OneLouder Apps is no stranger when it comes to social media applications. Many of you like me are probably rocking Tweetcaster for all your tweeting needs. I love Tweetcaster. Its simple, manageable, and the interface is pretty to look at.

Well in comes ChannelCaster. An application that is going to bring your news and social outlets together in one easy app that has an interface that is sleek, sexy and easy to use. When I first opened ChannelCaster my first reaction was, “This kind of has a Windows phone 7 setup! Away demon!” Then I calmed down and proceeded onward.

Now I was not kidding on how the interface resembled that of a WP7 because it mashes all different  news and social media outlets into squares or we can call them what Microsoft calls them, “tiles”. You can even link your Facebook and Twitter to ChannelCaster just to make it that much easier to post videos our news stories to your friends around the world that you never see.

There are three different sections after you open the app. It opens automatically on the “favorites” section where you can put which feeds you like most, such as Google Reader, popular YouTube videos, Gossip Mash, Tech Mash, etc. Gives you the control of putting whatever you would like right when you open the app up. What is pretty cool to is, when you open one of the windows there is a little ticker at the top showing weather, stock, and other random things.

Next section is the “browse”  section. This is where you can take the time and look through all sorts of different social media from local, to jokes from comedians. I did not take a lot of time browsing through this section because there is a ton to look at.

The last section ChannelCaster has is the “build” section. This  is basically where you set up a profile and build your own channel. I briefly messed with this section but this article was mainly to tell you guys about this pretty awesome app and not give a full review on. Check out the demo video to get a quick taste of what I have been writing about.

Pretty cool stuff and the app is FREE. Yes that word we all love, so what are you waiting for. Download it and check it out my social media friends.

Application: ChannelCaster: Social News
Developer: OneLouder Apps
Cost: Free

Many of you have probably tried all the Siri clones out there. Iris Vlingo, Speaktoit Assistant, the list just goes on and on. To me it just seems like a Siri clone  is not going to cut it in the Android world. We have had this voice recognition technology since the beginning and now we are all looking for that technology to talk back to us.

So in comes Evi. She is the new dirty talker on the block. Evi not only works on the Android OS, but also works on iOS as well. So she isn’t picky. Always a good sign I guess. Evi comes from a company called True Knowledge, and  taps into the true knowledge search engine when asked questions.

According to Tech Crunch, Evi seems to be a little better at putting information together than Siri. Mike Butcher put both ladies to the test by asking them to make an apple pie. Siri pulled some web info and Evi actually pulled some apple pie recipes. A voice recognition app that can cook? Dream come true! Evi also is more international based, unlike Siri who mainly sticks with US based search results. Only features Evi lacks though, is all those personal assistant features such as creating reminders, checking calendars or adding events to calendars. Butcher said though that Evi is coming along and will be getting those features and that it is still in its beta phase. Check out the video below for more information on what she does. So you going to give the new girl a try? Or are you over the whole Siri clones out there?

Source: The Droid Guy

The Android development community is abuzz right now about a downloadable .APK file that made its way to the Internet today, thanks to up-and-coming developer and CyanogenMOD crew member, +Andrew Neal. For those of you who’ve been following us for a while, you may remember a while back when we first reported on the sexy new Music app that will be coming to CyanogenMOD 9 builds in the near future. Today, the world gets its first taste of said app, thanks to a post on Seeing Pixels and shared to Google+ thanks to Mr. Neal.

For those unfamiliar, the new CM9 Music app has a sleek and sexy UI and features a literal ton of functionality. The top-notch customization features in the application allow you to shop the Android Market for the currently playing song at the push of a button, share what track you’re listening to with all your social outlets, set your favorite song as ring tones, delete unwanted tracks, and search your music from anywhere in the app.

Some of the apps other key features include:

• Fling up to control your music
• Long press for Party Shuffle
• Long press for queue
• Custom notifications
• Drag and drop queue and playlist
• Custom lockscreen
• Themes
• Shake and flip options
• New widgets

The Music app only works on devices already running CyanogenMOD 9, so sorry about your luck if you’re not in that group — hey, I’m right with you too, so don’t kill the messenger. If you’re lucky enough to have a CM9-ified device, head on over to the source link below for all the 411 and download links. Then be sure to add Andrew on Google+ to keep tabs on his work and say thanks. Enjoy!

Source:  Seeing Pixels, via +Andrew Neal

Now undoubtedly some of you have already flashed your first Ice Cream Sandwich ROM onto your phone, and it was probably in either an alpha or beta stage. This comes true to me, after flashing two different alpha and beta ROMS, I have had my share of problems. The second ROM I flashed had everything working pretty well excepted that the launcher would crash anytime I would scroll through it. Many moans and groans came out of lips, so I went through the XDA forums to find a solution.

The solution came with the name Nova Launcher. Nova Launcher is a stock ICS home launcher replacement, and has way more features. Thank God for that. Some of your ROMs might already have this built inside it, but for those that just have a the plain old stock home launcher, check out what other goodies you can have:

• Custom grid size (default 5×4 on the Galaxy Nexus)
• User setting for auto-rotate
•  Resize any widget
•  All/New/Downloaded categories in App Drawer
•  Widgets-in-drawer (requires install as a system app) or from system picker
•  Shortcut or resizable information in Widget Drawer
•  Edit App Shortcut icon and label (Supports ADW Icon Packs)
•  Wallpaper scrolling options (Disabling scrolling improves performance of live wallpapers)
•  Cube desktop effect
•  Various other smaller tweaks/optimizations

One thing I absolutely LOATHED about the new ICS launcher (please don’t hate me) is the way you have to place a widget on your home screen. You have to click the widget tab, and then scroll through all your widgets to find the one you like. Now yes, it is nothing to really complain about but I am a widget freak and have a ton of widgets on my phone. So getting to the ones at the end just got annoying. With Nova Launcher, you get to the traditional hold down on the home screen and the pop-up window appears letting you easily (and quickly!) find the widget you want. Of course if you do happen to like the widget-in-drawer feature, there is a separate add-on for that.  I know it is dumb to complain about that feature on the stock ICS launcher, but I am glad this launcher gives me the choice not to have that. I must say as well, the launcher is really flies. I moaned and groaned again, but with a satisfied feeling this time. It has not crashed since I have been playing with it, so I am a happy little Android boy with stable ICS.

So if you are having launcher problems with your newly flashed ICS ROM, give Nova Launcher a shot. It is still in a beta stage but it is pretty rockin’. Head over to the XDA thread to download.

Link: XDA Thread

I’m keeping this short and sweet, folks. You know how much I love launchers, I know how much you love launchers. Take a gander at the most amazing (yep, you guessed it) launcher on the planet. It’s called TSF Shell Pro, and it’s an amazing 3D home screen replacement application being developed by TSF — aka The Special Forces. This 8-minute video is sure to leave you anxious to toss your money in the pot and get a taste of it for yourself. Check it out:

As soon as this is available, we’ll be sure to let you know. Until then, feel free to F5 that video as much as you’d like. Cheers!

Let the waiting list hype begin! Google has launched its Schemer app into the Android Market. Wait — what exactly is Schemer, you ask? A handful of Google employees have worked on a service that looks like a Foursquare and Yelp competitor — though Google hasn’t exactly owned up to the competition aspect just yet.

Google Schemer isn’t exactly what you’re thinking, though. In contrast to services like Foursquare, there are no “checkins” here. Instead, you build lists of things you’ve deemed cool (Google calls them “Schemes”) and wand to add to your list of things to do. After completing items from your Scheme list, you can check them off for your entire network to view. Of course, this is all tied in with Google+, bringing us one step closer to the all-in-one Google experience.

Google has also enlisted the help of some “professional Schemers” to help kick the service into gear. Partnerships have already been developed with brands like Southern Living, Idealist, Geek Dad, Bravo, Zagat and Rolling Stone, and there’s surely more on the way. The service is only available in select areas, as the service is still in beta, but if this catches on like Google hopes it will, other areas will be included in the near future.

Have you already gotten your invite? What do you think of Google Schemer?

Application: Schemer
Developer: Google Inc.
Cost: FREE

Ready for another Android launcher to tinker with? Earlier today, I posted about Lightning Launcher, a speedy, minimalistic homescreen replacement application. Now I’m back to tell you about Hi Launcher, from Hi Launcher Dev. My previous offering was all about keeping things clean and simple. Hi Launcher is one from the opposite end of the spectrum, for those of you who need a little more flare in your life.

Hi Launcher features a distinctive layout design brings unique visual experience, practical and intelligent category management, rich and colorful themes, collective and unified shortcuts, and WYSIWYG icon customization. For those of you who are concerned with task management, there is an app killer conveniently built-in on the homescreen, allowing you to free up system resources and regain wasted memory.

If you’re looking for an app that allows tons of customization, look no further. I know how much you folks love your launchers, so waste no time in checking out Hi Launcher for free in the Android Market. A download link awaits you below.

Application: Hi Launcher
Developer: Hi Launcher Dev
Cost: FREE

Show of hands — who likes experimenting with new homescreen launcher applications on their Android device? Just as I suspected, there’s a ton of you. Lightning Launcher, from PierroX, is one that I’d like to bring to your attention. This minimalistic app is possibly the speediest launcher on the Market. While, it may be intended for older devices which don’t have a ton of extra RAM to spare, Lightning Launcher is a nice addition to any Android phone, especially if you’re looking for a straight-forward experience with none of the extra razzle-dazzle that other launcher apps offer.

You won’t find any impressive 3D transition effects here — the goal here is to offer a quick and easy way to navigate through your applications, and Lightning Launcher does just that. By eliminating all those extra special effects, you’ll be conserving more memory while saving battery life. The .apk is also relatively small, weighing in at only 146k. This means you’ll also be saving storage space on your device, so you’ll have more room for the things you really want to download.

Even with the removal of all the extra unwanted effects, there’s still room for a bit of customization with Lightning Launcher. The application settings allow you to configure the look and feel of your homescreen. You can roll with icons and application names, just icons, or just application names. You can also choose wallpapers and custom fonts, so while this app may be “minimalistic”, there are still a few options for those who can’t help but tinker.

If you’re tired of hearing me talk about it, and you’re ready to give Lightning Launcher a go, hit the link below to proceed to the Android Market.

Application: Lightning Launcher
Developer: PierroX
Cost: FREE

Well, hello there, my lovelies! I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday so far. I’ve got a nice little app I wanted to tell you about, called Alfred by Clever Sense. If you’re the type of person who just can’t stay at home, but don’t really know where you want to go, why not have a little chat with Alfred and let him recommend somewhere for you?

When you first open the app, you’ll be asked to teach Alfred. To teach him, you basically just answer his questions which ask where you like to eat for certain occasions (dinner during the week, lunch with friends, etc). After you answer, he will ask if you like similar places based on his artificial intelligence. The more you teach him, the smarter he will get. His recommendations will come to you based on your tastes, the time of the day, and the day of the week — pretty nifty, right?

Alfred allows you to refine your searches for cuisine type, price range, dietary restrictions, distance and a slew of other options. You can also view details about a place, like address and menu, and what’s particularly good there. He will show you  places close to your current location, or you can plan ahead and search other locations so you’ll already know what to do when you get there.

Unfortunately, Alfred is only available in the United States for now, but he’s hard at work learning about other countries, so hopefully users from other countries will be able to spend some time with him soon. If you live in the US and you want to meet your new best friend, hit the link below.

Application: Alfred
Developer: Clever Sense
Cost: FREE