Android | 3/35 | AddictiveTips

[Ask The Readers] HTC Sense vs. Samsung TouchWiz: Which Android Manufacturer Skin Do You Like More?

by Awais Imran on April 20, 2013

Android

Last week, we asked our readers about which flagship smartphone they liked more: the trend-smashing, beautifully designed HTC One with its 4MP “UltraPixel” camera, or the more flexible Galaxy S4 with its microSD card support, removable battery and more interesting software features. The HTC One came first with 564 votes, but only very slightly – as the GS4 was right behind it with 486 (46%) votes. Our previous poll was more or less focused on the hardware aspect of these phones. In today’s Ask The Readers feature, we discuss the custom skins running on top of them – HTC Sense and Samsung TouchWiz. Read More

Share Articles From Pocket For Android & iOS Via “Send to Friend”

by Hamza Khalid on April 18, 2013

Android
iOS

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To celebrate a year since Read It Later was rebranded to Pocket, the service’s iOS and Android clients have just been updated with a useful new feature. Although the apps are meant to let users keep webpages bookmarked for their personal use, Pocket seems to be going a bit more social now. The newly added ‘Send To Friend’ option allows iOS and Android users to share any article with their friends pretty easily. You can even opt to have the app scan your phone’s address book to make finding contacts easier. The recipient of shared stories doesn’t even have to be a Pocket user to benefit from Send To Friend, since the app sends articles to others via email. To add to the feature’s usefulness, Pocket users get a notification whenever an item is shared with them by another user of the service. Read More

LinkedIn For iPhone & Android Gets A New UI & Customizable Navigation Menu

by Hamza Khalid on April 18, 2013

Android
iOS

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LinkedIn’s Windows Phone update, which we covered yesterday, was pretty big, but it wasn't much compared to the complete revamp the social network’s iOS and Android clients have received today. The app’s interface has been overhauled to address a lot of aesthetic and usability issues. Not a lot of people have been huge fans of LinkedIn's mobile clients, but you should give the updated version a chance since it doesn’t look anything like its previous iterations. In addition to all the UI changes, the app has also gained the capability to let users like and comment on posts without ever leaving the main feed. You can also follow Influencers from within the app. The option to add sections of your choice to the navigation pane has been added to the mix as well. Read More

AVG TuneUp: Easy Task, Battery, Storage & Data Management In One Android App

by Usman Younas on April 15, 2013

Android

Ever since I switched from the iPhone to an Android Phone (Galaxy Nexus), there have been several changes in my smartphone usage habits, the most important ones being managing storage, ensuring that I don’t run too many apps at once (gets me confused, and slows down the phone), close apps every once in a while, and most importantly, save battery. There's no dispute that the Galaxy Nexus isn't as good as the iPhone when it comes to battery life , but I somehow manage to keep it alive till the end of the day. There are some key settings that determine the battery life of your smartphone, and case of Android, these settings are quite scattered. In addition, there are also other maintenance tools like tasks, data use and installed apps management that are scattered across Android Settings. A common user doesn't really know if changing such settings can affect their device performance. Fortunately though, the user doesn't need to be worried much, since there are apps for this purpose. Unlike many such complex-looking apps (some of which we have covered earlier), AVG TuneUp is really user-friendly, not requiring the user to be tech-savvy to understand and interact with it. Read More

Got-IT For Android: Beautiful To-Do & Notes App With Google Tasks Sync

by Zayed Rehman on April 15, 2013

Android

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Got-IT might seem like just other task management + note-taking app, but with its intuitive and Holo-themed UI coupled with features like unlimited lists, swipe navigation, widgets and DashClock support, it could very well become the choice for many users for taking notes and managing tasks in a quick and simple manner. Developed by XDA-Developers forum member ‘Mikro ddd’, the app was built with inspiration from Google Now and Google Keep while adding drop-down menus and swipe navigation to the mix. We take a closer look at the app and see how well it fares, after the jump! Read More

Track Debts & Borrowed Items Across PC, Mac, Android & iOS With I Owe You

by Fatima Wahab on April 13, 2013

If you forget your phone at home or can't remember where you put the car keys, chances are you're the only one inconvenienced by your forgetfulness. Now imagine you promised to pay someone back some money you borrowed; not only does it make for an awkward situation when you are reminded of the pending debt, but it might also leave a bad impression of you on the other person. I Owe You is a web service with apps available for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone that lets you keep track of money or items that you've borrowed from someone, along with things or money that others have borrowed from you. The debts you enter can be one-time or recurring. A debt can easily be divided between several people (like a restaurant tab paid for all by one). I Owe You will send you notifications for overdue debts as well as for debts that are soon due. You can easily choose the type of notifications you receive. Read More

How To Install & Run Facebook Home On Unsupported Android Devices

by Sameed Khan on April 13, 2013

Android

Install-&-run-Facebook-Home-on-any-Android-device

As announced at Facebook's "New Home on Android" event, and a few days after its APK was leaked to the interwebs, Facebook Home was released to the Play Store today, but only in the US, and that too for a limited number of devices, namely HTC One X, One X+, One, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4. Where Facebook might be justified in localizing their product, we're sure there are countless users pouting in disappointment at having such a major release kept out of reach, and that too without an ETA on support for other regions and devices. Now, if you're a resident of the US and happen to own one of these devices (two of which are yet to hit the shelves), you needn't read on. If you own a supported device, but are in an unsupported region, you should only need to sideload the APK of the final release. If, however, you don't fulfill any of these requirements, as should be the case with quite a majority of Android-toting Facebook users around the world, join us past the break for a step-by-step guide on making your device Facebook Home-compatible! Read More

Universal Unroot Offers One-Click Unrooting For Any Android Device

by Zayed Rehman on April 13, 2013

Android

If you’re reading this, you already have a rooted Android device, or you’re looking for reasons not to root it. Sure, rooting your phone opens up a plethora of new possibilities for your device that are otherwise restricted by its manufacturers. Root access and the mods that follow, such as installing a custom recovery, and consequently, a custom ROM, are not meant for every novice Android user, which is precisely why most manufacturers want you to stick to the stock firmware. So, in order to discourage this practice and prevent complaints that lie outside the scope of support that a manufacturers can provide, consumer devices are designed with layers of protection. The procedure leading to the rooting your device not only makes you ineligible for troubleshooting support but also voids any warranty that you could have claimed from the manufacturer in case of a fault in the device. So you do what you can – you unroot the device before handing it in to customer support. However, this is not always as easy as it sounds, especially if you’re a novice who had his phone rooted by a friend. Enter Universal Unroot, the one root access removal app to rule them all! This app is the simplest one-tap unroot solution out there till date for any and all rooted devices. Details to follow. Read More

Chainfire’s Hotspot Control Removes WiFi Tethering Restrictions From Unrooted Android Devices

by Haroon Q Raja on April 12, 2013

Android

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Native Wi-FI tethering support has been a feature of Android since version 2.2 (Froyo), but it is disabled or hidden from the Settings in many devices, thanks to their manufacturers or the carriers that sell them. On certain devices, the feature automatically gets disabled if no SIM card is present in the device. There have been several solutions out there to bring this functionality back to such devices, but almost all of them require root access. If you’re unlucky enough to have this feature disabled on your Android device and don’t want to root it to get it back, Chainfire has a solution for you in Hotspot Control. Just released on Google Play Store, it is a tiny app that allows you to easily toggle Wi-Fi hotspot mode on your unrooted Android device on which the native feature is present but hidden or disabled by the device manufacturer or your carrier. Read More

Buzz Launcher For Android Boasts Crowdsourced Themes, Multi-Themed Layouts & More [Review]

by Zayed Rehman on April 10, 2013

Android

Ever looked at a friends Android device and envied the home screen layout and theme on it, wishing you could just swap the home screen or replicate the same deal on your device? Android enthusiasts end up spending quite some time tweaking their home screen themes and layout to personalize it to their needs and aesthetic sense, and why not? This is the freedom we get with Android! But what if you were able to replicate home screens from around the world, without the need to have to follow up on complicated setup instructions as presently practiced. Enter Buzz Launcher – the home screen replacement app that brings crowdsourced themes to the home launcher arena. However, unlike themes seen before for launcher apps that more or less focus on just icons and wallpaper, Buzz Launcher themes can completely change the layout and behavior of your home screen whilst including widgets, and work in a smarter and more intuitive manner. In what follows, we take a closer look at the truly unique features of what could become one of the best home screen replacements apps out there for Android. Read More

Install The Latest Redesigned Google Play Store 4.0.2.5 Right Away

by Haroon Q Raja on April 10, 2013

Android

Yesterday, Google announced an update to the Google Play Store app, bringing several user interface enhancements as well as a few new features to Android’s most popular app marketplace. The update has already started rolling out and according to Google, everyone should get it over the next few weeks. Though if you don’t want to wait for a few days or weeks to get the latest version of Play Store, we’ve got you covered. In what follows, we’ll take a look at some of the prominent changes made in the latest Play Store 4.0.25, and tell you how to get it up and running on your Android device right away. Read More

Overlays Turns Any Android Widget Into A Persistent, Floating Panel

by Zayed Rehman on April 09, 2013

Android

Just when you thought apps that could be run as overlays – such as Tiny Apps, Floating Browser Flux! and Super Video – were all the rage, Overlays for Android comes along with an offering that further builds on the concept. Overlays works with widgets, not apps, allowing you to use the widget of any app anywhere in the OS, all neatly managed through a robust profile system. Widgets can be resized and repoistioned freely, that is, they do not snap to a grid while you do so. Even better, you can do all this after the floating widget has been set and you are running your priority app. For a more closer look at what could be a step in the evolution of Android widgets, read on after the break. Read More

Get iOS Status Bar, Notification Center & Banners On Android With Espier Notifications

by Zayed Rehman on April 06, 2013

Android

Just a while back, we covered Espier Screen Locker, which replicates the iOS 6 lock screen on Android. The developers at Espier Studio are known for their efforts to bring the iOS look to Android devices and after Espier Launcher & Espier Screen Locker, they have released Espier Notifications. As you might have already guessed, the app brings you iOS-like notifications - both banners and prompts. There's more too - the app also adds an iOS 6-like status bar to your device, complete with an iOS 6-style Notification Center! There are plenty of options to configure such as changing status bar colors for specific apps, choosing the app for which notifications will be displayed in the Notification Center, and much more. Read on after the break to learn more about the app, as we take a closer look at it. Read More

[Giveaway] Mention: Google Alerts Alternative With Desktop, Mobile Apps & Analytics

by Fatima Wahab on April 05, 2013

A few days ago we covered Talkwalker Alerts - a free web alerts service that does pretty much what Google Alerts does, by letting you add as many web-based alerts as you like and monitor them via an RSS feed. It’s a good service and a reliable one should Google decide to axe its offering. Mention is a similar service that's more suited for users who use alerts extensively to monitor specific topics being discussed online. The service has both free and premium accounts available, with the free accounts limited to a total of three alerts and 50,000 mentions per month. Mention has apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android that allow you to monitor these alerts as they come. The service does not send email alerts, and your inbox therefore remains clean from the clutter. Mention has its own ‘inbox’ that you can read the alerts in. Alerts can be narrowed down to include or exclude a certain phrase/word, originate from specific source(s), and be in a language of your choice. Mention allows you to view stats for your alerts and download them in report form as a PDF file. Read More

How To Root Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 On Android 4.2.2

by Zayed Rehman on April 05, 2013

Android

Galaxy S4 rooted! No, this one actually works! Earlier, news hit the internet that the Samsung Galaxy S4 had been rooted, and I was almost tempted to break the news too when I saw the forum thread at XDA-Developers. However, news as it was, it was always going to be a risk asking our readers to hop onto the root bandwagon, owing to the fact that the developer had no device to test the method on. That's when recognized Android developer and XDA forum member ‘Chainfire’ stepped in to save the day and confirm root access! Read More