The mobile operating system showdown is entering into a new level of competition as the iPhone, Windows Phone 7 Series, and Android platforms all take the stage to battle it out.  The Android has been quite a resounding success, despite the seeming monopoly of Apple and the iPhone.  Android is a Linux-based mobile operating system that is now owned by Google.  Since its first release in 2007, Android has garnered much success and acclaim, especially due to its open-source, free nature.  It has gotten much support from application developers.  In this article, we will cover some of the best apps currently available for the Android mobile operating system.

ASTRO File Manager

In practically any gizmo or gadget that deals with file structures and large amounts of data, a file manager is one of the most essential and useful software that you will need.  For Android phones, one of the best file manager solutions is ASTRO File Manager, which allows you to navigate through the files and data on your phone's internal memory, as well as your memory card.  The best part about this app is that it isn't just a well-developed file manager, but it also has some other great features.  With ASTRO File Manager, you also get a task killer, shortcuts for sending files as e-mail attachments, and a means of backing up your applications and data.  This file manager can also work as an image and file viewer, it has support for .zip and .tgz files, and it has handy search functions--all for free.

Listen

Listen is an application that has been developed by Google for the Android.  This app has had some ups-and-downs in the past, but now it has been revamped and fixed into a more formidable and more impressive podcast app.  With Listen, you can search for, subscribe to, and manage podcasts with ease.  You can even back up your subscriptions through the export features, then you can manage them through Google Reader.   There are a number of other great podcast apps out there, but what makes this one interesting is that it is made by Google, so you can expect that it will continue to be developed to have increased functionality and compatibility with other Google and Android services.

Layar

Layar has come to be known as one of the best augmented reality apps out there.  This Android version has many of the features and services that you will find in the iPhone version of the app.  Basically, what this app allows you to do is view various types of information in an augmented reality interface, meaning that all you have to do is point your phone's camera around and the screen will display information based on Internet and positioning services.  Layar works through "layers," which are the parameters for your augmented reality information.  For example, you can get Tweeps, which shows information about Tweets posted by Twitter-users in nearby locations, or you can try MIMOA, which shows information on nearby restaurants, museums, sights, events, etc.

Wireless connectivity has quickly become a technological standard in new gadgets and gizmos.  Consumers like you and me expect pretty much every gadget we buy and own to be able to wirelessly connect, communicate, synchronize, and work together seamlessly.  One of the best uses of wireless connectivity is the ability to use your mobile phone to control your computers or laptops.  Hardware manufacturers have long been making wireless mouse and wireless keyboard technology, but now the new trend is is in mobile apps designed to allow you to use your mobile phone as a wireless keyboard and mouse for your other hardware.  In this article, we will cover three mobile apps that offer you some great functionality and features for complete, mobile, remote control of your computers.

Apps for the iPhone and iTouch:  Mobile Air Mouse Pro and Logitech Touch Mouse

Logitech has long been one of the leading hardware manufacturers for computer peripherals, especially when it comes to keyboard and mouse peripherals.  Just last week, Logitech released their Logitech Touch Mouse application on the iTunes App Store.  With this app, your iPhone or iTouch can connect to your computer or laptop through Wi-Fi.  You can then use your device as a multi-touch trackpad with some of the following options and functions:

-  Two- or three-button mouse emulation
-  Two-finger scrolling
-  Keyboard
-  Landscape or portrait mode
-  On-screen text display while you type

Like most remote mouse and keyboard software, you will have to install the Logitech Touch Mouse Server on the Mac or PC that you want to control.  The best thing about this software is that you can download it straight from the App Store, free of charge.

Mobile Air Mouse Pro

Another great remote control app for your iPhone or iTouch is Mobile Air Mouse Pro.  Mobile AIr Mouse Pro costs $1.99, but it comes with a number of extra features that can't be found in Logitech Touch Mouse.  Some of the great features on Mobile Air Mouse Pro include the following:

-  Trackpad with either vertical or horizontal orientation
-  Media keys (i.e., eject controls and volume controls)
-  Support for custom-scripted media and web remotes
-  Remote keyboard with function, arrow, and modifier keys
-  Programmable hotkeys
-  Foreign language support

Apps for the Android:  Gmote

For the Android, there are also a number of applications available for remote controlling your computer.  One of the most popular is Gmote.  Gmote is a free application that you can download and use in three, easy steps.  All you have to do is download and install the Gmote client for your Android device, then download and install the Gmote server for your computer, and finally launch Gmote from your phone and use it to connect to and control your computer.

Just recently, Google hosted a big event launching its latest Nexus One, the first model created on the Android 2.1 operating system (OS). The event mostly centered on the Android 2.1 OS and what the user's can expect from Google's latest. And now, the developers and users can get their hands on the Android 2.1 SDK and start availing of its features. So what exactly would make users love this Android 2.1? Here are some of the features you might love about the new OS:

Multiple emails

The new OS is capable of opening more than one Gmail account via the same inbox. This is especially useful for people who have multiple Gmail accounts, which when you think about it is practically everyone. Hence, you don't have to make switches anymore, subtracting the hassle of setting up two separate accounts.

Photo gallery

The photo gallery will be grouped according to dates, time, and location. This translates to a much more coordinated album. What's more, you'll be able to do your browsing via a 3D wall, which Google has adapted from COOLIRIS.

Living wallpapers

Although for some, this feature could just be one way of wasting your battery, others may find an interactive wallpaper a novelty. Especially for those who want their phones to look pretty, the interactive wallpaper feature can be one of the most attractive attribute of the Android 2.1.

Voice controls

Some people count this as an amazing feature. Imagine being able to send emails and tweets via voice directions. Now, isn't that cool? You can tell the phone what you want and it will take you there via specific voice directions. With this feature, people could find greatly increased efficiency in their daily lives, not to mention that it sounds like something out of a futuristic movie.

Weather application

It provides per minute updates via GPS and gives information ranging from temperature and humidity in your location.

Google Earth

Granted, this is not entirely new since iPhone already has Google Earth. However, some users may find that Android 2.1's Google Earth has a few tweaks that put it a few notches cooler than iPhone's.

Automatic phonebook

This device is relatively easy to use. The only thing you have to do is sign up on your Google account via phone, and just like that, everything's updated. User friendly at its best, once connected, it can automatically pull up relevant information without too much problems.

The application becomes more efficient too. No longer do you have to drag--all you have to do is tap and the application zooms in. Now, isn't that great? There are actually various features that you might love about Google's Android 2.1, but so far these are the ones you might want to watch out for.

One of the more immediate plans of Motorola is the introduction of more Android handsets. The company strives to offer a range of devices that utilize the mobile operating system, in an effort to target the different buying preferences of the market. This piece of news has been announced just recently by the Chief Executive Officer of Motorola’s handset division.

The latest from Motorola

The latest Android handset from Motorola is the Backflip. There are two distinguishing, impressive features of the Backflip. Not only does it have a keyboard that is easily foldable behind the screen, it also comes outfitted with a 3.1-inch touch screen. Due to the distinctive design of the folding keyboard, Motorola was able to affix a keyboard that is much bigger in size. Sanjay Jha, one of the CEOs of Motorola and the Chief Executive Officer of the Motorola handset business, was giving a speech at a press conference in Las Vegas when he announced the individual features of the Backflip.

Jha was quoted as saying, “We are hoping to launch the product during the first quarter.” Also, it was mentioned how the Android handset is going to be marketed through operators on a global scale.

Backflip users will be able to get the best use out of the touchscreen feature, as the handset comes with a small touchpad at the back of the screen, allowing them easy touch navigation without having to worry about blocking screen display information with their fingers. Jha also mentioned that in the future Motorola has plans of releasing APIs which will permit developers to utilize the touchpad in a more innovative manner.

How the Android has helped Motorola

Although Motorola has had less than stellar sales performances in the past, the Android was able to stimulate brisker sales for the handset business, also taking into consideration the warm reception of the consumer market for the Cliq and Droid handsets offered during the last quarter of the previous year. It is the goal of Motorola to take advantage of the initial success of the aforementioned handsets and to design more prototypes that serve the needs of customers with varying preferences and buying power, said Jha.

Also, Motorola is poised to release two other models in China, along with the other Android handsets already developed by Motorola. These models include the MT710 Zhiling and the XT800. The MT710 Zhiling will be marketed by China Telecom no later than February 15 of 2010 while the XT800 is a model created for China Mobile. TD-SCDMA support and 3G are just some of the features inherent in the XT800.

Adobe Flash 10.1 for the Android handsets

Motorola has also plans of adding Adobe Flash 10.1 to the Android handsets as a software update, other than the Backflip feature. Jha said that this will enable mobile users to access more options on the Web through their handsets. Nonetheless, no date has been announced yet as to when Motorola users will receive the Flash 10.1 software update.

The mobile operating system known as Android has taken the world by storm.  The Android operating system has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a project by the startup company Android Inc.  Today, Android is owned by Google and it has become a big name among consumers who want a flexible, functional, and highly customizable mobile operating system for their mobile phones.  Here are five free Android apps that you might want to give a try:

1.  For gamers -  NESoid

This little application is a treat to all of those gamers who want to get their games on the go.  NESoid is an Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator, which means it can run digital versions (ROMs) of NES games.  If you want to unlock extra features, you just have to pay $3, but you can still play games with the free version.

2.  For IM lovers -  Fring

If you love staying online and keeping in contact with your friends, relatives, co-workers, and the rest of the instant messaging world, then you should grab Fring.  This peer-to-peer Mobile VoIP application allows you to talk and chat with most of the instant messaging and Internet telephony networks.  Some of the networks you can use include Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, MSN Messenger, AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Skype, and SIP providers.  Fring allows you to stay connected while your on the go.

3.  For the proudly productive -  Documents To Go

If you want the ability to edit your documents on your Android-powered mobile phone, then Documents To Go is the best answer.  This application allows you to view, edit, and even create documents such as Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.  The free version gives you access to features for viewing, editing, and creating Microsoft Word and Excel files.  Premium features include support for PowerPoint and PDF files.

4.  For tinkerers -  Astro

If you are a tinkerer who likes to see all the files, processes, and tasks on your phone, then Astro is a great application for you.  This app allows you to view, copy, cut, paste, delete, or move files on your phone and any storage card you have in the phone.  Astro can read zip or tgz files, as well as backup and restore many of your public applications.  This handy app also allows you to send files as attachments, view and kill open tasks, and take full control over your phone.

5.  For multimedia junkies -  FxCamera

Anyone who loves taking photos with their mobile will love the FxCamera app.  This free application gives you various effects so you can make the most of your phone's built-in camera.  Some of the effects that FxCamera can give you include normal, Warhol, SymmetriCam, Fisheye, Polaroid, and ToyCam.

When Adobe Photoshop was released on the Apple App Store, it was just one among the over 100,000 applications available to iPhone and iPod Touch users.  After making over one million downloads in the first week after its release, it was clear that Adobe Photoshop's application was in a league of popularity of its own.  With applications for both Apple's iPhone and Microsoft's Windows Mobile devices, Adobe Photoshop had only one more major mobile operating system to conquer: Android.  In the spirit of mobile app domination, Adobe Photoshop has just released a Photoshop mobile phone application for Android phones.  If you are in need of a great photo editing application for your Android mobile, then you definitely need to check out the Photoshop.com Mobile App for Android.  Here are some of the reasons you should get Photoshop.com Mobile for Android now:

1.  Get the professionalism you expect from Adobe.

Adobe Systems has been in the business of creating professional software for over 25 years.  Specializing and focusing in multimedia and creativity software, Adobe Systems has come to develop and release some of the best software for everyone, from casual users to the top professionals in the fields of photography, art, graphic design, publishing, film, videography, and other multimedia-related industries.  Adobe Photoshop is just one of the many prized software families that has come from Adobe Systems.  With Photoshop.com for Android, you get the professionalism, attention to detail, and expert experience that Adobe has to offer in the form of a mobile app that allows you to edit and manage the digital images stored in your Android device.

2.  Get the functions that you want and need.

Adobe's Photoshop.com App allows you to take control of many of the basic image-editing tools that you need.  First, the app allows you to adjust color levels, crop picture, apply various image effects, and rotate images with just the touch of your fingers.  All you have to do is select a tool and start editing your picture through the touchscreen display on your Android.  Aside from image-editing, the Photoshop.com Mobile App for Android also gives you quick and easy access to sharing functions.  Once you create an account with Photoshop.com, you will gain access to a number of online tools through your Photoshop.com App.  You can upload your images, store them online, and share them with your loved ones.  The app even has an "Auto Upload" function that will send any new photos from your Android to your Photoshop.com account.

3.  Get it for free.

Perhaps the best thing about the Photoshop.com Mobile App for Android is the fact that it is free.  Just like the version of the app released for the iPhone, the Android app can also be downloaded and installed, free-of-charge.