In the battle between iPhone and Android, one of several things Android users can hang over the heads of their iPhone-toting brethren is the built-in talk-to-text capability. Luckily, owners of the Apple device can easily retort, "well, there's an app for that!" In fact, there are several dictation programs available. Better yet, the two I've outlined below are free (for the most part).

Dragon Dictation: This completely free app--which is compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch running OS 3.1 or later--is simpler in function than the other offering here. However, a new version was released just last week, adding several features that make it a compelling option. Namely, you can now paste your recently recorded text directly into the iPhone SMS client, and there's also an option to submit text to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

Taking down a text is as simple as opening the app, hitting a record button, verifying the text, and pulling up a menu to submit it to the client of your choosing, be it SMS, email, or one of the aforementioned social sites. If the text isn't quite right, there's a keyboard that you can pull up for editing, though I was impressed by the performance of the dictation detector during testing. It had about 85% accuracy--not bad for a free program. My only real complaint is that you can't use it within an existing text conversation.

Vlingo: Vlingo is a little more handy--and advanced--than Dragon Dictation. However, in order to take advantage of two of the most useful features, you'll have to pay for it. The app includes free talk to text for Web search, social sites, maps, and voice dialing. But if you want to activate the features for SMS or e-mail, a fee is required: $6.99 each for either texting or e-mail, or $9.99 for both. Still, it may be worth it for some users.

Vlingo is neat in that it recognizes certain voice commands, so that instead of dictating and then pulling up a menu to designate where your text is going, you simply command "Twitter update" or "text" followed by the communication you want. This completely removes the need to fuss with your phone from the equation, which should really be the ultimate goal for any dictation app. Vlingo also offered good accuracy during testing.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

One of the first games I downloaded when I got my iPhone 3G was Let's Golf and I couldn't believe how good it looked on the small iPhone screen. I was a big fan of Hot Shots golf on PlayStation 2, the console game that Let's Golf seems to be largely based upon, so seeing the familiar graphics and gameplay on the iPhone screen was truly a delight.

About a week ago Gameloft released Let's Golf 2 ($4.99), and it is even more beautiful graphically (optimized for the iPhone 4's Retina display) and adds to the already solid gameplay of the original. The cartoon-like graphics are more detailed in the sequel and you get more of everything that was good about the original--more golfers to unlock, new courses to play on, and extra features to keep the game interesting.

Let's Golf 2 comes with 108 holes to play across six uniquely designed courses, all in dramatic settings. The courses all have their own specific feel, with features like Aztec temples, forest landscapes, snow-covered vistas, and even a Safari-themed course that lets you play rounds in Kenya. But the scenery isn't the only reason you should plunk down $4.99 for this golf game.

In Let's Golf 2, you now have six golfers to choose from (once they are unlocked in career mode), each with a unique ability that becomes available once you make several successful shots in a row. The default character, Vincent, lets you add extra power to a shot once you've filled up the skill meter, for example. Depending on the setting and what hole you're playing, this means you might be able to reach the green in less shots than you would otherwise. The skill for the character named Chris lets you reduce wind speed to zero, which might make an otherwise very difficult shot in strong winds a much easier undertaking.

The game mechanics are mostly the same as the original: aim your shot by tapping the left or right side of the touch screen; tap once to start your shot; tap again when you reach your desired power; then tap again to hit the ball cleanly (it's much easier than it sounds). But in Let's Golf 2, the designers have reworked the stroke interface to make it a bit easier to get a good shot off and the character-based special skill will help to make your shots even better.

In addition to the character-specific skill upgrades, there are now several more outfits to unlock, each giving you small bonus skills like shot power, accuracy, recovery (better shots from traps), and putting. This means that with the right outfit, hairstyle, sunglasses, and special ball, you can customize a character that's perfect for the challenges of a specific course.

To round out the feature set, Let's Golf 2 gives you options to play against your friends over shared Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or an online mode through Gameloft Live. The first two modes worked fine in my testing, but I was never able to find a game in Gameloft Live so perhaps the company is still working out a few kinks. Aside from that issue, in every other way, Let's Golf 2 is a very polished arcade golf game, with plenty of replay value across the many courses and character choices. For more variation, you also can play the Challenge mode that lets you compete in situational minigames--such as longest putt competitions or "Birdie or bust" holes--for better equipment.

Overall, if you liked the original Let's Golf, Let's Golf 2 adds optimized graphics, more courses, more characters with unique skills, and enough features to make it worth the $4.99 price tag. Even if you never played the original, this game will be fun for any golf fan. If the company gets the online component working, maybe I'll see you on the course!

If you are like me, you have trouble pouring a cup of water in the morning, let alone hastily navigating through what seems like an endless stream of computer programs and sites. Start My Day is a desktop application that is supposed to clear your computer's morning fog by opening your selected favorite programs, Web sites, and music simultaneously. Though its main function is useful, the program has multiple bugs that make it less than satisfactory.

Once SMD is open, two messages will pop up before the application is visible. The first states that the "publisher cannot be verified," which you can choose not to see again, and the other message reads, "unhandled exception has occurred in your application." You can disregard this curious message by clicking "continue." To add programs, Web sites, and music for SMD to run simultaneously, simply click on the respective tab and select "add." When you want to run the programs, click "run all." Before they start, a message will appear saying "cannot start processes," even though they begin moments after.

The program is extremely intuitive, but it has problems with some of its attributes. A function that would have been useful is the option to set an alarm for SMD to start running. This does not work. However, there is an option to run SMD upon computer start-up.

If or when the publishers decide to fix the above glitches, Start My Day will be extremely useful. For now, the option to run multiple programs at the same time is handy, but the random messages are frustrating.

A number of people have complained about Safari often crashing on their systems. While Apple's latest Safari update (5.0.1) is supposed to address some stability issues with the program,  a number of people are complaining of crashes. Here are some things you can try to hopefully clear these problems.

General maintenance
There are some general maintenance routines you can run both on Safari and on the system to help clear problems. In Safari, try clearing cookies and caches, among other items in the "Reset Safari" option in the Safari menu. You can also run general maintenance on your system to clear user account and system caches that could be contributing to the problem.

Adobe Flash
Since installing Safari 5, I have had numerous crashes that were Flash-related. You can see this when Flash and Adobe are referenced among the functions being run in the crashed thread in the crash report.

Try removing Flash from the /Macintosh HD/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ folder to see if that helps. After that, if you need Flash, you can install the latest version from Adobe's Web site.

You may also benefit from using a Flash-blocking utility such as Click2Flash that will disable Flash components on Web pages unless you specifically enable them.

In addition to flash, if you have other plug-ins that you've installed, you might try uninstalling or updating them. Be sure they have been tested with your version of Safari before ruling them out as a cause for the crashes, and also be sure to manually troubleshoot them (remove them one-by-one and relaunch and test Safari each time you do this).

Input  managers
Third-party input managers--Saft, Inquisitor, PithHelmet, SafariStand, and so on--can also cause crashes in Safari. Try either updating them or removing them from the system. They should be located in one of the following folders, but you should use an uninstaller if one is available.

/username/Library/Input Managers

/Macintosh HD/Library/Input Managers

/Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support

A commonly used input manager is SIMBL, which may load numerous plug-ins that may also be contributing to the crashes, so be sure to test them as well. We recently wrote an article on managing SIMBL with Safari 5.0.

Clear preferences
In addition to using Safari's "Reset" feature, you may be having problems a corrupt Safari's preferences file. Locate the file "com.apple.Safari.plist" in the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder and remove it. When you relaunch Safari, it will recreate the file. (Keep in mind custom settings in Safari's preferences will be reverted to default after doing this).

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Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!
Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.

Originally posted at MacFixIt

While it's easy slinging arrows at Apple for its closed and tightly-controlled iPhone App Store, there's something to be said for its security.

Google's Android operating system has long faced more complicated concerns with its much freer application approval process, its openness to side-loaded apps (installing apps via APK files that you receive through some source other than the Android Market), plus having users root the platform to take control over certain internal system processes.

The "unauthorized" use of apps was a concern that application developers repeatedly brought to Google's attention, the company said in a blog post. Copying the app to the SD card and then demanding a refund is only one method of abuse, though developers have likely seen them all.

In this mobile climate, the platform with the most or most popular apps can highly influence user perceptions, if not outright sway a person's decision about which smartphone to buy. It's therefore in the best interests of both Google and the developers to provide a more surefire method for protecting paid Market content, to ensure that developers get paid and want to continue supporting Android.

Enter Google's new licensing service, which Google hopes to phase in as a replacement for the current copy-protection scheme "over the next few months." The new mechanism runs in real-time, with a server receiving requests to verify that an app was legitimately purchased through the Android Market. (Developers can check out more of the technical specifics here.)

There are still outstanding questions that will either be addressed by Google, or by consumers' usage over time, like how the the verification process might hinder user flow (Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage comes to mind).

Joining the new copy-protection program is free for developers of paid applications running on Android 1.5 and up, though developers will have to use a tad more elbow grease in preparing their code. In addition, the new license server, which is operational now, won't be able to retroactively verify the premium apps already in the Android Market. It will, however, be able to weigh in on participating developers' apps going forward.

[Via MobileCrunch and Engadget]

Originally posted at Android Atlas

Like iHound before it, Family Tracker was a fairly useless iPhone app until iOS 4 and multitasking came along. Now the app offers a fairly effective way for you to keep tabs on iPhone-carrying family members.

The question is, should you?

Family Tracker works much like the locator services carriers such as AT&T and Verizon have offered for years. In a nutshell, the app transmits GPS location data from the iPhone. Anyone you authorize can monitor the phone's location via a Web browser or another iPhone.

Shades of Big Brother, right? Yes and no. I can recall numerous times when my wife and children were late coming home--and she wasn't answering her phone, usually because she couldn't hear it ringing. This resulted in a lot of extra worrying on my part.

If she'd had Family Tracker, I could have fired up my Web browser and seen that they were on their way home, not overturned in a ditch.

And what parent wouldn't rest easier knowing a bit more about the whereabouts of their kids? Especially kids who have to get themselves home from school, who borrow the car, who are out late with friends, and so on.

But do apps like this represent an invasion of privacy? A few months back, I was running all over town to plan a surprise party for the missus. What if she'd been monitoring my location? At the very least she'd have been suspicious, and at worst it would have blown the surprise. Let's face it: sometimes you want to keep a low profile, even when family is involved.

This gray area is definitely open for debate, but one thing is certain: Family Tracker is an awesome deal. You pay only a one-time fee of $3.99 for the app.

Verizon's Family Locator service, in comparison, costs $9.99 per month, while AT&T's similar FamilyMap adds a whopping $14.99 to your monthly tab. (To be fair, both carriers' services offer a few features not found in Family Tracker, such as automated arrival and departure notifications from the "trackee.")

Another perk: Family Tracker pulls double duty as a lost-iPhone locator. That's because it works much like the aforementioned iHound, pinpointing your phone's location on a map. However, there are some battery-life concerns, so be sure to read the product description and user comments before buying in.

And let's hear your thoughts on the whole concept of apps like this. Are they a good idea? An invasion of privacy? A little of both?

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

If Google Desktop isn't doing the trick for you, check out Copernic's Desktop Search Professional. The company just released an update to the program, which is aimed at small business and worker bees with an organizational bent. The latest version fixes a handful of bugs and adds high capacity indexing functionality. Other noteworthy features include the ability to search any file on your hard drive or network drive as well as save your most frequent searches. You can also export your list of results in an HTML file; select specific files and e-mail folders to index; control computer resources usage when indexing documents; and get desktop and Web results with a single search. In addition, the download comes with handy search toolbars for both your desktop and browser.

Copernic Desktop Search Professional will set you back $49.95, but you can test it out for 30 days before committing to the purchase. Anyone who doesn't need all the features offered by the Professional version of of the software can still download Copernic Desktop Search Home for free. However, the publisher did not update this particular program today.

Apple has released an update to Safari 5, which addresses a number of issues with the initial release, including the problem with black backgrounds appearing when generating mail attachments with scripts, and the potential security vulnerability with autofill that was recently uncovered. In addition, the program has a built-in link to Apple's new extensions gallery for people to download and install extensions.

The update is a 47MB download and is available through Software Update or as a standalone installer from the following web page:

Safari 5.0.1

In addition to the black background bug (which Apple mentions again in this knowledgebase article), Apple has fixed the recent autofill bug that posed a security threat for websites that could automatically get personal information from the user's address book, so if you have turned off autofill because of previous reports, you can turn it back on after applying the 5.0.1 update. Other security fixes in this update are listed in this security bulletin regarding the update.

In addition to the security fixes, Apple addressed compatibility issues with various websites including RollingStone.com, Facebook.com, and Crateandbarrel.com when using Safari Reader, Flash, and when performing other functions like printing.

The Extensions gallery is quite intuitive, and installing extensions is as easy as browsing for them and then clicking the "Install" button. Once clicked, the extension will appear in the Safari toolbar immediately and be ready for use. While extensions can easily be installed through the gallery, the only way to manage and remove them is through the Safari preferences section for the extensions.

A full list of the changes in this update are the following:

New Features:

1. Customize Safari with features created by third-party developers Find extensions in the Safari Extensions Gallery, accessible from the Safari menu and extensions.apple.com

Fixes:

1. More accurate Top Hit results in the Address Field

2. More accurate timing for CSS animations

3. Better stability when using the Safari Reader keyboard shortcut

4. Better stability when scrolling through MobileMe Mail

5. Fixes display of multipage articles from www.rollingstone.com in Safari Reader

6. Fixes an issue that prevented Google Wave and other websites using JavaScript encryption libraries from working correctly on 32-bit systems

7. Fixes an issue that prevented Safari from launching on Leopard systems with network home directories

8. Fixes an issue that could cause borders on YouTube thumbnails to disappear when hovering over the thumbnail image

9. Fixes an issue that could cause Flash content to overlap with other content on www.facebook.com, www.crateandbarrel.com, and other sites when using Flash 10.1

10. Fixes an issue that prevented boarding passes from www.aa.com from printing correctly

11. Fixes an issue that could cause DNS prefetching requests to overburden certain routers

12. Fixes an issue that could cause VoiceOver to misidentify elements of webpages

13. For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit this site: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

Apple has also released Safari 4.1.1 for Tiger users, which fixes similar problems and can be downloaded via Software Update or from this web page.

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Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or email us!
Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.

Originally posted at MacFixIt

Apple on Wednesday updated its Safari Web browser, turning on extensions and introducing the Safari Extensions Gallery.

Safari 5 was introduced in June, but the extension functionality was designed for developers, not the general public. This gave developers a chance to create extensions for the browser before Apple officially launched the feature.

Extensions are created using HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3, a few of Apple's favorite technologies for building Web apps.

The Safari Extensions Gallery in Safari 5.0.1 is a repository in which users can quickly find and add extensions to the Safari browser. According to Apple, users can "add powerful new features to Safari, from toolbars that display live web feeds to sophisticated programs that filter web content."

Apple says that all Safari Extensions are sandboxed, which means they can't access information on a user's system or communicate with other unintended Web sites.

The Safari Extensions Gallery has extensions from Amazon, Bing, MLB.com, The New York Times, and Twitter, among others.

Safari 5.0.1 is available as a free download from Apple's Web site.

Originally posted at News - Apple