SkyFire plays Flash video on iPhone and Android phones

One of the major features of the Android operating system is its ability to play Flash video using the Flash Player app. Unfortunately, not all Android-based phones have access to the Flash app and won't until Froyo or Android OS 2.2 becomes available (possibly in December for Galaxy S phones). It's also no secret that the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can't play Flash video either....unless you've downloaded the SkyFire app.

SkyFire is a mobile browser that converts Flash video into HTML5 format. In addition, the browser is surprisingly Facebook friendly, integrating the Facebook Like button and a shortcut to the social networking site into the browser itself.

The browser was approved for Apple's App Store earlier this month and pulled nearly 1 million users from both Android Market and App Store in it's first week. 

DoubleTwist: iTunes for Android

This past week, I made a major life decision - to drop the iPhone for good and pick up a Samsung Captivate which runs on the Android operating system.

It’s important to understand that both the iPhone OS - iOS X - and the Android OS are very similar, relying on apps as a form of device customization.

However, when I first got my hands on the Captivate, one question had to be answered for both my iPhone friends and I - how could I get my iTunes data onto my non-Apple device. The answer is DoubleTwist.

DoubleTwist = iTunes
DoubleTwist runs exactly like iTunes. The desktop manager is compatible with both Mac and PC and syncs with iTunes so that users don't have to upload music to both media managers separately. Users connect their mobile device to a computer and sync the device to the DoubleTwist Library.

Flies can be dragged and dropped directly to a device, playlists can be created and even Most Played, Recently Added and Top Rated playlists come standard (just like in iTunes) with the desktop application.

iTunes and App Stores
In terms of the App Store and the iTunes Store, there’s a feature for that, too. DoubleTwist connects to the Android Market and the Amazon MP3 store.

Widget
DoubleTwist is obviously an app, but the download also includes a widget. Widgets don’t exist on iPhones but on an Android phone, they can be anything from a newsfeed to a status update bar on a device's home screen.

In DoubleTwist’s case, it’s widget is a basic media player which plays whatever file the user selected when they last accessed the DoubleTwist app. For instance, if the user was listening to “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead, that song would show up in the DT widget with a play and skip button.

Do you know of another Android app that works like iTunes? Let me know in the comments section.

TweetDeck releases app for Android OS

TweetDeck released android app, Wednesday, after months of beta testing. The multi-social-media manager is already one of the most popular social media managers on the iPhone and iPad, however, as the Android operating system continues to grow (last August, Google said it activated more than 200,000 Android phones a day) , TweetDeck could see massive download numbers over the next few months.

Users can sync to their Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Buzz accounts, however, Facebook Fan Pages are not included in the app. This is a big problem for Fan Page users like myself who need to update both Twitter and Fan Pages in one click.

Fan Pages aside, the Android app has customizable update notifications that allow users to assign specific vibrations and sounds to specific friends, geodata, and a speed dial feature similar to that of Google Chrome's SpeedDial extension and Google TV's speed dial feature.

I've had a chance to try the app on a first generation Droid and so far the apps seems pretty fast. Unfortunately, on a 3G iPhone, I've noticed lag time which doesn't appear in the official Twitter app, nor the HootSuite app.

Google announces Google TV

First, the Android operating system, now this - Google TV.

Little information has been released but Google has released a quick tour to its latest product, Google TV. The product which seems to be pretty similar to Apple TV offers Web browsing, apps, customization and more. Like Apple TV, it seems to be where computers and modern TVs collide.

Google has recently announced that it has partnered with Logitech and it's Revue product which allows users to connect Logitech's Keyboard Controller and other products to an HDTV.

Search
How many times have you needed to find a show or sports event on TV but you don't know what channel it's on? Google TV offers a search feature that allows users to search for a program, select it and view it. No more continuous scrolling like in the Verizon and Comcast menu system.

Web

Google TV allows users to surf the Web through a television. Using the system's dual view, users can watch TV and surf the Web at the same time. In an age when everyone is watching TV with a laptop in hand, this could be a pretty nice feature.

Apps

Google TV will come preloaded with apps like Twitter, Pandora, Napster, Netflix, CNBC (an app for watching TV on a TV? That should be interesting) and more. According to the company, developers will be able to create their own apps as soon as next year.

Apps for Google TV

Google TV Remote

Phone apps allow users to control their computers. Now, your phone can control your TV too. The Logitech Harmony App for iPhone and Android allows users to set sync their phones to a Logitech Revue system allowing your phone to work as your Google TV remote. The in-app touch pad and keyboard allow users to have complete browsing and search control.

Personal

If you have used SpeedDial for Chrome, then you'll recognize Google TV's bookmarking style. Simply select a channel, app, or website you know you'll always want to come back to, and add it to your bookmarks. The saved items will be added to your personalized menu with an icon or screen shot for easy selection.

Dual View

Watch a show while you surf the Web or watch two games at the same time. This is nothing new to the world of television but still a nice feature.

Accessibility

According to the product's preview, Google TV works as a companion to your current cable or satellite system. It is not clear how the system needs to be set up but it should be similar to Apple TV's installation process.