Daily News Courier

Second Coming of the Spec: Verizon Now Curates Apps on Technical Merit

The mobile carrier ranks apps not on popularity or “fun,” but on security, data usage, and battery criteria.

When you go to the Editors Picks in the iOS App Store, you assume you’re getting the best. But what qualifies an app to be “best”? Is it sales? Design? Fun factor? Verizon thinks that’s all a bunch of mushy crap that users don’t care about. The mobile carrier has started curating its own best-in-class app lists, using criteria that do matter to its customers: Will this app max out my data plan? Will it kill my battery? Will it get me hacked? 

Apps of the Week: Vector, Buzzfeed, ElectroDroid and more!

It's that time of the week again where we bring you our weekly app picks, direct from the Android Central writers. This time each week we do our best to give you a look at an app that we're using and enjoying on our devices from day to day.

Stick around after the break and see how we did with our picks this week.

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Press update adds DashClock Widget support

Google Reader client Press has just added support for the popular new widget DashClock just a few days after its release.  DashClock Widget provides a platform to make "extensions" that plug into the widget from other apps to put pertinent notifications and information on your screen. Users on Android 4.2 with DashClock installed now have the ability to see their Press unread count and last sync time on the widget. This should play nicely with the recent update to Press that added background syncing support.

So far we've got Falcon Pro and Press that have updated to support the widget's extensions, along with the built-in items like weather and Gmail, and we're sure to see more as DashClock Widget becomes even more popular.

Dropbox Offers a Way to Free Data from Mobile Apps

A new feature makes it easy for mobile apps to sync data—and poses direct competition to Apple’s iCloud.

Dropbox is best known for providing a “magic folder” that 100 million people use to synchronize files across different computers. But the company’s cofounder and CEO, Drew Houston, has long talked of larger ambitions, telling MIT Technology Review in 2012 that he was setting out to build “a fabric that ties together all devices, services, and apps … the Internet’s file system” (see “Drew Houston Simplifies the Cloud”). A new feature released with little fanfare last week provides new evidence that the company is working toward that vision. It also pitches the company into more direct competition with Apple.

HTC Droid DNA update now live, start mashing that button

We just got word that the Droid DNA update we talked about a few days ago is now rolling out over the air, ready to sneak into your phone and fix some bugs. The 104MB update brings the DNA to software version 2.04.605.2 710RD, and has quite the change log:

• User can load videos on HuluPlus
• Improvements to Hotspot connectivity have been made
• Improvements to Audio Quality for wired headsets and earpieces have been made
• Bluetooth connectivity and volume level for specific models have been improved
• Enhanced reliability and stability of the Contacts List have been made
• Wi-Fi Connectivity has been improved
• Improvements to default browser for zooming capability have been made
• Incoming messages display with the correct timestamp
• Enhanced Recent Apps functionality has been improved

It's worth mentioning that rooted users will want to hold off and suss it all out before they click the OK button. If you've received the update, holler in the comments to let everyone know how it's working out for you.

Via: XDA; Thanks Tamara!

Why an Apple TV SDK Excited the Internet

No, the iTV isn’t imminent. But third-party programmers are rightly excited at the prospect.

It’s a testament to Apple’s power over Internet discourse that the mere whisper of a hint of a rumor can send dozens of websites into a frenzy. Earlier today, Business Insider posted that Apple would “likely hold an Apple TV-related event in March” according to a Jefferies analyst named Peter Misek. The claim or supposition was that Apple wouldn’t present the hardware yet, but would introduce a software development kit so that third-party programmers could get a head start on making games and apps for an iTV in the offing.

Mobile Nations fitness month week 2: Nutrition!

Leave a comment below telling us your Fitness Month goals and be entered to win a Withings Wireless Scale!

It's February and you know what that means? Mobile Nations Fitness Month! That's when we all get together to get in shape, share tips and tricks and recipes for success, review amazing apps and accessories, give away great prizes, and have a ton of fun! This year we're doing it a little differently, though. We're doing weekly themes, and that means every week you'll have new and exciting challenges, and new chances to win!

Week 2: Nutrition!

You know the old saying, you are what you eat? It's a cliche because it's true. Food is what gets us going and makes us run. Eating the right foods can improve the way we look and feel, how we handle stress and how we make it through the day. Food is our fuel, and we want to make sure we give our bodies and minds the best fuel possible.

As part of fitness month, we'll be reviewing a bunch of great apps and accessories that can help motivate, track, and train us to eat better and smarter.We'll also be doing THREE cool contests!

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Apps of the Week: JuiceSSH, 7×7, Audible for Android and more!

You shouldn't be surprised at this point that we bring you the apps of the week every Saturday afternoon. What we hope to surprise you with is the variety and quality of the apps we choose. The Android Central writers try their best to find some diamonds in the rough, the little-known apps that we use ourselves but may not be on every device out there.

Hang on after the break and see how we did this week.

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ZOMG: Windows Phone design lead Joe Belfiore tweets from Android

Hey, I've got absolutely no problem with Joe Belfiore, the man in charge of "definition and design" for Windows Phone, apparently tweeting from an Android device. In fact, I've long raved about how much I like the way Windows Phone 8 looks, even if it lacks the functionality of Android. I've covered enough Windows Phone events to recognize that dude knows his stuff. And I dabble with Windows Phone (and soon, BlackBerry 10) on weekends, to help keep familiar with what else is out there. Using other platforms makes good sense.

But the official Twitter app? C'mon, Joe. You can do better than that. In fact, here's a a quick primer on some much better (and more functional) Android Twitter apps. Give 'em a shot.

Thanks, Andre, for the inadvertent tip.

The best Twitter apps: Comparing timeline views

Twitter apps are funny things. Few Android applications invoke such passion — furor, at times — from users. And this coming at a time when Twitter itself is trying to de-emphasize applications for the mobile web. Third-party developers have a few more weeks before stricter API rules go into effect, limiting future growth. And even Twitter's own official app doesn't have all the bells and whistles that have been packed into any number of Twitter clients.

Everyone has a favorite Twitter app. Or two. Maybe even three. Like we said, Twitter apps are funny things. Even deprecated apps retain strong followings.

After the break, we put some 17 Twitter applications side by side in the timeline view. Most have the same basic functionality, and it's interesting to see how one app might have influenced another. We've throw in one outlier as well — more on that app later.

So have a look, and see how your favorite Twitter application stands up against some other greats.

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