As one of HTC’s flagship Android smartphones, the HTC One X is reputed to be fast. But, how fast is fast? You won’t really know until you’ve pushed your device to its limits and experienced first-hand just how fast the HTC One X.  With the AOKP custom ROM released by the TripNDroid Mobile Engineering team, you just might get such first-hand experience of blazing speed.

In addition to noticeably faster loading speeds and less lag, the AOKP ROM offers users a completely stock Android experience, with none of those built-in custom manufacturer UIs and other bloatware that sacrifice utility and performance for appearance. A wide host of customization options is the cherry on top of this delight, as users can personalize their devices to their heart’s content.

Most of the phone’s features work, including calls, SMS, data connection, GPS, Bluetooth (and tethering), Wi-Fi, hardware acceleration, audio, and microphone for recording.  Apart from those, the AOKP ROM features a few more highlights:

• Menu key has been remapped to to show recent taks.
• Long-pressing on the Home key pulls up your recent apps.
• GApps (Google Apps) are distributed separately and must be installed separately.

As with most apps still under development, the AOKP ROM is not without bugs and hiccups here and there, even more so because it’s a custom ROM in its early stages. But, developer TripNRaVeR is hard at work in trying to resolve these issues. If you’re a more cautious hacker, scroll through the known issues list below to see if getting the AOKP custom ROM rolling matches your risk appetite:

• Camera
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• Hardware video decoding
• Longer time to connect to mobile data network (This issue has been observed only after the phone is rebooted or after flashing the ROM)

Convinced that the benefits will outweigh the risks? Read on for our easy step-by-step guide to get the AOKP ROM running on your HTC One X.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the HTC One X. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• An HTC One X with unlocked bootloader and ClockworkMod Recovery installed
  • See our guide for using a toolkit to easily unlock the HTC One X’s bootloader and flash CWM Recovery.
• A Windows PC
• USB drivers for the phone installed on the PC
  • Download and install HTC Sync to your computer. This will install the required USB drivers to your computer. Make sure to close HTC Sync before following the procedures below.
• Disable system tools such as anti-virus software, firewall programs, and HTC Sync to avoid any interruption throughout the entire procedure.
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• Charge your phone’s battery to 70% or more.
• Download the following files to your PC:
  • Google Apps (gapps-ics-20120429-signed.zip, md5sum: 7c524e1e078164f681e0aa6753180b2c).
  • Fastboot Package (Fastboot.zip, 404.46 kB).
  • AOKP ROM (aokp_endeavoru-ota-eng.noeri.zip, 122.57 MB).

Instructions

1. Copy aokp_endeavoru-ota-eng.noeri.zip and gapps-ics-20120429-signed.zip to the root of your phone’s SD card.
2. Extract the boot.img file (found inside the AOKP ROM ZIP file) to your computer.
3. Extract the contents of Fastboot.zip into a folder on your computer. You will then get a folder named “Fastboot“ with 4 files inside.
4. Copy the extracted boot.img file into the Fastboot folder you just extracted on your computer. There will now be 5 files inside the Fastboot folder.
5. Switch off your phone.
6. Reboot your HTC One X into Bootloader Mode. You can do that by pressing and holding the Volume Down key and Power button.
   • NOTE: Once in Bootloader Mode, use the Volume keys to navigate and the Power button to select an option.
7. From the bootloader menu, select Fastboot to boot into Fastboot Mode.
8. Connect your HTC One X to the computer via USB cable. The bootloader screen should say “FASTBOOT USB.”
9. Open a command prompt on your computer and change directory to where the Fastboot folder is located.
   • NOTE: For Windows 7 users, you can easily open a command prompt from within a selected folder. Go to the selected folder and press Shift and right mouse button in any vacant part in the folder. A menu will appear. Click Open Command Window Here. A command prompt window will appear with the location of the selected folder.
10. To check if your phone has successfully connected to the computer, type the command fastboot devices and press the Enter key. Your phone’s serial number will appear on the command window. If it doesn’t appear, make sure you have installed the USB drivers on your computer. 
11. Flash the kernel by entering the command:
    • fastboot flash boot boot.img
12. After the kernel is flashed, you’ll see a confirmation OKAY message on the command prompt.
13. Disconnect your phone from the computer.
14. Select HBOOT on your phone to go back to the main bootloader menu.
15. Select Recovery to boot into Recovery Mode.
16. Select Install ZIP From SD Card > Choose ZIP From SD Card and select aokp_endeavoru-ota-eng.noeri.zip. Confirm the action on the next screen to begin flashing the ROM to your mobile phone.
17. Once installation is complete, flash the gapps-ics-20120429-signed.zip in the same manner as in steps 16.
18. After the installation process, go back to the main menu and select Reboot System Now to restart your phone.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the AOKP ROM on your HTC One X. Experience just how fast your Android device can be when pushed to its limits.

If you’re like most people (and I bet you are), you instantly turn to your smartphone or tablet when you’re (1) bored while waiting for the bus, (2) trying to look busy to avoid small talk, or (3) pretending to be looking for something on your phone to avoid an awkward situation.

Whipping out your device and scribbling doodles on a sketchbook app may prove to be a great escape. Or, maybe you just really want to practice some brushstrokes and painting styles, intent on making a masterpiece that will give Michaelangelo a run for his money.

Whether it’s just curbing your boredom or actually trying to refine your artistic skills, you’ll find these doodling and freehand drawing apps worth checking out.

Paint Joy – Movie Your Drawing

Have you ever finished a masterpiece and wanted to relive how your precious work of art came to be? Then you’re going to love Paint Joy – Movie Your Drawing. The app’s main selling point is the gallery record feature, which records every step of your drawing process so you can retrace your steps later and see your masterpiece unfold right before your eyes. It’s perfect for when you want to show off or demonstrate to friends or to refine your drawing techniques by taking a closer look at your methods.

Paint Joy also lets you paint on photos you’ve taken. This is helpful when you’d like to add annotations and comments or to draw attention to a specific part of the photo, such as adding a label or pointy arrows. The app’s intuitive brush and color selector has won fans. Another perk the app offers is easy uploading to Facebook or Twitter for sharing with your friends.

Kids Paint Free

Finally, a drawing app that’s perfect for your little one’s hands. Kids Paint Free is your ally in bringing out your child’s artistic side. Gather round the table and have some fun! Kids and parents alike are going to love the app’s simple, interesting, and interactive interface.

The controls are child-friendly. A shake or tap on the call button easily clears the screen. Pressing the back button undoes your last step, while the search button can be used to import photos for editing or tracing. The trackball can be used to toggle between different gradient background colors to go with your mood or artistic style.

The Kids Paint Free app can be downloaded for free on the Google Play Store. You can also upgrade to the full version at a minimal cost so you can get rid of those ads. Upgrading will also afford you a bigger drawing canvass, multitouch support, tablet support, and picture sharing.

How to Draw – Easy Art Lessons

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to draw but just never got around to it, you’ll find that the How to Draw – Easy Art Lessons app is the answer out of your drawing rut. What could be easier than an app showing you each step of an intricate drawing for you to replicate on your own? Don’t let anything stop you–not even the lack of pen and paper–with the How to Draw app.

Choose from a selection of 70 images that will fit a wide variety of artist preferences–whether you’re a child who’s just beginning to learn or an adult who’s quite seasoned. The drawings are organized under 4 broad categories for convenience: Animals, Fairy Tale Characters, Cartoon Characters, Cars, and many more.

The drawing guides are laid out on a graph paper-looking screen, making it easy to check drawing proportions and proving to be really handy for tracing. You can start off with easier drawings, such as a starfish, and then progress to more complicated designs.

Scratch Draw Art Game

If you’re looking for something a little different from the usual method of drawing figures and then filling them with color, the Scratch Draw Art Game app is a must-try.

You start off with a black background, all with varying thickness and different colors. Then you work your way through your artwork by scratching lines, shapes, forms, and figures onto the background—pretty much similar to etching words in stone or on a tree bark.

Kids are sure to love the vibrant colored backgrounds and the ease of use of this app. You can choose from different brush sizes to suit your palette. What makes this app even more enjoyable is that it lets users share their art via email, text, Twitter, and Facebook, among other sharing and networking services. That’s two times the fun!

Let your imagination run wild with the Scratch Draw Art Game app. The free ad-supported version is available.

Color & Draw for kids phone ed

Kids will gobble up just about anything that will capture their attention or pique their interest. But, it’s another thing to hold that attention and keep your child interested in an activity long enough for him or her to accomplish something. If you’ve got a hyperactive kid on the loose, you will find rescue in the Color & Draw for kids phone ed app. It’s actually 3 apps for the price of one: a drawing and sketching app, a coloring book app, and a photo decorator app.

The drawing app is perfect for helping your child unleash his inner artist, allowing him to doodle as he pleases. The coloring book app allows your child to practice those brushstrokes and develop those fine motor skills, as the drawings as colored the same way you would an old-school coloring book.

The photo decorator feature affords children the ability to draw over existing images in your gallery or camera app. Another unique feature is the app’s voice prompt, which offers instructions to kids on how to add to the artwork.

Picasso – Draw, Paint, Doodle!

Ever wanted to test out a specific brush or eraser size before you use it on your canvass? Picasso – Draw, Paint, Doodle! is the only Android painting app that lets you do that and more.

A simple tap on the preview panel in the middle lets you test out your brush or eraser before you select it for use. In addition, if you’re a nitpicky artist and just want to get everything right, Picasso allows you up to 5 undos so you can quickly redo your work if you’re not happy with your last stroke. The app also allows you to paint on any photo you have stored on your device.

Changing the background will clear your current drawings but a simple undo will restore it. So, you can have fun with the various background choices available for your use.

Picasso also features nifty Super Fun Random Mode and Glow Mode for when you’re in the mood to experiment. Use these with a black background for best results.

Kaleidoscope Drawing Pad

If you’re my age, you’ve probably reveled in the simple joys of kaleidoscopes back when you were a kid. Now that the years have come and gone, the Kaleidoscope Drawing Pad app provides you with an avenue to get all nostalgic and relive those fun moments and allows younger kids to share in those joys, as well.

Boasting more than 10 brushes to help let your imagination run wild, the app comes with 6 types of kaleidoscope canvass for more variety. Sketch your favorite patterns or discover new ones with this neat app. Save your paintings to your SD card or share via Facebook, Message, Picasa, and other networking services.

What is undoubtedly the app’s best feature is that it has a built-in gallery that records the steps you took in drawing your kaleidoscope pattern. A “Movie” mode lets you replay those steps and watch as your kaleidoscope pattern unfolds like a movie right in front of your eyes.

Sketcher Lite

Here’s a procedural drawing tool that’s sure to please your inner artist. The Sketcher Lite app features 11 choice brushes and 1 eraser for a cool drawing experience, helping you come up with a masterpiece through using various brush strokes of different thicknesses and styles.

The color picker lets you select the hue of your choice, making sure you have just the color you need on your palette. You can then easily share your artwork for the world to see through channels such as email, multimedia messaging, and social networking sites. Right now the app does not support importing images for editing and brush sizes are not easily modifiable.

The app developer has made user satisfaction a priority by including a report tool which sends crash reports so that software fixes may be performed. The Sketch Lite app is also available in the pro version which is ads-free and has more features.

Create a Comic

So, you’ve got a funny story. Or a killer joke. And, you’d love it if you could draw characters that would go with it. Problem is you’re no artist. Or you just don’t want to waste the time crafting the characters when it’s all about the story. Well then, the Create a Comic app will give you some easy solutions.

Select from a collection of different pre-drawn characters or create a custom character based on your preferences. Assemble a character by choosing a body type, hair color, facial features, and outfit, among others. Whether you’d like a wacky character or a more formal-looking one, this app has it. Figures come with actions, poses, and gestures which should all go well with whatever storyline you have in mind.

Once you’ve decided on your characters, select a background for your comic and position your elements and objects (props for your characters, if you may). Tap on the speech balloon to input text for quotes and narratives. And when you’re ready, move between strips of your comic to view the finished output and save it or share your creations with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Draw!

A tiny app that packs a lot in its punch–that’s what the Draw! app is all about. Don’t let the app’s simplicity fool you–many users find themselves going back to this app even after they’ve tried more elaborate drawing apps.

Utility is what makes this app memorable. With the Draw! app, users can draw and flash on the go. Camera draw, which means drawing while you walk, is also supported. Other modes available include Full Screen Mode and Flip n Shake.

Insert text with ease and pick specific colors accurately using this app. It’s perfect for when you want to write quick notes or flash handmade signs. Gallery storage is enabled and image importing is an option users will certainly enjoy.

The duo pens is a feature users just love! Who wouldn’t when you can switch between two pens for added drawing flexibility? Get more options with customizing your art with the Draw! app.

Artists of all ages and skills levels will surely find something for themselves with the variety of drawing apps that the Google Play Store has to offer. Which app suits your needs? Tell us.

The release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was met with a lot of rave reviews, as a slew of new, exciting features were made available to the Android public. In the days following the release, an Ice Cream Sandwich statue was unveiled, fans rushed to get their hands on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and phone manufacturers stumbled to dish out the latest Android mobile OS to previously released handsets.

But, the whole buzz has left several few out in the cold–those who, for one reason or another, will just have to miss out on the latest software update.   I’m talking about Android users who own mobile devices released a few years back. Although your phone manufacturer has forever condemned you to stay in the Android Stone Age, talented developers have come to your rescue by cooking up apps, hacks, and fixes that will let you get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich.

Check out the Gallery ICS app. It takes the ICS stock gallery app to your Android device, no matter what version of Android OS it’s running. Just download this app and you’ll have the much-coveted ICS gallery in minutes.

Get the same hot features that ICS users are enjoying with the Gallery ICS app. You can edit and touch up your pictures right after you take them with the built-in photo editor. Options available to users include Crop, Straighten, Flip, Rotate, among others.

Photo enthusiasts will be having the time of day with photo effects and filters, among which are Fisheye, Sepia, Lomo-ish, Grain, and Posterize. You can also reduce red eye, adjust the exposure, and play with the colors.

Users are even saying that the Gallery ICS app works better than the stock Gallery on their Ice Cream Sandwich. After you’ve applied the needed edits to your photo, you can easily share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or send it as an email attachment.

While users report just a couple of bugs in the app, such as setting the wallpaper onto the homescreen, the developers of the Gallery ICS app are working on compatibility issues and trying to get this app running on as many Android devices possible.

The app is free but for those who would like to get the whole ICS photo capturing and editing experience for a minimal fee or donation, you can get the Camera ICS+ app that puts the stock ICS Camera app packed with features (video recording, panorama, etc.) from the same developers.

Surely, a little support will go a long way in helping these developers’ efforts to bring a smooth, enjoyable mobile photo storage and editing experience for all. If you’re a photo junkie, getting the Gallery ICS app is a worthy endeavor. Download the Gallery ICS app from the Google Play Store for free.

What other apps do you know of that will replicate and bring the Ice Cream Sandwich experience to owners of earlier Android devices?

With the myriad of choices available to shoppers online, it’s so easy to lose track of great deals and miss out on huge discounts. For the ever-voracious bargain shopper, keeping an eye on your favorite stores can be a whole lot easier when you’ve got a personal assistant to do all the monitoring for you.

Shoptimus International comes to the aid of many online shoppers as a one-stop solution that helps you put all your favorite discounted and “on sale” items in one place for easy tracking. And, it’s perfect for every family member’s need—whether it’s sports equipment for Dad, kitchenware for Mom, or electronics for the kids, organizing items is a breeze with customizable categories.

Power Search and Accessibility

With the nifty categories, subcategories, and various filters you can play with, organizing your favorite items and stores and searching for that one elusive bargain item is made easy. Shoptimus offers real-time search options on the go, so you’ll never lose sight of limited time offers. Tighten up your search and make sure only relevant items are returned to you by narrowing down your search criteria even more. Pull up items according to price, size, brand, color, among others. For those who are differently-abled, the app supports voice search. You can then forget about having to type in keywords. That’s shopping made fun and hassle-free for everyone.

Shopping Cart and Checkout Management

Browse online stores like you would window shop at store displays. Flip through the listings with a flick of your finger — not much different from eyeing shelves down a corridor, don’t you think? See an item you like? Add it to your wishlist, or if you can’t wait, go ahead and place an order on the retailer’s website right away. It’s that remarkable–it allows you to purchase right from within the app itself.

Detailed Item View

Pick up an item and view important details about it like you would scrutinize a label at the store. Once you select an item that interests you, you can get the information you need about that item in one glance. The price tag is displayed prominently and the direct link to purchase the item calls to you from the bottom of the screen.

If you’re more of a choosy shopper, the pinch-to-zoom gesture on your device affords you a grid view so you can compare against other items, just to convince you one more time. If you’re undecided, you can bookmark the item so that you can go back to it later. Or, you can pull up a search using the search icon to look for more items you would like to review.

With all these perks, Shoptimus International is truly an intelligent app that will make your online shopping experience more enjoyable. It’s fun, easy to use, customizable, and ready to go. What’s not to love about this app?

Download Shoptimus International from the Google Play Store for free.

With the tough economic situation of today, we could use any help we can get in order to stay on top of our financial situation and to monitor our budgets effectively. Perhaps you could use some help in keeping track of your financial health. Android Authority has done a search for you and we now bring you the best apps for personal finance management:

Mint.com

Managing and monitoring your entire personal financial portfolio can be daunting. And if you’re a busy bee, it’s even more challenging to extract a quick yet comprehensive view of your cash flow right when you need it. All that is about to change with the Mint.com app.

Mint.com for Android makes it really easy to track your spending, budget your cash, and manage your hard-earned money. It conveniently pools all of your personal finance accounts into one place so you can access the information you need from anywhere, even when you’re offline, as the app saves data from your latest download. Charts and graphs that are easy on the eyes give you an overview of your financial situation, while email or text alerts make sure you don’t miss your next payment due date or fall behind on your bills.

Don’t worry about anyone hacking into your personal finance accounts. Mint.com for Android is password-protected and even if you lose your phone, you can log on to Mint.com and disable device access within minutes.

Easy Money

If you’re getting lost in the confusing maze of your finances and it’s threatening to swallow you whole, the Easy Money app will help you make sense of everything and regain control. A data entry system that’s simple and intuitive makes the work easier for you, and income and expense categories that are fully customizable give you the flexibility you need, whether you prefer the big picture or going down to minute details.

Interactive reports and graphs bring the fun back in budgeting and make comparing expenses vs. income convenient. Monitor your accounts by setting limits and keep track of these using color-coded “financial health” bars.

Have multiple accounts in multiple currencies? Easy Money will gladly take on the task of tracking across these accounts. You can also take photos of bills and receipts for later archiving and tracking and QIF and CSV files can be exported to desktop expense trackers. Repeating and split transactions are supported, and other nifty features include a Checkbook Manager, a Home Screen Widget, SD card back-up, and a 4-digit security PIN.

Money Lover – Expense Manager

Need to manage your dollars, dineros, or yen? Look no further than the Money Lover app. A simple way to track and monitor your finances, Money Lover supports 45 types of currencies and operates in various languages such as English, Vietnamese, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese, French, among others. If you’re a travel bug, you’ll find this app to be of utmost utility.

Keep tabs of your cash flow by adding financial details—specify if cash coming in is from your salary, sales, or dividends and take note if cash going out of your wallet is for the bills, food, or gas. The Money Lover app also acts as a financial calendar, reminding you of payment deadlines, scheduled transactions, or recurring deposits.

As with other Android apps, widgets are also available for your use, but make sure not to save the app on your SD card, as this will disable the widgets.

Financisto

An open source personal finance manager, Financisto is somewhat the darling of developers (and app users alike). In addition to being a fully functional tool for personal finance management, Financisto prides itself with lending a caring ear to its customers’ feedback and with being able to deliver on requests and fixes promptly.

What Financisto lacks in the colorful graphs and charts department it makes up for in the added features it offers to users at zero charge. One big feature that it boasts of is giving users the ability to back up all their information to the cloud on storage clients such as Dropbox and Google Docs.

Supporting multiple accounts and currencies, scheduled and recurring transactions, and QIF/CSV import and export, Financisto comes with a handy camera feature that allows you to take photos and attach these as supporting documents for transactions. Organizing is made easy with hierarchical categories with custom attributes. Now that’s an app you can tailor to suit your needs!

AndroMoney

If you’re looking to manage some of your personal finances on your mobile device while on the go but you’re also doing some of that on your laptop or desktop, then the AndroMoney app is for you. Powerful and easy to use, AndroMoney supports back-up to MS Excel or Mac Number for synching across multiple devices and operating systems.

AndroMoney’s built-in number pad allows to you make rapid calculations with a tap of a button. Graphs and charts that illustrate cash flow help make you informed decisions. Coupled with a password protection feature, AndroMoney is a powerhouse that supports multiple accounts, account balance and transfer, and any currency with downloadable rates.

Manage your categories effectively with AndroMoney’s neat custom attributes. You can also choose from among simple, detailed, or custom budgets, and the app provides you with an expense and income summary. What’s not to love about AndroMoney?

MoneyWise

A fully functional power budgeting tool, the MoneyWise app address your need to be in full control of your budget by offering you professional filtering options that make keeping an eye on your cash flow a breeze. Users can add as many details to their categories as they would like, and these can then be used to filter through different kinds of information to make sure you have the data you need at a given time. This saves you a lot of trouble from having to dig through huge piles of information and keeps the clutter away.

The professional graphs are another plus for the MoneyWise app, as it allows users to construct graphs by category and to prepare graphs for expenses over time, aiding in analysis and making informed financial decisions. Currencies can be switched when traveling and a cool feature marks transactions as cleared by the bank so that you won’t keep wondering about the status of your payments.

Expense Manager

If you work around your budget within timelines, you’ll find a great buddy in the Expense Manager app. Organizing and tracking your income and expenses by week, month, and year as well as by other categories is sure to keep you on top of your budget and in good financial shape.

Expense Manager supports cloud (for Android v.2.2) and SD card backup, so you can rest knowing that your data is safe. The app also allows you to take pictures of receipts for when you can’t spare time to record transaction details. A reliable search feature is included, as well as payment alerts, import and export capabilities, and support for multiple accounts and scheduled payments.

In order to make the currency exchange rate work, though, you will need to be connected to the Internet. Other than that, Expense Manager is a simple and smart tool that can help you stay liquid and stable.

CWMoney Expense Track

The CWMoney Expense Track app is perfect for those who would like to inject a little life into their drab budgeting activities. The UI Theme Select feature gives you the freedom to choose elements of the app interface, making expense tracking more enjoyable and personalized.

The app’s handy calculator can help you make quick computations and projections. The detailed categories can also be made to have custom attributes, making sorting and tracking easier. Transfers, filtering, pie chart reporting, data export to Excel XML and CSV, and data back-up to Dropbox, Gmail, or FTP are among the features that make the CWMoney Expense Track a reliable budgeting partner.

Having to switch through multiple accounts and multiple currencies won’t be a problem for users of the CWMoney Expense Track app. Users of devices with a camera will delight in the app’s ability to take pictures of receipts or documents for later reference.

Easy Envelope Budget Aid

With budgeting, the adage sometimes also holds true: the more, the merrier. There’s more fun and less stress if more people are involved in making the budget work. Plus, you can be more motivated to learn how to live within your means if done with a partner or group.

The developers behind the Easy Envelope Budget Aid (EEBA) app know this and more. By designing an app based on the old school method of separating cash into envelopes for different purposes, the guys who built EEBA understand that a little fun in budgeting can go a long way.

With the EEBA app, virtual envelopes help keep you within budget. Users can easily check envelope balances and track expenses using this proven cash budgeting method. Register so you can synch your phone with 2 or more users for a shared budget.

Data back-up is done on EEBA’s site so you’ll never lose your data due to a faulty app update or error. Transactions can be downloaded to CSV and bank account statements can be imported in QFX formats. The add-free, free forever version offers 10 regular and 10 annual budgeting envelopes. Isn’t that a sweet deal?

Pageonce

Using spreadsheets to track your budget is so last century. And you can forget about falling in line to pay your bill. With Pageonce, you can automatically track, control, and pay your bills all within one reliable and safe app.

Staying on top of your bills used to be a chore, but now Pageonce helps you relax and get everything in order. Set up bill due date reminders so you’ll never overlook a bill payment again. Get account notifications and real-time alerts that protect your account and monitor your transactions. Throw in your investment portfolio, frequent flyer miles, and mobile phone minutes/text/data usage in the mix! Track them all using just one app.

Pageonce support transactions to all major banks, credit unions, and credit card companies in the country. No need to use multiple apps for different purposes. With the Pageonce app, view all your balances, transactions, payments, due dates, and other financial information at a quick glance.

For a select portion of the population, there’s nothing more rewarding than to have your very own mobile device customized to the core. To some, it’s almost akin to leaving your mark on a device and truly making it your own. And with the myriad hacking, tweaking, and customizing options available within the Android platform, you’re never be at a loss for new things to try out, just as long as you are patient and willing to learn. The possibilities are endless, so you’ll never really be stuck with a boring, outdated device. Ever.

That said, even if you’ve purchased an Android device with an earlier OS, such as the Samsung Galaxy S running on Android 2.1 Eclair, you can fire it up with the newer, more stable Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread, thanks to XDA Developers member barome. LeWaOS has been around for some time now, first making its debut on 2 or 3 devices, until recently when it has been ported to the Galaxy S. Entering the custom ROM arena as a new player and combining CynanogenMod 7 and MIUI ROMs, LeWaOS boasts of the following features:

• data monitoring
• downloadable themes and lockscreens
• power saving
• lockscreen animations and notifications

Bugs and fixes are still being worked on, and those that have successfully installed the OS report some glitches, such as the web browser not loading very fluidly. Other than that, users report an overall fast, smooth experience, owing largely to the user-friendly interface.

If you’re just about ready to breathe some fresh life back into your Galaxy S with the new LeWaOS, carry on soldier and take our handy step by step guide with you:

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S, model number GT-I9000. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions

Requirements

• A rooted Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000 running stock XXJW4 firmware and with ClockworkMod Recovery installed
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• If you’ve got SIM card lock enabled, disable it. You can do this through Settings > Location and Security > SIM card lock.
• Latest GApps (Google Apps) package for Gingerbread (gapps-gb-20110828-signed.zip, md5sum: 1647897d8ac3efb04723d2ad2c361a3f).
• LeWa OS ROM (LeWa_ROM_i9000.zip, 76.7 MB).

Instructions

1. Copy the LeWaOS ROM and Google Apps ZIP files to the root of your phone’s SD card (not the microSD card).
2. Turn off your Galaxy S. Wait for complete shutdown.
3. Boot into ClockworkMod Recovery Mode by pressing and holding down the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons together until the phone turns on.
   • In Recovery, you can scroll up and down using the Volume keys and you can choose menu options using the Power button.
4. Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset. Wait for data wiping to finish.
5. Select Install ZIP from SD Card.
6. Scroll to the LeWaOS ROM and select it. Confirm the installation by selecting Yes.
7. After the LeWaOS ROM finishes installing, select Go Back.
8. Select Install ZIP from SD Card but this time, select Google Apps.
9. Select Go Back.
10. Once installation is done, select Reboot System Now

Congratulations! You’re now ready use your Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000 with Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread, with help from MyUI Team’s LeWaOS custom ROM. Tell us what your empowered and updated device can do.

Gone are the days when a cloud used to be just something you’d gaze up at the sky to see, something that signaled a sunny day or heavy rain. Now, in the 21st century, the cloud has taken on a whole new meaning, and tech companies such as Google, Apple, Samsung, and LG, to name a few, have dished out their own offerings of cloud storage services to appease our growing need to have access to our files anywhere and anytime.

Apps are also gaining just as much headway in the cloud storage department, with apps like ZeroPC Cloud Navigator, Dropbox, Lightbox, CloudMagic, and Best Buy’s Music Cloud, among others. Not one to be left behind, the new MegaCloud app, which has been around for some time now, does all that and more.

Multimedia Access Anytime, Anywhere

On-the-go media streaming is the main selling point for the MegaCloud app. Users aren’t limited to just sharing files with friends and across computers and devices. In addition to enabling uploads for files of any type, the app affords you the chance to play your favorite audio and video right within the app without having to download them first. Photos can be pulled up on demand and viewed with a full-screen photo explorer, then allowing you to download and share photos from your online album without saving to jump between different apps. And, while native video and music streaming isn’t currently available, you can play multimedia with a little help from external apps of your choice. This saves you a lot of download time and data charges.

Take Control of Your Files

Having a smooth, seamless multimedia experience isn’t the only convenience MegaCloud offers. Want to edit documents on the fly? Just fire up the app and you’re able to edit them right on the cloud. Like most cloud storage services, MegaCloud lets you share folders and links to your uploaded content, as well as bookmark them for easy access later. Uploading is a breeze, as the app lets you select an entire bunch of files for uploading at one time through the native file explorer. A simple long press or tap on the arrow icon lets you share, rename, remove, download or bookmark a file or folder.

Protect and Restore with Ease

Once you sign up, you’re offered a pretty generous 5 GB of free storage. An additional 1 GB is given away once you install the app on your mobile device. The app also comes with a nifty password lock feature, perfect for keeping your files out of reach. The Megacloud desktop client runs on Windows and Mac and lets you review and retrieve deleted files, even letting you restore your cloud folders to an earlier saved state if you need to. This comes in handy for when you accidentally delete everything or if you just want to do a system restore with a simple tap.

MegaCloud for Android is available for free on the Google Play Store. Minimum system requirement is Android 2.2. For users who need a little more storage space, subscription upgrades are available at the following rates: 30 GB for US$4.99/month, 60 GB for US$9.99/month, and 150 GB for US$19.99/month.

With an app like MegaCould, cloud storage and file retrieval is made easier. What features do you consider in selecting a cloud storage app that would best fit your needs?

If you’ve always wanted a richer alternative to your Android phone’s drab and limited SMS interface, then BeMe messenger just might be the right fit for you. With this cross-platform messenger, you can communicate in real-time with all your friends, regardless of whatever phone network they may be on, as long as they’re on a Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G connection. The app integrates seamlessly with your phone’s infrastructure and offers a host of features and functionalities to cater to the needs of today’s mobile messaging enthusiasts.

Expressive Communication

Want to convey a message without being limited by words? Snap a picture, record a video or your voice, and share them to your friends right away, all done within your active conversation. Add a cool smiley for added emphasis—BeMe has tons of those expressive faces for times when words aren’t enough. Audio emoticons take it a notch higher, all enriching your texting experience for you and your friends.

History, Status, and Location Tracking

Logging onto BeMe shows you how long your contacts have been online, as well as records of your last conversations with them. Once you send a message, the app also assists and lets you know which messages have already been read, sent, and delivered. The app also allows you to share your location, so that if any of your friends are within the same area, it’s easier to just walk up to them and have a face-to-face chat.

Seamless Contacts Integration

BeMe goes and does the dirty job of matching all your contacts and their phone numbers for your easy retrieval and reference. The app does this by asking for users’ phone numbers the first time they use the app, storing it for use later. You may also exchange personal information through friend subscriptions.

Easy-on-the-Eyes Interface

Simplicity is more. And, the app seems to abide by this philosophy. The homescreen features three tabs for easy access: Chat, Settings, and Phonebook List. Tap the Chat button to begin a conversation with any of your contacts. Tapping the Phonebook List will bring up the phonebook menu, so you can check your contacts’ records, get friend recommendations, and invite new contacts. The Settings button will let you tweak your BeMe profile, your app settings, as well as check your Data Statistics for a view of all the content you’ve exchanged with contacts through the app.

Messages you’ve sent to contacts are displayed in separate bubbles for easy viewing. While inside a certain conversation, you can tap “Press to Talk” to record a voice or video message. A simple tap on the arrow beside the text box pulls up a host of other options that let you send voice-enabled emoticons, multimedia files, contacts for recommendation, and information on your current location, among others.

Added Services

Conversations aren’t the limit with BeMe messenger. As a user, you can also subscribe to added services such as jokes for days when you need a laugh and weather reports for your area.

While BeMe Messenger is a relatively new app in the instant messaging arena, it’s proven to be a viable alternative for common SMS messaging. Experience the features for yourself. Download the BeMe Messenger app at the Google Play Store for free.

So, you found this really cool HD wallpaper. Or, you took a nice picture of your pet or loved one. Now you want to use it as wallpaper for your Android phone, but you couldn’t care any less about pixels and screen resolution sizes. There’s an app that lets you take any image you want and does the dirty work of resizing and scaling it so it matches your device’s screen resolution seamlessly. With just a few taps, you get instant customized wallpaper.

The Wallpaper Wizardrii app is indeed changing the way you set and customize wallpapers on your Android device. If you’re someone very particular with personalizing your display, you’ll find this app to be of great use.

Hassle-free Customization

The app’s biggest asset so far is that it allows you to take virtually any image you want and scales it for you so you can apply it as wallpaper. Worried that it’s not the right size? Wallpaper Wizardrii will take care of it for you. The app can’t take small images and enlarge them without the images’ becoming pixelated, though, so it’s best to use an image with a bigger size and resolution.

Myriad Options

Appealing to both the average mobile device user who just wants to get it done and to the hardcore customization enthusiast who wants to tweak and fine-tune settings, the app offers a variety of options, including:

• Crop Exact — Crops the image with horizontal and vertical control of the crop. The image will be displayed the same way it is being displayed within the app.
• Crop Landscape — Crops the image with proportional landscape orientation.
• Crop Portrait — Crops the image with proportional portrait orientation.
• Scale — Allows you to expand or shrink any image to fit best within the display.
• Solid Color — Sets only the background color selected from the main window as wallpaper.

Note: The No Scroll option is not compatible with all Home apps. LauncherPro and ADW work well. Scroll works with all Home apps, though.

After you’ve applied the settings, you can easily save your image and apply a few more tweaks. Now your very own personalized wallpaper is all set.

Use this app for tweaking your wallpaper displays.  Download Wallpaper Wizardrii free from the Google Play Store.

Ever had a favorite wallpaper that doesn’t fit nicely on your Android device’s display?  How did you manage to get the wallpaper to look nice on your device?

For hardcore soccer fans, being right where all the action is and showing support for your favorite team is akin to a sacred calling. The ability to connect with friends during a live game (whether on the field or on TV) and to get real-time alerts to game scores, player milestones, and event highlights adds to the overall experience. Developed by Vubooo Ltd., the Football Fans app lets you do just that—and more.

Get into the team spirit and check out upcoming and ongoing games while viewing team formations and chants, and interacting with worldwide fans. You can also let all your Facebook and Twitter friends in on the fun. The app spans various leagues, be it the UEFA Champions League, Italian Seire A, German Bundesliga, English Premiere League, Spanish La Liga or Ligue 1.

Enjoy this refreshing change in your spectating experience. Download the app and sign in with your Facebook or Vubooo account or use your email address.

A choice menu offers options and a streamlined interface makes navigation easy. Click on the Live tab to get up-to-the-minute updates on any game going on in any part of the world. Cheer for your team or boo for the opponent through real-time comments as the scores pour in.

The Buzz tab gives you the platform to express your thoughts and speculations, connect with friends to check and keep track of the gang’s availability for an upcoming game, and taunt other fans prior to a match. It’s all about interaction.

Get up close and personal with your favorite teams. Tap the Matches tab to get recommendations about must-watch games. This menu makes sure you don’t lose track of matches you’re planning to attend.

The Teams tab provides a rundown of all top teams from major leagues so you can add yourself to the list of fans for that team, as well as get updates on the activities of fellow fans.

The Me tab lets you view your dashboard and make edits to your profile, as well as invite friends from your Facebook, Twitter, or email contacts. You can view your check-ins and recent activity on your profile screen.

To toggle settings and view the inbox screen, just tap on Menu and select the required option. You can then view your messages and edit settings for notifications.

So, if you’re a soccer fan and you want to be where the heat is–virtually, that is–check out this app.  You can download the Football Fans app for free from the Android Market.