Swype is the original innovator in typing. A few years back, the creators of Swype came up with the truly brilliant idea that you should be able to type by dragging your finger from key to key instead of by hunting and pecking. It sounds silly but turns out to be surprisingly intuitive. After trying out the swipe keyboard built into 4.2, we can’t go back. Today Swype takes another step forward toward bringing swipe tying to the masses. After a ...

We were thrilled back in 2011 when Google released their cloud music service for Android. With local storage getting smaller and smaller, who wouldn’t want their music stored in the cloud? Steaming it down is a much easier (and cooler) solution. However, the corresponding Play Music app for Android isn’t exactly the best. AndroidPolice wrote at great length about exactly why it has a long way to go. The solution to Google’s less-than-stellar first-party offering comes from the good folks at XDA. Developer bubbleguuum has created GMusicFS. In ...

For whatever reason, Android does not come with a note-taking application. Whether Google’s new first-party app will be bundled with the other gApps is still unknown. The whole thing just seems strange. Why is there not a default notes app on Android? Why do so many of the third-party apps fall short? That’s what Jonas Kalderstam thought when he developed NoNonsense Notes. “When I got my Galaxy Nexus in December 2011 (some months after ICS was introduced) I was disappointed by the lack of good looking ...

Multitasking is one of Android’s real strengths. It’s cool to be able to run multiple apps simultaneously without tricks like pausing background apps or locking them into memory. Plus, with the growing amounts of RAM we see in newer devices, Android can run plenty of apps at once. It’s great for multitaskers. Normally, the multitasking button works fine for that kind of thing. ICS and Jelly Bean really improved the interface. However, XDA member Nathanael Presson (also known as id0x12345) ...

Have you ever wanted to send a secure message online? Sure, you can encrypt e-mails, require passwords to documents you share with a message, but you can also use web services to send secure messages. We have showed users how to chat securely online, now with the help of the web app Burn Note, we show you how to create messages online that can only ...

Adblock Plus has been a popular anti-ad extension for Chrome, Firefox and other browsers for years. It has been an active part of the Android community as well, having been on the Google PlayStore for some time before Google abruptly pulled the plug. While Google and its apps utilize ads to make revenue, it's no surprise that they said no to Adblock Plus in the PlayStore.  Many ...

If there’s one thing we really love about Android, it’s the ability to replace just about every part of Android. The stock apps for messaging, dialing, internet browsing, and playing music aren’t bad. They’re just not that great for the power user who wants more out of his phone. That’s the real beauty of Android. If you don’t like an app, replace it. That’s why we started our Beat the Stock series. It’s ...

Instagram is a highly popular photo sharing program that lets those using it take pictures, edit them and then share them through social networking. Upon its initial release in 2010, Instagram was only available for the iOS platform. Now, you can use it on Android devices, too. Facebook now owns Instagram and plans to develop and market it into the one stop shop for those looking to edit photos on the go. If you are ...

Google Translate is a powerful tool for those looking to convert web sites or conversations to their native language. Google Translate for Android helps users translate on the go. This allows users to chat with those who may not speak their language and this can be particularly handy when out and about. Perhaps, you need directions or you have a question in a foreign land. Maybe you are trying to help someone near your ...

If you read news, RSS feeds, blogs and more on your Android device, are you using Google Currents? If not, you are missing out on a whole new way of reading just about anything online. Google Currents allows you to read free publications through its app which is great in of itself but it also turns RSS feeds, blogs and other online sites into seamless, magazine-like layouts for you to read. This can turn your ...