Instant Radar - App Review

Instant Radar

Price: FREE - Ad supported

We have all been there, it looks like the weather is going to be just fine so you don't bother to prepare, than an hour later it's pouring cats and dogs.    Should have checked the radar, but it takes forever right?  Wrong.  Another great app on the android market is call "Instant Radar" giving you animated radar images for your area in just seconds.  Stripping it down to the bare essential radar images to give you pure speed.  The app features the ability to do a single frame for ultimate speed, or select the number of frames to loop allowing you to find what works best for your busy life.  The app has an unobtrusive ad at the top and is by far the best choice for a busy lifestyle. 

Launcher Pro - App Review

Launcher Pro
Price: Free / $3.49
One of the great things about Android is the customization it allows, the possibilities are simply endless when it comes to what you can change.  Not just the apps that you install, but the overall look and feel of the OS as a whole can be changed.  A great place to start is to pick out a custom launcher.  Launcher Pro is the tool to get the job started.  Some of the features are listed below.

• Change the number of home screens from 1-7
• Multiple transitional effects when switching between home screens
• alter the number of columns and rows shown on the home screens
• Customizable dock
• Change icon highlight style
• Advanced memory management
• Widget resizing(Paid version only)
• Launcher Pro Widgets(People, Bookmarks, Calendar, Messaging, Twitter, Facebook, Friends, Gmail)(Paid Version Only).

The app has an overall performance boost over the standard launcher due to its advanced memory management.   Layout is fairly simple and easy to understand, with most functions located only one page deep in the preferences menu.  Setting up your home screens can be a bit clunky as there is no option to move icons/widgets from one home screen to the next, but overall it's a great buy if you are looking to do a little customization.

Skyfire Browser - App Review

Skyfire Browser
Price: FREE

A few weeks back I reviewed the Opera Mini Browser.  To date this is still my go to browsers for daily use, but Opera Mini has it's limitations. So what if you have a page that just doesn't look right or work correctly?  Time to bring out the big guns, behold the SkyFire Browser.  The feature I like the most about this browser is the fact that it can trick webpages in to thinking it's a desktop computer.  So many times I have been stuck on mobile sites unable to get what I need, switching to SkyFire does the trick.  Scripts also seem to be more compatible with Skyfire compared to Opera Mini, and overall webpages look correct as the layouts seem to transfer better.  Sadly it's strong points are also it's weaknesses, as the fact that it loads the pages exactly as they should be seems to make it extremely slow compared to Opera Minis compressed pages.  Overall I find it a great backup when you need full functionality of the web.

TV.com App Review

TV.com
Price: Free

Featuring full episodes of many of the most recent CBS shows, Classic TV like Star Trek, MacGyver, Beverly Hills 90210 and more.  A full list of channels can be found below.  The app is ad supported, typically with only one commercial placed in the normal break for the show, so overall the viewing experience is pleasant.  App design is easy to understand and performance is great even on some of the low end smart phones.  Most videos are available over 3G and Wifi with only a select few Wifi only.  Video resolution is scaled down a bit on 3G but is not unbearable to watch.  A larger selection would be nice as the CBS shows typically only have the most recent episode or two, but overall a great way to kill some time.

TV.com App - Pro's

• High resolution streaming video on Wifi
• Decent selection of full episodes
• Easy to use layout
• Works even on low end phones

TV.com App - Con's

• Larger selection would be nice - CBS shows only have the most recent episode or two.
• No option to browse Full episodes only.

TV.com App - Channel List

• CBS Entertainment
• CW - Only partial episodes
• Showtime - Only partial episodes
• CNET
• CBS Sports
• CBS News
• Gamespot
• Classic TV
• MovieTrailers
• ET
• Insider
• Web Shows
• Chow
• Smithsonian Channel

Opera Mini - App Review

App: Opera Mini
Price: Free

Needless to say the browser included with Android leaves something to be desired.  Thankfully there are plenty of others to choose from.  Which brings me to Opera Mini.  Opera interestingly enough was originally developed for windows back in 1996.  It has now been ported to just about anything with a CPU (including the Nintendo DS).  Opera Mini for Android has a very unique design in the fact that all data is exchanged through Opera Software Servers.  Rather then your phone requesting the data directly from the URL you are looking at, instead it is requested by the Opera Server.  This server then compresses the data before passing it along to your phone, reducing bandwidth usage by up to 90%.  This alone makes it a great choice for those with limited bandwidth.  Additional options allow you to reduce image sizes, and even turn off images entirely.



Recent updates to Opera Mini
A new, refreshed interface giving it a sleek, modern appearance. The ever popular pinch zoom and smooth panning let you surf in a natural and intuitive way. You can also share web content with others on popular social networks.

The Pro's of Opera Mini
1. Fast load times
2. Smooth scrolling
3. Tabbed browsing
4. Full screen mode
5. Customizable to improve performance
6. Sleek UI
7. Share Content On Social Networks


The Con's of Opera Mini 
1. Some JavaScript forms are not compatible


Opera Mini - Closing Thoughts
Overall it's a great browser if your looking for something new to try.  It's sleek, fast, and fairly customizable. Plus if you've ever gone over on data usage it should save you a few bucks.

Lookout Mobile Security - App Review

App: Lookout Mobile Security

Cost: Free/Premium Version $2.99 month

Where ever there is electronics there will be someone to hack it, steal it, or infect it.  Cell phones are no different.  Lookout Mobile Security has your back.  Combining three features in one, its a powerhouse of security.

1. Anti Virus/Malware Protection

Updated regularly Lookout Mobile Security scans all incoming installs for the latest Malware and Spyware.  This feature is automatic so there is no need to relaunch the app when you find something new.  It takes only a few extra seconds and could save you countless hours restoring your phone.

2. Phone Locator
If you've ever lost, misplaced, or had your phone stolen this is the app for you.  With it's built in locator, Lookout Mobile Security can use your on board GPS to identify the exact location of your phone.  Simply log on to mylookout.com from any computer and select the "Locate Button".  I found this feature to be accurate within 10-15feet.  You can also set off an alarm , lock the phone to protect it from prying eyes, or if you decide your data is just too important for anyone to see it can also remotely wipe the entire phone.

3. Data Backup
In my previous post  "Preparing for an Android update" I covered backing up your data in preparation for an Android update.  This is another great tool to give you that peace of mind.  The free version allows for Contacts and Call history backup.  Upgrading to the Premium version also allows for Photo backups as well.  This is all automatic and typically is updated once a day.  Should your phone go missing and is never recovered, you can add a new phone to your account, and transfer all of you contacts and pictures to your new phone.

Lookout Mobile Security - Closing thoughts
Overall this is a great app to have and takes very little thought to keep your data backed up and secure.  With the ability to restore the data to a new phone it makes replacing/upgrading a breeze. I highly recommend it for any Android user.