You can use your Android-powered mobile smartphone as a wireless hotspot for multiple devices while continuing to use standard phone features, such as making and receiving calls or sending and receiving text messages. Most mobile phone providers require an additional data plan to use your phone as a mobile hub/hotspot/router.

Agreed; that you might be put off even starting this process because you think that Android phones are still considerably expensive, well they have been on the market for long enough now that you can find some great deals. If you visit a price comparison site like uSwitch, then you can search for great android phone deals. Once you have bought yourself a cool new Android smartphone, turning it into a wireless hub wouldn’t be much of a hassle. Read on…

How to Turn Your Android Smartphone Into a Wireless Hotspot?

The steps to enable the mobile hotspot on your phone will vary depending on the device.  Here is how you set up your phone as a wireless hub…

First You Need to Tether

There are many ways you can tether your phone to your personal PC, laptop or Mac. However they may require adapting advanced settings on your Android device; we won’t be advising that. The advice we will give means downloading some Android apps (programs) directly on to your phone and changing a few basic settings.

Step-by-Step Tutorial on How to Use PDAnet App to Turn Android Phone Into a Wireless Router

You need to start by opening up the Android Market and looking for an application called PDANet. This is free of charge, so download it straight on to your phone. The latest version of PDAnet turns your Android  (any version) into a true WiFi HotSpot so that you can connect from your computer (MAC or PC) or iPads. This allows your laptop to go online wirelessly through the 2G/3G/4G network on the Android Phone.

And the best part? PDAnet supports USB/Bluetooth DUN and it does not require a tether plan or rooting. At just one click, PdaNet instantly shares the Internet access of your Android phone with your computer. It does NOT require root access or hacking your phone’s firmware. It works on all Android phones.

When you have it installed, you need to get the accompanying program to your personal computer. Make sure you select the right one for your PC, which should be clearly labelled. The program will be in several versions , so best to get the most recent, if your computer supports this.

Then you just need to change one setting on your phone. Start at the home screen, then hit the Menu key and go to settings. Then go to Applications, then to Development. The next step is to hit USB debugging. Then finally hit OK on the confirmation dialog box.

Now the PdaNet app should stream information straight from your android to your computer. To protect yourself, you should disallow that USB debugging setting whenever it is not in use.

Then you need to start the connection. To do this, make sure you phone is plugged into the USB plug on your computer. Start the PdaNet app on your android and hit the Enable USB Tether setting. The app will check for the PC equivalent, that you have already installed.

It will then let you know that it is operating in the background. Then you need to look on your computer, and look for the PdaNet setting, right click on this and hit Connect from the menu.

You should now have confirmation that you are connected and your PC should be running through your phone. That’s it! You can now use your Android phone’s data plan to connect your PC or Mac to the internet — FREE of cost. And yes, the PdaNet app also has another option ‘Enable Bluetooth DUN’. If you have Bluetooth then you could always connect without wireless and use this option instead.

It also allows you to view the videos and photos taken from the cell phone that has the software installed. Users just have to log into their Mobile Spy account through internet browser.

What is Mobile Spy and How it Works?

Mobile Spy is a software application that allows Android users to monitor their mobile phones in real time. A unique cell phone spy software traces the activities of the person using the Android phone powered with Google technology. Mobile Spy is a small installed application that initiates each time the mobile phone begins to boot.

After Mobile Spy is installed on the Android phone, it starts recording call activities and text messages and then uploads the data silently (through the Internet) into the private Mobile Spy account of the Android user. Whenever signal is available, this cell phone spy system records the GPS locations once in every fifteen minutes. GPS rates vary and results can be viewed through Online Control Panel, which is accessible through any phone web browser.

Mobile Spy is a program that gets directly loaded into the Android phone, with a target to monitor cell phone activities. The cell phone spy system works on silent mode until the interface, to modify settings is active. The Online Control Panel is where Android users can log in to their account to view the results recorded and uploaded by the mobile device. The LIVE Control Panel is an optional add-on that can be purchased. It displays the live location of the mobile device, directly emails all recorded logs to the user’s email address, and allows to remotely gain control over the device.

Logging Features

Mobile Spy is a powerful cell phone spy system with the following logging features:

- Ability to monitor call activities, SMS, and GPS online in real time
- Safely stored logs in secured and private Mobile Spy account
- Control Panel is accessible at any web browsers
- Flexible time to login anywhere and anytime in order to view results without direct access to the device
- All activities including time/date stamp are detectable through mobile number
- The below logs are instantly captured and uploaded:

> Call log – Every call is logged along with the time and duration stamp, be it incoming or outgoing
> SMS Log – Every text message is logged even if the logs on the device are erased. It includes broad text as well.
> GPS Locations Log – All the positions of GPS are uploaded every 30 minutes along with a link to the map
> Contacts – Every contact including new ones are logged and recorded
> Calendar Events – Each calendar event whether locations, time, and date are logged
> URL Log – All website and URL addresses are logged by the mobile browser
> Photo & Video Log – All videos and photos taken are logged and can be viewed

The LIVE Control Panel of Mobile Spy is an innovation that permits Android users to perform live control and surveillance on their mobile device from anywhere. This function is done by the cell phone spy system in a secured manner. With this feature, Android users can now view the screen of their mobile device (just like a television) along with the instant map of the current location. The control panel includes instant commands such as “send an SMS from the device”, and “initiate a normal call”. Other inclusions of the control panel areas follows:

- Locking/unlocking of the device through an optional siren alarm
- Securing the updated SIM information in case the mobile device is stolen or lost
- Accepting silent SMS commands for Lock, Wipe Data, SIM info, GPS Location, and more
- Enabling delivery of all logs to the user’s email address

Other Features:

Mobile Spy is a new cell phone spy technology that may sound complicated but very easy to use. It is ideal for monitoring all Android mobile devices. Along with the purchase and subscription of the Mobile Spy package with exclusive features, you also get excellent customer support. Some of the excellent features of cell phone spying application include:

- Instant Download
- Step-by-Step Guidelines
- Customized Username
- Monitoring of up Three Mobile Devices
- Online Tech Support
- Free Updates
- SniperSpy
- The Truth

Having an Android powered smartphone enables you to download and install as many apps you want. Some of them are quite strange and deserve to be categorized as downright weird. But that should not hamper you from downloading them as they are fun to use, addictive and good time pass stuff. This article contains and reviews five strange but somewhat useful apps you can download to your Android for free.

Carrr Matey by Lionebra Studios

Speaking like a pirate, owners of cars in the big cities often find themselves parking in the street. Those who work in the mall, for instance, have to park their car in a huge lot. It can be very easy to forget where you parked, which is where Carrr Matey comes in handy.

Indeed, other apps do exist, but this is arguably the best one on the Android market. Not only does the GPS allow you to mark and locate your car, but it speaks like a rough, sailing pirate. Don’t park your car — drop your anchor, and let Carrr Matey find your dock again. You can even set a timer to remind you when your parking meter is about to run out.

Tricorder by Moonblink

The latest Star Trek iteration has completely wiped the franchise and started it fresh, meaning it is okay to admit your Trekkie status. In other words, it also means you can show off your recently downloaded Android app called Tricorder, which beeps just like the “real” ones from the franchise. It even visually looks like a device Scotty would have used to double-check the engines.

However, Tricorder does actually come with some practical use. For instance, it can measure how strong your Wi-Fi and cellular signals are wherever you are, as well as the acoustical levels of your surrounding area — such as if you are about to record your voice for a podcast.

It also informs you the nearest satellites and GPS signal, which helps if you ever want to know why your GPS service is being a bit erratic. In other words, it has a little something for every technology nerd, all with the added bonus of the single most interesting interfaces on this side of the Neutral Zone.

Bic Concert Lighter by Bic USA

You remember the times when you saw your favorite band perform at a concert. You jumped crazily and burst out the lyrics in perfect sync with the singer. Back in the day, all it took to show you were having a great time was taking out your lighter and flicking it on, waving it back and forth — unfortunately, management and health codes of the concert hall alike have both decided that thousands of lit lighters are a bit of a fire hazard. What else can you do?

Take out that Android and open your lighter; that is, your Bic Concert Lighter app. What this app offers is a full-screen image of one of many Bic lighters — you can pick the design in the Settings option, which include Tattoos, Geometrics, Flick my BIC and Astrology.

Flicking the lighter open is as simple as touching the screen, featuring the hidden flame underneath and a realistic sound effect to accompany it. Swaying your Android back and forth or left to right shows the appropriate movement by the flame in order to stay upright, just like a real lighter.

Easy Metal Detector Lite by Androidika

Want another way to help get back the money spent for that new Android? Not a problem — just use Easy Metal Detector Lite to find any lost coins floating around your neighborhood.

Yes, it really works. How? The compass feature of your Andriod phone functions due to a magnetometer inside of the device, and if elementary school science has taught its students anything, it’s that magnets can find metal pretty well.

My Magic 8 Ball by CWE Software

There are many sources that can help you predict your future — but why not pick My Magic 8 Ball? This Android app features a picture of an 8-ball that offers one of 20 responses to answers when you shake your phone. This is essentially just a magic 8 ball, but on your phone.

The new user interface should make it easier for users to find relevant content with more lists of available Android apps, games, movies and books that are country-specific — such as new releases, top paid, top free, top grossing and other options in sorting what’s for sale.

Revamped Android Market for Mobile Adds Movies, E-Books

The new Market client is designed to better showcase top apps and games, engage users with an improved UI, and provide a quicker path to downloading or purchasing your products. For developers, the new Android Market client means more opportunities for your products to be merchandised and purchased.

“With the Videos app, available in Android Market, there’s no more waiting for downloads, syncing, or worrying about storage space,” Google said in a blog post. “Simply sign into Android Market with your Google account, and you can rent movies from anywhere—the web, or your Android phone or tablet—and start watching instantly.“

To view different lists, all a user has to do in any section of the Android Market is flick a finger left or right, making navigation easy and fairly intuitive.

For users who are ready to buy, the click-to-purchase flow has now been streamlined so that users can complete a purchase in two clicks from the app details page. During the purchase, users can also see a list of your other apps, to help you cross-sell your other products.

The page will also feature a thumbnail to a product video for apps or other content that offer such a preview.

In case you do not own an Android phone yet but you want a closer look at the new version of Android Market, then check out thi promo video:

Available for smartphones running at least Android 2.2 (Froyo) and higher (all the way up to Android 3.0 Honeycomb), the new version of Android Market will be rolling out worldwide in the coming weeks.

Google is part way through a massive makeover of all its product and service user interfaces, which kicked off with the introduction of Google+ two weeks ago.

There are over 200,000 applications on the Android App Store/Market today – up from 50,000 a year ago while the store was launched – but the huge growth in the platform has brought with it a rise in malicious apps designed to steal user data.

Unfortunately, this issue highlights the flaws in Google’s open store approach compared to the tightly controlled nature of Apple’s iTunes App Store.

Over the past few months, Android users have been victims of threats ranging from various levels of intensity. What began first as a threat tool for desktop users has now furthered onto the mobile users.

Keeping this view in mind, a host of anti-virus applications have been released in a last ditch. For instance, this week security firm Webroot released its Webroot Mobile Security for Android software, which is available on the Android Market. There is a free and paid version.

Even Google has been trying to be proactive to fight such malware attacks, but often the outcome has been far from desirable. One instance would be the attacks that a malicious app called DroidDream began doing rounds. Although Google did intervene but most of the damage had been done already.

In another instance, on Wednesday, Google removed multiple applications from its official Android Market application store that contained malware.

Google’s move came after AegisLab, a security firm based in Taiwan, released a security alert warning that applications including iBook, iCartoon, iGuide, iCalendar, Sea Ball, LoveBaby, and 3D Cube Horror Terrible — all published by “zsone”–contained code designed to quietly send SMS messages to premium telephone numbers in China, resulting in either a one-time charge or an ongoing subscription.

At least 11 Android apps contain malware that is rigged to automatically send text messages from your Google Android smartphone to phone numbers in China. Moreover, 17% of all reported smartphone infections “were due to SMS Trojans that sent SMS messages to premium-rate numbers, often at irretrievable cost to the user or enterprise.“

However, even though alarming the four-fold increase in malware targeting Android isn’t unexpected. “You don’t have to be extraordinarily smart to write mobile malware these days because most devices don’t have any security tools to stop the malware,” said Dan Hoffman, chief mobile security evangelist at Juniper Networks.

Asked whether the reported rise in Android malware meant anti-virus programs for the platform were desirable or necessary, a Google spokeswoman did not directly answer the question.

“We are committed to providing a secure Android Market experience for consumers,” the spokeswoman said.

In the meantime, watch where you procure mobile device applications, and especially beware third-party application stores, for example in China, where access to the official Android Market remains blocked. In particular, criminals often hide malware in clones of well-known applications, and especially Android games.

Android is the mega success of the smartphone world. By the end of this year, according to market analysis reports, Android will be the number one smartphone OS in the world; it already is in the U.S., and it has been a real success story for Google. What has not happened yet is Android has not become the darling of the tablet world.

To date, the only tablet success has been the iPad. While there are countless Android powered tablets on the market, none of them has managed to make it to a major wireless carriers’ number one spot. The reason is that they are all running Android 2.1, 2.2 or earlier versions, which barely support the smartphones, that these versions of the OS are optimized for, and they do not lend themselves well to a tablet.

Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb: No More Open Source?

Google is preparing to release Android 3.0 “Honeycomb,” the first tablet optimized version of the OS, and it is a much awaited development. The first tablet to sport the OS, the Motorola Xoom, while not very successful due to pricing issues, showed the potential of the new Android version and it is somewhat impressive.

The move on the part of Google was intended to allow Android developers time to port some of the key features of the tablet optimized OS to smartphones so that the next iteration of the OS for their smartphone clients would be up to par with Honeycomb. It is that simple, so everyone just calm down; but wait! There is a bit more to the story to leave now…

Google is the originator of the Android OS, or at least it became so after purchasing the original company that wrote the code. Then Google joined with several other companies to create the Open Handset Alliance, a non-profit organization promoting the idea of an open source OS for smartphones, unifying and promoting development of this major new technology.

The Open Handset Alliance control Android and one of the issues the Alliance is addressing is Android’s apparent fragmentation. Being as they are all open source, the phone makers can change Android to suit their needs, creating the possibility that the OS will fragment, or branch off into different versions that are increasingly incompatible. To avoid this, the Open Handset Alliance governs what changes can be introduced into the base code of the OS, and even Google has had some proposed changes rejected.

The need to back-port Honeycomb features to smartphones is clear, as Android 3.0 is the next major plateau for the maturing OS. Eventually there will 3.0 for tablet and smartphone and, well we will see. It is important that this new platform avoid the potential fragmentation that was a concern with the 2.X iteration of the OS. Now that everyone is calm, there is the possibility that there will be some closing off of the Android ecosystem.

Android Leashed

The Wild West days of Android development may be ending. There has been much criticism of the platform from a security prospective and this has hampered Google’s efforts to break in to the business market. While Android will remain open source, there may be some core changes that are being built into Honeycomb that are intended to correct some of these weaknesses going forward.

Google is being a little unforthcoming about what the future holds and some speculate that 3.0 may be delayed until there can be a smartphone version of the OS first. Whether this is the case or not, there is little doubt that Android will remain open source. This is not only part of its charm but also key to the success of the business model.

Guest Author: This is a guest article by Jon T. Norwood who is a managing partner at High Speed Internet, a site dedicated to providing information on Internet Providers and Technology. Jon can be reached at jon@velocityguide.com.

“When Steve Jobs personally closed the front door with a curt two-word email stating: ‘No Interest,’ we were left with no alternative but to climb through the Cydia window to let iPhone users see and lower their exposure to cellphone radiation,” wrote Tawkon CEO Gil Friedlander in a blog post.

Apple’s reason for rejecting the Takwon app was that it used private APIs.  However, if Tawkon’s claims are to be believed then “Death Grip” increases levels of radiation emitted by smartphones (e.g. Apple iPhone 4) in addition to attenuated signals. And we wonder if this is the actual reason why Apple wouldn’t approve it in their app store!

Here is some quick information on the technology used by the Tawkon app — “Tawkon is based on the patent-pending RRITM (Real-time Radiation Indication) technology that collects and analyzes RF-related data extracted from the mobile device. Complex algorithms considering environmental and personal usage factors help determine actual radiation exposure levels. Results are calibrated in an RF lab to ensure radiation levels are accurately monitored and that actions taken actually helped lower the user’s exposure to radiation.”

In more simple words – The Tawkon radiation detection app analyzes the cellular radiation your iPhone emits at any given moment, at any given location, whether in standby mode, or within a call. However, this condition is also known about on Android phones and the company even has a Blackberry app that can measure the radiation, so its not just a problem with Apple’s phone.

To be honest, this app is only giving a prediction because you’d need expensive equipment to truly measure radiation, but if the algorithm is correctly programed, it should be a great indicator of how much radiation the device is emitting.

As this video demonstrates, the Death Grip antennagate problem, which is fortunately (for Apple and all iPhone 4 users) not exclusive to the iPhone 4, not only affects reception and call drops but radiation levels too. However, the video also shows that the iPhone 4 actually emits significantly less radiation than other front-line smartphones like Nexus One and BlackBerry 9700. Hmm…

Death Grip Video Demo on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry

Interestingly, Tawkon feel so strongly that users should be made aware of what levels of radiation they are being exposed to that they have filed a public petition to force Apple to make their app appear in iTunes. Interesting battle in store ahead. In the meantime, if you’ve got a non-jailbroken iPhone and are still afraid of cell phone radiation, then consider using a protective case for your Apple phone. It’s perhaps safer than getting advice from an app, anyway.

The store itself will provide a genuine rival to the official Android Market, which is allowed under Google’s terms and conditions. However, Amazon Appstore will have a defined approval process for apps, making it more like Apple’s App Store than Google’s Android Market.

While the Android Market lets users download free and paid applications, the Amazon Appstore will let users test applications they’re interested in on a simulated Android phone. Customers access the application simulation through their computer using a mouse. The company calls this feature ‘Test Drive‘.

With Test Drive, consumers can decide if they like the application before bothering to download it. This is an intelligently designed feature distinction from Google’s own Android Market.

Amazon.com is also offering another perk to bring users into the Appstore. Amazon has partnered with Rovio Mobile and it’s already been announced that the paid version of Angry Birds – as well as the game’s official Rio tie-in – will bypass Android Market (initially at least) and debut on Amazon Appstore. It’ll be interesting to see how many more popular apps follow suit.

Customers can buy applications in the Appstore in two ways. Users may buy applications through their computer’s Web browser, or through an Amazon Appstore application they may download to their Android phones or tablets. Moreover, the Amazon Appstore will offer customers a paid application for free every day.

On the flip side, Apple doesn’t seem to be too happy with Amazon’s decision to call their store as ‘Appstore‘! And Apple has in fact filed suit against Amazon.com for trademark infringement, claiming ownership of the App Store name. We will keep our fingers crossed as this conflict unfolds. In the mean time, what do you think about this Amazon’s App Store for Android?

One of the greatest setbacks of the Android platform has been the absence of a killer media player, as its native media player is simply lacking. But Winamp for Android is a powerful new alternative now. And Winamp on Android is a winner because it’s simply a very solid audio player.

Winamp is now available for Android 2.1 and up, and features a playback widget for the Android desktop and Last.fm integration. But that ain’t all! If you install Winamp 5.59 beta on your PC, you can sync and manage your libraries via USB or WiFI. When you click on an album cover as you are listening and you get discography information, news, and music reviews from AOL Music. With the support of over-the-air syncing for music, Winamp can sync music from your desktop to your phone.

The new, free Android app has been in a beta testing phase since October 21 and the reviews from the technology community have been overwhelmingly positive – an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 from users. Many music lovers today have a vast library of music on their computer but lack an effective means to transfer their files to a non-Apple mobile device — and Winamp for Androids seems to fill in that gap quite nicely.

Download Link: Winamp for Androids can be downloaded from winamp.com/android or Android Market.

Pacman

Seriously! Who doesn’t know about this game? Who hasn’t played this game? This is one of the most popular games and is present on almost all the platforms. The android version of the game is neat and looks and feels like its arcade counterpart. The graphics, sounds, experience says it all. The android version is well detailed with the ghosts and fruits on it. Just give a try and you would love it!

Dynamo Kid

It’s tough, challenging, addictive, tricky and not for the faint of heart, period. What else someone would expect from a $2 game? The controls are real simple; to make Dynamo Kid jump, the user has to tap on the screen. This was the easy part of the game. The game gets complicated with the introduction of the bad guys. They can be killed with the same touch approach. Along the way there are the villains with balloons which can’t be killed but can be moved with the tap. It’s similar to the Mario games and a must play for a Android user.

Diner Bash

One question before the review! Have you ever played Café World from Zynga. This game did remind me of Café World. Here you are the waitress. Guys don’t mind being a waitress; it’s a nice game to play if you don’t want to change your sex virtually. The game is about a waitress and her intense job. So in the game, keep your eyes open, seat customers, take orders, serve drinks, deliver food and collect tips. It’s a completely entertaining, addictive arcade game. Have a try!

Angry Birds

After having the golden period in iOS, Angry birds has taken birth again for Android. Long wait huh! Two betas, repeated delay in the release and finally it come. The storyline of angry bird is simple; in each level you are supplied with some angry birds that have had their eggs stolen by evil pigs. There are five different races of birds, each with its own traits. You have to launch the birds at an appropriate angle using a catapult to eliminate the pigs. This game is highly addictive. Just make sure you do not kill pigs in reality; they ain’t that bad.

Also Read: Step By Step Guide To Unlock All The Stages In Angry Birds Game [Android]

Slimeball Speedway

The game is quick and gets even quicker when progresses. A growing ball of slime races through town and eats the inhabitants! A factory mishap has transformed a chemical spill into a speeding slimeball of doom! You have to navigate your sinister slime as it rolls through town eating the hapless victims that cross its path. The more the blob eats, the bigger it gets. The bigger it gets the more objects it can eat. As your blob grows, so does its speed– so make sure it eats as much as it can! Worth a try for a android gamer.

Bonus Game: Pinball

I loved this game on my PC as a kid. I couldn’t control myself from trying this one on the Android! The game has been designed smartly with a number of boards. Pinball for Android charges you with the task of keeping your ball alive for as long as possible by flicking it away with your flippers. It’s very easy to control – you just hold down to activate the plunger and then tap the screen to move the right and left flippers. This is perfect for beginners, though pinball purists may curse the absence of independently controlled flippers or a nudge feature.