android

Yelp for Android now uploading photos

Yelp's first foray on Google's Android phones wasn't much to look at.

The initial feature set of Yelp's business review app for Android, which debuted December 7, was minimalist. It contained enough features--read-only access to Yelp.com, click-to-call, and a hyperlink to get directions from the browser or Google Maps--to avoid a user riot, but one would hardly call it the answer to Yelp's iPhone app.

On Tuesday, Yelp is making good on its promise to quickly pad the app's features. Version 1.2, an update available through the Android Market app on your … Read more

Tweet simply

Seesmic's Twitter client for Android gives casual tweeters most tools they need to get the word out and stay connected with followers. You can view your master timeline of all your incoming and outgoing messages in one screen, profiles, replies, direct messages, and profile from one of four tabs. You're also able to take and upload a picture from the clean interface, add a location, and shorten a link. A long press on a message pops up options for responding, including retweeting. You can also share others' tweets via e-mail, SMS, and other social networks, like Facebook.

Settings … Read more

A choice of one

Why access Twitter from Twidroid's free, teal app? Because it's as complete an incarnation of the many impressive Tiwtter desktop and iPhone apps as you can get for the Android platform.

Twidroid's landing page drops you to your scrollable feed list, which rests atop a tool bar of navigation options that quickly get you tweeting, retweeting, responding, and searching topics and messages. Long pressing on an item brings up a lengthy list of tweet options, including copying the tweet to the clipboard and reporting spam. Unlike many newcomer apps, Twidroid goes deeper to get you viewing and … Read more

A ways to go

The official Facebook for Android app is undoubtedly the best way to view Facebook on your Android, and it's come a long way since its early days. Unsurprisingly, you can update your status from the app and read your news feed; take and upload a photo; and comment and like a status message. A long press on a status message gets you quick links to view a contact's wall message and see user info. The latest version gratifyingly integrates photo-viewing so you can browse friends' photos without going to Facebook's mobile Web page. Facebook for Android has … Read more

Wikipedia express

Quickpedia isn't the only free Android app to access Wikipedia, but its extras make it our favorite. If you're patient, Quickpedia will search for common entries as you type, which saves you some effort. As it pulls in content, it will also import the photos and table of contents of your Wikipedia article. Quickpedia handles space well by collapsing the different chapters so you don't have to scroll through the entire thing. Quickpedia displays articles on featured and popular content, news stories, and entries for noteworthy places nearby. Handily, you can e-mail an article to yourself or … Read more

Take Android to task

Astrid may look unassuming when you first encounter it, but the free, open source task and to-do list-maker has customization settings beneath its skin. Type to add a new task. You can leave the note to self where it is, or select the entry to edit elements like importance settings, tags, notes, deadlines, recurring reminders, and alerts. We like being able to add tasks to Android's calendar, and that there's an option to sync with online reminder service Remember the Milk.

Set the record

Want to take a voice note? This free, standalone app is one good way to do it. Voice Recorder simply and intuitively lets you record a voice note and save it, or send it on from your Android phone's default Gmail account (no SMS attachments or uploading to social networks yet). If you're disciplined enough to shut down your apps at a specified time of day, you can set an alarm that turns on Voice Recorder for a predetermined duration. You can also choose to turn any recording into a ringtone, for instance, if you favor singing into … Read more

Stop it

Just because Android apps have no "close" button doesn't mean they shut down when you return to the home page or move on to another app. You calendar, note pad, and programs in which you turn on event notifications might periodically run in the background, depleting your battery. Download and run Advanced Task Killer Free. You'll be amazed at the apps that run on start-up without your knowledge. While you can kill the task killer along with other apps, we recommend letting it run so you can easily use it a couple times throughout the day. … Read more

Android's goggles

We tip our hat to Google for creating a novel mobile app that uses pictures to prompt a search, not just text or vocal input. When you take a photo through Goggles, the free app scans the image, matching your picture against its database and returning a result. Goggles can read bar codes, landmarks, logos, books and DVDs, signs, and products. Things like plants still give Goggles trouble, and results aren't always consistent scan to scan. As Goggles is still a product of Google Labs, it's more experimental than fully baked. But it's a good experiment, and … Read more