android

Set the record

Want to take a voice note? This free, standalone app is one good way to do it. Voice Recorder simply and intuitively lets you record a voice note and save it, or send it on from your Android phone's default Gmail account (no SMS attachments or uploading to social networks yet). If you're disciplined enough to shut down your apps at a specified time of day, you can set an alarm that turns on Voice Recorder for a predetermined duration. You can also choose to turn any recording into a ringtone, for instance, if you favor singing into … Read more

Stop it

Just because Android apps have no "close" button doesn't mean they shut down when you return to the home page or move on to another app. You calendar, note pad, and programs in which you turn on event notifications might periodically run in the background, depleting your battery. Download and run Advanced Task Killer Free. You'll be amazed at the apps that run on start-up without your knowledge. While you can kill the task killer along with other apps, we recommend letting it run so you can easily use it a couple times throughout the day. … Read more

Android's goggles

We tip our hat to Google for creating a novel mobile app that uses pictures to prompt a search, not just text or vocal input. When you take a photo through Goggles, the free app scans the image, matching your picture against its database and returning a result. Goggles can read bar codes, landmarks, logos, books and DVDs, signs, and products. Things like plants still give Goggles trouble, and results aren't always consistent scan to scan. As Goggles is still a product of Google Labs, it's more experimental than fully baked. But it's a good experiment, and … Read more

This browser makes a splash

Alternative browsing on your Android phone? Sure, you've got a choice. Opera Mini (version 4.2) and Dolphin Browser are two free browsers you can use to replace Google's default. Yet with tabbed browsing and a straightforward interface, Dolphin is our pick. At least until Opera Mini 5 enters the Android Market, leaves beta, and brings Speed Dial and tabbed browsing to its app, along with the ability to download apps. Dolphin Browser isn't without its own tricks. In addition to being able to open multiple Web pages in the browser, Dolphin supports gestures, like tracing a &… Read more

Three tools in one

If you've got a third-party file manager, you can go through menu screens to uninstall an app. But you could also open up the Android Market to achieve the same banishing results. Quick Uninstaller is a much more direct route. The free, ad-supported app replicates your program window to show you your app icons. You can also view in List form instead. Menu options let you sort by name, date, and size to help you more quickly zero in on your prey. Then, simply tap one of the app icons to select it, and tap again to uninstall. The … Read more

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 clears FCC

This post was updated on 12/21, 1:17 p.m., PT with information about a second version of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 getting FCC approval.

The FCC has given the green light to Sony Ericsson's first Google Android phone, the Xperia X10. Filed documents show that the quad-band GSM smartphone supports T-Mobile's 3G network, though it remains to be seen whether the carrier will offer the device or whether it will be sold unlocked.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 looks to be a powerhouse with a 4-inch, 854x480-pixel touch screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 8.1-megapixel … Read more

Android team embraces developers

Google has been busy the last few days with updates to the official Android Developers blog. With new code samples and resources, the blog is becoming a better resource for the very people who Google depends on to elevate the platform.

On Thursday, Google unveiled the Device Dashboard, which breaks down the current composition of devices accessing the Android Market. The tool is designed to help current and prospective developers get a feel for which versions of Android they should be coding.

The Dashboard already shows that writing for Android 1.1 would be a waste of time, as only … Read more

Android 2.1 coming to Sprint HTC Hero, Samsung Moment

On Thursday, Sprint revised a tweet it sent out last week regarding an Android update for the Samsung Moment and HTC Hero. Both smartphones won't be getting an Android 2.0 update; instead, they will get Android 2.1. (Pause for applause.)

The carrier made the announcement via its Twitter account, but unfortunately didn't provide any more specific details as to when the updates might be rolled out other than it would be sometime in the first half of 2010.

Currently, only the Nexus One is running Android 2.1. While features of this version of the operating … Read more

T-Mobile expands app picks on Android Market

Effective Wednesday, T-Mobile customers with a Google Android phone running version 1.6 of the operating system will begin receiving an update to their Android Market. After installing the update and opening the Market, users can access a "T-Mobile Top Picks" section that showcases applications there were selected by the carrier. Besides being innovative, these applications can a great jumping off point for new users looking to personalize their handsets.

So far, there are 20 applications listed in the Top Picks. Though a quarter of the titles were developed by T-Mobile, most of the apps are free. The … Read more

Maturing Android Market hits 20,000 applications

The Android Market has grown from zero applications to 20,000 strong in a little over a year. According to Androidlib, a Web site dedicated to tracking the Android Market, the milestone was reached on Tuesday. While this is an unofficial tally, it's a telling figure nonetheless.

Android shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the number of applications is growing from month to month. After taking nearly 10 months to cross the 10,000 mark, the market doubled in size over the next five months.

With all the talk of unhappy developers, it's still becoming increasingly … Read more