The focus of a tablet is generally the hardware, due to its size and nature. That, however, is no excuse for overlooking the software on a tablet, which makes or breaks the experience. As we’ve reviewed the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+, we’ve tested out the software and seen how it performed. So sit back, relax and hear all about our opinions on it. Because before you buy it, you should really hear about the software.

The Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, a seemingly odd decision for a new tablet. Lenovo has said that the KitKat update is rolling out, but our review unit was still on Android 4.3. Not only were we stuck on an older version of Android, but we also had to deal with Lenovo’s software overlay which was, in a word, terrible.

Lenovo’s skin isn’t quite as pervasive as some, which was probably the only reason that I tolerated it without pulling my hair out. The Lenovo launcher experience is slow and clunky, with a move away from the traditional app drawer. Rather, you have multiple homescreens where all your installed apps are, like iOS, only uglier and clumsier. A heads-up to Lenovo, the app drawer is there for a reason and it’s because Android users like it.

Going into quick settings and settings is like a blast from the past. The UI looks about three years old with goofy icons and rounded corners pervading the settings. The accent color is a bright green, not dissimilar to the green in Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Added on top of that, Lenovo included several of its _______it apps on the device. None of these are particularly useful and the SECUREit app in particular keeps a constant notification in the notification bar, with no discernible way to disable the feature.

The Yoga 10 HD+ also has multiple sound and visual profiles that it uses. While not a bad idea, they require you to manually change them, and like SECUREit, keep a constant notification informing you of the profile you’re using. Not exactly pleasing. A multi-window feature is built into the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+. Unfortunately, few apps are compatible with it and it feels slower than most other multi-window implementations.

While the hardware of the Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ held great potential, it’s crippled by a poor software experience. The software is outdated and the UI only serves to enhance that, with a slow and clunky feel throughout. It pains us to say that the software deserves a solid thumbs down, but there’s really nothing better to say about it. Next time around, Lenovo should stick with stock Android and just work to keep the device up to date.

Check out the gallery below for a few screenshots.

Gallery

from Android and Me http://ift.tt/1qvaIO8
via IFTTT

We live in a society that lives in pictures. For better or worse, capturing the moment is a ubiquitous pastime. So, if you’re gonna do something, you might as well do it well. For image capture, a good photo editor can take “doing it well” to “doing it great.” But which one to use?

There are lots of services out there that can help you Instagram your best selfie to the world. This past week, I’ve been using a free little app called Fotor to improve (or seriously mess up for the lulz) my images.

The first thing I did when I installed the app was take a picture of myself and apply every possible feature on top of each other. Obviously. Here’s that handiwork:

I look good. And from that moment, I was pretty hooked on Fotor.

The Good

This app is loaded with features. I really did not expect this much functionality from a free app. I’m too lazy to list out every single thing you can do with this app, but just trust me that it’s a whole hell of a lot. You can manually adjust the levels and curve or use preset filters, stickers and effects to customize your images. You can even adjust how heavily a filter or effect is applied.

The shooter software Fotor includes is full of options, too. You can set the shutter to voice activation or use the big button. You can apply a grid to the preview image. There’s a stabilizer and burst mode and a timer. Basically, whatever setup you like in a shooter, you can probably achieve it with this app.
The UI is clean, simple and easy to understand. You can access photos taken within Fotor or stored in your albums to edit. Once you’ve finished editing a photo, you’re prompted to share your image via your service of choice or return to the home screen. Pretty easy. Your mom could figure it out.

The Bad

I didn’t like the experience of using the Fotor camera as much as I liked the stock camera app. The Fotor camera felt laggier and the processing time on Burst mode was substantial. That’s only a minor annoyance, because you can always capture the image with whatever shooter experience you prefer and edit the images using Fotor after the fact. So, whatever. You can’t always have it all, and you already get a lot out of this free app.

Fotor is clearly targeting a younger crowd, based on some of these stickers. It would be super cool if you could import your own stickers to use with Fotor. But for now, the included collection is extensive and pretty fun.

The Outcome

This is a fully loaded free app that is pleasing to the eye and easy to use. I would tell my real friends to use this app. So, do it. Go play with the app. Be cool like me and make yourself look like some kind of jacked-up minion from Despicable Me. Then post the results in the comments section. How fugly can you make your face?

from Android and Me http://ift.tt/V85rie
via IFTTT

Every week we cover new Android apps with Fresh Meat on Wednesday, followed by Android Gaming on Thursday and Top 10 App Updates on Friday. When Monday rolls around, we look back to see which apps were the most appealing to our audience. Read on for the 10 most popular Android apps from last week.

1. Terrain Home

App info: Terrain is a smart homescreen for Android that makes your phone simpler and more streamlined by putting everything you care about in one place. Find contacts faster, launch apps faster, and view content faster.

2. Google Search

App info: Google Search app for Android: The fastest, easiest way to find what you need on the web and on your device.

3. Email

App info: The Email app lets you read and manage email from different accounts all in one place. Got Hotmail? Yahoo Mail? Outlook? No problem—the Email app brings it all together, with the same great experience you get in Gmail.

4. Boom Beach

App info: Storm the beach and win the day! Boom Beach is a combat strategy game where you fight an epic war against the evil Blackguard. 

5. N.O.V.A. 2 – Near Orbit…

App info: 6 years have passed since the events depicted in the first episode. Humanity is now thrown into a bloody civil war fought on one side by the central government of the Terran Orbitals and the self-appointed Human-Alien Alliance; a new organization with a mysterious origin and agenda.

6. Echo Notification Lockscreen

App info: Echo Lock Screen centers your notifications around you. Instead of browsing through dozens of unnecessary messages, Echo automatically filters your notifications and delivers the most important alerts straight to your lock screen.

7. Bizzy Bubbles

App info: Bizzy Bubbles is a virtual busy box for toddlers ages 1 to 4 (and older!) to play, learn, interact and discover the sensory fundamentals of colors, shapes, sounds, simple hand-eye coordination, stimulus/response and realistic object physics.

8. Lumosity

App info: Train your memory and attention. Used by over 60 million people worldwide, Lumosity is a Personal Training Program that challenges your brain.

9. SimplyText SMS

 App info: SimplyText is texting, done better. A great replacement app for the stock SMS messaging app for your phone.

10. EverythingMe Launcher

App info: EverythingMe is a launcher for your Android phone that delivers what you need, when you need it. The launcher anticipates the apps, people and information you’d want – giving you the perfect phone, every time.

Note:  To ensure that all apps receive a fair chance to make the list, we will retire any app that has made the list for 3 consecutive weeks and will place it in our Android and Me App Hall of Fame. We will post this Hall of Fame list in a dedicated series. Any app with * next to the title indicates it will now be added to our Hall of Fame list and will no longer be listed in this article.

from Android and Me http://ift.tt/1mhjltW
via IFTTT