Enlighten and update yourself about the best 5 android launchers.

To make the Android OS faster and even more easilyaccessible, the Android Launcher is used. They are considered to be apps and can be fetched from the Google Play Store. The launcher serves as the application for your home screen. It launches the different other apps downloaded on your phone. Generally an Android phone comes with a default launcher, but if yours doesn’t have one, downloads it from the Google App store.

Let us give you a glance of the best five Android launchers you could use.

• Nova Launcher: This launcher has the highest rating from its users. This app can be highly customised as per the user's requirement, and significantly accelerates the performance of the phone. Accurate and efficient tricks replace the style icons of the age-old Ice-cream sandwiched version with the newly launched, updated version Kitkat. To use this launcher, the phone should have an Android version of 4.0 and above.The home screen can be made to look even more attractive by adding interesting, yet subtle shadows that seem to induce depth to the screen, giving it an eye-catching effect.

• ADW: This launcher has been widely used and accepted. It is compatible with android phones having versions 1.6 and above. There is a wide range of designs that innovative designers have come up with, from which you can choose. Its compatibility with old versions of android has made it more acceptable. Some people have been found to hold a fondness towards the previous versions. Using this launcher, you could make your Kitkat version look like Gingerbread. It also has options of themes used in Ubuntu, Black Glass, Minimalist and themes used in devices like Galaxy Note III and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

• Action Launcher: The large number of users of this app have given positive remarks and recommended this app too. The launcher requires use of an android version 4.0.3 and above. This launcher makes your home screen even more interactive and organised. They create and launch different widgets that can be accessed by swiping the app's icon. You can launch the home screen from the right edge of the screen. It includes a feature called covers that can be used to group icons. The Shutter option can be used to group widgets.

• Apex Launcher: This launcher requires your phone to have an android version of 4.0.3 and above. It is a host to a large number of happy users. It provides attributes like elastic scrolling of the screen and also equips a desktop that can be locked to ensure that no changes are made to the phone without prior permission. The interesting transition effects, splendid drawer-styles and an updated theme engine with plentiful designs for skins and icons are available. Popular designs from third-party companies, like the theme of the much-desired HTC Sense UI, are also available.

• Transparent Screen Launcher: This launcher can be used by android users with versions 2.2 and above. The transparent screen concept is truly an innovative idea, but unfortunately it has not been executed properly. The idea is that the home screen of your phone will appear transparent which will be done by using your phone's camera. You can thus enjoy the provision of viewing what is behind the phone screen even when you keep looking at the screen.

Samsung’s Patent For Call Switching Service

Samsung’s Patent 20140092841-AI

Samsung has proved the massive strength of its patent protection portfolio in signing cross patent contracts enabling a wider cross use of patents along with the other global IT companies.

They have joined hands with Qualcomm for mobile phones, Kodak for camera technology, and Rambus for the entire semiconductor productsas well as Sharp for LCD panel module together with deals with IBM and Microsoft MS for cross license of technologies on mobile devices operation system.

By joining in partnership with MS they have obtained a variety of basic patent rights with regards to MS technological operating system together with the synergies that are presumed to be generated during the development of the forthcoming mobile phone products.

Patent rights application for a method and an apparatus to transmit and receive converted format of digital rights object between a device and a portable storage device has been granted to Samsung.

Apparatus needed in processing a digital rights object includes transmitting, receiving module for receiving rights object expressed in Markup language from a rights user, a rights object converting module in converting the rights object in a frame which has a format for communicating with a portable storage device, an interface for connecting with portable storage device and a control module in providing the frame to portable storage device via the interface together with receiving the converted format of the rights objects from the portable storage device through the interface.

Call Switching Services 

The present invention is related to call switching services especially relating to method, device and system for the performance of call switching services without any interruptions of an on-going call.

With amazing progress done in the field of technology, mobile devices have gained immense popularity wherein it provides not only a voice call service but also video call service, data transmission service together with other additional services involving the user in a multimedia communication activity.

Progress is also being made in enabling various electronic devices rather than the traditional communication equipment for the operation of data communication equipment by assigning a specific address structure like Internet Protocol – IP address.

Based on specific address, these electronic devices have the capabilities to offer voice call services, video call service as well as various other data transmission services through the communication network to the user.

Solutions through System/Method/Device

If a user is using a voice call service through his mobile device and intends to use it continuously through data communication equipment, he may go through inconvenience by having to stop the current call and then reconnect a new call with the help of data communication equipment giving rise to new approach to call switching between a mobile device and data communication equipment.

 The present invention is to address these issues by providing solutions to the user through a system, method and device to perform call switching service in which a call switching is enabled between the mobile devices with a mobile communication network together with any data communication equipment using another kind of communication network with any interruption of a call.

The anticipation of Google Fit at Google I/O

Rise of Smartphones

Mobile devices or smartphones' applications focussing on health management is the latest trend that is rising in the mobile phones' market. Today most of the leading companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle with the introduction of such Apps, that will help a person to attain a good health on a long term basis in an easy way.

Anticipating the Launch of Google Fit

Like the other competitors Google too is planning to launch its fitness health management App, which has been named Google Fit, most probably in their Google I/O conference. Google has taken this wise step with all probability not to lag behind in competition. As per sources, this App has been planned for the collection and aggregation of data from many other popular fitness trackers.

More Competition

Google has already been in the market posing quite a good competition to its competitors. The introduction of such a useful health service, anticipates a challenge to companies like Apple.

Especially with the dawn of Apple's health management App Health Kit, Google too needed to step ahead to provide similar services to the people at large. While this App can be quite like a marketing strategy for some, on the other hand, for the common people who love to stay fit, this App is really more like a blessing.

Apart from the expected features, many sources also claim that this App may partner other health devices that would be too synchronizing the health activities on a regular basis, thus making a platform which is called Android Wear, thus allowing and enabling the users to track their regular activities like steps as well as heart rate for interfacing with the Google's preferred cloud-based service.

However, some information is yet unclear and vague with respect to this health service. Many sources yet cannot confirm whether this Google Fit App will be a built in service for the next Android version or the users need to download it independently.

Helping Hand for Good Health

Google had been in this health service field for quite a long time. After the shutdown of Google Health that was also quite like a health portal, the Google Fit seems to say that Google is always concerned with the health of the people at large.

There are always a pretty number of health care Apps in the Google Play already. One example is the game Zombies, Run! The game makes the combination of gamification as well as fitness techniques since the players need to escape from the zombies either by running or by jogging.

But the Google Fit might actually push all such related health services a bit behind since this might be the official health service App. There are chances that people might actually take their health seriously, as this App might be regulating their daily or regular physical activities.

Till now Google has been quite dominant in the market because of its Android products and services. With the release of this App, Google might actually continue to stay ahead in competition. Till then we all need to wait!

Adobe Photoshop Express For Windows phones

The Adobe Photoshop Express Provides a Well-assorted Dish for Perfect Photo Editing on a Touch Enabled Phone
 
In my books, widows is one of the fastest growing app markets and has been one of the most innovative app developers. When windows made its re-entry into the mobile operating system market, they were mostly trying to implement most of its PC software concepts into the mobile frame-ware. Windows mobile interface was a classy reflection of smart technology and the functioning of its apps were made simple to accomplish its user-friendly approach. It was a challenging task for windows app developers to bring the easy handling software systems into touch screen mobiles and the biggest problem rose with the handling as the controls and user procedure is far more different in mobile than in a PC.

The Adobe Photoshop Express is an incentive for the already well-featured Windows phones.
 
Adobe Photoshop Express, which is actually a simple photo editing software, designed by Adobe. Adobe is one of the most esteemed software development companies. Adobe Photoshop express is available for all the major mobile operating systems like Android, IOS etc. The Adobe Photoshop for Windows is very similar to the same for all other mobile interface. This app for the Windows phones provides us with an array of useful photo editing tools, which makes photo editing an easy task as the effects of these tools on the picture are precise.

A simple yet sophisticated solution to photo editing in touch phones.
 
Though Windows phones come with their own set of picture editing tools, their features are hardly of this level. They are mainly for creating collages or flumping filters on the pictures you have on your phone. When you are looking for some high-level photo editing option, you should avail the best option that Windows provide, which is the Adobe Photoshop Express. This is one of the high-powered photos editing software, recently designed for the Windows 8, but a new variant was dedicated for the windows mobile version.

A guide to a new level of photo editing on Windows phones
 
This is actually a very lightweight, touch enabled toll oriented editing application for both windows phones and tablets. You will find the Photoshop Express as a small sized app embedded in the Windows app store and the total size of this file is as small as 8.4MB. When you are opening the application for the first time after installing, it guides you through a tutorial, entitled as the “Getting Started”. This is a very helpful video, as it points to all the specifications of basic usage. The best thing about this app is that in no time you will get used to the tools.

One of the most common tools present in Adobe Photoshop Express, which goes in common with other picture editing software, is the redeye correction tool which removes red eye from the picture. The cropping and straightening tool is very useful as it helps you straighten your picture on a margin, which is a common error when images are taken by phone cameras. It offers an in-app purchase of $2.99, which unlocks some amazing effects and other editing tools.

All New Android L

Simplicity Redefined in the All-new Android L

The speculations are over as Google has finally announced the Android L, the latest version of the android operating system. The developer version is already available for Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 but some features are not included in it. Simply named as L, Google has not followed the general trend of naming this new version. Though they have maintained the alphabetical order, a lot confusion is mounting whether there will be yet another tie up with a company as it happened with Android ‘KitKat’.

Features to look out for
 
The excitement is rising and the expectations are high. Let’s take a look at the impressive features of this latest installation.

• Android Runtime: The default runtime used in the previous versions of android is the ‘Dalvik’ virtual machine. Simply it is used to run applications on android devices. From the very beginning, the android operating systems faced a tough competition from the Apple’s iOS and later Windows Phone 8. The performance of Dalvik machine is a subject of question because after so many advancements the lag in android devices is still a major problem. So this time the Dalvik machine is replaced entirely with the Android Runtime (ART), which is said to be much faster than the Dalvik machine. The new ART can even support 64-bit processor. 
• The Battery Saver: The most common problem among android devices is the battery performance. Every now and then, there is a complaint about the battery. So the Android L shows a lot of promise when it comes to battery. A new project called the ‘Project Volta’ can save a significant amount of battery.
• The new UI: This time the design language has been given a complete new makeover. It is called ‘Material Design’. The new user interface is simple yet cool. The intuitive application interface makes it look livelier as much importance is given to shadow and depth. The lock screen is quite different from the previous versions. The Roboto font has been upgraded too.
• Notification Tab: With the ‘useful notification’ or so as it called the notification tab has improved a lot in the latest Android L. Now you can easily organise your notifications according to your need. You will also be able to operate the notifications from the lock screen. That is you can manage each and every notification by double tapping itright from the lock screen and even swipe the notifications to close them. So the next time you if want to reply a message, you don’t need to unlock your phone.

Android L vs. KitKat
 
The android L is a lot different than the KitKat when it comes to design. The utility notification panel, the recently used apps in 3D tiles, the multi task lock screen, and the fluidic interface are totally different from the KitKat. The KitKat runs on the Dalvik Virtual Machine with an experimental ART provided which has been replaced totally by the ART in Android L. There is a demand for improved battery life in KitKat, which has been improved in Android L.

Just a few months wait, and the Android L will be available. The Android L shows a lot of promise in the developer version and it is a matter of time to see if it can live up to the expectations.