Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 08-23-2013

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Blip: Windows Phone set to be hipster hero as Instagram app confirmed Aug 23rd 2013, 12:30, by John McCann Windows Phone is surely already a pull for the hipster crowd what with it not being mainstream, dull as dishwasher Android or iOS, but it's about to gain another feather in its incredibly trendy hat in the form of the official Instagram app. The lack of some big-hitting apps from the Windows Phone store has seen the platform shunned by some but according to Nokia's Executive VP Chris Weber, Instagram is on its way to the platform. There's currently no word on a release date for the app, but it's certainly good news for Windows Phone and will hopefully encourage other big names currently missing from the platform to get on board. More blips! If you fancy more news from under the radar then check out some more of our great blips Star Wars Episode VII to shoot on 35mm, strike down digital Xbox One has 'best line-up of games in the history of consoles' Here's a photo of the black iPhone 5C, but it's probably fake Explained: What is BYOD and why is it important? Aug 23rd 2013, 11:30, by Dean Evans As many IT departments struggle to keep up with yearly technology changes, company employees increasingly want to use their own devices to access corporate data. It's part of a growing trend dubbed Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), which encompasses similar Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT), Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) and Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) initiatives. All of them have evolved to empower workforces through the so-called 'consumerisation of IT'. As part of this consumerisation, BYOD encourages company employees to work on the device they choose - accessing corporate email on their iPhone 5 or using a Google Nexus 7 to view text documents. The goal for SMBs? Increased productivity and reduced costs. But BYOD also has a darker side. If not fully understood and regulated, it can threaten IT security and put a company's sensitive business systems at risk. Why BYOD matters The driving force behind BYOD is a new IT self-sufficiency among company employees who already own and use personal laptops, tablets and smartphones. These mobile devices are often newer and more advanced than the equipment deployed by many IT departments. It's hardly surprising that the rapid adoption of lightweight Ultrabooks, iPads and large-screened phones are changing the way that people want to work. IT departments are playing catch up and could easily refuse to embrace the BYOD idea. Surely it's simpler to provide approved hardware and software applications so you can retain full control over them? But Richard Absalom, an analyst at Ovum, believes that BYOD will happen whether a company plans for it or not. He says: "Trying to stand in the path of consumerised mobility is likely to be a damaging and futile exercise." The best thing that an SMB or enterprise can do is be aware of the benefits and understand the risks. BYOD benefits and advantages There are some key advantages to operating a BYOD strategy, including increased employee satisfaction (they can work more flexibly), cost savings (reduced hardware spend, software licensing and device maintenance) plus productivity gains (employees are happier, more comfortable and often work faster with their own technology). As Mark Coates, EMEA VP at Good Technology, points out: "By enabling employees to securely and easily access corporate data on their own device, productivity levels will naturally increase. In terms of cost savings, there are huge benefits, since SMBs will not have to manage and fund a second device for employees." Shaun Smith, technology practice director at Xceed Group, agrees. "At Xceed Group, allowing the use of consumer devices has helped improve both productivity and staff motivation," he says. But he also strikes a note of caution. "For a company to decide if a BYOD strategy would work for them they need to ensure due diligence is conducted - simply evaluating the benefits versus risks." BYOD risks and disadvantages While BYOD sounds attractive, businesses need to consider the full implications of allowing corporate data to be accessed on personal devices that they could have little or no control over. What data can employees have access to? What security measures are in place if an employee's device is lost, stolen or compromised? This is where convenience clashes with security. "Security and the loss of devices with limited password protection is naturally a key concern," adds Smith. "Increased consumerisation in the workplace can bring with it an increased risk from threats such as hackers and viruses." There might also be cost implications. Even though IT hardware spend can potentially be reduced with a BYOD approach, it may cost more for a company to integrate and support a diverse range of employee devices. As Coates points out: "Android devices can be complex to manage as there are just so many different flavours - a huge variety of devices and a number of different versions of the operating system." By far the biggest risk is not having any sort of BYOD policy in place. "Businesses need to recognise the importance of taking action," says Smith. "After all, by ignoring the problem they may unwittingly expose themselves to attack and, as a result, legislative or reputational threats." Planning a BYOD policy The advent of BYOD is forcing IT departments and IT managers to develop and implement policies that govern the management of unsupported devices. Network security is paramount. Beyond passcode-protecting employee devices, these policies might involve encrypting sensitive data, preventing local storage of corporate documents and/or limiting corporate access to non-sensitive areas. "The first step for IT managers is to truly understand the problem they are trying to solve," suggests Coates. "And find the solution that matches. In addition to addressing immediate needs, the right solution will be scalable and manageable, and can grow with an organisation as its mobility strategy evolves and changes." Coates outlines three stages for implementing a BYOD policy, starting with secure device management. "This is the basic functionality of managing devices, both those employee-bought or company-supplied. Let employees work on mobile devices and make sure nothing catastrophic happens. This leads to great improvements in productivity and loyalty. "However, it's at stages two and three where true mobile productivity and insight comes in, as the focus shifts to mobile applications and data. First by tracking and deploying mobile applications and then establishing mobile collaboration through secure app-to-app workflows, where mobility can be a true catalyst for change." Implementing a BYOD policy There are already several key players providing BYOD solutions, ranging from complete sandboxed access through to more lightweight (but user-friendly) solutions, which are policy-driven. The key issue is to guard against data loss or leakage. Smith has some practical advice for anyone trying to develop a BYOD policy: "Where any device accesses or stores corporate data, a full risk assessment should be carried out against a variety of threats, and appropriate mitigations put in place. This could include anti-malware, encryption, passcodes, remote wipe, preventing jailbreaking, and sandboxing. "Invest in a solution such as Good for Enterprise that offers BES (Blackberry Enterprise System)-like functionality to Apple and Android devices, partition all corporate applications and data on devices to restrict the ability to 'cut and copy', enforce eight digit alpha-numeric passwords with a special character and install VMware or Citrix virtual clients on tablets." An effective BYOD solution will enable you to secure the data, not just the device. With this approach, IT departments need not worry about compromising security in the name of usability. "All in all, [BYOD] is about being innovative and helping your employees to work better," says Coates. "Employees want to use the devices that they are comfortable with in the workplace. They want to have the same experience at work that they have at home. People are used to using applications now, rather than browser-based solutions. By giving employees what they want, companies will ultimately benefit." Now read: Laptop vs tablet: which is best for a small business? Samsung Galaxy Note 3 may delay octa-core love for UK Aug 23rd 2013, 09:17, by Hugh Langley After hearing that Samsung was planning two variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – the quad-core Snapdragon 800 version and the eight-core Exynos 5 Octa – we're now told that the latter is being put on hold. This is reportedly due to some pesky overheating issues that have left Samsung waiting on more stable Exynos processors that won't burn our hands off. Brits were on the leaked list of those in line for the Exynos 5 love, so this is sure to get a few people frustrated if true. However the UK, US and Australia will still be be able to get their fingers on the Snapdragon 800 should it be the only version to launch on time. Colour us annoyed And while we're on the subject, it looks like Apple isn't the only one discover that the world isn't just black and white. Samsung is said to be bringing the Galaxy Note 3 in black, white and – get ready for it – pink. Whether or not this third one will make it past Korea remains to be seen, but it's claimed that the pink variant won't be available until a few weeks after the Galaxy Note 3's rumoured launch. We're expecting the Galaxy Note 3 to make its debut appearance on September 4 at the "Samsung Unpacked" event at IFA 2013. What else is going on with the Galaxy Note 3? Kogan Mobile pushing customers to Yatango Aug 23rd 2013, 02:30, by Nick Broughall While it seems that Kogan Mobile has had no luck talking to Telstra with the collapse of ISPOne and the subsequent end of Kogan Mobile, it hasn't stopped the virtual network from making deals with other virtual networks on behalf of its customers. Kogan Mobile customers yesterday received an email with an offer to make the switch over to the social mobile network Yatango. The offer includes a free 30 day trial of Yatango's network, including unlimited talk and text, 6GB of data and a free SIM card with delivery. After the trial period though, customers will need to work within Yatango's flexible plan parameters to work out a plan to suit them. Potentially cheaper, but not as simple Yatango operates on the Optus network rather than Telstra, and is promising 4G connectivity in the near future, which is a definite advantage over the 3G speeds of Kogan Mobile's network. But customers who like to pay for "unlimited" based plans to avoid the pitfalls of exceeding their included talk and text will probably not be satisfied with Yatango's offering. That said, Yatango's strategy is all about giving mobile customers the flexibility to control their plans month to month, which means that the majority of Kogan Mobile users could end up saving money. Looking for the best plan after Kogan mobile's demise? Here are the best Kogan Mobile alternatives. Intel reportedly blazing new 'Trails' for tablet processors in 2014 Aug 22nd 2013, 23:38, by Matt Swider Even before Intel ramps up production of its 22nm Bay Trail-based processors with Silvermont, the chip maker is already looking ahead to its line of new processors for 2014, according to a report this week. The company's next-generation tablet processors, Cherry Trail and Willow Trail, now have release windows, claims DigiTimes via Taiwan-based chip makers. The 14nm Cherry Trail is expected in the third quarter of 2014, while the 14nm Willow Trail looks as if it's going to follow soon after in the fourth quarter. Cherry Trail specs are said to feature Intel's 14nm Airmont architecture and a clock speed of 2.7GHz with a Gen8 GPU. A few months later, tablets with Willow Trail are going to include Intel's 14nm Goldmont architecture and a Gen9 GPU to support both Windows and Android operating systems, according to DigiTimes. Playing the smartphone 'field' Intel is also looking to make significant gains with smartphone systems-on-a-chip this year and into 2014, according to the same report. The No. 1 semiconductor chip manufacturer is said to be prepping the 22nm Merrifield SoC for the end of 2013. Merrifield should give next-generation smartphones an edge, which is rumored to be boosted by a 50% performance increase and feature longer battery life over Intel's current Clover Trail+ platform. Want "moore?" Intel's Moorefield platform is likely to improve upon those specs in the first half of 2014 and 14nm Morganfield will do the same in the first quarter of 2015, according to Taiwanese sources. Read about the future of Intel processors. Call-making, GPS-capable smartwatch scores Kickstarter backing Aug 22nd 2013, 21:50, by Chris Smith A new smartwatch that can make calls, send texts, access web content and do GPS navigation, independently of a smartphone, has achieved its modest Kickstarter funding goal. The Omate TrueSmart, which is more watchphone than smartwatch, reached its $100,000 (about £64,000, AU$111,000) funding goal in one day and is now sitting pretty at $202,643 (about $130,000, AU$225,000) with 28 days remaining. It's easy to see why it's proved popular. As well as the cellular and 3G tech, the Truesmart has a built in 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of internal storage, a dual-core 1.3GHz processor and 4GB of internal storage. The IP67 water-resistant (suitable for swimming) device boasts has a 1.5-inch touchscreen, runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and can also be controlled via gestures and voice. The TrueSmart, which can be secured from $179 (around £115, AU$199), is also being touted as a companion device for smartphones thanks to the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Pebble chasing With so much cash in the bank so early the device is now - barring any of the Kickstarter horror stories of recent months - guaranteed to go into production. It's the second high profile smartwatch to get its start on the popular crowdsourcing site. The now-on-sale Pebble earned an astonishing $10 million from backers who believed in the project. With such a positive response in 24 hours, New York-based, South Korean company could be in line for a similar windfall. The TrueSmart's arrival also arrives at a pivotal time for the wearable devices with Samsung primed to launch its rumoured Galaxy Gear watch at its Unpacked Event on Sept. 4. Apple is also thought to be preparing an iWatch to complement iOS devices, although it seems less likely to see the light of day before 2013 is out. Sony teases new Xperia smartphone with power button pic saying 'not long now' Aug 22nd 2013, 18:30, by Lily Prasuethsut Sony has already been in the news this week with rumors that the Sony Xperia i1, a.k.a. Honami, might actually be called the Sony Xperia Z1. Now today, just a few weeks before a possible Sept. 4 reveal at IFA in Berlin, Sony has released its own teaser image via Facebook of a power button on the edge of a device captioned, "It's the smartphone everyone's been talking about ... not long now #bestofSony." There's no mention of what the device is but we're going to take a wild/not so farfetched guess and say it's the next Xperia. 'The best of Sony is about to get better' The sharp of eye will notice that Sony continued to play coy and commented on its own photo with a link asking Facebook fans if they "Want to know more?" The link just takes you to a Facebook app page with the same image and caption, but you can also sign up for updates and "be amongst the first to get the latest Xperia smartphone." For a condensed recap of all the Sony Xperia i1/Honami/Z1 rumors, check out the video below. We'll keep you updated on when the next tease and rumor pops up. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMLuUWeU1DQ#t=14 Sony's trying to one-up its best flagship, the Sony Xperia Z, but Apple wants to downgrade with the iPhone 5C. Treasure chest of potential gold iPhone 5S photos surface Aug 22nd 2013, 17:12, by JR Bookwalter Avast, me hearties! There's no need to go plundering for gold doubloons in Davy Jones' locker, because the land lubbers in Cupertino may have plenty to offer with the next iPhone. A helping of images emerged today thanks to Japanese site ASCII, with more popping up on AppAdvice too. The images purport to show a the iPhone 5S in a champagne colored cloak. Several images slide the golden-hued next-gen iPhone in between black and white versions of the iPhone 5. To throw another kink in the rumor wheel, Mashable speculated that the phone on the right could be a hereto unheard of silver version of the iPhone 5S, but we're not really buying that. Of course, grab your salt shaker (or 24K gold flake shaker, if you prefer) as images can be easily faked, but the gold iPhone 5S rumor is certainly steaming full speed ahead. A pirate's bounty Although the latest round of leaked images seem to be quite convincing, the gold back shown above has a few minor differences worth noting. For one, the "iPhone" etching is done with what appears to be a thinner typestyle than the other models, which also include FCC markings and the telltale phrase "Designed by Apple in California" missing from the gold variation. Other high-resolution images published on AppAdvice show the same gold back, this time with an elongated hole next to the camera lens, again suggesting an upgrade to dual-LED flash with this year's flagship model. We could also be looking at the iPhone 5S in black next to it. Although several sources have confirmed a Sept. 10 date for the next iPhone unveil, Apple remains mum on the subject. Sit tight, but start saving your doubloons if you're looking to buy a new iPhone. Gold is a nice choice, but the Moto X has 2,000 different color combos you can create. PayPal launches mobile app-based payment system Aug 22nd 2013, 16:10, by Jay McGregor PayPal Here, a new mobile payment system, is now available in the UK. The system has been designed to simply payments for small business who normally take cash-in-hand payments and don't have card reading machines. Instead, payments are made by inserting the card into a PayPal branded card reader, which costs £99. The payment is processed on the seller's phone via a free app. PayPal's own research shows that 72% of people are likely to pay a smaller business with card if card payments are offered and 61% of adults in Britain would prefer paying by card, rather than cash, for amounts lower than £50 The small print There is, however, a 'small' charge levied with every transaction – 2.74% for every payment accepted with Chip and PIN cards and/or PayPal Check in. Or a larger 3.4% plus 20 pence charge for card payments made by swiping the magnetic stripe or manually keying in the card details. The additional cost could put some consumers off, especally when it wouldn't cost any more to simply pay by cash – even if this way is more convenient. Updated: Best free Android apps 2013: 80 to choose from Aug 22nd 2013, 15:00, by Gary Cutlack and Lily Prasuethsut Best free Android apps 1-20 The open source nature of Google's OS means there are plenty of fantastic apps for Android to be found. And most of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone. So here's our pick of the top free Android apps you should install. 10 best tablet PCs in the world today You can find more great apps at Top 200 best Android apps. Also why not check out our video of the top 10 free Android games? FutTv : n129069G01eX4 1. Trailer Addict iOS 6 users have Apple Trailers, and Android fans have Trailer Addict, a timely, high-resolution source for the latest move trailers. Trailer Addict hosts official versions of movie trailers, and unlike YouTube, you won't have to wade through idiotic user comments or wait to skip an ad before your video loads. There's just the occasional banner ad at the bottom of the screen. So while most summer blockbusters are garbage these days, you can enjoy the best part, the trailer, while on the go. TA makes a great addition to an HD screen and 4G LTE. 2. Juice Defender With great power comes a great drain on battery life. If you've got a whopper of a handset that chews through its charge at an unreasonable rate, you can squeeze some extra percentage out of it with Juice Defender. JD is an awesome suite of active and background functionality. It includes a powerful task manager for dumping and disabling battery tasking apps, and it can be set to automatically toggle charge sucking features like 4G LTE and WiFi. If you've got an HTC One X + or One X, you need juice defender. 3. Swiftkey 4.0 One of the best parts about the Android OS are third-party keyboards, and while it's hard to pick the best set of digital keys, Swiftkey is certainly in the running. It actually builds a heat map of how you type, meaning if you tend graze the right side of the A key, Swiftkey will adapt to that. It'll also read your email and Facebook posts, if you let it, in order to learn your most common phrases. That means that typing "hey man what's up?" can be reduced to five keystrokes or so. Best Android Keyboards 4. Screebl Screebl is a brilliant little utility for saving battery life and killing your phone's annoying habit of dimming the screen when you're trying to read. It uses your phone's gyroscope to guess when you're actively watching the screen, and when it can go dim to save some juice. It's a shockingly good guesser, making it the perfect background app for battery fiends and avid smartphone readers. It makes a great sidekick for Instapaper! 5. Speed Test Whether you're looking for bragging rights with your tech buddies or you're just curious why the speed you experience varies so widely depending on where you are, Speed Test is a great way to find out what type of data speeds you're experiencing. Of course, data speeds also vary from carrier to carrier, so Speed Test is also a great way to shop for the carrier that has the best speeds in your area. 6. Dropbox Available on nearly any platform currently available, from PCs and Macs, to cell phones and tablets, Dropbox provides an excellent method for backing up data to the cloud as well as accessing that data on the go. You can also set Dropbox up to automatically back up data from your phone. While Dropbox is free with 2GB of storage, users can increase their available storage by adding new devices and referring other users. Pro plans which offer significantly more storage are also available for a monthly fee. 7. Seesmic There are many Twitter apps on Android - and Twitter itself shook up the scene with the launch of its own-brand app - but we're sticking with Seesmic. Offering support for multiple accounts, a home page widget showing latest tweets and an incredibly slick and professional design, it's one of the finest examples of app development out there today. Best Android phone - which should you buy? 8. Facebook for Android Facebook for Android is lacking in features compared to Facebook itself, but a recent update added Inbox support to the Android app, finally allowing its users to communicate in almost real time. The app is fast and stable, with a simplicity that reminds you of the old days when using Facebook used to be bearable. 9. Hotmail/Outlook Microsoft has teamed up with developer SEVEN to offer an official Hotmail app for Android, which gives users a simple, clean interface, push notification support and even lets you manage multiple Hotmail accounts from within the app. If your email needs haven't yet been assimilated by Google, it's a useful option. It's since been rebranded as the Outlook app, in keeping with Microsoft's changes to its mail site. 20 best Android widgets 10. Google Sky Map A stunning app that renders Patrick Moore obsolete, by using your phone's orientation tools to give you an accurate representation of the stars and planets on your screen. Point your phone at the sky, then learn what constellations are visible and if that's a UFO or just Venus. Google Sky Map even works indoors, if you're not keen on getting cold. 11. SoundHound If you're in a store shopping or happen to hear a song without the radio announcing the band, whip out the SoundHound app to figure it out for you. Or if you like, hum or sing the tune and the app should be able to recognize it. 12. Foursquare The social media darling Foursquare is represented in fine form on Android, with the Google app offering easy one-click check-ins, integrated Google Maps for a seamless Google-branded experience and home page shortcut options to all your favorite places. 13. WordPress for Android WordPress for Android started out as independent creation wpToGo, before WordPress decided it liked it so much it bought it up - hiring the maker to develop it in-house. It's very feature-packed, with the latest version offering full integration with other apps, letting you spin content and send it directly to the app for easy updating. It could do with more image insertion tools, though. 14. Google Goggles A bit of a novelty, in that Google Goggles lets you take photos and have Google analyze them and come back with a search results page for what it thinks you're looking at. However, the app's main use is as a QR code reader, which lets you scan barcodes for quick access to apps and whatever data people choose to embed in the odd little data squares. 15 best Android tablets in the world 15. Winamp Yes, the same Winamp from a decade ago. It's had an Android app for some time, with recent updates adding support for iTunes, Mac syncing, plenty of music streaming options, new release lists and Shoutcast integration for radio support. It's a fine, free media player. 16. Samsung ChatOn There are plenty of messaging tools on Android, but Samsung's beats many of them by offering multi-platform support - with clients even available for older Samsung non-smart feature phones. It could be the ideal way to keep in touch with an out of touch relative. More "with it" users will be able to use its drawing, image sharing and social networking features. 17. Skyfire 3.0 The USP of the Skyfire browser is that it supports Flash content, popping up a little window when it detects an embedded YouTube video or something similar. The actual Flash business is handled by Skyfire's server, which does all the computery stuff, then sends the file to your handset. A bit clunky on slower Android phones, but it works like a dream on models with faster processors.Despite the arrival of Flash with Android 2.2, this is still relevant for those on phones and Android versions not able to support Adobe's Flash Player. 18. Swype The odd line-drawing alternate keyboard Swype is a love-it or hate-it kind of thing, with the significant amount of re-learning required to make the most of it quite offputting to some users. But, once you're familiar with the idea, it's genius - with advanced prediction options further speeding your line-typing. Swype is not available through the Android Market - the only way to install is is via a direct download from the maker. 19. Evernote After the Android version of Dropbox, the next best solution for keeping all your "business" in one place is Evernote - it lets you stash and sync all your text notes, voice memos and files on your phone and access them through a desktop computer. 20. Flickr As well as supporting Flickr uploading, this app also lets you capture photos from within the app and comes complete with a set of filters, so you can hipsterize your life with ease. It supports sharing with Twitter and Facebook as well, so your other, non-photo-nerd friends can enjoy the results of today's snapping session. Best free Android apps 21-40 21. Last.fm The subscription-based thrills of Last.fm open up a world of music streaming on your mobile. You have to "buy in" to the odd Last.fm way of organizing things and suggesting new music, but if you're easily led and not restricted by bandwidth it's a superb tool. 22. Google Maps Navigation An absolute must-get. As long as you have Android 1.6 or above, the latest update to Google Maps introduces turn-by-turn voice navigation, simultaneously devastating the satnav industry while boosting the in-car dashboard dock/charger accessory scene. Route calculations are done at the outset of your trip, minimizing data transfer en route and keeping you on target even when the GPS signal drops. It's amazing, it works, and it's free. 23. Catch Notes A simple note-taking tool, Catch Notes lets you sync those disjointed, late night thoughts you have together into one huge, incoherent database. If you have a Snaptic account you're able to sync the Android app with that, too. Or, you can simply log in with your Google details for instant mobile jotting. Once written, notes may also be pinned to the home screen, creating a little post-it note-style reminder icon. 24. Astrid Astrid describes itself as an "open source" task list, which includes syncing support with rememberthemilk.com for the ultimate in minutiae management. You set a list of tasks and are then able to order them according to their importance - also setting off a timer to see precisely how long you've wasted on Twitter instead of doing the job at hand. It's basically the world's most complex and in-depth personal to do list, which, if used correctly, will consume more time than the tasks themselves. Ideal for expert-level procrastinators. 25. Skifta Skifta is the first software tool to be granted DLNA certification, meaning it turns your Android phone into an official DLNA device. This in turn means streaming all of your household media to your phone, and beaming your phone videos to your TV. Seems a little buggy at the moment, but there are plenty of updates arriving all the time. Requires Android 2.2 or higher. 26. Amazon Amazon recently launched an official Android app, replacing its reliance on a mobile web store. The app's very simple and fast to use, and even includes full shopping cart features with Amazon's one-click system once you've signed in with your usual account details. 27. Meebo IM If you like to pass the time exchanging smiley faces and abbreviations with your friends through instant messaging apps, you should get a copy of Meebo IM. It's an instant messaging aggregator, incorporating AIM, MSN, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook, good old ICQ and more, serving everything up in one convenient interface. Typing in all your logins and passwords for everything is the only, very temporary, inconvenience. 28. Beelicious If you're into the slightly last-generation social networking site Delicious, you need to get organized with one of the many third-party Android apps out there that support the bookmarking tool. Such as Beelicious, which, once you've got through the slightly cumbersome initial set-up process, lets you simply send website links to your Delicious account via the Android browser's "Share Page" sub menu. 29. TweetDeck A star on the Twitter app scene, TweetDeck for Android is one amazing little tool. As well as presenting your timeline, DMs and replies in separate side-by-side panels that you swipe the screen to flip between, it can also pull in Facebook status updates. And mix it all in together. And it does Foursquare. And Buzz. 30. Mixology For those over 21, Mixology provides a fantastic free app for budding bartenders. There are a ton of recipes with a bunch of ingredients to choose from so you can create your very own cocktails. The app even gives you bartending terms, tips and tricks to help you out. 31. Google Reader Google has brought its RSS feed tool into the app era, launching its Google Reader for Android. It's got some great functionality built in, with support for multiple Google accounts and plenty of thread customization options. You're also able to use the volume rocker to page up and down between messages, which is handy for extra-lazy news assimilation. 32. Amazon Kindle Amazon's Kindle app is a great e-reader, which is seamlessly linked with your Amazon account. Support for magazines and newspapers is limited at the moment, with only a handful of niche publications in Android-friendly format. But for books it's great, with plenty of screen and text display options to get it looking a way that hurts your eyes the least. Another exciting new way to collect classic novels you'll probably never get around to reading because there's the internet now. 33. Endomondo The free version of Endomodo is essential if you're sporty, or even if you just like using a GPS tool to stalk yourself walking around. You select an activity, initiate GPS mode and it'll keep track of you, time you and even whisper robotic words of encouragement at you, before generating a stylish map charting your achievements. A map which you can spam out to social networks to show off the fact that you can ride a bike. 34. Androidify Let your hair down by creating a realistic interpretation of what you hair looks like with Androidify. It's an avatar creator that uses the Android mascot as its base, letting you swap trousers and hats with the swipe of a finger. Results are then sharable via Twitter and the usual social tools. There aren't enough types of beard, though. Please release a Beard Expansion Pack. 35. Kongregate Arcade Thanks to Android's Flash Player powers, casual gaming portal Kongregate is able to bring a huge number of its internet games to Android. They run in the browser so resolutions can be a bit all over the place, but with more than 300 games to choose from there's bound to be something there for you. 36. Blogger The Google-owned Blogger platform now has a presence in the current decade, thanks to the official Blogger app. It's remarkably simple, supports image uploads and geo-tagging and imports the settings of all blogs associated with your Gmail account. There's no fancy editing the positions of your photos, which just get chucked in at the bottom, but it works. 37. RD Mute RD Mute serves one purpose - to turn off all phone sounds when the Android accelerometer tells it you've picked it up and turned it over. It's a "silent mode" shortcut for when you can't even be bothered to press a button. Put your phone on its front to shut it up - and add any very important numbers to the app's exceptions list, so people you don't mind talking to can get through. 38. OnLive The technically astounding streaming video gaming service has now arrived on Android, with an official OnLive app letting Android users play console titles on their phones and tablets via Wi-Fi. It's best played on devices with big screens, but it'll still run on something as relatively modest as an HTC Desire. On-screen controls are the big trade-off, here - but it will work with OnLive's Bluetooth wireless controller, if you've seriously bought in to the OnLive dream. 39. Google Drive Google Drive is already a major cloud server site online so it makes sense that you can access your files on the go in a simple, efficient manner. It's a great free app as it syncs everything so you never lose your important docs again, and create new ones if you're not in front of your computer. 40. eBay Another app that's been out there for a while on Android, the eBay tool has also been updated so much that it's now a credible alternative to the desktop site. A recent update brought the ability to list items direct from the app, while there's a simple PIN system that makes paying for your winnings via PayPal much simpler and less convoluted than it is on the full blown web site. Best free Android apps 41-60 41. Path Path is an alternate social network, designed to make sharing things with friends easier and more... personal. It does simple stuff like share your music listening history, then it does weird stuff like track how many hours you've slept for. It's also location aware, so if you'd like it to broadcast your every movement, that's possible. And if you can't pull yourself away from Facebook, stuff from here can be posted up there, too, although posts can also be locked so they never leave Path if you'd prefer. 42. Yelp Yelp gives you a similar option to Google's wide range of social place reviews, only here you also get an augmented reality screen display, so you can point it at the skyline and see what five-star eating establishments are in the area. Places are backed up by user reviews, too, making it easy to get an up to date opinion on how generous a particular cafe is with the chips. 43. Chrome Everyone's new favorite browser is now represented on Android, with Google putting a full mobile version of Chrome up on the Play Store. It's a little limited in scope for users of older devices as Android 4.0 or higher is required to run it, but if your phone ticks that box Chrome on Android offers unlimited tabs in a nice pop-up list, desktop bookmark and open tab syncing, offline saving of pages and even that occasionally very useful incognito mode for covering your weirder tracks. 44. Recipe Search - by Allthecooks Cookbooks are a thing of the past now that there are so many recipe apps available. Allthecooks has created a nice little communal index of thousands and thousands of user added recipes to try, all with great instructions and photos. 45. TED The series of talks by the tech industry's most well-respected nerds, in which they try to explain high concepts in a way the likes of us can understand, is now represented on Android. The TED app lets users browse its database of more than 1,000 TED talks, all free to download and try to get through in one go without having your brain explode. 46. ISSLive Let's be honest - ISSLive looks awful. But beneath the clumsy interface and geeky layout sit all sorts of facts and coverage from the International Space Station, with plenty of live feeds, mission, crew and experiment data and even a 3D recreation of Mission Control down there in Houston to ... look at. An oddball collection of the interesting and the mundane, like an episode of MythBusters. 47. Netflix The Netflix app does it all, offering access to the full catalogue of digital film and TV rentals, presented in a clean and simple layout. The only fancy features are PC syncing so you can pick up where you left off on mobile if it's getting near bed time, plus Facebook sharing so everyone can keep up on how your MadMen marathon is going. 48. Wikipedia A new way to look at the pleading face of Jimmy Wales. The official Wikipedia Android app is very nice to use, presenting a simplified version of the desktop site's content, plus an ever-useful offline saving option if you need access to pages when out of reception range. You also get location aware features, making it easy to randomly browse for interesting things in your vicinity. 49. Noom Weight Loss Coach Exercising is difficult when you're busy, busy, busy and maybe a tad bit lazy. Noom Weight Loss Coach provides a nifty free app that helps coach you with an exercise tracker, weight loss plan and food logging so you can feel a little bit more motivated to stay healthy. 50. Fancy Fancy is a reminiscent of Pinterest but with an emphasis on actually buying the items on your wishlists. Basically, if you want to create an actual list of goodies you want to buy a friend for his birthday, Fancy's the app for you. 51. Amazon MP3 Amazon's MP3 service is surprisingly clever. Tracks bought from the retail giant are automatically stored within the company's "cloud" servers, from where you can instantly stream them back to your Android device. Sadly, you're a little limited in the number of existing MP3s you can upload from your own collection, but for building, managing and streaming a legit Amazon music catalogue the Amazon MP3 app is a great, stylish option. 52. Amazon Appstore There's only one reason to have the Amazon Appstore on your phone or tablet - free stuff. Amazon is enticing users to stick its alternate Android app store on their devices with the promise of a free app every day, with some classics like Sega's ChucChu Rocket and World of Goo featuring as previous daily freebies. The catch is these are unsupported releases, meaning no updates or fixes in the future, but you can't moan too much about getting some ace freebies every day. 53. Flipboard Flipboard is pretty much just a fancy RSS reader, which does a superb job of pulling text and images from pages, sites and social networks and presenting it in a gloriously sexy magazine-like manner. The Flipboard app has recently been updated with a full tablet interface style, for the ultimate in glossy media consumption. 54. avast! Mobile Security Protect your Android phone with this free security from avast! anti-virus and anti-theft services. The app has a bunch of handy tools like SMS/call filtering, privacy report, apps manager and more to keep your device safe and hacker-free. 55. History Eraser Have a ton of junk in your phone but you're too lazy or pressed for time to go through each item? History Eraser takes care of all your garbage needs by cleaning out your history with one tap allowing more internal storage. 56. BaconReader for Reddit Love Reddit? Then you'll enjoy this app. BaconReader was created for seasoned Redditors and newbies with simplicity and instant access in mind. 57. Go SMS Pro Bored of your stock text messaging system? Try the free Go SMS Pro messaging app for personalized themes, over 800 emoticons and auto reply. 58. StumbleUpon StumbleUpon is a fun online discovery tool made into a equally fun app. Browse and share the weird and cool mysteries of the internet all tailored to your interests. Trust us, you'll spend hours gawking at photos, watching vids and reading articles about everything. 59. Dictionary.com Stuck on a word? This handy app is incredibly useful and surprisingly thorough and fast. Peruse the whole dictionary and even the thesaurus, plus listen to audio pronunciations for when you come across words like "floccinaucinihilipilification." (Don't know what that word means? Download the app and look it up! No cheating and using your computer though). 60. Snapseed Instagram is fun and all that but doesn't provide very many photo-editing options beyond the 20 or so filters. Snapseed provides an amazingly large selection of editing tools and directions made easy with the user friendly interface. Best free Android apps 61-80 61. Google Translate Google Translate is probably already your go-to tool when on a computer - though whether it is or not, it's worth downloading this free translator especially if you're a traveling. The app translates speech, handwriting and pictures of text between more than 70 languages. 62. Duolingo "Learn for free. Forever" is Duolingo's motto and it couldn't be more easy or fun with this app. Choose from Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French or English and learn basic words, phrases and so much more through various kinds of lessons. Duolingo is so comprehensive, it's a amazing the app is free. 63. OverDrive Media Console Libraries are sadly, slowly fading away though that doesn't mean they're completely gone. The OverDrive Media Console app houses an e-library with a huge selection of e-books and audiobooks from over 22,000 libraries worldwide. Create lists, place holds and automatic returns with no late fees are the perks of this app, however a valid account with a participating library is required (as it should be). 64. CNN Watch the network on TV? Well you can also keep up with the news with the CNN app too. A nice little addition is the contribution feature called iReport which lets you upload pictures and video along with your very own story. 65. Viber If you feel like connecting with your buddy in Japan or the U.K. then Viber is the app for you. Completely free, use Viber to call, text and send photo/video messages worldwide over Wi-Fi or 3G. It's also a great app if you're traveling, though if you're saving money by using Wi-Fi, the app can cut in and out so be wary of spotty connections. But it's free, and gives you a chance to call home so we can't really complain. 66. Pinterest Probably the most popular online tool for sharing and finding, well basically anything and everything, Pinterest has become quite the tour de force for marketing (heck, even Amazon has its own version now). Download the app for pinning on the go - it's been updated with a more stylish and simpler UI allowing for quicker pinning and board browsing. 67. Songkick Concerts Songkick Concerts smartly scans your devices' music library, Google Music account etc., and includes your location to let you know your favorite bands are in town. The app can even schedule concerts in your calendar so you can see exactly when to start lining up at the venue. 68. IMDB You're at a party and you want to find out that name of that guy in that one movie - what's a person to do? Find out with IMDB of course. Boasting the world's largest film and TV database, you can also use the site's free app to search movie times and watch movie trailers. 68. SnapPea SnapPea seamlessly moves stuff from your PC to your phone and vice versa. This free app does practically everything - it manages contacts, photos, music, video and even allows texting from your PC with a desktop app. It's a great back up system and can connect through Wi-Fi or USB. 69. Red Laser There are plenty of barcode scanners out there but free app Red Laser is a particularly good one. The app can scan a variety of code, then searches and compares prices. If there's no barcode on hand, you can also type in the product, use your voice or snap a pic. There's even a QR scanner if you need one (though you probably won't). 70. Zillow Sick of browsing Craigslist for a place to live? Try Zillow's free app. You'll probably still get headaches from searching, but at least the app is presented in an easy to use layout with a lot of great features - for example, mortgage calculators and loan quotes with a ton of listings available. 71. MapMyRun GPS Running There's plenty of exercising apps (in fact we have a few great ones on this list) but MapMyRun is essentially what its name suggests - a free app fantastic for running. What sets this app apart is the fact that all you need to do is press one button and you're good to go as it will record your route via GPS, mileage, time and calculate burned calories. Heck, you could map dog walking if you wanted since there are over 600 options to pick from. 72. Pocket Yet another app syncing service is on our list, we know. But Pocket is a little different. Actually a lot different. Other then the usual syncing to every device schtick, you don't need the internet to see what you've saved away. Additionally, Pocket pockets (pun intended) anything you want, be it videos, articles, web pages and so forth. 73. Groupon Groupon is a pretty popular deals site and the app makes saving quite easy if away from a printer and computer. Since every deal is immediately ready to use, you can snatch it up, head to the location and use the voucher right from your mobile device as easy as 1-2-3. 74. Google Keep Similar to Evernote, Google Keep basically does the same thing - checklists, photo notes with annotations, voice notes. It's worth adding to this list since it can be synced with Google Drive and sometimes, it's just nice to have everything in one place. 75. OpenTable Make reservations in a jiffy with OpenTable, plus find restaurants by narrowing down search results to location, date, time and party size. You can also get rewarded for using the app to get dining certificates at OpenTable-ready restaurants. 76. Vivino Wine Scanner Hey there new winos, here's a great app for you. Vivino lets you scan and snap wines to find out more about a confusing brand, helping you figure out if it's the perfect drink for your meal. The app also provides prices, comparisons, reviews, ratings, and lets you bookmark favorites which it uses to give you recommendations. 77. Sports Republic For sports fans, Sports Republic is a great free news app to keep up with all the happenings of the sports world. If you're a hockey freak but not too fond of football, the app lets you customize your home screen to allow only hockey news in. Or however many sports you like. 78. Timetable Aimed at students, this wonderful little organization app has calendars, grids for classes, notifications for lessons, task lists and syncing between devices. Timetable also has a neat little tool that automutes your phone during class. 79. Touchnote Cards This is an interesting free app that lets you send actual, physical postcards and greeting cards to whomever you want, wherever you want. Use the app to create the card from your photo library and it gets sent out after being laminated. Though there's a fee of $1.49 for a postcard and $2.98 for the giftcard, it's a cheap, fun and personalized way to send someone a hello by mail. 80. Avocado Made for couples, or close friends, this app lets you create private messages, photos, doodles, lists, calendars and more with a special someone. It's a bit cheesy, but at the same time really fun and unique. AT&T 4G LTE rolls out to small cities you've never heard of Aug 21st 2013, 18:53, by Matt Swider AT&T is putting more 4G LTE coverage on the map, announcing that it will roll out its faster data speeds to 50 additional small cities by the end of the year. This includes blips on the radar such as East Stroudsburg, Penn., which has an estimated population of 10,000 people, as well as larger cities like Amarillo, Texas and its 190,000-plus residents. Many of the small cities on AT&T's 4G LTE list aren't immediately recognizable, meaning that high-speed data is finally coming to "everyday America," not just major metropolitan areas. The full list of AT&T's new, 4G LTE-bound cities include Fairbanks, Alaska; Kauai, Hawaii; Twin Falls, Idaho; and Fargo, N.D. in the west. In the east, cities like Sandusky, Ohio; Selma, Ala.; and Pottsville, Penn., are part of the 50, too. Better AT&T 4G LTE coverage The carrier's 4G LTE speeds reach 225 million people and 370 markets right now. By the end of the year, those numbers are expected to increase to 270 million people and 400 markets. That's a step in the right direction for AT&T. While we found that AT&T has the best 4G LTE data speeds in our tests this month, it lacked consistent coverage compared to the slower-but-steady Verizon. Having newly minted 4G LTE cities on the map should also help as more smartphone owners upgrade to LTE-capable devices. The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, for example, are supposed to be revealed on Sept. 10, and could usher in millions of new 4G LTE owners around the country. What's after LTE? Perhaps an LTE Advanced iPhone 5S or LTE-A Galaxy S4.

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