As we near the end of 2011, I thought it would be nice to share some of the Android apps that have retained my attention this year. My phone has seen plenty of apps come and go, but there are a few that I doubt will ever be threatened by my compulsive need to uninstall more »

The Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire each have their own app stores. Amazon wants you to get all your apps from the Amazon Appstore, and Barnes and Noble keeps customers locked into Nook Apps. Well, you just can’t keep people from finding exploits in the system that will let them to do just about whatever they want. The Kindle Fire can technically access the Android Market, and now the Nook Tablet can download apps that aren’t approved by B&N. The only difference is you don’t have to root the Nook Tablet to take advantage of this find.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich features tools that lets users exert more control over their devices than ever before. One feature details the amount of data an app uses with a fair amount of detail. Users can set alerts for when they exceed a certain amount of data, or even disable the phone from using data completely. Another feature finally gives users the option of disabling any app that’s installed on their devices. This includes apps that come pre-installed by carriers and even Google apps.

Microsoft has launched a website that makes downloading applications on Windows Phone 7 devices much easier. The web marketplace serves the same purpose as the web-based Android Market. Users can log in using their Windows Live ID and purchase apps. Unlike the Android Market, the Windows Phone market website also gives potential customers more information on the latest Windows Phone 7 smartphones and provides guides on how to use the many features on WP7.

A new study conducted by Nielsen has shown that when it comes to Android smartphones, users spend way more time with apps than the actual web browser. Despite the fact that the web browser on the recent Android phones offers close to the same experience you’d get on a PC or laptop, mobile users want an experience that is optimized for their devices.

Early adoption of a device is a gamble. It’s very common for a lot of people to pay full price for a new gadget at launch, only to find its price to be discounted weeks later. That’s exactly what is happening with the HP TouchPad. Over the weekend, you could have gotten the TouchPad for as low as $299. It’s understandable for the crowed that spent $500 to be upset. Fear not though because HP has something in store for TouchPad owners that made the commitment before the crazy discounts occurred.

Checking to see if an app is compatible with your Android phone just became easier. The Android Market website now alerts you as to whether the application you want to install will play well with your phone or not.

Has private billing by the companies that make the OS helped the market for smartphone applications? Bucking the trend of carrier-billed applications, the smartphone revolution has changed many of the rules. One company in Germany is looking to undue this model and put the power of billing back into carriers hands. The new generation of more »

Newark police have accredited a cell phone application that helped them locate and neutralize four suspects that were involved in an armed robbery that took place this past weekend. A group of 15 young adults were having a small party in a garage when four men walked in (one of which was carrying a handgun). more »

Twitter rolled out an update today that is designed to restrict third-party applications from accessing direct messages and help users make more informed decisions when deciding what applications they should link their Twitter accounts to.