Android software

Should incest-warning app be a Facebook service?

Meeting someone in a club or a bar -- or even a church -- has its dangers.

You don't know who they really are. You don't know what they're like in a bad mood, as opposed to a bed mood. And you have no idea if they're really your cousin.

Such dilemmas have struck all those who are seeking love, or merely the comfort of warm, fragrant skin on a chilly Wednesday night.

Some extreme intellectuals in Iceland have decided to assist society's thrust toward safer human interaction.

They have created IslendingaApp, an app that gives you fair warning if the target of your pupillary expansion is, in fact, a close relative.… Read more

Move over Siri, Sherpa's in town

The march toward a better, voice-controlled future continues, even with Siri, Google Voice Search and newer digital assistants, such as Donna, already on the scene.

The latest entrant is Sherpa, a natural language Android app that's a top app in Spain and Latin America and today is rolling out in the U.S. -- first for Android, eventually for iOS.

Like Siri, Sherpa attempts to help organize your life and perform tasks when you ask the app questions or give it commands. It's the brainchild of Xabier Uribe-Etxebarria, who's based in Bilbao, Spain, and has been working … Read more

The Week on Download.com, April 10-16, 2013

Every week, we compile the best new reviews, products, and features from the Download.com software catalog and blog, package them up in a tidy little newsletter, and e-mail it out to all of our lovely subscribers.

If you are a registered CNET member, you can sign up for the newsletter yourself (it's listed as "CNET Download.com Software Dispatch" under "Software News and Reviews"), or check back every Tuesday to read our latest roundup.

Notable New Products

BitTorrent Surf brings the power of BitTorrent to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox Mok Force is a … Read more

Six Android apps you'll thank me for (you're welcome)

As a reviewer of Android apps, it's my role to sniff out what's hot and interesting on Google Play. I make it a point to try out apps old and new, as well as big-name apps, apps from startup shops, and everything in between.

Among these, it's not uncommon for me to find a few apps that are just so attention-grabbing that I feel compelled to share them with the masses. They may not necessarily be the best apps of all time, or even the best apps available right now, but they are fresh and interesting titles … Read more

Hack your Android like a pro: Rooting and ROMs explained

For all of the flexibility and customization that comes with an Android device, there are still plenty of restrictions in place. While Android technically is an open-source platform, the final product is still the result of a phone-maker's skin, the carrier or manufacturer's preloaded software, or even sometimes, a few disabled features.

There isn't anything wrong with most out-of-the-box experiences, but more daring and tech-savvy users who tire of being at the mercy and discretion of carriers and handset makers might be interested in pushing their Android devices to new limits. This is where the practice known … Read more

Ignore your dull family, says new Facebook Home ad

You know those self-centered, self-regarding people who just have to look at their cell phones during dinner?

Facebook loves them. Facebook admires them. Facebook wants to promote them.

This thrust toward spiritual progress is the company's latest ad for Facebook Home, its attempt to turn your Android into something from Redmond.

In one recent ad, we saw Mark Zuckerberg's loyal troops ignore his dull corporate ra-ra in favor of a screeching goat.

Now, we can see a young woman ignoring her family.

Oh, all families are awful, aren't they?

They insist on imposing emotional control upon you. … Read more

Zuckerberg bores staff in new Facebook Home ad

They're a smug, self-centered, self-righteous lot at Facebook.

Which is why Facebook Home, the tool that turns your Android into a Windows Phone, was designed specifically for them.

They can stare at their phones all day, bathing in the joys of those closest to them. Well, those closest to them in a virtual sense.

They can also ignore the catatonia-inspiring monotone that regularly emerges from their CEO's mouth.

Please, you know I'm never mean. I am merely describing the new commercial for Facebook Home on AT&T, a quite stellar act of self-deprecation.… Read more

Galaxy S4 Group Play makes sharing easier (hands-on)

Sharing is a big part of Samsung's products (just think of all those ads in recent months, like the one with a woman giving her husband a secret video). Now the Korean electronics giant is taking that a step further with the Galaxy S4's improved Group Play.

Galaxy S3 users will recognize this as the feature that lets them share documents and photos with others in close range. I recently got some hands-on time with Group Play on the S4 and found some nice updates to the program. In particular, future S4 owners can share music and games … Read more

Android 4.1 launches for Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket owners finally have their shot at Android 4.1.

Available as of Wednesday, the Jelly Bean flavor of Android can be downloaded courtesy of AT&T.

Users can update their OS to Android 4.1.2 by following the how-to page on the carrier's Web site. The update does require Galaxy S2 Skyrocket users to download the software through Samsung's Kies and then sync it with their mobile phone.

Jelly Bean offers a number of enhancements over its predecessor, as an AT&T blog points out.

The notification screen organizes updates … Read more