These days, mobile phones are becoming lifelines of the current generation. but still, there are some people who cannot afford to make calls because of lack of money. but special thanks to the Android, who has come up with a great solution to all your financial problems. Nowadays, Android is offering various applications which can allow you to dial free phone calls practically to anyone. if you are having an Android phone, then with the help of Android application development you can enjoy these applications.

This article will provide you with some of the best Android applications which will allow you to dial calls at absolutely no cost.

• Guava: Sipdroid Guava application was developed by the Gizmo5 team. it enables the user to make free calls to any US number. since, this application is affiliated to Google; one can synchronize this application with Google Voice in order to make free texts or calls. With the help of this application, one can also receive the calls on you Google Voice number; however an Internet connection is required for this.

• Google Voice: This application now is available with Android version. The functions of Google Voice are real-time and it helps you in receiving text as well as voice messages the movement they come. This application is far better than the older versions that check the new messages only once in fifteen minutes. This new version is equipped with inbox synchronization feature which shows the messages instantly. The best part about Google Voice is that you can send free texts as well as can make ISD with the help of your Google number. it is important to note that the calls you will make are not free; only the text messages are free. if you want to make free calls in this app, you can synchronize it with Guava.

• Skype Mobile TM: The Skype’s Android version works in the same way as that of the iPhone one. You only have to sign in to the Skype and then you can see all your online contacts. One can send free messages or make calls on a Wi-Fi connection or a standard 3G.

• Viber: This application allows the user to make free calls to other Viber users with the help of 3G connection or Wi-Fi. The best part is that you can use this application as your default android mobile dialer. using Viber as the default android mobile dialer can be of great importance. The best part about android mobile dialer of Viber is that it integrates in your phone. thus, there is no need for the separate phone book.

Android Mobile Dialer – Providing Free Applications

A pair of inexpensive micro-PCs have generated quite a bit of buzz this year. The dirt-cheap Raspberry Pi started shipping in mid-April, but the FXI Cotton Candy has yet to make it out the door. The $200 Android PC-on-a-stick will also have some competition once it finally arrives: a very similar $74 AllWinner A10-based system has already popped up on online shopping sites.

Meet the MK802, which (like the Cotton Candy) features an ARM processor, Android 4.0, and WiFi connectivity. It’s not quite as powerful, with a single-core 1.5GHz AllWinner A10 processor and 512MB memory compared to a dual-core 1.2GHz Exynos chip and 1GB. The MK802 does offer two USB ports — one full-sized and one micro — and it utilizes the same Mali 400 GPU as the Cotton Candy.

One other difference is that the MK802 sports an HDMI port, not an HDMI plug. That means, of course, that you’ll still need a cable or a male-to-male plug to hook up to your HDTV or monitor. really, though, that’s a reasonable trade-off when you consider that you can buy almost three MK802s for the same price as a single Cotton Candy.

If you do decide to pick up the MK802, remember that you’ll have to rely on your own stash of APKs or a third-party marketplace like the Amazon Appstore, at least initially. With the ridiculously low price tag on this device, it’s a good bet that the Android developer community will jump on this solid little stick computer and hack in support for Google Play in the very near future.

CNX Software, via Liliputing

$74 MK802 Android micro-PC beats Cotton Candy to the punch

Smule, the software developer known for its musical apps for iPhones, has decided it will make Android software too. It would almost appear to be an act of betrayal, as Smule was among the first companies to highlight the appeal of making apps for Apple’s platform.

Smule’s first Android app is Songify, an app that turns speech into music, which it released Tuesday. the company’s other popular offerings include I am T-Pain, an app that made a user sound like the musical artist T-Pain, and Ocarina, a flute app.

Ge Wang, a co-founder and chief technology officer of Smule, said that expanding to Android was crucial for reaching more users.

“I wouldn’t call it a change of heart as much as maybe an expansion of it,” he said in a phone interview. “The critical-mass part of the equation for Android is hard to ignore,” he said.

The photo-sharing service Instagram, which was originally on only Apple devices, demonstrated that moving to Android could bring in big numbers. when its Android app was released, new users were signing up at a rate of 2,000 a minute, and Facebook acquired the start-up a week later.

Mr. Wang admits he sees challenges ahead for his 50-person company, which is in Palo Alto and San Francisco. In general, the complicated part of making Android apps is that the developers have to make different versions of the same app to work across different types of Android phones. he said the company would use Songify to learn about the Android system before determining what else it would do for Google’s platform.

Smule was a powerful example among Apple’s early iPhone developer success stories. the company was featured on Apple’s Web site preaching the merits of making iPhone software, and it appeared on stage at Apple’s iPhone press conference in 2009 to demonstrate one of its apps.

It remains to be seen how Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, will react to the news. when Instagram announced it was expanding to Android, mr. Schiller deleted his account and told his Twitter followers that Instagram had “jumped the shark.”

Smule, Early Apple App Star, Finally Tries Android

If you administer cloud servers or services, such as those from Amazon Web Services or Rackspace, you might be relieved to learn that you don’t need access to a notebook or desktop PC to perform routine administrative tasks.

Install one of these five apps–AWS Console, Android AWS Manager, Decaf Amazon EC2 Client, Rackspace, or ConnectBot–on your Android phone or tablet, and you can manage your cloud infrastructure from anyplace where you can access the Internet.

The first three apps are compatible with AWS, the fourth can be used with Rackspace, and the fifth is a Secure Shell client that’s compatible with any cloud host.

AWS Console is a free Android app that provides a simple administrative interface to the following Amazon Web Services: Elastic Cloud Computer (EC2), Simple Storage Service (S3), Simple Notification Service (SNS), Relational Database Services (RDS), Route 53 (Amazon’s Domain name System Web service), and CloudFront (Amazon’s Web-hosting service). It’s primarily designed for tablets running Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich, but it also works on Android phones.

AWS Console has a simple but user-friendly interface.Once you’ve added a user account by inputting your AWS access ID and secret access key (from the AWS Security Credentials page), you can select the desired AWS region and log in. On a tablet you’ll see a nicely laid out-navigation system, but on a phone you must use the menu key to navigate between each AWS service and its properties.

The app lets you perform most of the basic instance tasks (create, start, stop, reboot, terminate, and so on) available from the official AWS Management Console website. It does not, however, allow you to manage components such as load balancers or network interfaces for Amazon’s EC2.

Overall, the AWS Console app provides a simple interface for managing your AWS services. though it lacks graphics and has a plain look and feel, it remains relatively user friendly and serves its purpose. The only gripe I have is that you must select the AWS region before logging in–a pain for admins who deploy services across multiple regions.

Since this app doesn’t provide password protection, I strongly advise you enable the native Android lock screen PIN, password, or pattern on your device if you decide to use it; otherwise, anyone with access to your phone or tablet will also be able to access your AWS account. you can download the app here.

Android AWS Manager, currently in beta, is designed primarily for use on smartphones.another free Android app (currently in beta), Android AWS Manager provides an interface to the EC2, RDS, and Route 53 AWS services. though designed primarily for phones, it also works on tablets; it doesn’t rotate from portrait to landscape orientation, however–a limitation that I found annoying when I used the app on a tablet.

Android AWS Manager supports fewer AWS services than AWS Console does, and it delivers less functionality for the services it does support (it won’t allow you to create instances on Amazon’s EC2, for instance). On the other hand, unlike AWS Console, Android AWS Manager supports Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), and you can switch between AWS regions while you’re logged in.

This program is also not password-protected on its own, so you should enable the native Android lock screen PIN, password, or pattern to prevent strangers from accessing your AWS account. you can download the app here.

This Android app enables you to manage and monitor your Amazon EC2 infrastructure from either a smartphone or a tablet; it is available for purchase from the Google Play app store for $14.16. Unlike the two free apps we’ve already covered, Decaf Amazon EC2 Client doesn’t support other AWS services, such as Amazon RDS or Route 53. this app nonetheless justifies its price tag with features missing from its no-cost competitors.

Decaf Amazon E2 Client justifies its price tag with features that its no-cost competitors don’t offer.The first time you run Decaf Amazon EC2 Client, it will quickly step you through the process of configuring it to work with your AWS account. Simply log in to AWS, and the app will access your EC2 key ID and secret access key.

Once it connects, you’ll see a listing of the basic EC2 components (Instances, AMIs, EBS Volumes, EBS Snapshots, Elastic IPs, Security Groups, and Key Pair) and the number of those you’re using. you can click on each to view its details and to perform basic functions (create, start, stop, reset, terminate, and so on) for most of the supported features. If you also have the ConnectBot SSH client installed (an app we’ll discuss in more detail later), you can quickly access your running instances via SSH (Secure Shell).

While on the main screen, tap your phone’s (or tablet’s) menu key to reveal additional features. Tap the Regions button to quickly switch between AWS regions, or tap the CloudWatch button to view the status and historical graphs of your instance’s CPU, disk, and, network usage. Unlike the free apps covered earlier, Decaf Amazon EC2 Client is password-protectable, so that unauthorized users won’t be able to access and change your EC2 account.

Decaf Amazon EC2 app provides a user friendly interface for managing basic AWS services. you can use it to handle most of the same tasks that you can perform using the official AWS Management Console website. there is no support, however, for managing EC2 components such as load balancers or network interfaces. you can purchase the program at Google’s app store.

Rackspace developed its own Android app for administering its cloud services.Rackspace developed this free Android app to enable its customers to manage their Rackspace cloud servers, files, and load balancers. It supports multiple accounts for U.S., UK, and custom API endpoints. you can perform all of the basic cloud server tasks, such as creating, renaming, deleting, resizing, and rebooting instances. you can also ping cloud servers, manage backup schedules, and change root passwords. For your Cloud Files you can view and create containers, upload text files, and download and preview files.

This Rackspace app also offers password protection, to deter unauthorized access to your Rackspace cloud services. you can download the app here.

ConnectBot is a free SSH client for Android phones and tablets. ConnectBot is a free, open-source, Secure Shell client for Android that can be used to administer any Linux or Unix-based cloud machine from the CLI (Command Line Interface). It also supports Telnet and local (Android device) connections. ConnectBot supports simultaneous SSH sessions, secure tunnels, and copy/paste operations between other Android apps. It supports popular emulation modes, Terminal bell alerts, and it has an adjustable scroll-back size.

Connections can persist while the app is running in the background, so you can access other apps while connections are open. you can also lock your screen without interrupting a connection.

As mentioned earlier, ConnectBot can be integrated with Decaf Amazon EC2, providing the ability to connect to your instances via SSH directly from a shortcut within Decaf. you can download the app from Google Play.

Eric Geier is a freelance tech writer. He’s also the founder of NoWiresSecurity, which provides a cloud-based Wi-Fi security service for businesses, and On Spot Techs, which provides on-site computer services.

5 Great Android Apps for Cloud Admins

Facebook just unveiled the App Center – a platform that would carry apps from both iOS and Android app developers, which will roll out in a matter of weeks.

App developers who want their apps to be included in the launch are urged to submit their apps and have all the necessary prerequisites ready before May 18.

The App Center would serve something like a directory for the apps, since users will still be redirected to Google Play or the App Store if they wish to purchase or install an app. Facebook is giving an opportunity for app developers to offer paid apps.

Before it even launches, some are already comparing it to Apple’s App Store as it is available for both web and mobile.  Also, the similarities between the mobile version of the two is uncanny.

You can’t help but compare it to Apple’s Game Center either, as the App Center collates apps that uses Facebook whilst the Game Center makes gaming more social.

Speaking of Apple’s Game Center, Research in Motion and Google are said to be developing their own version of the game hub.

RIM’s Games

Reports surfaced that RIM is developing their own version of the Game Center which will be dubbed simply as Games.  Games will be a stand alone app that serves as a discovery tool as well as a social hub where gamers can compare scores with their friends or even other gamers.

RIM will merge their BlackBerry Messenger and the Scoreloop social gaming network, allowing users to add friends, see what their friends are playing, brag about their achievements or high scores, and challenge their friends to a game.  Games is said to support multiplayer gaming as well as turn-based and real-time gaming.

Google’s Game Center

Google is also imitating Apple in more ways than one.  Aside from creating a Game Center-like app that includes a social “achievement” system, it could also have a leaderboard to rank players against their friends.

Google is said to be adopting Apple’s payment scheme to make app purchases on Google Play easier for gamers and app developers.

“They are starting to really understand all of the needs and wants to make a game really successful,” an industry source told Business Insider. “As recently as even a year ago, that really wasn’t part of their institutional DNA, but I think they’re getting there.”

Everyone’s Copying Apple’s Game Center

Rupert Murdoch’s media empire couldn’t compete with Kansas City app designer RareWire.

In the 2012 Appy Awards (yes, it’s a thing), RareWire’s app for The Atlantic magazine went head-to-head against Murdoch’s much-hyped The Daily for the Best iPad Publishing award. and the 14-employee company, headquartered in Kansas City’s Crossroads District, came away victorious over The Daily, in which Murdoch reportedly invested $30 million.

“We beat them,” says RareWire president and co-founder Kirk Hasenzahl, as he gestures to the award, a two-tone slab of glass that sits in the company’s conference room, perched in a stylish 12th-floor office at 1627 Main, with a gorgeous view of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. “We were very proud of that.”

The Atlantic app, which also won an award for Best Business Media app, was the result of a bold challenge that Hasenzahl issued by e-mail to the magazine in the fall of 2010.

“I said, ‘If you send me your content, I’ll show it to you as an app on the iPad within 24 hours,’” Hasenzahl says. “Needless to say, we won that deal.”

As the popularity of tablets and smartphones grow, native apps (the kind that you download from the iTunes store) are becoming almost as necessary as websites.

“The problem is, they’re hard to build,” Hasenzahl says. “Typically, you have to hire a programmer to write code and build that.”

Hiring developers for both Android and Apple iOS can be expensive and time-consuming.

“The headache typically involved today is, if I want to go make a custom app, I have to hire a team of iOS developers to go build it for Apple. Then I have to hire a completely separate team to build the same app for a different operating system to make it run on Android,” he says.

RareWire hopes to make it easy for clients to build apps across multiple platforms with app-software language called “Wire,” which was created by the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Matt Angell.

“It’s very easy to learn and typically requires the skill set of a front-end Web developer, not necessarily someone who is a programmer and knows Objective-C or JavaScript or things like that,” Hasenzahl says, comparing Wire with popular programming languages.

“The whole [Atlantic app] thing is 4,000 lines of code,” Hasenzahl says. “If you tried to go build that in Objective-C, it might be 100,000 lines of code. That’s kind of the secret sauce of our RareWire engine.”

While RareWire continues to build apps for clients (the company is working on one for news website Global Post), it plans to make Wire available to clients who want to build their own apps.

“The promised land for us is the ability to do a true native app, without having to be a programmer,” Hasenzahl says. “And the third part of it is to build it once but have it be a cross-platform app. If we can achieve our goals, by later this summer you’ll be able to build an app once on RareWire’s Wire language and publish it to Android, Apple and even eventually Windows Mobile 8.”

After only a year and a half in business, RareWire appears to be headed for the promised land — and in a couple of months, clients could be creating one of their own.

The tech issue: RareWire wants to give you the technology to build your own apps 

Tue may 15, 2012 5:32pm EDT

* TSX ends down 145.48 pts, or 1.3 pct, at 11,343.05 * Touches 11,325.71, lowest level since Oct. 5 * Energy, mining shares lead losses * Greek turmoil weighs on markets * Losses pared on strong German, Canadian data By Jon Cook TORONTO, may 15 (Reuters) – Canadian stocks sank to aseven-month low on Tuesday as resource shares continued theirMay sell-off after Greece said it would hold new elections,heightening concern about its possible exit from the euro zoneand the spillover effect on global markets. Greece’s president said the country will hold new electionsafter politicians again failed to agree on a new government,sparking fears that left-wing politicians opposed to Greece’sinternational bailout terms could win the June elections. the broad index fell more than 1 percent, with Canadianresource firms the hardest hit. Materials tumbled 3.4 percent,and energy shares slipped 1.8 percent. Gold miners paced losses,with many top producers falling in excess of 3 percent asbullion prices hit a four-month low. “You’ve got a combination of profit taking with uncertaintyand that makes for a bit of a pullback,” said Philip Petursson,managing director, portfolio advisory group at Manulife AssetManagement. Industry heavyweight Barrick Gold fell 3.8 percentto C$35.23, Goldcorp inc was down 2.4 percent at C$32.75and Eldorado Gold dropped 5 percent to C$10.38. Teck Resources was off 4.1 percent at C$30.40. On the energy side, losses were led by Canadian NaturalResources, which fell 2.7 percent to C$29.44 a dayafter the Alberta government charged the oil and gas producerwith releasing poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas from its Horizonoil sands plant two years ago and failing to report theincident. Suncor Energy, Canada’s largest oil producer,dropped 1.1 percent to C$27.67, as U.S. crude prices fell for athird straight session. “The flavor of the day is not to own resources, not to ownrisk stocks,” said Michael Simpson, senior portfolio manager atSentry Select Capital Corp. the Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index finished down 145.48 points, or 1.3 percent, at11,343.05. It touched a session low at 11,325.71, its lowestlevel since Oct. 5. It was the ninth time in the last 10 sessions that the indexclosed lower; the index has fallen 8 percent so far this month. with earnings season nearly over and a dearth of majoreconomic data to “move the needle” in a positive direction,Petursson said the market slide was likely to continue. “There isn’t any reason to think that all of a sudden we’lljust turn around and shoot higher,” he added. Financial shares slumped 0.5 percent on Tuesday on thelatest bout of political instability in Greece and after Italianand Spanish 10-year yields hit 6 percent. “Greece at the moment appears ungovernable,” said Simpson. While there was some good news from Germany, the euro zone’slargest economy, with data showing the economy grew 0.5 percentin the first quarter of 2012, it was largely offset by a surveyof German analyst and investor sentiment that deterioratedsharply in may. Toronto-Dominion Bank was the most influentialdecliner, down 1 percent to C$79.13. Top insurer ManulifeFinancial fell 3 percent to C$11.64. Helping counter the negative market tone was Canadian datathat showed existing home sales edged up 0.8 percent in Aprilfrom March and were up a strong 11.5 percent from a yearearlier. U.S. data on Tuesday was mixed, with weak retail sales inApril offset by a better-than-expected increase in factoryactivity in New York state. In individual company news, shares of Research in Motion fell 5.6 percent to C$11.18. a survey on Tuesday showedthe BlackBerry maker’s market share dwindling as rival handsetmakers using Google’s Android smartphone softwareproliferate. after the market close, investor Greenlight CapitalInc disclosed it cut its stake in RIM by 45.3 percent to 1.6million shares.

CANADA STOCKS-TSX sinks to 7-month low on Greece fears

Android phones are the recent fad and craze that has taken over the mobile phone buyers. these phones are better known as smart phones using android technology with innumerable features and applications. Android mobiles are now the most commonly preferred mobile devices using cutting edge and advanced technology. it has proved to be a sought after phone segment world over with its attractive application downloading facility. Android itself is primarily an operating system based on Linux. this system was first developed by Google employee Andy Rubin and its growing popularity has only lead to increased membership number.

Android phones provide an affordable platform for downloading tools and applications from the internet at free of cost. one doesn’t need to pay for applications that are offered by android and can be downloaded without paying anything extra. Such applications are often developed by third party or those software professionals of a development company. these applications are created in keeping with different client requirements and are made with the help of technology which doesn’t require any licensing or permission. Such applications are again priced affordably and reasonably to create unique applications for the android market. Nowadays, most mobiles are in-built with such systems and are priced accordingly depending on the different features.

Android phones are built with an integrated advanced technology which provides the required platform for various applications. Several programs can also be combined through such android platform. Many-a-times, mobile development companies use android as a platform to combine programs or promote them. these phones are the most coveted and much in demand phones of the current generation. these kinds of phones are known for their multi-tasking, user-friendliness and multi-functionality. They are mainly run by the customized graphics in the 2D and 3D library designed with the use of OpenGL ES 1.0.

Android mobiles are designed to make tasks easier and enable it with proper security means for the sake of safety. these have a framework of featured applications which is used to reuse or replace the components of the phone. The phone browser is dependent on the engine for open source webkit and fitted with SQLite for storing data. these mobile phones are also enabled with media supportive formats like audio, video and other formats for still image like MPEG4, H.264, MP3, MP4, AAC etc. Such phones also had various add-on features like 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, camera, GPS navigator and compass on the handsets.

Other integral features in these high-end, advanced handsets or mobiles are memory storage capacity, performance profiling, emulator, debugging tool and plug-ins. these phones are marked by features like sleek design, dual core application processor and Amoled display. Mobile brands like Sony offer personalized features like Timescape, messaging and application downloading facilities based on the android platform. Micromax also presents various android supportive features like touch screen, GPS navigation, android market, sensor etc. The other striking features of such mobile phones RAM capacity of 256MB, ROM of 512 MB, Flash, light sensor, Video Recording Resolution of 320240 (QVGA), 16 GB expandable memory, 3.5 mm jack, bluetooth, USB port etc.

Android Phones – The Latest Popular Trend in Mobile Phone Technology

SAN DIEGO, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –Can mobile technology enhance your Earth Day experience and enable sustainable, environmentally safe activities? Cricket Communications, a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless services, plus mobile music downloads, highlights six Android apps that do just that. these apps provide a fun and environmentally conscious way to discover nearby recycling locations, online buyers for your old shoes or interactive tools that help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Cricket’s Earth Day App Guide:

Paper Karma helps get rid of junk mail and save the Earth – all from your phone! As seen on TechCrunch, AllThingsD, LifeHacker, GeekWire, NBC, CBS. PaperKarma is the easy way to take control of your paper junk mail and help save the Earth by taking photos! Simply pull out your phone and snap photos of the offending mail. Download Paper Karma for free online at Google play.

the Official eBay for Android app enables you to easily browse, shop, sell and manage your eBay activity from your mobile phone. using eBay while you are on the go is a fast and easy way to repurpose those amazing shoes you never wear and make a little cash with this must-have app for Android! Download the eBay app for free online at Google play.

iRecycle, you Recycle? iRecycle! Get 1,000,000+ ways to reduce your waste & find top green news. iRecycle is a simple way to discover recycling locations in your neighborhood from your mobile phone and offer more than 1 million ways to recycle 300 materials, plus the latest in green news to inform your ongoing Earth Day activities. Download iRecycle at Google play for free.

My Planet is an interactive way to understand how day-to-day activities impact your little slice of the planet. this app is gamified and social media enabled so you can earn badges and share your achievements on Facebook. Download My Planet at Google play for free.

Stumble Upon is a creative way to discover new and interesting people, news, pictures, videos and news from across the Web from people who share your interests. with your environmentally focused preferences, your search will automatically find people who share your interests. It’s as easy as tapping the “Stumble!” button. Download Stumble Upon for free at Google play.

Google Earth is an app that allows you to explore the world from the palm of your hand. Use Google Earth to fly around the planet with the swipe of a finger. Explore distant lands or reacquaint yourself with your childhood home. Download Google Earth for free at Google play.

Cricket’s Android Mobile Lineup:

ZTE Score is an affordable Android smartphone that includes features like Wi-Fi capability, XT9 Trace for easy text entry, and is pre-bundled with Muve Music.

Huawei Ascend II comes packed with a 3.5″ HVGA touch-screen, Wi-Fi capability, 600MHz processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. this smartphone delivers 3G Real Web Browsing, Muve Music is preloaded and there is extra card space for MP3 music.

Samsung Vitality’s fast 800 MHz processor, 3.5″ HVGA touch-screen and easy access to social networks is designed for an interactive experience. Samsung Vitality is loaded with a 3.2MP camera/camcorder, Wi-Fi capability, 3G Real Web Browsing, and Muve Music.

Huawei Mercury offers a massive 4″ display and is powered by an ultrafast 1.4 GHz processor. Added features like the 8.0MP rear camera, VGA front camera and an Android 2.3 OS, named by PC Magazine as the best pre-paid smartphone in America, and is now bundled with Muve Music.

For more information about Cricket’s dynamic mobile device lineup, please visit mycricket.com . To get the latest in mobile and wireless news, be sure to follow Cricket’s Facebook page online at facebook.com/cricketwireless and Twitter at twitter.com/cricketnation .

about Cricket

Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts serving more than 5.9 million customers. Cricket offers wireless voice and mobile data services over the latest, high-quality, all-digital 4G (LTE) and 3G CDMA wireless networks. in 2011, Cricket launched its award-winning Muve Music product, the first music service designed for a wireless phone that now has more than 500,000 customers. Cricket’s innovative products and services are available at Cricket branded retail stores, dealers, national retailers and at mycricket.com . For more information about Cricket, please visit mycricket.com . To follow Cricket’s latest news and updates online, go to Facebook at facebook.com/cricketwireless and Twitter at twitter.com/cricketnation .

SOURCE Cricket Communications

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. all rights reserved

Earth Day Activities From Your Cricket Mobile Phone

Here are some of my favorite things to make Siri do for me. It’s so gosh-darned convenient to use her, really, but I admit that I partly like doing it because it makes me feel as if I’m captaining the Enterprise. “Computer! how many calories are in a potato? and while you’re at it, give me directions to my dad’s house!” The future is here, people, and it is weird.

1. Calculate Tips

Remember the early days of the App Store, when we were inundated with tip-calculation apps? and then if you wanted to use one, you’d need to unlock your phone, open the app, and enter all the information yourself with the keyboard. Ah, first-world problems. in any case, Siri’s now made those apps obsolete. 

If you scroll down on that screen, you’ll see that Siri has given you handy breakdowns of both standard tip amounts and totals including tip.

If you tell her how many people you have in your party, she’ll even show you how to divide it up between you.

One caution: Siri doesn’t seem very good about parsing “a hundred dollars,” at least on my phone, so unless I say “one hundred dollars,” she gets lost. It’s probably something to do with my silly little regional dialect, ya’ll.

2. call Businesses

I’m sure you all know that you can ask Siri to find a retailer by saying something akin to “find the closest Target” or “show me coffee shops in new York City.” if you touch on one of the results, your iPhone will open Maps and reveal the location of your requested place.

However, if you’re looking to call a business rather than checking out its address, you can just say “call (whatever store you want),” and then touch the correct one out of the list if there’s more than one matching name. 

As a bonus tip, I find that people often don’t remember that you can use Siri to dial numbers, as well. just say “call 303-555-1212,” and you’re on your way. you should probably use a real phone number, though.

3. Basic Contact Searches

If you can’t recall someone’s first or last name, no problem. just ask Siri to find contacts who match the part of the name you do know by saying “show me people named (whatever).”

That’s great and all, but I really wish that Siri could do searches by state (“show me people who live in Colorado”) or by area code. and then she could put them in a group for us! and send an e-mail right to that group! and buy us all ice cream on Jony Ive’s credit card!

Are you listening, Apple? you guys should totally hire me as your “ideas” gal. right? hello?

iPhone 4S: My Favorite Siri Commands