There are a list of twitter apps for android each having their own pros and cons. Yesterday Hootsuite released HootSuite for Android and welcomed the robots.

Despite worldwide adoration, the HootSuite iPhone App seemed a bit lonely. So the thoughtful developers went back to the factory to build more robots including HootSuite for Android. In fact, they had so much fun, they made Lite (free) robots too.

HootSuite is a professional Twitter client that lets users manage their entire twitter experience from an easy – to – use interface. Business users are mostly fond of it as you could schedule tweets and look at data from the ow.ly links. There are two versions of the HootSuite for Android application, the free (lite) and the full version. Both the free and full versions feature multiple accounts with the lite being limited to only three accounts. Plus there is on-board click-through statistics tracking to see what’s working in (almost) real-time available in the full featured version only. The good thing about HootSuite is that it syncs your web profile to the phone .

Streams:

View Full Album

You have the option after you login to view whichever stream you want. Home Feed, Mentions, Direct Message (inbox) and Sent, it all depends on the settings of your web application. It’s a real simple way of getting access  to your streams to view tweets. The overall layout of  HootSuite is clean, similar to Seesmic’s layout. I could see that they really had fun creating this application. With the flick of your finger (right or left) you could go through all of your streams with ease.

Profiles:

View Full Album

Having the ability to view a follower’s profile is very convenient. The layout makes each section accessible with a tab to view. The tabs are as follows the Profile, Timeline, Mentions, Following stats, Follower Stats, Favorites and List. You have full access to a person’s profile all within this application.

Scheduling Tweets:

Scheduling tweets is an easy way to tweet while you away from your computer. HootSuite utilizes the same methods from it’s online web app, schedule for later. I’ve used it and it works as said, no glitches and no late tweets. If you see a tweet and you don’t have the time to retweet it save it for later .

Posting a Tweet and Retweeting:

It’s easy as 1-2-3 and send. Tweeting using the HootSuite App is very easy. Unlike seesmic you could see a calendar icon which allows you to schedule your tweets, it also has a camera icon and a link shortener icon both of these are on the seesmic app. You can edit your Retweet and see how many characters you have remaining.

Unmasking a Shortened Link:

I noticed that all links are unmasked to give you the full link  an excellent feature of HootSuite for Android. I will know if the link is broken or if it is spam. Thumbs up on that feature HootSuite!!

This is a roundup on the HootSuite for Android application.

Pros:

• Clean Layout and UI
• Very User Friendly
• A lot of Options
• Schedule for later
• Unmasking links
• Updates fast
• Syncs web profile to phone app

Cons:

• There are no cons at this moment well in my humble opinion if you do find a con please comment to let me know.

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion and in no way did I receive compensation for this application review.

A few months ago I posted about some cool apps for your windows phone, today I will be doing the same for Android. Its been about 2 months since I’ve had my Moto Droid and I have to say I am still in love with it. Upon the request of a friend I will share with you a few of the apps I consider to be a must have. Android is gaining users and I welcome my friend and Designer Jerlyn…she just moved over to the dark side .

While the Android Market is  not as big as the Apple App Store, there are still applications to choose from. Some of them very useful while others less could be said of them. Here is part one on how I use my Android phone.

Astro File Manager

Once you mount your phone to your computer and gain access to the SD card you could drag files onto the card, so you could take them with you. However, there is no native way of accessing that card via your phone. That is where Astro File Manager comes in. It is a simple application that gives you access to your SD to view the files that you transferred over from your computer.

WaveSecure

Wave Secure is an application that could be used to backup SMS, contacts and call logs. It is an alternative to MobileMe for the iPhone that could be used to lock down your phone if stolen, and also wipe data. Its an  easy and simple way for me to backup my info.

Dolphin Browser:

When I got my Droid about a week later they confirmed that it was a multi-touch device also. Sometimes I hated to double tap just to zoom so I got the Dolphin browser app. It is fast, very responsive and it renders web pages with ease, though you know it could make do with some improvements. Its no Safari Mobile browser but its still something .

PdaNet:

In order to tether on an Android phone one has the option to root their phone (Only people willing to brick their phones should attepmt) or to purchase PdaNet for $29.00. I can attest that it works…well maybe not for the Sprint customers. Remember however even though your plan says unlimited please be careful what you use your tethering abilities to do.

**Update**

PdaNet is working on the Sprint Network

Flixster:

Everytime I think of a movie and what time should I go I always use the app flixster. It is a simple way of finding out which movies are out, which movies are blockbusters, which movies are coming out the current week.

Wordpress For Android:

Since its release I have to say that this application is essential for on the go blogging. It is very easy to use and creating a post and reviewing comments. It is a must have if you are a wordpress blogger.

Shazam:

Shazam is a funny name for an app I must say, but it’s an app that works. No longer do you have to rely on Verizon’s V-Cast app just to be able to identify that song. Its a plus especially if I hear something I like I could get it right away and use it with my Spotify app.

Spotify:

The release of this application has not been announced and there are quite a few of us waiting for its release here in the US. Having an offline playlist and even the ability to search and play on the go is a plus. I love using it with shazam to discover new music on the go.

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion and in no way did I receive compensation for these application reviews.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I loved Apple’s implementation of MobileMe locate and find for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. To see companies create apps for the other phones that could compete with MobileMe locate and find is actually great. On my Samsung Omnia I used LookOut Beta which I will review later on for you. Which brings me to talk about Mobile Defense.

Mobile Defense is an application now in its beta form for Android Phones. I’ve seen where people refer to it as the Lojack for Android as that is what it does. I am really impressed by this application, praying that I do not have to actually use it one day, it could be a great app to have on your phone.

Locate and Find: 

The locate and find feature states that it will take up to 4 minutes to find your location. However it depends solely on the GPS transmitting your location. A text message is also sent to your phone which enables Mobile Defense to connect to your phone and your GPS to activate. Surprisingly it gives you a very accurate location so you know exactly where it is.

Details:

Once you click on the details option the tracking details are shown. You could view the location info, the phone status and the location providers. It gives you a very detailed tracking information, which is impressive. You could email yourself the information or simple close the box.

Alert:

You do have the option to play a sound (which is LOUD) and send a message or require a pin to unlock and send a message. Both are very effective and should aid with finding your phone. Only one issue it could be deactivated when pressing the back button . Hopefully they will address this problem.

Lock and Unlock:

Speaks for itself, it unlocks and locks the phone remotely. So if you have the pattern lock it will unlock your phone. One other issue it removes the pattern lock.

Mobile Defense is a very comprehensive app that could help with the easy recovery of your phone. With room for errors I should say, it is indeed a great application, with only a few minor issues. So it is therefore a great app to keep handy. If you hold your phone as close to your body as I do I doubt you will need it, its however better to be safe than sorry.

The year 2009 has shown me that in life there are challenges and there are challenges that people create just to pull you down. As I am getting older, I’ve come to realize that if you don’t care about yourself no one really cares about you. I’ve accomplished a lot during this past year, and I have to say there were some things that evaded me. Can I say that I regret 2009? The answer is NO, as signs were sent to me and I learned quite a bit from them. Not to be negative, but I learned that there are friends and then there are “friends”. People would do anything to keep you where you are not wanting you to progress, like crabs they pull you down with them.

It takes a trigger to make you wake up and realize that something is wrong, and that you need to do something about that problem. You meet new people and realize that they have more issues than you, but then you learn about yourself as you try to help them. You realize that life is not as bad as it seems and therefore you stop wading in your misery, pull up your socks and you decide enough is enough. My favorite quote for the year 2009 is: "Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege."~Unknown. I think it’s self explanatory .

As I reflect on the year 2009 I cannot dwell only on the bad things, as that is not good. It was a good year despite the shortcomings and I am appreciating my blessings, my family and the friends I have. Life is too short to dwell on the bad, so many lives were lost suddenly due to car accidents, murders and illness. Cherishing your loved ones till your dying breath, loving them unconditionally (minus having to pay their expenses when it’s their fault) and showing them that you care is living happy. Learning to love yourself and cherishing yourself is also a way to see happiness.

I will not make any resolutions for the coming year 2010 as life is what you make of  it. Life is so unpredictable at times and therefore I see it fit to deal with the circumstances as they come. That does not mean however that I do not have a plan for a “just-incase-matter”. I do wish upon myself as I will wish for others that they will have a prosperous New Year and that good things may come their way. Despite any shortcomings they appreciate life and whatever it dishes out to them. We all have to make sacrifices, but in the end the reward is satisfying.

As the New Year dawns upon us I wish everyone a bright and a prosperous New Year.

Finally I got my hands on Spotify and I am praying dearly for it to be finally released here in the US. Don’t ask me how I got to try it out, just know that I did. IT IS AMAZING…that is the simple way of putting it. I could see where they were coming from trying to reduce the number of piracy, and illegal downloads happening *cough* *cough*. However, with it being only limited and as of now a price tag of £9.99 or $16.00 USD is really not very appealing as I pay only 3.00 per month for last.fm. The question on the table is will people be willing to pay $16.00 a month just to run an app like Spotify or will Spotify reduce the amount that people will have to pay in order to access the service.

Here are some of the things I loved about Spotify:

Search:

The ease of searching for a song and finding a whole CD or even a few of the artist’s songs is really what should I say, impressive? I searched for Buju Banton and had the pleasure of finding some old hits, and even some songs that were practically stuck in my head for days. The good thing is you could play the whole list from the search results. Which brings me to the next  pointer:

 Offline Play:

With each search result, you could right click and add that song to a personalized playlist. Mine for example is called just for play. The offline mode allows you to virtually add the song to your playlist without buying it and so you could play it at will on that device whenever you want. Disadvantage to that is you will have to buy the song if you want it to play on other devices. I have no need however to add my songs to another device, and so I am quite comfortable with my playlist.

  Home:

The home tab shows you all of the latest and most popular songs that are available and those that are being played by other users. Plus they give you access to new releases which is actually a great opportunity to hear an album before purchasing it .

 Desktop Application: 

The desktop app once signed in gives you the same access as it would on the phone. Your playlist is available and you could also search for songs and add them to your playlist. Please note that your playlist would be updated on the phone almost immediately and vice versa.

Spotify is a work in progress however, and I do hope they reconsider their pricing as no one would want to pay such a high price just to listen to music that cannot be transferred. A great application that could possibly curb  your appetite for illegal downloads and an excellent choice if you want to listen to an artist’s hit songs without buying the cd. So far I am loving my run with Spotify, it sure gives itunes a run for its money. Hopefully you can try it too when it is released hopefully in 2010.

Disclaimer: I am using a fully paid and active version of Spotify Premium.