Being the "apps guy" is an interesting position. It means I get tasked to play with apps all day long, each and every day. It feels a lot like being an adventurer, wandering through a dense (really dense) forest, where danger and suspense lurk around every corner.
As such (and because I'm more the average Joe user than you might think), my list is a combination of my most-used apps and some apps that are so great, they still deserve recognition (despite not being on the daily list).
With that said, here's some of my favorite and useful apps from the past year.
Call2Schedule is a simple event scheduler that captures your callers incoming phone number and places it directly into the subject line of your calendars scheduler with the callers name from your phone book. This is how Knabtechs latest app is self described, and it is exactly what it does. This app is very simple, but what it does can save a mobile professional time, and the embarrassment of a missed appointments. It does this by simplifying the process of inputting reminders and appointments in your phones calendar.
The app works simply by popping up a event scheduler after you receive a call, asking “Do you want to create even into calendar?” By hitting no, it will make the pop up box disappear, no further action is required. Hitting yes brings you to the event scheduler where you can now input any info that is needed to schedule an appointment or event that was made during the phone call. Its as simple as that. The program also gives you a few other options as well. The other options available are to have a event scheduler pop-up when you are finished with a outgoing call or a missed call, or just bypass the popup altogether and bring you right to the calendar event setup.
I found the personal list quick to set up and easy to use. What it did was keep important business contacts close at hand, and helped me separate them from personal contacts. To operate the Personal List is open Call2Schedule, and than select Personal List. The first time in it will be empty. To add contacts to the Personal List, back up a step to where you first open Call2Schedule. All your contacts will be present, you will then hold your finger down on the contact you want moved to Personal List, it will then pop up an option to add the contact to the personal list, select it. Once selected it will be added to the new personal list. This option really made it easy to separate business and personal life, something that can really help a busy professional.
So who is Call2Schedule for? Well we touched on it above, but more specifically it is for mobile professionals and Realtors, people who are on the go and who use their phone to stay organized. This app really becomes a useful tool for those who do not have time to sit down and write out a schedule at the end of each day, as it gives you the ability to do that a person at a time as calls come in. I really like that it uses the calender already present on any Android Phone, especially since many add-on calendars synchronize with this stock calendar on the phone. Because of this it really gives Call2Schedule full functionality with almost any calendar app on the market.
Some of the best benefits I found worth highlighting are:
One time configurations.
Uses No Battery in background.
Easy to use interface.
Best for busy professionals, really saves time.
If you need an app that will simplify the organization of your daily appointments, this is it.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich looks good on the Galaxy Nexus, but it would be better if you have the power to customize the phone the way you want it. Customizing your phone is possible if the bootloader is unlocked. If you want to unlock your phone’s bootloader, then you’re in great luck–we have a step-by-step guide on how to unlock the Galaxy Nexus’ bootloader.
With an unlocked phone, you will be able to root your phone, install custom recovery images, and install custom ROMs. Read on and follow our step-by-step guide for unlocking the Galaxy Nexus’ bootloader.
Important Reminders
Take note of some reminders before you proceed with unlocking your phone’s bootloader.
Make sure you’re using Windows 7 or Windows XP for the instructions in this tutorial.
You will need the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) executable file. If you have installed the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) to your machine, you will already have the ADB executable. For instructions on installing the Android SDK (as well as ADB), follow the guide here.
Create a backup for all your phone data and files, or transfer all files on your SD card in case it gets erased or corrupted during unlocking the phone’s bootloader. Do not use PC suites in creating a backup for your files. The format used by such software may not be compatible with the Galaxy Nexus.
Disable all system protection tools on your computer such as antivirus software, Samsung KIES, and firewall programs. These may interfere during the unlocking process.
Unlocking the phone’s bootloader may void your phone’s warranty.
Check your phone’s current firmware version before unlocking the bootloader. Take note of your phone’s current firmware version and write it down. This might help you find a solution when an unlikely situation occurs.
We will not be held liable for any damage arising from the use of this tutorial. Unlock your Galaxy Nexus’ bootloader at your own risk.
Unlocking the Bootloader
If you’re not having second thoughts, you may now proceed to our step-by-step guide to unlocking the Galaxy Nexus’ bootloader.
Install the Galaxy Nexus 4G LTE drivers to your computer. Get the drivers here.
Enable USB debugging by going to Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging.
Assuming that you have installed ADB, place fastboot.exe in the /tools folder inside the Android SDK installation folder. If fastboot.exe is nowhere to be found, download the file here and place it in the same folder as adb.exe.
Connect your phone to the computer via USB cable.
Open a command prompt directly in the directory where both adb.exe and fastboot.exe are located (which can either be /tools or /platform-tools inside the Android SDK installation folder). To open a command prompt, press and hold the Shift key, then right-click on the folder. Select “Open Command Prompt Here” from the context menu. A command prompt window will open.
In the command prompt window, type in the command “adb reboot bootloder” (without the quotes) and press the Enter key. Your phone will be rebooted into bootloader mode.
Afterwards, type in the command “fastboot oem unlock” (without the quotes) and press the Enter key.
The phone will display some policy notice and will ask you to confirm whether or not you want to unlock the phone’s bootloader.
Using the phone’s volume keys to navigate, select Yes and press the Power button to confirm. You have successfully unlocked the phone’s bootloader.
Take note that it may take more time to reboot once you have unlocked the bootloader. In case your phone gets stuck in a boot loop or faces force close errors, you have to initiate recovery mode and clear the cache. You will also need to repeat the process from the start when the process is interrupted in the middle of unlocking the bootloader.
Were you able to successfully unlock the bootloader on your Galaxy Nexus? What are you planning to do next after unlocking?
We’ve already heard a lot of stuff about how great Ice Cream Sandwich is. This has been proven further when the Samsung Galaxy Nexus came out. True enough, the latest version of Android is indeed one of the best, if not the best.
Many of us are already waiting for the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for our devices. There are even those who are already saving up for brand-new Android devices, hoping to get ICS out of the box. A lot of us are really itching to get hold of this latest iteration of Google’s famous mobile OS.
Sadly though, a lot of the makers are not yet certain on when updates for ICS will be delivered to their respective devices. Many of them are targeting the first quarter of 2012, but even then, the schedule is not yet sure. Good thing we have the Android community. Thanks to these guys, some of us can now enjoy Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. People who own the Motorola Droid 3 are one of the lucky ones. The developers behind CyanogenMod just recently released the latest alpha version of the popular aftermarket ROM and it’s pretty much built around ICS. The latest CyanogenMod 9 just made it to the Motorola Droid 3. It is not yet a perfect match, but for sure it will get there.
For those Motorola Droid 3 owners who would like a taste of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, read on and check out the steps on how to install CyanogenMod 9 into your Droid 3.
Prerequisites
The Motorola Droid 3 should be rooted. For the rooting process, you can check out this link.
There should be no Bootstrap apps installed on the device. Please uninstall the apps if there are any.
You need a PC that runs Windows Vista or Windows 7.
You also need at least 170 MB of free storage space in the device’s SD card storage.
The Droid 3 battery has to be fully charged to avoid interruptions.
Installing CyanogenMod 9
Download and install the SafeStrap app to your phone. You can download it here.
Run the SafeStrap app and then choose the “Install Recovery” option. A number will appear at the bottom of the screen after you tap “Install Recovery”. Make sure it is 0.92. If not, you should abort the process.
Download the latest build of the CyanogenMod 9 ROM to your PC. Use this link to download.
Connect the Droid 3 to your PC using the USB cable. Copy the ROM that you just downloaded into the root directory of the device’s SD card.
Disconnect the phone from your PC and turn off the phone.
Turn on the phone again and while it is booting up, you will see a splash screen. While the splash screen is still displayed, press the Menu key. This will put the device into recovery mode.
Create a backup of your Droid 3 by choosing the appropriate options found under the recovery mode menu.
Enable the “Safe System” option in the Safestrap menu.
Then, go to the “Mount” menu and choose “Format system.”
Install the CyanogenMod ROM. To do that, choose “Install ZIP from SD card” option, then choose the ZIP file containing the CyanogenMod ROM.
After the installation completes, choose “Wipe data/factory reset” from the menu.
Reboot your phone. It will now be running on CyanogenMod 9.
Since this is the alpha version of CyanogenMod 9 for Motorola Droid 3, there are some features that are not working properly yet and some don’t even work at all. One of the issues of this build is the device’s losing audio once Bluetooth is turned on. And, for now the camera is not yet working. All the rest seem to work quite well.
Now you have a way to tinker with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on your Motorola Droid 3. Having ICS on the Droid 3 is already a wish come true for many. It needs more improvements, but if you’re backed with an awesome community of developers, definitely things will always get better.
So here we are, in the final hours of 2011. (And to those of you who have crossed the threshold already, happy new year!) It was certainly the busiest 365 days of Android we've seen yet — and we're willing to bet 2012 gets even crazier.
Here's a look at the top 10 news stories (as in not device reviews) on Android Central for 2011, as ranked by pageviews. Of course, that means older stories have a leg up — and, interestingly enough, the most-read story of the year was actually from 2010. (And one other from December 2010 snuck in, too.) And the winner was a post by Jared DiPane explaining the best way to move from BlackBerry to Android. We thought about tossing it from the list. But it also makes sense. When you're activating nearly a quarter-million Android devices daily, another platform will suffer. And that it's BlackBerry is no real surprise.
We can't thank you all enough for your support in 2011, and we can't wait to get 2012 started with you. From all of us here, thanks, and have a safe one. And now, the top Android news stories of 2011, as ranked by pageviews.
Mobile gadgets are becoming more powerful nowadays. Many people would even claim that they’ve already replaced their full-sized laptop with their tablets or their smartphones. Why shouldn’t they? Tablets and smartphones get the job done, plus they’re very handy and more portable than laptops.
Mobile operating systems such as Android made mobile computing more mobile than laptops and netbooks did. These mobile operating systems changed the face of the gadget world. Because of operating systems like Android, we now have tablets and smartphones that can do multitudes of things that were never possible in the past.
We always look for more ways to extend their usefulness. We install a lot of apps to make our devices more functional. These apps are made to harness our Android hardware so it can work for us. Sometimes though, a device needs further tweaking to unleash its full potential. Take the case of the stock Android browser.
The Android web browser is a nifty tool that is part of almost all Android devices. Users can do gazillions of things with the web browser. But, as powerful as it may seem, the Android web browser also has its own limitations. One of its limitations concerns the restriction in downloading unsupported files. If users attempt to download unsupported files, they will typically get a message that says “Download unsuccessful. Cannot download. The content is not supported on this phone.” Good thing there’s a workaround for this.
If you want your Android browser to be able to download unsupported file formats, you can do so with the help of an app. Read on to find out what and how.
An app called ASTRO File Manager has to be installed on your device. Just go to the Android Market, search for the app, and then download and install it. (Or, get it here.) This app is free and is ad-supported. There’s also a pro version without ad support.
After installing ASTRO File Manager, simply run the app. Once the app is running, tap the Menu button, then tap the More option.
Tap on “Preferences” from the choices that appear. From the Preferences screen, look for the item that says Enable Browser Download. Tap on the item to enable it. The check icon will turn green if the option is enabled.
Afterward, test if the new configuration now works. To do this, open the web browser on your Android device and try to download an unsupported file. Wait for the file to completely download. Once it’s done and you did not see the “Cannot download” message, then you’re good to go.
This is indeed an easy method to further extend what the Android web browser can do. This may not be a tweak that makes your gadget run faster, but if you are aiming to replace your bulky notebook with a handy Android smartphone or tablet, then this tweak will certainly take things to the next level. You can already download any file type you like into your Android device just like a regular laptop or desktop PC.
Have you enabled support for unknown file formats using this app on your phone?
An article in the Korea Times claims that officials from both companies have confirmed the news despite official spokespeople remaining quiet on the matter.
To spin the story around a little though, another LG executive doesn't think that the company will be releasing Intel powered phones to the mass market. Instead claiming that through massive subsidies from Intel, LG would more likely be producing the reference devices.
It's not unusual to see such rumours floating around so close to CES — especially one that makes total sense — but Intel will be there so seeing an Android announcement isn't too far fetched. Either way we don't have long to wait and see.
When Google released Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich a month ago on the Galaxy Nexus, we discovered that tons of new exciting features were loaded onto the device, the most notable of which was the Face Unlock capability. Instead of using the traditional sleek sliding bar or the rotating lock screen to unlock your phone, Face Unlock uses your face to gain us access to our device.
Applying the concept of facial recognition has come a long way that even today it has been constantly developed not just for unlocking phones but also for many other applications such as identifying friends in Facebook. Developers behind the app called remembAR is integrating the same facial technology being used in Face Unlock to identify your Facebook friends and keep a recorded journal of your meetings with them. The app can also be configured to publish posts directly to your Facebook Wall.
Instead of traditionally typing status updates about your latest gatherings with friends, you can simply launch the remembAR application and scan your friends’ faces to record that important event. Considering you have couple hundred to a thousand friends on Facebook, you might ask how the app knows whether or not the person in your camera’s viewfinder is connected to you.
In order for RemembAR to match perfectly your Facebook friend’s photo to its real-life counterpart, you need to authorize the app to allow access to your Facebook account. Doing so will let the app scan all of your Facebook friends from your account, analyze each of your friends’s photos, and try to find a match to the image found on your camera. It will virtually scan all your Facebook friends’ photos while displaying relevant suggestions on the top-right corner of the screen until a match has been found.
If a match is found, you’ll be greeted with a notification stating that it successfully recognized your friend’s facial features. You can save that meeting by tapping the check button and the app will directly post it on your Facebook Wall. This option can also be disabled by heading to the application’s settings menu.
In the event that the application fails to display the correct suggestions, you can always hit the X button beside each friend to completely remove her or him from the screen.
The app also supports your phone’s flashlight. You can enable this feature by heading to Menu and selecting FLASH. If you want to view all the recorded meetings with your friends that took place, you can always tap the middle icon on the application’s homescreen to view all the recent logs.
Overall, RemebAR is a radical application that uses facial technology to connect with your friends. If only the developers could expand their audience not just by catering to Facebook but also to other popular social networks such as Twitter and Google+, then certainly they could reach out to more users snapping their friends’ faces to record important events.
If your phone has Android 2.2 or higher, you can download remembAR from the Android Market for free.
We always look for more ways to extend their usefulness. We install a lot of apps to make our devices more functional. These apps are made to harness our Android hardware so it can work for us. Sometimes though, a device needs further tweaking to unleash its full potential. Take the case of the stock Android browser.
After installing ASTRO File Manager, simply run the app. Once the app is running, tap the Menu button, then tap the More option.
