Android Quick App: Systerac Memory Cleaner
Monday, April 25, 2011
We like easy around here. Too much of what we do every day is far from easy, so when something comes along that does what it's supposed to do without a lot of futzing around, we're gonna share it with you guys. Systerac Memory Cleaner fits the bill nicely. What it does -- and all it does -- is clean up the cache from things like the browser with a single click. That means it's a great way to free up some space on your phone when and if you need to.
Some of us might want something with a few more settings instead of just a simple click and clean. The Pro (read paid) version cleans up just about everything that can be safely cleaned -- and again without needing root permissions. Market cache, cache from any app, Maps, call logs, it does it all, and includes a simple widget for one click access. Of course there are other apps out there that do the same thing, but the paid version is only €0.50, or about $0.72 US -- we like saving money almost as much as easy. It works with any Android device running 1.6 or higher, and doesn't have any screwey permissions. Give it a look -- the link to the free version and a couple screen shots are after the break.
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But he might soon be getting a substantial upgrade: The U.S. Army announced that it has chosen the Android operating system to power its first smartphone.
This news comes just about when (according to the timeline set forth by Sarah Connor in "The Terminator" franchise) the world-dominating, human-exterminating computer network Skynet becomes self aware.
I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
Wired's Danger Room blog reports, "A prototype device running Android called the Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P Handheld), developed by tech nonprofit MITRE, is undergoing tests."
This platform will allow soldiers to quickly and (hopefully) securely share geotagged notes about obstacles they encounter on the ground. It will also support mapping, critical messaging and other support functions.
The Army announcement explained that the JBC-P Handheld is an "Android-based smartphone framework and suite of applications for tactical operations. ... Applications will be secure and interoperable with existing mission command systems so information flows seamlessly across all echelons of the force."
Third-party developers will be building apps and services for this Army smartphone. In July, the Army will release a development kit for the platform.
The Army wants applications that share data and resources across the platform, to avoid the "stovepiping" problems that have plagued so many military and government information technology projects.
Systems integration is key: It could allow soldiers on the ground to fine-tune targeting for missiles and other munitions, as well as request specific aerial drone or satellite reconnaissance. It might also borrow from supply-chain software to manage requests for equipment and supplies. And it could support or enhance field medical treatment, as well as all kinds of in-field training.
Rather than sign up for thousands of pricey two-year wireless carrier contracts, the JBC-P Handhelds will communicate over several existing military radio networks.
When connected to the radio, the prototype device weighs about 2 pounds. That's considerably heavier than the current heftiest smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt (6.23 ounces). Still, Wired notes that it's "way lighter than the Nett Warrior suite of sensors, computers, radios and mapping functions -- the Army's program of record for doing much of what a smartphone already does."
Battery technology and power management have been big problems for commercial smartphones. Bright displays (often necessary in full daylight) and GPS are notorious energy vampires that leave many smartphone owners hunting for outlets on a daily basis.
In the field, military smartphones would require far more power than commercial models, and they'd have to operate for much longer periods. It'll be interesting to see what battery and charging options (including possibly solar and hand-crank) are supplied with these new Army phones.
Also, military smartphones must be far more rugged than commercial models, able to withstand sand, dust, water, temperature extremes, impact, concussion and more. Microphones that don't get destroyed by loud blasts will be crucial, as will noise filtering for incoming and outgoing audio (something most commercial smartphones generally do poorly).
The Army did not specify whether the phones will come with unlimited text messaging. I hope a remote wipe service comes standard.
Skyfire 4.0 released with new features, paid and free
(CNN) -- I was recently in Fort Knox, Kentucky, to visit my nephew in Army Basic Training, where my sister gave him a basic Tracphone so he could call home more easily.But he might soon be getting a substantial upgrade: The U.S. Army announced that it has chosen the Android operating system to power its first smartphone.
This news comes just about when (according to the timeline set forth by Sarah Connor in "The Terminator" franchise) the world-dominating, human-exterminating computer network Skynet becomes self aware.
I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
Wired's Danger Room blog reports, "A prototype device running Android called the Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P Handheld), developed by tech nonprofit MITRE, is undergoing tests."
This platform will allow soldiers to quickly and (hopefully) securely share geotagged notes about obstacles they encounter on the ground. It will also support mapping, critical messaging and other support functions.
The Army announcement explained that the JBC-P Handheld is an "Android-based smartphone framework and suite of applications for tactical operations. ... Applications will be secure and interoperable with existing mission command systems so information flows seamlessly across all echelons of the force."
Third-party developers will be building apps and services for this Army smartphone. In July, the Army will release a development kit for the platform.
The Army wants applications that share data and resources across the platform, to avoid the "stovepiping" problems that have plagued so many military and government information technology projects.
Systems integration is key: It could allow soldiers on the ground to fine-tune targeting for missiles and other munitions, as well as request specific aerial drone or satellite reconnaissance. It might also borrow from supply-chain software to manage requests for equipment and supplies. And it could support or enhance field medical treatment, as well as all kinds of in-field training.
Rather than sign up for thousands of pricey two-year wireless carrier contracts, the JBC-P Handhelds will communicate over several existing military radio networks.
When connected to the radio, the prototype device weighs about 2 pounds. That's considerably heavier than the current heftiest smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt (6.23 ounces). Still, Wired notes that it's "way lighter than the Nett Warrior suite of sensors, computers, radios and mapping functions -- the Army's program of record for doing much of what a smartphone already does."
Battery technology and power management have been big problems for commercial smartphones. Bright displays (often necessary in full daylight) and GPS are notorious energy vampires that leave many smartphone owners hunting for outlets on a daily basis.
In the field, military smartphones would require far more power than commercial models, and they'd have to operate for much longer periods. It'll be interesting to see what battery and charging options (including possibly solar and hand-crank) are supplied with these new Army phones.
Also, military smartphones must be far more rugged than commercial models, able to withstand sand, dust, water, temperature extremes, impact, concussion and more. Microphones that don't get destroyed by loud blasts will be crucial, as will noise filtering for incoming and outgoing audio (something most commercial smartphones generally do poorly).
The Army did not specify whether the phones will come with unlimited text messaging. I hope a remote wipe service comes standard.
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AndroidFroyo now available for the Motorola Defy
Listen up if you're a Motorola Defy user -- you've finally got some Froyo on tap, just waiting for you to go get it. T-Mobile announced that the update is optional (I know you guys better than that!), official, and available through the phone settings. To get to those, in case you haven't been checking every few hours since you got the phone; open the menu, press settings, then about phone, and choose system updates.
Froyo for the Defy checks in at 112 MB, and is best done on Wifi while your phone is on the charger. Now get to it before anyone changes their mind. [T-Mobile] Related post
Android Central ROM review: Doc & Stefunel's ROM kitchen for the Galaxy S
Android
Here's a great idea put to use -- a Galaxy S (the international i9000 version) ROM built from a completely online kitchen. Doc and Stefunel have worked really hard on both the concept, and the ROM, and you can see the results of their hard work at their kitchen's website here. If you're not familiar with the concept of a ROM kitchen, it's a way to build a ROM with -- or without -- features you want. You select how to build it, and a script on the webserver packs it up and gives you the download link.
Now that you know what a ROM kitchen is, you can see what a great experience using one can be from Android Central forums member racdyn. He took the time to write us up a nice overview of his choices and how they are working for him. It's a nice look at an equally nice concept, and a big thanks goes out to racdyn for sharing with us all!
Want to write a ROM review for Android Central? We'd love to hear from you! Look here for details. Now head past the break for the review.
Samsung Galaxy S Lines are without a doubt one of the top Android phones of 2010. However, its existence was not without glitches. One of the main criticisms that the device faced was the laggy user interface in Samsung's TouchWiz.Fortunately, things have evolved so much since then, to the point that at the moment there are even ROM Kitchens to allow end users like us to construct a truly customized ROM.
Doc & Stefunel's Magical ROM Kitchen allows you to choose the components of a Froyo-based ROM like the base ROM, the kernel, base apps, launchers, even themes, boot animations, and sounds yourself. The downloading process is straightforward; choose the components of the ROM from the options available, and the online kitchen will start baking the components together before providing the download link for you.
Installation uses the standard practice: Wipe data (non-wipe option is also available), cache and Dalvik cache before installation. I used Clockwork 3.0.0.8 for the installation, and installation went smoothly, without any problems.
UI Experience can vary depending on the launcher that you choose from the kitchen. I use Go Launcher because its got positive reviews and it has been stated that it is comparable to the popular Launcher Pro. I can say that Go Launcher provides a complementing user interface to the excellent ROM
Flipping pages in the home screens is smooth and lagless, even with multiple widgets on the home screen. The app drawer is not 3D, but it has three tabs on top which helps you to filter through apps by showing all apps, recently used apps, and running apps for you to find out which one of them is hogging all your memory.
Finally, there is the Lock Screen. The ROM includes the stock AOSP lockscreen which you slide from left to right to unlock your device. I feel that the stock AOSP lockscreen shows a strong Android personality as it is elegantly done and does not need to be changed, especially not with the hideous Samsung puzzle lock screen.
Battery life can vary depend on the choices that you make for your components, but I feel that my combination resulted in longer battery life when compared to the Samsung stock ROM. Slightly heavy usage on Samsung's stock ROM can last me from morning to the evening, but now with more or less same usage pattern, my battery can easily last for about one and a half days.
It is definitely not for everybody, if you want a straightforward, ready-made ROM that just works, it is not for you. But if you want a certain degree of control of what goes into your ROM and ultimately into your phone, Doc's and Stefunel's kitchen has done an excellent job creating a kitchen that bakes excellent, stable, and fast Froyo based ROMs. Try it on and see for yourself, this may provide the benefit of Android's openness to those of us that are less proficient in coding and can't create a custom ROM ourselves from the Android source.
source: www.androidcentral.com
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AndroidROM Manager 4.0 now available on Android Market
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Since Sprint got magical in New York a while back, I've been itching to get my hands on a Kyocera Echo. Look, we know many of you scoff at the Echo, but that's not fair unless you've had a bit of time with it. I'm a gadget nut. I'm a smartphone nut. I'm an Android nut. I want to check out all the latest Android phones, but show me something unique and I'm there. The Echo -- which is available today for $199 after contract and $100 rebate -- fits that bill with its two screen setup, complete with applications that can take advantage of them. Hit the break for some video, some pictures, and some Jerry talking about the Echo.
Pretty neat, ain't it? I'm sure it will have it's fair share of bugs and quirks, but it's certainly unique. I can't judge too much in just a short time using it, so any serious thoughts will have to wait for a full review. You can see a few things from the video that are really awesomesauce, and some that are annoying to say the least.
The bezel between the screens is going to bug me, I can already tell. There's a chance I'll get used to it in a few days, but I know myself and I doubt it. I understand there's no other way to do it, but that doesn't make the darn thing any smaller. The touchscreen seems pretty snappy and smooth though, and yes, accidentally tapping buttons while flipping open the screens is annoying, but I'd rather have the responsive screen than not.
Besides the normal single screen phone way (that's so 2011), there's three cool ways to use the Echo. It flips from portrait to landscape in either mode, but it's much more impressive with both screens flipped out. It's a big square screen that shows a lot of information in an app like the browser, or with two "Simul-task" compatible apps. Check out the video to see that in action, it's works quite nicely. But what reeled me right in is the tiny-laptop mode. Get used to hearing me say that, cause it's so cool.
The folding magic mechanism hinge thingy is solid. I was concerned at first that it would break, until I found out it's made of metal and not plastic, and the phone itself would probably break before the hinge would. Once you have the screen flopped open, the hinge slides in and snaps together with a satisfying click, and the unit feels fairly solid. And has a big black bar between the screens.
The hardware look and feel is better than I expected. It has an industrial look with the chrome accents on the black matte shell, and every thing fits nicely. While it's folded into a single screen, it fits nicely against my ear, and feels substantial. When I said it was two Zios stuck together, I was way off base.
I'm gonna fool with this one for a week or so, then we'll see how right or wrong my first impressions really are with a full review -- which I promise won't be a thousand words about tiny-laptop mode.
source: www.androidcentral.com
