Top 10 Android Tips and Tricks to Let You Use Android Devices More Efficiently

The Android world is sometimes wild, often wonderful, but always fascinating!  Chances are the Android OS is a bit different than what you're used to, even if you are moving over from another smartphone platform.  We want to help you get settled in and familiar with your phone or tablet as painlessly and quickly as possible, and what better way than to pass along the ten best tips from a bunch of salty old pros? 

One thing to note here -- your screen may not look like the screens you see below.  Android comes in many different flavors, and while they all are pretty darn good, they do often look and act different.  But that's OK! Chances are the instruction that go along with the pictures will work just fine, and if you get stuck somewhere, someone has likely already figured it out for your specific model of phone, and you'll find it in the forums.  Besides being generally awesome, Android users are also a pretty crafty bunch of folks.

5 StarCraft-like games for Android Mobiles

"Additional supply depots required!" Who could forget those amazing memories we all have from playing Blizzard's cult game... Then again, there's not much use in getting lost in our memories, when we should live in the present, and guess what - the present allows us to play a bunch of cool strategy games right on our smartphones and tablets.

True, StarCraft is not available on mobile devices, but there are some games out there that tend to be quite similar, both in terms of setting and gameplay. Go ahead now, check out the StarCraft-like titles we've picked for you. You'll be in love with them before you can say "All your base are belong to us!"

11 Must-Have Android Games for All Game Fans on Android Devices

Galaxy S IV? Nexus 7? In any case, congratulations on your new Android phone or tablet. What’s that? Someone told you there were no decent games on Android? Well, as 2013 rolls in, not only have most iPhone developers ported some of their best titles to Google's mobile OS, but we’re also seeing many great games that are available only on Android. Read on for a list of fun, accessible, and affordable Android games that will keep you glued to your phone or tablet wherever you go.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds is, by anyone’s count, the once and future king of mobile games—three years after its release, it’s still impossible to ride the subway for a week without seeing someone playing this game. The premise is simple: Pigs have stolen the Birds’ eggs, hence the Birds are Angry; use the touchscreen to slingshot your Angry Birds at the pigs. The levels are creative, you can use birds with special abilities, and the game's theme song will stick in your head for the rest of your life. Highly recommended—and if you ever finish it, you can move on to Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, and Angry Birds Star Wars. Price: Free

5 best free alternatives of Google Reader for Android devices

Hear that? That's the sound of millions of news junkies on the Web scrambling to find an alternative to Google Reader.

As you may have heard, Google Reader will soon be no more. The search giant has announced that it will shutter its much-maligned -- though still widely used -- RSS reader, which will, no doubt, leave many users in a tizzy, searching for other ways to subscribe to their favorite RSS feeds. Sure, Google Reader may not have been the most beautifully designed product to come out of Mountain View, Calif., but it sure was convenient. And now that it's going away, it's evident just how valuable it has been.

With that in mind, we've put together a list of what we think are the best replacements for the soon-to-be-late Google Reader. Plugged-in types won't want to miss a beat once Google Reader sees its sunset, so getting familiar with these alternatives now could be key.

Ideally, an RSS reader should be available on both mobile devices and desktop computers, so we tried our best to focus on this type of service.

That said, we also thought it important to mention a couple of services (at the bottom) that are only available on Android and iOS, simply because we know that they're viable alternatives, and more people than ever are reading on mobile devices these days anyway.

Finally, when you're ready to make the jump, be sure to check out the Data Liberation Front's primer on exporting your Reader data using Google Takeout.

5 Most Popular Downloaded Android Apps for Mobile Devices

Surfing the internet via smartphones has been a hot habit among the world.  People are all used to read pages online with smartphones in hand while they are waiting for the bus, walking home, on train, or even resting on sofa. However, most people have no idea on how to make online surfing safer and more convenient. That’s what I’m talking about today in the post. I would like to share some most popular and downloaded Android apps, which either helps make it safer and more convenient to surf the internet or delivers more fun for Android users.

1. Hotspot Shield VPN

If you're willing to put up with some ads, Hotspot Shield VPN is a free app that aims to make your Wi-Fi connections secure and protect your privacy while online.

The interface is clean and simple. Hotspot Shield VPN is basically ready to go as soon as you open it. It's capable of optimizing data flow, providing you with a little more mileage when using 3G or 4G networks (depending on your unit), and further encrypting your sent data so that info and messages will not be intercepted by a third party. It also shields your IP address, so you can surf anonymously. One downside to this simplicity is that you don't have direct control of the app. Instead, Hotspot Shield VPN adjusts settings and connects to networks on its own. The other is that the free version is supported by ads and doesn't give you access to customer service 24 hours a day.

5 best free Android QR code scanners for you

Right now, QR Code is really so popular. Maybe you can find it in the corner of a TV show, a street, a shop store, an outdoor ads or even on somebody's neck. At first, we should know that QR codes are used to reveal more information about a product, service, event or person. Generally, they direct the scanning device to a special URL, video, coupon, event page, email address, or other digital signpost with more details and content. If you are interested in the QR Code and really want to know what exactly hide in it, a QR scanner app is necessary to you! And today I will introduce you 5 best free QR Code scanner for Android.

5. ScanLife Barcode & QR Reader (Rated: 4.0)

Scan QR & UPC barcodes to discover information, prices, & coupons in seconds.
Introducing the all NEW ScanLife that helps you discover and share information from the world around you.

ScanLife turns your camera phone into a super-fast, all-in-one QR Code and barcode scanner to help you discover information from the things you see every day. Just scan to help you save money and get more information from products, magazines, displays and more.

Features:

• See prices from over 25 different retailers to help find the best deal
• See local prices to find a product near you (US only)
• Read reviews from people that have bought the product on Amazon & Best Buy
• See related deals & coupons which you can redeem or save
• Get related accessory ideas that go with the product you scanned
• You can even buy many of the product in a few clicks - perfect when you need to reorder from home or save a few bucks.
• Scan food items to see nutritional information & ingredients to help you pick healthy options (US only)

5 best Free Android calendar apps to replace the default one

The calendar is an important tool in our life to remind us about the work, outside, make call or other events. And this app is indispensable for the business men. The Android default calendar app is good for some  people. But the functions are too simple to arrange some busy guys' life. Here I will introduce you 5 best free Android calendar apps for replacements.

5. Business Calendar Free (rated: 4.5)

Business Calendar might cost the most in our selection, but we feel its time-proven functionality is making it worth it. It comes with a great and smooth interface where you just pinch to zoom in and out. The widgets along with it are also great and informative. It, of course, syncs with online calendars like Google. The list of advanced functions starts with searching for events, a one-tap access to calendars and tons of options for recurring events.

Features:

• smooth scroll- and zoomable multi-day view (1-14 days)
• graphical and textual presentation
• month, agenda, day and event view
• quickly fade in/out calendars using the favorite bar
• search function
• configurable widgets in different sizes for month, week, agenda and day view (3 design themes for each widget type)
• easy switching between timeline bars and event titles in month view
• intuitive new handling option: just move your finger over some days of interest in month view to open them in the multi-day view
• quick day overview when adding a new event
• many options for recurrent events (e.g. to add a recurrent event that takes place every other week on Tuesday and Thursday)
• context-sensitive help system to optimize your work with Business Calendar