Five apps to help you clean up your Android device

Takeaway: Keeping your Android devices clean will help free up space, prevent slowdowns, and ensure that you have enough system resources for smooth operation. you can download all the listed apps below at android market(market.android.com)

The Android platform is growing exponentially. Whether you’re using it on a smartphone or a tablet (or even indirectly, with the Chrome OS), Android is an outstanding operating system. It offers the flexibility of Linux and the user-friendliness of iOS. But like any platform, it can get to the point where it requires cleaning up. My personal phone recently enjoyed a complete system reformatting. It had become so bogged down with files and apps (mostly from testing and reviewing) that I was noticing a significant slowdown on all levels.

But even if you don’t have the time or the inclination to perform a full system restore, you can do some regular upkeep to make sure your system is clean. Here are five tools to help you do jus that.

1: Startup Manager
Startup Manager will intelligently monitor and analyze all system startup entries and help you safely disable undesirable applications or resources from starting. It shows you exactly whatapplications and processes are configured to run during system startup or login. Disabling is as simple as unchecking an item on the entry list. Startup Manager also provides details on an entry, which helps if you’re not sure what should be enabled or disabled. If you want a particular application to start at login, simply enable it from the Startup Manger tool and you’ll be good to go.

2: 1-Click Cleaner 
1-Click Cleaner does exactly what the name says. With a single click, you can instantly rid your phone of cache files, SMS, browsing history, calling records, and SD card files. Although you might not realize it, that precious space being used by temporary files can really put a hit on your system performance. Keeping temp files out of your system will go a long way toward keep your device running smoothly and responsively. 1-Click Cleaner is probably one of the easiest tools to use for cleaning up temp files on the Android platform. You can put an icon on the home screen or even set up 1-Click Cleaner to clean upon shaking the phone.

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A Guide for Those New to Android on Trusted Apps & Avoid Viruses

Intro
This guide aims to provide the basic info most people want to know about the security of their phones, and when to download, and when not to download applications from the Android Market.

It's my hope that this will help people make more informed decisions and be safe about their application usage, privacy, and data. It is my firm belief that Android is a fundamentally safe platform. With some common sense, diligence, and the right knowledge of the potential threats, users can rest assured and enjoy their devices more thoroughly.

While most of these tips will apply to any of the new app stores and markets now available for Android, this guide is written specifically for Google's original Android Market.

Also, while this guide attempts to be as comprehensive as possible, there may be errors or misjudgments, or just opinions that are subjective. Please read it with the idea in mind that it's just a part of the information you may want to consider when downloading your apps.

Deciding what to download is ultimately up to you, and that's the most important thing you'll need to remember.

Background about Android The first thing when understanding the security of your phone is to know a little bit about what makes it tick. Android is a 'lite' version of Linux with most applications that you download from the market written in Java.
This is important to know because it means Android is very unlikely to ever get a 'virus' in the traditional sense. Part of the reason is because Linux is a fairly secure operating system that protects various parts of itself from other parts. This is similar to how Windows has admin accounts and limited user accounts. Because of this protection, applications downloaded from the market do not have access to anything by default. You must grant them permission for each activity they want to perform when they are installed. This is a very important point which we will address a bit later. Also due to some bad choices by Google, there are a few exceptions to this rule that we'll talk about in the permissions section.

Nevertheless, while Android is very unlikely to get a 'virus', that does not mean you are completely safe from 'malware', 'spyware', or other harmful types of programs.

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8 Free Android Antivirus Apps

Google’s Android is fast becoming the most popular mobile OS in the world. The popularity of the Android OS attracts the attention of malware writers and virus engineers.
Every week we hear reports about fake Android apps. Just a few days after the launch of the Instagram Android App, cybercriminals have created fake versions with the purpose of earning money from unsuspecting users.
Keep malware off your Android phone using one of these 8 free android antivirus apps.

1. Norton Antivirus & Security

Norton™ Mobile Security Lite protects your mobile device against loss, theft and malware. Norton lends its anti-malware, anti virus, and security expertise to mobile. Your life and your important Stuff is on your phone. Keep it safe with Norton™ Mobile Security Lite for Android.

2. Mobile Security & Antivirus

Enjoy your device. We keep it safe. Protect your phone from viruses and save your battery life with Bitdefender Mobile Security and Antivirus. Because your smartphone is no good if you can’t use it.

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Google’s Nexus 7 Tablet is the Best Way to Play Android Games

Your average Android phone is nice and portable, but the display sure is tiny. A full-sized Tegra tablet is a joy to work with, but a larger profile doesn't make for hours of comfortable gaming. With its seven inch 1280x800 HD display, Google's new mid-sized Tegra tablet is just the right size for hours of on-the-go gaming.

But what of Amazon's Kindle Fire, or Barnes & Noble's Nook? While both fall into the same size category and both are powered by Android, the Google Nexus 7 makes them look like children's toys.

Google has given the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble enough time to mutilate its operating system into something nigh-unrecognizable. It's time to show them how it's done, and the Nexus 7 does just that.

Customers flocked to the Nook and the Fire, seeking the safety of established brands to ease their entry into the world of tablet computing. The devices were loaded with restrictive front-end interfaces meant to keep new users away from the more complicated aspects of Android. Both feature a shop with a limited selection of games and apps, places to purchase books and videos; they're both very user-friendly.

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Solutions to Common Android Wi-Fi Problems

Friends of mine who use an Android come over to me usually with problems related to their devices’ Wi-Fi connectivity. Moreover, it’s not a single isolated issue. There are all kinds of them they bring up.

I usually fix their problem after few troubleshoots but today while I was fixing a problem on my device, I realized that it could happen to any one — even to my readers on Guiding Tech. Hence we are going to discuss four of the most common Android Wi-Fi problems and see the probable causes and solutions to them.


Android Cannot Scan a Wi-Fi Network

Reason
There may be two reasons as to why your Android cannot scan a network automatically. The first reason may be that the network you are trying to connect to could be Ad-Hoc in nature. As most of the Android phones are not configured to work on Ad-Hoc networks but on access points, they don’t scan them.
The second reason may be that the Wi-Fi network you are trying to connect to might be hidden for security reasons.

Solution
By default, Android does not support Ad-Hoc Wi-Fi network but many developers patch the wpa_supplicant file on Android in order for them to work. If you do a quick Google search you will be able to find if there’s a fix available for your device but the fix can only be performed on a rooted phone. Furthermore, don’t forget to back up your original wpa_supplicant file if at all your phones goes into foreclose or boot loops.

If the problem is with the hidden network, you can try to add the network manually. In Android Wi-Fi settings open menu and tap to add a network manually. You must enter the correct SSID and authentication type and password in order to connect to the network. If both the credentials are correct, the Android phone will be able to connect to the network.

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The Best Android Tablet Apps

With the Nexus 7 now available, Android tablets are no longer poor iPad copycats. They're real, banging for your buck affordable and most importantly, really good. But to make it even better, you'll need to get some apps. Here are the best Android tablet apps.

A list of popular social apps          

Plume: Sadly, the official Twitter app isn't exactly tablet friendly. Luckily, Plume, a highly customizable Twitter app, works well enough on Android tablets so you won't miss Twitter on your Android tablet.




Friendcaster: Friendcaster for Facebook is a much better tablet app than the official Facebook app, as it gives you real time Facebook notifications and includes all your most-used Facebook features like status updates, photos, messages, events, groups, checkins and more.



IM+: Optimized for tablets, IM+ is an IM app that lets you chat with your friends on AIM, Google Talk, Skype, MSN, Yahoo, Facebook chat and others. Free.

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Take A Glance Of The Android Version History

Many android phone users may wonder that why android take dessert as the code for its system versions. This way to name the android system version starts by Android 1.5. The size of dessert which stand for each android version get larger, and order by the 26 words:Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread,Ice cream sandwich, Honeycomb.

Android 1.1 release time: April, 2009

Android 1.5 Cupcake release time:September, 2009

Android 1.6 Donut release time: 26, October, 2009

Android 2.1 Eclair

Android 2.1 Eclair

Android 2.1: Another main version update by an amazing speed in 26, October, 2009. It updates to Android 2.1 “Eclair.” The main character of Android 2.1:Enhance the speed of the hardware, More screens and resolution selection, User interface improved support for Exchange, Activity substantially improved wallpaper, virtual Bluetooth keyboard and Google map.

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Turn your TV into an Android tablet

A number of devices that will turn your HDTV into a functioning Android tablet are slated to hit the market this year. The popularity and open source nature of the Android platform coupled with inexpensive hardware has given rise to a number of startups looking to turn ordinary TVs into smart TVs. These devices are mini-computers using cell phone microprocessors to bring the Android experience to TVs with HDMI ports.

No less than 3 startups, each promising to bring the Android platform to your TV, have been successfully funded through Kickstarter, the popular crowd-sourced funding platform. Pocket TV, OUYA, and Equiso Smart TV easily exceeded their funding goals. Pocket TV and Equiso are preparing for production and future shipments while OUYA is still in development.

Pocket TV, from the startup Infinitech, will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on a 1GHz ARM A9 processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory. A microSD slot will support an additional 32GB of memory. WiFi and Bluetooth are supported and the device will be capable of displaying a 1080p resolution. Prices start at $129 for the infrared remote Pocket TV and $149 for the gyroscopic, Wii-like remote with keyboard.

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Just speak it: introducing Voice Actions for Android

Our mobile phones have become modern-day Swiss Army knives. An Android phone is a handheld computer, a music player, a notepad, a GPS navigation unit and more, all rolled into one sleek device that fits in your pocket. Today’s phones do so many things for us that sometimes we don’t even think about how we do them.


Even though our phones do all these new things, the most natural way of interacting with a phone remains what it always has been: speaking. And to that end, we’re pleased to introduce Voice Actions for Android. Voice Actions are a series of spoken commands that let you control your phone using your voice. Call businesses and contacts, send texts and email, listen to music, browse the web, and complete common tasks, all just by speaking into your phone.

To use Voice Actions, tap the microphone button on the Google search box on your home screen, or press down for a few seconds on the physical search button on your phone to activate the “Speak Now” screen. Let Mike LeBeau, the lead engineer for Voice Actions, show you in this video.

And of course, you can still conduct a Google search using your voice.

While we’re at it, we’re also releasing an updated version of the Google search widget for Android. When you type a local search query, like [italian restaurants] you’ll see suggested restaurants with addresses and ratings. Also, as you type queries, you can refine them further by tapping the pencil icon that appears to the right of search suggestions.

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Best Android Apps to Turn Your Android Smartphone into a TV Remote Control

The television has always been a good stress reliever after a hard day’s work. It is just so relaxing to watch your favorite TV shows, or probably a movie or two.

The definition of TV nowadays has already evolved. With all these new technologies right now, TV has never been the same. Lots of things can now be done on your TV–things like video streaming, DVR, social networking, browsing the Web, and many others.

Now, imagine if you can extend features of your TV to your Android device, or better yet take control of your TV from your phone or tablet. That would be amazing, right? Sure enough, there are indeed ways for you to do this. Here are Android apps that are good companions to your TV relaxation.

If you have an HTPC (Home Theater PC) that runs the Boxee software, the Boxee Wifi Remote app will be a good companion. This Android app lets you navigate the Boxee user interface from your phone or tablet.

Xfinity Mobile is the Android app by Comcast. This app has a lot of features that enable users to manage their Comcast service on an Android device. TV-wise, it lets you manage your DVR recordings, browse for TV listings, and view notification alerts.

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HTC Legend Review: Frankly, It Feels Expensive

With HTC's upcoming crop of Androids, you'll be able to separate people into two distinct groups: those who spring for the brainier, better-specced Desire, and those who get bowled over by the beautiful, yet lesser-specced Legend.

The Desire (or Nexus One) is the final word in the Androidsphere—it's a mark of someone who knows what they're doing, who wants to show people they NEED that extra computing power. If you compare it to the Legend, you could be justified in saying Legend-salivators are more shallow, ignoring the might of a Snapdragon processor in lieu of a unibody aluminum shell and slim build.

You'd be wrong, however.

I Mean, It Is Just a Sequel

The internal upgrades are minor, when you consider it next to the HTC Hero, but like the Empire Strikes Back, sometimes sequels are far better than the original. While we found the Hero "tragically flawed" in its slugginess, the Legend's slightly more powerful 600MHz processor behaved—well, like a legend. The 3.2-inch screen has the same amount of pixels as the Hero, but swaps the HVGA for a more superior AMOLED. The 5.0-megapixel camera is still the same quality, but has the much-welcomed addition of a flash. You get the picture—the Legend is building on the Hero's quality in incremental upgrades, but every change, however minor, radicalizes the experience of using the Legend.

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Free Apps For Android: Floating Widget v2.0

This lets you interact with any home screen widget while using any other app.

Widgets are no longer only for your home screen!Floating Widget lets you interact with any home screen widget while you’re using any app on your device.

Features:
Control your local or streaming music without leaving your current app
Have a sports scoreboard up while using your e-book reader
View a data usage widget in real time while using the app you’re testing
Have a clock on the screen while playing a full screen game
View CPU usage while you’re interacting with an app
Have the a traffic indicator widget always up while commuting
With Floating Widget, you can do all of these and more! Check the screenshots and embedded video for setup and examples.

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How to Sync With Android

Google's Android is a software stack for mobile devices that features an operating system and applications. Thanks to Google's partnership with doubleTwist, the Android now has official syncing software. This software lets you import individual audtio tracks as well as entire playlists onto your phone. You can easily sync your Outlook or Yahoo contacts with your Gmail account, and subsequently your Android.

Instructions

1 Boot your computer and open an Internet browser.

2 Set up a free Gmail account, if you don't have one already. Sync your other email accounts with the Gmail account, importing your contacts and calendar by setting up Mail Fetcher.

To sync the accounts, click "Settings" at the top of the page with your Gmail open, then click the "Accounts and Import" tab. Click "Add POP3 email account" under the "Check mail using POP3" section. Enter the email addresses you'd like to access, then click "Next Step." Enter the correct server name and port (which you can find out from your other provider), as well as your password for each account. When you're finished, click "Add Account."

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Google’s New 3D Imagery Comes to Google Earth For Android, iOS Coming Soon

A few weeks ago, Google hosted a last-minute press conference in San Francisco to announce its new, highly detailed 3D maps. While many of us expected the company to actually launch the maps then, Google never announced actual launch date. Today, the wait is over, as the new version of Google Earth for Android (version 7.0) now offers access to the new 3D imagery. You can download the updated Google Earth for Android app from the Play store now.

Don’t get too excited, though. For the time being, only about a dozen cities feature these new 3D maps, including most cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as L.A., San Diego, Portland, Boulder, Charlotte, Tucson, Tampa and Rome, Italy (Rome being the only non-U.S. city that currently features the new 3D maps).

At a session at Google I/O today, Google also reiterated that these features will come to iOS “soon.”

Google says that it will continue to release more 3D imagery over the coming months. The plan, says Google, is to offer 3D coverage for metropolitan areas with a “combined population of 300 million people.”

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Jelly Bean Impressions: Android’s Most Important Update Yet

Android 4.1, or “Jelly Bean” as it’s nicknamed, is not an update full of showstopping features. You can gather that much from the version number, in which only the decimal has changed.

But don’t be fooled; Jelly Bean is arguably the most important new version in Android history.

More than ever, Google understands what it has to do to make Android a top-notch phone and tablet operating system for ordinary consumers, not just tech-savvy users. Instead of just piling on more features with Android 4.1, Google is focused on usability.

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Don't get faked by Android antivirus apps

A chart from AV-Test's report showing the top 17 Android apps for malware detection. Red boxes mean the family of malware went undetected; orange through green indicates partial detection through full detection of the samples in a given malware family. App names are organized alphabetically.(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

Updated Thursday, March 15, 2012, at 5:05 p.m. PDT: After complaints from some security app makers, AV-Test.org has published an updated report that raised scores for some apps.

If you're worried about Android malware, choose wisely. There's a good chance that your trusted security app does little to protect you, says a new report from independent testing organization AV-Test.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android 2.3 Gingerbread update now available

Few hours ago, we let you know that the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was due to become available during this week.

And that it did. The update is now live. Sony Ericsson has all the details up at its website which specializes in updates (just go over there and select the Xperia X10 as your device).

The update brings many new features aside from the Gingerbread bits. Such things include Facebook inside Xperia (prevalent integration throughout the UI), app tray sorting (you can now arrange apps in the order you want them to be), Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, the music player now has an equalizer, USB tethering is now possible, and there’s a new photo widget which gives you one click access to the photo gallery app.

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