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With Windows 8 mobile gadgets lagging far behind Android and Apple, it's tough to imagine why anyone would want to look at Windows 8's layout. However, if you've bought a Windows 8 computer or tablet and fallen in love with the tile interface, try Windows 8 for Android. It brings that interface to your Android gadget, but is missing many of the features that make people love custom launchers.

One of the reasons Windows 8's user interface is turning heads is "Live Tiles." The always-updating blocks aren't here, which is a glaring error … Read more

If you snap tons of photos on your smartphone, you need a full-strength photo editor. With a price tag of $1.79, you would think Photoshop Effects-Photo Editor would do all the editing you need and more. Instead, this app offers some of the most common filters and limited cropping features instead of real Photoshop effects.

By cashing in on the name of the popular desktop photo editor, Photoshop Effects-Photo Editor makes you think you're paying for quality. Instead, you're getting a simple filtering app that adds effects that would have been cool 15 years ago. Now, they … Read more

This physics game gives you all the fun of a bumpy ride without any skull fractures and will definitely quench your thirst for off-road driving. Hill Climb Racing becomes a little boring if you get stuck at the same level, but loads of customization and upgrade options will keep you coming back.

The game's Super Nintendo-style graphics makes it run incredibly smooth and won't tax your phone's processor. You will hear some goofy laughs whenever you flip your car and crush the redneck behind the wheel, which you'll do often. Though it's funny when you … Read more

Though it sounds a little mundane, this app provides hours of challenging fun. Bus Parking 3D offers a ridiculously large number of levels and options, but starts off a little too difficult. It will also send plenty of spammy ads to your phone both in and outside of the app.

The game's simple menu will take you right to the action, and there are more than 60 levels to unlock. The steering, pedals, and gear shift are placed right on the screen, so it might be a little cluttered for people with smaller phones. Though there are five different … Read more

As a pain-in-the-cache, searching archived e-mail messages has nothing on Skype's chat history and call logs. Scand's SkyHistory is a free Windows program that lets you view, manage, search, and save your Skype chat and call logs independent of your Skype client and settings. SkyHistory collects and stores all of your Skype data in a single database on your system's hard drive, ideally with a portable USB drive as backup. Its advanced searching, filtering, and bookmarking capabilities let you exclude senders whose messages you don't want to save (like spammers) and search for single messages or … Read more

Free screenshot tools are fun to try because they come in so many varieties, and because they're free, you can try as many as you want. Screencast-O-Matic captures screen and Webcam video and saves it or posts it online on YouTube or the program's Web site. With a well-designed interface and simple operation, it's a contender. The freeware version uses a nag screen (it's really more of a nag box) and places an output watermark, and it limits recording to 15 minutes.

Screencast-O-Matic's user interface is quite unique, and pretty cool, too. It's a … Read more

Simple, nostalgic and creative, this app comes with a Halloween twist that adds to its overall fun factor. Prepare your touch-screen drawing skills because The Great Pumpkin Festival app will lure you into a virtual contest that will test your creativity in designing pumpkin heads.

The main menu of this app takes you to three primary options: Costumes, Carve, and Browse. In the Costumes option, you get to choose different clothing, headgear, and accessories for the character you are currently using, and you can expand by purchasing some extra gear through game points. The heart of the app is the … Read more

With a few changes and some additional functions, Talking Tom Cat 2, an interactive voice-recognition app, brings more cuteness to your Android device.

The opening screen of Talking Tom Cat 2 has many of the same elements as the original, but now Tom is set up in his own apartment with a new nemesis, Ben. The graphics are just as good in the second version and the onscreen movements are very fluid. The talk function is there again and Tom can repeat anything you say in his distinctive voice. He'll also reflexively react when you poke or swipe certain … Read more

If you can overlook some connectivity issues, Viber adds a convenient Internet calling and messaging platform to your smartphone. Like other messaging platforms, anyone you want to connect with will need to have Viber installed as well.

Users who've spent time with any other messaging program should have no trouble with Viber's interface. It offers the standard options, giving you quick access to chats, text messages and calls. There aren't any unique or groundbreaking features on offer, but we found each option easy to use. We did have some issues with our test calls, and the connection … Read more