Android Market hits 50,000 apps

Launched in October 2008, the Android Market now has 50,000 apps to choose from in its application marketplace.

While not nearly as quick as the iPhone to 50,000 apps, which Apple achieved within a year, the Android Market is proving to be the alternative market for mobile apps. The Android Market was announced on August 28, 2008 and was made available to users two months later. This weekend, it passed the 50,000 app mark.



Apple currently has almost 200,000 apps in the App Store, and notably has started purging certain types of apps, like the those in the "sexy-to-porn" category. In fact, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in an email to a customer, "You know, there’s a porn store for Android. You can download nothing but porn. You can download porn, your kids can download porn. That’s a place we don’t want to go – so we’re not going to go there".

Google (GOOG) has also been forced to remove tethering apps in its US Android Market due to contractual agreements with T-Mobile, though developers who enable their phones for development can get those applications running on their Android phones.

With hot new Android devices like the Dell Mini 5 and Sprint Evo waiting in the wings, the market for Android apps shows no sign of slowing.


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10 Breakfasts that Slim and Energize

Did you eat breakfast today? If your answer is yes—good job!—you’ve already done something pretty fantastic for both your weight and your health and your desire to slim down for spring! Breakfast eaters consume fewer calories and less saturated fat through the day than those who don’t have a morning meal, research shows. Morning munchers also have flatter abs and a lower risk for heart disease.

For these reasons and others, I’m a big fan of breakfast. In fact, I sometimes have two—a quick bite before my workout and then a fiber- and calcium-filled “second breakfast,” such as my favorite parfait of Greek yogurt, granola and fruit, at the office a couple of hours later. A high-fiber, calcium-rich mix of whole grains, protein (including eggs and dairy) and fruit keeps my energy up and my weight down.

If you want quick, healthy breakfasts you can whip up before dashing out of the house, post this list of 350-calorie meals on your fridge door. (Don’t let cholesterol worries keep you away from the egg options—research shows you can eat up to three eggs daily without raising LDL, the harmful cholesterol.) Get set to rise and shine—and slim!

SPEEDY WEEKDAY BREAKFASTS (about 350 calories each)

Breakfast Burrito
Cook 1 Amy's Breakfast Burrito as directed on package. Top with 2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt. Serve with 1 orange.

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich
Order 1 Starbucks Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon and Egg Whites English Muffin sandwich.

Cream Cheese, Fig and Nut Wrap
Roll up a whole-wheat wrap with 2 tbsp light cream cheese, 4 dried fig halves and 2 tbsp chopped walnuts.

Cherry-Vanilla-Almond Smoothie
Blend together 1 cup frozen cherries, half a medium banana, 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt and 1 tbsp sliced almonds. Add a few ice cubes to make it more frothy.

Strawberry Almond Oatmeal
Prepare 1 packet instant plain oatmeal with 1/2 cup skim milk instead of water. Top with 3/4 cup frozen strawberries, thawed; 2 tbsp sliced almonds and 1 teaspoon brown sugar.

Apricot, Almond and Ricotta Toast
Spread 2 slices whole-wheat toast each with 2 tbsp part-skim ricotta and 1 tsp apricot preserves; top each slice with 1 1/2 tsp sliced almonds.

5-Minute Egg and Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Crack 1 egg into a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave until egg is cooked through and not runny. Layer 1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light cheese, egg, 2 oz smoked salmon and 1/4 cup raw baby spinach on a Whole Wheat Arnold Sandwich Thin. Serve with 1large apple.

LEISURELY WEEKEND BREAKFASTS (about 350 calories each)

Portobello and Pesto Egg Scramble
In a medium sauté pan, cook 1 sliced portobello mushroom cap with 1/4 cup chopped red onion in 1 tsp olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk 4 egg whites with 1 tbsp water and add to pan. Scramble mixture over medium heat until eggs are no longer runny; add salt and pepper to taste. Just before removing from heat, fold in 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella and 1 tsp prepared pesto. Serve with 1 slice whole-wheat toast.

Peanut Butter Waffle-wich
Top one toasted whole-grain waffle with 2 tsp peanut butter, 2⁄3 cup sliced apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Top with another whole-grain waffle. Serve with a café au lait made with 4 ounces coffee mixed with 4 oz steamed skim milk.

Spinach and Smoked Gouda Egg Sandwich
Sauté 1 cup fresh spinach with olive oil cooking spray until wilted (add pepper and garlic powder if desired); set spinach aside. In same pan, fry 1 egg plus 1 egg white in cooking spray until no longer runny. Top eggs with 2 tbsp shredded smoked Gouda. Sandwich eggs, cheese and spinach between 2 sides of a toasted whole-wheat English muffin. Serve with 1 orange.

original article.

Microsoft debuts 'social' phone

morning!

The software firm says the phones have been created specifically to help people who like to stay in touch with friends and share content.

Fitted with a high-resolution camera, the phone is also the first to access Microsoft's Zune music service.

The launch is designed to counter rivals such as Apple, Google and Research In Motion's Blackberry.

Made by Sharp, the two Kin handsets will go on sale in the US in May. In Europe, the Kin models will be available on the Vodafone network and will be launched in Autumn 2010. No prices have been given for the phones.

"This is a phone that knits together a tight community of kindred spirits..., the phone personifies true kinship between people, technology, friends and customers," said Robbie Bach, president of the entertainment and devices division at Microsoft.

Both phones have a multi-touch screen and a slide-out keyboard. The home screen of the device is always on and shows the latest events, such as text messages, tweets, or shared images, happening among someone's group of friends

The phone has an area dubbed the "spot" onto which owners can drag content, such as videos, and then decide how to share it and who to share it with. The phone works with popular social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Also, anything created on the phone is mirrored online and organised into a timeline and can be accessed from any web browser.

"Social is the DNA of this phone," said Microsoft's Derek Snyder, one of the product marketing managers who worked on its development. "Social is the fabric of this experience."

The Kin marks a departure for Microsoft which has typically offered its software to phone makers. With Kin it will have control over both hardware and software.

One question being asked after the launch was if Microsoft was coming too late to the feature-phone party.

Blackberry maker Rim has a firm grip as the market leader for business smartphones and Apple's iPhone is the one to beat among consumers.

"Sure, Microsoft has fallen behind in this space but there is a lot to like here," Van Baker, vice president of research at analyst group Gartner, told the BBC.

"They are not deemed to be very competitive in the marketplace and deemed largely to be an enterprise play and this is their effort to get into the consumer space in a very good way," he said. "I think it is a good entry."

According to research firm Canalys, Microsoft's software currently has about 9% of the smartphone market. That puts it fourth in the global market behind Symbian, Rim and Apple.

In early 2010, Microsoft launched the latest version of its mobile phone operating system, called Windows Phone 7 series.

It will replace Windows Mobile. The next OS will integrate the company's other products including its Bing search engine, Zune media marketplace and Xbox Live video-game network.

original article.