Android software

Add Quick Launch shortcuts to your Android lock screen

You may be familiar with the TouchWiz shortcuts on Samsung Android devices -- well Quick Launch is similar in how it works, but not how it looks. Instead, this lock-screen replacement is bit more modern than TouchWiz, which means it pairs nicely with the Ice Cream Sandwich/Jelly Bean design style.

Since you're going to be using the lock screen each time you pick up your phone, it may as well be something you like to look at. In addition to looking good, the lock screen should have added functionality that compliments the many features of your actual device.… Read more

Google Translate for Android adds OCR

The newest update to Google Translate for Android adds Google Goggles' optical character recognition (OCR) technology, so you can translate text using only your device's camera lens. Whereas previously you had to type, hand-write (onscreen), or say your text aloud in order to use the app, this new feature requires none of the above.

To use the new OCR feature, just push the camera button at the bottom of the main translate screen. This activates your camera and opens a viewfinder just below the translation field. After you take your picture, brush the text you want to translate, and … Read more

Android smartphone share quadruples iOS in Q2

Google's Android operating system dominated the mobile arena last quarter, according to new data from research firm IDC.

IDC reported that 104.8 million Android-based smartphones shipped worldwide during the second quarter, representing a 106.5 percent gain over the 50.8 million handsets that launched in the same period last year. Android nabbed 68.1 percent of the smartphone market last quarter.

Android's top competitor, Apple's iOS, was dominated by Google's operating system last quarter, nabbing only 16.9 percent market share on 26 million smartphone shipments. That figure was up 27.5 percent compared … Read more

Samsung working on Android 4.1 update for Galaxy S III

Samsung is on the verge of releasing an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for its Galaxy S III smartphone, according to a recent SamMobile report. The mobile blog claims that internal testing of the new firmware is complete and that a public-ready version is ready. All that stands in the way, or so it seems, is a final approval from the Google team. … Read more

Train your Android phone to act automatically with Tasker

Every day, we repeat the same routine tasks: turning on Wi-Fi at work, decreasing the brightness in the evening, enabling silent mode at night, and so on.

By now, you probably perform these actions subconsciously, but what if you could "train" your phone to automatically complete these tasks, so you don't have to?

Tasker, a $6.49 app for Android, lets you do just that. It works like this: If the phone is in X situation, then Y happens. Within the app, this formula is defined by using "contexts" and "tasks."

The context … Read more

Nuance unveils Nina, a Siri sister that lives in third-party apps

Nuance, a company that plays a part in some of the most well-known speech-recognition services on the market, has unveiled its own intra-app service, called Nina.

With Nina's help, iOS and Android developers can bring speech recognition, text-to-speech, and voice biometrics to their individual applications. Nina works much in the same way as Siri, allowing users to provide voice commands that the technology then follows. And with the open software development kit, Nuance says that it can be integrated quickly into existing apps.

Nuance has played an integral role in Siri's development. Nuance provided technology to Siri before … Read more

iTunes Match vs. Amazon Cloud Player: What's the better option?

With Amazon's recently updated Cloud Player service, music fans now have one more way to store and stream their tunes from the cloud. It bears many similarities to Apple's iTunes Match, but after playing around with both services I can attest to some clear differences, as well. If you're looking for some guidance on which service is a better fit for your music collection, you've come to the right place.

iTunes Match Cloud Player Free option n/a 250 songs, scan & match, purchases do not count against total Paid option $24.99/yr, scan & … Read more

Rumor Has It: iPhone 5 isn't the only trick up Apple's sleeve

On this week's show, we discuss the latest iPhone 5 release date rumors, Samsung's possible Retina Display, and an alleged new tablet from Sony, and we wonder if Apple is really interested in buying a stake in Twitter.

The New York Times came out with a report over the weekend describing talks between Apple and the 140-character proselytizer. The report alleged that Apple has considered buying a minority stake in Twitter, a company that hasn't yet filed an IPO. The Wall Street Journal chimed in to say the talks were more than a year ago, and its … Read more

Prizefight: Google Nexus 7 vs. Amazon Kindle Fire

It's a Prizefight punchout! Google brings its own 7-inch tablet, Nexus 7, to compete against Amazon's Kindle Fire in the competitive $199 tablet market. Will the Kindle Fire stand a chance against the new upstart from Google?

The Nexus 7 brings a fierce Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, more RAM, and the latest version of Android with Jelly Bean. Amazon has built a powerhouse ecosystem for content consumption, and that's before you factor in Amazon Prime membership.

Who do you think deserves to be the Prizefight King of the Ring? Is it Google's Nexus 7 or … Read more