1. Over 200,000 free android apps direct downloads 2. Unique and original contents 3. Language and content support for 13 languages 4. Try them first directly on PC
1mobile provides a huge collection of applications and games for the most devices across all the major platforms.
The Weather Channel is one of the most popular apps in the Android Marketplace, and it's not hard to see why.
The application delivers personalized weather forecasts to your Android phone through a clean, easy-to-navigate user interface. You start by selecting a location using the 'Add a place' icon, or telling The Weather Channel to detect your current whereabouts from your device. Once added, the current conditions and temperature in that location will be shown on the main page. You can have multiple locations set on this screen, making for a quick reference to the weather in the places that matter to you.
Click on a location and The Weather Channel will pull up more detailed information and forecasts. You can get hourly, 36-hour, or 10-day forecasts, making it an excellent tool for those who need precise weather information.
There are a few other neat features in The Weather Channel, including maps that display visual indications, and video summaries and outlooks. There aren't that many settings to tweak in the program. In fact, the only thing you can really change is whether to display temperatures in Fahrenheit or Centigrade.
If you're looking for an easy and reliable weather forecast tool for Android, you'll struggle to find anything better than The Weather Channel.
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.
Windows Phone doesn't have an official Instagram app but applications such as 6tag allow you to access your account, upload photos with filters and view the images your friends and other members of the Instagram community have published.
6tag stands out for allowing most of the original Instagram functions.
For one, you can take photos and apply the popular Instagram original image filters. The same goes for videos. And you can also tag photos, add the location, etc.
After installing the application, you can log into your account or register as a new user. From then on, you'll also have an option to mark which photos you like or add comments.
Although it isn't the official application, 6tag works without problems at the moment. Navigation is easy and don't forget options such as using the front camera. It also lets you share photos on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Foursquare.
The Share, Like or comment functions are always easily accessible, as are the main options of the application.
Barring any stability problem, 6tag works pretty well. It's full of options and comes with an attractive design - basically it's a good solution for Windows Phone users looking for Instagram.
6tag is a great way to use Instagram from a Windows Phone. As long as Instagram doesn't make any problems for unofficial apps, 6tag is an excellent alternative to get into the world of Instagram.
The red "X" is used to show a Google map to the user.
The software works smoothly, it doesn't crash, has a nice interface and it is useful for people, who like nature. It even integrates Google Maps for easier orientation.
People who travel a lot, who like outdoor activities, who need a compass and a map handy all the time
Facebook Messenger is a stand-alone app that allows you to chat with your Facebook friends and send SMS and text messages to any contact on your phone.
Facebook Messenger combines friends and mobile contacts to allow for group messages, along with location-based functionality.
Since Facebook Messenger is focused on messaging, the app may seem a bit simplistic. It functions very similarly to other communication apps though, with the addition of location services. The group chat combines multiple users together and allows for messages to be collated in one window.
If you have SMS enabled, you can also use Facebook Messenger to talk with phone contacts. The application now allows you to send messages to any contact in your phone, not just your Facebook friends. Facebook contacts show up with a blue bubble and SMS messages show in green. When you are finished communicating, you just swipe the icon down and remove the notification from your screen.
Facebook Messenger supports stickers, including a decent range of default stickers, plus the opportunity to purchase new stickers through the store in order to brighten up your conversations.
The interface is simple to use is and themed in the same way as the Facebook app for Android. Facebook Messenger includes Chat Heads, which means that if someone messages you while you're doing something else on your phone, a small little circle will appear showing the face of the contact on your screen. You just tap on the contact, and it will open the conversation.
The design of the Facebook Messenger user interface is clean and tidy. The blue of the menu icons and green of the alert messages stand out clearly against the app's white background and this understated look gives greater presence to the conversations themselves.
Facebook Messenger allows you to chat with your friends easily - regardless of whether they use Facebook or not.
Instagram lets you take photos and videos with your Android device, apply a few special effects and share them with family friends on its own social network - or via other social networks.
You take your pictures, add a customized filter, and post it to Instagram’s community or through Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare or Tumblr. Through the Instagram app, you can give “likes†and give or receive comments on your pictures.
Instagram has a Facebook-style feed, in which you can view all the photos uploaded by yourself and the people who you follow on Instagram.
The latest version of Instagram for Android allows you to tag people in the photos you upload, in much the same way as you would with Facebook. This will then show up in their Instagram feed. Instagram supports geo-tagging so you can add your location and see where others took their uploaded pictures.
The best thing about Instagram are the filters included in the program. There are many to choose from (Lomo-fi, Earlybird, Lily, Apollo, Nashville, 1977...) with different color, brightness and lighting effects. If chosen wisely, you can obtain really awesome results.
Instagram also includes support for videos, allowing you to capture up-to 15 seconds of footage to share via the Instagram network. As with photos, you can choose from a range of effects to apply to your videos to get them looking great.
The Instagram app is very easy to navigate. There are icons at the bottom of the interface which represent the different features of Instagram: the photo feed, photo/user search, photo capture, news feed (recent activity on the network from you and those you follow), and profile settings. When viewing pictures on your profile you can choose to display as a list or as a series of tiles for easy navigation.
The presentation of the photos themselves in the photo feed is very clear, and likes and comments are shown underneath each picture. You can like or comment on a photo with a single click of an icon. However, it's a shame you can't open images full screen (i.e. you can only ever see them within the feed).
Applying filters and retouching your photos in Instagram is very simple. You can snap an image through the app or choose one from your phone then view live previews of what each effect will look like. Cropping and editing effects are basic but easy to apply and preview. There's also a handy image straightening feature that lets you correct pictures that were taken at a jaunty angle.
Unforunatley there's no 'Undo' feature in Instagram's editor, so if you make a mistake you have to start right back from before you started editing.
Instagram now includes a photo and video messaging feature called Instagram Direct. It allows you to capture images and video then share them with Instgram friends. You can send messages via Instagram Direct to up-to 15 of your contacts at once.
The service is very easy to use, and if you have many friends on Instagram it could be a more practical alternative to sending multimedia messages via other services like WhatsApp or Snapchat.
The Instagram app makes it easy to apply fun effects to your photos and share them with your friends. Although it requires you to sign-up to share images, the possibilities of pictures are vast.
If you want to read PDFs on your Android device, Windows favorite Adobe Reader might just be able to come to the rescue.
Adobe Reader for Android is a PDF reader that focuses on simplicity and speed. This app can't do anything amazing, but it will let you read even the largest PDF documents with ease. Crucially, it's also got a great zoom function and quick search, essential for when you are trying to track things down on an- often tiny - mobile screen.
Organizing your documents with Adobe Reader is also a pleasant experience - it automatically detects PDFs on your phone and displays them when you hit the Open button located at the top bar that appears when you touch the screen, or via Adobe Reader's menu options. Your recently read documents will appear here too. It's also in Adobe Reader's top bar that you can share the document you are reading.
Adobe Reader offers you three viewing modes -Fit to screen, Continuous Scroll and Reflow text. Which is the most comfortable depends on the type of document you're reading, but you'll be able to switch easily via the View Mode option under menu. The Adobe Reader bottom bar will change according to what mode you've chosen, allowing you to easily move between pages, or or increase or decrease the size of the font.
Adobe Reader for Android is fast, clear and well-organized - just don't expect anything too fancy.
Subway Surfers is a Temple Run-style game where you have to escape from a railway inspector angry with you for spraying graffiti over the station.
The objective of Subway Surfers is very simple. You automatically dart up the screen along the train tracks, and must avoid all the obstacles in your path, such as trains, buffers and carts.Â
Along the way you need to collect coins which can be exchanged in Subway Surfers for special items such as coin magnets, hover boards and even paint-powered jet packs. These power-ups really help to make the game more exciting, and often they are needed in order to overcome a particularly tough part of the game.
The game allows you to challenge your Facebook friends and also gives you the possibility to earn more coins for Subway Surfers by inviting friends via Facebook.
The touch controls in Subway Surfers couldn't be simpler. You can dodge by tapping left or right, jump by swiping upwards, or duck by swiping downwards. Running is done for you, so these touch controls are all you need to worry about. You can activate power-ups simply by running into them then using them to perform special feats.
Subway Surfers is a good looking endless running game. The 3D graphics are bright and colorful, and there's plenty of fun and humor in there. Sound effects and music are used to good effect too.
Subway Surfers is a fun reworking of the Temple Run format, which is addictive to play and will keep you coming back for more.
Pou is a virtual pet app for Android. Pou is a strange alien creature who you must feed, clean, and play with to raise strong and healthy.
Pou starts his life as a small blob. When you run your finger over the screen, Pou will follow it with his eyes. At the bottom of the screen you'll see your various inventory objects, and at the top, the statistics.
The first and most important thing to do is feed Pou. You simple drag food into his mouth to satisfy his hunger. You'll notice that this will improve his mood and reduce his appetite. However, at the same time it will get him dirty. To solve this problem you'll need to start visiting the rooms of the house.
House, you say? Yes, Pou lives in a house complete with kitchen, laboratory, games room, and a bedroom. In the kitchen, Pou gets his food; in the bedroom he sleeps; and the games room he plays, obviously. But what about the laboratory? Well, here is where you can clean Pou and make him better.
You can personalize Pou's appearance to suit your tastes, which requires you to buy objects from the store within the app. Some items cost more than others. You can accumulate game currency over time, but if you run out of patience you can buy stuff with real money.
After a few hours of playing, Pou will have passed its set level of development and will stop being a kid anymore. If you want to take a photo of him you can - or you can choose to send your Pou to visit your friends' Pous.
One of the reasons for the huge success of Pou is its simplicity. The creature doesn't move and his eyes follow your finger around the screen. Washing, dressing and feeding Pou is simply a matter of dragging objects onto him.
The indicators help you to not lose sight of your pet's needs, and the two slide-out menus allow you to quickly change the wallpaper of a room or change the selected object.
In the mini games within Pou the controls are just as simple: sliding rows of colored Pous, jumping platforms, or collecting falling food just requires you to slide your finger in one direction or another.
If you haven't got the time to spend with Pou 24/7 don't worry because the app will display plenty of alerts in your Android notification bar. Pou will keep asking you for food, company, or to be cleaned.
The first impression you get when you play Pou will probably be underwhelming, due to its basic colors and simple animations. It's fair to say that graphics aren't its strong point.Â
After some minutes, however, it's easy to get used to the simple, almost Nintendo-like feel of Pou. In fact, the initial ugliness actually encourages to get to work on personalizing your virtual pet.Â
In terms of sounds, Pou's "No" is becoming quite a catchphrase, and his chewing noises is catchy too. The developers searched for an endearing effect from the beginning - and they found one. Pou can repeat anything you say in a funny voice, just like you can do with apps like Talking Tom Cat.
Like it or not, the success of Pou as a virtual pet is now rivalling that of the Tamagotchi. 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.
Swype is an impressive text input app that lets you to type on your phone without lifting your finger from the on-screen keyboard. Once you have the hang of it, typing will become lightning-fast and really easy.
Before you start, there are a few things to bear in mind about Swype. This is Swype beta, which means you will have to register and follow the process detailed on the website to install. It's also software that doesn’t come from the Android Market, which means you’ll have to specifically allow your phone to install it. This doesn’t mean the software is dangerous, but it does mean that you install Swype at your own risk.
Now that we have the serious stuff out of the way, we can start on the fun part. Swype has excellent help, and the 'getting started' tutorial is highly recommended, as it will show you how to add "advanced" characters like double letters, punctuation and new words.
Once you have completed the Swype tutorial, you just need to get practicing by using the app. Obviously, you use it wherever you write on your phone â€" emails, SMS, any apps you write in â€" and once you have enabled it, it will kick in automatically.
There are extensive Swype configuration options, and it’s worth taking a look so you can change languages, enable and disable advanced settings and tweak the speed/accuracy ratio.
Swype is an excellent app that manages to combine coolness and utility. Download it now!
Quickoffice Pro is a mobile office suite that allows you to create and edit Microsoft Office files on your phone.
What's inside?
There are four main different elements to Quickoffice Pro: a word processing utility, called Quickword; a spreadsheet application called Quicksheet; a tool for creating presentations, known as Quickpoint; and a PDF editor called QuickPDF. These allow you to import documents created in Microsoft Office (in Word, Excel or Powerpoint format), or Adobe Acrobat, in the case of QuickPDF. You can also export documents you've created or edited in Quickoffice Pro into these formats.
Working with Quickoffice Pro is surprisingly straightforward. You use the on-screen keyboard to enter text, data and numbers, and access each utility's tools using the Menu button.
Features of QuickOffice Pro
Although many of the formatting options and advanced manipulation tools from Microsoft Office are missing from Quickoffice Pro, there's enough features in the suite to allow you to create decent documents. For instance, Quickword boasts things like a word count, spell checker (available as a separate download), find and replace and the ability to insert tables, images and bullets.
Another useful feature of Quickoffice Pro is a tool that allows you to retrieve and edit documents that you have saved in the cloud. The app supports Google Docs, Dropbox, SugarSync, MobileMe , Evernote and more. You can save files back to the cloud, as well as sharing them via email, SMS or Bluetooth from within the app.
If you're looking for a word processing or office solution for your Android phone, you'll struggle to find anything better equipped than Quickoffice Pro.
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.
Google Translate for Android brings all of the utility of Google’s online service to your mobile phone for instant translations when on the go.
The translation app for Android is really simple to use and if you have ever tried it online, you’ll have no problems at all. Google Translate supports the same languages as the original â€" over 64 in fact â€" so all you have to do is choose your language combination, write what you want to say and Google Translate will give you the translation immediately.
Depending on the language combination, Google Translate will also display some grammatical information and a text-to-speech feature which will read the translation out loud.
The Google Translate app also makes it very easy to copy and paste the translations. You’ll have access to past translations via the History option, while the SMS Translation feature will immediately offer you the ability to translate any of the messages in your inbox.
One of Google Translate’s coolest aspects, however, is Conversation Mode, a feature that lets you speak, translates what it hears and plays it back to the listener in their own language. It's not always perfect, but it's available in 17 languages and is fast and fun to use.
Google Translate is the perfect app for multilingual Android users.
PicsArt - Photo Studio is an excellent program for creating, discovering and sharing photos with your friends.
Much like other photo editors for Android such as VSCO Cam or Photoshop Express, PicsArt Photo Studio lets you personalize the photos you take on your phone.Â
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. You can take pictures off your phone's traditional camera or else within the PicsArt - Photo Studio app itself.Â
Once you've taken a picture or loaded one, you have a lot of different editing 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 also add clip art images to it, and give it a special message with different text fonts and colors.
You can apply effects to your photos with PicsArt, choosing from a range of preset filters, some of which can be tweaked. There's also a collage maker, where you can create impressive montages based on photos you've taken.Â
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 export and 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
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.
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.
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.
Snapchat is the instant photo-sharing app that lets you take photos and send them to friends, who can see them for a maximum of 10 seconds before they're gone forever! With no way to save the photos or view them for longer than the allotted time, Snapchat is the perfect way to share quick snaps with your friends!
The concept of Snapchat is really simple: you take a photo with the in-app camera, add up to 40 characters of text or use the pencil to draw in the odd mustache or devil horns, choose how long you want your friends to see the photo (anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds), choose which friends you want to receive it, and hit send.
When you receive a snap, you press and hold the message to view the photo. The timer starts as soon as you click the message, and counts down on the screen even if you're not holding down to view the photo.Â
The newest features in Snapchat include the option to share videos, as well as Snapchat Stories, which lets your friends view photos an unlimited number of times for up to 24 hours.
When you start Snapchat, you use your phone number as an ID and can add friends through your phone contacts or using your Facebook and Twitter accounts. The Snapchat home screen is the camera itself. You can navigate to your notification feed and your contact list using buttons at the bottom left and right of the screen, but you must return to the camera to access one from the other.You can access the settings through the notifications section. It's not obvious at first, but because there are so few options, it's easy to get the hang of quickly.
Snapchat keep images secure by deleting them immediately, but there is no way of knowing if the images are archived somewhere else. There is also the danger of inappropriate images being shared (Snapchat has gotten the reputation of being the perfect 'sexting' app).
What used to be considered a 'sexting' app is now evolving into a social network with its newest feature Snapchat Stories. Regardless, Snapchat is still a good app for sending quick photo messages to friends as a hybrid between a messaging app and a social network.Â
GO Launcher EX is a theme customization app that replaces your stock launcher.
Installing GO Launcher EX is easy, but the initial launch includes a lot of placeholders for widgets Go Launcher has developed. These widgets do not do anything except link you to the Google Play Store so you can download them. If you want to customize GO Launcher EX, you will be spending a lot of time initially removing all the associated apps that Go Launcher wants you to install.
There are other launchers that do not include first party in-app links and they may be a better option for users looking for a simpler experience. As a launcher, GO Launcher EX works well, but includes too many "ads" for their own apps.
GO Launcher EX is a good launcher option, but there are less intrusive ones available.
Enjoy the sounds of nature! Feel like you are in the woods far away from the noise from the cities. Get Bird Calls, Sounds & Ringtones app for your android phone or tablet and listen to the best animal sounds. This app is both fun and educational, because you can learn how to discern the sounds of each kind of bird. Set some of them as a ringtone, notification sound or alarm and you will never bother yourself with the irritating sounds you already have in your mobile phone.
This app is made for people of any age who wants to personalize their phone with cool ringtones.
1. Over 200,000 free android apps direct downloads 2. Unique and original contents 3. Language and content support for 13 languages 4. Try them first directly on PC
1mobile provides a huge collection of applications and games for the most devices across all the major platforms.
Angry Birds is an addictive bird-flinging casual game, which has now arrived on the Windows Phone 7 platform.
Your mission in this raucous game is to destroy all the green pigs by catapulting birds at them. This wouldn't be too difficult, except for the fact the hogs are holed up inside fortified castles which you need to smash into in order to enter. As the levels progress, these fortresses become ever more difficult to break down, so Angry Birds requires a bit of lateral thinking as well as a steady aim.
To fire a bird you simply pull back on the catapult, adjust the trajectory, then release your finger. You can shoot four birds per turn, and if you don't destroy every pig you'll have to start the level again. There are 165 levels across four worlds in the full version, so it'll be a long time before you get bored of Angry Birds.
As well as being great fun to play, Angry Birds looks the part too. Graphics are colorful and fun, and the bird noises and sound effects are hilarious. One of the few criticisms users might have with Angry Birds is that it's very repetitive. It would be nice if there were an option to customize levels or characters, for example.
The Windows Phone 7 version of Angry Birds boasts Xbox Live integration, allowing you to share your progress and achievements with your gaming buddies.
Angry Birds has become a mobile gaming classic, and it's as fun to play on Windows Phone 7 as it on any other platform. It does currently lack the same number of levels as other Angry Birds versions, though.
1Weather isn't just a weather application. Whether you're looking for simple and clear information, or if you want more detailed data, 1Weather is the perfectchoice.
Well designed with lots of widgets to choose from and precise information, these are the basic features of 1Weather.
What do you look for in a weather app? Specific requirements aside, the bottom line for a weather app is to have, at a glance; temperature, current weather conditions and access to the forecast for the coming hours or days. 1Weather shows all of this with ease and style: temperature, wind chill, humidity, pressure, wind... they all appear on your screen. Swipe the screen and get the forecast for the next few hours or days in simple, detailed or full format.
In addition to the basic data, Weather1 offers handy graphs to give you an idea of how temperature and precipitation are going to develop. Finally, the app offers weather maps, solar and lunar information, sunrise and sunset times and moon phases.
One really useful option is 1Weather's ability to add up to 12 locations so that their temperatures are always on your screen, as well as the numerous widgets that you can include on your home screen.
One of the most notable features of 1Weather is its design. It's a nice application that's still really functional. The animations, which give a very attractive look to the app, don't slow it down, which is welcome in an application like this.
Navigation is fast and convenient, and the customization options are great, especially the 1Weather widgets which are offered in various sizes and let you have the information you want right on the screen.
Many applications offer similar features to 1Weather,and many of them are attractive...but slow. 1Weather is one of the most balanced and attractive apps that we've tested. Definitely consider installing it!
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.
Bitstrips is a fun app that allows you to design and share your own comic strips.
Bitstrips comes with more than 1,500 customizable templates which you can use to create your own comics. Bitstrips connects with your Facebook account, allowing you to share your finished comics with your buddies.
You can set your own Bitstrips avatar and publish cartoon status updates. You can add avatars of others and create comics with them in.
Not all of the comics in Bitstrips are particularly funny, in fact, many are quite weird and you could get some strange comments from your Facebook friends if you upload them to your wall!
Creating cartoons with Bitstrips is pretty straightforward. You start by making your own avatar and can then, once you've connected up your Facebook account you can import friends' avatars, or create them yourself.
You can get pretty detailed in your Bitstrips avatars, changing everything from the size of the person's nose, to what they are wearing. You select changes from the thumbnails and a preview is applied instantly to the character.
Once you have your character you can use Bitstrips to make a status comic, friend comic or even a greeting card. There's also a section for viewing comics created by your friends and an archive of your own comics.
Bitstrips is an innovative idea and makes for a bit of creative fun on Facebook. Some of the weirder comic strips might baffle/annoy your buddies, though.
Netflix is a video entertainment streaming subscription service.
Netflix allows subscribers to watch television, movies, and other video content through their mobile devices. Netflix's library continues to increase as new content is loaded into the service. Netflix on mobile is one of the many ways subscribers can access their subscriptions.
The app's interface is broken into different categories like suggested content, recently viewed, and new arrivals. While new content is easy to find, using Netflix’s search tool is a little awkward. While Netflix contains a huge library, it is not a complete database of all video content.
Since Netflix uses streaming technology, the quality of the video depends on a few factors. Whether on Wi-Fi or a data connection, a strong Internet connection is vital for smooth playback. Netflix buffers the video stream so there are usually no problems with watching video.
Quality control is dynamic so Netflix will downgrade the quality to keep streaming the content. Over both Wi-Fi and a data connection, Netflix had little issues with playback, but skipping ahead in video did result in waiting while the video was buffered.
Also with the streaming connection, the source of the video plays a big part in quality. Older video does look aged while recent high definition video looks much better. There is a tradeoff between quality and consistent playback. When there is a solid connection, the app is great, but slower connections will cause the app to slow down while it starts the video.
Netflix is an excellent app for users who enjoy watching television and movies wherever they are located.
Instagram BETA for Windows Phone allows you to take photos  with your phone, apply a few special effects and share them with family friends through the Instagram network - or via other social networks.
The official Instagram app for Windows Phone boasts most of the same features and functions as the Instagram client for iOS and Android. That's to say, you can use it to follow your friends' activity on the network, as well as to capture, edit and upload photos.Â
The significant difference between Instagram BETA for Windows Phone and the iOS and Android versions is that you cannot capture or upload video to Instgram, which is a pity, because it's a fun feature. Of course, this is a Beta release, and the developer promises video recording facilities soon. For now, if you're desperate to add Instagram videos on Windows Phone it's worth trying the non-official 6tag app.
Instagram is renowned for the way it lets you apply filters to your photos to make them seem more cool or artistic. Instagram BETA for Windows Phone includes a range of filters (20 at present).Â
Other editing tools in Instagram BETA for Windows Phone include Scale and Crop, Rotate, Frame, Blur and Brightness. Unlike the Android version of Instagram there's no auto-straightening tool included.
Instagram BETA features a smart user interface which is straightforward enough to use. Capturing is done via the native camera app on your phone rather than through the app, though it feels like a seamless experience.
There's Live Tile support for notifications so you can see when there has been activity around images you've uploaded or when photos of you have been uploaded. There's no way to customize what type of notifications are pushed to the Live Tile, however.
Instagram BETA isn't quite the finished product yet. The lack of video recording support is a let-down, though the app is fine for taking, uploading and editing images, as well as interacting with the Instagram community.Â
The app simulates scenes in the daily life of children and calls attention to important points about safety. It helps young children develop safety awareness and increase their ability to protect themselves.
BabyBus is the first brand in early childhood educational software (field of mobile Internet), which is developed specifically for preschoolers, and includes two series which are the Age(1-3) and the Age(3-6).
In miles per hour (MPH)
You can set the app to kmh or mph.
Some features of the speed app include:
GPS Coordinates
-Shows you your current GPS position - Longitude, Latitude and Altitude, as well as your top speed.
GPS Speed
-Your current speed and your maximum velocity, according to the sattelites.
Units
-Both the analog and digital speedometer units are displayed
Speed warning
-Warns the user, with both sound and blinking animation, that he/she is going over the preset speed limit.
New nice graphics, animation, speed warning and iprovement over my last one. New nice graphics, animation, speed warning and improvement over my last one
People who travel a lot and want to see their speed. People who travel a lot and want to see their speed.
Dropbox is an easy way to sync files between your Android smartphone and computer, allowing you to share and access your files remotely.
If you haven't used the desktop version before, Dropbox for Windows and Dropbox for Mac both add a special folder to your computer, and anything you put in it is automatically uploaded to the web. This can then be accessed from anywhere else by the account owner.
This Android version of Dropbox works a bit differently, in that it'll mostly be used to access Dropbox files from your online account and open them on your phone. This is assuming the file is in a format that's readable by your smartphone, of course. You can also upload and share pictures and videos you take with your phone pretty quickly.
Dropbox's design might seem relatively sparse, but the functionality is there. This latest version even has photo thumbnails and allows you to delete your files, both of which are very convenient. It's also pretty obvious how to use Dropbox from the outset, so the app is very user friendly. If you're not sure, there are plenty of how-to PDFs included with the app to get you going.
Dropbox also features a public folder. This is designed for files you want to share publicly and easily - put your file there and Dropbox will generate a link that lets anyone who has that link to access the file. It's a really smooth and well thought-out system. The free account is limited to two gigabytes of online storage, but that's not too shabby!
For keeping online file backups, sharing and basic access to files on your computer, Dropbox for Android absolutely can't be beat.
Angry Birds Star Wars is an officially licensed Star Wars-themed game, which sees the famous birds meet characters from the movies, including Dath Vader, C3PO and R2D2.
It's a second trip into Space for the annoyed avians, following on the heals of Angry Birds Space. Angry Birds Star Wars retains some of the Space physics of the previous release, and there are new special abilities, including the use of the force, and light saber-wielding.
Presentation
Fans of the original movie, A New Hope, will adore Angry Birds Star Wars. It follows the plot of the film, taking you to all the iconic locations, including Tatooine, Hoth, and the Pig Star (modeled on the Death Star). The Angry Birds are themed around the heroes such as Luke Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi and Han Solo, while the piggies dress up as stormtroopers, tuskan raiders and the like.
The locations and characters are gloriously recreated, and this, coupled with music from the original score, makes Angry Birds Star Wars the best presented version of the game series so far.
Gameplay
The basic gameplay in Angry Birds Star Wars is still the same as the original Angry Birds. You launch birds from a catapult at a structure in order to smash it and destroy the bad guys. Stars are earned based on how easily you achieve this, and progress to the next level.
There are some 80 levels in Angry Birds Star Wars and getting through them will take you a long time, even though the first few levels on Tatooine are very easy. There are some fun bonus levels too, in which you can play as C3PO or R2D2.
The gameplay in Angry Birds Star Wars has been tweaked a bit from previous versions of the game. You can now use the force to slow down your bird in mid flight, or swipe your light saber to break objects, for example.
Verdict
Despite these interesting additional gameplay elements, there's no disguising that Angry Birds Star Wars plays very much the same as previous versions. While fans of the Angry Birds franchise will enjoy this, others will find the game repetitive, frustrating and tiresome.
There's no doubt that Angry Birds Star Wars is a lavishly-produced arcade game, which fans of both the game and the movie will fall in love with.
In a galaxy far, far away, the war between pigs and birds continues. After the epic battles in Angry Birds Star Wars, the game returns with a sequel full of Jedi Knights, Sith Lords and other Star Wars characters played by the usual suspects from the Angry Birds universe.
Angry Birds Star Wars II picks up where the first installment left off, this time with new adventures set in Naboo and Tatooine. New places will be added in the future.
As the oldest story in the book, good versus evil is the basis of Angry Birds; in Angry Birds Star Wars II, it also takes the title role. First, choose your side: select a Jedi Knight or a Sith and toss him at the pigs as a bird, or vice versa.
As in the previous edition, Angry Birds Star Wars II boasts lots of assets from the Star Wars saga, including places, music, characters and the birds' powers. You can use The Force, lightsabers, pistols and even rockets, depending on the character you use to kill the enemy.
In each world you visit, you can play as both sides, birds and pigs, with the ability to alternate and inhabit two parallel stories. As you unlock new levels, you get points, bonuses, and new characters. The game itself contains several incentives: achievements that can be unlocked, the list of players with the most points who you'd like to be, a shop with characters and bonuses you can unlock by earning points during the game or by using micropayments...
As with all Angry Birds games, Angry Birds Star Wars II is very easy to play. While there are many new elements that may puzzle you, the way you play is identical to previous installments from Rovio: click on the character, pull back the slingshot, aim and release to hit your enemies. Furthermore, each character has its own unique features, explained in an introductory video when you first play, such as how to use The Force to knock down blocks (Anakin), fire rockets (Jango Fett) or bounce off the walls to cause maximum damage (Yoda).
In Angry Birds Star Wars II there's a mixture of old elements from Angry Birds and new ones. The symbiosis between the two universes is very good, and the ability to choose sides is great, but to switch between worlds you have to beat all the levels. The variety of traps on each level is appreciated, as it avoids the monotony from previous installments. Moreover, the constant nods to Star Wars give fans of the saga an incentive to keep playing.
Angry Birds Star Wars II will be compatible with a new set of figurines, known as Telepods. You can scan Telepods in using your device and then use the characters you have to play in the game. It looks like an interesting game/toy crossover which could be very popular.
As with the first installment, Angry Birds Star Wars II is a strange and funny mixture of two very different worlds. However, the creators at Rovio have managed to marry them together and come up with a fun game, which, in this second installment lets you choose sides and merge them with each other to avoid the monotony of past offerings.
Whether you're a fan of Angry Birds or of George Lucas' saga, Angry Birds Star Wars II is a must-see to experience the Star Wars universe with fresh eyes and have fun finding all the references to the iconic science fiction series
Not all of us have the memory of an Elephant, and if you're the kind of person who always forgets what you should be doing or where you're supposed to be going then it's high time you did something about it.
Evernote is an application and web service that lets you capture, store and synchronize all manner of information on your BlackBerry, PC and online, all at the same time. It allows you to store all manner of items, including text notes, voice notes, images and files.
Once you've installed the program on your device, you'll need to sign up for a free Evernote account. After this short registration process you'll be presented with a very clear and touch-friendly interface. From here, you're just a tap away from adding a text note, a handwritten ink note, taking a snapshot on your camera, recording an audio note, or uploading a file. The Settings menu in Evernote allows you to view your current monthly usage, and tweak things such as the camera resolution and the way the notes are displayed on screen.
Now, whenever you don't have your BlackBerry to hand you'll be able to access any notes or files you've added in Evernote from any web browser. These can then be edited, deleted, printed or emailed at your leisure. Personally, I found the layout of the online interface quite uncomfortable - unlike the handheld version of Evernote, the text is very small, and the strange menu system makes browsing through your items overly complicated.
From the browser-based version of Evernote you can add notes and files like with the device version. There's also a 'web clipping' tool, available as a Firefox plug-in, which lets you quickly grab web pages as you browse and save them to Evernote.
All in all, Evernote is a powerful productivity app that ensures you're never far away from your important information.
WhatsApp Messenger allows you to send free text messages over the internet, saving you the cost of sending SMS.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you’re a Google Drive user with an Android phone, you’re going to love Google Drive for Android.
Previously known as Google Docs, Google Drive unifies many services into an overall package. As you can probably guess, this app gives you access to your Google Drive account from your Android device. It’s a complete package â€" you’ll be able to view, edit and create new documents, all from your phone. It’s easy to use, attractive and fully functional, which makes it as close to perfect as you’ll find.
You’ll be able to log into Google Drive with any of your Google accounts, as well as being able to freely switch between them. The main screen gives you access to All Items, Collections, Starred Items, and individual document types, like spreadsheets and images. From here you’ll also be able create new documents â€" just hit the little icon in the top right corner and choose between Document, Spreadsheet and Document from photo.
Once you’re looking at your items, just tap to open, or long hold to share, star or rename. Editing documents is equally easy - Google Drive divides it into magnified phrases, making it even easier to make your changes. Zooming and searching are impeccable, small but important touches that add to the app’s good points.
Finally, Google Drive supports printing via Google Cloud Print. To use this service you’ll need to sign up separately, but the feature finishes off what is already an extremely complete and user-friendly app.
If you’re a Google Drive user with an Android phone, this app is 100% essential.
LINE lets you call, chat and send photos to others for free, from your smartphone or computer.
LINE allows you to make free calls to other users of the service. This includes the ability to make calls between the Android and iPhone versions of LINE. The application is easy to set up, allowing you to register with your phone number or email address (the latter option only gives you access to text chat, though.
The call function of LINE works very well. Although the option to make video calls is missing, the sound quality when making calls is excellent. There is a slight delay in calls both via WiFi and 3G, though the quality is still better than both fring and Skype.
Text chatting in LINE is easy, with support for group chats of up-to 100 people, and a good selection of emoticons to add to your conversations. Unlike WhatsApp, LINE allows you to chat between the desktop and mobile versions of the application.
LINE is a viable alternative to apps like WhatsApp and Viber, allowing you to make free calls on your phone with good audio quality.
WhatsApp Messenger allows you to send text messages, as well as images, video and audio, using your mobile device's Internet connection.
WhatsApp Messenger replaces traditional SMS messaging with a free instant messaging system over 3G/4G or WiFi.Â
With WhatsApp Messenger you can speak with your friends through a classic chat-style interface. You can chat with just one person, or several contacts at once, up-to groups of 30 people. It's a good way to save sending lots of messages and to communicate quickly with several people at once.
In terms of options, WhatsApp Messenger allows you to send photos, audio files, and videos to your contacts. You can also share a map of your current locations or details of one of your contacts.
Of course, emoticons are an important part of any chat app, and WhatsApp Messenger comes with plenty. You can use those that come with the app, or install new WhatsApp emoticons through applications such as Smileys for Chat.
Chatting with WhatsApp Messenger requires both you and your contact have the application installed. Once you've installed the app on your device, you can see straight away which of your contacts are using WhatsApp, then start chatting to them.
It's worth mentioning that although the sending of messages is free in WhatsApp Messenger, the application requires to pay a subscription fee of 99 cents per year after the first year, which is free.
WhatsApp is a hugely popular messaging network, and you're probably more likely to find other friends who use it than who use other rival messaging apps. This is a generalization of course, and it could be that you have more friends using apps like KakaoTalk, LINE, Kik Messenger, or Viber. These apps behave more or less the same as WhatsApp Messenger but have their own distinct features and quirks. It's worth checking out our reviews of these apps to find out how they differ.
There are many similar apps to WhatsApp Messenger out there, and some are even better. Yet, such is the popularity of WhatsApp that it is an essential download for your mobile.
One of the most notable new additions to WhatsApp Messenger is its Push to Talk messaging feature. In the style of a walkie talkie, WhatsApp adds the option to record and share voice messages in real time, be they large or small. It's the same type of function offered by apps such as Voxer and Zello.
You should note that the version of WhatsApp Messenger on Google Play is not always the most up-to-date. We recommend that you consult the official web site to get the latest version of WhatsApp.
Ever hear a song you like on the radio, on TV or at a party but don't know what it's called? Install Shazam on your iPhone and you can find out.
Whenever you hear a tune you dig, simply hold your iPhone's microphone to the speaker. Shortly after, as if by magic details of the song will appear in the Shazam interface, including the name of the song, the singer, and the album it appears on.
That's not all either, in many cases Shazam will provide a link to the song's video on YouTube, and offer the possibility to buy the track on iTunes.
But how can Shazam know so much about all this music? Well, Shazam 'hears' the song through your iPhone's microphone and uses your mobile Internet connection to compare the sounds it receives with those recorded in a huge online database of music. If it finds a match Shazam will provide you with the information immediately, and offers you the ability to email it to a friend if you wish. While Shazam can't recognize every song in the World, it managed to get most we tested it with.
Shazam now includes a Friends feature, which allows you to see what they're tagging, what they've bought, and what videos they're watching.
If you're a fan of music (and, let's face it, who isn't?) then Shazam is an essential addition to your iPhone.
Subway Surfers is a Temple Run-style game where you have to escape from a railway inspector angry with you for spraying graffiti over the station.
The objective of Subway Surfers is very simple. You automatically dart up the screen along the train tracks, and must avoid all the obstacles in your path, such as trains, buffers and carts.Â
Along the way you need to collect coins which can be exchanged in Subway Surfers for special items such as coin magnets, hover boards and even paint-powered jet packs. These power-ups really help to make the game more exciting, and often they are needed in order to overcome a particularly tough part of the game.
The game allows you to challenge your Facebook friends and also gives you the possibility to earn more coins for Subway Surfers by inviting friends via Facebook.
The touch controls in Subway Surfers couldn't be simpler. You can dodge by tapping left or right, jump by swiping upwards, or duck by swiping downwards. Running is done for you, so these touch controls are all you need to worry about. You can activate power-ups simply by running into them then using them to perform special feats.
Subway Surfers is a good looking endless running game. The 3D graphics are bright and colorful, and there's plenty of fun and humor in there. Sound effects and music are used to good effect too.
Subway Surfers is a fun reworking of the Temple Run format, which is addictive to play and will keep you coming back for more.
Xbox Video is the official app of Microsoft's movie streaming and rental service. It allows you to stream video content that you've rented or purchased, or download it to your Windows Phone device.
Xbox Video is a handy companion to have on your phone. As well as allowing you to access content you've already purchased, the app lets you browse movies and TV shows before renting or purchasing them through your device.
Content in the Xbox Video app can be browsed by section or searched for directly. Movies and TV shows are categorized by New, Top, and Featured; although it's also possible to browse movies and shows by actor or director.
Where available, Xbox Video shows you information about a particular movie or TV show, including a description, cast information, and related content. You can also get ratings and reviews powered by Rotten Tomatoes.
Another good feature of the Xbox Video app is that it allows you to sync playback across devices. This means, for example, that you can start watching a series or movie at home on your Xbox then resume where you left off on the bus to work.
The user interface design of the Xbox Video app will present no problems to those familiar with Windows Phone. The tiled interface is comfortable to move around, and there are filters to help you narrow down your searches when looking through sections.
One thing that's lacking from the Xbox Video app interface is the ability to pin certain sections of movie or TV content to the Windows Phone home screen. It would also be great if the app could play video that you've captured and stored on your device.
Xbox Video is a well-built, simple-to-use app that gives you access to a wealth of movies and TV on your phone.Â
TripAdvisor for Android is designed to provide a quick way to get information about a range of destinations across the world.
Based around the popular TripAdvisor website, the app offers information and independent user reviews about hotels, restaurants, and things to do in a host of towns and cities across the planet.
You can use the TripAdvisor application to search for a specific location or set it to look for places in the immediate area around you. Hotels and restaurants are shown in order of their overall rank on TripAdvisor, based on user reviews. You can choose to filter results based on variables such as price, distance, cuisine, type of accommodation, etc. Depending on the place, you even sometimes get the option to book a room on your mobile, via Bookatable.com.
Comprehensive travel information
The database of travel information included in TripAdvisor is very impressive, and there's plenty of information relating to each business. This includes addresses and telephone numbers, as well as information of how to get there.
TripAdvisor for Android also includes a Forums section, where you can post questions and exchange information about a particular place with other users.
The user interface in TripAdvisor could be improved. It has the feel of a scaled-down version of the website, rather than a fully-fledged, standalone application. Some of the tabs and icons you need to click are too small for comfort, and if you want to open a map or get directions, TripAdvisor will ask you to launch an external app such as Google Maps or Radar.
TripAdvisor packs a mammoth database of locations into a pocket-sized program, making for a quick way to find places to stay or eat in a city.
Google Drive is a productivity application that allows users to access their documents and files from Google's cloud.
If you're a Google Drive on Mac user, you're going to want to download this app for your iOS device. Google Drive for iOS allows users to access their documents from the cloud but there is pretty big limitation, which I'll get to later.
Google Drive's interface is simple and intuitive. The main screen shows quick categories for your documents including starred, recent, and offline. There is also a search bar on the top for quick access. Images are easily viewed by swiping through them.
When you tap on a note or folder, you can view its contents or the document itself. You can also make comments on Google Docs files. Clicking on the small arrow on the right will bring up options for changing permissions and saving for offline viewing.
Unfortunately, Google Drive only allows users to view their documents but not edit them. There is an option to open up your documents in another app for editing but Google should really bake editing into this application to make it truly useful.
In the end, Google Drive is a good first step in bringing Google's cloud service to iOS but its lack of editing features makes it lag behind its Android counterpart.
Candy Crush Saga is super-sweet free strategy game for iOS. Tiffi and Mr. Toffee need your help!
Candy Crush is a puzzle game where brightly colored candy takes the starring role.
Your task is to link a minimum of 3 candies, vertically or horizontally, so that they will disappear from the game grid.
Successfully doing this will allow you to accumulate points, which will give you access to new levels. It's a well-structured game and the difficultly level is well calibrated, so you'll get just the right degree of a challenge.
When you're playing Candy Crush, it's important not to get stressed by the time limits. If you do, you're likely to hit a bomb at a crucial point, loosing the game completely. Keep cool, and solve the puzzle before the time runs out!
Candy Crush, as you might expect, is bright, colorful and cute. That said, we think the graphics and sound are second-rate - it looks cheap and gameplay is jumpy and ragged, which is completely unnecessary and a real pity.
Candy Crush is an overwhelmingly popular game. It's quite likely lots of your friends are playing and sharing their progress on Facebook, so we can't blame you for wanting a go.
That said, we think Candy Crush Saga is a whole lot of hype over nothing. The gameplay is cliched and overdone, the graphics are poor and the whole game looks second rate. If you're looking for a cute timewaster for iPhone, you can do much better.
