A few weeks ago, I wrote about my participation in the Path for Android app beta testing program, but due to the terms of my participation in the program, I wasn’t allowed to include any screenshots or other information about the progress of the program.

Today that has changed. The beta for the Android Path app is now available to the public via the Android Market.

If you aren’t familiar with Path, let me elaborate. Started by former Facebook exec Dave Morin, Path is an innovative social network closely integrated with mobile technology. Based on anthropological research that humans are only capable of a limited number of close relationships, Path puts a 50-person limit on the people in your Path. You then interact with your Path via photographs taken with your smartphone’s camera. With each photograph, you can also share a caption, which the app helps you develop: choose the people in your picture, the things in the picture, and where the picture was taken. Upload it to your Path (or occasionally to your Facebook wall) to let others know what you are up to.

The iPhone app has been available since 2010, but today is the first time Android users have publicly been able to participate in the program.

To get started on your own Path, head over to the official website to start an account and then download the app with this link or the QR code below. For more information on Path, read the article that introduced me to this social network. For the official beta release notes, check out this post.

Do you have a Path? Are you going to get this app? Leave your comments below.

 

If you are interested in making your own Android apps, you can get started quickly with Android Apps for Absolute Beginners through my referral link. Even if you don’t have any experience programming or making apps, this book will get you started in this growing market. Click here to get it on Amazon.

Article first published as “Android App Review: TweetCaster” on Blogcritics.

I signed up for a Twitter account a few years ago, but I never really got into it until I started blogging. I created a separate Twitter account for my blog and quickly started tweeting, following, and being followed. Having two accounts was the best way for me to keep my personal contacts and my blogging contacts separate and to also start promoting my blog’s brand.

The problem was that my HTC EVO could natively only be registered to sync with one Twitter account. I didn’t want to give up on my personal Twitter account (my friends do tweet useful things sometimes), but I needed to be able to access my blogging account also. This is when I found the powerful Android Twitter app TweetCaster.

Developed by Handmark, the app is available in the Android Market in two versions: the free TweetCaster for Twitter and the $4.99 TweetCaster Pro for Twitter. The only difference between the two is that the paid version doesn’t have ads. I opted for the free version and haven’t had any problems: the ads are very unobtrusively located in a small banner at the bottom of the screen.

Both the paid and ads-included version of TweetCaster are full of useful features, in addition to its multiple account support. Handmark developed what they call the “Zip It” feature, allowing users to ignore tweets from annoying tweeters without un-following them. The app also allows retweeting with or without comments, customizable notification settings, robust search functions (search for topics, users, and by location), as well as a suggested user function, which suggests people to follow.

TweetCaster not only includes a vast array of features, it also incorporates them all into a very user-friendly interface. From the default feed of tweets, it is easy to jump to the top to see the newest tweets, or switch over to other feeds: retweets and replies, direct messages, your favorites, and your lists. It’s also easy to navigate to the main account screen where you can add other accounts or access information about trends, who to follow, and other search options.

All-in-all, TweetCaster is a wonderful app that I am glad to have found. Even though I found it because of its multiple account compatibility, I would use it even if I only had one account. If you are on Android and use Twitter, you should definitely check out this app.

Click or scan the QR code below to find TweetCaster in the Android Market:

 

Start Building Your Own Apps Today If you are interested in making your own Android apps, you can get started quickly with Android Apps for Absolute Beginners through my referral link. Even if you don’t have any experience programming or making apps, this book will get you started in this growing market. Click here to get it on Amazon.

Sprint launched America’s first 3D smartphone today (June 24, 2011): the HTC EVO 3D. Similar to it’s older brother, the HTC EVO, the EVO 3D is very likely a trendsetter in the smartphone market.

Like Nintendo’s 3DS, the EVO 3D renders three-dimensional video without the use of 3D glasses. (I couldn’t imagine carrying around a pair of 3D glasses just to look at my phone!)

In addition to its ability to play 3D content, with state-of-the-art, dual 5 megapixel cameras, the EVO 3D will also let users produce 3D content.

As the technical specifications show, even despite its 3D capabilities, the HTC EVO 3D is a powerful smartphone. Here is just a taste:

• 4.3-inch 3D QHD (960×540) display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
• Powered by the Android 2.3 operating system
• 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor

This is no doubt a powerful device. I wonder, though, if the 3D capabilities are more than just a gimmick. Even with the recent release of Netflix streaming capability on the HTC EVO, I still don’t use it as my primary source of video content. I don’t think that the 3D would change that after the initial awe wore off.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried the new HTC EVO 3D? Would you like to? Do you know anyone who has? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Alternatively, hit the link below for the full specs and ad copy on Amazon.

I got started on my Path after reading a wonderful introduction to this innovative photo-based social network on Wired.com. At the time, I was using an iPhone, and the user-friendly Path app made it easy to become familiar with the system; however, when I switched to my EVO, this was one of my apps that didn’t have an Android counterpart. Thankfully, this is soon to change.

In a serendipitous moment of Twitter bravery, I responded to a tweet by Path founder Dave Morin asking him if an Android version was yet in existence. Much to my delight, and surprise, I received a response from the official Path twitter account informing me of the upcoming beta testing program and that I would be welcome to join if interested.

A couple weeks after my affirmative response, I am now up and running with the beta version of Path for Android. Look forward to more updates on this development in the future, and in the meantime get started on your own Path.