Top 200 best Android apps 2012

Android is no longer the poor relation of iOS when it comes to apps - whether you've got the latest Android-powered tablet or an older Android phone, there's plenty of choices when it comes to loading your device with extra software.

The Google Play Store is stacked with loads great stuff. But it does have a downside - it can be a problem to separate the wheat from the chaff.

That's why we're here. Whether you're after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we've rounded up the top Android apps for 2012 in the articles below.

If you're short on time then you can also check out our brief video run-down of ten great Android apps for your consideration

Tegra 3-based $200 Acer Iconia A110 tablet unveiled at Computex 2012

Windows 8 powered devices may be the highlight of Computex 2012 but there was one underdog unveiled at the event that caught everyone’s eye.

Christened the Acer Iconia A110, the Android 4.0 ICS-based  tablet boasts of some impressive specifications under the hood. The A110 has a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024x600, boasts of an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor under the hood, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and HDMI out. The device also has a front facing camera but no rear facing snapper.

The best feature of the Acer Iconia A110 is that it is priced at $200, which directly translated is roughly Rs. 11,000.

We have seen some pretty impressive tablets launch in India in the sub Rs. 15,000 category, but the Acer Iconia A110 blows them all out of the water, on grounds of sheer specifications. The device could truly become a game changer and may just become the go-to-device for people looking for an entry-level tablet with good specifications. This however will be a reality only if the device is a good performer in real world conditions.

The Verge had some hands-on time with the device at Computex 2012 and ran a few benchmarks on them. The device performed better than the currently available Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 but was out performed by the Asus Transformer Prime and the HTC One X. The A110 may not be the slimmest budget tablet in the market but its form factor is acceptable nonetheless.

“Our strategy on Android is simply to enable quad-core tablets running Android Ice Cream Sandwich to be developed and brought out to market at the $199 price point, and the way we do that is a platform we’ve developed called Kai.” Said Mr. Csonger at a May Acer shareholder’s meeting.

He continues to say, “So this uses a lot of the secret sauce that’s inside Tegra 3 to allow you to develop a tablet at a much lower cost, by using a lot of innovation that we’ve developed to reduce the power that’s used by the display and use lower cost components within the tablet.”

FujiFilm launches FinePix S2980 super-zoom in India, for Rs. 12,499

FujiFilm has announced the availability of the FinePix S2980, one of the three super-zooms announced back in March 2012.

The FInepix S2980 features a 14MP CCD sensor along with a Fujinon 15x optical zoom lens. The lens features a built in neutral density filter, a feature that helps shoot during the extremely bright mid-day situations. While the optical zoom and built in ND filters are starting to become common, Fuji’s camera employs a not-so-common method of stabilizing the lens and that is the sensor shift method.

On the imaging front, the S2980 offers not only a host of creative shooting modes and an intelligent scene recognition system, but also full manual controls. Besides the shooting modes, the camera also offers the ability to shoot panoramas easily by just sweeping the camera across the scene. While the images are recorded at 14megapixel resolution, the S2980 records video at a maximum resolution of 1280x720 at 30 frames per second along with mono sound. 

An interesting feature of the camera is its ability to upload images and videos directly to social networking sites such as Facebook and Youtube. This feature doesn’t rely on Wi-Fi, but instead, requires the photos/videos to be first marked for upload. The camera needs to be then connected to a PC through a USB cable and following that, all images and videos marked for upload will be uploaded to the respective sites.

The camera is available in stores now and has been priced at an impressive Rs. 12,499.

18MP Canon 650D dSLR launched, with contrast and phase detection

It’s raining cameras! Well, not literally (how we wish!) but 2012 seems to be the year of major releases and announcements in the imaging world.

We've had four big launches (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 1Dx, Nikon D800, Nikon D4) along with Nikon launching the D3200, and now, Canon has just announced the 650D (or the T4i).

The Canon 650D, at first glance doesn’t look very different from its predecessor, the 600D (T3i), be it in terms of looks or specs. Knowing something like this would happen, Canon has done a great job on emphasizing on not only the features that set them apart, but why the 650D is a superior camera.

The Canon 650D does house a sensor with the same pixel count as the 600D (18 megapixel) but the sensor in the 650D is a completely novel design. For the first time in a DSLR, Canon has managed to pack in both Contrast and Phase Detect focusing systems. The phase-detect method will be used to locate the subject and bring the focus in approximate range, and the contrast detect system will fine tune the focus to lock on. It sounds like a two-step process that might take longer than just the conventional methods of auto-focus, but in truth, they work together to yield better results than those found in systems using just one of the focus systems. A testament of this has already been seen in Nikon’s V1 and J1 that employs a similar focusing method and has therefore managed to become the fastest focusing mirrorless camera in the market as of now. An upgraded focusing mechanism is complimented well by the 9-focussing points that are now all cross type (600D had only center as cross type).

The focusing system isn’t the only one to receive an upgrade here. One gripe that we’ve always had was with the plastic bodies of the xxxD series cameras (well, polycarbonate for the 600D), as despite a solid feel, we couldn’t help but worry about dropping or bumping them. With a magnesium alloy based body (like that of the 7D or higher), we didn’t have a care in the world. The 60D was the first to switch from magnesium alloy to a polycarbonate body with a fiber glass and steel chassis while the Rebel series was just made using Polycarbonate material. Enter the Canon 650D and we see the camera maker use the same “polycarbonate-fiber glass-steel chassis”. It’s always a delicate balance between build quality, weight and price. Canon could start making cameras using titanium alloy, but the prices would sky-rocket (space nerds?), while using cheap plastic would mean terribly delicate bodies. So in our opinion, the steel and fiber glass chassis with a polycarbonate body is a good balance of the three. We wouldn’t mind having a camera made of titanium alloy though, just saying. 

   

A faster focus, a better build, what’s next Canon? Oh wait! Faster fps you say? Oh yes, the new 650D also incorporates a new shutter assembly that can rat off 5 frames per second, which is measly if you compare it to higher grade bodies (like the 7D or the 1D Mark IV) but coming from the disappointing frame rate of 3.7 on the 600D, the 5 fps is a treat. In fact, one of our cameras is the Canon 40D with a rate of 6 frames per second, which we find quite adequate for most needs. So the 5 on the 650D is definitely satisfactory.

Another major first (Canon’s building up a reputation for these!) is the introduction of a touchscreen on a DSLR with multi-touch support. While touch functionality has existed in point-and-shoot cameras for some time now, the implementation wasn’t as thorough and deep rooted as the one found on the 650D. Every action ranging from changing menu options, to altering shooting settings to specifying the subject to focus on and consequently firing the shutter button. Think of it sort of like having your powerful smartphone attached to the back of a powerful imaging device, or at least in theory.

The 650D doesn’t alter the ergonomics much, just a few minor tweaks here and there. One major change, in our opinion, is the video recording mode has been incorporated into the on-off switch to allow instant access to the feature without cluttering up the back with buttons. The buttons at the back have been slightly modified in shape. Also included now is the option to shoot in camera HDR on the mode dial (HDR Backlight Control). Canon’s also thrown in a stereo mic for better audio in video shooting mode. The video mode also has gotten a small upgrade, the ability to perform live focus and track subjects while filming.

The Canon 650D will be available at a price of $849 for body only, $949 with the 18-55IS lens and $1199 with the new 18-135 STM IS lens by the end of June in the US. India pricing and availability is not yet available.

Angry Birds Space smashes 100 million downloads

Angry Birds Space, the latest iteration of popular Angry Birds franchise, has been downloaded over 100 million times since its launch in March, announced Rovio on its Twitter account.

Angry Birds Space had smashed 50 million downloads in just 35 days of availability. The latest Angry Birds game is available for major mobile platforms – iOS, Android and BlackBerry. The game is likely to arrive on Windows Phone soon.

To refresh your memory, Angry Birds Space is set in outer space with all new gravitational dynamics. One of the major additions in the game is the power up, known as Space Eagles. Also, the birds themselves have also been revamped for outer space. The red bird in the game sports space age goggles. The colour of the game has been changed to a jazzy purple, and users can select the direction in which the bird zooms by simply tapping the location on screen. For more, check out the detailed review of Angry Birds Space.



Rovio's original Angry Birds has been downloaded more than a billion times by now. The Finnish developer is reportedly going to launch Angry Birds-themed amusement parks and even TV series. A Formula-1 based Angry Birds version, Angry Birds Heikki, is scheduled to release later this month.

Rovio isn't all about Angry Birds only. The developer is now prepping a successor to Angry Birds called Amazing Alex. The new game from Rovio is based on Casey's Contraption game. To know more, read our previous coverage.