The Five Best Android Launchers

The Five Best Android Launchers

Whether you're tired of your stock home screen or just want to try something new, there's bound to be an Android launcher that's just right for you. This week we're going to check out our top five Android launchers for customisation, speed, design and features.

Photo by Pen Waggener.

MORE: What Is An App Launcher?

ADWLauncher EX

ADWLauncher EX ($3.15), the paid version of ADW.Launcher, is a highly flexible, customisable launcher that supports Android 1.6 and higher. ADW offers hundreds of themes to choose from, customisablehome screen layouts, multiple dock styles that fit up to five different shortcuts, customisable icon sets, switchable animations, a hidden dockbar with unlimited scrolling and more. It's incredibly tweakable for the advanced, fast and user-friendly for beginners, and it supports a huge number of devices.

Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher is free but only supports Ice Cream Sandwich devices. It gives you the flexibility to install ADW icon themes if you want to use them, additional themes to change the layout and look of your launcher, a scrollable dock with up to three pages of seven icons each, scroll effects and launch animations that you can toggle on or off, 1×1 widgets in your dockbar and more. If you have $4 to spend, Nova Launcher Primeunlocks unread count badges, the ability to hide apps, two-finger gestures and dockbar folders.

Go Launcher EX

Go Launcher EX's claim to fame is how customisable it is. There are thousands of themes and icon packs you can download to customiseGo Launcher EX, heaps of widgets, lock screen tweaks and more.Rounded corners, folder groups, good-looking animations, and an emphasis on customisable layouts make this launcher popular, and it doesn't hurt that it supports Android phones running 2.0 or higher. Combine this with the fact that the developers are constantly updating the launcher (which is actually a drawback for many users) and rolling out additional themes and Go-flavoured apps and widgets that fit right in, and you have a wealth of tools to transform your Android experience. Plus, it’s completely free.

Apex Launcher

Apex Launcher is free, but it's another one in the roundup that only supports Ice Cream Sandwich devices. It's fast and customisable, offers up to nine homescreens, seven dockbars with five icons each, replacement icons for stock Android apps, and lots of beautiful transition and scroll effects. Best of all, if there's any element of Apex Launcher that you don't like, you can easily hide it. You can lock your home screen so nothing changes, back it up in case you you want to revert a change you've made, and tweak the app drawer's appearance. $3.89 will buy you Apex Launcher Pro, which adds multifinger gesturesto the ones already in the launcher, support for themes from other launchers (ADW, Go Launcher and Launcher Pro), 1×1 widgets in the dock and unread count badges.

Launcher Pro

Launcher Pro is the non-stock launcher that new users often try first. It supports Android devices running 2.0 and higher, and while it's not as frequently maintained as the others, it still offers buttery-smooth transitions, customisable layouts, dock scrolling and live home screenpreviews. Launcher Pro supports replacement icon packs, infinite scrolling and more. It has been a long time since its last update, but if you're buscando a good, fast Launcher to get started with, Launcher Pro is a good pick.

Honourable mentions this week go out to Zeam Launcher for its minimalistic and uncluttered approach, and Stock ICS Launcherfor being a huge improvement over launchers of yesteryear. Sadly, since mostAndroid users don't have ICS yet, the latter is not an option until you upgrade your device or your manufacturer decides to throw you a bone. Also worth mentioning is Holo Launcher, which does a great job of bringing the ICS launcher experience to non-ICS devices.

Have something to say about our favourites? Is there another launcher you think should be included in this list? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Republished from Lifehacker.

Small, Cute Android-Powered Thumb Drive Packs 512MB, 1.5GHz CPU

 LOGAN BOOKERGIZMODO AUMAY 19, 2012 5:30 PM

Android in your pocket? OK, you already have that if you have an Android phone, but in terms of flexibility, nothing quite beats an actual PC. So what if you could carry about a small portable computer running Android, just waiting for whatever task you want to throw at it? Enter the AllWinner A10 Android 4.0 mini PC.

The tiny 8.8 x 3.5 x 1.2cm package weighs a comfortable 200g, which is heavier than the average smartphone but for what it packs is very acceptable. A 1.5GHz CPU with a speedy Mali 400 GPU from ARM delivers grunt, while 512MB RAM, 4GB of on-board Flash and a MicroSD slot take care of yourstorage and memory needs.

There's a USB port and 802.11b/g connectivity is there, as well as the ability to output 1080p video via HDMI. Running the show, as mentioned, is Android — Ice Cream Sandwich to be exact.

The cost is $US74, but a full machine (let alone a phone with comparable specs) will cost you much more than that. It doesn't make calls obviously, but that's not what it's for.

I can't wait until these things are small and powerful enough to run PC games — just make sure a monitor, mouse and keyboard await you at your destination and you have the ultimate portable LAN machine.

Nexus 7: This Is Google’s New Nexus Tablet

Gizmodo Australia has today viewed a training document detailing exactly what’s going to be in the new tablet and how much it’s going to cost.

As rumoured, Google's going to announce a 7-inch, Nexus-branded tablet called the Nexus 7. According to the leak, it's built by Asus, with a 1.3Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, GeForce 12-core GPU and 1GB of RAM with two different storage variants: 8GB and 16GB.

The Nexus tablet will also feature NFC and run Google Wallet (probably only in the US) and Android Beam.

The screen is an IPS display with a 178-degree viewing angle, running a resolution of 1280×800. The device will also sport a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. The battery will also give you nine hours worth of operation.

The 8GB model will set you back $US199 and the 16GB will cost $US249. No word in the document on local prices.

The leaked document also says that the device will be the first to run Jelly Bean, the new version of Android. Details are scarce on Jelly Bean, but the slides tell us that Google will handle operating system updates from now on, which could address the fragmentation problem. We aren't sure if this statementmeans that Google will handle all handset updates from Jelly Bean onwards, or if it just means it will handle it for the Nexus 7 going forward. Based on the various arrangements with other manufacturers and telcos around the world, it's likely to be the latter. We’ll know more llega es Google I/O.

Update:The document says that the Nexus 7 will run Android Jelly Bean, but makes no mention of the version number. We understand that the device will be version stamped with Android 4.1, rather thanleaping ahead a generation and stamping it as 5.0. Wired had suggested after spotting a leaked benchmark that this would be the case.

Rumours about Google working on a Nexus-branded tablet with Asus have been swirling for a while. Evenas far back as May, a report emerged of a super cheap Tegra 3-powered device was coming at the Google I/O developer event, which is now only days away.

The first clue was when Asus demonstrated the awesome cheap and wonderfully cheerful Eee Pad MeMO 370T at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, before delaying the unit indefinitely.

Since then, rumours about a home-grown tablet from Google have been few and far between, but this is the first time we’ve seen anything official regarding specs.

Apple has already played its announcement cards around iOS 6, Microsoft has announced Surface and Windows Phone 8, and Google risks being left behind without its own bespoke tablet product. June is one hell of a month to be following what’s new in tech.

Priced at sub-$US200, the Google's Nexus 7 will become Amazon's biggest problem post-launch, threatening the market share of the hugely successful Kindle Fire. The Fire runs a highly modified version of the Android operating system and prevents users from wandering outside the customised Amazon environment. The Nexus brand, however, has always been associated with the purest form of the Android operating system Google has to offer, meaning that it's likely going to be a better experience. Google is also banking on the fact that the screen is better than the Fire's, with a resolución más alta y 10-pointtouch capability.

Of course, this could all prove to be an elaborate fake. We’ve seen them before and we’ll see them as long as there’s a rabid tech-loving public that will queue up around the block for value this good.

NYC Rihanna-fight club could be shut down after 14 charges filed

NYC Rihanna-fight club could be shut down after 14 charges filed

23/6 NEW YORK -- The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) filed 14 charges against the trendy Manhattan nightclub where Drake and Chris Brown had a bloody throw-down over Rihanna -- and the place could soon be shut down.

The charges against W.i.P., and the Greenhouse club where it is located, include one count of not stopping the bloody June 14 bottle brawl that started when Drake allegedly sent Brown a note, taunting the hip-hop star by saying, "I am f*ck*ng the love of your life."

The bar was slapped Friday with seven other charges for other fights, noise violations and two drug-related incidents -- at least one where marijuana was found at the bar.

"They're absolutely in jeopardy of losing their licenses," SLA spokesman William Crowley said. "They have a number of prior charges, too, so that comes into play when we're looking at taking action."

Club reps, who were unavailable for comment Friday, must reply to the charges by July 11.

The nightclub on Varick Street previously was charged with selling alcohol to minors, violating noise and fire ordinances and having an unlicensed security guard on the premises.

In one incident, on Sept. 26, 2010, a security guard sold marijuana to an undercover agent, records show. The same guard -- who was openly smoking a blunt -- said he also had cocaine for sale but tricked the officer with a closed package that contained only weed.

On June 15, the hip-hop stars and their entourages fought with fists and bottles, injuring at least eight people -- including Brown and NBA star Tony Parker.

The San Antonio Spurs guard, whose cornea was scratched, filed a $20 million lawsuit against the club's owners Thursday, charging that they should have known better than to let the dangerous duo hang out in close proximity.

Parker's lawyer said offering bottle services to both hip-hop camps at the same time is like "throwing gasoline on the flames." The suit does not name Brown or Drake.

Witnesses and sources said the brawl was fueled by Drake's note at about 4:00am local time, which came after Brown, 23, sent his rival's table a bottle of pricey champagne.

Brown threw the note on the floor, a witness said.

Drake, 25, and a posse that included rapper Meek Mill and all their bodyguards then walked over to the table where a shirtless Brown was seated.

 

Rihanna - Roc Me Out (Audio)

Rihanna - Talk That Talk (Audio) ft. Jay-Z

Rihanna talks her second Armani Capsule Collection

Rihanna talks her second Armani Capsule Collection

18.06.2012 - A new Rihanna interview about Giorgio Armani and her new capsule collection is featured on the July issue of Glamour Magazine UK. Check it out:

Let’s face it, it was only a matter of time before one of the world’s most courageous fashion icons landed her own collection. This yeah, not only has Rihanna made her film debut in Battleship, picked up two Grammys and been an executive producer for a new TV reality show (to find British design talent, on Sky later this year): the 24 year old has also teamed up with Armani Jeans to create a capsule collection with Giorgio Armani.

“He is the epitome of class and elegance,” she says of the designer. “A legend who has created an empire.”

As the unbelievably gorgeous face (and body) of Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani Underwear, she’s already brought her trademark sexiness to the ad campaign. She sees the transition from modelling to designing as a natural progression:

“Armani’s clothes are timeless but modern, and that is exactly what I was looking to do,” she explains. “I hope I’m bringing my own twist to the brand. Buy something that will make you feel good about yourself, that will allow you to express yourself and have some fun!”