Windows Phone 7: Best Apps

1. Facebook

Yes, I’m well aware that it may not be cool to really like Facebook and that Windows Phone 7 has some built-in Facebook features but I love the Facebook app for Microsoft’s mobile platform. I find the design fits in perfectly with the aesthetics of the platform and it’s an easy way to keep up with my friends on the go. It continues to get features like push notifications and geo-tagging, so I routinely make the Facebook app one of the main tiles on my Windows Phone home page.
 

2. Twitter

The mainstream social networking picks just keep on coming, as I also dig the official Twitter app for Windows Phone 7. It’s a good-looking app, lets me easily keep track of my tweets and @ mentions and it does exactly what I need to in order to deal with Twitter. Windows Phone Mango should have even deeper Twitter integration throughout the OS but I’m not convinced it will be enough to make me ditch a standalone app.
 

3. GoVoice

I live and die with Google Voice and since there’s no official app for Windows Phone 7 yet (come on Google, throw Microsoft fans a bone), I use GoVoice to keep connected with my Google Voice number. I only use the free version for now because I’m not fully ready to go all-in on Windows Phone 7 but it works just as you would expect. It’s not quite as robust as the Android integration but then again, nothing will be. It’s the best solution I’ve seen so far.
 

4. Krashlander

I don’t really play games anymore on my PlatStation 3 but I’m all about playing on my phone for a few minutes at a time. Yes, I know Angry Birds is available on Windows Phone but my favorite time killer is the game Krashlander. This fun little game is a physics-base sidescroller where you try and get your stick figure around slopes to destroy robots. Like Angry Birds, the premise sounds weird but the fun is real.
 

5. Flixster

It’s summer blockbuster season so that means I’m at a movie theater nearly every weekend watching whatever piece of crap Hollywood has thrown out there. I saw Transformers 3 in 3D on opening night. I have a problem. Luckily, the Flixster app is a great enabler on Windows Phone 7 and it’s a good-looking way to find movie times around me, read reviews and purchase tickets. It doesn’t stop me from watching Thor (horrible, by the way) but I can’t blame it for my bad decisions.
 

6. My Trips

I’m heartbroken that there’s no Tripit app yet for Windows Phone 7 so I have to turn to the My Trips app to keep track of my jet-setting ways. This app integrates with the Tripit website, so it’s a breeze to keep these trips organized in a visually-pleasing way. The Twitter and Facebook integration is just the icing on the cake and it’s well worth the few bucks you have to spend on it until an official version comes from Tripit.
 

7. The Weather Channel

It’s summer time in San Francisco, so that means it can be bright and beautiful or rainy, cold and chilly depending on the hour. Good thing I have my Weather Channel app to let me know if I need to pack an umbrella or not. As an aside, I hate that I have to pack an umbrella during the summer months. The app does what you’d expect it to and the design really fits in with the visuals of Windows Phone. Not a sexy pick but definitely one that I use quite often.
 

8. Yelp

If you could see my belly, you’d know that I’m a big fan of hitting new restaurants but I sincerely hate going to a new place without knowing anything about it. Luckily, the Yelp Windows Phone app arms me with knowledge of how good or bad a restaurant is. It wasn’t quite as full-featured as its Android and iPhone counterparts when it first came out but the company has done a good job improving the food-loving app.
 

9. ESPN Scorecenter

I love some sports and up until very recently, the ESPN mobile web page just wasn’t cutting it. The ESPN Scorecenter app is a great way to quickly check the score, news and more information on the teams you love. It’s easy to set up, works well and is free. I can’t ask for much more.
Now, if only the NBA season would start or even happen …
       

10. Slacker Radio

Those of you who follow me know that I had a crisis about which mobile music service is the best and I’m starting to believe that Slacker Radio is the king of the mountain. It’s my go-to music app nowadays and I don’t even bother to really load music on my devices anymore beyond an old album or two. You get your streaming custom station and offline caching and the subscription plans give you unlimited skips. Rock on.

How to Extend Battery Life for Android Phone

Android Smart phone is becoming more and more advanced. However, bigger screen and more features can drain down your battery power quickly. As we all know that battery is an indispensable accessory for cell phone, which can do nothing without it. It is impossible that you can charge your phone by charger anytime. So you should follow some useful power-saving tips and tricks to extend your battery life.

Steps to Extend Battery Life in Manual
Step 1 Manage Running Apps
You may think you have turn off one running app completely by pressing home button, but actually it is still running in the background to drain out your battery power. So you should turn off those apps completely that no longer need to run in the background with a task manager or killer to save your power.

Step 2 Reduce Screen Brightness
Go to Settings >Sound & Display > Brightness to adjust the brightness to a suitable level. Please keep in mind that the higher of the level the more power will be drained out. So try to turn down the brightness as low as possible only if you can see the display well.

Step 3 Shorten Screen Timeout
The shorter of the screen timeout, the more power you save. Because your screen will not shut off until the screen timeout is end. So you can go to Settings >Sound & display >Screen timeout to adjust screen timeout to its shortest time.

Step 4 Turn off Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is really a big power-consumer. You don't need to turn on Wi-Fi unless you are downloading files or something. So why don't you turn it off when you are not using it. Try Settings > Wireless controls > Wi-Fi> Wireless Settings to turn off Wi-Fi.

Step 5 Turn off GPS
Once GPS is activated, it constantly searches for satellites. So turn off GPS in your device unless you need to track certain locations or something. You may try to turn it off by going through Settings >Security & location >uncheck Enable GPS satellites.

Step 6 Turn off Bluetooth
Bluetooth, also a big power-killer, keeps wasting your battery resource when you are not using it. So remember to turn it off after usage by going through Wi-Fi> Wireless Settings>Bluetooth.

Step 7 Turn off the Phone' Vibrating Mode
You need to switch your phone to vibrating mode when you are on a meeting or some quiet occasion. In normal time, you should turn off the phone vibration feature because this little gadget in your device will consume battery every time when the vibration is generated. Try Settings> Sound & display > uncheck Phone vibrate.

Step 8 Switch the Network to 2G
You can go through Settings>Wireless controls>Mobile networks> check Use only 2G networks. You can do this setting if it is not needed to access to high speed data.

Easier Ways to Extend Battery Life
Now you may follow the above steps to extend your battery life. Although these traditional power-saving ways are simple, but there are still some other simpler ways that can help you quickly switch on/off these settings.

The first way is to install an app called Quick Switch Widget which enables you to quickly switch system settings, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Auto-sync, Screen Timeout, Data Connection, Auto-screen Lock, Auto-Rotate Screen, Vibration/Silent Mode, Lock/Unlock Pattern, Reboot (Rooted), 3G-2G Toggle, Speaker Mode. Quick Switch Widget is a desktop widget, with which, you
can easily and quickly turn on/ off system settings without dig through menu by menu.

The second way is to install Battery Manager, which is designed for android device to auto-configure battery management based on its power level. Battery Manger is also a desktop widget. It displays the current level of your battery on your desktop. Plus, battery level, statue, health, voltage, technology and temperature are all provided. It total contains 4 modes, including power-saving mode, standard mode, low brightness mode and browse mode. Your phones will auto-switch to related modes according to different situations. Press the desktop icon to quickly turn on/off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wireless and GPS. As we have known before, they are all big power-killers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5949905

Job Search Apps for Android Phones - Comparison Tips

If you are looking for a job, you may decide to install job search apps for Android phones. These apps are ideal in that they enable you to look for jobs on-the-go. If you do not have a working internet connection at home, but you do have an Android phone, you now have an easy way to look for a job.
One search on the market will show that you have a number of job search apps for Android phone options. When it comes to job searching, wasted time isn't an issue you want to deal with. For that reason, take a few minutes to compare your job search apps for Android phone options. Find the best application right away so you can automatically start finding and apply for jobs.
When it comes to comparing job search apps for Android phones, keep these points in mind:

Number of Websites Searched
All job finders accomplish the same goal. That goal is to help you find current job openings online. That goal, however, is obtained through different methods. Some applications only enable you to search one job site. Other applications enable you to search multiple job sites at once. For example, one search may produce job listings from Indeed, Simply Hired, Craigslist, Monster, and so forth.
When you can search multiple sites at once, you save a considerable amount of time.

Location and Radius
Whether it be job search apps for Android phones or your standard run of the mill career search site, you'll find a variance when it comes to locations. Many sites only require that you enter in a zip code or city and state. You will see a massive list of jobs from all across the state, but you can sort these jobs based on distance. Many job seeker are fans of search radiuses, where you enter in your zip code, such as 14850, and select a radius to search, such as 25 miles. You will only see jobs that fall within that 25 mile radius.
When you can set a radius to search, you save time because you don't have to sort through listings. If you only want to drive 25 miles to work, you will only see jobs located 25 miles from your city.

Applying for Jobs
You'd be surprised to see that not all job search apps for smart phones, such as Android phones, enable you to apply for jobs with resumes. After all, do you have a resume stored on your phone? It is likely on your computer. You should be able to apply for jobs via online job applications by typing up the application. At the very least, you should be able to email a job listing to yourself. This will enable you to access the listing from a PC where your professional, well-written resume is stored.
While a number of job search programs are limited in how you can apply for jobs, be sure to checkout all of your application/applying instructions for comparison.
Now that you know what to look for in an Android job search app, start comparing your options!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6321068