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Latest Blog Posts

Google Goggles

| FREE | Google Inc.
Bar code scanning comes to Google Goggles. I've never been completely sold on the accuracy or practicality of Google Goggles, but an update to the Goggles for Android app makes this experiment in photo searching more useful day-to-day. The new Google Goggles for Android 1.3 adds three significant features--faster Google's bar code and QR scanner, the ability to recognize print ads like in newspaper and magazines, and (for a curve ball) Sudoku. Google's bar code reader was an early addition, and in fact, Google's teams introduced the first bar code scanning app when the Android platform was just stirring--we saw it even before the first Android phone hit shelves. Google also helped make QR codes a more recognized part of the techie lexicon, though they're still far from mainstream. As for recognizing print ads in our tests, Goggles made fairly quick work of Shell and a Pringles logos we found in a glossy magazine. Instead of returning just a single Web link as the app did in an experiment earlier this year, the feature now returns full Web listings for Web sites, Wikipedia entries, images, and so on. It's the inclusion of Sudoku that throws me. Scan an entire Sudoku puzzle, and Google will calculate the answers. Now what kind of brain-teaser is that? One that nevertheless fits into the Google Labs psyche of experimentation, but it won't make you friends at any international Sudoku championships. Download Google Goggles for free from the Android Market. Read More
Posted Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:08:30 UTC +00:00
Skype pushed out an update to Skype for Android today, its VoIP telephony app for Android smartphones. Skype for Android 1.0.1 makes a number of changes based on its user feedback, which has been lukewarm overall. Among the bug fixes are support for 320x240-pixel (QVGA) and 240x400-pixel screen resolutions, support for the hardware "back" button, and behavior that exits Skype when you sign out. In addition, Skype has made its installer smaller and has done some work to improve stability and decrease power consumption while idling. However, some known issues remain. For instance, Skype.com links won't automatically open in the native browser for Android 2.0 and 2.1 phones and speakerphone issues for some phones in the Galaxy S series. The full list is here. Read More
Posted Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

PolitiCaster Right - Politics

| FREE | Handmark
Just in time for the midterm elections, app developer Handmark has launched two new political news apps, one aimed at liberals and the other at conservatives. PolitiCaster Left and Politicaster Right popped up in the Android Marketplace today and can be downloaded for free as both are ad-supported. On the left is a sample screen shot from PolitiCaster Left; the right is a grab from PolitiCaster Right. Each app compiles national and local political news from hundreds of sources in a single, tabbed interface, offering content customized for the opposing viewpoints. As the names suggest, PolitiCaster Left pulls a feed from liberal sites and blogs, such as Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Think Progress. Similarly, PolitiCaster Right features commentary from influential conservative sources such as The National Review, Red State, and Michelle Malkin. In addition, the apps integrate the top tweets from the respective parties as well as offer the option to directly share articles via e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. There's also a "Talk Back" feature that lets users send a personal message or forward any article to elected officials and popular political media personalities. Read More
Other apps in this post: PolitiCaster Left - Politics
Posted Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

Napster

| FREE | Napster
Shortly after announcing its gorgeous--but poor-sounding--app for iOS, Napster has released an update for its Android mobile software. Now, Android users who subscribe to the service for $9.99 per month can save playlists and albums for offline playback. With this new feature, the Android app is directly in line with the iOS app in terms of both functionality and interface. Here's hoping the former offers better audio quality, though. Read More
Posted Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:29:26 UTC +00:00

Bing on VZW

| FREE | Microsoft Corporation
Android continues to surge, Bing replaces Google search on some Verizon phones, and using your phone to jailbreak your PS3. Plus we cover the CNET News app and dig into the world of Widgets and shortcuts. This week's special guest: Senior Associate Editor, Nicole Lee! App of the week Notable App releases Tip of the week E-mail (androidatlas@cnet.com) Hey guys, In episode 13, Justin mentioned the voice recognition ""works very well, except for names"". Well, since the last Google contacts update, there exists a ""Phonetic name"" field for your contacts. In Gmail, open Contacts, open a contact, and in the ""Add"" drop down, there is the field ""Phonetic name"". I can see how they can flesh this out to offer much better voice-to-text and text-to-voice. In the mean time, it would be nice if they popped in a speaker button that would play back the name that you just phonetically entered. My wife and I both use voice-to-text for several phone functions, just not the contact searches due to frustrations with past (non-Google) implementations. Until you've mentioned this, I've never thought to give it a try, till now. Jon in Windsor, CA Read More
Other apps in this post: CNET News
Posted Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

Maps

| FREE | Google Inc.
Business-ratings app Yelp just got a massive dose of competition from a much larger source. Google updated its Maps for Android (version 4.4) on Monday in the Android Market to make its Place Pages business listings more usable. In doing so, Google's solution for taking business listings mobile resembles Yelp's Android feature set more than it ever has before. Once you install the update (and in our case, reboot your Android phone), you will see a new Places icon in your list of applications. Tapping the icon pulls up a finger-friendly interface with icons for seven categories you might try to locate nearby: restaurants, coffee, bars, hotels, attractions, ATMs, and gas stations. It has a search bar at the top, a shortcut to Google Maps app, and a GPS location bar to round out the view. An "add" button helpfully lets you create your own shortcuts for often searched terms, like the post office, movie theater, or bakery. As with Yelp, searching with the new Places interface delivers a sponsored link and information about businesses in your neighborhood, including an address, rating (if available), user reviews, and whether the business is currently open or closed for the day. You can also star it to add it to your favorites. Tapping the entry bring up more business details, such as the price level, Wi-Fi hot spot information, Web site address, as well as shortcut buttons to plot the location on a map, get directions, call the business, or get a Street View image. The app worked seamlessly in our quick tests in downtown San Francisco. However, its results page isn't as visually slick as Yelp is, and you can't add your own review (or snippets of a review) from the app. It's no surprise that Google scours Yelp, along with CitySearch, GrubHub, Read More
Other apps in this post: Places Directory
Posted Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

Google Voice

| FREE | Google Inc.
Not all smartphone apps for the Google Voice service are created equal, as we discovered back in September, 2009, when we put each through its paces on iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android phones. On Thursday, Google updated its Google Voice apps for Android--our hands-down winner--and BlackBerry, the runner up. (If you must know, we declared the iPhone experience to be "a load of crap.") A modest enhancement to Google Voice on Android and BlackBerry tweaks the back-end calling mechanism to make dialing a faster process when you call out. Though there's no real change to the feature set on the front end, Google says that callers should notice quicker connection times. Calls took longer to place through the previous apps because the software needed to request an access number from the Google Voice server before achieving a ringtone. Google has cut out a few steps in the process it's now calling "Direct Access Numbers" by assigning a particular phone number to each person you call. This skips the load required by your phone's data network to communicate with Google's server, Google explained on its blog. U.S. users of the Google Voice service can update to version 0.4 from the Android Market. Blackberry owners should go to http://m.google.com/voice from the mobile browser. Related stories: Read More
Posted Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

PriceGrabber

| FREE | PriceGrabber Mobile
PriceGrabber.com expanded its mobile portfolio beyond the iPhone on Tuesday when it released its Android application. The free title, which is available in the Android Market, offers many of the shopping tools found on the company's Web site. At its core is the ability to search the massive catalog spanning millions of products from thousands of merchants. Other features include product reviews from users and experts and the capability to purchase items directly from the handset. It's also possible to create a "wish list" with your favorite products. PriceGrabber's BottomLinePrice also makes the jump to mobile to help calculate the total cost of a product, including tax and shipping. One of the application's best features, however, is that the camera can turn into a barcode scanner. Scan the UPC code of pretty much any product and you get instant results as it hunts down the best prices from various retailers. After narrowing down a category and budget, the Gift Shaker feature randomly pulls up products and their accompanying prices. And if you don't like the results, just pull the lever again and start over. Though this feature might feel like a novelty at first, I found it to be handy after only a few minutes. With a summer full of birthday parties to look forward to, I can use this feature to help come up with creative ideas. Read More
Posted Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

SlingPlayer for Phones

| $29.99 | Sling Media Inc.
SlingPlayer Mobile has hit the Android market. Sling Media's $29.99 app, released Tuesday, lets Android users with Slingbox devices control their home TVs and DVRs to watch live or recorded content on their smartphones. Users must have a Slingbox Solo, Pro, or Pro-HD device and can connect through a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi network. The new Android version of SlingPlayer Mobile joins the company's other SlingPlayer apps for the iPhone, Palm OS, Symbian, and BlackBerry. SlingPlayer Mobile hits the Android market. SlingPlayer Mobile offers faster start-up and response times than its other mobile versions, according to Sling Media, and sports a new interface with quicker access to popular remote control features and recently viewed channels. The app is designed for a specific group of Android phones. But Sling Media is encouraging users with any Android device, including ones not listed on its site, to try SlingPlayer Mobile. If the app doesn't work or the person isn't satisfied, the company is promising a full refund within 24 hours of downloading. "Now the full spectrum of viewing, including local channels and sports teams, video on demand, pay per view and even control of their home DVR, is available to the growing number of people moving to Android," Sling Media General Manager John Gilmore said in a statement. The app is available from the Android Market in a range of countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K, and the U.S. Read More
Posted Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00

SoundHound ∞

| $4.99 | SoundHound Inc.
Budget-conscious Android users can now test-drive SoundHound's music recognition app for free. Got a song stuck in your head that you can't place? Instead of clicking up Shazam, music-ID app SoundHound may soon be the first stop for budget-conscious, Android-loving music aficionados. Today, SoundHound for Android, ordinarily $4.99, followed in the footsteps of its iPhone kin by debuting a free version. Like Shazam, SoundHound (known as Midomi, once upon a time) can record a few seconds of song straight from the source and return a plethora of information about the tune's title, artist, related videos, and where to buy it. What impresses us with SoundHound is that it takes the music-ID concept a couple steps further. It not only records a playing song, it lets you type, speak, sing, or hum the vocal details that you know. In addition, it packages either song lyrics or a link to a Google lyrics search into the results it returns. The free version does limit the service, but not by stripping away the lyrics search, often one of the defining premium features. Instead, SoundHound's freebie holds you to five music-recognition searches per month when you record a song snippet, sing, or hum, but the app still lets you input as many voice or text searches as you'd like without penalty. SoundHound and the premium version, henceforth known as SoundHound Infinity, will be available in the Android Market starting today. The music-ID app was good enough to make it into our Android Starter Kit, which spotlights a heap of essential apps you should consider for your phone, and which you should absolutely plumb for app suggestions right away (how's that for a shameless plug?) Read More
Posted Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 UTC +00:00