The Best Android Tablet Apps for Communication

From tablet-based texting to social media management, these Android tablet apps are at the top of their class when it comes to communication.

Android Tablet Apps: The Communication Collection:

We humans are social creatures, and technology has made us more connected than ever. Armed with an Android tablet, you can take your communication to new heights--if you have the right set of apps in your arsenal. After countless hours of searching and testing, I've pulled together some of the finest communication programs available for Android tablets today. All of them are optimized to take advantage of a tablet-size screen, and all of them offer standout features that will add power to your shiny Android slate. Ready to load up your tablet? Read on.

1. SyncSMS: 

Still relying on your carrier's text messaging service? Grab SyncSMS, a nifty little app that lets you send and receive standard SMS messages on your Android tablet. SyncSMS actually runs simultaneously on your phone and your tablet. The initial setup is a bit involved, as you have to install the app on both devices and also provide credentials for a new or existing Dropbox account (which the app uses to store data temporarily as it syncs messages). Once configured, though, SyncSMS is as smooth as silk; incoming texts pop up on your tablet with threaded conversations and contact photos in place, and composing new texts is incredibly easy. SyncSMS costs $3.

2. Wikitude World Browser:

Bring a social layer into the real world with the free Wikitude World Browser for Android tablets. Wikitude harnesses your device's GPS function to give you detailed user-generated information about your surroundings. The app offers an interactive map filled with tweets sent from folks in your area, user reviews written about nearby locations, local businesses with lots of check-ins, and Flickr photos captured close by. You can find restaurant lists and Wikipedia articles, too.


3. Reddita:

Social sharing service Reddit has a rabidly devoted fan base, and if you're among their number, the Reddita Android tablet app is ready and waiting to serve you well. Reddita, created by a third-party developer, gives you a great tablet-optimized interface for keeping up with all the latest Reddit chatter. You can browse through the site's many categories ("subreddits") to view items and then tap on any item to bring up its content--whether it's plain text or an embedded link--within a separate on-screen panel. You can also scroll through Reddit's threaded comments, of course, and leave your own witty remarks. Reddita supports up- and down-voting, customizable notifications, and messaging for signed-in users. The app is free but ad-supported; an ad-free version is available for $1.60.


4. Plume for Twitter: 

When it comes to Twitter and tablets, Plume for Twitter is without a doubt at the top of the pack. Plume gives you an elegant interface for keeping up with your tweets: Its main screen shows three customizable columns for viewing your timeline, mentions, and any searches or lists you like. Tapping a tweet brings up a larger window with any relevant images plus options for replying, retweeting, and viewing the poster's profile. Plume even has its own optional built-in browser so you can open attached links without having to exit the program. The main Plume app is free but ad-supported; you can go ad-free with a $5 "premium" upgrade.


5. IM+ 

If you use multiple instant messaging services, IM+ is the app for you. IM+ connects numerous types of IM accounts into a single streamlined interface, giving you a simple way to chat with pals without having to install a dozen different programs. IM+ works with AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, Skype, Yahoo, and several other popular platforms. It supports photo- and audio-file sending as well as group chats, so it's perfect for conversing with your friends and colleagues. You can even set up multiple accounts within the same IM service. IM+ is free but ad-supported; for an ad-free environment, you can buy the optional IM+ Pro upgrade for $5.

6. Google Voice:

Don't let the plain-vanilla style of this app deter you from realizing its full power. Google's free Google Voice service gives you unlimited text messaging and powerful voicemail management, and together with the Google Voice app, it lets you keep up with conversations on your tablet, too. The free Google Voice app puts your inbox front and center, with all of your SMS and voicemail messages displayed in a single streamlined list (just as they are on the Google Voice website or Android phone app). You can search archived messages, browse by label, and compose new messages. The Google Voice app provides full notification functionality as well, so you can receive an alert on your tablet anytime a new message comes in.

7. Friendcaster for Facebook:

Facebook has yet to release an Android app that's truly optimized for tablets, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer. Just download Friendcaster for Facebook, the free third-party Facebook app that does make tablets a priority. Friendcaster, now for phones and tablets both, lets you keep up with your News Feed and post status updates from an intuitive, tablet-oriented interface. The app provides full support for Facebook photos and messages, as well as for groups, events, and pages (Facebook chat is not integrated directly into the app, but is available via a free add-on). Friendcaster has optional notifications, too, if you like to get alerts when new activity happens. An ad-free version costs $5.

8. Google+:

And another from the Google family: the company's official Google+ Android app, available for free in Google Play (Android Market). The Google+ app offers tablet-friendly functionality for a slew of Google+ features, including the network's Messenger instant-messaging utility and its Hangouts tool for on-the-go video chat. Google+ also provides an "instant upload" option that can automatically sync photos from your tablet to a private online album, making the images instantly available on any computer or mobile device. The Google+ app, like the service, is free to use.
Source: PC World

Update: Cyberwar Articles

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• Confirmed: US and Israel created Stuxnet, lost control of it
  In 2011, the US government rolled out its “International Strategy for Cyberspace,” which reminded us that “interconnected networks link nations more closely, so an attack on one nation’s networks may have impact far beyond its borders.” An in-depth report from the New York Times confirms the truth of that statement as it finally lays bare the history and development of the Stuxnet virus—and how it accidentally escaped from the Iranian nuclear facility that was its target.
• Spy malware infecting Iranian networks is engineering marvel to behold
  Malware recently found infecting Middle Eastern networks is so complex and sophisticated that it’s probably an advanced cyber-weapon unleashed by a wealthy country to wage a protracted espionage campaign on Iran, researchers from some of the world’s leading security companies said.
• Tiny banking trojan can do a lot of damage
  Security experts at CSIS say that they have discovered the smallest online banking trojan yet. Called Tiny Banker (Tinba), the malware is just barely 20 KB in size, including its configuration files.
• How a trio of hackers brought Google’s reCAPTCHA to its knees
  Google revamped its reCAPTCHA system, used to block automated scripts from abusing its online services, just hours before a trio of hackers unveiled a free system that defeats the widely used challenge-response tests with more than 99 percent accuracy.
• FTC to investigate Facebook purchase of Instagram
  U.S. antitrust regulators sent a “second notice” to Facebook earlier this month regarding investigation, according to Reuters.
• Google told by EC to play ball or face a trial
  The European Commission is warning Google to change its search methods or the company will be forced into court over antitrust issues.
• New Microsoft EULA fine print nixes class action
  Microsoft is changing its end-user license for unspecified consumer software and hardware products to eliminate users’ ability to engage in class-action lawsuits.
• Apple’s Crystal Prison and the Future of Open Platforms
  Two weeks ago, Steve Wozniak made a public call for Apple to open its platforms for those who wish to tinker, tweak and innovate with their internals. EFF supports Wozniak’s position: while Apple’s products have many virtues, they are marred by an ugly set of restrictions on what users and programmers can do with them.
• No More Start Menu Hacks in Windows 8 Release Preview
  In addition to the wide range of other changes that the almost-here Release Preview of Windows 8 is expected to pack in terms of performance and visual design, there might also be some that could make some users very unhappy.
• Fedora 18 to support UEFI Secure Boot
  Matthew Garrett, kernel developer at Red Hat, has given details of the plans to ship Fedora 18 with the ability to boot under UEFI secure boot. The Secure Boot technology of UEFI will be enabled by default on future Windows 8 hardware and is designed to ensure that only appropriately digitally signed operating systems will boot.
• Cannot access secured Web sites after OS X update
  Inconsistent symptoms suggest several approaches people can try to get certificate-based Web communication working properly.
• Facebook’s traffic from Google and Bing takes a nosedive
  New stats show that ever since Google launched “Search Plus Your World,” referral traffic to Facebook has been halved. Oddly, though, the same thing has happened with Bing traffic too.
• Google Apps for Business receives ISO 27001 certification
  Google Enterprise Director of Security Eran Feigenbaum has announced that the Google Apps for Business web-based productivity suite has received ISO/IEC 27001 certification. This means that the company’s online business suite has now been certified to comply with the IT security family of standards which governs “explicit managed control” of information security.
• Microsoft ticks off advertisers with IE10 ‘Do Not Track’ policy
  The “Do Not Track” feature will be turned on by default in Internet Explorer 10, a move that’s upsetting the advertising community.
• Skip Internet Explorer for Web Dev. Save $100,000
  An interesting story about a new startup that is avoiding developing for IE since it costs more money. “To save more than $100,000, 4ormat decided to skip Internet Explorer, opting to only allow users to access its service through Mozilla’s Firefox and Google Chrome browsers.”
• Mozilla official article: “To have the Australis theme up for review next week”
  After numerous mockups and expressed user desires (and a serious amount of positive feedback), it seems that, according to an official blog post, the Firefox developers are “to have the Australis theme up for review next week”, meaning the new Australis theme is to probably land in Firefox in the near future (probably first in its nightly and BETA channels).
• 2012′s Best Linux desktop: Linux Mint 13
  The Linux Mint distribution keeps getting better and better with its own take on GNOME, the Cinnamon Linux desktop.
• Wine 1.5.5 adds support for Mono as an add-on package
  Version 1.5.5 of the Wine open source Windows API implementation has been released. The most notable changes include the addition of support for installing the .NET 4.0 runtime and for installing Mono as a Wine add-on package.
• SkyDrive Support Coming to GNOME 3.6
  On May 31st, Debarshi Ray, a developer for the GNOME Project, announced on his blog that initial support for SkyDrive has been implemented in the daily builds of the GNOME Documents app, via the GNOME Online Accounts software by using a Windows Live account.
• Virtual currency exchange ‘good idea’ yet tough to establish
  The concept of a virtual currency exchange, in which gamers can sign up with to trade their in-game currency with other types of virtual money as well as real-world ones, may seem a “good idea”. However, it will be difficult to set up and flourish due to regulatory constraints and lack of game operators’ buy-in.
  
  Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/115564/week-in-geek-u.s-and-israel-caught-operating-as-partners-in-cyberwarfare-scandal/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=030612