AAQR: SD Tools

Image via WikipediaSD Tools is a benchmark and SD Card ID utility for Android, and it's very simple. It shows you the microSD card's OEM ID, which will often help you identify the real maker of the card. It is not uncommon in Asia to see "fake" or "falsely labeled" cards, such as cards labeled as faster than they really are, or marked as more famous maker than it is.

For example, a class 2 card can be marked and sold as class 6, which costs quite a bit more.

Not only can you check the OEM ID, you can also run read/write benchmarks to really know the performance. You don't need this all the time, but you will sue it a few times here and there.

Rating: try it!


http://www.appbrain.com/app/sd-tools/ales.veluscek.sdtools

Related articles

• AAQR: SD Sync (Utility, free) (androidappquickreview.blogspot.com)
• SD Maid cleans your Android's SD Card of Junk (beast4romtheeast.wordpress.com)

What do I do when I see ads in my Android Notifications Area?

Apparently there's a new ad server that is encouraging app developers to incorporate this nasty feature, dubbed "AirPush", into their apps. The apps are not labelled as to their source so you don't know which app it came from.

Fortunately, someone wrote a detector for apps like that. BOYCOTT NOW!

Download AirPush Detector
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.brosmike.airpushdetector

AAQR: Mesmerize Live Wallpaper (free)

Mesmerize starts with a plasma-like color cycling randomizing screen that shifts the various colors. The stuff is not too flashy, yet not so slow to be boring. It doesn't seem to take up too much memory either.

Rating: worth trying, but a bit too close to "plasma" and other LWPs

http://www.appbrain.com/app/mesmerize-free-live-wallpaper/com.ewy.wallpaperfree

AAQR: Panda Chub Live Wallpaper Free

All you get is a very large face of a panda with ears barely moving, and eyes that follow your touches. BORING!!!!

Rating: skip it


http://www.appbrain.com/app/panda-chub-live-wallpaper-free/com.tokyopop.wallpaper.panda.free

AAQR: HDR Camera

By taking multiple pictures and merging the photo, HDR photo can be taken without expensive filters and pro equipment.

In normal light conditions, you won't notice a difference at all. You need an area with HUGE contrast in lighting, then you'll see the power of HDR camera.

Rating: Try it

http://www.appbrain.com/app/hdr-camera/com.almalence.hdr

AAQR: The Burbs LWP

Cartoony people walking about in front of your house in the 'burbs.

Looks like a scene from MySims, with people mowing laws, walking past with grocery bags, minivans moving slowly down the street, and so on, all in cartoony form.

Good? Not really. Cute? Sorta.

Rating: Skip it personally, though you just may want to try it

http://www.appbrain.com/app/the-burbs-free-live-wallpaper/com.BurbsLite

AAQR: Weather Live Paper (free LWP)

At almost 11 MB, Weather Live Paper, a live wallpaper about the weather, is sumo-sized, but it doesn't deliver.

I had tried to setup the app, both by entering name of my city directly (How many "San Francisco" can there be in the world?), and to use my location directly. I got nothing. Weather always say ????????.

Background scrolls continuously which is kinda cool, and the words shift a bit, but if the weather doesn't work, then it's not a weather live paper, is it?

You may have better luck than I do. However, Go Weather works and is much better.

Rating: Try it, but you'll probably ski pit

http://www.appbrain.com/app/weather-livepaper/brokenwalls.apps.weatherlivepaper

AAQR: Spider Live Wallpaper

Markoo have a pretty good looking Spider Live Wallpaper where the spider walks around on its web with a blurry background. Too bad the spidey doesn't do anything else.

Rating: Try it, I guess.

http://www.appbrain.com/app/spider-live-wallpaper/markooo.si.spider

UPDATE: Apology about lack of updates.

I've been very busy on other various things. So I haven't updated this for several days.

I had been trying to do two reviews per day, but I realize the pace is not sustainable.

I'll try to do at least one app review per day from now on. Stay tuned. I'll try to do some catchup first.