8 Reasons To Use Friendcaster For Facebook And Ditch The Official App (Android)

 
Facebook has been getting a lot of flak for its Facebook App for Android from a long time now . Not only is it buggy and slow , every update that has been released creates more problems .
On the wake of Facebook’s IPO, Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg informed that they will be concentrating more on mobile devices . But with the continuing under-performance of the official app , one must start looking at alternatives if not already .
Though there have been improvements in the User Interface recently , the whole experience is woefully buggy .

After using both the apps (Friendcaster and Official FB app) and testing it thoroughly I have listed 10 reasons for ditching the Official App for Friendcaster .

• Initial Start-up Time : It took a painfully long 9 secs to get anything on the screen after tapping on the icon whereas Friendcaster took less than 3 secs to start-up.
• Notification : This took around 10 secs to load while it took less than a second to load in FriendCaster .
• Messages : Messages  took around 8 secs to load and 2 secs compared to FriendCaster
• Profile Pages : This was the longest wait ever . My profile page took over 14 secs ! to load whereas it took only 3 secs to open in Friendcaster.
• Facebook Pages : Facebook pages are better organised in the official app but takes around 11 secs to open compared to 4 secs in Friendcaster .
• Photos : Opening a photograph took around 12 secs in the Official app and it took less than half of that using Friendcaster .
• Push Notifications : This is where Friendcaster is clearly a winner . The user interface and speed of the notification is amazingly brillliant . I have used the Official app for a long time now , and I have noticed that push notification is pathetic , and most often redundant .
• User Experience : The official Facebook App has a very iPhone feel to it . Like most of the other apps it just is another iPhone clone . Friendcaster makes use of the Andoid User design guidelines ,making the app much faster and easier to flip through .

What’s really intriguing me is the fact that Facebook has access to  every inch of their servers and internal API’s but still a third party developer is making faster and better application .

Note : These results are based on the tests made under the following parameters.

1. Device : Lg Optimus One
2. OS : Android 2.2.2 (Froyo)
3. Connection : 2G at (15-25kbps)  

[Original Post By Anish Hegde @ www.bigbangtechie.wordpress.com]

Read more »

Now surf internet on TV - Amkette launches EvoTV

Amkette, the IT peripherals maker, has launched a new device called 'EvoTV', which will allow users to surf Internet on their television sets in the same way they do on their computers.

 EvoTV is an Android operating system based digital media device which allows users to access content like videos, games and websites using WiFi and broadband connection. It comes with a remote that acts like a mouse and has a mic to facilitate conversations on VoIP (like Skype). 

Amkette plans to revolutionalise the future of television globally with EvoTV. Instead of confining the Internet experience just to the PCs, the users will be able to access games and content like videos, just like they would on a PC using EvoTV.


The device is powered by twin ARM processors (ARM Cortex A9 and ARM Mali 400)  and comes preloaded with basic applications. Users can also download more apps from the Android application market, Google Play.


EvoTV comes bundled with a motion sensing remote, the ‘Evo Touch’, which adds to the look and feel of  touchscreen. In-built features like ‘Evo Views’ provide one click user interface and ‘Evo Discover’ is an Internet Content Discovery Software.

Google, which operates the Android platform, also plans to launch its set-top box 'Google TV' to allow viewers to use their device both for television viewing as well as accessing the Internet simultaneously without adjusting any cables.


The EvoTV is priced at an MRP of Rs.12,995, while its street price is Rs. 9,995 with Evo Touch Remote.

Specifications:

• Processor:  ARM Cortex A9 + ARM Mali 400 Graphics Processor
• Memory: 4 GB inbuilt Memory.
• Built-in Wi-fi and Ethernet ports
• 4 USB ports
• Fast Processing Speed
• Upto 1080p full HD
• 7.1 Channel Surround Sound Audio output
• Supports 3G Dongle.
• EvoShare connectivity/DLNA
• Connectivity:  HDMI, DLNA, Wi-Fi, 4 USB slots, 1 SD/MMC Card Slot
• Access data file through Samba Share on your TV
• Very low power consumption

Read more »

Instagram | Android | Awesomeness

Some things come around and completely change the way you see things . Google gave you the power to search webpages on your finger tips . Facebook made it easier to meet your friends and family any time you want . Instagram serves you a similar feeling . It lets you capture the world with your lens and makes it beautiful . Well there are plenty of apps that can do just the same . So what does Instagram do better ?

For starters Instagram is one of the most simplest apps i have ever used on my Android device . It works seamlessly and is smooth to operate . What i like the most is it does not behave like an iphone clone . Not that i hate iPhone but usually some apps look like they where created for iPhone and then ripped off to make  an Android version . This app makes use of the android icons and feels great to operate .

What strikes me is the simplicity with which this app works . Publishing a photo is only 4 clicks away . And to do justice to this review i did download a dozen photo sharing and editing apps . Most of them work pretty well and do everything they claim to . But none of them combine the flow and simplicity of Instagram .

Instagram brings the photographer out of everyone . Initially I was hesitant in using this app , but when  i saw what it did to my photograph , i was amazed .  This app takes social networking seriously and not only does it have its own huge network , but there is also an option to share to various social networking sites .

Instagram’s network might come out to be a little flat , because it uses a completely different method to discover new people and their photography . There is a button for  popular photos , where  most popular photos are displayed , and then you could search for hashtags as well as photos favorited by the people you follow .

What i really appreciate is the support team . It took them only a day to fix most of the crucial bugs that cropped up initially . Since the release there have been a lot of updates . The recent one with the tilt-shift feature . This feature is one of the best in its class . Some other apps like Cymera do have this feature but do not do justice to the blurring .

My only fear is Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram . And to add to this fear is the recent release of the Facebook Camera App . I only hope facebook does not kill Instagram , like the way it killed Snaptu and other services it bought .

[Original Post By Anish Hegde @ www.bigbangtechie.wordpress.com]

Read more »

Bharti Airtel to launch 4-G services in India

Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa has selected ZTE Corporation (ZTE), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions to plan, design, supply and deploy its 4G network in Kolkata.

                                    

                                 
          4G is the fourth generation of cellular mobile communications standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband Internet access, for example, to laptops with USB wireless modems, to smartphones, and to other mobile devices. Conceivable applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing and 3D television.  4G technology provides download speeds of around 100 Megabits per second on the move and it can go up to 1 Gigabits per second at a fixed location.

Bharti Airtel had bagged broadband wireless access (BWA) licence to offer the services in four Indian telecom circles -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kolkata and Punjab. “According to industry estimates, by 2016 – 6% of all mobile connections will have 4G connection, which would create 36% of the total mobile data traffic – thus paving way for the ensuing data revolution. The impending launch of 4G in the country will provide ultra high speed data access, driving fundamental changes in society at large.

Read more »