AAQR: AudioManager (free, paid)

Audio Manager has a simple job: gives you full control of your various volume settings in your Android devices.

Did you know your Android devices has no less than SEVEN different volume settings?

• Alarm
• Media
• Voice call
• Alert
• Ringer
• System
• Navigation

Yet there is no one single place to adjust them! Until now... with AudioManager. Just open the app and adjust the sliders to your liking!

You can even define "presets" (or profiles) for certain situations, like meeting, normal, driving, and so on.

There are two sizes of widgets you can use as well, and the Pro version allows Widget skins and shortcuts to presets.

Definitely give the free version a try. I am using it now.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/audiomanager/com.smartandroidapps.audiowidget

AAQR: Advanced Task Killer

Advanced Task Killer, i.e. ATK, is a very popular app, but widely misunderstood. Basically it allows users to kill running apps and background services. Whether this actually do anything is subject to debate. I have my own view on this and it's explained somewhere else. [ see link here ]

It works, though I only use it manually.

It is free, and there's a $4.99 donate version (ads-free). You should have it loaded, but do not use auto-kill.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/advanced-task-killer-froyo/com.rechild.advancedtaskkillerfroyo

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AAQR: AdFree (root required)

Image via CrunchBaseAdFree is an app that uses the built-in IPTable in Android OS to filter out ads, by basically bypassing "known" ad servers (route them to nowhere). Similar apps on the PC would be Adblock on various browsers.

AdFree works quite well, but it requires root access, as you can't get to HOSTS/IPtable otherwise. It will block most banner ads inside apps, unless the banners are provided by sources not known to the list.

It is free, and it will periodically check for updates to update the list.

Keep in mind though, that a lot of free apps rely on the ad revenue to keep them free. So this is a morally conflicting problem. Still, it is your device.

And yes, I do use this app.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/adfree-android/com.bigtincan.android.adfree

Spookley the Square Pumpkin (audio-visual eBook)

Spookley the Square Pumpkin (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)Spookley the Square Pumpkin is an illustrated children's book with audio narrations (complete with rhymes) that tells the story of this cute square pumpkin. Illustration are nicely done, and narration is good. It should keep your very young quite engaged... but it really needs to be played on a tablet. It's quite readable on a phone, but do you really want your kid to squint at a tiny screen?

http://www.appbrain.com/app/spookley-the-square-pumpkin/com.oceanhouse_media.bookspookley_app

AAQR: Espier Launcher (home replacement)

Espier Launcher is a DIRECT clone of the iOS Launcher / home (I think it's iOS 5, as it's identical to the one on my friend's 3GS updated to iOS5). I imagine they are looking at a lawsuit from Apple any day now.

EVERY feature is cloned down to the pixel. If you scroll left until the end you'll get a "search pane", just like iOS launcher. They even copied the Safari browser icon for the browser.

If you insist on making your Android phone an iOS look-alike, or you want to play a trick on your friends and claim this is really an iPhone, sure. Try it. As for me, it crashes like crazy on my OG Droid, just quits with no explanation.

Worth a look at, but probably not to keep.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/espier-launcher/mobi.espier.launcher

AAQR: 3D Bio Ball (game)

3D Bio Ball is one of those "tilt and move a ball in a maze" type games in full 3D, and has pretty visuals, along with extra elements like light, spring pads, "cannon", and so on. There's a story mode too, about how "Bolt" freed you to do a few things for him.

Play is not that special, as the ball is a little small, but I guess you do need to see the whole play field. The extra features are interesting. There is a tutorial mode with some sample levels.

Not bad. 6.5 out of 10.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/3d-bio-ball-hd/com.arbstudios.bioball

AAQR: Zombie Rider (game)

Zombie Rider is one of those 2D games similar to "trials", where you need to get this vehicle through various 2D "terrain" without wiping out, and do minimum time as possible. You can accelerate and decelerate, and that's about it. However, as there are hills, jumps, gaps, and so on, it's not as easy as it sounds.

Oh, and your rider's a zombie on a Harley-like bike. Eh?

It's rather interesting, but not that innovative.

6.5 out of 10

http://www.appbrain.com/app/zombie-rider/com.imperialgamestudio.zombierider

AAQR: Tropical Fish Shop (game)

Tropical Fish Shop is a "match 3" game a lot like Bejeweled, but with underwater theme. You have to periodically match "air bubbles" to increase your air supply, and you have requirements to do X number of certain creature per "trip".

There's a story about how Annabel, who wants to live near a beach and do diving all the time, need to do this for a dive shop (who also sells tropical fish).

Not bad.

7 out of 10

http://www.appbrain.com/app/tropical-fish-shop/com.sgg.annabel

AAQR: Seven Stars 3D (game)

Seven Stars is a Chinese app (and still have a lot of Chinese in it). The story is hokey, some nasty God made off with the NorthStar and you have to go through the Big Dipper to get it back.

How this backstory links up with "moving a ball through 3D maze" is beyond me.

The visuals are quite good, though the tilt sensing is a bit off. If you like this sort of game give it a try.

This version is the paid version. There's a free version too.

6.5 out of 10

http://www.appbrain.com/app/seven-stars-3d/com.IdealBallFull

AAQR: Townsman 6 (game)

This game does NOT work on my OG Droid (CM7.1)

http://www.appbrain.com/app/townsmen-6/com.hg.townsmen6

AAQR: CandySwipe (game)

This is another Amazon AppStore Giveaway of the Day.

CandySwipe is a casual game where all you do is "swipe" as many of the same object consecutively as possible. You can go up/down/left/right/diagonal. You have a time limit, so do as many as you can!

And that's it. It's sorta fun for short stretches, but lack of additional challenges is meh.

6/10

http://www.appbrain.com/app/candyswipe%C2%AE/com.runsome.candyswipe

Android Keyboard Review Updated, now 47 keyboards reviewed

Image via WikipediaThis time, reviews of Dasher, Chorded Keyboard, and G-Board have been added.

Dasher is one of those really weird yet innovative input methods that seem to be designed for people with limited mobility, such as Dr. Stephen Hawking. it's easier for you to see it than to describe it.

Chorded Keyboard use only 12 keys to input all 26 letters by using other keys as shift keys. It's interesting.

And G-board can be thought of as better Graffiti gesture input.

Read the updated review at

http://kschang.hubpages.com/hub/Android-Softkeyboard-Shootout-which-input-method-should-you-use

Android Keyboard Review Updated, now 44 keyboards reviewed

Image via CrunchBaseLatest to the review: MaxiKeys... a revolutionary new concept in onscreen keyboard... tilt scrolling!

Also, updated the links for Better Keyboard to Amazon, due to BetterAndroid's problem with Google.

You can find the updated review at

http://kschang.hubpages.com/hub/Android-Softkeyboard-Shootout-which-input-method-should-you-use

AAQR: Cyberlords (game)

A sort of strategy RPG on Android, it got good reviews, but unfortunately, does NOT work on my OG Droid, even the free version.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/cyberlords-arcology-free/com.hg.cyberlordsfree

AAQR: ExionFly 3D (game)

ExionFly 3D is a 3D shooter where you pilot this plane and shoot at various things both in the sky and on the ground, and yes, it's in 3D. You're looking at your plane from behind, and you CAN climb, dive, do barrel rolls, and shoot lots of different things. Aiming at the planes can be difficult, as is strafing the ground targets, but it actually works on an OG Droid well enough. Not bad!

http://www.appbrain.com/app/exionfly-3d/opengl_es.exionfly

AAQR: Space War HD (game)

Space War HD is your typical "Galaga" type shooter where you can go forward, back, side to side, and get a variety of weapons and powerups. It is quite playable on my OG Droid, but isn't anything really remarkable.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/space-war-hd/virtualgs.spacewar.hd

AAQR: SPC Music Scratchpad (media)

This was an Amazon AppStore Giveaway

SPC Music Scratchpad is a rhythm generator where you activate various high-quality repeating sounds to get a good background rhythem for whatever music you want to play. It reminds me a lot of those little music toys. There's like a dozen effects and it combines to hundreds of combinations. Worth checking out just for your kids, or even as some background sound for your band act. :D

http://www.appbrain.com/app/spc-music-sketchpad/com.mikrosonic.SPC

AAQR: iDemolished (game)

This was an Amazon Appstore Giveaway.

iDemolished is is a game where you are given certain amount of explosives, and you need to bring a building down so the debris is no higher than a certain specified height. The less money you use, and the lower the final height is, the higher is your score.

There is a lot of physics involved, as they have different types of material, some of which are only vulnerable to bigger explosives.

For true demolition effect, you can adjust the timing in 0.1 second intervals, as you want the building to collapse, usually by blowing up one side of it.

You can also influence the "gravity" a little bit by tilting the phone to one side.

There's like 100 levels for you to test your demolition skills on, and there are additional levels to download, and there's even an editor if you want to get really cute.

Definitely worth your time, even paid.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/idemolished/com.iauns.idemolished

AAQR: Meteor Blitz (game)

This game was another Amazon AppStore Giveaway a while back.

Meteor Blitz is a "dual-stick" shooter where you are tasked to shoot up as many meteors as possible. There are different weapons, as they are effective against different meteors, and of course you want to avoid getting hit.

Quite playable on OG Droid. Highly recommended if you like the genre.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/meteor-blitz/com.alleylabs.MeteorBlitz

AAQR: Happy Vikings (game)

Happy Vikings was another giveaway on Amazon AppStore. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on my OG Droid. When the title screen loaded, it then restarts as if out of memory.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/happy-vikings/com.hg.viking