The 15 best Android apps that use material design

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
materialdesign

Google’s Material Design aesthetic is supposed to be the new standard for Android design, but not all apps have made the transition to the catchy new look. That’s a shame, because it brings a level of beauty and polish to Android that hasn’t existed until the new design scheme was rolled out with Android Lollipop. Fortunately, several developers have put it into practice and cranked out some rather good looking apps. If you want to find out what Material Design is about, then grab one of the following apps or custom launchers from the Play Store to experience it for…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1wZoDka
Read More

How Wikiwand plans to make money while building a better Wikipedia experience

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Wikiwand iPhone - Big Showcase

Wikiwand made a name for itself in 2013 adding a streamlined interface and useful features to Wikipedia via a browser extension. The company has since raised $600,000 in funding, launched an iPhone app and has an Android version in the works. TNW spoke with founder Lior Grossman to find out about Wikiwand’s approach to designing a more usable encyclopedia, and making money off Wikipedia’s Creative Commons-licensed content. How did you go about translating the Wikiwand Web experience to mobile? We began by researching how people are using Wikipedia on mobile, as opposed to on the Web. We soon found that…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1KW5khI
Read More

Filta lets you search Twitter users you follow

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Filta

If you’ve ever wanted to look up the Twitter accounts you follow to find users who are interested in a particular topic or are located in a certain city, Filta is up to the task. It’s a neat idea that Twitter should’ve thought of first. Until then, Filta’s simple app does what it says on the box fairly well. It’s useful for when you’re traveling to a new city and want to meet up with people there, or if you’re looking to hire people of a specific discipline. Although not remotely as flexible, it’s kind of like Facebook’s Graph Search,…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1Bqst5O
Read More

Streaming TV services like HBO NOW might not be cheaper, but they’re better for consumers

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Screen Shot 2015-03-09 at 3.04.59 PM

The a-la-carte dream of cable TV probably won’t ever happen. Instead, over-the-top services from individual networks like HBO and the new Sling TV service will pick up where pay-TV failed. Maybe you’ll save some money, maybe you won’t. But what you won’t have to deal with when you cut the cord is the horrid billing that comes with pay-TV. Cable services like Comcast usually offer new users a deal to join. Get 6,000 channels plus HBO and Showtime for $70 a month for a year. If you look at the fine print, that monthly price usually jumps to something astronomical.…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1Gl9f0Q
Read More

Gorgias extension for Chrome helps you and your team write emails lightning-fast

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Gorgias

I try — I really do — to reply to every email personally addressed to me, but there’s only so much time I can spend dealing with my inbox each day. Gmail’s canned responses feature does help to an extent, but when you’re strapped for time and have more to say, it’s not quite up to the task. Gorgias is a handy free extension for Chrome that lets you create custom templates to use in any email app, with the ability to personalize your preset outgoing messages with the recipient’s name. For example, if you want to reply to a…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1A8EYxV
Read More

Xero releases iPad app so you can do your accounting on the go

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 9.57.03 am

Xero, the young accounting company that recently took $111 million in investment to take on Intuit in the US, has today announced its first iPad app. The new app allows you to get your accounting done from your tablet; you can reconcile your accounts, view invoices, upload files or create expense claims right from the app. Xero said that even before it released these iPad specific views, 29 percent of iOS users were using the app on an iPad, so it decided to build an app that better serves them. ➤ Xero for iPad [Xero Blog] Full disclosure: I previously…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1G3hFKl
Read More

You can now start your Hyundai car with your Android Wear smartwatch

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Blue Link Smartwatch

Hyundai has updated its Blue Link Android app with support for Android Wear. The latest version lets owners remote lock, unlock and start their cars from their smartwatches. In addition to locking and starting your car with your watch, you can also call roadside assistance, stop the engine, flash your lights, honk the horn, and even locate it in a parking lot. They’re also voice activated, so you command your vehicle by to tapping the mic icon on your watch and saying “Start my car,” “Lock my car” or “Find my car”. Of course, you’ll need an active subscription to…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1B5psrm
Read More

Shipping startup Shyp launches return feature for your awful purchasing choices

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
0304_shyp

Shipping items seems like it shouldn’t be a pain. But after you’ve found a box, packed the item, printed out a shipping a label, stood in line and actually shipped the item you realize, yeah, it sucks. But thanks to our new ecommerce lifestyles, we’re shipping more than cookies to our friends–we’re also returning really ugly dresses that don’t actually change no matter what light they are under. Fortunately, shipping startup Shyp has launched Shyp Returns. For $5 Shyp will pickup, pack and ship your items back to a featured partner which includes Amazon, Rent the Runway, Target, Anthropology, Nordstrom,…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1DNzECe
Read More

Private social network Togethera’s new premium plan will let you print your favourite snaps for free

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
Screen Shot 2015-03-04 at 10.44.33

Private social network Togethera has introduced the option of premium accounts for Android users and updated its photo sharing features. The service lets you create closed groups where anything posted can only be seen by the members. Nothing shared on Togethera shows up on search engines. Its upgraded photo sharing feature allows users to add up to 100 photos to a single post. Premium subscribers will also be able to order five free photo prints per month from the end of March. Other features of the paid accounts include the ability to upload 5 minute videos – instead of 15…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1B06AtE
Read More

The OneShot app takes Twitter-shared screenshorts to the next level

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,
0302_oneshot

A screenshort is a screengrab of an article posted to twitter to get around the service’s 140-character limit. You find an article you like (or hate) you take a screenshot of the passage or sentence you find intriguing (or infuriating) and share it to Twitter. The OneShot app takes those snippets of an article and really lets you up your content sharing game. The free iOS app scans your photo library for any screengrabs you’ve made with your iPhone. You pick the screengrab you like and you can crop the image down to the section you want to share and…



This story continues at The Next Web





from The Next Web » Apps http://ift.tt/1AQdmSS
Read More