fring

Lately I’ve been asked which Android software I’m using so I directed a friend to “my 30 essential Android apps,” the post I wrote about two months ago. However, not everyone likes my list – they want something more structured. Then I prepared the “must-have Android apps” list which goes through different kinds of Android software, helping people decided what they need for what purpose. I went into details in that article and that’s also not that cool for everyone – so here’s something in between, a structured list of apps divided by categories. Browser(s) Social networking apps Mobile office client RSS & News IM & VoIP Utilities There you have it. Hopefully you’ll find something useful here. Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

Android users with front-facing cameras looking to make video calls from their phones have a lot of great options, but we found that Skype is the most mature and feature-rich video chat application for the job. Platform: AndroidPrice: FreeDownload Page Skype's biggest strength is the wide breadth of its audience. There are Skype users who use their Android phones, Android tablets, iPhones, iPads, desktops, laptops, even their televisions to communicate, and with Skype for Android you can videochat with all of them. Skype may have its faults (and we'll get to some of them in a moment) but after all, the best video chat application is the one you can actually use, and it's a pretty fair bet that your friends and family have either heard of Skype or have Skype accounts already. The Skype mobile app is incredibly easy to use, and comes pre-installed on many phones (which is both a pro and a con.) Video call quality was good in our tests even over 3G, although it was clearly better over Wi-Fi and 4G when it was available. It doesn't hurt to also be able to voice call or IM with other Skype users through the app as well. Skype's biggest problem is that its support is a bit spotty on some Android devices. It only supports Android 2.1 or higher, and only devices using Android 2.3 or higher even support apps that request permissions to access their front-facing cameras. Video quality can be a bit spotty as well, especially over 3G in places where signal strength is weak. You can toggle quality manually, but it would be nice if the app would adjust based on available bandwidth. Fring (Free) is easily Skype's biggest competition, and rightfully so: it does beat Skype at a few things: it supports group video chat, and the developers want to eventually make the utility a universal video chat client that supports multiple application protocols. Still, even though it supports video chat, its user community just isn't as broad as Skype's, and you're limited to mobile to mobile video calls, although you can call Fring users on iOS from Android. Fring supports more devices, bumping down the OS requirement to 1.6, instead of 2.1, and video call quality with Fring was solid, even over 3G. Audio quality was a little spotty though. Tango (Free) is a rising star in Android video chatting, and supports Read More

Video chats are so much more fancy and fun than your typical phone call. Even if you don't have a secondary front facing camera—and have to get creative with a mirror—video calls leave a whole lot less to the imagination Once you've experienced the possibility of being able to make a surprise appearance at a birthday party, show your mom your latest haircut (photos just won't do it justice), or taken your best friend on a virtual tour of your new house, it's hard to imagine life without that technology. Unfortunately, depending upon which kind of Android device you have, finding a video calling service that works just right can be a bit of a challenge. Some apps won't support your front-facing camera, others are very selective about which kind of phone they will run on, and many won't allow you to call up those friends who happen to have iOS devices. To help you find the app that works best for your device (and for your social life), we've provided a list of some the best free video calling apps available for Android. Skype allows you to make free Skype-to-Skype video calls, while calling to phones is available at rates that are much lower than standard telephone calls. Skype was one of the first third-party calling apps to come to Android, but the service only very recently announced that Droid users will finally be able to make actual video calls. Originally, this was a feature that only worked for the Google Nexus S. Because Skype has been in the game for a while though, the app both looks and works quite well. What makes Tango different from other video calling apps is that it’s so easy to set up. Upon installation, the app goes through your phone's address book and creates a list of your friends who already have Tango which, saves you the hassle of manually doing the same thing. The app works for all different kinds of Android models, those with and without front facing cameras, and allows you to make calls to iOS phones and tablets. Tango works fine via 3G and Wi-Fi, though, it appears, a bit better with Wi-Fi. It may be worth keeping your conversations short or staying plugged in during a call, as Tango tends to eat-up the battery during use. Fring supports group video calls, in which up to four people can Read More

A smartphone is a powerful tool you should use on every trip, if nothing to save some cash along the way. In addition to the must-have navigation apps and local guides from the likes of Lonely Planet, there are other applications that could help you save money while travelling. Here are the apps we suggest you to try out on your next trip: Groupon You’ve probably heard about Groupon and may have also used it. The daily deals service is getting more and more users every day, despite facing a tough competition from the likes of Facebook and Google, with Nokia and Microsoft planning to join the race, too. Their mobile application is available for multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and they also have a mobile website for users of other mobile devices. To take advantage of Groupon, simply sign-up for the local version of the service (your travel destination) and wait for the great offers to come in. Then when you hit the ground, you can access your deals from your smartphone. If you happen to travel to some place where Groupon still doesn’t existing, simply google “groupon alternative in [name of the city/country]” to access local daily deals sites. Finally, if you’re not sure where you want to go, you can check out Groupon Getaways — which is a service developed in partnership with Expedia — that offers great deals on travel arrangements. Public transportation apps If you’re travelling to a big city in Europe or Asia it’s safe to bet it has a solid public transportation which is both cheap and can also be pretty effective (especially if we’re talking about subway/metro). For those places, it’s good to have some app that helps you get around the city. My personal favorite is MetrO, which is available for multiple platforms and supports hundreds of cities all around the world. If it can’t work on your smartphone, there could be other city-specific apps in the mobile app store you use. For instance, you could search for “Vienna metro” or “Paris metro” and see if that returns any good apps. Get that flight for less You can search for the flight either from your computer or from a smartphone. If you opt for the latter way, we suggest you trying out Orbitz and Kayak‘s mobile apps, using which you can search for and book flights while on the go. As Read More

With the arrival of Viber into the Android Market, making free calls with your Android phone is becoming easier and better. Carriers might be putting a choke hold on unlimited data plans but that doesn’t mean that you’re losing out. Free WiFi hotspots are still popping up everywhere plus you’ve still got free WiFi at home and in your office. Heck, you might even have one of those free cell phones the government gives out. The best part is free international calls using free apps! Let’s round them up, shall we? Fring has a lot going for it, from calls to chat to video calling. This app lets you add other communication services from AOL to Google Talk as well as connecting with your phone book, letting you talk with anyone on just one app. Of course, the catch for free calls is that the other party needs to have Fring on their phone, which isn’t a problem since it is available not only for Android, but also on iOS, Nokia and via a mobile browser. Their newest feature is being able to video call with up to four people at a time over any data connection. It’s fun to try out but a bit choppy. You can also call to regular phones by buying some credits so you can talk to landlines and feature phones locally and abroad. Nimbuzz is like a swiss army knife for calls and messages. Bring over friends from Facebook, ICQ and yes, even MySpace. You can make free calls once they’re on Nimbuzz, as well as free texts and free video, photo and music sharing. It works on almost every phone out there from Android to iPhone, from BlackBerry to feature phones that can run Java apps. It’s also available on the desktop so you can call people over your laptop or on your Mac. While it might not have any fancy video calls, you can still use it to make regular calls using credits and it also has a webchat feature if you want to connect with friends using other computers (like when at an internet cafe). If the spotlight of video beckons to you, Qik delivers. Not only can you make one-on-one calls, you can also broadcast videos live as well as drop in on video feeds of your friends. This app, of course, needs the other party to have Qik installed, which is available on Read More

Android is currently the fastest growing mobile platform and the main reason for that is that it is Open Source, giving greater flexibility to application developers. While a lot of Android phones do have a secondary front camera meant to be used in video calling, it was never really put to use until recently. The reason was that the platform did not have native support for video calling until the introduction of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, even as Google is working on Android 2.3.4 to bring native support for the same to be used via Google Talk. Until then, here is our pick of apps that will facilitate video calling on your Android phone for free. Please bear in mind that video calling through each of these apps works over Wi-Fi as well as 3G, and data charges will be applicable according to the data plan you have opted for.Yahoo! MessengerCurrent Version: 1.4Size: 2.4 MBRequirements: Android 2.0.1 and above.One of the oldest IMs around, and with most people already having a Yahoo! id, Yahoo! Messenger is the ideal app to start off with. While it does support front facing camera, you may find that it does not allow you to do so on some devices. In such cases, you can easily use the rear camera to make a video call (even if it may mean that you will have to stand in front of a mirror to make a call). Since the app does not natively support video chat, you are required to install the video plug-in from the Android Market to make video calls.This app is still in beta, so we can expect better video calling support (without you having to install an additional plug-in), in future versions. In addition to making video calls, you can chat with your buddies on Yahoo!, Windows Live, and Facebook, share photos and videos, or even send free international SMS.Qik Video ConnectCurrent Version: 0.08.43Size: 4.5 MBRequirements: Android 2.1 and above.Qik Video Connect is an awesome app for video calling because it was built from the ground up with that in mind. Just like with other IM services, you are required to sign up for free with Qik to use this app. This app sports a very clean interface with the video of the other party occupying almost the entire screen (with support for up to VGA resolution) and your video in the top left corner.One Read More

fring has released Video Calls + IM for iPad (free), offering video calling to eager customers. The app is the first free video call app for the iPad to offer group calling (Cisco's WebEx offers group video calls via iPad but is enterprise software and priced as such), with support for up to four simultaneous participants. Video Calls + IM for iPad is platform-agnostic like a good global citizen (for the most part), and lets users chat with friends on iPads, iPod touches, iPhones and compatible Android and Nokia devices. Plus, it works over Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G. So no "Wi-Fi Blues" with fring Video Calls + IM for iPad. Finally, the app lets you send (free) instant messages to other devices, as the name indicates. The fring UI looks nice, as does the functionality. Add conference attendees with a drag-and-drop, while shiny, candy-like buttons welcome those with poor aim. Download now and give it a try because, well ... we're still waiting on Skype. Read More

A smartphone is a great companion for every trip. There are a number of apps that can make your travel easier, whether it’s about finding a place to stay, monuments and historical sights to see, or learning more about the city/place you’re visiting… there’s (usually) an app for that. Here are some apps I’ve found useful in my travels. Please note that I’m linking to iOS apps and that not all of them are available on other platforms. The point is to get the idea which apps to use for what purpose, to better plan and ultimately enjoy your trip. Let’s start with the flight search… Flight search Pretty much every major airline now has its iPhone app. Moreover, some companies support Android and BlackBerry whereas some others are experimenting with newer platforms like Windows Phone 7. If you live near a major airport, you should grab the app of the airline which uses that airport as one of its hubs. Additionally, there are other apps that could be of help such as Kayak and Orbitz. If you’re not using an iOS-based device, you can search for “flights” in the app store you’re using to see what’s available. Accommodation Hotels.com and Expedia Hotels are two apps every frequent traveler with an iPhone should have installed on his or her smartphone. For those feeling adventurous, Hotel Tonight provides last-minute hotel booking in several cities across the U.S. As they recently got a fresh influx of capital, we’re hoping they’ll be expanding to Europe and Asia in the near future. Budget conscious travelers and the backpacking community will appreciate the Hostel Hero app which queries the same-named website, searching for a low-cost place to stay in a number of cities. Again, I would advise non-iPhone owners to search for “hotel” and “hostel” in their respective app stores. Know the place It’s a good practice to learn something about your destination prior to arrival. Luckily there’s an abundance of choice when it comes to “guide apps.” Lonely Planet has quite a few titles in Apple’s App Store, and there are other guides produced by smaller companies, some of which even come with ever-useful offline maps. Moreover, TripAdvisor’s mobile app is available for multiple platforms, showing you what people think about pretty much any point of interest in cities all around the world. Getting around the city Presuming you’ll be visiting a city, you may Read More

Fring, the company behind the popular mobile VoIP (where V is both for voice and video) app, announced that it has closed C-round of financing. The company’s current investors participated, including North Bridge Venture Capital, Pitango Venture Capital and Veritas Venture Partners. Fring will use the new money to additionally invest in technology and bring its video communication suite to new devices. Commenting on the news, Fring’s Co-Founder & CEO Avi Shechter said: “With the additional fuel injection from our visionary industry investors, in addition to our independent revenue streams, fring will re-double the rate at which we make fun, new ways we can all communicate, across any mobile platform.” Those unfamiliar should know that Fring offers free mobile Group Video calls, Video calls, calls and live chat on all major smartphones. The company makes its money (about $10 million a year) from advertising and fringOut, which allows users to also call any regular phone worldwide for less. Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis. Read More

In this continuing series, we round up some of our favorite new applications for smartphones each month, specifically for iPhone and Android devices. This spring edition is one of the longest lists yet - there have been a number of incredible new launches to highlight this past month. (And yes, we know it's May already, these things take time). As a bonus just for this month, we've added a section for new iPad and Honeycomb apps, too. As always, feel free to share your favorite apps in the comments! Fring: Not new, but a new release for both iPhone, Android and Nokia lets users make free group video calls with up to four friends. (Free, multiple app stores) Trapcall: Available for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, this call screening/call recording/call blocking app lets you see who's calling, even when the number is blocked, plus blacklist callers, record calls and more. Ethical questions aside (how is it unblocking numbers if not by violating user privacy somehow?), it's an app we know many will want. (Free app, service plans at $4.95/month+, multiple app stores) Eventjot: This group photo-sharing app is almost exactly like Color, except that it doesn't use GPS to connect strangers. Instead, it's meant to be used with friends attending the same event. Hey, it's big in Japan. (Free, multiple app stores) Page:  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  Next  » MealSnap: An ingenious app that lets you take a picture of your food to determine how many calories are in it. The app doesn't always get things right of course, despite the human assistance on the backend - it thought my "Healthy Request" soup had over 1,000 calories! But it does well when it can see a picture with a brand logo on it, we've found. ($2.99, iTunes) Tweetbot: A beautiful new Twitter iPhone app with all the standard features, but with an improved and efficient design. Our coverage. ($1.99, iTunes) TweetDeck: Not a new app per se, but a complete "re-imagining" makes this 2.0 redesign feel brand-new. The app still offers columns, but adds support for Twitlonger competitor Deck.ly and more. Our coverage. (Free, iTunes) Photosynth: This iOS app lets you stitch together multiple images to create a 360 degree panoramic photo. You can then share the photo back to Facebook or post it to Bing Maps. Our Read More