Tag Archives: review

AudioManager Widget for Android

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Every once in while there is an application that makes your life a lot easier.  Sometimes that application is a widget.  Such is the case with AudioManager for Android.  This widget does what it name implies; it allows you to manage your android device’s various audio levels.  This includes the alarm level, media level, ringer volume, and much more.

The application sits neatly on one of your homescreens  It takes up a 1×4 block of space on the screen and looks good with vibrant colors.  These colors do much more than just look good: they are functional, informing you of the volume levels in the categories of:

  • Alarm
  • Music
  • Alerts
  • Ringer
  • System
  • Voice

Homepage

Clicking on the widget will fire the console window.  From here you can use sliders to set the volume levels for the alarm, medial player, alerts, ringer, system, and calls.

console

And that’s about it for the program.  Its simple, yet effective.  And in Android that usually makes for the best applications.  Get AudioManager from the Android market by searching it or scanning the QR code below:

Tetris Meets Bubble Blast for a Fun Combination: Colorix

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Who said Android doesn’t have good games?  Whoever he or she is has obviously never played Colorix.  This game is a melding of two classics into one for a quality gaming experience.

Details:

The objective of this game is simple, clear the screen of marbles by setting up chains of 3 or marbles of the same color.  Earn bonus points by setting up combos and special chains of marbles.  See video below for gameplay…

Colorix Gameplay

Screenshots:

01_loading02_menu 03_gamePlay 05_combo 06_combo

Remarks:

Professional looking game that’s easy to play and fun while progressively challenging.  Perfect formula for an addictive game.  Well worth the purchase price.

Rating: 4.5 / 5 Droids

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Cestos is Back and Better than Ever

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Remember my first post about Cestos? I started the post with a warning that you will become addicted to the game. Well that addiction has blossomed into an obsession. Usually it is difficult to elicit pure praise for an application from me, but Cestos has managed to do that.

I recently upgraded to the full version of Cestos from the beta version, which holds its own quite well. However the updated version includes much more functionality than the beta version, making an already impressive application even better. Some new features include:

  • Customize your character: Add some personality to your Cestos ball… Change the color, facial features, and accessories of your character. As you play more you can customize more, as you will unlock some additional accessories.

    • customize_body

    Customize your character

    Customize your character

  • Add friends! Though the invite features is still a work in progress, you can now have a network of friends on Cestos. When these people are online you can play among friends. This feature definitely adds a sense of community to the game… something you don’t find in many other Android games.
  • Chat! What good would those friends be if you couldn’t trash talk them between games? Talk to people online in a convenient format.
    • Chat with fellow players

    Chat with fellow players

  • Feats! Keep track of the special accomplishments you have achieved!
    • Accomplish feats and get rewards

    Accomplish feats and get rewards

  • More Maps: One of the most applauded improvements are the new levels present in this game. These playing fields are the heart of Cestos. Each field commands its own strategies for victory; spend time on all of them to be a master of this game!

    • Choose which level to play on

    Choose which level to play on

I applaud the developers at ChickenBrick Studios. They’ve created a worthwhile game. It is simple, yet fun with high levels of functionality. I challenge other game developers to top this application.

Rating: 5/5 (Yes, 5/5. My only complaint about this game is that I wasn’t forced to download the update sooner!)

Screenshots

Unwrapping Cupcake: My Experience

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So, last night, about 3 am, I received a notification on my phone. Apparently the cupcake update was available as an OTA update for my ADP1 phone. This morning, I immediately downloaded and rebooted the phone.

After about five minutes, the 44MB file was downloaded, the phone had restarted twice and Cupake was ready. After the startup moments while the network was being initialized, cupcake began showing promise. The first tweaks I noticed were cosmetic. Take, for example, the notifications menu. Some icons and backgrounds have changed, giving Android an updated look.

notifications

The default application look has been updated for the media player and for Gmail. The gmail app now looks a bit more like the mobile version. In addition the favorites section of you phonebook makes use of pictures a lot more. This was a joy considering I just used Facebok Sync to sync up my friends photos to the phone.

Also the unlock screen has changed. It is now semi-transparent, showing off my nice background as I unlock the phone.
unlock

Some other changes include:

Widgets

cal_widg
This initial selection of widgets show what can be done; its time for developers to take the baton and run with the widgets idea.

Of course I couldn’t forget the new camcorder. Although there’s no zoom feature, the camera is pretty good. Take a look at the 20 second video I shot and uploaded to youtube (the process was damningly fast too!)

Another thing I noticed about cupcake is that it runs. It runs fast!. Even after allowing screen rotation and animations, the GUI was quite responsive and smooth.

Good Job Google. Enjoy the extra screenshots below:

Cestos: simple, yet addicting game for Android

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***WARNING: YOU WILL BECOME ADDICTED TO THIS GAME***

Ok, now that that disclaimer is out of the way, I present to you a new game for Android. Called Cestos, it is one of the few online multiplayer games for the Android platform so far.

The basis of this game is simple. You and an opponent start on a field and have two ‘marbles’ apeice. The goal is knock your opponent’s marbles into the hole in the stage. With that said, you also have to avoid bombs left behind when a “marble” moves.

Game controls are simple. When prompted, simply drag your finger from your piece towards the direct you want it to go, creating a vector path for the marble to follow. Once finished setting the vector, press the scrollball to finalize your selection.

Although still in beta, this game is very polished and runs quite well. I can’t wait until the full release comes out with more playing fields. Rating: 4.5/5

Screenshots:

Where's the Magic?

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Htc link

Such is the sleek header found at HTC‘s website. However, underneath the surface, things aren’t so rosy. A recent report states that HTC suffered a 30% profit decrease. While most scapegoat skeptics would point towards the hopelessly flailing economy as a reason for this, others (myself included) point towards the fact that HTC expected the Magic to be released by now. Having leaked rumors back in January about the phone, we’ve been abuzz about the second iteration of Android devices (I’m reluctant to call this second generation). Originally slated for release this month, this device’s release date has been slid to May.

Why so serious delay? The explanation is simple. They’re waiting on Cupcake. The Magic has no slide out keyboard like the G1. The Magic, as one of its features, touts video capabilities. Both of these are features that aren’t coming to Android until the Cupcake update is released.

No Cupcake for you!

But while we [impatiently] wait for Cupcake to come out, lets look at the Magic and some of its specs, shall we?

Most data from: HTC product specs

Features

  • Access to your favourite Google applications like Gmail™/Google Mail™, YouTube™, Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Calendar and Google™ Search
  • High-speed 3.5G network connection and Wi-Fi technology with seamless transition to open networks
  • 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus for quality image and video capture
  • microSD™ (SD 2.0 compatible) expansion slot for all your storage needs
  • 3.2-inch touch-sensitive screen with HVGA (320 X 480 pixel) resolution
  • Support for Bluetooth wireless stereo headsets

Specifications

Processor Qualcomm® MSM7201a™, 528 MHz
Operating System Android
Memory ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 192 MB
Dimensions 113 x 55 x 13.65 mm ( 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.54 inches)
Weight 118.5 grams ( 4.18 ounces) with battery
Display 3.2-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with 320×480 HVGA resolution
Network HSDPA/WCDMA:
  • 900/2100 MHz
  • Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

  • 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)
Device Control Trackball with Enter button
GPS Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
Camera 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Audio supported formats AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC-LC, MIDI, OGG
Video supported formats MP4, 3GP
Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1340 mAh
Talk time:

  • Up to 400 minutes for WCDMA
  • Up to 450 minutes for GSM

Standby time:

  • Up to 660 hours for WCDMA
  • Up to 420 hours for GSM

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)
Expansion Slot microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 47/63 Hz
DC output: 5V and 1A
Special Features G-sensor
Digital Compass

Pictures

EDIT: Apparently the Magic is up for pre-order as of April 17th, with a release date of May 1st. Does this mean that the first crumbs of Cupcake will be released by then?
Reference: droiddeveloper.com

AndFTP: Efficient Client for Android in the works

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AndFTPThere are some utilities a serious computer user needs on all of his devices. A FTP client is one of them. Personally I use FTP clients to maintain webpages, store / backup my homework on other computers, efficiently share files, and save the world before bedtime. (You wont believe how much bandwidth that last venture takes up).

Therefore you can imagine my happiness upon learning of the existence of a new FTP client for Android. Still in its infant stages (the latest release is RC6), this program shows a lot of promise. The GUI is clean, efficient, and welcoming (something that a lot of Android applications lack). To compliment the nice GUI, the program is functional. I was able to set up my most used FTP connections in less than 3 minutes (yes I did time myself). I dare say it was easier to use and FileZilla (Desktop FTP client).

However, while using the application, there were a few stumbling blocks. Firstly, after making my first connection, I closed the phone to be able to scroll through the file-listing. Apparently switching views causes the connection to reset, which I rather it not do. Also the program is somewhat unstable. More than once, the program locked up and refused to connect to a server. I guess that is why the application is still in pre-beta. For now I give the program 3 and 1/2 stars with potential for much more once some bugs are fixed. Once the final version is released, this is a definite download.

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Call for Applications

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Similar to the style of calling for papers for a major conference, I am calling for all your applications fellow developers. Its time to show the world what kind of applications are out there for the Android platform. Currently, we have 10+ applications listed on our site. I’d like to see many more applications posted, including those from very diverse categories.

If you have an original application for Android that you wish to be reviewed here on droidweb.com, e-mail me an updated .apk file for your application at triplemwebsolutions.

Look forward to hearing from you!

PlanetariaX: An app out of this world!

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One application has revived my enthusiasm about Android. No, its not office documents support, though that would be nice, or a more intuitive picture viewer than the one packaged with android. It is a “pocket skymap” for Android called PlanatariaX.

This application does a good job showing off the potential of the Android platform. It makes good use of sensors such as the GPS and accelerometer and combines this with smooth animations and an overall gorgeous UI.

Ok. I’m done drooling. Lets talk about what this application actually does. It is essentially a planetarium in your pocket. Once the phone determines your location it allows you to point the phone at the sky and it gives you a view into whats really out there in the universe. It has several modes, including night mode, a handy search feature, and compass for your orientation needs.

Rating: 4.5 Droids

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My Android Experience, part 3

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Ok… so its about time I wrapped this series up. Without much further ado, here are my top two Android applications:

#2. Facebook Application

Yes, I admit I have somewhat of a problem. I overuse Facebook. Handing me an application that allows me to efficiently access Facebook over my phone is dangerous… its like handing a dog a radioactive bone for supper… it might not be the best idea, but of course I’m going to love it! Though this application is little more than a wrapper translating the iPhone version of the website to an Android applicable one, it does its job of making the presentation of the website much better. This application includes all the basic support the mobile facebook site has to offer, including uploading pictures, changing statuses, spying observing your friends, and more. My only request is that this application have a timer on it that lets me know how much time I actually waste on that website. On second thought, I don’t want to know.

…Drumroll please

#1. Ringdroid

Yes, I chose a ringtone application as my favorite Android app. Think about it. When used in conjunction with Rings Extended, this application renders ringtone dealers useless. No more 99 cents for a ringtone, or if its popular, $1.99. If you own it as a song, you can now easily “Buy it, use it, break it, fix it // Trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”. (Yes I am quoting Daft Punk). This application integrates seamlessly with the system, eclipsing the default ringtone management system (which is a good thing in my opinion).
ringdroid
Features:

  • Open an existing audio file
  • View a scrollable waveform representation of the audio file at 5 zoom levels
  • Set starting and ending points for a clip within the audio file, using an optional touch interface
  • Play the selected portion of the audio, including an indicator cursor and autoscrolling of the waveform
  • Play anywhere else by tapping the screen
  • Save the clipped audio as a new audio file and mark it as Music, Ringtone, Alarm, or Notification.
  • Record a new audio clip to edit
  • Launches automatically in response to the GET_CONTENT intent with a mime type of audio/ if any other application wants to pick an audio file – for example the “Rings Extended” application.

[List courtesy of www.rizwanashraf.com]