Another gem of an application/hack I found today. It turns your Android phone’s utility multi fold. This hack – Brut Google Maps – makes Google Maps Voice Navigation International. For some reason, Google has enabled this feature only for few selected countries in their official Maps/Navigation apps on Android.

But remember, this feature only works if you have an active Internet connection. Manufactures like Motorola has partnered with MapMyIndia to offer offline maps for India. You can even purchase the MapMyIndia navigation software for various platforms separately.

I’m very happy Brut’s hack saved me some bucks!. Let me know if this worked for you in the comments.

Download:

Google Maps with free Global Navigation
md5sum: 456b3fe71f74bb8b76a443be4075473c

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Android, as you might think – is infinitely customizable. But the freedom to do does not come by default. You need to root your favorite Android device to enjoy its true potential. Rooting a device lets you run programs and processes with the super user permissions. Though dangerous if used without knowing what you are doing, it is a very powerful tool for the Pro-consumers out there. Keep a backup / dump of your original manufacturer’s ROM before you venture out to root your Android device. This will help you retain your warranty.

Here are some of the benefits of having a rooted device.

• AdjBrightness : Adjust / Decrease and lock the brightness of your Android Screen. This helps save battery and your eyes!
• AutoKiller : This nifty tool available as free on the Market lets you customize the garbage collection intervals of Android operating system. That means better performance compared to the ordinary Task killers in the market.
• Titanium Backup : Hands down the best tool available right now to keep backup of your Apps and related data securely in the SD Card. This saves plenty of time and efforts if you are frequent ‘ROM Flasher’
• WiFi Tethering: Android 2.2 (Froyo) supports WiFi tethering (Creating a Mobile Wifi hotspot using your mobile). But this is a operator dependent service and you may have to subscribe to special plans to avail such services. But the rooted phones can enjoy a better Wifi Tethering service, without any of these hindrances. In my experience this works faster and consumers less energy than the official ones.
• Moving Caches to SD Card: System memory on Android phones are still a luxury. Recovering every bit of the precious space by moving the Caches to the external SD Card will yield better performances.
• Better Themes: Once rooted you have the capability to skin your Android phones to any level.
• Freedom! – Once a proper su (Super User) is obtained, the opportunities are limitless. Freedom to do whatever you want with your device!

Did I miss anything?.. Let me know in the comments.

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I’ve been using a Google ADP1(G1) and then a Samsung Spica(i5700) on various Android builds (1.1, Cupcake, Donut & Eclair). Following are my essential Android apps list.

• ADW Launcher
  I am not a fan of the default Android Home app or the ones the Manufacturers installs by default. After various trials of LauncherPro, Helix etc.., ADW Launcher is the one which stays on my Android Mobile. It is highly customizable and has very less memory footprint. It is blazingly fast except for some occasional widget selection issues. But the developer updates this app vigorously.
• AndroNoter
  All my notes needs to be available everywhere. I use SimpleNote as my notes platform. It has clients on the Mac, PC, iPhone and now Android. AndroNoter is a very good SimpleNote client which supports transparent sync with the SimpleNote cloud. The search options are really fast.

• Barcode Scanner – to quickly launch the Market application upon scanning App QR Codes 
• Fring
  Fring is the default VOIP client for the GTalk. It has various other options. But I use only for VOIP over 2G/WiFi with my patents & friends who are on Google Talk.
• Camera 360
  This is the only Android application I’ve purchased yet. It is worth it. Offers plenty of filters and effects for the Camera.
• Handecent SMS
  With SPAM SMSs pouring in every minute these days, blacklisting is very important to me. Handecent does the job albeit a bit slow to start. 
• Swype
  Swype is a very intuitive text input mechanism which is getting pre-packaged with modern Android mobiles. I joined their beta and got an early access. Swype’s heuristics algorithms are very accurate most of the time. It is miles above the pretty useless default Android Soft keyboard.
• Kindle
  I own a Kindle2 and have the purchased books available everywhere – iPhone, iPad and now Android is a boon. The WhisperSync works perfectly. The screen brightness dim options are really useful too.
• MinFreeManager
  Using a Task Manager helps a lot to save the battery life of any Android phone. MinFreeManager goes a step beyond and helps configure the system much better. Remmeber, you need to be rooted to run this application.
• Google SkyMap
  Nothing amazes my friends more than this application. When held up against the open sky, it tells how small in the heavens are you!.
• Engadget
  To get my daily dose of flame baits.
• Wireless Tether for Root Users
  There are occasions when the power is gone and the Wifi Router blacks out. This tethering application acts as a temporary WiFi router for my WiFi-only iPad. This is useful when you are travelling too.
• Official Twitter app for Android
  I tried plenty of others in the Market, but settled on the Official one, because it is not friends with fail whale most of the time.
• Places Directory from Google
  A useful location based application to find out the nearest Gas Stations and ATMs, among others.
• Awesome Drop
  AwesomeDrop is a neatly done combo of an HTML5 web app and an Android utility. You drop a file in to the web app, the file will get automatically downloaded to your Android Mobile. I would have loved more if the application did a clipboard copy from the computer to the Mobile too and vice versa. Unlike the Pastebot iPhone application, AwesomeDrop works over the 2G/3G and does not need a local WiFi.
  
• Revathi Recipes
  Yummmy recipes! – from Biriyani to Dosa!
• Opera Mini
  Lifesaver on a slow 2G network while browsing the web.

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Yep.. The world traveler has arrived!.
Thanks to Madhu (@madhutmenon)

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Here is an amazing Video from year 1979 where two visionaries talk about how they see computing will take shape in the future. They talk about LED, Plasma, eBooks, eBook Readers, Tablets and What not!!.. It looks as if they had a peek in to the year 2010!. The video is on Tom Snyder interviewing Durk Pearson (Scientist)and Jerry Pournelle(Science Fiction writer). MUST Watch!

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[Update after the release]

Welcome iPad!. For now it sounds strange and not as good as iSlate or even iTablet. But that is what it is. So let us see how did I fare on my predictions! :-

1) I got it right. Apple calls themselves a ‘mobile company’ and iPad is a device between the iPhone and MacBook officially. +1

2) Obviously correct. +1

3) Correct. +1

4) eBooks and Magazine are both in! – 0

5) Keyboard is not 3D. and the Interface is same as iPhone too. – 0

6) Got it right. +1

7) MobileMe Cloud sync is not happening yet. -1

8) iPhone app compatibility is assured. +1

9) Still have to sync using USB :( -1

10) HTML5 widgets are supported over Safari and homescreen shortcuts.+1

11) All the games I saw during the event looks promising. We have to see the future success of it. – 0

———-

Ok. Here are my ‘obligatory’ Apple Tablet / iSlate predictions :-

1. iSlate would be a companion device to MacBook/iMac. Kind of a second screen – which is more mobile.
2. Users stream Music, Video, Photos, PodCasts, Magazines from iTunes to iSlate
3. Users carry iSlate around the home as a portable media player and use it as a photo frame
4. Steve Jobs will teach us a lesson or two on ‘Candela’ and make us believe that an LED backlit glossy iSlate is better for reading than e-Ink – before announcing NYT & WSJ partnership on e-newspaper delivery ;).  Books will have to wait.
5. iSlate will sport a 3D Soft keyboard/hand writing input method. I dont think Apple will make a ‘game-ish’ 3D home screen with interactive objects.
6. The device would come with and without support for a 3G modem and priced/subsidized accordingly
7. iSlate 3G will have support for multi-party iChat video conferencing
8. The iSlate will seamlessly sync all of your iPhone applications and their respective data over the air through MobileMe.
9. iSlate will introduce wireless syncing with the iTunes for the first time.
10. Developer support will include native HTML5 widgets apps to begin with.
11. iSlate will be the perfect portable gaming device ever created.

I will definitely revisit this list after the announcement on January 27th, 2010. :)

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Well, It’s not really a software hack!. I have a simple trick to completely ‘unlock’ the Kindle 2 Global Wireless options even while using in India / other restricted countries.

Unlocked Kindle 2 Features:-

• Complete browsing experience

• Ability to buy any books available on Kindle Store

Here is how you ‘unlock’ the Kindle:-

1. Keep Two Amazon accounts
2. Using one purchase a $20/$50 Amazon Gift Card.
3. Then top-up one of second Amazon account using the Gift Card
4. Register you kindle to use this Amazon Account.
5. Try to buy a Free Kindle E-book.
6. During this process, Change the “1 Click Buy Settings”, put a random USA address with correct PIN Code in the shipping details. This does not matter, as nothing physical will ever be shipped!
7. Thereon you will have a complete unlimited / unlocked Kindle experience!

What it does:-
The new Amazon account will be interpreted by Amazon as that of a Kindle Owner based out of USA, but on a long trip to India!. Hence the web browsing and unlimited Kindle store buying experience are available for this person (Free of Cost).

Will it be problematic?
If ever Amazon complaints that, you are trying to download/browse from a different country than USA, get any of your friends in USA to Fax them his identity information. OR alternatively you can change the address to your Indian address. Your purchased book should remain and that should solve the problem.  I sincerely hope Amazon does not block this alternative option – as it helps genuine Amazon Kindle users and book Buyers. I personally use this method not to browse, but to buy Kindle Books not available for India.

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An eBook reader has been on my wish list for a long long time – in fact, it even precedes the first generation Amazon kindle!. Back then I wrote a blog post comparing the eBook readers available in the market. The chance to buy a Kindle arrived when Amazon offered free shipping and lowered price for their “International Wireless Edition Kindle 2” during the Christmas. A friend in USA helped buy and bring it to me here in India.

The initial impression

Amazon Kindle 2 is a realistic replacement for Books. It is nice to hold, thin and controls for navigation are well placed. The letters on the screen are sharp and well contrasted. The graphics with 16 shades of grey appear nicer too. Reading on Amazon is a purely individual experience with no social touch to it (Perhaps that’s something Kindle rivals could aim at ;) )

The Good

• High contrast, Paper like display with no glare
• Good GPRS/EDGE connectivity all over India. I tested this in Kerala and Bangalore.
• Very thin and rugged (K2 is a great way to fall asleep ;) Sustained a drop yesterday without a single mark)
• The ‘Page turn’ speeds are acceptable.
• Easy dictionary lookup
• Free online Wikipedia access
• Good stereo speakers and MP3 support
• Calibre’s support for Instapaper makes Kindle a good offline reader for well formatted web content.

The Bad

• There is no Library management of any sort. There is no Book Cover Grid display. No support for Categories, Folders or Tags. This should be fixed in a Kindle Software update.
• The in-page jog stick navigation could be better
• The free general Internet Browsing does not work in India ‘due to local country restrictions’.
• The Magazine/Blog subscriptions strips the “Images” from the content for International wireless users of Kindle
• The native PDF rendering is just average with no support for Zooming, Search and Font resizing. The Calibre software comes to the rescue with excellent support for converting many file formats including PDFs to the Kindle supported format (.Mobi).
• Kindle books are costly (nearly $12) and many titles are not available to non-USA customers.

For now, I am enjoying the Kindle 2. The reading experience is really good and immersive with no distractions. If you are into technical manuals and PDF eBooks with complex formatting, you may opt for the Kindle DX, International wireless edition – with a bigger screen.

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I stumbled upon a gem of an iPhone app – MoneyStrands – today. It is an Online financial application,  with a notable exception that it works with majority of banks in India (ICICI Bank in my case) The previous one which I tried -  Mint (Web and iPhone apps) does not have support for Indian financial institutions. The other one which supports – Buxfer (with an iPhone Web App)  – unfortunately does not have a native iPhone app.

I could successfully aggregate my Savings, Credit and Loan accounts with MoneyStrands. You can even unify accounts from different financial institutions. They support over 8000 of them.

MoneyStrands ICICI Dashboard

The Interactive Charts are great to use too.

MoneyStrands Interactive Charts

MoneyStrands even supports allocating/tracking a Budget and Alerts for Balance.

MoneyStrands various Tabs

MoneyStrands iPhone application (iTunes Link) is free, just like their web offering.

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Einar Rosenberg , just dropped a bombshell  in my Inbox with this:-

Had to share this news. A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I’m told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone. If Apple does it, expect every phone manufacturer and their sister to begin pumping out NFC enabled phones, at least for service discovery and sync. This just reinforces what we knew based on the two separate patents Apple submitted that had the iPhone enabled to read RFID tags. I’m told that the touch project video and the BT SIG’s specs were all driving forces to push this forward as well as other factors. Guess I’ll be touching my iPhone to my Mac to link them together to sync iTunes by next year.

This is really an amazing news. RFID Tags are getting ever popular these days to label, classify and track good of all sizes and values. Some of these tags can also store dynamic data. With these capabilities such tags can be used for various use cases like e-Couponing, Smart Posters, Smart Ticketing, and most importantly Mobile Payments.

If this becomes true, it would be a great journey for iPhone from the wonderful world of multi-touch to the touchless transactions!

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