Mobile software

Getting started with Boomerang for Gmail on Android

Boomerang is a service that works with your Gmail to send e-mail later, give you follow-up reminders, and notify you if you don't hear back within a specific time. To use the service in the past, you had to install an extension for Chrome or Firefox.

Now there's Boomerang for Gmail on Android, an app that allows you to use all of the same features you expect from the Web versions on your smartphone or tablet.

One big reason for using the app alongside the desktop version is that you don't have to wait until you're … Read more

Star Apps: American Idol Live! tour

Attention "American Idol" superfans: if you've been in major withdrawal since Candice Glover won Season 12 of Fox's blockbuster talent competition last May, you'll get your fix soon enough. On July 19, the American Idol Live! tour--a 30-stop national extravaganza, featuring the top 11 contestants--makes its way across the U.S. to a city near you. Expect to see Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller, Burnell Taylor, Candice Glover, Curtis Finch Jr, Devin Velez, Janelle Arthur, Kree Harrison, Lazaro Arbos, Paul Jolley, and fan-saved Aubrey Cleland re-creating your favorite performances from this past season and surprising you … Read more

How to move Google Authenticator to a new device

Two-step verification can help thwart malicious attacks against your online accounts. Anyone trying to break into your account would need both your password and the mobile device that authentication codes are sent to in order to gain access.

Google has done a splendid job of providing options for those who are interested in setting up this extra security measure: you can get text alerts, or you can use Google's authenticator app, available for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS.

When using the app as your method of authentication code delivery, you may wonder what happens when you want to retire an … Read more

RSS, autocomplete URLs hit new Android Firefox beta

Mozilla debuted a new Firefox for Android 23 beta (download) on Thursday that brought with it a flatter but more Web-friendly version of the familiar browser logo.

The new logo has been designed, wrote Sean Martell, Mozilla's lead visual designer, with "SVG compatibility and color consistency" in mind. It doesn't ditch detail just for the sake of it, he said in his blog post about the change, but actually adds more detail in some areas.

One major detail he pointed out that has changed is the fox's arm. It now comes from its shoulder, instead … Read more

Rumor Has It: How much better will the iPhone 5S' better camera be?

Last week, Facebook announced video capabilities for Instagram, which nobody was surprised about. But I was a little surprised that the presentation ended with that. I was sure that the company would also announce its answer to Google Reader. Lo and behold, recent rumors suggest that Facebook still has a Reader of its own up its sleeve.

Google could be working its own version of Pinterest, called Google Mine. It would be integrated with Google+, and it could have its own Android app. Of course!

And finally, there's that little gleaming unicorn that everyone is speculating about, the iPhone 5S. Recent rumors suggest that it'll have a boosted camera, jumping 12 megapixels from the iPhone 5's 8. What do you think of those specs? Does it sound likely? Leave a comment below, and don't forget to vote in the poll!

Star Apps: Engadget's Tim Stevens

Founded in 2004, award-winning tech blog Engadget has brought a lot of shiny and new aspirational gadgets and software into the light through the years. Tim Stevens--named "the nicest guy in tech" by "Fortune" magazine--has acted as the blog's editor-in-chief since 2011. Tim was gracious enough to share some of his latest and greatest software finds--for work and play--with Download.com readers.

What are your top five apps and why? 1. Gmail: I'd be lost without this app. There are some mail apps that are a little better, but none integrate with labels, filters, … Read more

Google Search for Android gets a new voice command and more

If your mobile device is running Android 4.1 or higher, consider yourself lucky, as you today get access to the latest version of the Google Search app.

With the updated version, you can now play music -- either songs saved on your device or from Google Play -- by issuing a voice command. In addition, if you have a hard time remembering what voice commands are supported, the app now offers voice action tips to remind you.

Lastly, the Search app also comes with new Google Now Cards that show Google Offers and information about TV shows. Conveniently, Google … Read more

Keep all of your log-ins secure with PasswordBox

A couple of months ago we reviewed the beta version of the surprisingly convenient online password manager from PasswordBox.com. On Tuesday, Dan Robichaud, CEO of PasswordBox, has just announced the official release of PasswordBox and introduced some new features as well as the mobile app releases for iOS and Android.

PasswordBox lets you perform one-click log-in to all of your favorite sites from previously stored accounts. Just download the client, which is available as an add-on/extension for IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Create a PasswordBox.com account and Master Password and you're ready to go. You can … Read more

New Firefox earns full WebRTC

Following the recent introduction of full Web Real-Time Communications to Chrome, Tuesday's update to Firefox makes it the second browser to support the plugin-free protocol.

The debut of WebRTC, as the protocol is known, in Firefox 22 (download for Windows | Mac | Linux) is no small potatoes. "Plugins are the single largest source of security and stability issues that we see," said Johnathan Nightingale, Mozilla's vice-president of engineering for Firefox.

WebRTC is planned for Firefox for Android (download), which also updated Tuesday, but it has yet to be added to the mobile browser.

On the surface, WebRTC … Read more

AnchorFree's dropping anchors and setting sail with a VPN giveaway

With all of the recent talk about PRISM, the NSA, and Big Bro Obama following you around the Internet and reading all of your precious e-mails containing links to those "all-critical" YouTube videos your dad keeps sending you, it's great to see a company taking a stand for personal privacy.

Starting this Tuesday, June 25, the folks over at AnchorFree are giving away 50,000 free codes for their Elite Hotspot Shield VPN services, good for six months. These codes will unlock cross-platforms and will work on PC, Mac, and iOS (Android not supported yet), on up … Read more