Like a child star making the inevitable transition from puberty to probation, the two biggest names in the smartphone game also suffer from some serious identity issues. The BlackBerry is by nature a business device trying desperately to appeal to consumers, while the iPhone is the ultimate consumer trinket clamoring for acceptance in the corporate world. Neither one is categorically better than the other. Each excels at certain tasks and falters when it comes to others. Which one you should purchase depends wholly on the features your lifestyle requires. And with that little disclaimer out of the way, here are ten areas in which the BlackBerry spanks the iPhone.

1. Choice of Carrier

We’re not sure where AT&T is getting its claim of having "more bars in more places" (maybe the same wishing well where Microsoft got its "people-ready software"), but in our experience, in locales all over the country, AT&T’s coverage is plagued by more holes than a Swiss cheese dartboard. Unfortunately, with the iPhone, you’ve got no other choice (at least for now). BlackBerry, on the other hand, is available on every major U.S. carrier, and loads of smaller ones, too.

2. Choice of Device

Apple makes one iPhone — a few more if you count the older models and various capacities that are available. But, they all look almost exactly the same. You know what that sound is when you put your ear up to a seashell? It’s not the ocean. It’s the resonating echo of the world’s collective sigh of disappointment when the iPhone 3GS was announced and not a single cosmetic change had been made. For those interested in such luxuries as "options" and "individuality," we count no fewer than nine vastly different BlackBerry models, including touchscreens and QWERTYs, clamshells and candy bars.

3. Multitasking

One thing’s for certain, the iPhone is all about choices. For example, should you browse the Web, or should you send a text message? Should you play a video game, or should you update your Facebook status? Unlike BlackBerry (and the Palm Pre), the iPhone doesn’t allow third-party (and many first-party) apps to run in the background, thereby forcing us to do things one at a time. Read an e-mail. Close. Update Twitter feed. Close. Listen to Pandora. Close. Meanwhile, BlackBerry users get to walk and chew gum at the same time — and that Bubblicious smells mighty good.

4. Multimedia Messaging (MMS)

Maybe multimedia messaging (MMS) isn’t important to you. Then again, how else are you supposed to convince friends of how adorable Mr. Peepers looks in the mini-sombrero you bought for him on your vacation? Yes, MMS is on its way to the iPhone by the end of summer, but what’s that? Another two months? The fact that this feature hasn’t been available on the iPhone since launch is laughable; it makes you wonder how slowly AT&T will be to add new services and technologies to future iPhone models. For BlackBerry users on AT&T, it’s a non-issue.

5. Tethering

Much like MMS, the ability to use your iPhone as a laptop modem was announced as part of the 3.0 software update — it just wasn’t actually included in it (for American iPhones, anyway). Unlike MMS, however, AT&T isn’t even venturing a guess as to when tethering might be available. What’s more, AT&T PR folks won’t confirm if tethering is going to be allowed on all iPhone models or if it’ll just be for the 3GS. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduce from the title of this article that, yes, tethering has long been possible on AT&T with several BlackBerry models. Hey, even Watson could have figured that one out.

6. Better E-mail and Corporate Integration

With the release of it’s 3.0 operating system, the iPhone made some inroads toward being taken seriously as an enterprise device. But, its continued lack of offline access to e-mail should be a red flag for business users (not to mention anyone who wants to read and respond their e-mail in the middle of a flight or while on the subway). And, the fact is most CIOs and corporate IT managers still view Apple’s phone as either a security vulnerability or a toy. RIM’s platform is practically classic at this point. Buy a BlackBerry and there’s a 99.9-percent chance it’ll work with your company’s e-mail. Pigs will fly before the iPhone gets that kind of deployment in the corporate sphere. Remember, the folks holding the keys to this castle are the same one who wet their pants at the very thought of upgrading your work computer past Internet Explorer 6.

7. Keyboards Options

Smartphone keyboards are kind of like your Senior Prom: Touching is good, but getting touched back is even better. You could do one-handed ‘Dance Dance Revolution’ on your iPhone all day and never know without using your eyes if you’re actually pressing keys or not. Some folks don’t mind such a one-sided relationship. A recent patent application filed by Apple hints at the possibility of haptic feedback on the iPhone touchscreen someday — then again, that idea could already be dead and buried in the Apple patent graveyard. Whether you’re tapping on a physical QWERTY keyboard or catching a buzz off of the Storm’s tactile touchscreen, BlackBerry is the partner that gives back.

8. Memory Card Slot

Internal memory on all BlackBerrys is meager at best. The Cadillac of iPhones, on the other hand, has 32-gigabytes (GB) of built-in memory, making its lack of an expansion slot a near non-issue. But, imagine being able to instantly double your iPhone’s capacity with a 32GB SD card. That extra beef sure would come in handy with the new video goodies on the 3GS. Plus, there are plenty of situations in which an SD memory card slot would be nice: instantly moving media between a variety of devices, for one; or, printing photos at a kiosk without your PC playing middleman. The iPhone’s Big Gulp hard drive is nice, but the microSD holes on BlackBerry are convenient and (almost) endlessly expandable. Internal or expandable, McDonald’s or Burger King, Seacrest or Satan — we’ll leave this one to personal preference.

9. Removable Battery

It’s a trend more troubling than Capri pants on men: Apple’s total boycott of removable batteries across its entire product line. Stripping us of the right to bear backup batteries for our cell phones is something only Apple would ever have the hubris to do. Yes, a built-in power cell begets a smaller form factor, but at what cost? How useful is a trimmer iPhone when the thing goes limp after five hours of talk and there’s not a thing you can do about it? The reality is, there are going to be times in life when a power outlet isn’t immediately accessible. And in those times, it’s sure nice to be able to swap a backup battery into every BlackBerry model available.

10. Sports to Go

Though probably not a deal breaker for the ‘World of Warcraft’ set, sports fans should be aware that AT&T has crippled the Sling Media app for iPhone. If you’re not familiar with Sling, it’s a set top box that allows you access to your home TV and DVR over the Web. If you purchase a season pass to watch your favorite games on TV, you can watch them via Sling even if you’re 1,000 miles away from home. With a Sling app for both iPhone and BlackBerry, it stands to reason you can catch live games virtually anywhere. Oh, except that AT&T only allows iPhone users access to Sling over Wi-Fi, while BlackBerry users get to stream over Wi-Fi and 3G. Smells rather discriminatory to us.

The iPod can supercharge your learning. But it’s often a matter of finding the right software and content. Below, we’ve listed several new pieces of software that will let you suck more educational media (DVDs, web videos, audio files, etc.) into your iPod. And we’ve also listed some important pieces of content that will make your iPod a better learning gadget. So here it goes –

1. Put Wikipedia on Your Ipod

Encyclopedia is a free piece of software that brings Wikipedia to the iPod. Encyclopedia can be installed on iPod generations 1 through 4, as well as iPod Minis. Definitely worth a try.

2. Watch DVDs on Your iPod

This free, open source software works on MacOS X, Linux and Windows, and makes it simple to load and watch DVDs on your video iPod.

3. Load YouTube Videos to Your iPod

ConvertTube allows you to take any YouTube video and convert it to a format that works on your iPod. It’s as simple as entering a url and clicking “convert and download.” If you want to give the software a test run, try converting these UC Berkeley courses that were recently launched on YouTube. Or download any free software available on the net like format factory or free iPod converter.

4. Make Other Video Formats iPod-Ready

There are three other pieces of software that will make a variety of other video formats iPod-ready. For Windows, see Videora; for Mac, see iSquint. Or more generally see Zamzar. In a nutshell, these items will turn a wide range of video formats into the one video format (MPEG-4) that your iPod likes.

5. Convert MP3 files into One Big iPod AudioBook File

Downloading free audiobooks can often require you to work with a series of separate mp3 files, which can make things rather cumbersome. Freeipodsoftware.com does you a favor and mashes the files into one manageable file. And it has a feature that will let your Ipod remember where you stopped if you decide to take a break. (If this one appeals to you, be sure to see item # 10.)

6. Create eBooks for the iPod

Ambience.sk allows you to turns text files into ebooks that you can read on your iPod. After you load a text file, it will make the text readable through iPod Notes (which you can find under “Extra Settings”). Then, voila, a portable text. Thanks to Pachecus.com for pointing this one out.

7. Record Web Audio and Move it To Your iPod

Designed for Macs, iRecordMusic enables you to easily record audio from web pages and Internet radio streams. So if you’re surfing the web and find a good piece of streamed audio, it lets you record it and then transfer the media to your iPod. The only downside is that the software isn’t free. It will run you $24.95, but it may well be worth it. You can download a trial version here.

8. Get a Civic Education on Your Ipod

Iprepress.com allows you to download to your iPod ten important documents that any educated American should be familiar with. The texts include: The Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, Bill of Rights, Louisiana Purchase Treaty, Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, Civil Rights Act, and several others

9. Load Maps onto Your iPod

If you travel to New York City, Paris, Berlin or Moscow, how will you find your way to the museums? iSubwayMaps is the answer. It lets you download subway maps from 24 major cities across the globe. You’ll only need an iPod with photo capability and you’ll be good to go. (By the way, if you want to load Google Maps to your iPod, here is a tutorial that will explain how.)

10. Study Foreign Languages, Take University Courses, and Listen to AudioBooks on Your iPod

Oculture.com gives you free podcasts to learn over 25 different foreign languages. It also gives you portable access to 100+ classic works of literature and nonfiction. And  over 85 courses recorded at leading American universities. Not bad, if I say so myself. For a complete podcast library at Oculture.com, click here.

Photographs taken with film fade with age, and even negatives yellow and become brittle. Digital photos, on the other hand, retain the same brilliant color and clarity every time you pull them up on the computer screen—until your hard disk crashes and you instantly lose every photo you’ve ever taken.

Yes, digital photography has its share of disasters, and that leads some people to distrust it, or even to claim that film lasts longer than digital. But the good news is that your digital pictures can last forever if you take good care of them. Here are 10 rules to follow to make sure you don’t lose pictures to a digital catastrophe:

1. Use a quality memory card

Start with the “film” your pictures are stored on: the memory card. While the cheap memory cards offer a huge capacity for a small price, it’s best to pay a bit more and get a quality card. A card from a good manufacturer will have less risk of data corruption or other failures. Sandisk, Lexar, and Kingston are good choices.

• Tip: Buy two smaller cards instead of one larger one: for example, two 1GB cards instead of one 2GB card. This will often save you money, and you’ll also have a hedge against data loss—one corrupt card will only affect half of your photos.

2. Get those photos off that memory card

You might have a huge memory card in your camera that can store thousands of photos, but you should still consider the memory card temporary storage—a memory card can fail, or can be lost or stolen with the camera. Whenever you finish taking a batch of pictures or return from a trip, use a card reader or USB cable to transfer the pictures to the computer.

3. Don’t delete photos in the camera

Your camera probably has a convenient “Delete” or “Trash” button. I suggest you never use it. There are three reasons for this:

• You avoid accidentally deleting the wrong picture, or accidentally using the “delete all” option.
• I find it helpful to keep all of my photos, since even the “mistakes” could turn out to be the only photo of something important, or a “happy accident” that is good in its own way.
• Can you really determine which photos are good or bad by looking at your camera’s tiny screen? It’s much better to transfer them all to the computer, then decide what to keep.

4. Don’t delete photos at all

For that matter, why delete photos at all? I keep every photo I take with my digital cameras: the great shots, the out-of-focus shots, the mistakes, the duplicates, everything. Even the bad ones are useful years later for documenting my vacations and remembering what I saw, for seeing how my photographic technique has improved, or for seeing whether a camera is working as well as it used to. This also ensures that I never delete the wrong photo. If there’s a gap in the numbering on my original photo files, I know something’s missing.

If you don’t have room for all of your photos on your hard drive, remember that hard drives are cheap. You can also archive the old ones to CD or DVD media.

5. Keep a Backup or two

Did I mention that hard drives are cheap? I recommend keeping two copies of all of your original photos at all times. I have a daily backup script that copies the new files to an external drive. Be sure to use a separate drive or another computer as your backup, to avoid losing photos in a drive crash.

If you want to guarantee you won’t lose photos, you should also have an off-site backup—use an online backup service, upload them to a server, or just drop off a few DVD-ROMs at a friend’s house. That way your photos are protected even if you have a house fire or other disaster.

6. Use generic photo formats

Most cameras store images in the standard JPEG format, which should be easily readable for many years. However, higher-end cameras usually have a RAW format option. While raw images are great for post-processing and often beat JPEG in quality, keep in mind that all raw formats are proprietary, and you may have trouble opening these files 10 years from now. It’s best to save a standard JPEG or TIFF version of each photo, even if you use RAW. Some cameras can save a JPEG file along with the RAW file, giving you the best of both worlds.

• Tip: If you are serious about your photography and insist on using RAW format, keep a backup copy of the software you use to process the files. You might need to install it on an antique PC 10 years from now to access an old photo.

7. Don’t edit original photos

If you use a photo, you’ll often resize, crop, or otherwise process it. This is fine, but the first thing you should do when editing a photo is save it to a new file. Keep the original, unprocessed, full-resolution file along with your edited version. This will make it easier to use the photo for a different purpose later, and it also avoids the costly mistake of overwriting a photo with a messed-up version. Back up the edited version too.

• Tip: Unless you’re very careful and use special software, overwriting a photo will erase the EXIF data that the camera stored with the photo. This is your record of the date and time the picture was taken and the camera settings used.

8. Don’t trust someone else with your photos

Online photo sharing sites like Flickr are great for sharing photos, but avoid the temptation to use them for storing photos. Don’t trust an online service with the only copy of your photos, or even the backup copy.

Online services might go out of business, and they don’t guarantee that your data will be safe—especially if you forget to pay the bill. They also almost always process the photo (resizing, etc.) when you upload it. Use these services to share pictures, but don’t expect them to last forever there.

9. Test and maintain your backup files

A backup copy is no good if it doesn’t work, or if you lose access to it. Here are a few tips for making sure your backups will back you up:

• Take a look at your backup files regularly, and make sure you can load a few photos.
• If you back up to a hard disk, check the disk for errors regularly.
• If you back up to CD-R or DVD-R, use quality backup media.
• Test CD or DVD backups every month or two.
• Once every year or two, copy CD or DVD backups to brand new discs. Media has a lifespan potentially as low as 5 years.
• If you get a new computer, be sure to move the photos from your old computer, and make sure you still have two copies.
• If CD or DVD formats are going away in favor of some kind of new Super Blue-HD discs, copy your files to the new media as soon as it’s practical.

10. Label, organize, and sort your photos

If you follow the above rules for 20 years, you’ll end up with thousands of great photos—and now you have a different problem. Finding a few pictures of “that one time we went to Yellowstone” could be virtually impossible when you have thousands of photos stored in a disorganized mess of folders.

At the very least, do what I do: store each batch of photos in a separate folder with a descriptive name beginning with the date. Here are some examples:

• 2006-05-10 Yellowstone Park
• 2006-08-22 Testing new Camera
• 2006-09-01 Elvis sighting at Caesar’s Palace
• 2006-12-26 Opening Christmas presents

I avoid renaming the photo files, since I consider them my “negatives” and want a complete record of the pictures I’ve taken. Instead, I store them in folders like the above, then group those into larger folders for each year. This makes it easy to find particular photos, and the pictures are in convenient groups for archiving to DVD-ROMs every few months.

You may even want to move the best photos (or the ones you’ve chosen to print) into a separate folder within each folder, especially if you’re like me and you have more “misses” than “hits”.

If you want to go one step further, you can catalog your photos with a program like ACDSee, which lets you store a title, description, keywords, and rating for every photo. That would make it even easier to find what you’re looking for, if you can find the time to label and rate each picture.

Some people think of the iPhone as a phone with a mini-computer built in, and others use it as an "always-on" pico-computer that happens to have a cell phone.  Regardless of how you use it, the iPhone is a life-changing device. One of the biggest faults of the device is the inability to replace the battery.  This decision is even more unbelievable when you realize how much power the iPhone can really burn down… an average user usually cannot last an entire day without being tethered to an electrical outlet of some kind. 

Regardless of the complaints, consumers still have to deal with what they have.  Here are some ways that will definitely increase your battery life in your iPhone 3G

1. Avoid Extreme Heat

The Lithium Ion battery Embedded within your iPhone is rather sensitive to temperature extremes. Extreme heat, such as temperatures above 114 degrees Fahrenheit, can quickly degrade the battery more quickly than normal.  This translates into less total battery capacity over time.

2. Turn the brightness down

Just as it is in every device, your LCD screen’s backlight is one of the biggest draws of power.  Turn off the "Auto-Brightness" setting, and make your screen as dim as you can possibly stand.  This may not work for you if you are outside a lot. 

3. Low-coverage areas and Airport mode

Whatever cell network you are on, you need to realize how cell phones stay connected.  Whenever you get further away from cell towers, your phone has to "shout louder" to the tower to make sure it is connected.  This is what the "airplane mode" of the iPhone’s settings is for… it won’t try to scream louder in areas with poor service.  If you’re out in the middle of nowhere (and can still get a 3G signal), then you may notice your battery life reduced significantly.  If you absolutely don’t need to be reached while camping (or waiting for your next plane), then turn your phone off until YOU need to make a call or get on the Internet.  Otherwise you may find yourself without.

4. Turn off Bluetooth when you don’t need it

This one is easy.  At the current firmware, the only device the iPhone supports is a wireless headset.  Unless you use your headset all the time, then turn Bluetooth off.  I usually only turn it on when I know I’m going to have a long conversation.  Unfortunately, the only "legal" way to toggle Bluetooth is to enter the Settings menu, which constitutes 5 clicks.  There are some applications that allow for "one-click" bluetooth toggles, but you must have a jailbroken iPhone to use them (currently). 

5. Change your email settings

Do you really need to be notified of email right when you get it?  Can you wait a little bit?  If so, then turn off the "Push" technology on your phone.  Push always has a little trickle of a signal out there, so its connected email server can transmit a new message.  It’s not as expensive as checking for messages the traditional way, but it is on all the time, and therefore can suck additional battery power.  If your life depends upon email, then you may not be able to live without this. 

If you can live without Push, then you can save more juice by checking for messages less often.  Instead of checking for email every 15 minutes, why not change it to "1 hour"?  Instead of checking for mail 96 times a day, you will only check twenty-four times a day. 

6. Turn off location services

The iPhone has a GPS, true, but is assisted by triangulating cell towers.  Unless you use Google maps frequently, then you could benefit by turning this off.

7. Turn off 3G

Unless you’re browsing the Internet a lot, you may not need the speed of 3G.  The 3G radio consumes a lot more power than running on the EDGE network.  Toggle this setting by going into "Settings –> General –>  Network".  You’ll see a setting for "Enable 3G".  Turn it off and see if you really notice. 

8. Turn off "Ask to Join Networks"

Have you been driving down the road, and suddenly you get a popup to join about 5 different wireless networks?  It can be very annoying when you’re in the middle of an application.  In order for the iPhone to detect these wireless networks, then it must have the wireless radio on.  Yes, it’s in a low-power detection mode, but it is on nonetheless. 

If you’re going to be somewhere with wifi for an extended period of time, then use that over 3G or Edge.  Either toggle "ask to join networks" back on, or manually join a hotspot.  Once you successfully connect to a hotspot once, then your iPhone will automatically connect back to it.  Believe it or not, the wifi radio in your iPhone uses up less electricity than 3G… especially if you are far away from a cell tower. 

9. Turn your phone off when you don’t need it

Ok, now this really defeats the purpose of an "always connected" device, but hard times call for desperate measures.  I’m not saying that you should turn the device off whenever you go to the movies or a business meeting, but if there’s an extended period of time you know you’re not going to use it, then why not turn it off?  If you’re going to sleep, why not turn it off?  There are some places that you would be nervous about taking your phone, like mountain climbing, kayaking, or an extended toilet break.  Why not turn the phone off rather than letting it waste away in your hotel room?

10. Have an emergency battery pack with you

This is something that just can’t be avoided if you love your iPhone.  You can purchase mini battery modules that click to the bottom of your iPhone, which immediately start charging your phone, and give you a few additional hours of life.  This isn’t a true solution to being able to swapping out the battery for a higher-capacity model, but it is what it is.  Keep in mind that even Apple recognizes that constant recharging of your battery will eventually reduce its overall capacity (Apple says that 400 full charge cycles will reduce battery capacity by 20%).

There are a few choices.  Some battery packs are integrated into an iPhone case.  Choose carefully if you go this route, as some of these cases do not provide as much protection against impacts or water.  Some people prefer the little emergency battery packs, which click onto the bottom of the phone.  They are small enough that they don’t interfere with phone operation, but still make you look like a dork.

If all else fails, make sure you have a spare iPod (or iPhone) USB cable and power adapter in your car… and be sure to kick Steve Jobs in the nuts when you see him.

The Apple Remote has turned out to be one of my favorite things about my MacBook Pro. Aside from its obvious uses (Front Row, iTunes etc) you can use it to do a pretty wide variety of things. Here are 10 of the ways I’ve used the Apple Remote to make my life a bit easier.

1. iRed Lite

If you want to put your Apple Remote on steroids, iRed Lite is for you. Though a bit confusing at first, once you get the hang of it (read the manual) you’ll be able to control any app on your Mac using your Apple Remote. I’ve found it most useful to use when controlling "other" media players (like Cog) – but again, with this app, the sky’s the limit.

2. iTheater

If you’re not a huge fan of Front Row, iTheater may be for you. Some of the iTheater features not included (by default) in Front Row are: Video_TS (backup DVD’s) playback, support for widgets and the Wii controller, and the ability to customize the background picture and sounds. The most recent release of iTheater is also very “developer-friendly”, which means we should see some very cool plugins and add-ons in the near future.
If your Mac didn’t include Front Row but you’ve purchased an Apple Remote, keep in mind you CAN install and use it by following the instructions in the great tutorial How to install Front Row using Enabler.

3. iAlertU

iAlertU is the first of its kind alarm system for your Apple MacBook computer. Basically iAlertU is a car alarm for your Apple Mac. iAlertU uses the built in sudden motion sensor (SMS) device to detect movement of your Apple MacBook and triggers an audible and visual alarm. The alarm can also be triggered by keyboard and mouse/trackpad movement (and AC adapter changes or screen closings). The alarm is designed to continue sounding even after the Apple MacBook screen has been closed. iAlertU is activated and deactivated using the infrared remote control included with every Apple MacBook computer. User adjustable settings let you decide which type of alarm triggers you would like to use, the duration of the alarm, and motion sensor sensitivity. iAlertU also features functionality to utilize the built in iSight camera to photograph the would be thief and soon will be able to email the photo to a user specified email address.

4. Aurora

Aurora is a free Alarm Clock for your Mac that lets you wake up to your favorite iTunes playlist or any TV or radio channel from EyeTV. What makes it great is that you can use your Apple Remote to hit the “Snooze button” without having to get out of bed. Ahh the glory of Snooze.

5. Pandora Boy

PandoraBoy is sheer genius if you’re a Pandora fan. Not only does it allow you to listen to Pandora.com without having to have a web browser open, but (you guessed it) you can control it with your Apple Remote. And if that wasn’t enough, it works with Growl.

6. Using the Apple Remote in Linux

7. Pair your Apple Remote with your Mac

8. Put your Mac to sleep with the Apple Remote

9. How to listen to Internet Radio in Front Row

10. How to play backup DVD’s (Video_TS) in Front Row

DVD Assist is an Applescript that allows you to play your backup DVD’s (often referred to as Video_TS) in Front Row. It works exactly as described, and perfectly. If you were considering installing iTheater just to play backup DVD’s, this is a great way to save some hard drive space/have fewer installed apps.

The latest version of Android (1.6 or Donut) has debuted for developers, and while Google isn’t calling it a major change, it does bring a good few difference to make the OS a lot more compelling. So here we run down the 10 reasons Android 1.6 is going to make your Hero/Galaxy/Magic even better in the coming months:

1. Quick Search box

One of the major changes with the new Android update is a new ‘Quick Search’ box that essentially exposes all elements of the phone to find the file or whatever you need, meaning you can look for a contact, application, bookmark or extend the search out to the web.

Applications developed for Android 1.6 can also take advantage of this framework too, meaning you can look for elements within them in the future too, which will be handy when your menu list gets as long as your arm. Some of you may think this is a little like Apple’s new Spotlight feature on the iPhone – you’d be right, as it’s pretty much identical. But Google = search, so it makes a lot of sense to put it on Android too.

2. Faster camera and improved gallery

3. Easier to get to the camcorder

One of the problems the Android OS faces is the fact it has a very limited camera interface, and that’s been slightly addressed in the 1.6 upgrade.

The camera screen now allows you to toggle between the camera and the video recorder with a little touchscreen button, meaning you don’t have to mess around in the menu system when you want to capture something funny your cat’s doing in real time.

4. Text to speech

5. Checking your power

The new function won’t be able to stop the problem by itself, but it will give you a list of all the running applications and how power-hungry they are.

So if you find that Twidroid is nabbing all your battery, perhaps you can turn it off in the evening rather than watching the wibblings of your drunken friends.

6. Gestures

7. More screen resolutions

You may not know this, but Android is only set up to work with HVGA screen resolution at the moment (the same as the iPhone, but only 320 x 480 pixels).

8. Prettier Market

However, the new upgrade looks to address that, with new categories differentiating between applications, games and the mysteriously titled downloads.

Within each will be the same options to choose between free and paid for applications, but the bonus is you can now see screenshots as well, making it a lot easier to choose the right one for you.

9. CDMA

10. VPN

L2TP/IPSEC pre-shared key based VPN, L2TP/IPsec certificate based VPN, L2TP only VPN and PPTP only VPN are all in the list, and if you don’t know what any of those random letters mean, ask your IT department. They’ll look stressed at having to add a new phone to their support list, so you’ll know you’re right.