Buy Tablets: Here's your smartphone starter kit

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Here's your smartphone starter kit - Tribune-Review

By Tribune-Review

Published: Friday, May 10, 2013, 12:01 am
Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013

Did you take the plunge on your first smartphone recently ? Congratulations! You’re holding a lot of power and possibilities in your finger tips.

Of course, That can be a little overwhelming, too. There are well over 700,000 apps in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Take a deep breath. You do not need to dive in all at once. Here’s your starter kit. These 10 apps work with the iPhone and Android smartphones. They will not cost you a thing, but you’ll use them every day.

â € ¢ Chrome. One of the most overlooked but vital apps you’ll want to download is a good browser, and Google Chrome is one of the best.

This mobile browser is fast, secure and customizable. You can sync it with your desktop Chrome to import all your bookmarks, favorites and passwords. It also has incognito mode for private browsing.

â € ¢ Google Maps. The days of being stranded in an Unfamiliar part of town asking for directions are over. Google Maps is your go-to tool for all things geographic. You can find driving directions, walking directions, public transit maps and more. Or just search for nearby points of interest while. Maps collaborates with your phone’s built-in GPS sensor to pinpoint your location.

â € ¢ Facebook. With 1 billion users, Facebook could be called the official social network of humanity, and it’s available as an app for smartphones.

You’ll be able to see your newsfeed, upload photos and videos, and post updates wherever you go.

â € ¢ YouTube. All of YouTube’s 2 billion videos can be seen on YouTube’s official smartphone app. You can even use this app to record, upload, edit and share videos right from your mobile device.

â € ¢ Onavo Extend. This free app Automatically compresses the data you send and receive to get up to five times more data out of your plan. It also monitors usage and gives you reports on Which apps are hogging your precious data.

â € ¢ Kindle. You do not need a Kindle e-reader to read Amazon e-books. Your smartphone can run Amazon’s Kindle app. Now you can read your electronic library on your phone.

â € ¢ Skype. Skype lets you make video calls, Which your phone May not be equipped to do out of the box . Plus, you can make video or voice calls for free to other Skype users around the world, either over cellular or Wi-Fi. You can even text for free using Skype instant message.

â € ¢ Lookout Mobile Security. This app can help keep your gadgets and information safe. The free version has anti-virus and anti-spyware capability to thwart most attacks. It also backs up your contact data and can help locate a missing or chair gadget

â € ¢ Angry Birds Star Wars. Let’s be honest: One of the real Reasons you wanted a smartphone was the games! The Angry Birds series is the most popular of them all. The latest twist on this classic mobile is as fun and addicting as ever.

â € ¢ Flashlight LED HD. This app Allows you to control the camera’s flash or screen brightness to turn your gadget into a makeshift flashlight. And it’s trustworthy â € “other flashlight apps have been known to steal your data. This app is bright and works well for finding your way in the dark, but be wary. It can drain your battery in place.

Email Kim Komando at techcomments@usatoday.com.