Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts
Google Goggles - Virtual Search Application
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| Goggles Logo |
Until now the only option for web search was typing or speaking but now you can search by taking a picture.
For all those who do not know yet, Google Goggles is a virtual search application for Android and iOS.
So when and where are we going to use this application ?
Well there must be times when seeing a landmark you should have wondered if you know what this landmark is or knowing details about an artwork by just seeing it is not at all easy until and unless you are an art-lover.Searching them by typing random words is not just a good option.
Now with Google Goggles all you need to do is just open the app,fill as much of the screen as possible with the object and take a picture.
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| Landmark |
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| Artwork |
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| Wine Bottles |
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| Books |
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| Logos |
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| Business Card |
Another good use of this app is on a business card. You can easily save the contact number or copy the whole information.
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| Translating Text |
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| Bar-code Scanner |
Though Google Goggles is a really cool and helpful app but virtual search technology is still in its early stage.
As for now it only searches things like landmarks,logos,books,contact, bar-codes.
But for now it can not search food,plants,animals,cars.
If this technology advances it will be able to do more cool things like filling answers of Sudoku,solving puzzles,suggesting move in chess game or taking picture of leaf and identify the plant.
Ice Cream Sandwich is the third favorite flavor of Android
Although Google continues to make improvements to its Android mobile operating system, users of devices designed to run it are still a few steps behind. According to the latest stats released by the search engine giant, only 10% of Android device owners are running version 4.0 of the software, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich.
The most-used variant, Gingerbread (Android 2.3), was released in December 2010 and has an install base of 64%. After that is Froyo (Android 2.2) at 17.3% and Eclair (Android 2.1) at 4.7%. Ice Cream Sandwich debuted in October 2011 on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and, according to Google, is compatible with any device that's able to run Gingerbread.
That said, there's a good reason why all those devices that should be able to run it aren't:fragmentation. Hardware manufacturers actually need to tweak Android releases in order to make them work with each individual device, which means that older handsets and tablets are pretty low on their priority lists. What's more, cellular carriers have to agree to roll out each version of Android to each device individually. Time will tell if Android 4.1, aka Jelly Bean — which made its debut on the new Nexus 7 tablet from Google — fares better in this regard than its frozen-snack-themed predecessor.
Beware: Hacked websites can now infect your Android smartphone
Quick Heal's malware analysis team has discovered a malicious software that targets Android smartphones through hacked websites. This adds further credibility to our predictions about the growing threat of mobile malware. This new malware, known as NotCompatible, gets downloaded automatically when an Android user visits a hacked website. A hidden iframe present at the bottom of the hacked page aids the ‘Update.apk’ download to begin (fooling the system into believing that it is downloading a system update).
The process of downloading dangerous malware simply by visiting a website is known as a ‘drive-by download’ – a phenomenon that has been afflicting PCs for a long time so we are well aware of it. However, this is the first time such an incident has been found on an Android device, so the cause for concern is genuine. If hackers can master this technique the threat potential imposed will be immense since it will be a drastic change from their regular social engineering techniques to trick victims.
Interestingly, once the download is completed a notification appears on the device prompting the user to install the program. By default, Android devices only allow applications from the native app market, Google Play, to get installed. But this setting can be changed by going to ‘Settings’, then going to ‘Applications’ and then checking the box next to ‘Unknown sources’. Doing so allows the device to install apps from non-market sources – a process known as ‘sideloading’.
If a user unwittingly allows this installation, his smartphone will get infected and could then potentially act as a TCP relay proxy and provide private network access to the source of this malware. This can adversely affect enterprise networks and personal networks. However, the websites that are hacked and are carriers of this malware see very little traffic as of now so the chances of coming across them are quite low. Nevertheless, this could possibly be a test-run by malicious parties to check the efficiency of this technique and if that is true, Android users everywhere need to be extremely cautious.
Quick Heal advises that Android owners uncheck the ‘Unknown sources’ option so that non-market apps never get installed on their device without their knowledge. Additionally, they should also visit trusted websites only and not click on links that take them to unknown webpages as these could be carrying all kinds of potential threats. Users of Quick Heal Mobile Security are protected from this threat as it detects the malware as Android.Notcompatible.A.
Five Best Android Phones
There are dozens—probably hundreds—of Android phones on the market today. Some of them are exclusive to specific carriers, some of them are available around the world, but only a few of them are at the head of their class. This week we wanted to know which Android phones you thought were the best available, not just because they round out a checklist of features or high-end hardware, but because you think they offer a great overall experience. Here's a look at the top five Android phones.
There are plenty of sites willing to tell you which phones are the best based on the chips inside, the camera, the storage, or the version of Android pre-installed, but those things don't always add up to a great user experience. and here's the Highlight to our Top 5 Hive Five android phones:
Samsung Galaxy NoteOften referred to as a "phablet" because of its included stylus and massive 5.3" Super AMOLED display, the Samsung Galaxy Note (AT&T, $299 w/contract) is huge, but many of you praised it for blending the portability of a phone with some desperately needed tablet-like real estate. The 8MP and 2MP rear and front-side cameras and 1.4GHz dual core processor don't hurt matters either, and while it's definitely not the right size for everyone, those of you who have one love it, and others are looking forward to its release on other carriers. Plus, even though the Galaxy Note ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread pre-installed, there are plenty of ROMs available to bring it up to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, or just replace Samsung's TouchWiz interface entirely.
HTC One X/SThe HTC One series is HTC's most recent attempt to recreate itself, not that the company really needed to—most people who have used HTC devices love them, and the HTC One X and One S are no exceptions to the rule. The One X (AT&T, $199 w/contract) is HTC's new flagship phone, sporting a 4.7" screen, a quad-core NVidia Tegra 3 (internationally) or a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon (US/Canada) processor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (with HTC's Sense UI on top), built-in Beats Audio, and an 8MP rear camera with a 1.3MP front-facing camera. The HTC One S (T-Mobile, $189 w/contract) on the other hand is a slightly smaller 4.3" screen, a 1.5Ghz dual core processor, 8MP rear and VGA front cameras, Beats audio, and Ice Cream Sandwich. Both devices are slim, powerhouse devices designed to bring Android lovers' focus back to a select group of high-end HTC devices, instead of the dozen-plus ones HTC has released in the past. So far, it's working.
Samsung Galaxy S/S IIThe Samsung Galaxy S series of devices are some of the most popular smartphones in the world, and even though Samsung and Apple are embroiled in a patent lawsuit over exactly how similar the Galaxy S is to the iPhone (and vice versa), that hasn't stopped the Galaxy S and the Galaxy S II from selling millions of units worldwide. The Galaxy S was one of the first dual-core Android smartphones, and definitely one of the first to feature Samsung's new (at the time) Super AMOLED display, offering bright and crisp colors even in bright light. It's still available for a song depending on the carrier you pick it up from (in the US, it was sold under the name Vibrant (T-Mobile), Captivate (AT&T), Fascinate (Verizon Wireless), and Epic (Sprint) in both 3G and 4G variants.) History aside, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the company's current model and features a 4.3" Super AMOLED display, a 1.2GHz dual core processor, and while it shipped with Android 2.3, most carriers have been slowly rolling out updates to bring the device up to Android 4.0. Pricing varies depending on the carrier and variant you pick up, but one thing is certain: when it was launched, most people considered the Galaxy S II the best Android smartphone—if not the best smartphone—available on the market, which makes the furor over the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III that much louder.
Droid Series by MotorolaThe Droid by Motorola (Motorola Milestone, internationally) series was one of the earliest Android phones on the market to really bring Android to the masses—and definitely the first Android phone available on Verizon Wireless at the time. It was a tough call to group the Droid series together, but it's worth noting that those of you who nominated the Droid line in large numbers specifically mentioned the slider models, not the candybar models like the Droid Razr, Razr Maxx, or the Bionic (although they all got strong nominations as well)-all available on Verizon Wireless in the US. The Motorola Droid 4 (VZW, $199 w/contract) is the current iteration of the phone, featuring a 4" qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual core processor, 8MP rear and 1.3MP front-facing cameras, and most notably, a slide-out backlit keyboard that allows the phone to be used in both portrait and landscape modes without sacrificing screen real estate. The Droid line is still one of the few high-end Android devices to feature a physical keyboard, making it popular for both portability, and with people who prefer physical keyboards to on-screen ones. The Droid 4 sports Android Gingerbread, and rides Verizon Wireless' 4G network.
Samsung Galaxy NexusThe Samsung Galaxy Nexus (VZW, Sprint, $199/w contract, $399 unlocked) is the current official "Google Phone," having launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and currently serves as the flagship Android device. It sports a 4.6" Super AMOLED display, a curved contour screen, a 1.2GHz dual core processor, and 5MP and 1.3MP rear and front-facing cameras. It's a pure Google experience, meaning the phone is (largely) free of bloatware and other apps pre-installed by carriers and manufacturers, and is notably missing Samsung's TouchWiz UI layer in favor of a clean version of Ice Cream Sandwich. The phone also sports Google's NFC payment system, Google Wallet. The camera boasts zero shutter lag, and it was the first phone to launch with Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed, and it's still one of the few devices you can get that already has it. If you want the more true and pure Android experience possible, or want an Android phone that's officially supported by Google, this is it.
Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the reviews based on different sites. If there's something you want to add, Share your thoughts in the comments below.
It's Official: Google Has Lost Control of the Android Tablet Market
More bad news for Google and Android.
Amazon's Kindle Fire now has 54.4% of the Android tablet market in the U.S., according to comScore.
This means Google has lost control of the Android tablet market to one of its newest mobile rivals after just a few months.
Amazon used the base layer of Android to build its own operating system. Google doesn't have its app store or any of its services on the Kindle Fire.
Amazon isn't the last company to do this. Phone makers are planning on forking Android, making it more fragmented and ultimately cutting Google out of the loop.
The success of the Kindle Fire is proof that you don't need Google to make a popular Android-based device.
IIT responsible for Aakash (i)'s failure: Datawind
NEW DELHI: Six months after ministry of human resource development launched the Aakash tablet, barely a few hundred units have reached students. The manufacturing of the device has been stopped and now the ministry and Datawind, the company responsible for supplying the tablet, are focusing on Aakash 2, an upgraded version of the device.
Datawind concedes Aakash, which is supposed to digitize the way students study in India, has not been a success in its first version. But the company squarely blames IIT-Rajasthan, the nodal agency overseeing the project, for the fiasco. It says the concerns over the tablet's quality and functionality are overblown by the institute in a bid to "favour other firms".
Datawind's CEO, Suneet Singh Tuli, says that after winning the bid to manufacture Aakash, the company supplied 10,000 tablets to IIT-Rajasthan. They were part of an initial order of 1,00,000 tablets that Datawind was supposed to supply to the government at a price of $49.98 per unit. But after a few hundred tablets reached students as part of the pilot project, IIT-Rajasthan started rejecting Aakash tablet, allegedly after reports that the device was failing during pilot testing and did not meet the quality criteria set by the institute.
Tuli, however, disagrees. "IIT-Rajasthan was simply trying to defame us by saying that we could not meet the quality required by it," he says. "When we were awarded the contract, there was only a specification sheet. But when we started supplying the tablets, IIT-Rajasthan started rejecting the tablet based on biased and unscientific testing methodology. "
"IIT Rajasthan put up roadblocks. It jeopardized the whole project. I can say the dirty tricks by the institute put us around six months behind on the project ... they did it because they were favouring other firms... Even now, the institute is trying to sabotage the project," he adds.
There are reports that IIT-Rajasthan has been issued a showcause notice by MHRD last month over the Aakash failure. The notice asks institute to explain why it did not set up a tablet testing facility and procedure in time and why it failed to resolve its dispute with Datawind. Reportedly, the institute also worked with Wishtel, a company that launched a low-cost tablet called Ira last week. TOI tried contacting Prem K Kalra, director of IIT Rajasthan, over the email and phone but he wasn't available.
Datawind says that after the fiasco, it took back the tablets supplied to IIT-Rajasthan. "We have not been paid for a single one of them. But mission is more important to us... we believe in Aakash project," says Tuli.
The company is now working on Aakash 2, an updated version of the original tablet. It will have a capacitive screen instead of resistive and hence support multitouch. It will also have a better processor - based on Cortex A8.
"We are working with IIT Mumbai for Aakash 2 and will start supplying the tablet to government this month. Our original order for 100000 units has been transferred for Aakash 2 now. After the order of 100000 units is met, MHRD will invite bids for more tablets. We will bid again," says Tuli. Kapil Sibal, minister of human resources and development, on Tuesday said that Aakash 2 will be available in May.
Datawind also sells a commercial version of Aakash tablet called Ubislate. Tuli claims the firm has received over 3 million pre-bookings for Ubislate. However, this tablet too has not reached customers. "We are aware of the delay and trying to sort it out. We hope to ship Ubislate to consumer in next 10 days. To compensate for the delay, we will now give them Ubislate+, an upgraded version of the tablet at the same price," says Tuli.
Source: The Times of India
DKFBootKit - First Android BootKit Malware
NQ Mobile Security Research Center has recently uncovered a new malware DKFBootKit. This malware is identified when monitoring and analyzing the evolution of earlier DroidKungFu variants. What sets DKFBootKit apart from malware like DroidDream, is that DKFBootKit replaces certain boot processes and can begin running even before the system is completely booted up.
DKFBootKit repackages legitimate apps by enclosing its own malicious payloads in them. However, the victim apps it chooses to infect are utility apps which require the root privilege to work properly. NQ says the malicious code has already infected 1,657 Android devices in the past two weeks and has appeared on at least 50 different mobile apps.
These apps seem to have legitimate reasons to request root privilege for their own functionality. It is also reasonable to believe that users will likely grant the root privilege to these apps. DKFBootKit makes use of the granted root privilege for other malicious purposes, namely comprising the system integrity.
In order to avoid being infected by this beast, NQ recommends three commonsense steps:
- First, don't download any apps from sketchy app stores.
- Second, don't accept app permissions from unknown sources and always be sure to read the permissions an app is requesting.
- Third, download a security app that can scan your apps for you to search for malicious code.
Government may discontinue Aakash tablet, defects found
Articles India's dream of writing a success story with the debutant, low-cost tablet, Aakash, may be on its way out. According to an India Today report, the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) is now having second thoughts about giving the letter of credit (LC) to Datawind, after it began receiving a volley of complaints from the user community, who stated that the device was riddled with defects. Several are already on their way to dumping it, too. So, while the government is toying around with the idea of dumping these defected devices to the rural villages, talks about shelving the entire project, too have been popping up.
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| Delighted students at the launch of the Aakash tablet in New Delhi, last month |
- Government may discontinue Aakash tablet, defects found || Via Tech2
Facebook for Android Updates with New, Very Cool Timeline Interface
News Android: Facebook rolled out its new Timeline feature yesterday, and if you've enabled the cool new interface, you can update the Android app to get it on your phone as well.
The new version is mostly an interface update, but if you're using Timeline, you'll definitely want to check it out. You get the cover photo, map thumbnails, and the top-down view of all your posts. You can even swipe through albums right from the Timeline view, which is a really nice touch. The update isn't out for iOS yet, but iOS users can head to m.facebook.com to see the new changes if they so desire. Hit the link to read more.
- Timeline: Now Available on Mobile || Facebook Blog
A Single Text Can Destroy Windows Phone’s Messaging App
News & Articles Microsoft’s range of Windows Phone devices suffer from a denial-of-service attack that allows attackers to disable the messaging functionality on a device.
The flaw works simply by sending an SMS to a Windows Phone user. Windows Phone 7.5 devices will reboot and the messaging hub will not open despite repeat attempts. Attack tests have been done on a range of Windows Phone devices, including HTC’s TITAN and Samsung’s Focus Flash. Some devices were running the 7740 version of Windows Phone 7.5, others were on Mango RTM build 7720. The attack is not device specific and appears to be an issue with the way the Windows Phone messaging hub handles messages. The bug is also triggered if a user sends a Facebook chat message or Windows Live Messenger message to a recipient.
The flaw appears to affect other aspects of the Windows Phone operating system too. If a user has pinned a friend as a live tile on their device and the friend posts a particular message on Facebook then the live tile will update and causes the device to lock up. Thankfully there’s a workaround for the live tile issue, at initial boot up you have a small amount of time to get past the lock screen and into the home screen to remove the pinned live tile before it flips over and locks the device.
Both Apple and Google have suffered from SMS bugs with their iOS and Android devices. Security researcher Charlie Miller discovered a flaw in the iOS 3.0 software that allowed attackers complete control over an iPhone at the time. Android-based phones also suffered in the SMS attack, but attackers could only knock a phone offline rather than gain full access. The attack described in this article does not appear to be security related. It appears, from our limited testing, that the bug is related to the way Windows Phone handles messages.
See the Video below by a Win Rumors reader:
The vid, narrated by a WinRumors reader who discovered the flaw, shows how one message will force a Mango device to reset, at which point the messaging app will no longer launch. The messaging app, being arguably the greatest and certainly one of the most used features on the phone, is not something you want deactivated. WinRumors says they're working with Microsoft to get the bug reported and patched. Phew.
- A Single Text Can Destroy Windows Phone’s Messaging App || Via Win Rumors
Got Something to Say? Shoot out in Comments Below.
The Appcelerator Mobile Developer Report revealed.
Summary
Appcelerator and IDC surveyed 2,160 Appcelerator Titanium developers from November 2-3, 2011 on perceptions surrounding mobile OS trends and priorities. Findings reveal that Amazon’s new Kindle Fire edged Samsung Galaxy Tab as the leading Android Tablet in North America, on par with interest for the iPad prior to its launch in April 2010, and second only to the Galaxy Tab globally with developers. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 also decisively moved ahead of RIM’s BlackBerry OS to become the clear number three mobile OS behind iOS and Android. Appcelerator and IDC also continued their research into how companies are making the move from the web to mobile. This quarter, the report dives deep into understanding the priorities companies are making with their mobile strategy and how mobile is fundamentally transforming customer relationships.
The Rise of Amazon, Microsoft, and Samsung … and An Improved Outlook for Nokia
As the mobile industry advances, contenders are finding success by securing new footholds and partnerships to compete against Apple’s dominance. Amazon announced the Kindle Fire, a smaller, cheaper Android-based tablet that leverages its large content library while Microsoft’s Window’s Phone 7 is building strong European developer enthusiasm thanks to its Nokia partnership. Developers and businesses gave high marks to these strong moves, which contrast sharply against BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry’s QNX-based PlayBook, and webOS, all of which collapsed in interest with developers this past quarter. Below are the topline findings from this quarter’s report:
- Amazon’s new Kindle Fire ignites developer interest. When surveyed among 15 Android tablets, the lowcost, content-rich eReader was second only to the Samsung Galaxy Tab globally in developer interest. A regional breakdown shows Amazon edging Samsung in North America for the top slot. At 49% very interested in North America, the Kindle Fire is just 4 points less than interest in the iPad (53%) prior to its launch in April 2010.
- Appcelerator and IDC found in January 2011 that among developers price was the single most important factor for Android tablets to compete successfully against the iPad. Fast forward to November 2011 and developers cite price again as the leading reason for interest in the Kindle Fire. Rounding out the top 5 tablets, respondents eye Amazon’s rich content ecosystem, Appstore, target demographic, and eCommerce integration as the key reasons for interest in the new eReader.
- When considering Kindle Fire’s potential drawbacks, fragmentation and lack of features like camera and geo-location were the two top concerns cited by developers. Assuming Amazon sells well this holiday season, Android developers will need to consider yet another set of different capabilities. The difference this time? Google will be less able to exert control over Amazon’s divergent Android path.
- Windows Phone 7 separated from the pack to become the clear number three mobile platform this quarter. The OS climbed 8 points to 38% of respondents saying they are ‘very interested’ in the platform, the highest ever for Microsoft.
- Microsoft is enjoying symbiotic success with Nokia. When asked why developers are more interested in Windows Phone 7 now than a year ago, a plurality (48%) said it was the Microsoft/Nokia partnership. Nokia also received high marks from its new Lumia Windows Phone 7 smartphone announcement last month, with 28% of developers saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for the device. This is more than double the interest in Nokia’s own Symbian and MeeGo OSes since Appcelerator began reporting mobile platform interest in January 2010.
- This quarter saw a sharp fall-off in developers reporting that they are ‘very interested’ in RIM offerings with BlackBerry OS phones dropping 7 points to 21% and PlayBook QNX-based tablets dropping 6 points to 13%. Put another way, there’s now more interest in Nokia’s new Lumia Windows Phone lineup than RIM’s smartphones.
- HTML5 continues to keep developer interest. Sixty-six percent of developers are very interested in building HTML5 mobile websites, the same as last quarter.
- Connected TV app development interest continues to slide. A year ago, 44% of developers were very interested in developing for Google TV. Even with a second version announced last month, only 20% expressed the same enthusiasm for Google TV this round. However Apple TV saw a smaller decline from 40% a year ago to 27% today.
- iOS continues to reign at number one in developer interest levels with 91% of respondents saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for the iPhone, followed by the iPad at 88%. Apple continued to hold onto its number one position in part due to iOS 5, which was cited as the most significant announcement this past quarter.
- Android phones fell nearly 4 points to 83% while tablets fell nearly 6 points to 68%. While the drop was likely due in part to interest in iOS 5, developers nevertheless saw Samsung’s rise to the number one smartphone manufacturer as the second most significant development of the past quarter after iOS 5.
A Deeper Look at Mobile Priorities Across the Mobile Relationship Lifecycle
Over the past couple quarters, Appcelerator and IDC have been analyzing how businesses are making the move from the web to mobile. Earlier this year, we discussed how companies were maturing through several phases of adoption. This quarter, we asked developers and businesses to rank 23 mobile objectives for their most recent application. We then clustered this analysis into what we call the ‘mobile relationship lifecycle’ to define objectives in 4 areas: reach, engagement, loyalty, and monetization.
Reach: Businesses view deploying to multiple devices with native applications and mobile websites as the number one priority. Making the transition more efficient by leveraging a company’s resources also ranked high.Engagement: Building applications that are easy-to-use with a native user interface was the next most important objective, followed by application performance. Both are seen as key to driving engagement with users and echo the general sentiment that application utility is critical. These core concerns trumped even media, location and social features in priority.
Loyalty: Application notifications and using analytics to measure application feature usage ranked in the middle of the pack for most respondents.
Monetization: Advertising still trumps in-application purchasing as a preferred monetization model. When it comes to mobile commerce, the top priority is making payments easy.
The Appcelerator Mobile Developer Report revealed.|| via Appcelerator
Ice Cream Sandwich - Android 4.0
Ice Cream Sandwich was previewed at the May 2011 Google I/O event, and officially launched at the Galaxy Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich release event on 19 October 2011. The SDK for Android 4.0 was publicly released on 19 October 2011. Gabe Cohen from Google said that it is "theoretically compatible" with any Android 2.3.x device. The source code for this version is scheduled to be released after the Galaxy Nexus ships.
Features included in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwitch:
- Virtual buttons in the UI, instead of taking up a capacitive screen
- Voice typing, capable of recognizing speech and converting it into text
- Widgets in a new tab, listed in a similar list to apps
- Easier-to-create folders, with a drag-and-drop style
- A customizable launcher
- In a new phone app, visual voicemail functionality that lets user speed up or slow down *voicemail messages
- Pinch-to-zoom functionality in the calendar
- Offline search, a two-line preview, and new action bar at the bottom of the Gmail app
- Ability to swipe left or right to switch between Gmail conversations
- Integrated screenshot capture (accomplished by holding Power and Volume-Down buttons)
- Improved error correction on the keyboard
- Ability to access apps directly from lock screen (similar to HTC Sense 3.x)
- Improved copy and paste functionality
- Better voice integration and continuous dictating capability
- Face Unlock, a facial recognition service
- New tabbed web browser, allowing up to 16 tabs
- Automatic syncing of browser with user's Chrome bookmarks
- Modern Roboto font
- Data Usage section in settings that lets user set warnings when he reaches a certain amount of use and disable data when exceeding the limit
- Ability to shut down apps that are using data in the background
- Camera app: zero shutter lag, time lapse settings, zoom while recording
- Built-in photo editor
- New gallery layout, organized by location and person
- Refreshed 'People' app with social network integration, status updates and hi-res images
- Android Beam, a NFC feature that lets user exchange websites, contact info, directions, YouTube, etc.
- Hardware acceleration of the UI
- Resizeable widgets
Text by Voice for Android Reads Incoming SMS Messages Aloud, Sends Them Using Your Voice
Once the app is running, Text by Voice is completely hands-free. It's similar to Vlingo in that it listens for a specific trigger phrase, and when you speak it the app jumps into action, acknowledges that you spoke to it, and waits for a command. Tell the app who you want to send a message to and what that message should say, and the app will send it. When you get a response, the app will alert you to the incoming message and speak it aloud as well, giving you the opportunity to reply right away or wait.Text by Voice stands out because it makes the entire process of sending and receiving texts completely hands-free, which is perfect if you're driving and want to tell someone where you are or how long it'll be until you arrive without touching the phone. Even Google's own Voice Actions require that you tap the screen or long-press the search button to send a message, and it won't read your incoming messages to you. Some Bluetooth headsets include an app that will read incoming messages aloud, but you still have to tap the headset to respond.
Text by Voice is a solid addition to Google's own Voice Actions, but you have to have it running for the app to help you, so remember to start it every time you get in the car. For more voice-activated and hands-free Android utilities, check out our list of Siri-like apps for Android. Do you have a preferred app that will send and receive text messages aloud? Let us know in the comments below.
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