Mobile Tweaks

Have you grown tired of the stock Android keyboard or are just looking to try something new? By now you have probably noticed that there are more keyboard replacements out there than you can shake a stick at (and believe me, I’ve tried). A little over a week ago, the competition for keyboard replacement apps got a lot stiffer, as SwiftKey beta was launched on the Android market. The SwiftKey beta seems to be an instant hit, as in its first week of existence it was downloaded over 100,000 times, which easily propelled SwiftKey to the top of our weekly download charts. But, how good is SwiftKey? I have spent the last couple of days with SwiftKey, and what follows are the impressions I’ve had thus far.

SwiftKey is truly a revolutionary new way to input text on your Android phone. When you initially set up SwiftKey, you are prompted to download one of dozens of language packs. Then, SwiftKey gives you the option to allow it to scan your SMS messages to get a feel for your typing style which customizes the word predictions it suggests to you going forward.

Where SwiftKey obviously shines is its word prediction feature. Up to 1/3 of the time, it accurately guesses what word you’re going to type next based on what you’ve typed up until that point. I was actually dumbfounded at the accuracy of SwiftKey. I posted a few Twitter messages and Facebook status updates using SwiftKey, and the word prediction seemed to be right even more than 1/3 of the time, and even if it wasn’t, typing only a few letters of the word I wanted would usually bring it up in the bubble so I could tap it and insert the word I wanted.

SwiftKey by and large looks and feels like the HTC_IME keyboard that comes preloaded on many HTC Sense devices, which is definitely a good thing. SwiftKey just feels more slick and attractive than the stock keyboard.

Though I know several of you differ on this, but in my opinion Swype has set the gold standard for on screen text-entry and is my keyboard of choice. That being said, I feel SwiftKey is the best non-swipe-to-type keyboard out there, and is easily worth downloading to see if it is enough to replace the stock keyboard, or whatever other keyboard replacement app you happen to be using. Because SwiftKey is still in beta, it is only going to get better before its final release.

Pros

• HTC_IME look and feel
• Able to predict words with incredible accuracy, even before you’ve typed a single letter
• Long-press numbers and punctuation marks so you don’t have to switch between input modes
• Ability to use SwiftKey in multiple languages
• Swiftkey learns your style and gets better at prediction as time goes on

Cons

• The only think I’ve found that I don’t like to date is the font on the keyboard itself. Just seems a little weird to me

Final Verdict

SwiftKey has reached 100,000 downloads in just one week of being on the market for good reason; it is one of the best keyboard replacement applications out there, and I would strongly encourage you to download SwiftKey to check it out for yourself.

For more information on SwiftKey, head over to their website and/or check out the promo video below.

Gallery

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Swype beta now open for all Android users to register
• SlingPlayer reaches private beta phase for Android
• Smart Keyboard Pro: The Missing Pieces of the Stock Keyboard
• SCVNGR just got a little more social (and awesome)
• SlingPlayer Mobile: A full review of the SlingPlayer experience

Source: Android and Me

The Samsung Galaxy S is invading six carriers in the U.S. and we finally got our hands on the T-Mobile Vibrant. Unboxing videos might not be the most exciting thing, but I’m committed to filming one for each phone we receive. Check out the vid after the jump for a quick walk through of T-Mobile’s latest Android phone.

Our full review is coming later this week, so check out the early adopters report from everyone that already purchased this phone.

What’s inside the box:

• Samsung Vibrant phone
• Alternative battery cover
• Battery & charger
• USB Cable
• SIM card
• Stereo headset
• Start guide
• Terms & conditions

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Quick hands-on the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant
• A closer look at the upcoming T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant
• Samsung Galaxy S headed to T-Mobile as the Vibrant
• Samsung Galaxy S spied with T-Mobile apps
• Early adopters report: How do you like your new T-Mobile Vibrant?

Source: Android and Me

The Nexus One is sold out!  Last week we learned that Google had received their last shipment of Nexus One handsets, but we certainly didn’t expect them to sell through so fast.  We have known for a while that Google planned on shutting down their phone store, moving sales of the Nexus One to a more traditional distribution model with carriers like Vodafone.

While many may call this the demise of the Nexus One, we want to remind you that just because Google is no longer selling the phone, this does not mean that the Nexus One is no longer available.  Google is planning on selling the phone directly to registered Android developers, but the general public will still be able to purchase the phone through Vodafone and KT.  Between the two carriers, the Nexus One is available at subsidized prices in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and South Korea.  Those of us who do not live in any of those markets will still be able to purchase the Nexus One through our favorite cell phone importers.

The Nexus One was hailed by Google as the world’s first superphone.  Since its launch, the Nexus One has inspired manufacturers to release Android powered phone with similar or better internal specifications.  The legacy of the Nexus one will most likely live on for years and those lucky enough to own the only official “Google phone” will most likely cherish it for an eternity (or as long as Google keeps rolling out new Android builds for it).

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Froyo equipped Nexus One launching on KT in Korea
• AT&T and T-Mobile Nexii receive another OTA update (FRF85B)
• Nexus One receives Android 2.2 FroYo build via OTA update
• New Android 2.2 update for the Nexus One is available now
• How to manually install Android 2.2 on your Nexus One

Source: Android and Me

The days of unlimited data plans are soon coming to an end. A new report from Engadget claims that Verizon will implement tiered data plans on July 29th, following a similar move by AT&T last month.

Verizon has been hinting they would shift to tiered data plans as they roll out their new 4G LTE network later this year, but we didn’t expect the change to come this soon. No details on pricing have been revealed, but Verizon and AT&T tend to follow each others moves pretty closely. AT&T now offers two levels of data plans ($25 for 2 GB, $15 for 200 MB), so expect something similar from Verizon.

Even though no official announcement has been released, this looks like a pretty sure bet at this point. Verizon recently updated their MyVerizon Android application with new features, like the ability to monitor data usage. The only real question left: how much will the new plans cost?

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Verizon likely to implement tiered data plans later this year
• BillShrink compares smartphone data plans; T-Mobile comes out on top
• T-Mobile updates Android phone data plans
• Droid 2 leaks begin to intensify
• Verizon Droid X unboxing and mini review!!! The Sprint Evo Killer??

Source: Android and Me

The latest platform distribution numbers from Google show that legacy versions of Android are beginning to diminish, but they still make up a significant part of active devices (40%). Most of the recent phones to launch are now shipping with Android 2.1, but there are several older handsets that have yet to be upgraded to Android 2.x.

The main offending handsets in the U.S. to run outdated versions of Android are found on T-Mobile. The Motorola CLIQ is still on Android 1.5 while the G1 and myTouch 3G are currently running Android 1.6. Motorola expects to upgrade the CLIQ to Android 2.1 sometime in Q3 and the future of the G1 and myTouch 3G are still up in the air.

When I recently spoke with a head representative from T-Mobile (at the Galaxy S event), I asked him why his company was so slow to upgrade their handsets or at least make their upgrade plans public. He responded that software upgrades were still being planned, but T-Mobile didn’t want to announce any distribution schedule for fear they may miss the target date and upset customers (too late for that haha). I also asked about the “No phones left behind” pledge and he told me that only applied to the myTouch Slide.

Devices with Android 2.2 are now registering on the platform versions chart at 3.3%. Only the Nexus One has officially received Android 2.2, but many hacked devices have installed a custom ROM that is based off the latest firmware. For example, 18% of Android users that access our site are now running FroYo.

Historical distribution of the platform versions.

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Android will move to a yearly update cycle
• Sprint Hero gets Android 2.1 uniting Sprint devices under Eclair
• Oldest Android firmware still the most popular
• And then there were 3: Google updates Android fragmentation numbers
• Google updates Android fragmentation numbers

Source: Android and Me

Today, T-Mobile announced their super-fast mobile broadband network has expanded to more than 85 million Americans (more than Sprint’s 4G). The new HSPA+ network offers max download speeds, 21 Mbps, that are double Sprint’s 4G WiMAX and the technology is also backwards compatible with 16 of T-Mobile’s current 3G devices, which includes their entire Android lineup.

The newest markets to gain HSPA+ include Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Waco, Texas; Baltimore, Md.; Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville, Fla.; Greenville, S.C.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Indianapolis, Ind.; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Portland, Ore.; and Wichita, Kan.

By the end of the year, T-Mobile plans to double their HSPA+ footprint to cover 100 major metropolitan areas, covering 185 million people. To see if your city is on the list visit T-Mobile’s coverage map > Click the HSPA+ & 3G tab > Scroll down and click ‘See cities with HSPA+’

Later this summer, T-Mobile will unveil their first HSPA+ handset which can take advantage of the faster speeds offered by the network upgrade. We believe this will be the HTC Vanguard that was scheduled to launch on September 9th, according to the leaked T-Mobile roadmap. More details should be available in the coming weeks.
Show Press Release

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• T-Mobile expands “4G speeds” to 25 new markets
• T-Mobile’s first HSPA+ handset is coming from HTC in September
• T-Mobile to double HSPA+ speeds in 2011?
• Is your city getting T-Mobile HSPA+ coverage soon?
• T-Mobile will launch HSPA+ smartphone in H2 2010, 3x faster than Sprint HTC EVO 4G

Source: Android and Me

The Droid 2 has had quite the busy day today — three independent leaks confirmed some old rumors and gave birth to a couple new ones.

The first rumor of the day came to us courtesy of Droid Life as one of their readers had a chance to go hands-on with the device this weekend. For the most part they came away with the same impressions we had based on our time with the device a month ago; the keyboard is much improved, the rest of the hardware feels nearly identical to the original Droid, and the new 1 GHz processor keeps things humming along nicely. The software is more of a mixed bag as the phone is now carrying Android 2.2 (as we heard it might), but it is also running the same skin as the Droid X and while we had heard that was going to be the case I know many were holding out hope that it might be jettisoned.

Rumor number 2 is a corroboration of the first rumor only with a more official ring to it as it comes with a spy shot of an internal Verizon database screen that was leaked to Phandroid. There are a number of shots, but they confirm nothing new beyond the fact that Android 2.2 is at the helm of the good ship Droid 2.

Finally an Engadget tipster came up with two pretty interesting tidbits to round things out for the Droid 2 today. The first is a slightly accelerated release date of August 12th, we had previously heard the 23rd would be the big day. Droid X owners should note that this probably confirms their Android 2.2 update for mid-August. The second piece of this rumor is that a limited edition Droid 2 might be available with R2-D2 etched in white on the back of the phone. If anyone is bothered by the fact that they went with the astromech Droid over the protocol Droid for a phone you are not alone.

As we have pointed out in the past unless you are particularly desperate for a simple refresh of the original Droid (or perhaps if you have a serious R2-D2 obsession) then you might want to consider holding out a few extra months to see whether Motorola manages to deliver on their promises of a dual GHz and dual camera monster before the year is out.

Feel free to weigh in on the phone, but I think we’ve thoroughly hashed out the issue of whether you are or are not excited about it by now. On the other hand I think the prospect of limited edition Droids with Star Wars characters is entertaining — so if they really are going down that path which character do you want to see and what characteristics should the phone bearing their likeness have?

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Original Droid will see Android 2.2 before Droid X
• Android 2.2 for rooted Droid users is available to download now
• The HTC Scorpion is poised to strike later this year
• Droid 2 leaks begin to intensify
• CyanogenMod 6 breaths new life into the aging T-Mobile G1

Source: Android and Me

Are you a developer looking for your next great app idea? Planning what you’re going to build once you get invited to Google’s App Inventor? Snaptic, creators of 3banana, AK Notepad, and Compass Android applications, has recently announced a new segment of their Move your App! developer challenge focused on improving the health of the Android community.

I would be amiss to mention Snaptic’s challenge without mentioning Snaptic’s inspiration, the Health 2.0 challenge. The Health 2.0 challenge is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, and challenges health care organizations and app development professionals to come up with and build applications aimed at solving healthcare’s large challenges. As a healthcare professional, I’m excited by and am already thinking of ways to get involved in this challenge.

Building off the Health 2.0 challenge, Snaptic has announced a similar challenge with a slightly different aim. Snaptic’s Move your App! challenge challenges developers to build applications to answer the question “What can you build to inspire movement?” The application should both track and inspire physical movement on behalf of the app user.

Need an incentive to participate? Snaptic is giving away an Android phone (undefined model), a Macbook Pro, and an opportunity to speak at the Health 2.0 conference.

All the information that you could ever hope to learn about the challenge can be found at snaptic’s website. Applications are due on September 15, 2010, so get moving! (Pun definitely intended).

RSS feed brought to you by the Android and Me Store

Related Posts

• Snaptic announces Android “Move Your App” developer challenge and conference
• 3banana: Organize your life online and on the go
• Scoreloop asks Android to challenge iPhone
• Android Market: Agree to new terms or we unpublish your app
• Insyde Market to feature Android netbook apps

Source: Android and Me

Summary: A tool for synchronizing tasks between Outlook and Google Tasks. Has a user interface for administrating the tasks which better suit the Google Tasks functionality, like nested tasks. — more on freewarepocketpc.net

Found in: google, tasks, sync, synchronization, todo

Download GogTasks

Mobile friendly download

Source: Pocket PC freeware downloads

Summary: What is your insomnia? Do not even do that.
Would you like to know how far you take time to fall asleep in bed?
Resolve such questions. — more on freewarepocketpc.net

Found in: life, sleep, bed, time

Download Yonomori

Mobile friendly download

Source: Pocket PC freeware downloads