Rating: ★★★★¾ 

Price: $1.99
Category: Tools
Website

Do you love your Android smartphone but wish that the battery life would last longer?  Or, do you like to have fast functioning apps while you multi-task without having to sit around tapping your fingers while you wait for your phone to respond?  Well, then you should check out the SetCPU for Root Users app which lets you take total control over your phones CPU settings.  This application works on rooted Android phones including the the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, Motorola Droid, Nexus One, G1, G2, Samsung Galaxy S II, myTouch 4G, and Motorola Xoom.

Not only can you use SetCPU to overclock your phone’s CPU so it can handle multi-tasking like a dream, but you can also dial the CPU speed way down at times when you know you will not need high-performance from your phone which will drastically extend the life of your battery-charge.   SetCPU makes controlling all of these different settings easy by allowing you to create different profiles for certain conditions.

Apps like SetCPU for Root Users can potentially be scary for people that don’t know what they are doing or unsure of what settings will affect particular phone functions.  But, don’t let that fear shy you away from this app.  The thousands of happy customers of SetCPU can attest for the excellent customer support and responsiveness of the develepors who appear to be there anytime you need help and advice.  It is obvious that whether you are a techie or someone that just wants to get more out time on their phone between charges, you will find the SetCPU app to be an excellent purchase at only $1.99.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Price: $3.32
Category: Personalization
Website

Are you sick and tired of your Android desktop stock images?  Millions of users are!  These users are now fleeing to open-source applications that allow manipulation, modification, and customization of basic Android device defaults – like ADWLauncher EX.  ADW is a normal functioning application that sets a high standard for other desktop altering apps.  You will not only awed by its sheer brilliance, but you will be relieved due to the fact that it’s so EASY TO USE.

You may be asking yourself, “What is different about ADW that I can’t find elsewhere?”  Well, the answer to that is you can enjoy hundreds of beautiful themes, a flawless icon editor, and a highly transmissible dock-bar.  Plus, there’s an abundance of options and settings to mess around with – like object sizes, colors, and animations.  The developing team, AnderWeb, has made it fairly easy to understand as they offer substantial customer support and various visual tutorials.  You will not be ashamed of this purchase, so get it now!

Rating: ★★★★¾ 

Price: $0.99
Category: Arcade/Action
Website

Angry Birds is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.  Many smartphone users may have a couple of Angry Bird applications on their iPad, iPhone, and Android, but they just can’t seem to get enough of this global phenomenon.  If you’re among the die-hard fan base, you probably have the entire stuffed animal collection, all of the board game adaptations, and possibly even a tattoo of Big Brother Bird on your lower back.  But, there is one thing that you don’t have – Angry Birds in SPACE.

Developing team, Rovio Mobile Ltd., has done it again!  They have added another widely praised sequel to the bird collection.  For an extended sequel, this application doesn’t fall short of it’s predecessors as it features 60 astronomical levels and new strategies.  In Angry Birds Space, there is no gravity, so your typical run-and-gun tactics will have to be reimagined to reach a new skill set.  So, if you’re in the need of a AG fix with new birds, new superpowers, and new levels, then check out Angry Birds Space if you haven’t already.

Rating: ★★★★¾ 

Price: $4.99
Category: Brain/Puzzle
Website

Have you every imagined what it would be like to see little balls of goo constructing bridges and towers to a particular destination?  No?  Well, neither have I.  So, I guess that’s what makes this game one of the most innovative apps on the Android Market.  World of Goo is a unique puzzler designed to test your building abilities with an amazing physics engine.  You can undeniably feel the pull of gravity as your goo structure grows wider and taller.

Graphically, World of Goo is stunning.  The artistic value of each level, cut-sequence, and frame is absolutely awe-inspiring; there isn’t a doubt in my mind that the developing team, 2D Boy, spent countless hours making sure this game is eye-candy.  This application has won many and various awards, including “Game of the Year” from IGN, MetaCritic, and TouchArcade.  World of Goo is a hard app to pass up on.  Although the price may not look to appealing when compared to the standard 99-cent listings, WoG is definitely worth $5.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Price: $4.99
Category: Music/Audio
Website

Have you ever heard a song that you liked on the radio, in a commercial, or over the PA system in a grocery store, but you didn’t know anything about the song – artist, title, or lyrics.  Well, if you don’t already have Shazam, then your musical anguish, despair, and frustration will shortly be a problem of the past.  SoundHound is the latest Android Application to please your musical tastes and knowledge.  Not only will your friends and family be impressed with your newly discovered MP3 collection, but they’ll also admire your ability to find and discover unknown songs.

SoundHound Incorporated has developed a well-built machine.  This App is the worlds fastest music recognition device; it only takes 4 seconds of capture-time to deliver the results you need.  SoundHound has the only viable singing and humming recognition on the marketplace.  Not only will you have everything you need for song discoveries on your Android smartphone, but you’ll undoubtedly be completely dependent on it as well.  If you’re looking for a well-reputable music recognition application, look no further, Shazam is going to have to sit this one out.

Rating: ★★★★¼ 

Price: $1.99
Category: Weather
Website

Do you like to check the current weather and temperature on your phone but wish your standard weather app had more functionality?  Well, for less than 2 dollars, you can download the WeatherBug Elite app for your android phone and have more weather information at your fingertips that you could ever get from a freebie app.  The makers of WeatherBug Elite, Earth Networks, aren’t new to the weather information scene either.  They have been providing millions of on-line users news and weather details specific to a particular geographic area for years.  Over this time, Earth Networks has perfected the art of forecasting so much that many major weather broadcasting teams actually pull their details straight from the WeatherBug applications.

So you may be wondering exactly what this little app can do, and I can’t think of a weather function that it fails to deliver.  Obviously, you are able to check the current temperature and weather conditions of any location on Earth with WeatherBug Elite, plus access radar scans and 7 day extended and hourly forecasts so you can plan activities accordingly.  Earth Networks has also packed a severe weather alert system, lightning strike maps, access to more than 2,000 weather cameras across the U.S., and the ability to check weather conditions at-a-glance for all your saved locations into the WeatherBug Elite app.

My favorite feature of this app is the live active wallpaper for your cell phone which allows you to see current weather conditions on your phone’s screen without even opening up the app.  There is a free version of WeatherBug, but this one comes with more gadgets and is 100% ad free.  You definitely will not be mulling over your decision to purchase this android app with a tiny price tag after you have experienced the full-functionality of WeatherBug Elite

Rating: ★★★★¼ 

Price: $0.99
Category: Sports Games
Website

In the 90′s there were Michael Jordan vs Larry Bird “showdown” McDonalds commercials showcasing impossible basketball shots – like off the window, over the balcony, nothing but net.  In the past few years, you’ve seen hundreds of ridiculous YouTube videos with wanna-be stars bouncing off trampolines, launching off blow-up rafts, and jumping off rooftops to capture and share their trick shots with the world.  And in 2012, the trick shot craze will be dominated by Dude Perfect – the app that is available for all of your handheld devices.  This new app takes the fun of the age-old game of H-O-R-S-E and puts an arcade-like and whimsical spin on it where your player will be bouncing a basketball off of insurmountable obstacles and into the twine.

Dude Perfect displays high-res graphics that are colorful and cartoon-ish, and it resembles an Angry Birds style of game.  Your player progresses through levels equipped with a basketball in hand, and then you help determine the angle and strength of shot necessary to overcome the obstacles and ultimately put the ball through the hoop.  Each level has different scenarios and fun, engaging environments.  And, if the pre-designed levels become lack-luster after you master the shots with your eyes closed, then go to the level-builder and design your own.  There are tons of options for you to use when you create your own challenge with Dude Perfect, and your friends will love joining you in a game to test their skills.

Download Dude Perfect from your app store for less than a buck, and pass the phone amongst your friends during the half-time break of a game or between rounds at the bar.  If you’ve taken time to master your shots, you will revel in victory!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Price: $0.99
Category: Brain & Puzzle
Website

Just when you thought you mastered one of the most popular apps of the year, Cut the Rope, the creators at ZeptoLab introduce their next installment of Om Nom puzzles and obstacles.  This second “episode” is dubbed Cut the Rope: Experiments, and if you’ve completed every level of the first game or even dabbled with a level or two, then you already know most of the skills you will need to utilize in Experiments.  But, this isn’t just a set or pack of new levels for your Om Nom.  Cut the Rope: Experiments has completely new environments which will challenge your creativity and take your problem solving skills to new heights.

You should watch the trailer if you’re curious about the storyline behind Cut the Rope: Experiments.  Or, you can just take my word that this game is based around Om Nom being discovered by a crazy professor/scientist who decides the best way to study the cute, candy-hungry, green glob is through a series of experiments.  As in the first game, Cut the Rope: Experiments lets you progress through the levels and stages of the game by completing puzzles and collecting as many gold stars as you possibly can along the way.

All in all, there are 125 new levels in this game and ZeptoLab has plans to add levels in the future.  Plus, they have added a social aspect to the game where you can share your score and even hidden photos that are rewarded as you make your way through the levels.  Go ahead and spend that dollar for this game.  You will be happy you did, and you will feel like a brainiac after you complete the obstacles necessary to feed your hungry Om Nom!

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Price: $6.99
Category: Arcade/Action
Website

Do you know the saying, “Everything happens in 3′s”?  Well, in today’s gaming industry, if you’re a video game developer or publisher, your virtual creation doesn’t mean anything to worldwide consumers if it hasn’t popped out at least one sequel.  In the case of first and third-person shooters over the past year, there’s been a couple of trilogies that have hit the market like Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  Each one of those console titles are phenomenal, but that’s just it, they’re on console units – Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.  What about bringing a little trifecta magic to the handheld device universe?

Developing team, Gameloft, has an answer for that call.  They’ve created another addition to one of the biggest and highest-praised FPS series on the iOS and Android Market – Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation.  Although this App is it’s own entity, it seems to pull a lot of it’s substance from MW3 and BF3.  That is not necessarily a bad thing, because everybody seems to be riding the same bandwagon.  The graphics are amazingly good for a smartphone device and the controls are frustration-free, most of the time.  MC3:FN comes complete with 13 campaign missions with scenarios that range from Los Angeles to Pakistan.  If you’re not in to the whole single-player fad, hop on to the online multiplayer; play with up to 11 other players on 6 different maps and 7 various game types.  Everyone loves this game, so, why not join the frenzy?

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Price: $0.99
Category: Brain & Puzzle
Website

Are you looking for some interactive and social fun on your phone?  Well, the OMGPOP has created Draw Something – the perfect app for non-artists that love to draw and share their masterpieces with others.  The concept of this app is quite simple.  Turn it on, choose one of the random words that pop up on your screen, and then draw it with your fingers.  The tools available for you to use when drawing are limited but sufficient, and you can even get a color pack if you want to add a little more life to your drawings.  Once you have completed your masterpiece, you can then choose which of your friends/contacts you want to send it to, and off it goes into virtual space.  Once your friend receives the drawing, they will play a hangman-like game to guess the word you drew.  Don’t have any friends?  No problem!  You can randomly search for someone to send your drawing to and even make new friends.

Some users have reported issues with the app freezing on their phone or running extremely slow, but OMGPOP seems to be responsive to that feedback and have even released a new version that solves those issues for most people.  There is a free version available, but for pennies why not download the full version so you can get free coins, 2500 words to draw, and 5 free bombs.  The Draw Something app is the perfect way to waste a few minutes when you are waiting for the bus, in a boring meeting, or just wanting to engage some of your friends via your phone.