Tag: ANDROID,@FEATURES

iSites -- a zero-code cloud-based 'app creator' -- can now generate HTML5 apps that work on iOS devices. With this new feature, dubbed 'InstantApp', you can now design a single app in your browser and publish it natively on Android and iOS, and as an HTML5 iPhone app. We haven't looked at iSites before, but it shot to fame last year when it launched with native iOS and Android support. ...

It's hard to believe: our world-spanning network, our Internet, which is the cornerstone of free speech and free society -- which, on a good day, is capable of causing populist revolutions -- is still crippled by banal geolocation restrictions. We are, of course, talking about Amazon's two latest offerings, both of which are only available in the United States. Last week it was the excellent ...

While exciting progress is being made in the realm of high-speed mobile data, it will be a long time indeed before wireless operators can catch up with wired bandwidth and ubiquity. For the time being, mass data transfer will be one of the few things that will stay within the realm of home and office computing, on DSL and Cable connections. Still, just because you run your BitTorrent client on ...

Earlier today Amazon released its long-awaited Appstore for Android. Fundamentally it's very similar to Google's first-party Android Market or the third-party AppBrain, but it has a few Amazonian differences that could set it apart from the competition very quickly. First and foremost, Amazon is promising to give away one paid app for free every day. Today it's Angry Birds Rio, and it only ...

Moments ago, Nullsoft released Winamp 1.0 on to the Android Market. It's free to download, and we can safely say that it's best music player for Android. It's so good that it might even whip the llama's ass. [Disclosure: Nullsoft and Download Squad are both owned by AOL] With the bump to version 1, Winamp for Android introduces a bunch of cool new features. Most notably is the ability to ...

N64oid, the Nintendo 64 emulator for Android, was released earlier today, and being absolute fans of the console, we figured a hands-on review would be the only fair and just thing to do. You don't want to know how many hours we've spent playing multiplayer GoldenEye here in the Download Squad bunker, and Lee can almost complete Ocarina of Time while blindfolded. Now -- before you get too ...

When we first heard about iDisplay, there was something about it that piqued our curiosity. It extends your desktop onto another screen -- your Android or iOS device, to be exact -- and while that sounds cool, its actual usefulness isn't immediately apparent. All you have to do is install the app on your Android device (2.1 or newer), run the server program on your Windows or Mac PC, and ...

Ever since early in the evolution of the BlackBerry, RIM's BlackBerry Messenger has been the envy of all other smartphone users. By creating an always-on Instant Messaging platform that linked phones to phones, RIM managed to provide a service that not only replaced the need for text and multimedia messaging, but also didn't interfere with any desktop IM protocol that you might use. OK, some ...

With yesterday's release of the Android Market Web Store, the venerable and superlative AppBrain finally has some competition. At first glance, the services are very similar -- the logos could be cut from the same mold, and both sites use green-and-grey highlights throughout. Even the layout is basically the same! When you get right down to it, though, there are some marked differences between ...

Android's greatest, platform-defining feature is customizability. The entire operating system is open-sourced, APIs are laid bare, and almost every user-facing part of the OS can be modified by apps. There's no surprise, then, that replacement apps exist for almost every part of Android's stock functionality. In turn, to complete the circle of life, new versions of Android incorporate the ...

When you've got an itty-bitty touch-screen and need to pound out a quick email, the last thing you're going to want to do is type. I mean, tapping out a text message is fine every now and then, but when you're forced to type more than a couple of lines when you're on the go, sliding is definitely the way to go. Sliding keyboards utilize the fact that each word, as it is typed, tends to create ...

The most popular home screen and 'app drawer' replacement app for Android is LauncherPro -- but I'm not sure why. I mean, sure, it gives you a scrolling dock, and up to seven home screens -- big whoop. Maybe I'm just a bit jaded. I have recently reviewed two very good home screen apps, after all. The truth is, though, except for a nifty scrolling, customizable dock, there's simply no reason to ...

So, you found a brand-new Android device under the tree a few days ago. Congratulations! Now what? In this post I'm going to recommend the very best apps to get off on the right foot with Android. If you've been using Android for a while, chances are you know most of these. Still, you might find a hidden gem or two. These are all based on my own use, so while the list is subjective in nature, ...

Earlier this week, Trillian, one of the oldest third-party IM client developers, released its Android app. I've always found Trillian a bit gimicky -- kind of like a 'Super Mega' Windows Live Messenger, with more bells and whistles than I really need, and a bloated, hard-to-navigate UI as a result. Trillian for Android, I'm sad to say, is no better. Ultimately, it's functional but it feels like ...

It's only been a day since the Android team announced the rollout for the Android Market update, which would bring new app categories, new developer options, and a sleeker interface -- but leave it to the Android community to get ahold of the updated package early. The APK was posted in a thread at the XDA Developers forum, and was promptly put to the test by dozens of devs and users alike. ...