5 Awesome Android GPS Apps

As the Android Market grew in popularity, many developers created useful applications. Even until now, they constantly upgrade their versions to keep the users attached to such applications. GPS used to be limited in big-time companies and major institutions, but with certain applications, you can enable your portable gadget to use the amazing GPS technology.

It does not matter if you own a smartphone or a tablet PC, as Android has got the figured out already. For as long as you use Android as your operating system, your choices of downloading the finest GPS application are endless. By using a GPS-enabled gadget, you are able to track a certain person or locate a friend.

What sort of GPS application should you choose, then? There are free applications, and there are those that come with a small price. Surely, you can find hundreds of them in the Android Market, but here are the 5 best:

1. Google Maps Navigation

Internet giant Google has invented many clever technologies, and Google Maps is certainly one of its finest inventions yet. This application is available for Android versions 1.6 and higher. Unlike other GPS applications, Google Maps allows you to take a look at locations using Street View or Satellite View. You can also zoom into the map if you want a clearer and more precise view. Even if you are in the farthest corner of the world, you can never go wrong with Google Maps.

2. Loopt

This portable Android version offers amazing features like receiving notifications when a friend is spotted at a nearby location. You can also toggle between map and satellite modes. With Loopt, it is possible to share information through social media like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

3. Glympse

By using T-Mobile G1's GPS technology, fellow Glympse users can identify your current whereabouts, which they can share to friends, family and colleagues. What makes this application tick is that you need not register or login, so you need not share or add personal information. Adding friends is also not required. Glympse is quite safe, as viewing your location can only be seen for 15 minutes to 4 hours.

4. Locale

Many users are raving about this application, because of its convenience and simplicity. By using your location, your phone settings can be adjusted conveniently. Simple reminders like charging your battery and turning your phone to silent mode in cinemas are actually possible. This is perfect for people who tend to forget little day-to-day things, as you can configure your gadget to do whatever you want.

5. CoPilot

This is the perfect GPS application for the jet setter and the occasional traveler. With CoPilot, you can plan your routes and access maps, which can be downloaded to your gadget. If you have an SD card with a larger memory, you can fit the whole map of North America. Aside from its amazing features, CoPilot has a striking yet user-friendly interface. This application also allows you to use voice alerts, which you can take advantage of even while driving.

Siri for iPhone 4

One of the great new features on the iPhone 4S is the launch of Siri, the voice activation function which allows users to send text messages, call people and schedule meetings using their voice. iPhone 4S users can literally talk to their device and make it perform various tasks which previously needed activation through the phone's touch screen.

While iPhone 4S users are enjoying this wonderful new technology, iPhone 4 users are wondering if they can get their phones also to work using Siri. There has been a lot of discussion online whether Siri for iPhone 4 can ever be implemented.

Some hackers have claimed that they were able to port Siri to an iPhone 4. They had installed Siri and some of its Springboard files to an iPhone 4 and got the Siri port started up. However, they found that performance was not up to the mark. Siri apparently requires a special GPU driver which sadly is not present on the iPhone 4.

Many have also complained that Apple seems to want iPhone 4 users to not be able to use Siri, so that they would ultimately be forced to upgrade to an iPhone 4S. They base their claim on the fact that Apple does not authenticate voice commands sent to its servers from iPhone 4 devices using Siri.

Most technologists are of the opinion that Siri is just an App and not really a new technology. It is basically a software that can run on a variety of different devices as long as the devices can support it. They believe that it should not be extremely difficult for Siri to work on the iPhone 4 instead of requiring a totally upgraded phone like the 4S. Most of them are disgusted with the idea that Apple seems to have made Siri to work only on the 4S just to make more sales.

It is estimated that Apple sold a million iPhone 4S devices on the very first day of its launch. Another 4 million phones were reportedly sold over that first weekend. A large percentage of buyers would have bought the 4S just for the voice activation functions available through Siri. A lot of critiques feel that if those same functions were made available on the iPhone 4, Apple might not have seen such phenomenal sales of the 4S.

Only time will tell if Siri for iPhone 4 will become a reality in the future. Since Siri is only an App, it should be possible to port it to a similar platform with slightly lesser capabilities. Until then, Siri for iPhone 4 will probably be just a dream for many iPhone 4 users.

How to Hide Photos in iPhone

Since I bought my first smartphone - the iPhone 3GS - it has become my key digital device. I save almost everything I can on it - who I know, all the details about them, and all the other information that make it possible for me to run my life smoothly. This craving has augmented along with the increasing capacities of the iPhone, superseding even my laptop. So it is fair enough to say that my iPhone contains loads of information that I consider quite sensitive.

But what would happen if someone steals my iPhone or if I lost it somewhere? How easy would it be for the person in possession of my iPhone to get access to the phone and the sensitive information that I have saved in it? And I wonder that even if it happens, can I prevent other people from finding out the most sensitive information in my iPhone?

Since there is lots of information saved in my iPhone, at first I should know what do I need to secure in my iPhone? I have been thinking about the information that is currently saved in my iPhone. It includes:

• Everyone I know (Contacts, Facebook), when I'm in contact with them (SMS, Email, Recent calls), and who's most important (Favorites)
• Everything I'm doing (my to-do list, Things) and when (Calendar)
• Places I've been (to a certain extent, within Maps)
• Photos I've taken, including scans of membership cards
• Photos of my family member that I downloaded from my laptop to my iPhone
• Websites I visit (Safari) and things I buy (eBay, confirmations stored in Email)
• Certain bank account details, and passwords (within Contact entries and Notes)

There is no doubt in it that a lot of information about my life is saved in the iPhone, so how can I rely solely on the built-in function of iPhone to secure my such a valuable information? For example, my personal photos that I have just transferred from my computer to the iPhone; are very private and I don't want anyone else to access them and therefore I need to hide them so that even if someone gets access to my iPhone, he would not be able to view my personal family photos.

Folder Lock for iPhone is the iPhone version of my favorite file and folder locking software - Folder Lock. When I got to know that Folder Lock for iPhone is released I was very excited because I am using Folder Lock to lock down my confidential and important files on my computer and I was desperately looking for something similar to Folder Lock that can secure files in my iPhone too. So I downloaded Folder Lock for iPhone directly from iTunes App Store to my iPhone and have started to learn how can I secure my files, photos and other sensitive information that I have in my iPhone with this application?

Folder Lock for iPhone allows me to password protect and hide photos, videos and audios of all available formats, Microsoft Word files, PDF files, Excel sheets, notepad files and much more. It also allows me to secure files that I have downloaded from the internet.

It creates the secure storage called Locker where I can save almost everything I want. This Locker cannot be accessed, opened, moved or deleted without entering the correct password and no one can even hack into this Locker to steal your private information, because Folder Lock for iPhone comes with a powerful hack attempt monitoring technology that make it impossible for hackers to hack into the application.

Folder Lock for iPhone is the perfect application that I was looking for to hide photos in iPhone. Since it supports loads of extension types, so I need not to worry either it will hide the particular format of photos in which I have saved my photos or not. It can hide all types of jpg, jpeg, png, bmp, bmpf, gif, tif, tiff, ico, cur and xbm photos. It comes with a special picture viewer with which I can view my protected files in a slideshow.

All You Need To Know About Android Development Fundamentals

Android is considered to be one of the best application development programs in today's mobile world. Without any doubt, Android phones can match and compete with other development programs such as Blackberry, iPhone and other such Smartphones. A wide variety of handsets make use of the Android platform today, and due to the number of applications in the Android market, there is so much of competition for an Android platform. Many applications are free and some need to be paid for a small amount. You can download any application that catches your fancy, as there are many based on categories such as games, entertainment, browsing, organizing, etc. If you are interested in making Android apps there are plenty of online tutorials that will help you get started.

About Android application development

Android application development does not include only applications for the market. It also includes designing tools and software that can be used for debugging, developing, testing, and publishing. Apart from these, a developer needs to see the market situation and how well the application will suit the public. Depending on the type of audience, the application is distributed. All these are a part of Android application development.

Why is Android so popular?

Android development is given so much importance because an Android application considered being one of the best applications in the market. The features that an Android phone offers are definitely at par with the other mobile development applications. Some of the features unique to an Android handset are -

1. Widgets
2. Custom home launchers
3. Automation
4. Alternate keyboard
5. Wireless app installation and many more

An Android phone can any day be considered as competition for an iPhone or a Blackberry, and the main reason for this is the application is free, and will be free also, as suggested by Google. Another reason for the immense popularity is that Android has always been open for customization. With the variety of applications in the Android market, one can easily download the ones that will make your Android phone unique and rich. All this adds up to a personal experience with your Android phone.

Entering into the World of Android App Development

If you are a beginner and want to enter into the Android app development field, make sure you have the basic computer science qualification such as Java, C, C++ and SQL. But it is worth while only if you have advanced into a higher level and do your under graduation and a post graduation in the field of computer science. You can also learn additional languages in top up your skill set. If you want other information apart from books, you can make maximum use of online tutorials and online PDF files, that can be downloaded free of cost. Taking part in Android app development forums and subscribing to related websites is a good idea too. These online tutorials will ensure that you have step by step processes that will help you understand the concept better. Right at this moment there is a lot of scope for both experienced and fresher's in this field. Usually when companies employ you they will tell you beforehand whether the Android application needs to be sold or if it is free for download. The marketing and distribution will be done accordingly.

It is important for a developer to concentrate on other aspects as well apart from the technical ones. Some of the factors are -

1. Speed
2. Requirements
3. Current market demands
4. Memory space
5. Size
6. Cost, etc

Doing your homework in the market and its current and past trend is essential to develop a successful Android application.

Android application development is one of PSA-Mobile's main competences in the area of mobile application development. With the help of Google Android SDK we are able to design custom mobile applications according to your business needs. To develop Android applications, the user can employ Netbeans or Eclipse for assistance. Each Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is free and easy to maneuver. However, Eclipse is an older application that Netbeans.

The Unique Features of the Apple iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2

Currently, there are two smartphones that are battling it out in the mobile phone arena. These are the Apple iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2. These are the two best phones in the market. There are a number of features that set these phones apart. Here, you will get to know about these unique features.

In terms of hardware, both companies have equipped their flagships with the latest hardware technology has to offer. Apple's smartphone comes with a 3.5 inch Retina Display, an 8 megapixel camera, 512 MB of RAM, and a 1 GHz dual-core A5 chip. Samsung's smartphone comes with a 4.3 Super AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel camera, 1 GB of RAM, and a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor. Both companies claim that they have equipped their phones with the best hardware in the business.

When it comes to software, the Apple iPhone 4S is powered by the iOS 5. This is the latest iteration of Apple's operating system. The iOS 5 has rolled out to a list of the Cupertino firm's products. This might make you believe that the OS has nothing new to offer, since every other product is getting the update. However, there is one feature that is exclusive to the new flagship. This is Siri.

Siri is the personal virtual assistant that can be operated via voice command. It can be asked to do an assortment of tasks. These include sending text messages, finding out about local attractions, and the list goes on. She can even check on your bank balance. Best of all, she does all of these things with attitude.

The Samsung Galaxy S2 is pre-installed with the Android OS version 2.3 (Gingerbread). Currently, this is not the latest iteration of Android since Google has officially announced the Ice Cream Sandwich. If you're worried Samsung's flagship will not get the latest features the search giant has to offer, don't worry. The Korean tech giant has just announced that the update will be issued to its flagship soon. This will allow you to enjoy a unique feature called Face Unlock. This new feature will allow you to point the phone's camera on your face to unlock the phone.

As you can see, both smartphones have unique features to offer. They are also equipped with the latest hardware mobile phone technology has to offer. Now that you know more about these phones, it is up to you to choose. Will it be the Apple iPhone 4S or the Samsung Galaxy S2?

For the best deals on the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S2, visit us at PhonesLimited.co.uk.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sethe_Gomez

Playing with Siri on the iPhone 4S