Monday 30 September 2013

PicsArt - Photo Studio 3.8.0 - app

PicsArt - Photo Studio is an excellent program for creating, discovering and sharing photos with your friends.

Your camera phone can provide lots of entertainment, as well as allow you to take pictures virtually anywhere you go. Much like other photo editors for Android, PicsArt - Photo Studio lets you personalize the photos you take on your phone.

The reason PicsArt - Photo Studio is such a stand-out program is due to the sheer number of options you have for customizing your photos. First, you can take pictures off your phone's traditional camera or else within the PicsArt - Photo Studio app itself. This also goes for taking front-facing pictures if your camera supports the feature.

Once you've taken a picture, you have a lot of different effects options to play around with. PicsArt - Photo Studio has lots of different effects to alter the feel of the picture you just took. You can change the photo's hue, give it an artistic effect to make it look like a pencil sketch, among other cool effects. You can also add clip art images to it, and give it a special message with different text fonts and colors.

By creating an account on PicsArt's website, you can share your images with other PicsArt - Photo Studio users, as well as browse photos taken by others. There's also the option to share your photos on social networks like Facebook, as well as other platforms like Tumblr, Dropbox and Flickr.

The only noteworthy negative noticed during testing was some occasional lag time between clicking an effect and actually seeing it applied. It also takes a bit of time to get the hang of all of the features available to you just because of the sheer number to choose from. Otherwise, your options on PicsArt - Photo Studio are almost limitless.

PicsArt - Photo Studio is an impressively comprehensive photo editing and sharing app.


Download PicsArt - Photo Studio 3.8.0

Clean Master 3.6.0 - app

Here is what Clean Master can do for you:

[Junk Files] - Clean Cache and Residual Files

This will help you erase cache and residuals files easily. On Android devices,cache and residual files wil accumulate to take up hundreds of megabytes and in some cases even gibabytes of space.

[Privacy] - Delete History

Privacy is important and many of your apps silently record your personal information like your SMS/MMS, web browser data, Google search history etc. Clean Master can perform message deletion and also can clear browser data, clipboard data and history data of many other apps like Wechat, Whatsapp, Spotify, Pinterest, Line etc.

[Task Killer] - Advanced Task Manager

Tasks running in background not only occupy system RAM, but also waste your battery life. Task Killer can stop other apps that are running in the background and release more RAM to speed up your android device. This includes a shortcut called "1 Tap Boost" which is a more convenient way to boost android memory.

[App Manager] - Backup, Move to SD & Uninstaller

App manager consists of uninstaller and backup assistant. Clean master offers you an opportunity to uninstall apps easily with just one simply click. Also, you can backup apk files onto SD card and reinstall them later using the apk installer of app manager. Clean Master can also move app data to the SD card to save significant space if you are a rooted user.

[Widget] - Memory Booster Widget

Now a memory booster widget comes along with 3.5.0 version. Touch the desktop with a long hold until a window appears, from this window scroll down to Clean Master Widget and touch.


Download Clean Master 3.6.0

avast! Mobile Security 2.0.4993 - app

From the makers of PC super security app, Avast!, comes avast! Mobile Security, an anti-virus and anti-theft app for your Android phone.

Mobile security

The jury is still out on the existence of viable virus threats for mobile phones, but no matter where you stand, you're sure to find other, equally useful tools in avast! Mobile Security. The app is relatively lightweight, and easy to use. It starts working as soon as you have installed it and for basic, all round protection, it doesn't even require any additional tweaking.

Bunches of security features

To get the most out of avast! Mobile Security, of course, you need to take a look around the settings. Once in the app, you'll see just how flexible it it. The antivirus is there, of course, as is a firewall, app manager, privacy shield, call filter and anti-theft function, among others.

avast! Mobile Security is a very attractive app, with a clean interface that will make personalizing these features very easy. Simply tap on the area you are interested in, and avast! Mobile Security will show you your options. For example, you'll be able to schedule the virus scanner for automatic scans, view the apps that track your location (as well as other possible privacy invasions), enable and disable various shields and filters and more.

Anti-theft and Firewall

avast! Mobile Security's anti-theft is really something to be reckoned with. It's an app that, obviously enough, needs to be set up before your phone is stolen. Once you configure it correctly, you will, among other features, be able to geo-locate it, wipe your personal details, trigger an alarm, and enable various remote actions. avast! Mobile Security's anti-theft features are also virtually invisible to the thief, and therefore extremely difficult to get rid of.

There are two things to bear in mind when using avast! Mobile Security. For one, if you want to enable the firewall, your phone must be rooted, which not all users will want. Secondly, the anti-theft features are extensive. This is great, but will require a little effort on your part, making it by far the most complicated part of avast! Mobile Security.

Even Android virus skeptics will be amazed by the efficacy and breadth of avast! Mobile Security.

Astro File Manager 4.3.525 - app

Looking for a free file manager for Android? Look no further than Astro File Manager, a free application for organizing documents, files and folders, managing tasks and processes, and performing backups.

Working with Astro File Manager is a joy thanks to the program's clear, customizable user interface. It allows you to perform a wide variety of tasks via a sliding toolbar at the top of the screen. The main window shows you all of the folders on your system and perusing the files in these folders is made easy by the inclusion of Up, Back and Next buttons to navigate through the directories.

Astro File Manager lets you choose to view files and folders either in traditional list format, or as icons, which feels a lot more like the Windows Explorer. Files and folders can be sorted by name, date, size or type. Astro File Manager also includes a reliable search tool for quickly finding a specific file.

Among Astro File Manager's other features are its ability to open ZIP and TAR compressed files, although the app doesn't currently support RAR files, which is a bit of a shame.

Manage your apps

Astro File Manager comes with a very handy application manager and backup tool. Here you can view a list of all your installed apps, then choose to uninstall them or back them up to your SD card at the tap of a button. There's also a process manager, where you can view currently-running apps, services and process, and kill them instantly if you wish.

You'll find a wealth of preferences within Astro File Manager that make managing your files all the easier. you can customize the toolbar, set your preferred home directory, edit file extensions, enable/disable browser downloads, and clear the internal caches in your Android phone.

Astro File Manager is arguably the best file management app for Android, and it gives you a lot more control over your device.


Download Astro File Manager 4.3.525

Softonic Moba 1.15 - app

Softonic Moba is a personalized app directory that helps you discover the best free and paid apps for Android.

Quickly find the top apps for you thanks to recommendations from Softonic's team of expert reviewers. With a slick user interface and high quality independent reviews, Softonic Moba is the easiest way to find the apps you need!

- Discover the best Android apps and top new releases, based on ratings by Softonic’s editors and users
- Read professionally-written app reviews from our impartial experts, and view user comments
- Get recommendations on the best apps for a particular need â€" be it traveling, eating out, networking and more â€" through Softonic Moba’s unique Hubs feature
- Search for a particular app, browse by category, or filter based on license, popularity, rating, or date

Softonic Moba's features include:

Independent app reviews from experts

Read high quality reviews of all of the latest and greatest Android apps. All apps are tested and reviewed by Softonic editors, making sure you find the best apps for you.

Top apps of the day

Every day our editorial team selects the stand-out application of the day, so you never miss out on the best new apps.

Video channel

Watch trailers, hands-on guides and video reviews of the top apps and games.

App search tool

Find exactly what you’re looking for using Softonic Moba’s powerful search tool. Browse applications by category, or filter based on rating, license type, or date added.

Discover the right apps for the right occasions with Hubs

Want to find the best football apps? Itching to play the top casual games? With Softonic Moba’s unique Hubs feature you can discover the top Android apps for a particular interest or need. Hubs are hand-picked by Softonic editors, so you don’t have to trawl the App Store looking for what you want.

Thousands of reviews of Windows, Mac and Web apps

Besides recommendations on great apps, Softonic Moba gives you access to thousands of software reviews of Windows, Mac and Web applications. All have been impartially tested and reviewed by Softonic’s team of expert editors.

With more helpful features planned for the future, Softonic Moba is a great way to discover the best apps for your Android device.


Download Softonic Moba 1.15

SwiftKey Keyboard 4.1.3.149 - app

SwiftKey Keyboard helps you type quicker on your Android touchscreen phone by predicting what you want to say. It also features a gesture-based input system known as Swiftkey Flow, which makes typing even faster.

Setting up SwiftKey Keyboard is easily done, thanks to a handy start-up screen. You'll need to download a language module from a choice of nine (see below for the full list), and enable SwiftKey Keyboard as your default input method on your phone. Once you've done this you'll see a new on-screen keyboard whenever you send a message or enter text.

Keys are laid out in QWERTY format, though the default setting is a bit thin for our liking. Luckily, you can customize key sizes in SwiftKey Keyboard though, as well as setting the color and design of the keyboard by choosing a them.

SwiftKey Keyboard's predictive text engine is so powerful that it can generally guess the word you wanted within just two or three keystrokes. With every keystroke you make three possible words are suggested. You can select one by tapping or hit Space to go with the middle one, which is the one SwiftKey thinks is the most likely. SwiftKey Keyboard will even predict what the next word you want will be (and its accuracy here is impressive).

The SwiftKey Flow system, introduced in version 4 of SwiftKey allows you to enter words simply by drawing lines between letters on the keyboard, in much the same way that Swype does. Coupled with its powerful prediction and correction system, I would argue that writing in SwiftKey Keyboard is now even quicker than in Swype.

SwiftKey Flow is easy to pick up, though it can be a bit fiddly when all the letters you need for your word are in the same row on the keyboard.

To improve SwiftKey Keyboard's accuracy is you can tell it to look at the history of your SMS, Facebook and Twitter messages to learn about the kind of words you use and the way you construct sentences. Of course, there are privacy concerns here, but the app is designed to scan for text only, as opposed to context.

There's lots to explore in the SwiftKey Keyboard settings menu. It features more than 60 languages, of which you can enable three at a time; you can change the behavior of the space bar; access statistics about your SwiftKey Keyboard usage, and much more.

SwiftKey Keyboard lets you type on your phone much more quickly and is the best keyboard for Android replacement you'll find. Even if you're prone to making spelling mistakes, the app is great at detecting and correcting them automatically.

Google Play APK (ex Android Market) 4.2.9 - app

Google Play is the official app store of Google's mobile platform. However, not all Android devices come with Play installed on them, such as those with non-official ROMS.

Download the Google Play APK and you'll be able to get access to the app store on your device. Among the benefits of Google Play are the ability to search for apps, notifications, automatic updates, widgets and more. It also gives you access to movies, eBooks and music through Google's various services.

Google doesn't provide independently-written reviews of Android apps (for this, you should check out Softonic Moba), but it does its best to highlight the apps that are most popular, and picks out interesting new ones in its 'Editor's Choice' section.

How to install the Google Play APK your phone



To install the Google Play APK, you don't need to root your phone, nor do you need to connect your device via ADB. Simply follow these steps:

1. Download the Google Play APK and move it to your mobile's SD card
2. In the phone's settings, go to Applications and check the 'Unknown Sources' option
3. Open a file manager (Astro File Manager, for example) and tap the Google Play APK file
4. That's it! Google Play is now installed on your phone or tablet

The Google Play APK file can give you access to all the great Android apps if for some reason it's corrupted or missing from your device.

Boardtastic Skateboarding 2 3.0.3 - app

Boardtastic Skateboarding 2 is a skateboarding sports game that intelligently presents controls.

The basic controls of Boardtastic Skateboarding 2 are swiping in different directions on the screen and a turn-dial that you spin to add rotations to the skater. New tricks and decks have to be bought through the game's upgrade system. You can also customize your avatar with different shirts, pants, and accessories with your earned points.

Boardtastic Skateboarding 2 has great controls. Placed on a half-pipe, you do not need to control any speed. You just focus on completing tricks and landing perfectly to earn more points. There are different game modes like freeskate, exhibition, and tournaments; all of which require a set number of tricks to be completed.

Even though graphics in Boardtastic Skateboarding 2 are not the most detailed, the gameplay is excellent and never frustrates. Unlocking upgrades make take some time, but it is fun to complete.

Boardtastic Skateboarding 2 is an actual good skateboarding game.

Pou 1.3.17 - app

Pou is a virtual pet game for Android in which you are charged with the task of looking after an alien blob character.

The idea of Pou is that you must look after the little critter, feeding him, playing with him and making sure he is clean. It's a more sophisticated version of the tamagotchi virtual pet toys that were popular in the 90s.

Your Pou character has four 'needs' that need to be met and sustained all the time: Food, Health, Fun and Energy. The level of each of these is represented by an indicator at the top of the screen. You can feed your Pou by dragging and dropping food into its mouth, clean it by rubbing virtual soap on it, and put it to sleep when it gets tired by turning off the light.

The most enjoyable element of Pou is the games section, where playing the games also serves to fill up Pou's Fun meter. There are seven different mini games in here, including a match-three game, dropping food, free fall and a musical Simon remake.

Scoring in the games is rewarded with coins, which you can use to purchase extra items for your Pou (food, clothing, objects, etc.) If you want to fast-track your way to the goodies then you can buy extra coins.

As with any real life pet, the novelty of playing with Pou wears off after a while but this Android game is adorable while it lasts.

YouTube 3.0.0.2 - app

The YouTube app is currently unavailable from the Windows Marketplace, although it could be updated and return again soon. In the meantime, if you're looking for an alternative YouTube client for your Windows try Metrotube or YouTube Pro.

After a lot of time, YouTube on Windows Phone finally moves past the simple link to the mobile version of YouTube and into a fully functional app.

Download viewed videos

The new update allows you to interact with YouTube just like the browser version. You can search for videos, browse channels, create playlists, and manage your profile.

A big difference is that YouTube for Windows Phone now allows you to download videos to your device to watch later. Another update is that the app includes the ability to anchor videos, playlists, and channels to Live Tiles.

Easy Navigation

The app is now finally integrated into the Windows Phone operating system as an app rather than a link to the mobile site.

Excellent Design

With the update, YouTube is now designed for Windows Phone rather than around it. The integration of the Modern UI that Windows Phone uses makes YouTube look like a native app.

Now a must-have app

After a poor initial launch, YouTube for Windows Phone can now be considered as useful as the other versions on other mobile operating systems. It is streamlined and contains all the important video content that you want to watch.

Temple Run 1.5.2.0 - app

Temple Run has been tested by Softonic, but it still doesn't have a review in English.

Facebook Beta 5.0.2.3 - app

Facebook Beta is an early version of Microsoft's next Facebook app for Windows Phone. The app is free to download and use and can be run side-by-side with the existing Facebook for Windows Phone app.

What can you do with Facebook Beta?

Although it's not a final release, Facebook Beta packs in a lot of features that allow you to post to Facebook, chat, and follow what your friends are posting.

Just like the original Facebook client for Windows Phone, you can post status updates, access messages, check your news feed, upload photos, access events, view notifications and more.

Facebook Beta includes some features that set it apart from the official iOS and Android versions of the service. For instance, you can customize your lock screen with photos pulled from your Facebook albums, get toast notifications to alert you of Facebook activity even when the app isn't running (though this feature didn't always seem to work in our tests), and see live tile updates.

Other neat features of Facebook Beta that are not present in the standard client are the ability to pin pages/groups to your start screen and (finally!) the ability to share stories from friends.

The chat and messaging features of Facebook Beta are still not as advanced as they are in the iOS and Android versions. Disappointingly, you can't attach voice or photos into messages or see photos that have been uploaded to group chats.

How does Facebook Beta handle?

Facebook Beta is a little easier to get around than the existing Facebook app for Windows Phone. The user interface is much more common to the iOS and Android versions so if you're familiar with those you'll be able to pick up and start using Facebook Beta without too much bother.

The options menu and chat windows pop out from either side of the screen so you don't have to swipe across and go hunting for the option or contact you want.

How does it look?

Facebook Beta looks a lot more modern and stylish than the standard version. Although it appears more like other mobile versions of the Facebook app, it retains the 'flat' feel of the Windows Phone UI, making it easy on the eye.

The app seems much faster to load than the previous version, and you seemingly are no longer confronted with that awful 'resuming' screen when restarting the Facebook Beta app.

Although performance seems OK, Facebook Beta is still in development stage so of course you'll notice some strange behavior (patchy toast notifications and live tile updating are examples).

The verdict

Overall, Facebook Beta seems like an improvement on Microsoft's previous Facebook app for Windows Phone. The design is easier on the eye, and the new features are genuinely useful.

If Microsoft can iron out some of the performance and stability issues, this could one day become the best Facebook app for mobile.


Download Facebook Beta 5.0.2.3

War in the Sand 1.0.10 - app

3D Graphics that will take you to the battlefield, where you use different sand towers to defeat the enemy, each with special abilities. Play the story mode, can you defeat the evil that wants to steal land from your father? Play mode invasion, fights for every beach area to conquer all. Battlewith your friends in two player mode and shows who is the better

Battlewith your friends in two player mode and shows who is the better

3D scenes and gameplay easy and addictive. Story mode in which the hero's life really the game, where you must liberate a people. Invasion Mode: a fast and fun to find a beach conquer all, winning every confrontation territories

hardcore gamers, gamers, and people who want to enjoy a good time The strategies can lead anyone, from beginner to pro player

WhatsApp 2.10.523.0 - app

WhatsApp allows you to send free text messages over the internet, saving you the cost of sending SMS.

You can use WhatsApp to send messages over WiFi or 3G to anyone else with the app installed on their phone. The software works across mobile operating systems (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Nokia) so it will function with contacts who have other versions of WhatsApp installed.

Once set up, WhatsApp is pretty easy to use. Just type and hit Send to post the message. WhatsApp gives you a number of other handy options aside from just sending text. You can attach a picture (taken from your camera or stored on your device), audio, and video. There's also an option to email your chat history.

The Windows Phone version of WhatsApp is a bit more basic than it is on other mobile operating systems. For example, it doesn't save conversation histories and notifications don't work well.

Remember that WhatsApp only works if both people in the conversation have the app installed.

Overall though, WhatsApp makes for a handy way to chat for free on your Windows Phone device.


Download WhatsApp 2.10.523.0

Ragdoll Run 1.0.0.4 - app

Ragdoll Run is an entirely excellent game for Windows Phone.

When Little Big Planet meets Temple Run

At the most basic level, Ragdoll Run is an endless running game like Temple Run or Canabalt. The aim is simple - run as far as you can while avoiding obstacles and collecting coins. What helps it differentiate itself from other endless running games is that it is much, much cuter!

2 main movements

You really only need to know how to do 2 things to play Ragdoll Run - drag your finger up to jump and turn the platform you're on by dragging down. As you run, you gather speed, and after a while you'll begin to find items that can help you either speed up or slow down time. You'll also be able to share your results with other players and take part in weekly challenges.

Absolutely adorable

Ragdoll Run is one of those games that you're going to fall completely, thoroughly and absolutely in love with. The main characters are, as you might have guessed, ragdolls, and the diagonal-perspective scenery flows beautifully. Unfortunately we can't say the same for the music - it's ok, but it gets boring quickly.

You'll be loathe to ever uninstall it!

Ragdoll Run is one of those games that you'll always hold off on uninstalling, as it's just so lovely and provides you with immediate, uncomplicated entertainment. It's easy to jump into for a few minute's entertainment and it looks beautiful - double win!


Download Ragdoll Run 1.0.0.4

Fresh Paint 1.0.1399.1 - app

Fresh Paint is a painting app for Windows Phone 8 that lets you unleash your creativity on your phone.

Let your artistic juices flow

Microsoft Fresh Paint delivers a realistic painting experience on you phone, furnishing you with a number of tools to create paintings from scratch, apply filters to photos, or import pictures and paint directly onto them.

The painting tools within Fresh Paint are impressive. You can choose from two brush types and change the thickness of each. There's an eraser tool too, plus a a spatula for mixing colors together. You can pick colors from a palette and mix them yourself or use the color wheel to select a color directly.

Fresh Paint includes a camera function with filters. This feature lets you apply one of three artistic effects as you take a picture. You can apply these filters to existing photos on your phone as well. Hopefully more photo effects will be added by Microsoft in future updates of Fresh Paint.

Once you've finished your creation you can share it quickly with Fresh Paint, via text message, email or SkyDrive. 

Putting brush to paper

The painting interface of Fresh Paint is great. Although it takes a while to get used to how it works (there are no in-app instructions), it's great fun to use once you get the hang of it.

You start by mixing your colors and choosing your brush type, using a scrap of paper to preview it: slide your finger across the brush thickness bar at the top and you'll be able to change the thickness of the brush; tap on a color from the palette and it will add that to the brush. This preparation method is fun and replicates that of a real life palette and brush.

Painting itself is easy (at least in theory!) and involves just dragging your finger over the canvas. Fresh Paint doesn't support hardware brush styluses, so you can't do things like changing paint flow by applying more pressure.

Picture perfect design

The finished results you can create with Fresh Paint can be very impressive, largely thanks to the realistic way in which the app reproduces oil paint effects. Once you've finished painting, you can dry the canvas to set the paint which, again, adds realism to the app.

The verdict

If you're a creative person or you just want to add a bit of interest to your photos, Fresh Paint makes for a fun and enjoyable solution.

Skype 2.8.0.84 - app

With Skype for Windows Phone you can chat via voice, video or text message with other Skype users.

The function of the app is the same as other versions, but the interface follows the Windows Phone 7.5 look. Once you sign in, your Skype contacts are displayed as a list and you can swipe to see different lists. Skype’s contact list integration is the same as the contacts list so the default settings are easily deciphered.

Calls in Skype for Windows Phone can be made over 3G and Wi-Fi. If you have Skype Credit, you can call landlines and mobile phones like the other versions. There are not any new features in this version and it has the same options as other devices.

Skype is very easy to use, though it's not the most polished VoIP app around. Video quality isn't amazing, and the app has a tendency to drain battery.

Skype is a VoIP app for Windows Phone that is a must-have if you're a regular user of the service.


Download Skype 2.8.0.84

UC Browser 8.9.0.277 (Symbian ^3) - app

UC Browser is a workable internet browser for Symbian.

Features

With browsing sites online, one of the biggest concerns is the time it takes for pages to load. UC Browser works well in quickly processing sites for quick viewing, and it actually is not the software that makes viewing a problem, it is the hardware.

Usability

UC Browser can easily reformat sites to fit the screen on various Symbian devices, but the problem is that most sites cannot easily be viewed in portrait mode and most sites have to be read in landscape view.

Supporting tabbed browsing, UC Browser is a workable browser. It is not the most full functioned browser released, but if reading text is the goal, then UC Browser is the best browser to use. It does not work well with a site including a lot of multimedia as that slows page loading down noticeably.

Simplicity is the most important trait of UC Browser. The main screen contains a simplistic layout with customizable quick tabs. Website will display differently from their desktop versions, so do not be surprised with the large visual difference in the browser.

Conclusion

UC Browser is a easy to use web browser that functions with a text friendly interface.


WhatsApp Messenger 2.10.163 - app

WhatsApp Messenger has been tested by Softonic, but it still doesn't have a review in English.


Download WhatsApp Messenger 2.10.163

Viber 2.1.511 - app

Viber allows you to communicate with your contacts via text message, without incurring SMS charges.

The function of Viber allows you to use your real phone number to communicate with other Viber users. Viber scans your phone book and adds contacts that use the service to your lists allowing you to chat with them outside of your normal network.

While other versions of the app allow for phone calls, Viber on Symbian only supports messaging and picture sharing. There's also a feature that allows you share your location through the app based on your GPS positioning.

Viber for Symbian supports group chat, allowing you to exchange text messages with up to 15 people at the same time.

Although it lacks voice calling support, Viber for S40 makes a cheaper alternative to using SMS and MMS on your phone.

Phineas and Ferb Game - app

Phineas and Ferb Game is a platform and logic puzzle game.

Like an episode of the cartoon, Phineas and Ferb Game creates a robot that short circuits and kidnaps their sibling Candace. The pair decides that they have to rescue their sister from impending doom. The game exists as a separate episode of the series, but one that you can play along with.

Phineas and Ferb Game combines controlling the duo while they move through levels, mixing platforming with puzzles that need to be solved. Phineas and Ferb Game's controls use arrow keys and an action button. This simple layout allows children little trouble to start playing.

The visuals of Phineas and Ferb Game are impressive because they look very similar to the cartoon. The backgrounds of the game are detailed as well. The style of the cartoon translates very well to the Symbian platform.

Phineas and Ferb Game is a great adventure game for kids.

WordPress BlackBerry 10 2.3.1 - app

WordPress for BlackBerry allows you to keep your blog updated while you're on the move, via your phone.

The neat user interface in WordPress for BlackBerry makes it very easy to access and manage your blog. The tidy main menu gives you quick access to all of your posts, pages and comments, as well as a section for tracking your blog's stats (providing you have the Wordpress plug-in installed).

Editing posts with WordPress for BlackBerry is a very comfortable experience. You can quickly enter titles, categorize, add tags, and add your location. There's also a tool for uploading media, which allows you to grab images from your camera or SD card, upload audio and even add video (again, you'll need the right plug-in for this).

Beneath the post editing window in WordPress for BlackBerry are a few shortcut buttons for common HTML tags, such as bold, italic, insert link and list. One of the major drawbacks of WordPress for BlackBerry is its lack of visual editing tools, making it difficult to work with images in your posts. Unless you know HTML you'll likely end up having to format the images in a desktop browser before they can be published.

You should note too that WordPress for BlackBerry doesn't allow you to edit themes, and it doesn't support any plug-ins you might have installed for your blog.

Overall, WordPress for BlackBerry provides a very effective tool for editing your blog while you're out and about.


Download WordPress BlackBerry 10 2.3.1

WordPress for BlackBerry 1.6.5 - app

WordPress for BlackBerry allows you to keep your blog updated while you're on the move, via your phone.

The neat user interface in WordPress for BlackBerry makes it very easy to access and manage your blog. The tidy main menu gives you quick access to all of your posts, pages and comments, as well as a section for tracking your blog's stats (providing you have the Wordpress plug-in installed).

Editing posts with WordPress for BlackBerry is a very comfortable experience. You can quickly enter titles, categorize, add tags, and add your location. There's also a tool for uploading media, which allows you to grab images from your camera or SD card, upload audio and even add video (again, you'll need the right plug-in for this).

Beneath the post editing window in WordPress for BlackBerry are a few shortcut buttons for common HTML tags, such as bold, italic, insert link and list. One of the major drawbacks of WordPress for BlackBerry is its lack of visual editing tools, making it difficult to work with images in your posts. Unless you know HTML you'll likely end up having to format the images in a desktop browser before they can be published.

You should note too that WordPress for BlackBerry doesn't allow you to edit themes, and it doesn't support any plug-ins you might have installed for your blog.

Overall, WordPress for BlackBerry provides a very effective tool for editing your blog while you're out and about.


Download WordPress for BlackBerry 1.6.5

Cute Hoppie Theme 3.0 - app

Cute Hoppie Theme is a new skin for your BlackBerry that introduces a cute little green monster to your device.

The character immortalized in Cute Hoppie Theme is called Baby Hoppie and, once the theme is installed, he'll pop up across your BlackBerry phone in the form of different backgrounds. Hoppie is always doing something different and his funny pose depends on which menu screen you're on. The hand-drawn icons are fun too, although some may find the whole Cute Hoppie Theme a bit childish.


Download Cute Hoppie Theme 3.0

Sunday 29 September 2013

Player For YouTube 1.3.15 - app

Player For YouTube has been tested by Softonic, but it still doesn't have a review in English.


Download Player For YouTube 1.3.15

Player For Youtube - Play Youtube Videos 5.1 - app

Viewer for YouTube is a lightweight app that lets you enjoy videos from YouTube in a quick and easy way.

The Viewer for YouTube for YouTube interface is divided into handy blocks: Featured, Top rated, Most viewed and Top favorites. This means you can be quickly exploring great videos simply by clicking on one of these options.

There's also a useful 'Watch later' button in Viewer for YouTube, which allows you to mark a video you like the look of for later viewing, without you having to watch it at the time.

Viewer for YouTube is neat an compact, and makes for a more streamlined alternative to the mobile version of YouTube. However, it lacks any kind of configuration options, so it's functionality is limited by this.

Overall, Viewer for YouTube makes a quick and easy way to watch YouTube on your BlackBerry.

Photo Studio 1.2.5.1 - app

Photo Studio is a free photo editor for BlackBerry phones. It allows you to correct and adjust images, and apply effects to them while you're on the move.

You can use Photo Studio to edit photos that you take with the camera or that are stored on your BlackBerry already. Once you've loaded the image into Photo Studio it's very easy to work with. The current image is displayed on screen, with a toolbar underneath where you'll find all of Photo Studio's tools.

Among the settings you can tweak in Photo Studio are color, brightness, contrast, hue and saturation. Tweaking is generally done just by moving a slider left or right to adjust the levels. There are also tools for resizing, rotating, and cropping photos, plus a red eye remover.

Users will likely be impressed by the large range of image effects to choose from in Photo Studio, as well as all the different frames you can apply to your photos through the app. It would've been nice to have the ability to add text to images too, but hopefully this will be added to Photo Studio in a future release.

When you're done editing an image in Photo Studio you can either apply the changes you've made to the original image, or save it separately as a screen dimensions image to your memory card.

All in all, Photo Studio is great for making tweaks and corrections to photos you take on your phone.

Viber 3.0 - app

Viber on BlackBerry is a messaging service with upcoming updates to allow for calls made over 3G and Wi-Fi.

The function of Viber allows you to use your real phone number to communicate with other Viber users. Viber scans your phone book and adds contacts that use the service to your lists allowing you to chat with them outside of your normal network.

While other versions of the app allow for phone calls, Viber on BlackBerry only supports messaging and picture sharing. As a communication tool, Viber is best when used as a phone calling app with the texting part of the app being useful, but not as useful as other more dedicated apps.

When Viber updates with call support, it will be much more beneficial to users.

Viber is a good communication app that lets you use your actual phone number
.


Download Viber 3.0

WhatsApp Messenger 2.10.9689.1 - app

WhatsApp Messenger allows you to send free text messages over the internet, saving you the cost of sending SMS.

What does WhatsApp do?

You can use WhatsApp Messenger to send messages over WiFi or 3G to anyone else with the app installed on their phone. The software works across mobile operating systems (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc.) so it will function with contacts who have other versions of WhatsApp Messenger installed.

WhatsApp Messenger gives you a number of other handy options aside from just sending text. You can attach a picture (taken from your camera or stored on your device), voice note, video, contact, and even your location. There's also an option to email your chat history.

WhatsApp Messenger has been optimized for BlackBerry 10 users, offering instant push notifications even when your screen is locked! It also scans contacts automatically so you have a list of exactly who you can contact through WhatsApp.

Is WhatsApp easy to use?

The setup procedure for WhatsApp Messenger is a bit fiddly and it can take a few minutes to get it up and running. Once set up, though, it's pretty easy to use. The chat window displays the history of the conversation in linear form. Just type and hit Send to post the message.

Yes, there is a catch!

The drawback with WhatsApp Messenger is that it only works if both people in the conversation have the app installed.

Overall though, WhatsApp Messenger makes for a handy way to chat for free on your BlackBerry.


Download WhatsApp Messenger 2.10.9689.1

Bloglovin' 2.06 - app

In the fallout from the closure of Google Reader, another contender has appeared on the scene. Bloglovin’ is slick, well-designed and a serious rival to apps like Feedly and AOL Reader, and their app for Android is definitely worth a look.

So many blogs, so little control!

The Bloglovin’ Android app is divided into Browse and Following, in other words, blogs you might be interested in, and the ones you already follow.

Under Browse, Bloglovin’ gives you access to all your unread posts, as well as other posts and blogs that are popular or are well-liked. You can filter these blogs and posts by subject area or geographical location. It's a good way to find new content and interesting things to read.

Below, you have Following, or access to all the blogs you already read. They are listed A - Z, with the unread total to the side. You can perform some basic editing here, namely the ability to delete blogs and a mark all posts from a blog as read, but that's about it.Once in a post, you can also favorite it, or share it.

If you have very few blogs added, or you spend a lot of time on the web version of Bloglovin’, this is probably ok, but the lack of features like the ability to manage folders, or use more specific criteria to mark blogs as read means this app can't really be used as a substitute for the web version.

Disappointingly, the search function (a much-desired feature among Reader refugees) only allows you to search for new blogs, and doesn't allow you to search within your feeds.

Some features a little hard to find

Bloglovin’ is well-designed and easy to use, but remember access more features, like Like and Visit blog, via the menus in the top right corner.

Doesn't stand up to iPhone comparisons

Maybe it was a mistake reviewing the Android app after the iPhone version of Bloglovin', but we were were really disappointed. Although it works perfectly, it doesn't look great. The interface is blocky and clunky, while the menus look cheap. This doesn't impact the functioning of Bloglovin' any, but it is disappointing, especially if you have a chance to compare it to the iPhone version.

More control!

Bloglovin’ is one of those apps that we really wanted to like, but ultimately, we couldn't overlook some glaring deficiencies. For many, lack of feed search is a deal-breaker, while the way that all your feeds are grouped, without folders or categorization, make things very messy for users with multiple feeds.

In short, it's a nice app, but doesn't have the control blog power readers (or even just enthusiastic users!) need. A few more organization criteria, and a nicer interface, and we'd give it a solid 9.

Runtastic Pro 3.6.5 - app

Runtastic Pro has been tested by Softonic, but it still doesn't have a review in English.

F1 2013 Timing App Premium 5.003 - app

The official F1 2013 Timing App provides coverage of all three practice seasons, qualifying and the race with the user able to track each driver's lap times and position on the circuit via the app's 3D map. You can follow the position of every driver on the track simultaneously so you'll know exactly where they are during the race.


Download F1 2013 Timing App Premium 5.003

Google Play Books 2.8.69 - app

Google Play Books is a Google Play-connected e-book reader.

The app is an easy to use e-book reader that supports epub and pdf formats. You can purchase books from the Google Play Store and they are stored in Google's cloud storage. Books can be downloaded to individual devices so you do not require a persistent data connection.

Google Play Books' disadvantage is that you cannot drag-and-drop epub or pdf files to read in Google Play Books. It only reads content from the Google Play Store.

Otherwise, Google Play Books is a great e-book reader that responds quickly and loads content with ease. The interface shows all the books you currently own, and it is easy to switch between different books. The amount of books available on Google Play is enough to keep you busy, but you may have trouble finding older titles.

Google Play Books is a great reader on Android.


Download Google Play Books 2.8.69

gReader 3.3.5 - app

gReader is a powerful, multi-function news reader. If you're looking for an alternative to Google Reader, it could be what you need.

Although designed with Google Reader in mind, you can use gReader with other RSS services, such as Feedly and The Old Reader. Among the most interesting features of the app are offline reading and podcast support.

You'll also be able to share your stories on social networks and save interesting content to services like Pocket and Instapaper. Most importantly, gReader has full search functionality!


Download gReader 3.3.5

DashClock Widget 1.1 - app

DashClock Widget is a simple widget that you can place on your home or lock screen that displays useful information.

While Android Jellybean supports lock screen widgets the included widgets aren't very good. DashClock Widget is actually useful in that it will present important information like the weather, emails, missed calls, and text messages.

Users can add DashClock Widget to the lock or home screen for quick access to information. Tapping on a section will open its respective application. There are settings to add multiple email accounts and changing temperatures from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

DashClock Widget is simple to configure and looks great. You can even modify its appearance, though there are only a few options to change type faces and text layout. It'd be nice to see a few more options for configurations.

DashClock Widget blends beauty with usability. If you're sick of your spartan lock or home screen give it a try.

Google Calendar 201305280 - app

Google Calendar is a cloud-synced calendar app that was originally only part of Android 4.0 stock Ice Cream Sandwich but now is a stand-alone app.

The app syncs with your Google account displaying events and appointments that are stored online. You can also create new events and invite people directly from the app. The default layout for Google Calendar is a weekly view, but it also supports other views like a monthly or agenda.

The monthly view doesn't show as much information and separates different events by colors attached to the accounts that are loaded into Google Calendar.The best part of Google Calendar is how quickly it will sync across your account so an event created on the app will show up in your browser Google Calendar.

You can add multiple accounts easily Google Calendar will automatically read for stored accounts when it loads. Other third party apps only allow you to view saved appointments without being able to edit them, but Google Calendar is a perfect organizer for Android users.

Google Calendar is a must-have app for people with multiple schedules.


Download Google Calendar 201305280

Google Analytics 2.0 - app

Google Analytics is a productivity app that connects to your Analytics account.

The app allows you to create reports for different statistics that are also available on Google Analytics website. In addition to the ability to create reports, you can also see an estimated real-time report of how many users are on a site at a given moment.

Google Analytics is a little difficult to understand in its app form because of the large amounts of information that is available. You can customize the reports based on length of time or other variables. It is a great app if you need to monitor your site's statistics constantly.

If you are a Google Analytics power user, then the app is an excellent tool that you can use. For most people, it may be a little too complicated to understand some of the reports and options that Google Analytics offers.

Google Analytics is a great app for users who know how it works.

Trello 1.3.36 - app

Trello is an Android productivity app that will keep you connected with your colleagues. This Android version of Trello shares many of the features of its web app counterpart. With the use of lists and cards you can inform others of your work ideas and plans. Trello easily lets you update information on your Android, or communicate with people on computers and other smartphones.

Features

After creating or logging into your Trello account you will first need to select a board. You may create your own Trello board and invite others to collaborate or join a colleague’s board. Once on a board you will be able to make lists to categorize your plans, goals, and actives. Within a list you can add cards for specific tasks. Cards are the most detailed part of Trello. Here you will be able to add notes, tags, due dates, attachments, and assign members. When a card is updated the assigned members will receive notification e-mails.

You can also inform others of your Trello activity by sharing across social media and web services. By default the Android version allows sharing across gmail, Google+, and text messaging. Trello will also scan for social media apps installed on your Android and allows sharing to them. When a task card is completed it can be saved into a Trello archive. If your assignment is canceled it can also be deleted to remove clutter.

Usability

Trello on Android uses an interface similar to the web app version. You can scroll across lists with swipes, move cards by holding and dragging, and edit cards with simple taps. Within a card there are many dropdown menus to add comments, change due dates, and vote. Unique to the Android version of Trello is a separate menu to add members, attachments, and labels.

At the top of the app are quick buttons to check board activity, view members, and share your cards. If you’re new to Trello, the app also provides guides and help menus to get you started. One lacking feature on Android is that there is no convenient button to access your archive. Instead you will need to fumble through various menus.

Quality

Trello’s visual design is a mashup of the web app and Google standards. Trello on Android uses the same blue and white color scheme found on its web counterpart, along with text, borders, and menus matching Google designs. Trello does not have any obvious bugs, functionality issues, or slow downs. When a card or list is changed on Trello for Android it will also quickly update across all your devices.

Conclusion

Trello is a great means of staying connected with coworkers and collaborators. The Android version functions similar to other versions, making a smooth transition for Trello users. Even if you’re new to Trello, the app includes plenty of help to get you ready.

Evernote 5.1 - app

Evernote is a free note-taking app designed to help you organize your life more effectively.

The idea behind Evernote is that you can save text, voice notes, images and other files using your phone, then access this information on your home computer or, indeed, any computer in the world. Equally, thanks to this online sharing approach, you can use the Evernote app to view notes you've made elsewhere.

Everything about Evernote is based around simplicity. The user interface of the app is clean and functional, making it easy for you to add and retrieve notes. Buttons on the home screen allow you to capture images and attach them on the fly, upload files, write text notes, and add audio notes.

Tagging and searching

Any note you add in Evernote can be tagged with your own custom tags, making it easier to access in future. The Evernote Android app lets you browse notes by tag, or you can use the powerful search tool, which not only browses text notes, but can even search text that's contained within images.

As useful as it is, the Evernote Android app is far from perfect at the moment. It doesn't save data locally, only to SD card; you always need to be connected and signed in to use it, and sometimes Evernote is very slow, taking an age to load notes. Hopefully these features will be addressed in future releases.

As it stands, Evernote does offer a fast and easy way of taking notes on your phone, then accessing them elsewhere.


Download Evernote 5.1

LinkedIn 3.0.0 - app

LinkedIn has become one of the standards for business connections and LinkedIn on Android is another great extension.

Paralleling the original browser-based website, LinkedIn is a simplified version that has all the same features, but with an app-centric focus.

Containing all the same sections, LinkedIn does a great job of supplying all the same content that is hosted online for easy access. Each section is displayed favoring the scrolling of the screen. LinkedIn also adds a news feed that users can subscribe to, showing different news from sites by category.

The focused nature of LinkedIn gives it strength because it focuses on the information users are looking for. From searching through connections to invitations, LinkedIn is still a great tool for professionals to use and connect with.

LinkedIn only has one real weakness and that is a lack of a settings option. Since LinkedIn models itself as a mobile version of the website, there are no function changes that need to be made, but as always visual changes are always welcome.

LinkedIn is an app that professionals should have. It is straightforward and built with simplicity in mind.

My Wallets 1.5 - app

If you want to control your expenses and income, and always know how much was spent and received in the past day, week, month or year, this program will be a good helper to you. You can find out how much you spend money every day. You can create a variety of wallets and cards to control the balance of cash, balance on credit card in a safe or in the bank. You can create groups and sub-groups that can help you find out which area is the largest nursing or parish funds. Also, you can view a variety of graphic statements of your savings.

- Keeping purses adding icons. - Managing groups, sub-groups, etc. With the addition of icons. - Keeping parishes and loss bound to wallets and groups. - Conducting money transfers between wallets. - View the report daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. - View the schedule of change of day, week, month and year. - View the report on expenses and incomes with a grouping for a selected period. - View the report on expenses and incomes with a partition on the wallets for the selected period. - View a pie chart of expenses and incomes with grouping for a selected period. - View the total expenses of the parish and loss for the chosen period. - Import and export database to a file. - Set a password for entry the program. - And etc...

Real user comments: - More simple and easy application. - Nice apps. Easy to use - Great app. Handy tool thanks - Very good. I like it - Good so far. I think it's a very good app. Very easy to use and get to know. No complaints so far. - Very easy. Really easy to use. There aren't any complications to get crazy about on this app. - Very good I have been searching for simple app to track my expenses. I found this app it's really simple but works fine. And etc...

This application will be an assistant for all users. Just as most suitable for people who do not know what happens to their money savings.


Download My Wallets 1.5

Astrid Tasks 4.6.3 - app

A to-do app is a must on any Android phone, allowing you to get the most out of your smartphone by planning your tasks effectively. Try Astrid Tasks for size.

Astrid Tasks is intuitive and compact, but doesn’t skimp on flexibility or options. There’s a homescreen widget, quick add function, alarms, reminders, a back-up function, tags and even a timer. Despite these multiple functions, Astrid Tasks couldn’t be simpler to use.

To set a new task with Astrid Tasks, either hit the + button on the widget or open the app and type it into the box at the bottom of the screen. Once it’s in, you can toggle lots of options â€" whether it repeats, the importance level and what other apps you want to sync it with being just some. When you are done, hit the tick box and the finished task will disappear.

Managing your tasks is also really easy with Astrid Tasks. You can set the app to hide or display certain categories of task, either temporarily or forever, as well as backing everything up so you don’t lose your to-do lists in times of crisis. It’s a great little app and if you’ve been looking for a task manager, Astrid Tasks should top of your list.

Astrid Tasks is small, but powerful. If you want a task manager, it’s definitely one to consider.


Download Astrid Tasks 4.6.3

Skyfire 5.0 - app

Skyfire, the audio and video-friendly browser for Android, has reached version 4, consolidating its position as a viable alternative many other browsers for Android.

Skyfire’s major selling point is undoubtedly its built-in support for video and high level of social media integration. It’s also fast, with easily-navigable history, downloads and bookmarks, and excellent settings designed to get the most out of your media-rich browsing.

Audio and Video

Skyfire focuses on video, especially Flash, which traditionally has a hard time on mobile devices. Unfortunately, the app lags behind in other formats, as it doesn’t currently support Windows Media, Silverlight or QuickTime. Even so, it has an in-built video player that grabs your video from the original site and plays it in a really user-friendly interface.

Easy Access

This app scores well on instant-access and multi-service social media integration. Skyfire’s bottom bar gives you access to a variety of sharing services, most notably Facebook, but also some other, interesting options, such as Fireplace (a Facebook personalization feature), Google Reader, various sharing options and an Ideas feature, although it's not 100% clear how this works. What's more, Skyfire allows you to both remove, re-order and edit these quick accesses.

All in all, Skyfire is an interesting browsing experience. It’s easy to use, fast, has good options and focuses on two of the most important features for mobile browsers today â€" social media and entertainment. Skyfire has bunches of options that should help you tailor the app precisely to your needs, and we were real fans of the ability to easily toggle between as the desktop or mobile version of webpages - as well as the extensive security options.

Skyfire is an excellent mobile browser, and has really come into its own in this latest version.

Yahoo! 1.0.1 - app

Yahoo! for Android is a news browser app that provides news and connects to the larger Yahoo! network. This release on Android coincides with an updated version on iPhone, both of which use Summly technology. The main feature of Yahoo! for Android is short news summaries.

This news feed can be personalized further by toggling on and off related topics found at the end of articles. There is also plenty of social integration such as importing your Facebook likes into favored news topics or sharing stories using Gmail. Both of these do require signing in to a Yahoo! ID, though. Lastly, you can use the app to search the web or browse for videos from YouTube and other sites.

What it does

The main feature of the mobile app is the Yahoo! News feed. The feed can include stories from sources such as Reuters, Access Hollywood, ABC, Healthy Living, and more. Each story includes the title, source, a link to read more, and a drop down menu to dislike or share (via Gmail, Facebook, or Bluetooth services). The dislike option will allow you dislike topics or remove stories from your feed. Many stories also include a summary provided by Yahoo! and a related image from the article. In some cases a stock image is provided, which can be confusing when it has nothing to do with the headline.

Tapping on the "Read more" option will take you to the full article. This often includes an image or video at the top, the news source, and when the story was posted. In the upper right-hand corner is a button to quickly share stories. By default Facebook and Gmail are options, but the app will search for other installed apps such as Google Drive or Google+. Related topics show up at the bottom of the article. If you’re using a Yahoo ID, you can either add topics as favorites or remove them from your feed.

A slight annoyance is that if you scroll too far down, you will be taken to the next related story without a way to quickly return to the previous story. Thankfully the page will snap slowly during this, allowing you to easily cancel the motion.

Customize your experience

The mobile Yahoo! app has many great options for customization. You can disable the visual story feed if you become tired of it. This will cause stories to appear in a simple list with just the headline, source, and possibly an icon sized image. If you don’t want to see every story you can select a specific section of articles ranging from business, politics, technology, and many others. The most impressive feature is personalizing your news feed. In the topics preferences menu you can change which topics you’ve already picked as “My topics” or add them to “Removed topics”.Lastly, you can sync your Facebook likes and interests which imports them into your topic lists. This feature is very convenient and will allow faster customization than having to choose individual topics.

Search and apps

Being a Yahoo! product, there is an option to search the web, naturally. You can browse websites, images, or videos from sites such as YouTube or Mevio. These searches open each page inside the Yahoo! app instead of transferring to another browser or app. Quality and load times of sites are generally fast, though it depends on your connection.

It would actually be convenient if the Yahoo! app detected other apps installed during your search and prompted switching to them. However, there is an extensive apps menu which lets you download Yahoo! related apps, such as Flickr or Yahoo! Messenger, from the Play Store and open them once installed.

Conclusion

The Yahoo! for Android app has a great set of customizable features. If you’re displeased with the visual summaries you can quickly turn them off while still retaining core information. If you really don’t care for the featured news stories, the ability to easily import Facebook likes and interests will make a truly personal news feed. Better yet, your favorite stories can easily be shared across social networks or other apps.

Despite some minor interface issues, the app offers an excellent way to check the latest news.

Chrome Beta 29.0.1547.23 - app

Chrome Beta is a test version of the Chrome browser for Android.

Chrome Beta requires Android 4.0 and higher just like the official app. The app allows Google to test features and updates before they are pushed to the stable Chrome browser. Chrome Beta is slightly unstable and has bugs because of the experimental updates that are being tested.

Features

The newest features in Chrome Beta updates with saved passwords and autofill entries taken from your synced desktop browser. This update also includes "an experimental data compression feature" for bandwidth savings.

Quality

While you should be able to browse normally, Chrome Beta is not meant for normal use. When Google announces a new feature in Chrome Beta, you will be able to test it and help Google develop features in its official browser.

What's new

Our latest release contains stability and performance fixes. More information can be found on the Chrome Releases blog at http://goo.gl/CCPRW

Installation

Clicking the download button will take you to the Google Play Store, where you can download this app.

This app cannot be found through search on Google Play

Difference between versions

Chrome Beta is not a finished app, expect bugs and possible crashes.


Download Chrome Beta 29.0.1547.23

Twitter 4.1.3 - app

Twitter, the official Android app for the service, has moved into version 3, presenting some pretty major interface changes.

Probably the biggest change to Twitter for Android is the appearance. It's really grown up, losing the multi-access homepage and launching instead straight into your timeline. It looks more sophisticated too, with a streamlined user interface while still using the recognizable blue header and black and white layout.

As far as Twitter for Android goes in terms of features, it parallels the online site, but sticks to the basics. The standard areas exist like the main timeline, @mentions, and your profile, but Twitter added a hashtag "#Discover" feature allowing you to browse what is trending. Tapping on a tweet now shows the @reply, retweet, favorite, or share options and lists who has performed any of the options.

Among Twitter’s nicer features is a cool tool to search your telephone contacts for Twitter users, and varied suggested users for you to add. You can also modify your profile pretty well from the app, while Twitter for Android also lets you create as many public and private lists as you want.

Twitter for Android supports multiple accounts, easily switchable from the taskbar. The configuration settings are still limited, especially in comparison to apps like Plume and Tweetcaster. Even so, if you’re a low-spec Twitter user who likes to keep things simple, the official Twitter app for Android might be right up your street.

Twitter for Android does its job very well, focusing on working like the online site.


Download Twitter 4.1.3

Opera Browser 15.0.1162.60140 - app

The Opera browser for Android is designed to help you do more online while using less data. Its minimalist user interface is easy to use and the technology behind the Opera browser makes loading pages on your phone much faster.

Opera already has two Android browsers, Opera Mobile and Opera Mini, which are exactly the same - except Mini reroutes traffic through Opera servers to compress data.

This newer Opera browser app is a completely redesigned version. While it retains many of the features of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini, the Opera browser looks more modern and adds some new features.

Features of Opera browser

Like Opera Mini, Opera browser offers a Speed Dial feature, which appears when you launch the app. Here you can place shortcuts to your favorite sites for one-click access. Unfortunately, this is the only way to save favorites in Opera browser, and you can't add bookmarks by starring pages like you can with the older Opera browsers.

Slide across to the right from the Speed Dial and you'll access the Discover section. This offers a selection of latest web content from a variety of sources. You can customize this content based on what country you're in and what subjects you're interested in (food, health, sports, technology, etc.)

One of the most important features of the Opera browser is its Off-Road mode. When this is turned on it all of the sites you visit will be compressed to make them faster to load (using the same technology as Opera Mini). This is great if you're using 2G networks or if you want to save on your data plan.

Other features of Opera browser include:

  • Tabbed browsing

  • Find in page

  • Download manager

  • Page zoom

  • Ability to save pages for offline viewing

  • Omnibar which supports search and address entry with auto-complete
  • What's it like to navigate with?

    Using the Speed Dial in Opera browser feels very much like the iOS experience. Shortcuts take the form of icons, which you can pick up and drag around. Like iOS you can create folders out of different web page links by dragging icons on top of each other.

    Accessing your browser history with the Opera browser is simpler than it is in most other Android browsers. Slide to the left from the Speed Dial on the front page and you'll see all your recently visited sites listed in a very clear way.

    The Android Opera browser allows you to bring up a context menu simply by long-clicking on an item. If it's a link it will give you options for how you want to open it, and if it's an image you'll get the option to save it to your device.

    The tabbed browsing experience in the Opera browser is slicker and easier than it is in Opera Mini and Opera Mobile. The panel is larger, meaning you can see more of each page in the preview thumbnail and swiping through the open tabs is smoother. There's a handy drop-down menu next to the tabs for opening a private tab or closing all tabs.

    High speed, low cost

    Loading pages using the Opera browser can be very quick, especially in Off Road mode. Although you shouldn't be waiting for pages to load for too long, the inclusion of a progress bar would've been nice for cases where lots of data needs to be downloaded first.

    Opera browser users the same WebKit rendering engine used by Safari on iOS and by Google Chrome. It supports web standards very well and during our tests we experienced no problems with pages not displaying properly.

    It's a shame that Opera browser doesn't support Flash, or at the very least, Flash Video. If you're a big fan of Flash content you'd be better off with a browser such as Skyfire or Puffin Browser. Check out our post about how to play Flash on Android devices for more.

    The verdict

    Opera browser is a smart, user friendly browser that can load web content quickly.

    Facebook for Android 3.4 - app

    This official Facebook app for Android allows you to post photos and status updates, and keep up with your friends' activity on the go.

    The main page in Facebook for Android gives you the option to view different parts of your network, including News feed, friends, photos, inbox, profile and friend requests.
    The bottom section of this page displays latest photos from friends in an attractive sliding viewer. Viewing latest notifications can be done simply by sliding up the bar from the bottom.

    The news feed is obviously the main section, and this can be navigated by scrolling up and down. Clicking on a story allows you to like or comment on it.
    Your wall works in the same way as it does on the Facebook site. You can also view and write messages within the app.
    The Facebook app also allows you to take and upload photos, which is a really well integrated feature - it really couldn't be done any better.
    There's even a button to instantly add it to an existing album once you've taken it. Viewing upcoming events is also a pleasant experience. Facebook for Android displays events in a vertical timeline, allowing you to see very clearly exactly what's coming up.

    The app offers a pretty stripped down Facebook experience You can't view or upload video using this app, nor use any of your Facebook applications.
    It would also be nice to have a feature to sync Facebook events to the Android calendar, like you can do in Facebook for iPhone.
    This Facebook application is promising, and so far is slick and fast moving. However, it is missing a few features to make it a full Facebook experience.


    Download Facebook for Android 3.4

    Saturday 28 September 2013

    Opera Browser Beta 15.0.1162.60015 - app

    The Opera browser for Android is designed to help you do more online while using less data. Its minimalist user interface is easy to use and the technology behind the Opera browser makes loading pages on your phone much faster.

    Opera already has two Android browsers, Opera Mobile and Opera Mini, which are exactly the same - except Mini reroutes traffic through Opera servers to compress data.

    This newer Opera browser app is a completely redesigned version. While it retains many of the features of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini, the Opera browser looks more modern and adds some new features.

    Features of Opera browser

    Like Opera Mini, Opera browser offers a Speed Dial feature, which appears when you launch the app. Here you can place shortcuts to your favorite sites for one-click access. Unfortunately, this is the only way to save favorites in Opera browser, and you can't add bookmarks by starring pages like you can with the older Opera browsers.

    Slide across to the right from the Speed Dial and you'll access the Discover section. This offers a selection of latest web content from a variety of sources. You can customize this content based on what country you're in and what subjects you're interested in (food, health, sports, technology, etc.)

    One of the most important features of the Opera browser is its Off-Road mode. When this is turned on it all of the sites you visit will be compressed to make them faster to load (using the same technology as Opera Mini). This is great if you're using 2G networks or if you want to save on your data plan.

    Other features of Opera browser include:

  • Tabbed browsing

  • Find in page

  • Download manager

  • Page zoom

  • Ability to save pages for offline viewing

  • Omnibar which supports search and address entry with auto-complete
  • What's it like to navigate with?

    Using the Speed Dial in Opera browser feels very much like the iOS experience. Shortcuts take the form of icons, which you can pick up and drag around. Like iOS you can create folders out of different web page links by dragging icons on top of each other.

    Accessing your browser history with the Opera browser is simpler than it is in most other Android browsers. Slide to the left from the Speed Dial on the front page and you'll see all your recently visited sites listed in a very clear way.

    The Android Opera browser allows you to bring up a context menu simply by long-clicking on an item. If it's a link it will give you options for how you want to open it, and if it's an image you'll get the option to save it to your device.

    The tabbed browsing experience in the Opera browser is slicker and easier than it is in Opera Mini and Opera Mobile. The panel is larger, meaning you can see more of each page in the preview thumbnail and swiping through the open tabs is smoother. There's a handy drop-down menu next to the tabs for opening a private tab or closing all tabs.

    High speed, low cost

    Loading pages using the Opera browser can be very quick, especially in Off Road mode. Although you shouldn't be waiting for pages to load for too long, the inclusion of a progress bar would've been nice for cases where lots of data needs to be downloaded first.

    Opera browser users the same WebKit rendering engine used by Safari on iOS and by Google Chrome. It supports web standards very well and during our tests we experienced no problems with pages not displaying properly.

    It's a shame that Opera browser doesn't support Flash, or at the very least, Flash Video. If you're a big fan of Flash content you'd be better off with a browser such as Skyfire or Puffin Browser. Check out our post about how to play Flash on Android devices for more.

    Summary

    Opera browser is a smart, user friendly browser that can load web content quickly. It's in beta release and is missing a few features, but we like it.


    Download Opera Browser Beta 15.0.1162.60015

    Get Pregnant 2.0 - app

    Get Pregnant is a basic fertility forecaster that aims to tell you when it's best to try for a baby. By adding your period start date and length of cycle, the app will tell you when you're likely to be fertile - and to what extent -when you can expect to ovulate, and when, if you're successful, implantation should occur. It also offers advice on how to have a boy or a girl, and a link to an early pregnancy test vendor.

    Overall, the app feels cheap and flimsy, and an app that tries to predict or influence the sex of your baby should be taken with a pinch of salt!

    My Days - Period & Ovulation 0.97 - app

    My Days - Period & Ovulation is a complete period and ovulation tracking app that helps predict your period and fertile times of the month.

    Track everything you need to know

    My Days - Period & Ovulation allows you to track everything related to your reproductive health, from predicting your period to timing (or avoiding!) your fertile times and ovulation.

    The app is basically a calendar. Once you set some basic parameters, you enter the 1st day of your last period, and the app color-codes the rest of the month, warning you when you're likely to be fertile, and showing you when your next period is due.

    You can also add extra information to the app, which is useful for family planning or just keeping tabs on your wellbeing, Press a day to add information about your basal temperature, whether or not you took the pill or had sex, or even a note with additional information.

    A very simple concept

    As My Days - Period & Ovulation is just a calendar, it's very easy to use. Press a day to add more information, and the app will figure out the predicting and planning itself.

    You can toggle settings under the preferences menu, and it's here that you'll be able to change your cycle length (if necessary), try the Pro version, set a password, change the theme and make other adjustments.

    The app lets you set a variety of alarms too, warning you when your period or ovulation is due, or reminding you to take your daily pill. It goes without saying that you can backup your information to the SD card and then save it somewhere else.

    My Days - Period & Ovulation also has two widgets available, a small one and a large one.

    A solid, well-planned app

    This app is nothing if it's not solid. All the buttons work, it's easy to find your way around, and everything is more or less where you would expect it. There are oodles of options, especially in the Pro version, and it's safe to say that this app deals with just about every situation you'll need it to. But, gosh darn, it's ugly!

    We try not to be too judgmental on looks - especially if the software does a good job - but My Days - Period & Ovulation really takes the biscuit. It looks like some 80s software parody! We tried out some of the color schemes, but they only made things worse! The widgets, unfortunately, are just as rough-looking.

    Works great, looks terrible

    My Days - Period & Ovulation is a solid, efficient fertility and ovulation app, and we can't do anything other than score it highly. Just be warned that it looks really, really dated, and that changing the color schemes or even paying for the app won't do anything to help. If you can get over its looks, however, we'd wholeheartedly recommend My Days - Period & Ovulation.

    Ovulation Calendar & Fertility 3.1.14 - app

    Ovulation Calendar & Fertility is a very simple, free Android app that aims to give you insight into the times of month you are most likely to become pregnant. By entering the 1st day of your last period, and the length of your cycle, the app makes an estimate of the best times to try to have a baby and, were you to get pregnant, when you could expect your due date to be. When Ovulation Calendar & Fertility has the timing figured out, you can add the special days to your calendar.


    Download Ovulation Calendar & Fertility 3.1.14

    Horoscope 3 - app

    Horoscope is a very lightweight utility that was created in order to provide you with a quick means of reading the astral predictions for any horoscope sign. Horoscope provides daily Horoscope, Zodiac, Numerology, Love, Wellness, and Career readings from your Android phone.

    Horoscope is simple, clean and lightweight. Horoscope is ad-free and does not have any annoying notifications. Horoscope is fast at processing requests and does not waste any extra resource from your device.

    This app is suitable for all maturity levels. Any enthusiast of astrology are welcome to use Horoscope.


    Download Horoscope 3

    Foursquare 2013.06.25 - app

    Foursquare is a location app that allows you to check into locations, compete with friends, and find places to go.

    Available for more platforms than competitor Gowalla, and having a larger community, Foursquare should be the best of the location based apps. However, when you first install it, it can be hard to see what to do with it. Once you've found or invited some friends, and checked in at a few locations, Foursquare begins to make sense.

    Foursquare allows your to post mini reviews of places you've been to, and collect badges - like achievements in video games. You can see where your friends are too, and as checking in to locations gives you points, you can see who's winning.

    Foursquare is a mix between a social game and useful tool. This type of app only works if you can get enough of your friends to use it. You can find places to go and things to do, read user recommendations and sometimes even get free gifts from places you check in.

    The interface is simple to navigate, although it's a bit dry in its design. Competing app Gowalla looks much better. Despite this, as long as Foursquare's community is larger there are more places to find, with more user tips and more incentives to become the mayor of your favorite spots. Competing with your friends can be fun, even if it might feel like you're turning your entire life into an RPG.

    As it's community grows, Foursquare is becoming a really useful service, great for finding friends and things to do wherever you are.


    Download Foursquare 2013.06.25