App Reviews - 5/19 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Top Android Apps Every Rooted User Should Know About, Part 5: Apps 34-41

Posted by Cameron Summerson in App Reviews, Applications, Best Apps For Rooted Users Series, Features

It has been a few months since we last took a look in the Android Market for a new set of must-have root apps, and a lot of worthy entries have since entered the arena.

They battled it out in fight to the death, and the eight victors now stand before you, offering their unparalleled services at your disposal.

Okay, so maybe it didn't play out quite so dramatically, but the point remains the same: we have eight new apps that every rooted user should know about. Let's get to it, shall we?

This article deals with a couple of advanced topics.

Jan

[Review] Avast! Mobile Security For Android

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Mobile Security App Shootout

After getting a glimpse of Avast's new mobile security solution a few weeks ago, I just had to dive in and give the app a full review. Avast, the long-awaited marriage of Avast and IT Agents' Theft Aware (see our review), certainly doesn't disappoint. It has an insane number of features, all of which appear to work perfectly, and it sounds like things will only be improving with time.

And did I mention the full-featured, root-enhanced app is completely free with no paid version in sight? As in, even the previously paid (Theft-Aware used to cost 10EUR) features.

Check out this handy feature matrix:

And this video, which provides us with a quick overview of just a few of Avast's capabilities:

At A Glance

Avast Mobile Security is stunning not only in terms of functionality, but also in its design and usability.

Dec

[Review] Hexamob Recovery Pro Could Bring Much Needed Relief After Mourning Over Deleted Files

Posted by Brandon Lancaster in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

We all know that dreaded feeling that comes over us when we accidentally delete an important file. However, if you haven't recently made a backup (shame on you!) there's no reason to panic if this happens. Hexamob, maker of Hexamob Recovery Pro, is here to lend you a helping hand with raising files from the dead.

This app is for rooted users only.

Overview

This app is an incredibly powerful tool to have on hand. Basically, it can recover deleted files from your phone or tablet's SD card, effectively comforting you after the loss of important data. Keep in mind that this only works if the data blocks used to store the file have not been overwritten since deletion, so your best bet would be to fire up this app right after something goes missing.

Nov

[Mobile Security App Shootout, Final Roundup] Out Of A Sea Of Apps, Just One Emerges As A Clear Winner In Keeping Your Device Safe

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Mobile Security App Shootout

Last Updated: November 29th, 2011

In the past couple of months, I've covered more than a dozen mobile security apps, carefully weighing the pros and cons of each, and determining their relative values. I've spent time with 17 apps in all, and it's about time to wrap up the series, and tell you, the end user, which apps are your best bet for protecting your Android device(s).

Before I get to the nitty-gritty of which app is best, I think it'd be helpful to review what we've covered so far, to get a clear grasp on each of the solutions we've covered. To save your eyes from pages upon pages of analysis, I've made the following handy table, outlining the various features we've covered, and which apps have what you need.

Nov

[Review] Adobe Photoshop Touch Is The (Almost) Perfect Tablet-Friendly Adaptation Of Its Desktop Counterpart

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications

Next in our series of reviews centered around Adobe's Touch Apps is Photoshop Touch, a nearly perfect paring-down of its desktop counterpart. While Photoshop Touch may be a little simplified, it still has a ton of features, and packs in almost all of the things I need for on-the-go photo editing.

At A Glance

Essentially, Photoshop Touch is a more basic version of the desktop software, with Creative Cloud connectivity and Android 3.1+ compatibility thrown in. Its simplicity is not a bad thing, however. PS Touch shares the same sleek, intuitive interface style as the other members of the Touch App family, and the Creative Cloud makes a fantastic addition.

Nov

[Hunt For The Best Dialer, Part 8] TAKEphONE Makes A Good Barebones Replacement For Stock, But Lacks That Certain Something

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Hunt For The Best Dialer

Offering a simple, no-nonsense entry into the replacement dialer game, ShSh Software gives us TAKEphONE - a plain, unassuming alternative to Android's stock Phone app.

At A Glance

TAKEphONE is by all accounts a simple dialer replacement. When I say simple I mean it has three main screens, each with subtle variations in their settings menus. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it keeps the app lightweight and easy. I will say, however, that the app could use some polish. It works well enough, but there is much to be desired in the way of visual finesse. For example - the Call, Favorites, and Call Log icons are jagged and look rather low-res.

Nov

[Review] Adobe Kuler Is Much More Than A Simple Color Wheel

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, App Reviews, Applications

Adobe, the company that has effectively become the authority on digital media creation, recently released their family of Touch Apps for Android. This release brought six amazing tools to the hands of design professionals everywhere, enabling incredibly breezy, fluid creation, editing, and concept workflow experiences for just $10.00 a pop. Perhaps more impressive than the apps themselves is Adobe's Creative Cloud. The Creative Cloud is essentially a cloud storage space, which allows users to upload and download content, to and from tablets or desktop machines. Each user gets 20GB of free storage, and Adobe's Touch Apps can pull almost all of Adobe's file formats, including Illustrator files, PDFs, PSDs, etc.

Nov

[Mobile Security App Shootout, Part 17] NetQin Security Pro Focuses On Anti-Virus Protection Over Anti-Theft, Still Makes A Capable Solution

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, Mobile Security App Shootout

Last Updated: November 21st, 2011

Coming in at number seventeen in our shootout, NetQin Security Pro is a security app that offers a lot more than your average anti-theft protection, even if that means skimping a little on features that may help you recover your lost device.

At A Glance

First, I want to comment on NetQin's design. The app's overall appearance is clean, and relatively well thought out. The main screen gives you access to all the app's main features, and the layout makes it virtually impossible to misstep. Speaking of features, NetQin has plenty of them, including anti-virus, privacy protection, traffic management, and anti-theft options.

Nov

[New App Hands-On] ViBe Replaces Ringtones With Custom Vibration Patterns, Eliminates Need To Stealthily Peek At Your Phone During A Meeting

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications, News

My phone spends about two thirds of the day on silent or vibrate mode due to classes, meetings, or other events where it may be inappropriate to have a ringtone going off, so when I heard about ViBe, my interest was already piqued. The problem – until now – with keeping your phone in vibrate mode, is that there is no way to know who exactly is calling or texting without indiscreetly peeking at your screen, which can be almost as distracting as if you had the ringer turned on.

All of that changes today, however, with Base2Apps' introduction of ViBe, an awesome new app that allows the user to set custom vibration patterns for individual contacts.

Nov

[Review] My Sync Center Makes Takes A Light, No-Frills Approach To Slick, Easy File Syncing And Backup

Posted by Liam Spradlin in App Reviews, Applications

If you're anything like me, your Android handset has completely demolished the need for an mp3 player, you're constantly adding and removing files from your device, and you find the process of plugging your phone or tablet into your computer via USB to be tedious, if not tiresome.

Luckily, there are a variety of apps in the Android Market that allow users to sync files wirelessly between their computer and Android devices. My Sync Center is one such app, bringing convenient, sophisticated sync functionality to you in a lightweight, easy-to-use package.