Knock2 + Is Having a Go at Switching Small, Lockscreen Icons for LED Notifications

There is a new app on the marketplace which is attempting to revolutionize the way Android users get and receive notifications on their phones. Knock2 + is the name of the app and in essence the switch being made here is simple. Trade those tiny blinking lights at the top of most Android devices that relay some sort of basic message about an app or notification for a small lockscreen popup that actually tells you exactly what the notification is for and some other relevant information.

The biggest positive about this app is that it is new, has a great idea, and the developer is being very user friendly in terms of dealing with, helping, and resolving user issues. That being said, the app is still quite solid and does exactly what it promises to do. Among user reviews the functionality of the app is not up for debate. The main point of conflict seems to only be the benefit of the battery power being used to give these styles of notifications versus the very minimal power drain of an LED blinking. That is really a question the user themselves must come to terms with. Personally, my battery on my Android is pretty decent and I like having an actual notification telling me what’s going on rather than just a blinking green light anonymously teasing me to some sort of message.

The choice is yours, but I love Knock2 + and I’ll be using it as a replacement for my notification systems that I’ve had up to this point.

Google Play: Knock²+ LED for Android

[Image Credit: Google Play Store]

Sliding Messaging Pro: Great New Messaging App for Android in Beta

If you’re an Android user who is always looking for the next greatest and easiest way to send, manage and receive texts, then there is a new app you should check out. While still in beta, Sliding Messaging Pro is a great app that is taking the Android market by storm. Combining many aspects of other texting services together into one, this app makes texting easier and better to use than many other apps out there.

The name Sliding Messaging Pro is given to this app because it’s interface is based off of using two sliding aspects of the app. One is the left side which can be slid to open up the contacts who you have current conversations with and the other is the right side which is slid to open the conversation with each contact. It may sound confusing, but using the app makes a ton of sense when you’re actually in it.

The app also comes with 8 different themes which can be used or a new theme can be made from scratch. This kind of customization is rare to find in this kind of app, but surely a pleasant surprise. Another cool aspect is emoji support. Android users are always feeling left behind since their iPhone using friends have all of those funny characters they can send back and forth and now you can too.

Depending on what you use texting for this app could also help streamline the way you go about ding group messages and pictures sharing as well. It is also still in beta so every aspect of this app will continue to be refined and improved upon as time goes on.

Google Play: Sliding Messaging | Sliding Messaging Pro

[Image Credit: Google Play Store]

Nokia Music Released for Windows 8 and Windows RT Hardware

Nokia Music is a service that makes the most of any music experience on a digital device. Combining the library and playlist features that you love when using a desktop or laptop with the streaming, song recommendations and services from apps such as Pandora all in one Nokia Music is a great app to have.

Nokia Music has been out for Windows Phone for a little while now, but the app was not available for desktop and laptop versions of the newest Windows platforms. Now users of all of Windows current technology can have seamless compatibility among their devices and allow themselves to divulge into Nokia Music.

Anything you could want from a music app is all combined into this one easy to use and well thought out app. It combines the music store availability of iTunes, with the streaming library and playlist/channel creation of Pandora, and has the offline music library capability of any other music device as well. It really covers every base you could possibly want.

[Image Credit: Windows Phone Store]

ClipCrop: New iOS App to Crop Photos Using Shapes and Characters

Although the name of this app, ClipCrop, might be mistaken for the sound effect for a horse galloping the usefulness of this app for filters, masks, and cropping is quite advanced. It isn’t one of those serious photo editing apps for borderline professionals, but rather a fun app with more techniques and more advanced options than a basic app would come with. It walks the line of function and difficulty perfectly for the average user.

There are a lot of apps that do filters and masks these days, even more that do cropping. So, what makes ClipCrop worth talking about? Well, ClipCrop is an app that really makes the whole thing easy. The user interface is set up incredibly well and makes the whole process seem like a breeze. There is a free version that comes with a few masks and a paid version that has many more masks unlocked. If you’re someone who really gets a kick out of using masks and editing pictures in that way the paid version is a really fun way to get that fix. If masks are ok, but cropping is the real show stopper then the free version will probably be more than enough for you.

The options in app and the set up are super simple and easy to use and learn. The app is constructed perfectly to make sense to someone who has never used it before. The images created and saved can be exported through all email and social media to make spreading your humorous or interesting masterpieces that much smoother. This is also supported for iPad so those who like to work with photos but can’t quite get the feel they want on the smaller iPhone screen can use their iPad to make the most of the mask and editing options.

Source : ClipCrop for iPhone

[Image Credit: Apple iTunes Store]

Tiny Apps: The Great Floating App Package for Android

There continue to be innovations made with the Android platform that once you have them, once you see them and use them you have no idea how you lasted so long before without them. This is exactly how I would describe the new app Tiny Apps for Android. This little suite of apps comes with 5 little floating apps that can be opened and adjusted over any other app without closing it out and without blocking the whole screen. It comes with a calculator, note taker, recorder, paint, and a music player. All of those things are the most commonly needed apps that I wish I could have around when I’m in another app without closing it out, and now I can!

The real deal here is that it comes in a free, lite version, as well as a paid version. The paid version is just under two dollars and is surely worth it from my experiences. The paid version allows transparency options as well as docking, both of which seem essential for managing a series of floating apps in the most effective way possible.

Now you don’t have to leave a call, a game, or your calender to jot down a quick note, write down a sort message or diagram something someone is telling you, or even play some music that has constantly visible controls. It really revolutionizes the way that Android works for you and not against you. Pick up this app today and you won’t regret it one bit.

Google Play : Tiny Apps (Free) | Tiny Apps (Paid)

[Image Credit: Google Play Store]

Samsung Galaxy Star and Galaxy Pocket Neo Official Announcement

Given how often people associate the iPhone with smartphone it might come as a surprise how much larger of a company Samsung is for cell phones than Apple. This is mainly due to the idea that Samsung and Apple have these high publicity battles over large high end market clients. They are always competing to have the best, most technologically capable device. Although the prevalence of the iPhone seems to be the popular norm, Samsung continues to put phones out there that technology and power wise far surpass Apple’s iPhones. Samsung is taking a look at another part of the smart phone market. With two new devices being announced, the entry level Android market will be donned with Samsung’s two newest devices, the Galaxy Star and the Galaxy Pocket Neo.

Both of these devices will run the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS and be incredibly well marked up for technology specifications. The only main difference between these two new entry level devices will be the processors. The Galaxy Star will have a 1Ghz processor while the Galaxy Pocket Neo will only have an 850 MHz processor. Everything else is basically identical. They will both be prepared with a 3 inch display, 512 MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage with expandable options in the MicroSD slot, 2 MP rear camera, and Samsung TouchWiz UI, and Dual SIM support.

It’s nice to see Samsung leaving the world of only the highest paid and competitive devices and releasing devices that the masses are in the market for for once. As well all love Apple and Samsung it gets outrageous sometimes the prices these machines are given and with these two slimmed down versions a much larger market will be able to get their hands on a very powerful Android device from Samsung.

Source: Samsung Tomorrow