10 Best Free Android Apps 2013

The open source temperament disposition of Google’s OS means there are copiousness or ample 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 list of  top freeAndroid apps you should install.

1. 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 attaching with Seesmic. Offering foundation for manifold yet plentiful accounts, a home page thingamabob viewing latest tweets and an incredibly slick and professional design, it’s one of the premium instance of app development out there today.

 2. Facebook for Android

Facebook for Android is missing in features compared to Facebook itself, but a current update added Inbox buoy up to the Android app, finally allowing its users to converse in approximately real time. The app’s fast and stable, with a plainness that reminds you of the old days when using Facebook used to be manageable.

3. National Rail Enquiries

After the original free, third-party National Rail apps set out paid-for, National Rail has finally conveyed out its own free app. National Rail Enquiries facilitate you to check live train times, plan your journeys, and get notifications of holdup. On first use, the app quickens you to record a home and work train station, and then you can employ the ‘Get me home’ button to see the next accessible trains.

4. UK Jobs

Hey, times are firm and you’ve got to pay for your oppressive monthly mobile telephone contract somehow. Offering a fully searchable database of current UK job situation, UK Jobs, which pulls in its data from independent service site 1job.co.uk is, a slightly cumbersome but practically functional and non-governmental tool.

 5. Hotmail/Outlook

Microsoft has teamed up with developer SEVEN to offer an endorsed sanctioned Hotmail app for Android, which gives users a simple, clean interface, push notice support and even lets you manage multiple Hotmail accounts from within the app. If your electronic mail requires haven’t yet been incorporate by Google, it’s a useful option. It’s since been rebranded as the Outlook app, in keeping with Microsoft’s alteration to its mail site.

 6. Google Sky Map

A stunning app that provides Patrick Moore obsolete, by using your phone’s direction tools to give you an accurate depiction of the stars and planets on your screen. Point your phone at the sky, and then study what gathering are visible and if that’s a UFO or just Venus. Google Sky Map even works indoors, if you’re not keen on receiving cold.

7. Layar

The stunning amplified reality app Layar has recently gone profitable, adding an online shop that permit users to buy AR content such as journey guides, local house price apps and much more. But you’re still able to use the numerous free Layers to put data up over real-world position, delivering a satisfying advanced experience.

8. Foursquare

The social media darling Foursquare is represented in fine form on Android, with the Google app presenting easy one-click check-ins, integrated Google Maps for a flawless Google-branded experience and home page shortcut options to all your preferred places.

9. WordPress for Android

WordPress for Android started out as autonomous creation wpToGo, before WordPress decided it liked it so much it bought it up – hiring the maker to expand it in-house. It’s very feature-packed, with the most up-to-date version offering full incorporation with other apps, letting you spin content and send it unswervingly to the app for easy revising. It could do with more icon insertion tools, though.

10. Google Goggles

A bit of a most modern, in that Google Goggles lets you take photograph and have Google analyze them and come back with a exploration 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 admittance to apps and whatever data people prefer to entrench in the odd little data open area.

For more Free Android Apps click here on Source page  techradar.com

Throwable 360 Panoramic Camera!

We present the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera which captures a full spherical panorama when thrown into the air. At the peak of its flight, which is determined using an accelerometer, a full panoramic image is captured by 36 mobile phone camera modules.

[Via @Johl; Images courtesy of Jonas Pfeil, CC]

Pfeil describes how his invention works on his website:

Our camera uses 36 fixed-focus 2 megapixel mobile phone camera modules. The camera modules are mounted in a robust, 3D-printed, ball-shaped enclosure that is padded with foam and handles just like a ball. Our camera contains an accelerometer which we use to measure launch acceleration. Integration lets us predict rise time to the highest point, where we trigger the exposure. After catching the ball camera, pictures are downloaded in seconds using USB and automatically shown in our spherical panoramic viewer. This lets users interactively explore a full representation of the captured environment.

We used the camera to capture full spherical panoramas at scenic spots, in a crowded city square and in the middle of a group of people taking turns in throwing the camera. Above all we found that it is a very enjoyable, playful way to take pictures.

Other members of the project are Kristian Hildebrand, Carsten Gremzow, Bernd Bickel, Marc Alexa, and the patent is pending. They are currently looking for investors, and hope to make the camera available for sale soon.

For more information, visit http://jonaspfeil.de/ballcamera.

Retro looking iPhone Dock with Bluetooth!

Retro looking iPhone Dock with Bluetooth

You have solid oak and brass features on a dock designed for the iPhone, so many contrasts and yet it looks so right too. This device would make a great feature in an office or at home, the retro handset uses a Bluetooth connection, while an app controls the iPhone and even provides a cool retro looking dialler.

Priced at $72

These are the features for the Bluetooth Oak Wireless Headset;

Synchronize up your Iphone-ipod in the old world style, natural wood that goes with any decor.

Blue LED indicates function mode. Wireless Bluetooth headset model ( also offering a retro coiled wire model )

Make and receive calls

Brass V1 Deluxe Model – Solid Oak base

Handcrafted, Very Limited Edition, Not mass produced…Custom finished Solid Hardwood

Comes with USB cables

Best of all you can leave your case on your iphone..Just insert into the dock.. Without removing your cover.

Fits all modern iPhones and iPods. (except shuffles and firewire based units)

Offering a TV/Video Version of the same unit – Plug and play on your TV-Video Source.. Check out the other sales offered here at Etsy..

This purchase is for the iPhone-iPod Dock and USB cable only ( iPhone, keyboard, mouse and iMac are shown for display only)

Priced at $72

Source [zedomax.com]

Samsung’s First Curved Smartphone To Release By End Of This Year

Like LG, Samsung is ready to flaunt its first-ever curved smartphone to the public. Similar to LG’s curved-display handset, Sammy’s latest reveal suggests that a curved smartphone is not totally flexible as some parts are still hard and lacks flexibility associated with curved form factors. A prototype has shown signs of oversized screens and some enhancements indisplay notifications.

The company‘s CEO has also announced the return of OLED panel and its production in curve-shape form. The ease in flexibility is what differentiates this unnamed device from the other smartphones with curved design. The curve factor will supposedly bring convenience to buyers in terms of holding the phone and tinkering with its multitude of apps. The time frame could hit next month initially in Korea. A prototype has been shown already early in the year during the CES event. The expected announcement of a curved smartphone will coincide with the continued marketing endeavors on the latest Galaxy Note 3.

It has been rumored to contain a new camera sensor and this is presumably at the back of the phone. No price is initially given but with the Fall just around the corner, the company is gearing up for a possible release in time for the holidays. Samsung had earlier reveal its curved UHD TV model during the IFA show.

LG G Flex Smartphone With Curved Display Goes Official

LG might be the first manufacturer to unveil a smartphone with curved display. Recent reports show that the South Korean company is working on a 6-inch handset with curved display dubbed “G Flex”. The handset has a curved plastic OLED screen technology – similar to what the company had shown at SID.

Contrary to what many individuals think, the G Flex, doesn’t have a flexible/bendable screen but rather a stationary curved design. The display was artistically made and could be similar to Samsung’s rumored smartphone that also possess a curved display. Aside from its bent profile, the display is durable enough to withstand forceful impacts or drops. LG demoed this capability in March of this year when a prototype display was hit with a mallet without sustaining any damage to its shape. It is also cheaper than conventional touchscreen display in the market which will benefit the consumer.

If everything goes as planned, the G Flex is set to release in November of this year. No hardware specs were mentioned but it’s safe to say that it would be at par with LG’s current high-end models such as the G2. In May, the company introduced the world’s first curved OLED TV with 55-inch display along with the 5-inch plastic OLED screen. On the other hand, Samsung is rumored to be working on a similar device set to be revealed this month while a curved-display Galaxy Note 3 was rumored to be in development as we speak.

(source)

Chinese Robots to play Ping Pong!

It’s just as the title mentions, robot vs robot & robot vs human table tennis games! Never feel lonely again! It’s really incredible how robots are gaining great strengths… I no longer believe that science fiction stories are science fiction anymore!

Here’s a video:

iPhone Micro Projector!

From the website:

………………………

Sanwa 400-PRJ011 iPhone 4/4S Micro Projector

This might look at first glance like a regular cover for your iPhone 4 or 4S.

But Sanwa here have done something very clever, creating a slim DLP micro projector that slips onto your phone almost without being noticeable.

Not just a fancy decorative gimmick, the 400-PRJ011 comes with a 2,100mAh battery, which charges in around five hours and then gives you 2.5 hours of projector usage time.

The projector itself has a 640×360 resolution and weighs in at a compact and light 103g (3.6 oz).

Though it might be compact and highly practical, Sanwa haven’t sacrificed smart functionality.

The projected screen size can go up 65 inches with a range of nearly 3 meters.

Plus, there are internal speakers and it can even become a charger for your iPhone once you turn the projector off, adding a cool 100% to your phone’s battery life.

Features:

• Size: 63.5 x 126.6 x 22mm (2.5″ x 5″ x 0.9″)
• Battery: 2,100mAh rich lithium battery
• Brightness: maximum 12 ANSI lumen
• Cable length: 76cm (29.9″) (included)
• Range: 48.8-292.2cm (19.2-115″)
• Life: LED, around 20,000 hours
• Charging time: around 5 hours
• Usage time: around 2.5 hours
• Works with iPhone 4/4S
• Resolution: 640 x 360
• Weight: 103g (3.6 oz)
• Screen size: 7-65″
• Contrast: 1000:1
• Focus: manual
• DLP projector
• Aspect: 16:9

Source [bookofjoe]

LG Nexus 5 Render Leaked With Price And Release Date

LG rolls out its latest handset creation starting with G Flex featuring a curved display layout. Moving on, the Korean phone maker is reportedly mass producing the next generation Nexus phone, currently dubbed as “Nexus 5″. A leaked render of the Android handset was discovered which could mean that its official announcement is very near.

We’ve seen and heard several rumours about the LG-branded Nexus which convinced us that the handset is indeed in development. The leaked render suggests that it will be available in black and white models each with pretty amazing hardware attributes under the hood. The exterior has a 4.95-inch touchscreen panel with 1080 resolution, notification light, micro SIM slot, 8-megapixel OIS rear camera and 1.3-megapixel camera.

It is powered by a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800, latest Android KitKat OS, LTE connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC support and battery unit at 2300 mAh. Based on a recent Google Play leaked (already erased) the forthcoming Nexus 5 will be offered in 16GB and 32GB configurations with starting price at $349. Again, some specs might change once the official announcement comes out so take them with a grain of Sodium Chloride.

Would you like to buy the LG Nexus 5 once it comes out? Share your comments below.

(source)

Nokia Vibrating Tattoo: Patented Haptic Technology During Phone Calls

No doubt you know of setting ringtones to a specific person on your contacts list and putting your phone on vibrate, since they have been around since the early feature phone days, but it looks like one phone company is thinking of mashing these two features together for something completely new.

Last week, Nokia was awarded a patent for something described as “a material attachable to skin, the material capable of detecting a magnetic field and transferring a perceivable stimulus to the skin, wherein the perceivable stimulus relates to the magnetic field”. The material in question was then called names such as a tattoo, marking or badge, but reporters have taken to calling it a haptic tattoo more than anything because of its direct application to the skin.

What is haptic? Haptic technology is basically the technology that gives tactile feedback to the user in the form of vibrations or other forms of motion. It’s found in a lot of things today, such as teleoperators and virtual reality interactions, but the most prominent applications of this kind of technology are found in dualshock game controllers and the vibration feature of cellphones.

So how would it work? It would pick up magnetic field directly from a cellphone and vibrate once you receive a call. Nokia also stated in the patent that the haptic tattoo could be programmed to vibrate in different ways to let you know just who is calling. As long as you attach the tattoo that’s most likely made of fabric of some sort directly onto your skin, you’re good to go. It could be placed anywhere, such as an arm or the abdomen underneath clothing, and one of the images included in the patent shows it being attached to a fingernail like a decal.

For those who prefer real tattoos, Nokia has also thought of using ink to produce the same effect. To do this, ferromagnetic ink would be used, and it would have to undergo a few procedures before being used with haptic tech- namely, being demagnetized at high temperatures before application to the skin, then magnetize by keeping it close to an external magnet to make it sensitive to magnetic fields.

However, what Nokia is planning is very tricky, as the phone would have to send out different magnetic waves for the haptic tattoo to vibrate properly. In the end, it’s all up to the phone’s capabilities for this to be a success.

It does sound like a good idea if you frequent noisy areas or have a lot of meetings, but there’s no telling when Nokia will start making this work, should it really push through with this idea.

(source)

Call Of Duty: Strike Team available for iOS and Android

One month after its release on iOS, Call Of Duty: Strike Team is available for Android users. The fans of the saga will be delighted to know that the game is finally ready to download on the Play Store and iTunes.

The good news are that the game has been designed for mobile and tablet devices. You have now the possibility to fully customize your abilities and squads before leading them into combat. To enhance the experience, you can switch at any time between first-person action – to run and shot – and third-person action – to coordinate squads attacks -, guiding your soldiers in diverse gameplay environments.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is set in 2020, with tensions running high amongst the world’s superpowers. You are leading a Joint Special Operations Team to hunt down the responsible of a surprise attack to the U.S. The game has two playing modes: Campaing mode (with several missions around the world) and Survival mode (to test your fighting skills). Survival mode has an online community, which provides a great dose of competitiveness.

The version available is 1.1, and it brings some improved features. The most important one is the fact that Survival Mode maps are unlocked from the start for all the players.

If you are thinking that this is the best game ever from Activision, I’m sorry to bring you the “not-so-good” news. The game’s compatibility is quite limited (check the Play Store or iTunes for details), so be sure that your device is in the list before paying the $7 price of the game (not to mention the rest of in-app purchases, with prices ranging from $1.99 to $99.99). And another detail to take into account is the massive weight of the game (2 GB); you are going to need a good Wi-fi connection to download it!

More information at: Call Of Duty.

Invisible Tattoo Inside Your Body, Viewable By Smartphone Only

Even if you’ve never had a tattoo before, you would surely agree that getting a tattoo can be very painful. However, a man has dared to revolutionize the art by wearing it a little deeper than the skin. The result is getting a tattoo and an implant at the same time. In fact, it’s more awesome than the upcoming wearable devices we’ve all been hearing about these days.

Otherwise known as a digital tattoo, the implant is used as a storage space for digital art. The unique procedure has been boldly taken by Anthony Antonellis who even recorded the video of the whole process. With his achievement, he is now considered as the first person in the world that has a digital tattoo.

The miniscule chip was implanted in Antonellis’ hand by a body modification artist from Brooklyn. The artist sliced open a small portion of the skin in his hand, inserted the implant that is encased in a small glass capsule, and then stitched back the skin to close it.

The magic started when Antonellis placed his smartphone on top of the implant. As soon as he did that, one of his personalized GIF popped up. He intends to use the chip in storing digital art. He can easily change its contents through his phone.

According to Antonellis, there are other things that the chip can do aside from keeping GIFs. It can store other files such as MIDI, JPGs, and even ASCII art. Through micro-curation, other artists can send their works in various formats just as long as they are within the restricted file size.

Antonellis is also working on an app that will be compatible with the implant. The app will act as an interface where the GIF can be downloaded from the chip to any Android device even if there’s no Internet connectivity. It will also display additional information on an artwork such as details or links to the artist’s official site. As the app is still in thedeveloping stage, there is a simplified version available to enjoy its features using NDEF data. The NDEF generates a URL which then shows a mirrored copy of what the implant is keeping.

(source)

XDModo iPhone Solar Charger, Sticks Right To The Window!

“Solar energy can be considered “green” energy in the sense that it’s readily available and that it doesn’t release pollutants to be generated. Solar cells and batteries aren’t exactly new technology. There are already a lot of released products and gadgets where the sun is their major (and sometimes, only) power source.

However, the idea of putting your device under the heat of the sweltering sun isn’t very appealing because it might overheat and end up getting fried if you don’t pay attention. A pretty neat solution for taking advantage of solar energy without being out in the elements? The XDModo Solar Charger.

Basically, the charger “catches” solar energy through the window where it’s stuck on, and uses this energy to charge up your device, while it sits safely in an indoor environment, such as an office or even in your car. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t just flip it over and use it outdoors if you want too.”

The XDModo charger comes with regular and micro USB outputs, and stores power in its 1400mAh rechargeable lithium battery – which should be good for about a full charge of today’s smartphones. It’s available for purchase online from Design3000 shop for €49.95 (~$66 USD.)”

via technabob.com

Use Your Browser as a Virtual Machine, Run Windows 8 on Your iPad!

Virtual Machines (VM) have become very popular nowadays, but who could thought that they could be used right from internet browsers?!!

“WSX“ they call it (name may change in time), it simply allows you to run several virtual operating systems right from your browser… You can run Linux, Windows, etc…!

From the site:

This means that you can walk into the Apple store, pick up an iPad right off the shelf, and in less than a minute, start using your desktop back home. (Of course, provided you’ve port forwarded your WSX server so it’s accessible outside your network.)

It’s known to work with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It also works with the Internet Explorer 10 preview (though I’m still working on some bugs there). And for tablet users, it works quite well with the iPad running iOS 5+. Android users running Ice Cream Sandwich may get some luck with Google Chrome for Android, but I’m still working on Android compatibility.

From the website:

Tell me some use cases

Sure thing.

• You can work on your documents from your iPad from anywhere, knowing your data is safe in your network and not on some desktop streaming service company’s VM somewhere in their datacenter, not worrying about what may happen to your data if their service is down.
• If your server is acting up while you’re at the store, you can connect to your VM from your phone/tablet and deal with it instead of rushing home.
• Play Windows Solitaire from your iPhone.
• Confuse people by running a VM from within a browser from within a VM from within a browser from within a VM from within a browser from ……
• Have your presentation or demo live within a VM so that when your laptop dies at just the wrong time, you can grab anyone else’s laptop or iPad and quickly resume where you left off.
• Have your iPad set to sync music over the network with a copy of iTunes running in a VM, and then use the same iPad to interact with that same copy of iTunes without ever involving a PC or Mac.
• Run Windows 8 in your VM full-screen on your iPad, so you can confuse everybody.

xiaomi m13,better than samsung,lg and other branded high end phones?

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has been getting a lot of ink as of late, but not for their hardware:former Googler Hugo Barra is now their Vice President of Global. The first phone to launch after Barra joined the company is the new flagship MI3, and it is a doozie. The device crams some of the best hardware available into a phone, but it's probably not leaving China any time soon.

 

Let's start with the processor, which will change depending upon which carrier you buy the phone for. The WCDMA and CDMA2000 versions of the phone intended for use on China Unicom and China Telecom, respectively, will be using a Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3Ghz on all four cores. But if you buy the TD-SCDMA version for China Mobile, you'll find an NVIDIA Tegra 4 inside. Both SoC's are outstanding in terms of performance, and all versions of the phone come with 2GB of RAM. The MI3's claim to be "the fastest smartphone ever" comes from the slightly newer MSM8974AB model Snapdragon CPU, with boosts to the clock speeds for the memory interface and the Adreno 330 GPU (now running at 550Mhz). The rest of the specifications are the same for all three versions of the phone and read like a mobile Frankenstein monster. In a good way.

There's a 5-inch 1080p LCD supplied by LG. There's a 13-megapixel F/2.2 rear camera supplied by Sony. The frame comes in black, white, silver, pink, yellow, and blue, and looks a hell of a lot like some of Nokia's Lumia designs (right down to the bottom-mounted speaker). Despite being just 8.1mm thick, it crams in a relatively huge non-removable 3050mAh battery. This is some top-notch hardware, folks, which makes it all the more frustrating that we won't be seeing it stateside.

  

  

Of course the software on any Xiaomi phone is worth talking about. The MI3 will run MIUI 5, a massively modified version of Android 4.1, complete with Xiaomi's infrastructure replacing the Play Store (and an interface that undeniably apes iOS in most areas). But the most interesting thing about the MI3 is the price: the 16GB model will start at $327 for the 16GB version (approximately 2000 Yuan) and the huge 64GB version will be $408 (just shy of 2500 Yuan). Xiaomi has not posted a release date for the phone.

Xiaomi doesn't offer any products outside of China at the moment. But we can certainly hope that this situation will change, and soon. After all, why else would the company hire a highly-visible Android executive as the VP of Global? Here are a few shots of Mr. Barra showing off the phone at a Xiaomi press event.

 

Nice to see you having fun in the new job, Hugo. Come on back to America, please, and bring some of those cheap high-end phones with you.

Source: MIUI.com