Android developer Koush has been working on a touch enabled version of his popular ClockworkMod Recovery for quite some time now. He posted a teaser video on Friday, January 27,  and already there’s a beta version available to download for the Galaxy Nexus and GSM Nexus S.

Announced on Google+, both versions (Verizon CDMA, international [...]]]>

Android developer Koush has been working on a touch enabled version of his popular ClockworkMod Recovery for quite some time now. He posted a teaser video on Friday, January 27,  and already there’s a beta version available to download for the Galaxy Nexus and GSM Nexus S.

Announced on Google+, both versions (Verizon CDMA, international GSM) of the Galaxy Nexus are supported in the beta, but only the GSM Nexus S is. Not much information was made available on the beta, but so far reports seem good. There’s over 50 comments on the original Google+ post with download links, many of which are users confirming everything works well.

If you’re comfortable with Fastboot and understand the risks involved with flashing a recovery still in beta, head on over to Google+ to download Koush’s touch-based ClockworkMod Recovery now. To get an idea of how the recovery will work, check out the video below. If you decide to install the recovery, let us know how it works in the comments below.

Rings Extended

Without Rings [...]]]> There are applications you can’t live without and others that are not worth your precious, limited space. Then there are those applications you can’t live without but don’t remember them until they’re gone. I’m talking about those applications that once installed, fade off into the background yet are anything but useless.

Rings Extended

Rings Extended

Without Rings Extended we wouldn’t be able to use all the awesome sounds that are available for everything from ring-tones to alerts. Once installed, Rings Extended may be one of the least used yet must-have applications for any Android user. Rings Extended is only used when selecting non-system audio files for system functions but how boring Android would be without this application. Blending so well into the background, Rings Extended doesn’t even appear in the Applications Menu.

Locale

One of my most favorite applications, yet one I often forget, is there taking care of business. Locale does its job without fanfare or interaction. It does its thing without bothering me and if not for the occasional update from the developer, I might forget I have it installed. To call Locale a profile manager is almost a disservice to this application because Locale more closely resembles a condition manager. You can monitor conditions such a battery level, location, dates or appointments. Once conditions are set Locale goes to work doing a thankless job of controlling Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, changing ring-tones and wallpapers, sending SMS and Tweets, and controlling volumes to help avoid embarrassing calls at the wrong moment yet ensuring the important calls get noticed.

G-Backup Full

G-backup

Some applications backup just messages.  Others do systems files, but G-backup Full backups all messages, call logs and pictures straight to your Gmail. Thanks to G-backup all your communications are logged right along with your email. Backing up pictures to Gmail saves you the trouble of copying them over to your PC later.  This further enables life in the clouds. Unless set to manual, G-backup needs no user intervention to work. You might even forget it’s running on your device until searching Gmail for those important messages.

MyBackup Pro

G-backup makes your communications and pictures readily available, but what about the rest of your files and settings? That’s where MyBackup Pro comes to the rescue. MyBackup can backup all your device settings to the memory card.  But what happens if the memory card becomes corrupt or worse your device is lost or stolen? MyBackup can also store up to 30 backups online for easy restoration. MyBackup can backup all your applications to the memory card enabling quick reinstallation of all your applications.  This way you don’t forget to install any of Android’s Most Forgettable Applications. Also like G-Backup Pro, MyBackup Pro doesn’t need user intervention if setup on a schedule. Thanks to scheduling my device is backed up more regularly than even my laptop.

No Signal

No Signal

This is one of the newest editions to the most forgettable applications for Android. No Signal alerts users whenever the connection to the mobile network is lost. It doesn’t alert for loss of a data link – just the GSM signal for voice, which includes SMS. No longer will you be caught off guard by those dead spots. I use SIM lock on my device, which means if my device reboots I need to enter a PIN before it will load completely. SIM lock is a useful extra security measure but can be inconvenient if a random reboot happens when the device is in my pocket or otherwise out of sight. No Signal runs as a service and alerts me in this instance once background services load. Being without a signal isn’t a common occurrence for me, making No Signal a forgettable application until I hear the unique alert I’ve selected and use solely for this purpose.

There are many other applications that run behind the scenes and some I hope you never have to use.  This includes remote locking and wiping of a device if it lost or stolen to protect private information and data. Other apps can update your friends on your whereabouts at all times. There are so many possibilities for Android it’s easy for some mundane tasks to be forgotten.  That is until, they no longer being done.

You might forget these apps are installed, but they sure come in handy.