Android Epic App Battles: KAYAK V.S. TripAdvisor

Whether it’s traveling home to see family for the holidays or jet setting across the globe for business trips, we all probably have a preferred method for finding the best prices on flights and hotels. Just about every major service that offers you the opportunity to get deals on travel packages has an app, and this battle is about two popular apps to help you lock down down a good deal on airfare and stay arrangements the next time you need to leave town. KAYAK and TripAdvisor. We’ll go over a few features of each application and then let you all decide which one is the best in the G+ poll.

KAYAK

KAYAK is a one stop shop for everything from flights, to hotels, to rental cars, giving you an easy app to do a search for the best place to grab the best deals during your next trip. KAYAK provides uses with a way to search for and book flights, hotels and rental cars, although it merely does the searching for you as it is not a travel booking service itself. Once you find the flights and hotels you’re looking for using KAYAK’s listing results, you can tap on the booking you need to make where you will be directed to a new page to purchase your hotel and stay accommodations through a service like Booking.com or Orbitz, depending on what service offers you the combination of pricing and services you’re looking for. All of this also happens within the KAYAK app and you aren’t directed to the browser to place your orders which should keep the process quick and easy.

In addition to providing users with a way to search for the best hotel and flight deals, KAYAK also has a built-in flight tracker which lets you check on the status of your flight so you know whether it’s still scheduled to arrive on time or not, and there’s even a built-in feature for managing your trips itinerary, which could be fairly useful if you tons of things planned out for the trip. KAYAK also now has a new Explore feature which attempts to recommend trips to you if you aren’t sure where you want to travel, and it bases the recommendations on your budget.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor gives you a way to search for and book your next flight and hotel, but it does much more than you provide you with a portal to finding great hotel and flight deals. It also helps you plan your next trip on nearly every level. You can find the best hotels and sort them by categories like popular stays, there’s even an option to filter hotel options by Traveler’s Choice Award Winners. You can also read reviews on both hotels and flights which include user submitted photos and videos so you can see what things look like of not only where you’re traveling to, but where you’ll be staying while you’re there.

Once you have your trip planned out, and your flights and hotels booked, TripAdvisor can even help you find places to eat while you’re away with the helpful feature to explore restaurants in the area and ways to filter search results by food type, price range, and even rating. There’s also a feature to help you discover things to do in the area, and whenever the trip is all said and done you can even add in your own reviews and photos of your trip location and places you’ve stayed so that others can see your reviews during their next trip planning. The app also lets you download the maps, reviews and trip saves that you find and save them into your phone so you can use them without data roaming while you travel.

So which travel app do you use for planning your trips and finding your travel accommodations? Do you prefer KAYAK or TripAdvisor? TripAdvisor seems to have more features, but KAYAK may very well have better pricing available on airfare and hotels. Both apps provide you with the necessary things one needs when traveling, but which one deserves to be crowned champion of this app battle?

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ZTE Is Launching A WiFi Only Version Of The SPro Android Projector For $399 On Jan 6th

In need of a projector? Prefer it to run Android? If you answered yes, then ZTE has your ticket with the upcoming WiFi only model of the SPRO projector. They launched the wireless carrier model last year under the Sprint Live Pro Android projector that released on Sprint and was compatible with their CDMA network. The Sprint Live Pro could double as a wireless hotspot for a connection to 3G/4G data for your devices too. Although this one won’t have the need for such a capability as the WiFi it can connect to will also be able to connect your other WiFi only devices, it is WiFi only so it comes in at $399 instead of the $450 Sprint was asking for its version of the SPro.

The WiFi only Live Pro will be sporting a native version of the Android OS, and it’ll have access to the Google Play Store as well as most of the apps within like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and more. Whatever apps you’d have the need to project onto a wall or a large surface, the SPro should be able to compensate you with that capability. Even though this is meant to display things onto a larger surface, it still comes with a touch display that is 4-inches in size so you can access content, and the screen carries a WVGA resolution. Although its own screen is small, you can use it to project the picture up to anywhere from 10-inches to 120-inches in size.

It’s got 4GB of RAM on the inside and has 1GB of internal storage space, which isn’t much but should be sufficient. It’s also got one HDMI port and a USB port for plugging in a flash drive if needed, and it also comes with a microSD card slot so you can add additional storage past the 1GB. It’s powered by a Qualcomm dual-core snapdragon processor, and it has an embedded non-removable 5,000mAh battery. It’s running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean still so don’t expect the use of some apps that may require Android 4.4 and above. You can pre-order these now through ZTE, but they won’t officially launch until January 6th so you still have a few days wait before they’ll likely begin getting processed and shipped out.

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Top Android Homescreen January 2nd Edition: Blur Tile

Welcome to 2015! We hope everyone’s holidays were fun and safe. Now that we’re two days into the new year we have a new homescreen to help you start it off. This pick like all of our homescreen picks comes from a designer at mycolorscreen.com, and this week’s pick is called Blur Tile, which has a little bit of a Material Design inspired look with tiles that have a slightly lower opacity to them. This particular design is available two different ways, through the usual setup of a third party launcher like Nova Prime, Zooper Pro, Media Utilities and the appropriate widget files, and through Themer which is another third party launcher where the designs are already set up and applicable as is.

Since Themer requires no more then applying the chosen theme, we’ll gloss over what you need for the second method which requires a few more steps. First, download a third party launcher like Nova Prime, then make sure to grab Zooper Pro, and finally Media Utilities. Make sure your grid size is set to 6 x 6, hide status bar and dock, and hide the navigation buttons. Also make sure to set your Nova transition to “wide”.

As far as applying the widgets goes, you can download them from the link the source has provided, which you can get to by hitting the source link. There are 6 widgets total, and you’ll want to set your number of home pages to 3, that makes two widgets per page. Once you download the Zooper files, make sure to copy and paste them into the Zooper themes folder so you can see them when you go to select a Zooper widget, you’ll need a file explorer for this. If you like this homescreen design, don’t forget to hit the love button and “zoom” the image at the source link to show some appreciation for the hard work of the creator. Have a good weekend and happy themeing!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Featured: Top 10 eCard Apps For Android

Christmas may have come and gone, but there are still many more occasions and times in which you might need to send a card to someone. With the developments in technology, you might be more inclined to send electronic cards (more commonly known as eCards). If that sounds like you then take a look at our pick of the best eCard apps available for android.

Ecards : Christmas & Birthday

Kicking off the Card list is one brought to you by 123Greetings.com. If you are unfamiliar with 123Greetings, then this is a rather busy and high-traffic online site. So if you are someone who likes to download apps with the backing of an online company then this one might be for you. The app offers a wide range of Cards which are available in multiple languages. All main celebration cards are available and you can also send video cards if you want. Overall, a very solid performer for your eCard needs.

2. Funny e-Cards

If you are looking for something a little more out there for your eCard needs then you might want to take a quick look at Funny eCards. This one does exactly as the name suggests and pulls images from funny sites to bring a little bit more humor to your eCards. Definitely worth a check if you (or the recipient) have a good sense of humor.

3. Greeting & eCards for Friends

If the previous two offerings were a little hit and miss with one being too formal and the other a little too out there then this one is perfectly balanced between the two. Greeting & eCards for Friends offers a choice of over 2000 cards all with customizable animations. This is certainly one you might want to check out if you are looking for a more modern and humorous card which is suitable for all ages. You can even send a card just to say hi.

4. Expressions eCards

Expression eCards is another notable app and offers users a slightly different approach. This one is much more meaningful (as much as an eCard can be) and focuses highly on creating emotive cards. With this app, you will find a lot of relaxing images, which can be coupled along with famous quotes or other sayings to help really bring the message home.

5. Greeting Cards

Greeting Cards again offers users another unique aspect of eCards as it is designed with a focus on selfies. As a result you can take a picture of yourself and include that on your eCard. Once the pic is in place you can then further add sentiment by including a message or even your signature using finger doodle. Good app to send an eCard with your face on it.

6. Birthday Postcards

If all the other apps are simply getting too much the give Birthday Postcards a try. This one does exactly as the name suggests and allows users to send postcards or eCards to those you love. In spite of the name, this is not only for birthdays and you can create a card for pretty much any occasion. There is a good selection of cards on offer and the app is updated weekly with new cards.

7. Animated Greetings

Like Greeting Cards, Animated Greetings is also a highly selfie focused app and again allows users the ability to include their face on an eCard. However, unlike the previous selfie one, this one allows for a lot more animation to be included as well as your face. If you are looking for a bit more fun added to your personalized selfie Card then this might be the app for you.

8. Live Greetings

Live Greetings is an app that really embraces what it means to be electronic. If you want eCards which are more brought to life then this is the app to try. As well as your standard eCards you can also include spoken and sung messages in the card to really offer a live birthday or celebratory message. So if your loved one is someone who would appreciate a singing hamburger then its time to start using Live Greetings.

9. Love eCards

While most other eCard apps will focus on the more traditional celebrations this one is for those that want to celebrate love. If you are in love and want to express that feeling then Love eCards offers users the ability to choose from a good selection of love specific eCards. All together now…Ahh.

10. Surprise by Amazon

The first app on the list came from a big named online company and now the last app in the list comes from one of the biggest online companies. Surprise by Amazon is the newest addition to the eCard app family but don’t let its infancy fool you. As you would expect from Amazon, this app hit the market fully ready to go. As such, you can pretty much do all you would expect from an eCard app and to a very polished degree. Including adding your own images, messages and if you are really feeling generous you can even include an Amazon gift card too.

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Featured: Top 10 Business Card Scanner Apps For Android

Business cards are one of those things we do need. You meet someone, but you do not have time to stand there taking all the person’s details down. Even with the advances of technology there are simply too much details to input quickly. Not to mention there is still something business-like about giving or receiving a business card. That said, you do not want a whole stack of business cards piling up at home. Where do you even buy Rolodex’s anymore? Well, if you are after a business card scanner to help keep all those important contact details safe then check out our pick of the best business card scanner apps for android.

CamCard Free – Business Card R

Starting off the list is CamCard which is one of the most popular card scanner apps available boasting that it is used by 100 million users. As a business card reader CamCard allows you to read and save your business card directly onto your device. In addition to the standard card scanning feature, there are additional features like exchange e-cards as well as call and find directions to contacts (based on inputted cards) directly from within the app. As business is international, it is also worth noting this one is able to read sixteen languages. If you want a tried and testing option then this might be the one for you.

Business Card Reader

In contrast to the last app, Business Card Reader is an app much more in its infancy. That said, the app performs well and offers a lot of the features you would expect. As you would expect, again this app offers the standard scanning and storing of business cards. Additionally, the app can read in seven languages and offers an undo-delete function up to five seconds after deletion. Just in case you accidentally delete an important business card.

ABBYY Business Card Reader Free

Business Card Reader Free has an almost identical name to the last app but is offered by a different company. This option allows scanning and reading of cards in up to 21 languages. In addition to the scanning feature, this one also allows you to option to annotate notes for each card, share via your device’s internal share options and generally stay on top of those important contacts.

Business Card Reader SugarCRM

If you use SugarCRM then this might be the business card scanning app for you. Business Card Reader SugarCRM allows scanning and reading of cards but also automatically imports them to your SugarCRM account. In addition, the app allows you to collect and store additional information on the clients whose cards you import providing a more well-rounded and details view of your clients.

Business Cards Info (BCi)

Business Cards Info is another app in its infancy compared to some of the rest. That said, this one does perform well and offers a very easy way to import, store and search through your business card collection. An additional feature of this app is the ability to search for stored cars via an interactive map. If you are looking for a straightforward business card scanning app then this one might be worth a try

FullContact Card Reader

Full Contact Card Reader is one of the more polished offerings on this list. This app is a business card reader but in addition to its property scanning feature, this one also offers one of the higher levels of integration with a suggested compatibility with over 250 apps. Not to mention that this app is also highly compatible with services like SugarCRM, SalesForce, Evernote and Dropbox. If you want a fully integrated and highly functional card reading app then this might be worth a look.

Business Cards

Business Cards allows storing of both front and back of business cards offering a full and complete card storing solution. In addition to the already imported card information, you can also add hand annotations to each card. One of the additional features of this app is the ability to share common cards through their online cloud service.

Business Card Reader Highrise

Business Card Reader Highrise is from the same makers as Business Card Reader SugarCRM and as the name suggests is highly focused towards use with the Highrise CRM system. If you use this system and just one a dedicated business card compatible app then this one might be the best option for you. Similar to the SugarCRM option, this one offers the ability to store within your Highrise CRM account as well as included additional information about each contact and reads in a bunch of different languages.

Card Scanner Business FREE

If you are looking for a simple and straightforward card scanning and storing app then Card Scanner Business Free might be worth checking out. This app does not include too many additional features but allows easy storing of cards with additional basic input fields for the most important contact details. Sometimes the simple options are the best and if that sounds like you then take a look at this one.

Card Scanner

Last on the list is the most expensive up front option, Card Scanner. That said, this app does offer a greater degree of accuracy when scanning then a few of the other offering. If you use the Zoho CRM then this might be the app for you as it is directly compatible with the Zoho CRM. The app reads in thirteen languages and is worth a look if scanning accuracy is important.

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Skylink’s Upcoming Wireless Power Hub Is An Intelligent Power Strip For Home Automation

If you’ve never heard of Skylink before, they’re a company that specializes in DIY smart home solutions, and today they have just announced their latest product called the Wireless Power Hub. This device is an intelligent powerstrip which aims to give you ultimate control over your home appliances like TVs, and other small appliances, as well as turn off standby power through the use of a remote control. The Wireless Power Hub can be used to control lighting too, and we all know how we hate to get up and turn off the lights. If you’ve already left the home but have forgotten to turn them off before you left, instead of turning back around you could be turning the lights off remotely using the Wireless Power Hub in conjunction with the SkylinkNet application.

Like most or all home automation products to help give you a smarter home, a main draw with the Wireless Power Hub is to help you save energy and in turn save money on power costs. In addition to allowing you to remotely control lighting, if you use your TV or your computer as a media control center for music and movies, the Wireless Power Hub can help you control that remotely too.

The Wireless Power Hub comes with multiple outlets sockets so you can use it for more than a few appliances simultaneously, three of them having the remote technology built into them and the other two are normal sockets which are always on. What makes this even more useful, is that the Wireless Power Hub has 2 USB ports on it so you can charge your devices right from the hub instead of having to use the wall adapter. The kit for the hub comes with a 7-button remote, but you can also use a Motion Sensor, wireless wall switch, or an LCD remote with scheduled timing to control the devices plugged into the power strip. The SkylinkNet app that can be found on the Play Store is also a way to control the compatible devices you have plugged into the Wireless Power Hub while you’re away from home. The design of the Wireless Power Hub is also accommodating so that consumers can use all sockets and outlets even if the adapters to your appliances are large. No more having to forfeit a socket. The Wireless Power Hub is set at a decent price too, costing $59.99. This device isn’t available until May of this year, but when it does launch you’ll be able to get it directly from Skylink’s online store, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it on Amazon.

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Hyundai Auto To Debut New Generation Blue Link With Remote Voice Control Via Android Wear

I’m not convinced that 2014 will be remembered as the year of the smartwatch, but instead it’ll be the year when the smartwatch started to become a truly useful utility. Instead, I believe we’ve a better chance of 2015 or 2016 being the year of the smartwatch because as more and more people start to use the wrist-mounted wearable device, so more manufacturers and developers will bring useful applications and services to the market. And it’s with this in mind that I’m going to write about Hyundai introducing the Next Generation Blue Link System this year, with the 2016 Elantra GT and Veloster models. Inside the next few months, Hyundai owners will be able to connect their Android Wear smartwatch to connect to their car via the Blue Link smartwatch app, which was developed in partnership with Station Digital Media. Hyundai are to showcase the new capabilities at the Consumer Electronic Show, CES, next week. Barry Ratzlaff, Hyundai Motor America‘s executive director, said this on the matter: “Connecting to your car through a smartwatch and voice recognition was previously something seen only in science fiction movies. Now, we can provide this capability to owners of Hyundai vehicles equipped with Blue Link.”

The application has been designed to be easy to use. The owner taps an icon, or uses his or her voice, to execute remote commands and functions. These include remote starting, locking or unlocking, as well as an easy ability to find their car in a busy parking lot by flashing the lights or honking the horn. Hyundai will be demonstrating the application on Samsung, Sony, LG and Motorola devices and it’s a free download from the Google Play Store. The Blue Link smartwatch app will work with older cars too, starting from the 2012 Sonata and expanding across Hyundai’s 2013 range. I can see the potential for mischief with the application too, especially if ones’ significant other has a wicked sense of humor!

Whilst the Hyundai Blue Link function is neat, and I’m especially encouraged to see that it won’t just cover new models but is also backwards looking, the news is arguably more important because it highlights that the auto manufacturers are increasingly accepting that third party solutions need to be officially integrated into their cars. It took many years before Bluetooth connectivity kits were relatively commonplace and their abilities are quickly being expanded upon. Android Auto, plus Apple’s competitor products, is right around the corner. I don’t believe all manufacturers will accept the change in technological tempo but consumer demand will ultimately push the manufacturers to build in support. Certainly, if I were in a position to be picking a new car and if one manufacturer supported Android Wear but another didn’t, it would sway my decision, everything else being equal.

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Samsung Rumored Offering One Year Free Netflix If Buying Samsung Galaxy Note 4, S5 Or Tab S From Jan 4th

With CES fast approaching all eyes will be on the big companies to see what they can bring to the table. One of those in particular will be Samsung. This is partly because all eyes are always on Samsung, but also because they are expected to be launching their new (first of the year) flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S6. This year, this new Galaxy S device will be under even more scrutiny as the previous incarnation, the Samsung Galaxy S5 got a lot of sick for not being so different or embracing enough of what we expect from a modern device. Hence, why we are hearing a lot about the S6 as ‘Project Zero’ which is expected to be built from the ground up.

That said, with the S6 being Samsung’s new device it is automatically likely to sell a lot as any potential Samsung buyers out there will be looking to this as their next purchase. However, Samsung has the other problem of already releasing a number of phones in the last year, that they would also still like to be selling, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. So how do they get around the issue of trying to sell their latest flagship, as well as their current flagships? Well, the answer is simple. Offer a promotion. And that looks to be exactly what is happening.

Interestingly, reports are emerging that on the eve of when CES will start (and the new Samsung devices being launched) Samsung will begin a new promotion to gear you towards buying their older devices. In short, the reports suggest that if you buy a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Samsung Galaxy S5 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S from January 4th, Samsung will throw in one year’s worth of Netflix for free. Now that is not bad for nothing. If you are already a Netflix subscriber then you will know that this is a tidy saving over the year and especially if you were thinking of getting a new phone or tablet anyway. The promotion is reportedly going to be running from January 4th through until January 17th and apparently will only be offered to the first 115,000 people who purchase one of the devices. On the downside it seems the promotion has to be retrospectively claimed so you will have to buy the device, go home, register and then you will find out if you are within the limited quota before getting the deal. That said, if you do then it will be a good bonus for your new Samsung device. Whether this will sway users away from purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S6 though is debatable.

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