The sign up for alpha testers of the new Jolla Launcher has almost drawn to a close and those who signed up can now download the custom Android homescreen. Jolla wants to give users a taste of the gesture-based interface of Sailfish OS without having to buy the Jolla phone.

This initial version of the Jolla Launcher targets Nexus 4 and 5 owners, but it supports any Android 4.3+ device. You still have a day left to sign up for the alpha test program. Read more »

Nokia Beta Labs released the Glance Background app last October. It spices up the Lumia-exclusive Glance screen with a background.

The Glance Background was in beta phase since the official release and its trial is now over. Read more »

Google has released an update for the Search app on Android (v3.5.14), which brings with it a very useful addition.

Earlier, you had to be in the Google Search app to be able to use the “Ok Google” hotword to invoke voice search. With the latest update, you can now use it on any screen on the phone as long as the screen is on. It also works from the lockscreen even if you have a password set on the device. And if you have the device connected to a charger, the screen doesn’t even have to be on to use voice search. Read more »

Are you an avid pinterester and own a piece of Android wear?

Then you’ll be happy to find that Android wearables will support pinterest, and the app now sports a cool new feature. Read more »

Samsung will change the name of its App Store to Galaxy Apps.

As more and more consumers become familiar with the Galaxy line of phones, Samsung probably thought it was a better way to differentiate its services from other mobile app stores. Read more »

Android Auto made its debut at Google I/O and is Google’s attempt to make the car’s infotainment systems suck less.

Android Auto puts a large focus on navigation, audio and messaging, while Google Now takes a center stage into the Auto user experience. The user interface looks the part, too, with large interface elements that are easily glance-able. Read more »

Opera has a long-standing partnership with Nokia to provide a browser for its phones – it used to be Opera Mini on Series 40 nowadays it’s the full-fledged Opera Mobile on the Nokia X platform (Nokia’s premium WP platform is of course serviced by IE).

Opera will be the default browser on Nokia X phones, starting with the new Nokia X2, and it’s available for free download for current X owners. Read more »

The killer software features introduced with Samsung’s latest Galaxy S5 flagship are no longer exclusive. Thanks to the creative folks at the xda-developers forums, you can now get the nifty new Galaxy S5 software extras on the Galaxy S4 as well.

The S5 mod includes the new Ultra power save mode that lets you get the most out of your battery, Download booster that lets you download over LTE and WiFi simultaneously, Baby monitor, Air wake up, and others. Read more »

Yahoo! owned Aviate launcher for Android has been around for some time now but so far it was in the beta stage and more importantly, was only available through invites. The launcher is now available on the Play Store for free for anyone with a supported device to download.

The Aviate launcher has a different appearance than most other Android launchers that mimic the look of the stock launcher. There are no multiple blank homescreens for you to fill with icons or widgets. There are three screens, the leftmost showing your Today view (by default), the middle one showing five of your most used apps (that you chose) and the right one showing other apps that are grouped in different categories. Read more »

The CyanogenMod team (one of the most popular custom Android ROM) has shared its most interesting new additions to the nightly builds this week. Flashing enthusiasts will be happy to know that Trebuchet GEL and CMHome have been updated to allow more protection to hidden apps.

Those apps can now be further protected from prying eyes with the addition of a pattern lock. Furthermore, users can group hidden apps into a folder, which would mean less work if you access hidden apps often. Read more »

Samsung is apparently working on making an Ativ Camera app available in the Windows Phone app store. It will come with advanced features and will be available for Windows Phone 8.1, but limited to Samsung’s own devices.

The new app comes to upgrade Samsung’s existing camera offering for Windows Phone 8 – which you can see in our review of the Samsung Ativ SE. Read more »

Facebook’s put some work into its Android application, which should make the software run more efficiently. If you’ve noticed that the app’s performance has improved, then you can thank a recent company trip to Africa for that.

What inspired Zuckerberg’s squad to buckle down and streamline the company’s Facebook Android app? Lower-end phones. Read more »

Love to game on your iOS device, but just can’t bring yourself to pay full price for apps?

Well then you’ll be happy to know that EA is discounting a bunch of its major titles on the App Store. Read more »

Some of you may be aware of the social network called Path. The service was meant to connect you to your closest people and only allowed up to 150 contacts per person but the service never really saw much use in the light of much bigger and popular services.

Now, the company has released a new messaging app called Talk for the iPhone and Android. The Talk app has some interesting features, that set it apart from its peers. For one, the messages you send are only stored on the server for 24 hours, after which they are automatically erased. Read more »

Google Now’s service is constantly evolving to make your Android experience a more personalized one by providing you easier access to the applications and services you use most.

Now, you’re able to click on links to music services for the bands that you search for on Google Now. Read more »