Category: Software (Android)

Checking in on elderly relatives easily

A smartphone is a great way to keep in touch. You can share not just voice calls but video calls, music and pictures too. My elderly relatives love using Skype to talk to their friends and relations from all over the world but it’s usually my smartphone and …

Hungry House for Android updated, get yourself a discount

Those boys at hungryhouse have been fiddling around with their Android app and sent me a 20% discount voucher last night to encourage me to try the updated version. If you do give it a spin then just enter “Jandroid” at the checkout to get 20% off your …

More cheap international calling – MobiVoip

I must admit, I’ve seen quite a few apps that’ll help you make cheaper international calls. Today it’s one called MobiVoip which, naturally, is available on .. err.. voipmobi.com. Anyhow, it’s available for both Android and iOS. You can make free video and voice calls between other users …

Samsung Galaxy S5 launch event schedule revealed

Need I say more really? Eldar Murtazin has a long history of correctly predicting these things, and indeed his information on the Samsung Galaxy S4 launch last year was spot on. According to information revealed in his latest tweet, we can expect the all-new Samsung Galaxy S5 to …

Chrome bandwidth reduction system breaks geolocation

Yesterday I pointed out that the new Google Chrome browser had received an extra feature to help reduce your data usage. The system pushes websites through a data compression proxy to squash down images and compress HTML, JavaScript and CSS. However, there’s a bit of a problem which …

Chrome updated, now adds data compression

You may have seen something very similar in Opera for years, but now Google are packing in their Pagespeed and SPDY technology into their browser too. After updating to the latest version we had to reboot to get the promised bandwidth reduction system, which can be turned on …

Do something for me. Just search for this one word.

Yesterday there were headlines about the fact that an app had been removed from both the Apple and Google app stores. The app in question was called “Plastic Surgery for Barbie” and was shown as being suitable for children. The issue many had was the fact that the …

HotOrNot refreshed. New apps now available

Last year I took a look at an app which let you upload a “selfie”. The app then lets other users rate your “hotness” but, as I mentioned at the time, it was a far cry from the original “Hot or Not” website. Well, Lookie here, the HotOrNot …

Xbox Music for Android update adds offline music support

When Xbox Music arrived on Windows Phone the other year I was a big fan, it offered what other subscription music streaming services offered and it had the benefit of working on my Surface and my Xbox. The only problem was using on my Android devices, the lack …

Cyanogenmod release a beta of their new Gallery app

A bad gallery app can leave you struggling to find a photo or struggle to share it to your chosen Cloud Storage. The stock AOSP gallery app is a bit basic and manufacturers like HTC or Samsung create their own versions. Cyanogenmod has shipped with the AOSP gallery, …

Centralize your business contact list easily

A company phone used to be a BlackBerry. In a lot of places it still is, but now there’s more and more people bringing their own devices into the workplace and using them instead. It’s called “BYOD” and those people “in the know” tell me that it’s massive …

Top 5 apps for December revealed

Good old Distimo eh? We all love them. No, me neither. However, they’ve done some research and, using bits of data from the Apple App Store and Google Play, they’ve got the top apps of December 2013. The top free apps from the Apple App Store included the …

Android App Review – Skiplock

If you’re using today’s super powerful smartphones like me, you are now carrying everything in your pocket, your bank details, your social networks and normally some irreplaceable photo’s of loved ones. So your phone should have some kind of password/PIN/pattern/facelock protection to stop unwanted eyes to getting to the …

Watch cartoons and movies for free

I’ll be honest and admit that this app isn’t the right and proper place to get streamed movie and cartoon content. It’s not Netflix and the app, named “Cartoon Plus”, has the infamous get-out-clause stating that it’s “just a search engine for content which is readily available on …

Parental Access – Monitor your child on their mobile

Getting your kids on the internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you want them to use a tablet or phone like their friends do, but on the other hand you want them to be safe. Parental Access, which is free and available for Android, seeks to …

Android 4.4.2 coming to UK Moto G’s soon

The 4.4.2 update to the Moto G was originally promised for early 2014, but Motorola says it’s “thrilled to start delivering on that promise early”. The Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is now available to Moto G handsets purchased on Motorola’s website and Amazon in the US. Motorola says the Moto …

Oppo N1 CyanogenMod preview video gives a taster of what to expect

Oppo teased the N1 to death before its recent launch, and now it’s Cyanogen’s turn as the CyanogenMod Edition nears release. The newly launched CM YouTube channel is now sporting a taster video so we can see why we’d want to opt for this non-standard version. http://youtu.be/VV-BPYgWDqc Focusing …

The moment when Android had to start again

Here’s a pretty interesting story from The Atlantic (no, me neither) with some revelations from Chris DeSalvo. He worked with Andy Rubin at Danger before switching to Google to work on Android. It was 2005 and Android was in the early stages, but by January 2007 and – …

Easily find your way around new places with WAM

I was trying to think of a whitty and informed intro to this post, just as a way to show how this app – called “WAM” (short for World Around Me”) – helps you find your feet in foreign or new places. Luckily, they’ve sent us this rather …

Phone Zombie takes an unexpected dip

My lunch break has become increasingly interesting in recent years. I meet new people and literally bump into them as I head out to grab a sandwich. It’s the “phone zombies” – those people who walk down a street staring at their phones. They put walking and avoiding …

Dropbox updated. Now with folder sharing management

Dropbox has been the online storage choice for many. However, if you’ve checked the app recently you’ll have noticed a pretty significant update. It’ll now let you manage those magical shared folders that you can invite your friends to view. Now send a link and invite people directly …

Sony announce the 4.3 rollout has begun

Sony announced a while back that the Z1 and Z Ultra would be getting the upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat early next year and that there would be an intermediate update to JellyBean 4.3. The time for the 4.3 update has now arrived and it is starting to …

Sonic gets added Sega juice

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 has been available on your mobile for a while now, but this new version has been remastered, earning it the title.. Errrr…. Remastered. After 21 years Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has been redone with better graphics, audio and new content including a new boss …

Replacement Android lockscreen Cover is now publicly available

A lockscreen on your phone is an essential part of the smartphone experience, over the years we’ve seen various attempts to add further functionality. We’ve seen manufacturers like HTC, LG and Samsung add app shortcuts to the lockscreen, we’ve seen Motorola add fancy notifications to the lockscreen and …

Instagram announce Instagram Direct

Instagram is rather popular these days, now available on most platforms (even including Windows Phone). It’s a photo sharing service that allows you to post pictures and images and your followers can see them, but what if you have a photo you only want to share with one …

Android App Review – Smart IR Remote

Having an infra red blaster on my phone has recently become something that I can really appreciate. The app offerings from HTC, LG and Samsung are a bit basic or they get bogged down with TV listings and the like. What I wanted was something I could fiddle …

Santa Claus is coming to town, follow him on your mobile

Santa, as you know, will be unloading his sack in your front room very soon. On Christmas Eve you can not only track his movements on Google Maps, but you can also now follow the jolly fella via this Android app too. The app includes lots of little …

GMail for Android updated with vacation responders and more

If you’re a GMail user then, if you’re honest, you’re probably never offline. However, if you do ever disconnect yourself, you’ll know that setting a vacation message is a bit of a pain. Currently in GMail you’ll need to log onto the normal web interface to set it …

Make your own Street View, right now on your smartphone

Those Google Street View cars are great. We’ve all quickly got used to the fact that we can log onto Google Maps and instantly view pretty much any road, lane or house in the country. There’s even a bike and back-pack version for covering the more remote areas, …

Google Play Music updated. Offline music storage added

The Google Play Music app has received a bit of a refresh this morning. Download it and you’ll get KitKat SD card support, which gives offline music capability. Not only that, but there’s the ability to shuffle songs in the “All Access” feature and Google have made it …

Sky Go tablet now available

Sky Go is a free app that allows you to watch the channels you pay for on the go via wifi or 3/4G, previously the only tablets it had been available for were iPads. Now Sky have released a new version of the app specifically for Android tablets …

TV Anywhere from Virgin, now for Android

Just recently Sky added more channels to their Sky Go service. It brought the total amount of “watch anywhere” channels to 57, but Virgin have today blown them out of the water by launching their TV Anywhere app for Android devices which gives access to 67 channels across …

Wallapop – Sell stuff free to your local area

At times eBay drives me round the bend. I’ll list something and, despite clearly showing UK delivery only, I’m bound to get people wanting me to post the item to Africa or to disclose the reserve price. Then they moan if you don’t send the item within 17 …

Be-Bound lets you stay connected out of data coverage

Are you one of those people who simply must be able to get online to read email? Or send a tweet? Is the mere thought of having no data coverage your worst nightmare? If so then the Be-Bound app, available on Android. might be just the thing. The …

Save our power buttons !

I was having a chat with a guy the other day. It was all a bit weird because he was in one cubicle and I was in another, but we ended up chatting about the power button on our Android phones. No, really. So anyway, you’re probably wondering …

Testing my sobriety .. with a smartphone

With the festive season fast approaching it’s important to remember that drinking and driving really don’t mix. For those that have had a few the night before, or who’s job requires regular testing, there’s now a new breathalyser which is small enough to hang off your keys. Not …

More channels added to Sky Go

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been writing several furious letters to those people at Sky TV about the lack of TV channels such as Eden, Alibi and Animal Planet on their mobile TV platform – Sky Go. The system lets you watch a range of channels …

AirDroid – Manage your Android from a browser

An app I use far too much is AirDroid. It basically offers a friendly and easy web interface into your Android handset. You can transfer files, send and receive texts easily, plus you can even activate and use the camera on your phone without being near it. You …