May 8, 2013

I’m a brave man. I believe a couple centuries ago, I would have been an explorer of sorts. I love a challenge, and few things scare me. Except spiders.

In any case, the prospect of switching from a device with a physical keyboard to one with a virtual one made me nervous. I was okay with switching from from one OS to another; I had done my research, liked the new ecosystem and liked the hardware available to me. The thing that really bothered me was the eventuality of having to peck on a touchscreen.

I’m here to tell folks: Swype made the switch possible.

Swype is an alternative keyboard from Nuance that changes the thumb/peck paradigm. Instead of (or, more accurately, in addition to) tapping with fingers, Swype allows for the user to input words by gliding a finger across letters without lifting a finger. The built-in predictive algorithm takes care of the rest.

In practice, it is quite nifty. It does a pretty good job of guessing words accurately, and the suggestion tab right above the keyboard came in hand. For words it could not decipher, it allowed to to force them in by tapping; after this, I could add it to my dictionary. The keyboard sported an optional virtual trace line to aid the swiping motion. The keyboard itself was compact, and worked well in both portrait and landscape orientations. The English version was set up in the standard QWERTY layout, with the option to switch to a numbered keypad or two pages of special characters

I really liked the personalization options. It was possible to pick from several color themes, spacing and capitalization tweaks, and more. The user dictionary was editable and cloud-compatible. The built-in gestures that enabled stuff like hiding the keyboard or invoking the number pad was fantastic, as was the Dragon Dictation voice entry.

With regards to mobile data entry, swiping is not so new anymore; during Swype’s legendarily long beta process, several keyboards have incorporated the feature. Thus, I do believe Swype’s prediction engine could be sharper. Also, being able to adjust the size of the keyboard couldn’t hurt.

Still, Swype remains a very compelling productivity tool that can boast at least one world record.

May 8, 2013

Admit it: we were all a bit enthralled with the introduction of Google Keep, Google’s mobile note-keeping solution. It was clean, fairly lightweight and nice to look at.

A problem for power users such as myself (I do say that with full modesty) was the glaring lack of a desktop companion. You know… for the times that the mobile warrior is obligated to go so low as to get on a laptop our desktop. Having a note application that is accessible on the fly is practically the only real reason to use one. So, we whined about it (and by “we” I mean I did it on your behalf). Google clearly puts a high premium on what I have to say; I don’t mean to brag though.

Thankfully, Google has somewhat addressed the problem by introducing Keep for Chrome, an extension that, well, extends the functionality of the mobile dream catcher. To use it with Chrome, the user will have to be logged into a Google account.

Of course, we’d love for Keep to possibly work with other browsers, but Chrome browser users like myself are happy to be the favored children. In my testing, the extension worked well and reflected compete sync with mobile app. I would like tighter integration with Google Docs; how about a fixed icon link from within Docs settings instead of a URL? Some folks will probably crave a local desktop companion too. Some issues still remain, such as the inability to categorize notes with tags.

Still, sounds like this app is definitely worth taking another look at, and it’s good to see Google working on increasing the functionality of new apps, especially with many still shell-shocked by the shuttering of Google Reader. Keep might not yet have the raw power or cross-platform appeal of, say, Evernote, but its minimal design is a plus.

Apr 11, 2013

For true Android heads, Chris Lacy is a trusted name. The developer who brought us Tweet Lanes is well-respected, and the quality of his work was on full display in that Twitter client.

Thus, it’s hard to not want to review his sophomore effort, Action Launcher Pro. It is another third-party launcher looking to give folks with different Android skins a seamless method of device handling.

I liked the opening process; I was prompted to import settings from my current launcher, and I noted it created a template with the same number of pages and the unique home wallpaper I used in the old.

One of Action Launcher’s admitted goals was to breathe new life into widgets, and consequently, make navigation quicker and more enjoyable. By making swiping and multiple uses of iconography to invoke different outcomes an integral part of its process, I thought it did a decent job of accomplishing that.

One of the first things I noted and came to think of as close to indispensable was the Quickdrawer. It was a slide-in shelf of functionality that sort of mimicked a supercharged start menu for all my apps listed alphabetically. By default, a quick swipe to the left of my leftmost pulled it up. On my device, the scrolling was smooth.

The real eyebrow puller for me was a dual-edged feature set present in the current build called Shadows and Covers. Covers was similar to the folder system a lot of Android users are used to. Shutters was a little different, and quite awesome. it allowed me to swipe and invoke widgets for widget-ready apps. It even allowed me to configure them from the icon.

Pretty nifty.

This app also packed in a lot of the features most users would expect; the ability to hide apps, re-sizing widgets, play around with the dock and more. It did all this without feeling bloated. I wish folks on ICS and below had access to this (as well as a free stripped down version for price-conscious app shoppers), but I think it is a good value.

Another exceptionally functional app from Chris Lacy… but what else is new?

Apr 9, 2013

One of the greatest attributes of the internet is the ability to self-publish. Music, blogs, voice… we get to connect with people in ways even Al Gore could not have imagined.

Being able to listen to podcasts on the go is great. I listen to a bunch of stuff in several categories, which makes reviewing Pocket Casts an interesting proposition.

It definitely excels in delivery. Its opening layout is an interesting mix of clean cut functionality and eye-catching colors overlaid on a stock crimson base. I discovered two or three blogs that I already listen to, as well as few others that seemed interesting right from the app home listing of featured podcasts. Swiping revealed listings for Popular, Top Videos and Networks and a categorized listing.

In the top left, the “Discover” tab beckoned, and I was helpless to resist. It invoked a menu of sorts, with search functionality, settings and counter (categorized into Unplayed, Audio, Video and Downloaded). I also found the ability to set up playlists. Using the presets listed, I was able to view a pretty extensive listings of current podcasts by that particular publisher ranked by date, and was also able to subscribe. What I loved was that when deciding to listen to any specific podcast, I was able to stream or download. I loved this feature a lot; having the option to manage consumption in this way was intuitive, and for folks with access to wi-fi, it’s great. I was able to listen while downloading too.

I especially liked the ability to preview podcasts without subscribing; this truly fit in with the discovery paradigm. The podcast pages could be likened to magazine preview pages, and contained the publishing information and metadata one would expect. the quality was quite good; I could not discern a difference in quality from the same podcast accessed from a full fledged terminal, nor could I complain about the stream vs downloaded content.

I liked that the developer incorporated stuff like sharing and sleep timers to round out the app.

Pocket Casts might draw a half-blink due to its price, but my impression was that it is hard to argue its value, even for casual listeners of podcasts. For hardcore users, I’d dare to describe it enjoyably essential.

Mar 26, 2013

It’s a rough, tough mobile world. Thankfully, more and more tools are sprouting up to help us keep abreast of all the data. As our financial lives become increasingly electronic, the tools we keep to track them must keep up.

Saving Made Simple Finance App is a nice budgeting tool that allows everyday people to keep a finger on finances, even while on the go.

The app got straight down to business. It opened up with with a pop-up request to create a goal. The goal menu opened up to entry dialogues such as those for title, amount, deadline and reminder.

I randomly picked a goal amount to save, and after confirming the target date and such, it gave me all sorts of stats: dollar amount/percentage of target amount accumulated, and a monthly “payment” that will effect reaching that goal. It was all tidily presented, with the information easily accessed and manipulated. I liked the potential detail; if I so wished, I could get weekly, fortnightly or even daily cash estimates for each goal entry. I could also toggle automatic entries (credits and debits) to the head amount.

Now, the cool thing about the simple template was the different ways it could be used. It didn’t take a whole lot of work or reasoning to create a payoff schedule for things like credit lines or loans. Simply entering in the balance and a time frame, and the program did the calculations for me… not bad for a simplistic amortization spreadsheet. The same could be done for long-term savings: car, Christmas, wedding, college expenses… all could be entered in some fashion.

In the same vein, since the program had a reminder system, it could be used set up reminders for the payment of bills. This is something I found incredibly useful.

All in all, there is so much to like in this app. It is simple, very intuitive and more functional than it needs to be.

Mar 25, 2013

Android is a great OS, and its more open nature than iOS means that it can do a lot of things that are more in the purview of what a traditional computer can do. But if you want to access files from a USB storage device, well too bad! Android doesn’t have default support for that. Enter Nexus Media Importer, an app that can help achieve at least half of the USB drive access solution.

Plug in a low-power USB storage device (only use hard drives if they’re externally-powered_ in to an Android device with USB host capability (likely through a micro-USB to female USB port cable, though some tablet docks have full-size female USB ports), and then open up Nexus Media Importer. The app will show the files that you have on the device, and then it can download them to your Android device, seemingly using a method that involves ‘downloading’ the file just as a web download would work. This can also view photos straight from the USB device. Not sure if you device works? Use the Nexus Photo Viewer which can only view photos, and serves as the glorified demo for the full version of the app.

Now, the app’s grand flaw, as one could possibly assume from the title, is that it is only good for importing files from a USB device, and not so much for exporting them. This may be due to a limitation of non-rooted devices, but still, it takes away a lot of the utility of the app. As a way to do one-way transfers while on the go, like importing large audio or video files from a USB drive, it’s handy. But for sending anything you do back from Android, like taking photos/videos and giving them to someone, well, that’s gonna require a more traditional file transfer method. Also, the app interfered with USB Audio Recorder Pro, which also interacts with USB host devices.

So as such, I find myself curious as to the utility of this. Perhaps for those who need to get photos off of SD cards and don’t have a built-in SD card reader, this may help. Watching videos works as well. But USB file transfer works a lot better as a two-way proposition, and thus this app, while it works, only does so much.

Mar 22, 2013

A lot of people — the whole wide world, seemingly — are not too happy with Google’s decision to discontinue its popular Reader application.

If Google Keep (it’s newly unveiled cloud-supported note taking app) is supposed to be a mea culpa, Google might already be back in our hearts.

Maybe.

The Android note-taking space is not sparse by any means. There are plenty of note apps, and the competition creates a very high bar. Google’s last offering, Notebook was okay, but lacked oomph. Thus, even Google needs a pretty good offering to stay abreast. Keep, I think, does that.

Simplicity, Google’s oft-repeated mantra, is clearly at work here. The interface is clean, with minimalist undertones that seemingly beg to be filled with information. The default light grays and whites combined well. Per user interface, the app allowed for dual panes or a single line of notes, and I was also able to personalize notes by switching background color.

The “simple” looks translated to the on-screen controls as well, with the developers opting for a regular entry button, a check box marker, a microphone for dictated text and a control to invoke the camera for imaged notes. In real-world tests, the entry sequences were smooth and intuitive. The audio functionality worked very well, which was key for me; many of my note entries are dictated, so accuracy is important. I liked that i could archive notes by swiping and toggle check boxes on the fly.

I think the true strength of Keep is it functionality. Google makes the app sync to Google Docs, which is a positive if you have already started using Google Docs. I love the ability to look up and access and/or edit files on the go. It worked well with my device’s share functionality; it pulled in actual text from the note into the my calendar app, instead of a link to the note url as one leading note app does. Now, I would loved to see it pull information from the app, liked entered dates, to create a true calendar entry. Street addresses entered into the app became clickable links that automatically invoked the map app; phone numbers pulled up the dialer. A resizeable widget adds to the overall appeal.

I would have loved for a filing convention of some sort, but barebones it’s barebones.

Time will tell if Keep will develop a following. It has plenty of upside, but the cool thing is that it seems to be so useful already.

Jan 21, 2013

It’s a New Year. Resolutions abound. Fitocracy might just be the tool to help folks keep the ones related to healthier living.

It’s an app that uniquely melds excessive with a competitive process that “rewards” completion of tasks. In doing this, it looks to avoid being just another fitness application, and to potentially become a full-fledged life coach.

The app itself comes with a mature, clean look, with trademark purple hues making a starring appearance.

The app is made up of three main pieces, accessible via the left side pane: Feed, Track and Your Profile. The Feed maintained my interactions with other “Fitocrats” all around. I could talk, encourage and request feedback from Fitocrats.

The Track section was where the party was at. Here, my exercises and activities were tracked for points. Fitocracy has a nice system of points and leveling up that encouraged exercise and the completion of “Quests” that generated bonus points. With the Quest Explorer feature, I could pick from a host of challenges to improve my status. Color-coded to indicate difficulty, these ran the gamut; there was stuff for beginners all the way through Olympians. I could also add exercise activities. For example, adding push-ups to my list gave me the opportunity to list reps and such, and completion yielded points, as well as a chance to share said activity to social networks.

The in-app Profile had my information, and summaries of how many points I needed to level up, along with portals for updating my status and taking pictures.

I thought the developers did a good job of making the app usable and easy to understand. I found it easy to use one-handed, and the point system was a pretty fun incentive. The social aspect of the app was a great idea. Also, the app had an online companion, which was another advantage.

Jan 15, 2013

How often is a password needed while browsing the web? How about other information like credit card information or maybe the login information to something else? Well SplashID Safe for Tablets can help keep all this information safe and sound and easily accessible on a phone or tablet. The app tested here is the version for tablets. Here is the version for Android phones.

The first thing I noticed when I started using SplashID Safe for Tablets was it eliminated the ability to take screen captures. I can say I’ve never noticed this feature in other safe and password managing applications. I went back and tested a couple and it’s pretty common feature apparently. When starting out, the first thing asked is to set a password. Since there’s only a need to remember one password (all of the other password will be accessible inside SplashID Safe for Tablets), it’s a good idea to make this a strong password. If needed, a hint can be added to help remember the master password or place where the password was written down and kept for safekeeping.

From here, it’s a matter of adding in all of the sites, passwords and other information for safe keeping. This is the part of any password manager that’s no fun. If the desktop version is purchased, information can be entered their and synced with the handheld devices. Otherwise the information needs to be entered manually one entry at a time. This is a great chance to eliminate old accounts and information. When entering the information, it’s a good idea to categorize and group similar passwords or accounts.

When there is a need to have more than a business and personal category, create new ones to better organize information. There’s also different “types”. The types are templates to make the entry and organization of data easier. For example one of the types is for bank accounts while another is frequent-flier miles. Using the types for some things like insurance will not replace the actual need to keep a copy of the form in the car.

The whole idea is to make sure to use SplashID Safe for Tablets or any other password manager or it’s just another app taking up space. Having everything in one spot makes SplashID Safe for Tablets a super useful tool.

Jan 14, 2013

Seeing as I am an inherently disorganized person, finding a way to keep tabs on my life is something that I have been searching for a very long time. I have tried a myriad of solutions for both my smartphone and laptop, but I always have a hard time sticking to one; lack of features and limited connectivity between devices tend to be the problems that frequent my life most often. A big problem is that I run Apple’s OS X on my laptop and have an Android smartphone, obviously two devices that do not play well together. So my solution was to look for something that had a web-based service in addition to their standalone app that anyone could access from wherever they were, no matter the operating system. My searching brought me along a great app company called Catch who has an incredible note-taking app for Android that also syncs to an online web-app.

The app is, fittingly, called Catch Notes and connects though the traditional logins of Twitter and Facebook as well as an optional Catch.com login. After downloading this app, the first thing that I noticed was the simplicity of the styling. Out of all the note apps that I looked at, and I looked at quite a few, this one was by-far-and-away the most attractive and intuitive. The main screen has a list of “spaces” which are basically user-created, pastel colored categories for notes. At the bottom is a small, gray half circle button to add a new note which quickly toggles a wheel to add different kinds of notes. Catch Notes can handle alarms, photos, text, voice, and checklist notes which really make this app incredibly flexible and useful. The add button is persistent throughout the whole app which makes quickly adding notes a cinch and the intuitive interface is a joy to use.

The online web-app is not as tightly styled as its mobile partner, but it is still very functional nonetheless; especially when paired as a shortcut on a desktop which is a great way to quickly add and sync notifications to a computer. It is important to note that Catch does not sync with any existing note app such as Google Notes or Apple’s Reminders, but it does allow sharing of notes and spaces with other Catch.com users. Anyone looking for a great note taking app should look no more because Catch Note is the best, and most attractive, note-taking app for Android that I have ever used.

Jan 11, 2013

YouMail is not new in the consumer space; as a smartphone program, the folks behind it help innovate the concept of visual voicemail. It;s recently updated Android port really brings out some of the best features to the forefront.

YouMail breathes life into voicemails, bringing nice visual presentation, call management, customized greetings, transcription and more in a tidy, functional third-party package. In doing so, I think it competes well with the ubiquitous offerings from carriers.

Getting started required me getting my forwarding number setup. Visually, the app was clean, and made us of colors well, as if keeping the pop for the voice mails. The voice mails themselves retained the clean look, with great use of fonts and the corporate colors as the backdrop.

I absolutely loved the answer options (dubbed “Smart Greetings” and customizable from web portal). With this, I was able to make customized voice greetings for people who called in to my forwarded number. There was an automatic toggle that pulled in the names of the caller and based a templated response based on that, or I could make truly customized responses for folks. I could not find a way to manage this from within the app, which was a shame. I could manage text responses from within the app though.

Another big plus is the web access. YouMail is available on the web for times that I wanted to make changes and adjustments from a terminal. Ease of access is such a bonus in my book.

One major drawback is that YouMail does not work with pre-paid services, and seems to be restricted to the major Stateside carriers. That’s a lot of goodness kept from a decent amount of folks. Also, Google Voice compatibility is something I was not able to resolve while writing this review.

But still, this app does serve a valid purpose, even in an app market chock full of visual voicemail options.

Jan 10, 2013

In a fast-paced world, it can be difficult to keep up with the mind. So many thoughts, so little time to remember them. Diaro 3 looks to be the electronic solution people on the go need to record important stuff.

Diaro 3 (from PixelCrater), is an electronic journal that allows for a lot of the things that I would expect from a physical journal, plus some cool features perfectly appropriate for a mobile application.

The biggest overall feature, in my opinion, are the customization options included in this app. I was able to fine-tune the look of the user interface by tweaking the color (and there plenty of shades) and text size, and stuff like 12/24-hr clock and starting day of the week. I was also able to toggle a quick entry icon. I liked the little things that allow me make an app my own, and Diaro 3 provided several of them.

The app itself comes in with a clean look, with easy-to-use buttons for searching, entry and menu. Entry boxes yielded dated spots for inputting title and text, with a word counter at the bottom corner. I liked that entries could be sorted and tagged by location and other standard/tweaked criteria. Long-pressing individual entries gave me the option of deleting, editing or just viewing; I thought this to be quite intuitive. I could also share to other apps, like Gmail or text, to social networks or locally via bluetooth. Additionally, being able to include pictures in diary entries was great.

Of course, for any type of diary, security is a concern. For this, Diaro 3 allowed for the entry of a 4-digit security PIN, which added a layer of protection to whatever is on the host device. The backup solution (to external memory) was another smart feature (Dropbox sync/backup is a Pro feature).

For folks keen on solutions that enable recording of thoughts and events on the go, Diaro 3 is a compelling option.