Apps

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

Gripe and ye shall receive: Google fixes Gmail for Android

Google has come to its senses with its Gmail app for Android.

A June Gmail overhaul dropped the delete button by default from the e-mail software, a move judged to be silly by me and by 88 percent of the CNET readers who responded to our poll.

Plenty of other people didn't give a fig, the button's absence wasn't a showstopper, and it could be restored by changing the settings, but I thought it a departure for a company that today is supposed to be fanatical about crafting a great experience for users.

Well, happily, it's … 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

Everpix wants you to actually see your photos

For those with thousands of photos on their iOS devices, Apple's iOS 7 photo organization efforts are probably welcomed. In the end, though, it likely won't be that much help for finding a specific picture or simply enjoying your collection. That's where a service like Everpix comes in handy.

The cloud-based service basically collects and combines all of your photos into a single place from any source you allow it access to: Mac and Windows computers, iOS devices (Android is in development), and social networks. Once pictures are uploaded, Everpix analyzes your shots by date and content (… Read more

Skype refreshes its iPhone app

Skype has updated its iPhone app with a couple of new features and a few fixes in tow.

Skype for iPhone version 4.9 now offers the free and unlimited video messaging that Skype rolled out last week.

Skype users can record a video message for fellow users who are offline. Those videos then appear when your receipient logs into the service.

The updated app also has patched up a few items here and there, according to Skype.

Photo sharing is now a more reliable process. Audio and video calls should be more stable. And there are the usual unspecified … Read more

Yahoo News gets a face-lift to become 'more personal'

Yahoo News on Thursday became the company's latest site to get a facelift.

The Internet company added new features that it believes will deliver a "more personal, intuitive and modern design." That includes a news stream that's customizable to a user's interests and a redesigned iOS app. A new Android design will be hitting devices soon, Yahoo said.

"This new design is one step towards creating a more consistent feel across Yahoo," Mike Kerns, Yahoo vice president of product, said in a blog post.

Kerns noted that Yahoo News will get smarter over … Read more

Mailbox iOS app now supports landscape mode, Gmail aliases

Those of you who use the Mailbox iOS app will discover two new useful features the next time you fire it up.

Designed as an alternative to the built-in iOS e-mail client, Mailbox version 1.3.2 now lets you manage and read your messages in landscape mode, a much-needed enhancement.

You can also now send an e-mail using a Gmail alias. This lets you use an alternate address in the From field if for whatever reason you don't want to use your Gmail address.

Mailbox offers a clean and simple interface and several tricks to manage, prioritize, and … Read more

Google Now comes closer to Chrome, shares TV show info

Google Now notifications are expanding from Android to Chrome, and now the service can show information on TV shows you're watching and sales offers you've signaled interest in.

Chrome and Chrome OS have had a flag that lets people enable Google Now for weeks, but it hasn't been connected to an actual Google server. But a notification now appears that asks, "Enable Google Now Cards -- Would you like to be shown Google Now cards?"

I got the prompt to enable Google Now for Chrome through a menu bar item on OS X 10.8 … 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