(Updated) Android Facebook App is (No Longer) Draining Battery after Update

So word on the street is that the new update to the Android Facebook app is draining batteries. This news came out just a few hours ago, and apparently Facebook has already acknowledged the issue. This is from the Facebook for Android facebook page:

Hi folks, a number of you have commented on seeing a battery drain on your device since installing the new Facebook for Android app. We have identified the bug that is causing this battery drain and are working on a fix now. As soon as the patch is ready, we will push out an update. Thanks for the quick feedback and for your patience as we get this fixed

So hopefully this gets fixed soon, because I don't really want to have to downgrade to the previous version of Facebook for Android. I'll be surprised if the fix comes out soon because previous updates to the Facebook app have been few and far between. 

On a side note, it's fun to read all the anger in the comments on the Facebook for Android page. People feel like Android users aren't receiving equal treatment because the iPhone app is so much better. 

Update: An update for this problem was pushed to the market last night. So go update your Facebook app and let us know whether you're still experiencing battery drain issues.

Froyo 101: Adjusting Flash Settings in Stock Browser

Now that many of us are running Android 2.2 (Froyo) on our phones, I thought it might be good to share some tips and tricks that I've learned during my short time using it. Unfortunately, Froyo doesn't come with a user manual (Google probably has one somewhere, but I haven't found it). So I'll do my best to share with you the options that Froyo gives you that you might not discover on your own.

The first tip I'd like to share is how to change the Flash settings in Android's stock browser. The first thing that impressed me about Froyo wasn't its ability to handle Flash, but the speed improvements in the stock browser. Unfortunately, I've found that running Flash all the time decreases web site load times significantly, especially on media-heavy sites. Hopefully this will improve once Flash 10.1 moves out of beta, but until then, I can't have it slowing me down.

To fix this problem, the stock browser gives you the option to completely disable Flash, or to pick and choose which Flash objects to enable when you want it. So here's how you do it:

1. Open up the stock Android browser
2. Hit the Menu button
3. Select "More" in the Menu
4. Select "Settings"
5. Scroll down to "Enable plug-ins" and select it

6. Select "On demand" if you want to pick and choose which Flash objects to use OR
    Select "Off" if you want to completely disable Flash

There you have it, a fairly simple fix, although not that obvious if you don't know where to find it.

Do you have any tips for using Froyo that you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments.

New App Notification: Android2cloud does Phone2Chrome

Now that many of us are running Android 2.2 (Froyo) on our phones, one of the greatest new features is the ability to run an application called Chrome to Phone, which allows the user to send a link from a desktop browser to an Android phone with a simple click of the button in Google's Chrome or Firefox (through the use of an extension).

After using Chrome to Phone for a month or so, I found myself wishing that is had the opposite functionality as well, to send a link from my phone to my desktop browser so I don't have to go through the hassle of cutting and pasting and e-mailing the link to myself.

Well I no longer have to wait to be able to do that.  Lifehacker just posted an article on a new app called Android2cloud, which does the opposite of what Chrome to Phone does. From the Lifehacker article:

"After installing the Android app (available at the stie and in the Market), installing the Chrome extension, and authenticating both apps through your Google account, you'll get one-button transmission powers between your two Google browsers. You can copy/paste a URL through android2cloud itself, but it's easier to hit the "Share page" option on a web page and choose android2cloud as the vessel.

Android2cloud is a free download for Android and Chrome, and requires a Google account to connect the two."

Here's the link to the google code site for the Chrome extension and the application: android2cloud

 Now stop reading this and download it! Let me know what you think about it in the comments.

(Thanks for the tip, Keltose!)

Android News: Google Maps Updated with "Places" Menu

If you have updated your Google Maps to version 4.4 today, you may be wondering what is different (assuming you didn't read the "What's New" notification upon opening Google Maps after the update). If you haven't updated Google Maps yet, I suggest you do.

Google has added a new feature to the native Maps application called "Places." If you open up your application drawer, you will find a new icon titled "Places." If you select that icon, a menu will pop up with categories of places you may want to find on your Google Map. This is actually something I've been waiting for because I find it tedious to have to use a third-party application to find restaurants or gas stations or hair removal places nearby.

Speaking of third-party applications, this new feature should scare the bejeezus out of apps like Where, Yelp, Aloqa, or any other application that helps users find locations nearby. I won't be surprised to see Google add more functionality to the Maps application in the future like gas prices, movie times, restaurant menus. The sky is the limit, really.

Check out the changes and let me know what you think in the comments.

The Android Project Reviews: FlightTrack

*Editor's Note: Work has kept me so busy that I haven't had much time to update this blog with any new reviews. However, my buddy Keltose, who is as much a lover of Android as I am, has written a review of an app for the site. I'm hoping he will continue to contribute to the site in the future.

Category: Utility

Price: $4.99

Gotta-have-it-factor: 5

Developer: Mobiata

There are a number of Flight Tracking apps out there, and most are free with ad-support.  However, FlightTrack offers several features that the others don’t, making the $4.99 worth it for a frequent traveler or someone who is frequently picking up people (like your boss) from the airport. 

There was one time I had to pick up my boss and I loaded his flight info into the app.  As I was waiting for him, I got an alert that his flight was delayed by 20 min.  Shortly after that, I got a SMS from him stating just that.  I contemplated replying with: “No worries, my awesome Android Phone just told me that 5 minutes ago.”, but refrained.   The map feature is one that the other free apps don’t have and will refresh almost in real time as the plane travels.  I knew my boss had landed before he had time to text me. 

This app is also useful when keeping track of flight times through the widget, which will update you on gate changes or delays.  In the past, I would try putting my flight on my calendar but when I switch time zones the flight times get all messed up because the calendar tries to keep the time based on where you made the appointment.  The flight widget is really helpful in this regard.

 

The gotta-have-it factor is only a 5 because the average person doesn’t really need it.  But if you fall into one of the categories of frequently picking up people from the airport or traveling a lot, then I would give it an 8.  The comments on the app market page are mixed, but I am running this app on an unrooted N1 with Android 2.2 and had no issues with inaccurate data or crashing widgets to date.

The Android Project Reviews: QuickDesk BETA

Category: OS Functionality

Price: Free

Gotta-have-it factor: 2
Developer: Faruq Rasid

I just read about a new Android application that was supposed to solve one of my big problems with Android: difficulty with changing commons settings while an application is open. QuickDesk is an application that claims to solve that problem.

A quick note, QuickDesk is created by the same person who developed the HelixLauncher home replacement apps, which I love. I always found the HelixLauncher home replacement to be fast and lightweight. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing about QuickDesk. Here is a quote from QuickDesk’s market page, which describes what it is supposed to accomplish:

“Ever went into Browser and realized you haven’t turned on your WiFi? Ever wanted to skip tracks while playing Jewels?

Now you can. Here comes the new app that help[s] you better multi-task: QuickDesk.”

QuickDesk allows the user to bring up an alternate homescreen with widgets or shortcuts selected by the user by simply double-pressing the homescreen menu button, or long-pressing the search button. The functionality that QuickDesk provides is already the reason I have the Bar Control application installed on my phone. The only problem I found with QuickDesk is that is severely slowed down my transition from an application to my normal homescreen. Once I uninstalled QuickDesk, the snap returned to my Droid (if you know what I mean).

Keep in mind that I am using an overclocked MotoDroid running BuglessBeast, so my experience may be different from somebody running a stock Droid, Nexus One, or any other Android device for that matter.

However, for my purposes, I can’t have an application on my device that slows me down.  Remember that QuickDesk is currently in BETA, so hopefully future versions of QuickDesk resolve this issue, because otherwise, I think this application has huge potential. But for now, I’m giving it a “2” on the gotta-have-it scale.

Let me know in the comments if you have a different experience with the QuickDesk application.

The Android Project Reviews: Advanced Map Live Wallpaper

Category: Wallpapers

Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 5

I realize that it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything on this blog. Work has been pretty crazy lately, so my extracurricular activities have to take a back seat. Things have calmed down a bit and I’ve regained some motivation to start working on the blog again so you may see a few more posts in the near future.
Today, I wanted to write about a recent discovery that I made while perusing the interwebs for cool stuff to put on my Droid. I found a cool new Live Wallpaper called Advanced Map. Advanced Map is fairly self-explanatory. This Wallpaper brings many different types of maps to the background of your homescreen. It’s not just limited to Google Maps.

Now I’ve hesitated to use Live Wallpapers in the past because they use up processing power and don’t add much besides aesthetic value. However, the developer of Advanced Map Live Wallpaper came up with a way to cut down on processor and battery use. The map tiles are cached locally on your phone once they are loaded, which should cut down on the data downloaded to your device and the app shuts down whenever the homescreen is not visible.

Advanced Map Live Wallpaper is still in beta, but it’s as polished as most of the other apps I’ve seen out there, and it’s free. So jump to the Market right now if this is something that interests you. I gave it a gotta-have-it factor of 5 because many people still don't have access to Live Wallpapers.* Let me know what you think about it in the comments.

* Remember that Live Wallpapers are only supported on Android 2.1 and up. I’ve also noticed that only certain home replacement apps support live wallpapers, so your mileage may vary depending on your setup.