Top 5 Android Apps To Grab This Week

This week has been a busy one at the Android Market as not only did the first app ever shatter the 50 million download barrier (Google Maps) but we had close to 40 new noteworthy apps to skim through and select the top 5 that deserved to be featured this week. Here they are.

Top Android apps this week

 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn for Android puts your professional network just a touch away. Walk into any interview or client meeting with the ability to look up the details and connect with over 100 million professionals worldwide. Get the latest updates and messages from your network and keep them up-to-date with your status in real-time.

Regina 3D Launcher

Regina 3D Launcher has exciting and dynamic 3D effects for your pleasure. Browsing workspaces, creating shortcuts, and removing widgets have gotten a little bit more fun.

SD Increase

This application allows you to make more powerful the using of SD Card. This is changing a parameter in a file system (thus the need of Root access) that manages the size of the cache on the memory card. By default, this value is set to 128 (kb) but it was found that changing this value in 2048 (kb), the performances are optimized, making read-write on our external memory faster. Many thanks to brainmaster, XDA Member that discover this.
Note that if you reboot/turn off your device, you lose the setting that you did, so you can click on the dedicated box to allow this app to set on every boot the value that you choose.

Instant Heart Rate - Pro

Instant Heart Rate is the most accurate Heart Rate Monitor app for any smartphone and it does not need any external hardware. Use it for optimizing your exercise and to track your progress.

Jabber by Cisco

Cisco Jabber for Android turns your Android device into a full-featured Cisco Unified IP Phone, allowing you to place, receive, and manage calls using your workplace's telephony infrastructure and Wi-Fi network. You will benefit from the cost savings from not using your wireless minutes, the ability to use your work phone number when placing calls from your Android smartphone or tablet, and the stronger in-building network coverage from a wireless LAN.

iPad 2 vs. BlackBerry PlayBook browser battle!

As part of his BlackBerry PlayBook review, CrackBerry.com’s Kevin Michaluk put RIM’s new tablet browser one-on-one against Apple’s iPad 2.

When we put the PlayBook head to head against the iPad 2 in a browser shootout (see below), we saw pretty comparable page load times but did notice on websites where there were flash-based advertisements present, this would slow down the PlayBook by a few seconds while the iPad 2 would serve up a faster loading static image. Disabling flash evened out the load times.

Check out the video after the break and if you haven’t already, check out the rest of Crackberry’s PlayBook coverage.

An iPhone User’s Experience with Android

Things can get a little heated when iPhone and Android users start arguing over who has the better phone. The Android/iPhone debate is king of the smartphone rivalries, and iPhone fanatics swear by their platform just as much as Android users.

Few people actually use both an Android and iPhone device for any extended period of time. Usually, the fights occur between people that are sitting on opposite sides of the smartphone fence. It’s always interesting to hear the experience of someone that’s thoroughly used both platforms…

ReadWriteWeb has posted a that details the experience of an iPhone user that switched over to Android for a few days. Mike Melanson has some interesting things to say,

“It’s been a little over a year now that I’ve had my iPhone and I’ve become so used to the simple way that it works, I’ve begun complaining. “There’s little to no customization,” I might rattle off one day. “I can’t stand Apple’s App Store policies,” I’ll muse the next. But there’s one thing I will admit, nonetheless – the iPhone just works.”

Before you assume that Mr. Melanson is just an Apple “fanboy,” he actually offers some appealing arguments as to why he favors the iPhone over Android,

“I’ve bemoaned the state of iOS increasingly over the past year as closed but, if two days into the open world of Android, this is the state of things, then I might be tempted to agree that quality can quickly be sacrificed with openness.
Just days ago, I got my hands on an HTC Thunderbolt and, while I’m not here to talk about the device itself, I find myself unsure. I know, any user getting into something new has a growth period, so I’m not ready to nit pick the finer usability issues of iOS or Android. I am, however, ready to talk about two points that seem like big ones for the state of Android – finding apps and then downloading apps that don’t lock your phone and send it into epileptic-like fits.”

Finding Apps

“On the first point, I’ve searched for app after app only to find that I hadn’t put in the exact correct name. It’s not “Color” it’s “Color Beta.” Really? This has been the case time and time again as I search for apps only to have someone tell me the exact name I need to enter. No partial search? For an OS put out by a company that builds, primarily, the world’s most popular search engine this just seems ridiculous.”

Stability

“Now, for the second point. Today, I found myself in a situation where I wanted to use my Android (because it admittedly has a better camera than my iPhone 3GS) to take pictures. I opened the Android Market, searched for Flickr and quickly clicked on the app named Flickr that had the Flickr icon. Great. Once the download completed, I tapped on the icon and suddenly a website opened up to a phishing warning. I tried to exit, but it just reopened. Again and again. No matter what combination of buttons I tried, the phone re-entered this unusable state of trying to reload this prohibited website and randomly rebooting.”

The lack of partial search in the Android Market is definitely an issue. Stability and crashing are always something to consider when operating in an uncurated app ecosystem.
Mike Melanson’s closing thoughts,

“I’m certainly not about to abandon my Android. I love the potential for customization and as someone heavily involved in the Google ecosystem, I’m excited to see the deeper integration afforded by Android. But is this the cost of “open”? Unfindable apps and apps that, once they are found, nearly brick your device?
If so, I might argue that Google either needs to close things down just a little bit or find a way to quickly and easily surface more reliable, trustworthy apps for its users.”

Do you agree? Especially if you use both Android and iOS, we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Military wants advaced encryption for iOS and Android ASAP

The U.S. military is currently in the process of deploying smartphones within its ranks.
However, the Defense Department isn't skimping on security, as a serious lapse could place the lives of U.S. soldiers in danger.
As such, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has kicked off an initiative to develop new technology that supports full system and disk encryption for commercial smartphones.
Understandably, DARPA seems to be focusing its efforts on smartphone running Google’s Android and Apple’s IOS platforms - with encryption envisaged in the form of a custom pre-boot system that loads a secure version of the phone’s operating system.

In compliance with the federal security standard FIPS 140-2, DARPA has emphasized that any such system must - at the minimum - employ the AES-256 encryption algorithm.
To realize its encryption goal, DARPA has tapped universities and industry players to develop and submit a concept paper that details an innovative approach based on existing technology that can realistically be deployed within 90 days.

This is not the first announcement that points to the military’s interest in securing smartphones.
Just a few months ago, the US Air Force was weighing whether commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) smartphones
could be used to securely ransmit sensitive voice and data.

Virtual Zippo app hits Android!

I can remember when I was a kid and we would go to the movies, the Bic lighter commercial would come on and everyone would hold up their lighters and flick them. You can’t do that today, but if you are the sort that finds the need to flick a lighter and you don’t smoke Zippo has a new Android app for you called Virtual Zippo Lighter.


The app has been on the iPhone before and has been downloaded about 14 million times. The app is now on the Android Market and it is free. It is optimized for the Droid, Evo 4G, and HTC G2 according to Zippo. It’s doesn’t seem overly complex so I would think it will run on any Android device.
The app has 28 different designs that you can put on your virtual lighter. As you move your Android device around the flam will move with you and when you blow on your phone the flame will go out. It’s an interesting app, even if it has no real purpose.

Windows Phone 7 Coming Of Age, Skype, Angry Birds, Spotify On The Way

The introduction of multitasking and background processes to Windows Phone 7 in the upcoming ‘Mango‘ update have clearly caught the eye of some big players in the mobile app space, with some new apps being announced today by Microsoft.

The big announcement is the impending release of the platform’s first Angry Birds title with a drop-date of May 25th. Already a huge hit with Android and iOS users, Angry Birds coming to Windows Phone 7 goes some way to legitimizing the handsets in a market where phones can live or die by their apps. Regular users know the brand, and judging by sales numbers they seem to like it!
Also announced were new WP7 apps from Skype, Spotify and Layer with the multitasking enhancements of ‘Mango’ sure to have been key in the decision for the respective companies to bring their apps to the platform.
Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore said:

“We will soon deliver a new set of Windows Phone Developer Tools that will enable developers to create a new generation of apps that are even faster, more capable and better integrated with Windows Phone.”

With updates bringing features such as multitasking and copy & paste to Windows Phone 7 it’s clear Microsoft has listened to the complaints of users and pundits alike. Bringing their OS up to the high standards already set by Android and iOS must be Microsoft’s main priority along with getting key apps to its Marketplace.

Android Provides More Eyeballs to Advertisers, While iPhone Offers Most Revenue to App Creators, Study Finds!

There are many ways of measuring smartphone success and, using almost any metric shows both the iPhone and Android doing pretty darn well.
That said, new numbers from Millennial Media offer up an interesting take–just how are the smartphone leaders doing in terms of making money for others. The report looks at both how many ads are being viewed on various devices as well as how much app revenue is being generated via the various smartphone operating systems.

In terms of advertising impressions, Android is the clear leader, with devices running that operating system accounting for nearly half of all ad impressions shown last month. Measured on that basis, 14 of the top 20 devices run Android, though the iPhone still tops the list and the BlackBerry Curve is the second most common phone model.
However, in terms of app revenue by platform, the numbers are largely reversed, with iOS apps generating 47 percent of revenue, as compared to 36 percent of revenue generated by Android apps. BlackBerry apps accounted for 7 percent of sales, while WebOS, Windows Phone, Symbian and other operating systems combined for just 10 percent of app revenue.
The report is chock full of other interesting stats as well.
For example, non-phone devices such as the iPad, iPod Touch and Galaxy Tab are seeing strong ad growth as well. The number of ads seen on such devices grew 21 percent month-over-month and such devices now make up 17 percent of the total mobile ad market, as compared to 64 percent for smartphones and 19 percent for feature phones.
The iPhone, meanwhile, saw its number of ad impressions grow 17 percent from a month earlier, amid adoption of the Verizon iPhone, which now accounts for 8.2 percent of ads shown to iPhones.
The report also breaks out ad impressions based on the type of phone. On that basis, 59 percent of ads were viewed on touch-screen only devices, 17 percent on models with both a keyboard and touchscreen, 13 percent on phones with a keyboard but no touchscreen and 11 percent on those sad, little phones that have only a traditional phone keypad.

Top 10 Best Cydia Apps for iPhone 4

We do not think that there is any need of introduction for Cydia. iPhone user is using Cydia for more than 2 years now and has become more popular after jailbreaking has been declared legal. Now the individuals who are interested in making their iPhone impressive with the help of a number of best Cydia apps can do it now without hesitation. Isn’t it exciting to get all the Cydia themes and apps without the being anxious about the legal implications of jailbreaking? Here are some of the top 10 Cydia apps that are available at all the best Cydia sources for your.

Top Cydia apps for iPhone 4

Apple has make sure to cope with all the drawbacks that were present in the previous versions of iPhone at the time of the launch of iPhone 4. There are a great number of best iPhone apps available at the Cydia store for your iPhone. Here are some of the best Cydia apps for you to consider:

WinterBoard

This is one of the most gorgeous and stunning apps for iPhones. It helps you to customize your phone. You can find through various best Cydia sources.

My3G

This is an amazing app that make VoIP calling simple.

IntelliScreen

Do you want to customize the screen of your iPhone? IntelliScreen is the best iPhone app for you in this regard.

Infinifolder

Here is an exciting app for you if you want to keep a large number of apps in a single folder. This app is one of the best Cydia apps when it comes to store unrestricted amount of apps in one place.

BTstack Keyboard

Are you interested in making your iPhone communicate with a Bluetooth enabled keyboard? This app is the best iPhone app for you.

MyWi 4.0

Make your iPhone a router with the help of MyWi 4.0. There are a number of best Cydia sources that offer you this remarkable app.

Cycorder

Download Cycoder for your iPhone to get high definition video recording feature.

Xpandr

Make shortcuts to access easily to other apps with the help of Xpandr.

MyWi

Permit Wi-Fi tethering on your iPhone by using MyWi.

iSmart Dialer

You can use numeric key for accessing the contacts on your iPhone through this app.
The most amazing thing about all the best Cydia apps and themes is that you can use them with almost all the Apple devices regardless of their functions. But you cannot regard all the apps as the best iPhone apps as they may work well on iPad but not on iPhone and the same thing goes with the iPad apps. The bottom line is that all the apps can be operated on all the devices but some of them work best for one device and some of them for the other devices. IMeNu

Backup iPhone 4 Activation Using SAM Module after IMEI Factory Unlock

Many iPhone 4 users are buying service from Negri Electronics,  CutYourSim or SuperPaddy that officially unlocks iPhone 4 via iTunes on any baseband without jailbreaking it. Just pass your IMEI number to them, and they will do the rest with the turnaround time of 1 to 5 days.
In other words, it is similar to factory unlocked iPhone where you can update your device to the newest version without worrying about waiting for an unauthorized unlocks to be released. They’re not using a hack but using actual access to the Apple database which is why unlock happens through iTunes. That’s said! But what if Apple revokes this unlock upon restore? You will surely lose your unlock. Well! Before Apple cracks upon you, do the following steps as soon as you get first confirmation of unlock from any of the service you used to avoid the relock risk after restore. This can be done using SAM (Subscriber Artificial Module) which basically backs-up your activation record in an encrypted format to a server.
Step 1: Jailbreak your iPhone 4 iOS 4.3.1 using redsn0w, PwnageTool 4.3 or Sn0wbreeze 2.5.1 tool.
Step 2: launch ‘Cydia’ on your jailbroken iPhone 4 springboard.
Step 3: Select ‘Manage’ tab at the bottom of your iPhone screen and then select ‘Sources’.
Step 4: Select ‘Edit’ and then select ‘Add’. Now enter a URL source. Type “http://repo.bingner.com” and select on ‘Add Source’. Once Cydia adds the source, click on ‘Return to Cydia’ button.

Step 5: Once the installation is completed. Search for ‘Binger’ in Cydia and choose SAM from the list of packages and install it.

Step 6: Choose SAMPrefs from the lists of packages and install it.

Step 7: Once installation has completed press the large Restart SpringBoard button.

Step 8: Launch SAM from your SpringBoard and Navigate to Utilities -> De-Activate iPhone.

Step 9: Now, connect your iPhone to iTunes and just let it activate with the new certs this time arriving to your device allowing any-sim-usage. Done!
Note: If you are hacktivated, follow the instructions above to install SAM and launch it, then you just do a Revert Lockdownd to Stock instead of De-Activate iPhone. Now connect your iPhone to iTunes and you’re done. (Thanks Nadeem)
Alternatively, as suggested by SAM developer – Sbinger, you can navigate to Utilities and select Backup Activation. Wait till you get a notification message “Backup Report Success”. This will save the auth token (just like SHSH blobs) to avoid the relock risk after restore. It just prevents you from the lock status verification on Apple’s servers. Any backed up Activations are good for only 3 years, since that is the validity time of the signatures.
In case you want to update to latest iOS firmware after unlocking your device from the services listed above, make sure that the firmware can be jailbroken. Once verified, you can then proceed with the steps listed below:
Step 1: Launch iTunes and follow the normal firmware restore process.
Step 2: After iTunes sent the restart request to iPhone, immediately disconnect it from USB.
Step 3: After reboot you will notice a message “Emergency calls only – Connect to iTunes”. Don’t allow iTunes to perform the Activation. You will loose unlock forever and you will have to go through unlock process again.
Step 4: Put your iPhone in DFU mode. Don’t ask me how to do it!
Step 5: Jailbreak your iPhone with redsn0w and don;t forget to include Hacktivation bundle.
Step 6: Your iPhone will boot with no “Connect to iTunes” screen.
Step 7: Use “Restore Actvation” from SAMPref. Done!

White iPhone 4 to make Retail Appearance by “Next Two Weeks”

Apple will begin rolling-out a white model of the iPhone 4 in the next few weeks, as reported by Bloomberg. The new model will be available both in GSM and CDMA variant from AT&T and Verizon Wireless respectively by the end of April, confirmed one of the source, who want to remain anonymous.

The new version will be available from AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless by the end of April, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.

Even few weeks back, Apple marketing senior vice president Phil Schiller confirmed that a white iPhone will be available “this spring”. We already know that the last date for spring season is June 20, so it has to be available by then. Ostensibly, the white model of iPhone 4 was never released because of the white paint issue it was having in the rear surface and other production problems. However, since past few months we have seen the device appearing in various inventory listings, so it was obvious that the device would be released real soon.
According to Mike Abramsky, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto, the fifth generation iPhone might get introduced in September, as predicted earlier.

Apple, the world’s largest technology company by market capitalization, isn’t planning to unveil a new iPhone at its June developers’ conference, the occasion for previous launches, two people familiar with the matter said. It may instead introduce the next iPhone in September, according to Mike Abramsky, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto.

As always, we will update you as more tidbits on White iPhone 4 or iPhone 5 comes-in