accusations of plagiarism regarding not only aesthetic design, but also aspects of each party's respective operating system.
HTC's "Sense" is one of the top manufacturer skins on Android and for good reason: while some call it bloated, it is undoubtedly one of the most powerful skins of the bunch. Rooting and flashing different tweaks enhances Sense but no tweak enhances HTC Sense like developers j4n87's (co-developed by richmondo & m0narx) "LeeDroid Tweaks".
With Ice Cream Sandwich being introduced to the world during the Google I/O event in may 2011, then officially launched in October, it seems like we really haven't had enough time to get to know the 4.0 version of the OS. Although Android 4.0 has officially been available for over five months, statistics show that not even two percent of Android devices in existence are running Ice Cream Sandwich. The latest data released by Google shows that a meager 1.6% of devices have ICS installed, with those users becoming fragmented due to the varying point releases of version 4.0 they are running.
You only need to stop for a second and have a look at the number of smartphone devices and tablets available in the marketplace to understand just how popular mobile devices are becoming in our everyday lives. For seasoned users of these devices, the ownership decision generally isn't a difficult one as they tend to have their preferred manufacturers and preferred OSes and will only deviate if something exceptional enters the public domain. However, for those who may be new to the smartphone or tablet ownership, the decision about what device or OS to opt for can be somewhat overwhelming.
Angry Birds has been to iOS and Android what Call Of Duty has been to consoles over the the last few years. Those crazy, unstoppable birds have flown as far as PC, Mac, Facebook and Google Chrome in their never-ending quest to defend the nest.
If you have a smartphone or a tablet, you most certainly must’ve observed how it charges slowly through a USB connection than through when it is connected to an AC power outlet. I’m not really sure why this is the case (it has something to do with how USB ports draw less power), but chad0989 over on popular Android development forums XDA-Developers has found a way to get AC outlet-level fast charging on Galaxy Nexus through a USB connection by using his kernel patch.
Have I mentioned how Android is really good with context-sensitive apps? Just a few days ago we covered Timeriffic which allowed users to set custom WiFi/data, ringtone and notification, media/system volume settings based on the time of the day. One area where Timeriffic lacked was in its inability to set profiles based in other contexts.
A new app for Android smartphones is designed to add a little flair and control to a fundamental part of the operating system: multitasking. Called Taskbar Switcher, this free app is available for download now from the Android Market / Google Play Store, or whatever Google is calling it today!
While the iPhone 4S has, hands down, the best camera on a smartphone today, HTC’s last flagship device - the HTC Sensation - is no slouch. It takes sharp 8MP stills and Full HD 1080p videos.
