As we settle in to another exciting baseball season this spring, what could be a better time waster on your smartphone than a good baseball game? I usually write about iOS apps in my weekly collection, but this week all the games I selected have both iOS and Android versions so everyone can get in on the fun.

This week's collection of apps for both iOS and Android are all about baseball. The first two will appeal to all baseball fans, but are more the quick pick-up-and-play arcade game variety. The second two games are more involved, with a complete baseball experience where you can play full 9-inning games and progress through a season.

Interestingly, three of the four games come from the same developer (Com2Us), but they seem to have the corner on the market for baseball games, with both high quality graphics and addictive gameplay.

Homerun Battle 2 (99 cents) for iPhone or Android lets you participate in a home run derby to beat your best score or challenge other players online and it is easily the best home run derby game in the iTunes App Store.

The eye-catching 3D graphics in this game are second only to the fantastic gameplay.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/... [Read more]

On April 12, Microsoft released the Service Pack 2 update for its popular Office 2011 for Mac software suite, which offered a number of improvements for the suite, including many for its Outlook e-mail client. However, following this announcement, it became apparent that a number of users were having problems with corrupted identity databases when installing the new software.

Microsoft originally tackled this problem by notifying users of the problem and offering instructions for how to correct the issue either before or after the SP2 update had been applied. However, today the company announced on its Office for Mac blog that it will be temporarily halting the distribution of the update through its AutoUpdate utility until it finds a resolution to the problem.

In the mean time, if you have installed the latest update and are experiencing problems with the identity database, then be sure to follow our instructions on how to fix the problem. If you have not installed the update, then you can either wait for Microsoft to address this issue, or be sure you follow the instructions to prepare your system before applying the update to ensure ... [Read more]

FriendCaster for Android.

Looking through the comments on the Google Play Store for the official Facebook app, you're likely to come across quite a few complaints. These will range from "loads way too slow," to "app crashes often," and finally "crashes phone." Unfortunately, comments like these have persisted throughout the last few versions of the app. That's why other apps exist to help you connect and share with friends on Facebook.

FriendCaster is a newly remodeled app that does everything the official app does and then some. You might wonder why to use an app at all if you can just use the Facebook Web site. Well, just give FriendCaster a try before writing it off. Here are some tips and highlights to get started:

First you'll want to grab a copy of FriendCaster for your Android device (there's also an iOS version available).

FriendCaster setup.

FriendCaster themes.

When first opening... [Read more]

Voxer for Android.

Phone calls can turn into long, drawn-out conversations once you land on a tangent or 10. This is why a lot of people use texting as their primary way of communicating when they just want to share a quick thought or piece of info. Unfortunately, a lot of emotion can get lost on a text message. The person on the other end might take something seriously that was supposed to be a joke.

Voxer is a great app for people who prefer sending a quick voice message over a text. The app is available for Android and iPhone, and can also send text if you need to, photos, and your location. You will need service like Wi-Fi, 4G, or even Edge, but there's no fee for the app.

This How To will cover the Android version of the app, but the two versions are very similar. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Download a copy of Voxer for your Android or iPhone.

Step 2: Create a new Voxer account or sign in with your Facebook account.

Voxer settings come with Geolocation enabled by default.

Note: Before you star... [Read more]

For almost a year, fast-growing social networking app Path has offered iOS users lenses (photo filters) to spruce up the photos they share. With the tap of a finger, these users have been able to add vintage-looking vignettes or sepia tones to their work, and even purchase premium lenses for about a buck. Meanwhile, Android users have looked on with jealous eyes, as they were sadly not offered the same capabilities.

As of yesterday, that has all changed. Now Android users get the very same free filters that iOS users have, including Pro, Ansel, Instant, Diana, Lomo, Country, and Lake. This means Android users will no longer have to add basic filters from other apps then import them into Path, since it's all built right in. While this certainly moves Path's Android app closer in line with its iOS sibling, there is still a gap to be aware of. Unfortunately, there are still no premium filters or tilt-shift function on Android, as there are on iOS.

Path for Android (download) is available for free download now on Google Play.

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Mobicip for Android provides kid-safe Web browsing.

It's easy enough to childproof a computer, to keep kids away from the Web's unsavory spots. But what about their Android smartphones and tablets? Google's browser offers no parental controls to speak of, no filtering or monitoring or search guards.

Here's an easy fix: Mobicip Safe Browser for Android ($4.99), which offers a familiar Web interface, but with a raft of protections designed to keep kids safe. (It's also available for iOS.)

Designed for both phones and tablets (including the Kindle Fire), Mobicip closely resembles the stock Android browser, so the learning curve is short. Like the iOS version, this one can't import existing bookmarks, a rather ridiculous oversight.

Mobicip does, however, offer a convenient, kid-friendly home page with quick links to sites like Google and Wikipedia.

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Splashtop Remote is one way to control your Mac from your PC.

Windows users who want to access and control their Macs can set up a connection using the free Splashtop Remote app.

Accessing a Mac from a PC has always been doable by setting up VNC (virtual network computing) sharing on the Mac and installing a VNC client on the PC. But many people may find it quicker and simpler using Splashtop to create the connection.

Setting up access requires installing the Splashtop Remote app on your Windows PC and the Splashtop Streamer app on your Mac. Both are free and easy to install.

First, download and install the Splashtop Remote app on your Windows PC. This app is free for noncommercial use and supports Windows 7, Vista, and XP. After installation, launch the Splashtop Remote client from its desktop shortcut. Following a few quick steps, the app will reside on your desktop waiting for your Mac to pop up.

Next, download and install the Splashtop Streamer app on your Mac. During installation, the Streamer will ask you to create a password to secure access. It will then load into memory and display as an icon in the Mac's Menu Bar.

Jumping back to your Windows PC, you should now see your Mac f... [Read more]

Chrome for Android recently updated, adding some new features. Yesterday we took a look at ditching the mobile version of a Web site and forcing the desktop version to load. Today we are going to take a look at the ability to add a bookmark shortcut to your home screen

To place a shortcut on your home screen, you simply need to view your bookmarks in Chrome for Android. Pick the bookmark you want to add, and then long-press on the icon. You will then see a menu pop up, with the last option being add to home screen. Select that option and then go back to your home screen. That's it.

For a better visual walkthrough of the process, watch the video above. This small, but important feature was something that Android has been able to do for a while with the default browser, but it's nice to see it being added to Chrome for Android.