DROPBOX 2.0 APP

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/dropbox-20-app.html[/postlink]

Dropbox released version 2.0 of its Android app this morning, and it’s a complete revamp of the last version. The update includes a total redesign of the app as well as plenty of welcome features for faster and easier file management.
Dropbox did a fantastic job with the new design. It’s simple, clean, and it’s one of the very few Android apps I don’t find ugly in the least. The new navigation bar at the top has three tabs: Dropbox, Uploads, and Favorites. Each of them have their own new features.
Every file in your Dropbox folder now has an arrow to the right of it. Tap it, and you’ll bring up a pop-over menu with options to share, favorite, delete, etc. The option to favorite a file is a new feature in Dropbox. It’s saved in the Favorites tab and you can access it any time even without an Internet connection because it saves locally. You can rename specific files from the app now, too.
The Uploads tab has been streamlined and includes support for uploading files from (and exporting files to) local storage — and not just one file either. Bulk upload is a nice addition in Dropbox 2.0 if you have a lot of files but only a little time.

DROPBOX 2.0 APP

The Top 30 Android Apps And Games Of 2011

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-30-android-apps-and-games-of-2011.html[/postlink]

Editor’s note: Contributor Brad Spirrison is the managing editor of mobile app discovery services Appolicious,AndroidApps and AppVee.  Spirrison now turns his attention to the best Android apps of the year.

---

Android apps come in all shapes and sizes – literally.

Unlike iOS applications, which are basically created for two form factors, Android apps need to be developed with dozens (if not hundreds) of device-types in mind. This is on top of the inconsistent operating system releases still mucking things up. While all of this fragmentation is a headache for developers, ignoring a platform with 50 percent market share would ultimately lead to their peril.

The best Android apps are thus the ones that can both push the technological envelope while also remaining accessible to the vast majority of users. This is no easy feat.

We divided our list of the best 30 Android apps into four distinct categories. The top ten apps come from third-party developers, and, if not exclusive to Android, were created primarily for the platform. Additional sections include the best new or significantly updated apps from Google, as well as the best apps and games that appeared first on iOS but later arrived to Android in 2011.

As is the case with our lists of best iOS apps and games of 2011, hundreds of additional titles are worthy of consideration. Our top 30 showcase the growth and maturation of Android apps over the last year. They are also worthy downloads.

1. Any.DO: To Do List | Task List (full AndroidApps review)

Funded by Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Any.DO is the best productivity and to-do application tailored specifically for Android devices. The app’s elegant interface is optimized to limit actual typing through voice-driven commands. Users can swipe each task when complete, and shake their phones to clear them from the screen. The app also offers (mostly) seamless integration with Google accounts.

2. Lightbox – Photos & Effects (full AndroidApps review)

More than just an Instagram for Android, Lightbox offers features like photo journals and the ability to arrange pictures by personal timelines that make it unique and, to some, indispensable. The app’s stunning visual display and compatibility on multiple Android devices set the standard moving forward for photo-sharing apps on the platform.

3. Amazon MP3 (full AndroidApps review)

Along with Google Music (see below), Amazon MP3 is the best way for an Android smartphone and tablet owner to kick an iTunes habit. The app provides access to a library of nearly 20 million songs, 5GB of free storage, and reliable offline listening. Subscriptions to Amazon’s Cloud Drive service start at a reasonable $20/year for 20GB of storage, but you can store as much of your own music as you like with that subscription.

4. AirDroid (full AndroidApps review)

Android devices offer so many customization features that sometimes using a larger screen, mouse and full-sized keyboard will help you get the most out of your smartphone or tablet device. This free app lets users operate their smartphones from a PC with a Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, AirDroid emphasizes privacy protection with password changes for each use.

5. SwiftKey X Keyboard (full AndroidApps review)

After launching a beta app last year, SwiftKey X arrived on Android smartphones and tablets in 2011. The app has larger keys as well as superior word and sentence prediction algorithms than what is typically found on Androids. SwiftKey also learns from previously typed emails and messages, and offers three color schemes to simplify the process and brighten things up.

6. Skitch (full AndroidApps review)

Acquired by Evernote, Skitch lets users annotate photos with sketches, images and words. The app has dead simple editing tools and the ability for users to draw with multi-colored crayons. Skitch is a great app for kids in addition to serving as a functional and unique photo-sharing service.

7. BlueStacks Cloud Connect (full AndroidApps review)

While still in Alpha, BlueStacks is demonstrating how Android applications can run on Windows-based PCs. The Android app works in concert with the Windows-based BlueStacks App Player to run mobile applications on PCs. The venture-backed company and application, which has attracted more than 500,000 early adopters since launch, expects to debut a Mac OS version in 2012.

8. Qello (full AndroidApps review)

Available as separate applications for Android smartphones and tablets, Qello offers a great catalog of high definition concerts (mostly rock, but with other genres sprinkled in). Users can sample the 500+ titles for free, or lease any of them on a weekly ($1.99) or monthly basis ($4.99).

9. AccuWeather for Honeycomb (full AndroidApps review)

Developed specifically for Honeycomb-based tablet devices, this all-inclusive weather application showcases the beauty and utility of Android on larger form factors. The Lifestyle section, which informs users on things like whether it is a good day for biking or bad day for allergies, is a nice humanized touch.

10. HD Widgets (full AndroidApps review)

Android is all about customization, and there is no better and more comprehensive widget app available than this one. Optimized for Android tablets and smartphones, HD Widgets is great for Android experts and first-timers alike. Users will also appreciate the “fanatical” customer service of the developers.

Here are the five best Android apps developed by Google that were released or received significant updates in 2011.

11. Google Currents (full AndroidApps review)

As long as Flipboard remains exclusive to iOS devices, this new release from Google serves as the premier news reader on Android smartphones and tablets. More of a fast and elegant aggregator than social magazine, Google Currents benefits from an organized layout and dead simple third-party publisher platform. There is also — shockingly — nice integration with Google+, including curated content from the likes of Robert Scoble and Guy Kawasaki.

12. Google+ (full AndroidApps review)

Google became a relevant player in social networking this year with the successful launch of Google+. While the service is also available as an iPhone app as well as a web app through BlackBerry, Windows and Symbian platforms, Google understandably treats its own platform as first among equals. Check-ins for business, for instance, rolled out first on the Android app.

13. Google Maps (full AndroidApps review)

A November update to this trailblazing application introduced indoor mapping functionality to mobile devices. Google Maps 6.0 helps users more easily navigate within airports, shopping malls and other locations where GPS technology is spotty.

14. Google Docs (full AndroidApps review)

While no mobile application matches the utility of Google Docs on a desktop or laptop, this official version for Android is pretty close. If you’re a hardcore Google Docs user, this app will help you break free from your desk and still read and edit docs and spreadsheets on the fly.

15. Google Music (full AndroidApps review)

Like Amazon MP3 cited above, Google Music is a way for Android users to comfortably cut the cord (or cloud) on iTunes (at least on their mobile devices). The app lets users store up to 20,000 songs for free in the cloud, with a portion available for offline access.

These next 10 apps were initially released for iOS devices. They are included here for their utility, entertainment value and impact on the Android ecosystem.

16. Price Check by Amazon (full AndroidApps review)

When Amazon unveiled this price-comparison app to Android devices just before Black Friday, the company’s retail Death Star became fully operational. Sure, Price Check was available to iPhone owners a year earlier, and there are similar apps across all major mobile platforms. But having an Android app gives Amazon critical mass in this category, and allows the company to (again) upend physical retail as we know it. This includes offering discounts to consumers on their phones during the point of comparison.

17. Netflix (full AndroidApps review)

There were a lot of things that Netflix did horribly wrong in 2011. Releasing a killer Android app for smartphones and tablet devices was not one of them. As Android tablets become ready for prime time and more plausibly compete against the iPad, entertainment apps like Netflix will flourish.

18. SoundTracking (full AndroidApps review)

The most innovative music detection and discovery app of the year finally arrived to Android in December. SoundTracking not only identifies a song a user is listening to, but shares it with Facebook, Twitter and foursquare friends and followers. The advantage of the Android app, relative to the iOS version which launched earlier this year, is that users with Spotify and Rdio can listen to entire tracks (as opposed to 30-second snippets from iTunes).

19. Hipmunk Flight Search (full AndroidApps review)

Hipmunk differentiates from the run-of-the-mill flight search applications by predicting how painful your traveling might be. The app’s “Agony Index” takes into account factors beyond price including flight duration, Wi-Fi access and other variables. Once users choose the least painful flight, the app accommodates direct booking and provides access to third-party services.

20. Fooducate Shopping Scanner (full AndroidApps review)

This app translates nutritional information found on food packaging into plain English, and offers a letter grade as to how healthy or harmful an item can be. The app offers comprehensive coverage of both mainstream brands and niche delicacies via the scanning of barcodes. Best of all? The app suggests healthier, similar alternatives to the worst offenders.

21. Marvel Comics (full AndroidApps review)

Reading classic comics within this app works on virtually any size Android screen — which is no easy feat. Marvel Comics also offers panel-by-panel viewing that features beautiful art and more legible word balloons. While most titles require a subscription, there are an ample amount of classic comics available for free.

22. Syncplicity (full AndroidApps review)

For digitally promiscuous users who store and share files on multiple devices and operating systems powered by Android, iOS and Windows, Syncplicity is a useful way to manage libraries found within all of them. Unlike many cloud-based alternatives, Syncplicity uses encryption to secure files.

23. Starbucks (full AndroidApps review)

After launching initially on iOS and BlackBerry smartphones, the official Starbucks app finally arrived on Android earlier this year. Better late than never. The app lets users manage their Starbucks Cards and purchase coffee and the like at nearly 7,000 U.S. locations.

24. LinkedIn (full AndroidApps review)

After what seemed like an eternity in beta, LinkedIn finally launched an Android app ready for prime time in the spring. While not perfect, the LinkedIn app is a much better alternative than the company’s more limited mobile site. Finally, this indispensable professional networking service found a full-time gig on Android.

25. Path (full AndroidApps review)

A significant December update to this social blogging app on Android and iOS devices served as an early holiday present to its passionate and vocal adherents. Beyond sharing photos, users can now tell the world about what music they are listening to and other activities they are doing. The app’s new design and “Automatic” feature, which recognizes when users deviate from routine schedules, also separate Path from the pack.

And finally, we present the five best games to arrive to Android devices in 2011. Notably, they all first appeared on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

26. Cut the Rope (full AndroidApps review)

While not a household name like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope is among the most addictive and popular mobile games of all time. The graphics and music are superb, and Cut the Rope is optimized and plays very well on larger Android tablet devices. This is another multi-platform grand slam for (Angry Birds) publisher Chillingo.

27. World of Goo (full AndroidApps review)

One of the most original and well-crafted physics-based puzzle games around finally made its way to Android devices in late November. Originally an indie hit on PCs, World of Goo is a construction game in which users must connect goo balls together to build structures so that other goo balls can get to the end of each stage. The abstract art and imagery alone make it worth the five bucks to download.

28. Where’s My Water? (full AndroidApps review)

A clever and addictive puzzle game by Disney, Where’s My Water? combines whimsical design with killer gameplay. Players are tasked with keeping a sewer-dwelling alligator named Swampy clean and pristine while guiding him through urban terrain. Easier said than done, particularly with Swampy’s alligator buddies standing in the way.

29. Plants vs. Zombies (full AndroidApps review)

This classic title from PopCap, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in July, first came to Android earlier this year via the Amazon App Store. It was sold exclusively on Amazon until early December. Fans of the cartoony tower defense game will enjoy tapping into Plants vs. Zombies on Android devices.

30. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD (full AndroidApps review)

The best racing game available for Android devices, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD combines plenty of cars and game modes — including a psychedelic “Adrenaline” boost — with superlative visuals and gameplay. This one deserves the checkered flag.

The Top 30 Android Apps And Games Of 2011

Why Chrome has Skyrocketed but Safari Hasn’t

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-chrome-has-skyrocketed-but-safari.html[/postlink]

The past few days, there’s been a lot of talk about web browsers. The report that Google will be paying Mozilla close to one billion dollars over the next three years to ensure that their search engine remains the default for Firefox is fascinating for a few reasons. The biggest is that Google now makes a Firefox competitor, Chrome. And it got me thinking about Safari.

Remember Safari?

While Chrome has skyrocketed from 0 percent market share in August 2008 to over 25 percent last month, Apple’s web browser lingers somewhere between 5 and 8 percent, depending on what numbers you look at. While its growth seemed to stall out in late 2008/early 2009, Safari has been growing again since then. But it has been at a very slow, methodical pace compared to the Google browser.

Given the fact that both browsers are based on WebKit — a layout engine which was born out of Apple — why hasn’t it been Safari that has taken off, instead of Chrome?

The easy answer that most people jump to is Windows. Microsoft’s OS is still by far the dominant one even with record Mac sales quarter after quarter. But while Safari is usually associated with the Mac (since it’s baked into OS X), it has actually been available for Windows quite a bit longer than Chrome has been.

Safari for Windows was unveiled in beta in June 2007. It was formally released in March 2008. Chrome wasn’t unveiled until September of that year. Incidentally, it was Windows-only at the time. But it took Google’s browser just a year to surpass Safari in market share.

So if it wasn’t Windows, what else led to Chrome’s rise?

Another thing people often point to is speed. A number of benchmarks point to Chrome being the fastest browser available in terms of both page rendering and JavaScript performance.

But remember too that when Safari for Windows was announced, several of the same tests showed that it was the fastest browser available for both Macs and PCs (remember, Chrome didn’t exist yet). If this was just about speed, shouldn’t Safari have taken off starting in June 2007 similar to the way that Chrome did in September 2008?

On the flip side, most users throughout the years have complained that Safari for Windows more or less sucks. It’s been a long while since I’ve used it myself, but I recall it being somewhere between Firefox and Internet Explorer in terms of practical performance (that is, how fast it actually feels when using it, tests be damned). But Apple has continued to iterate on it and the latest version, 5.1, is still available on both platforms.

Others point to Google itself as the reason for Chrome’s rise compared to Safari. It’s true that Google does quite a bit of promotion for their browser, including on Google.com every once in a while. But it’s hard to imagine that being a bigger advantage then either IE or Safari which are both baked into Windows and OS X respectively. To get Chrome, a user still has to download something (unless they’re using Chrome OS — but if that’s the case, they’re already probably going to be using Chrome on their other machines). I would imagine that most IE and Safari users don’t download their browser, they use it because it’s the default that comes pre-installed on their machines.

Plus, Safari being bundled by default with iTunes for a time should have helped it gain massive Windows market share. But it would appear that many people downloading it simply weren’t using it.

Maybe it’s extensions that give Chrome the advantage? Maybe, but Safari has had them as well since mid-2010. Sure, Chrome’s extensions are better and much more plentiful, but if that is all that was holding Safari back, developers probably would have stepped up their game there. Plus, Firefox had extensions way before either Chrome or Safari and while they undoubtedly helped grow that browser, it’s also shrinking now in the face of Chrome.

With the launch of OS X Lion, it seemed as if Safari might be poised for a bit of a renaissance. Because the default controls were inverted, third-party software like Chrome was largely broken to begin with on the new OS. Safari also offered features like better multi-touch support and Reading List (which syncs between iOS and OS X Lion) which rivals didn’t match. But with a few months of data in, it looks like the Safari growth is still the same slow and methodical variety, likely rising simply as more Macs are sold.

Given the rise of mobile, it would seem that the massive usage mobile Safari is seeing might help Safari on desktops/laptops too. But again, the numbers don’t really suggest that. Safari is growing, but slowly. Meanwhile Chrome, which isn’t actually a part of Android — not yet, anyway — is skyrocketing without any sort of mobile presence.

Personally, I’m a Chrome user myself. I’ve tried a few times to use Safari as my primary browser (most recently with the OS X Lion upgrade), but I always end up switching back. To me, it’s still about practical performance. Things like: with a dozen or more tabs open, Chrome seems to perform in a way that Safari cannot.

Plus, I can’t live without the URL/Search Omnibox that Chrome offers. And I’m addicted to “pinned” tabs (browser tabs I always have open and are shoved to the left and shrunken down, out of the way from general tabbed web browsing).

It has been nearly 9 years since Safari was first formally introduced on stage by Steve Jobs at Macworld 2003. It has steadily improved and grown market share, but the rise of Chrome in less than half of that time has made Safari look a bit silly.

Of course, that could all change rather quickly if devices like the iPad really are the future of general purpose computing. On mobile devices in general, there’s no question in my mind right now that mobile Safari is ahead of what Google is doing. That’s why it’s odd that the opposite is true on more traditional computers.

And it’s not entirely clear why. Some point to Apple neglect — since the App Store has been such a phenomenon, they’re more inclined to throw resources at native work rather than web work, is the basic argument — but again, given the state of mobile Safari versus the other mobile web browsers, that doesn’t seem to be the case. It could simply be that Google’s Chrome team is really good at what they do, and nailed it from the get go. Good things happen to good products.

Why Chrome has Skyrocketed but Safari Hasn’t

ANDROID ASSISTENT

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/android-assistent.html[/postlink]

Owners of androids who so eagerly download applications and test new games, building blocks and generally love to play with the phone, are probably used to recharge the phone almost every day. You must be wondering which of the five-loaded applications that work in the background is eating energy. Website Design . The answer is almost obvious – if you really want to know what is happening with your applications on Android, you have to install Android Assistant.As the name already indicates that it is your assistant, as well as the application itself, as it offers insight into individual applications use system resources. It consists of three tabs, which are equipped with illustrative graphic icons. The first is called the monitor and gives us a view of the action. HVAC Denver . This graphic shows the state spending as a percentage of CPU and real time showing how it uses the system, how much and for how long a user is idle. The second set shows the use of RAM, and how busy it is and how much free RAM we have. The last set shows us information about the battery, namely its charge, temperature and voltage. If you think this is enough information check the Process tab with even more information. You can open a list of all applications currently in operation by appropriate color depending on whether it is a system process, widgets, interface, or something else. Under each is written the memory and processor use, and this app also allows us to close any application as it operates as a Task Manager (Task Manager). The third tab, Tools, offers us a set of advanced tools to monitor our androids. backlinks . Bookmarks . Among the most important in this context we should mention truly comprehensive system information, the option to delete the cache of individual applications and editing applications that are loaded at startup.Android Assistant is a great program if you would like to see what is happening with your android and would like have greater control over it.

ANDROID ASSISTENT

Screenshots of Windows 8 build 8172 emerge, looks a lot like Windows 8

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/screenshots-of-windows-8-build-8172.html[/postlink]

Hope you weren't expecting anything groundbreaking from the latest leaks of Windows 8, because so far as we can tell, build 8172 looks just about like the build we toyed with back at... BUILD. That said, thesedo look a wee bit more polished than earlier betas, and there are a few appreciated shots of the store and a new look for settings. If that kind of nerd-speak gets you all hot and bothered, head on down to the source link with your eyes peeled.

Screenshots of Windows 8 build 8172 emerge, looks a lot like Windows 8

Nokia mobile secret codes:

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/nokia-mobile-secret-codes.html[/postlink]

On the main screen type
 
*#06# for checking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). 
 
*#7780# reset to factory settings.
 
*#67705646# This will clear the LCD display (operator logo).
 
*#0000# To view software version.
 
*#2820# Bluetooth device address.
 
*#746025625# Sim clock allowed status.
 
*#62209526# - Display the MAC address of the WLAN 
 
adapter. This is available only in the newer devices that  
 
support WLAN 
 
#pw+1234567890+1# Shows if sim have restrictions.

*#92702689# - takes you to a secret menu where you  
 
may find some of the information below:
 
1. Displays Serial Number. 
 
2. Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture
 
3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was   
purchased (MMYY) 

4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000) 
 
5. Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start) 
 
*#3370# - Enhanced Full Rate  Codec (EFR) activation.  
 
Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also  
 
help if u want to use GPRS and the service is not  
 
responding or too slow. Phone battery will drain faster 
 
though.
 
*#3370* - (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically  
 
restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone  
 
receives less signal from network. 
 
*#4720# - Half Rate Codec activation.
 
*#4720* - Half Rate Codec deactivation. The phone will  

automatically restart
 
If you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone, use this 
 
code reset: *#7370925538#
 
Note, your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask  
 
you the lock code. Default lock code is: 12345 
 
Press *#3925538# to delete the contents and code of 
 
wallet. 

Nokia mobile secret codes:

ANTI-SUICIDE APP

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/anti-suicide-app.html[/postlink]

 U.S. soldiers facing emotional problems and contemplating suicide may soon be able to use a smart phone application to connect them to help.

   
The Tennessee National Guard, the state's reserve military force, launched a pilot program of the "Guard Your Buddy" app that was spearheaded by Clark Flatt, president and CEO of the Jason Foundation.

Major General Terry "Max" Haston, the commander of the Tennessee National Guard, approached Flatt, who launched the app in October 1997 after his teenage son Jason committed suicide, about using the app for his soldiers.

Flatt said suicides in the National Guard have risen 450 percent since 2004. He and Haston hope to spread the app nationwide in National Guard units.

"We hope soldiers will download this smart phone application and pass it on to their fellow troops to ensure they have someone to talk to in times of trouble," Haston said. "It's difficult to predict if or when a member of our guard family will face suicidal thoughts, but we want them to be able to get help if they need it."

The National Guard Bureau's suicide prevention program shows that 362 National Guard members nationwide committed suicide since 2007, and another 23 cases are under investigation.

Haston convinced Flatt that the Jason Foundation's goal of addressing youth suicide also applies to the National Guard.
"A lot of the people we're talking about as having these issues are young guardsmen, 18-24 years old," Flatt said.

ANTI-SUICIDE APP

eFax

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/efax.html[/postlink]

The eFax® Android App enables you to conduct business on the go, and is essential for mobile professionals. The App includes the following fax and document management features: 


• Create and Send Faxes. Take photos of documents and the App will enhance the images, combine several pages, and fax them out - just like a mobile fax machine.
• Search and View Faxes. Quickly search and view all your received faxes so you can act on important documents anywhere, anytime. 
• Use Cover Sheets and Contact Lists. Create customized fax cover sheets and use your Android contact list to populate them easily. 
• Tag and Archive Faxes. Add search tags to individual faxes and archive them for convenient access later.
• Forward as a Fax or Email. Easily forward your messages as faxes or emails to anyone, from anywhere.

eFax

miCoach Speed_Cell(performance tracker)

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/micoach-speedcellperformance-tracker.html[/postlink]

Adidas' miCoach Speed_Cell ($70) is a tiny device that fits inside a special soccer cleat—the shoe is called the adizero F50—and tracks your performance as you compete or practice on the field. There is also a version for runners and non-athelete fitness fantatics with a compatible sneaker. The device, which works with the free miCoach Soccer app for iPhones and iPod touches, can track a player in 360 degrees, measuring performance as average speed, maximum speed, number of sprints, total distance run, distance run at high intensity levels, total steps, and stride rates.


To use the miCoach Speed_Cell, you have to load it into a small cavity on the bottom of the special shoe. The device can store up to seven hours' worth of data, which it transmits to your account on the app; a version for Mac and Windows is also available. User accounts also include a minigame, in-app videos, and motivational messages.
Note:This product has not yet been tested. The above coverage is based on information provided by the manufacturer or developer.

miCoach Speed_Cell(performance tracker)