As the race for killer apps is being closely contested by Android and Apple these days, most Android users claim that there are a large number of free apps that they are able to download as a benefit that iPhone users enjoy.

Perhaps the reason why Android is achieving so much success is because there are a wide variety of apps that its users find very useful.  But best of all, they are free. Here is a list of must-have Android apps that a user in 2011 must get for his Android phone:

#1: Opera mini

If you use your phone frequently to browse the Internet, then getting this app for your phone is a must as it is simple to use and very fast.

#2: Daily Ab Workout

If you are a fitness freak who does not have much time, this app will provide you with a five-minute video that is prepared by a certified trainer.

#3: Go SMS

This app is purely for messaging related purposes.  It helps you find a contact or a group easily and allows you to send an SMS/ MMS.

#4: Zedge

This app has been designed to customize your phone with wallpapers and ringtones, and helps you download them rather easily. It is one of the most popular apps downloaded today.

#5: QuickPic

This app allows you to find your pictures on your phone easily while also allowing you to zoom in, crop, and share your photos.

There is a reason why people prefer international phones when they are on vacation or out on a business travel. It is cheaper for one, and the companies that offer these services also offer seamless services when you travel from one country to the other.

While for some, finding economical mobile services might not be a priority, but for those who find this to be important, there are several options that are made available to them over the Internet.

Since there are several options that have been made available in the guise of an international prepaid cell phone or even a post-paid account, you can be sure that the deals you get from these service providers will be the best that you can find.

With this said, you should be able to understand that you do not have to incur large bills in staying connected with your friends and loved ones. And if you are not sure whether or not these international SIM cards will work for you, it might be a relief to know that the people who have taken the risk in finding a decent cost-effective deal for international mobile services also profited in the bargain.

All in all, economical mobile services are available only if you would take the time to find them.

 Most experts consider the Apple iPad to be one of the best products that Apple has created. With such amazing features that leave people wanting more, Apple has acquired the reputation of a company that is known to push the limits in terms of creativity and innovation.

And perhaps, some of the features will tell you why!

For one, the 9.7 inch LED-backbit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen has an amazing picture resolution of 768 X 1024 pixels supporting almost 16 million colors. Some of the latest advances in technology such as finger/ scratch resistant oleo-phobic surface, an accelerometer for auto-rotate and a multi-touch input method will tell you why this device is state of the art.

With an internal memory of 256 MB RAM and the options for 16, 32 and 64 GB storage space along with the 1 GHz apple A4 processor that is run on iOS 4, one can only imagine how such a device will run on any given day.

However, when it comes to the software involved, not only have they tied up with several web-based companies for their products such as Google Maps, iBooks PDF Reader and Down-loadable and so on and so forth but they have also added the latest in social media applications as well.

There is no doubt that the Apple iPad has its all, and is no doubt, one of the coolest ways by which one can access the Web, Email and pretty anything related to fun stuff on a PC.

 When Apple announced that the iPhone 4 would soon be available on Verizon’s 3G network, people were more than pleased. For several months there had been rumors that the iPhone would soon be available to on the Verizon network, but the announcement finally confirmed the rumors. When people first decide that they want to purchase a smart phone, they want it to be able to accomplish any task they may demand of it. The iPhone 4 is one of the very few devices on the market that can accomplish just about any task.

One of the best things about the iPhone 4 is that users have access to the thousands of applications in Apple’s App Store. One of the best applications that an iPhone owner can own is the Facebook app. This app makes social networking very easy. Users do not have to open a separate browser and log in each time they want to update their status or comment on someone else’s status. With this app, users just have to tap the icon and they will have instant access to their Facebook page.

Overall, the iPhone is a revolutionary piece of technology. With the many features that it comes equipped with, users no longer need to carry more than one device in their pockets. This phone can be used as a camera, with a 5 megapixel camera, as a music player and of course a phone. Users will find that their lives will be much easier and with access to many different things on the phone, the iPhone is the best device created in the last decade.

In today’s world, you have to have the right skills to get a new job, or get a promotion. But, how do you get the experience you need without spending a fortune? Head to CoursePark!

CoursePark is a learning management network.

But what exactly does that mean?

CoursePark is full of members – like businesses and corporations – who offer to share what they know with other people. It gives people a chance to learn new skills and boost their expertise – right from the comfort of their own computer! You don’t have to worry about making time to head to a classroom.

All you have to do is browse through CoursePark’s website and build courses that suit your needs. In fact, the learning management network has more than 3,500 courses available for you to take! Once you decide on a curriculum that works best for you, you can learn right from CoursePark members – all of whom are experts in their fields.

Before you know it, you are learning the skills you need to move ahead in your career – right from the people who you may want to work for!

It really is that easy!

Leaked information on the new Android Music app posted on the Engadget blog earlier this week might give users and developers clues about what the Android 3.0 operating system will look like. Android programmers can likely expect a revamped user interface with Android 3.0, including the possibility that Google is getting rid of its hardware buttons entirely and transitioning to full menu functionality through touch-screens within its apps.

According to Fortune, the new Android Music app that was leaked to Engadget is a good way to organize music files within a cloud setting. However, Android developers should note that the app appears to have significant limitations when it comes to streaming music to a device. It’s a potential problem which could hamper development of next-generation content streaming on Android devices.

The speculation is that the Android Music app will ship with the Android 3.0 operating system known as “Honeycomb” that is being touted by Motorola for their upcoming tablet computing device.

 Search engine giant Google stirred controversy over the weekend by its inability to clinch a deal with Groupon which provides online marketing services for local entrepreneurs. The supposedly expensive acquisition is being viewed by business analysts in two ways, specifically as an almost overpaid transaction or a mistake that could cost the company in terms of strategic business planning. The previous week, Google was engaged in negotiations with Groupon about price which reached US$5 billion. This information was disclosed by an official who was familiar with the dealings between the two companies which would have proved to be Google’s biggest ever.

Unfortunately, negotiations fell through by the end of the week. Analysts and investors say that with the enormous price that Google was willing to shell out for the two-year old company, there’s proof that young internet businesses are headed in the right track. Forrester Research business analyst Augie Ray says that prices for young online businesses are rising, especially for those that have recently started. Ray adds that prices are solely based on speculations made by fellow business analysts internally working for the companies involved.

Meanwhile, a New York venture capitalist Fred Wilson who served as an early financial supporter of social media starters Twitter and Foursquare, said over at a weekend post that investment in certain businesses have increased to an almost hyperactive level. Wilson adds that inventors are now splurging their money investing on young and hyperactive businesses which plan ahead and have big hopes and dreams for their company.

 The Apple iPhone has proven itself time and again with its host of diversified applications touching on all fields that are of consumer interest. And yet, Apple will not stop in coming up with new apps to dazzle and impress their legions of loyal followers. Their most recent innovation is an app developed for Australia which aims to limit an iPhone user’s exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The app also helps combat the earliest signs of skin cancer, making the app extremely popular with the medical crowd.

Contextualizing the invention of the app is the inherent climate in Australia which is mostly sunny. Currently, Australia is one of the countries with the highest incidences of skin cancer, witnessing over 1,850 in skin cancer deaths per annum. That number is even bigger than the number of deaths in the country that were caused by car-related accidents. Cancer Council Australia goes on to say that almost two out of three people in the country will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they age 70.

Cancer Council’s Sue Heward also shares they even found an increasing number of Australians who actually rely on the temperature they feel from the weather before deciding to apply sun screen on their body. Heat and temperature alone do not cause skin cancer. Rather, it is the ultraviolet rays that is the prime cause of the dreaded skin disease. Thus, Cancer Council decided to come up with a free iPhone application that will help iPhone users to detect dangerous levels of ultraviolet rays to help combat the occurrence of skin cancer.

Have you struggled with getting performance out of your audio card? Or maybe you have a computer that doesn’t have a sound card and you don’t know how to replace it. The good news is that the USB serial port on your computer can help you solve your computer audio problems when you use an external digital sound adapter.

Much like with USB video, USB audio solutions take the hassle out of digital media. You don’t need a sound card in order to listen to audio on your computer if you are using an external USB adapter — simply plug in your headphones and start listening! It also works as a port to connect a microphone to your computer, with many top models offering high-quality 5.1-channel stereo output.

If you are looking for an external USB audio adapter, a great choice is ByteRunner.com. They have all of the latest digital media equipment for your home entertainment needs. Get a great price on a USB IDE adapter or USB audio solutions. Check out all of their great deals at www.byterunner.com.

Aspen Tech, a leader in making software for the process industries, announced its financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2010. Earnings were stronger than analysts expected. The company has relied on a subscription based model, similar to the one used by online games such as Everquest and World of Warcraft. A spokesperson for the company announced that Aspen Tech expected to see high single digit or double digit growth during fiscal year 2011.

Subscription models have been risky for software not related to the online gaming industry. The developers of the AspenOne suite have developed a model that lets businesses control cost by subscribing to a certain set of services in the product. Companies purchase ‘tokens’ which give them the rights to use the software for a set period of time. 

Microsoft has suggested a similar model for its Windows operating system and Word products, but faces stiff competition from free competitors, such as Linux and the popular OpenOffice suite, developed by Sun Microsystems. 

Aspen Tech’s subscription revenue increased from 4 million dollars to nearly six million dollars in the year since they changed from a more traditional business model to the subscription business. Aspen Tech focuses on the process industries, primarily oil, coal and natural gas.

According to one company spokesperson, the first quarter of each fiscal year is usually slower than the other quarters. Unexpected growth is both good news for the company itself and a sign that the process sector of the economy is starting to recover, even if other important sectors still are economically troubled.