Samsung makes great products -- you really can't go wrong with anything it makes; televisions, washing machines, tablets -- all wonderful. Sure, some people don't like the interface that the manufacturer uses for Android, but those people are just being whiny -- TouchWiz is fine. Just install Nova launcher if it bothers you that much.

Today, Barnes and Noble is releasing Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK. While Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets do not have standard Android or access to Google's Play Store, this new tablet does. In fact, it is essentially just the regular 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 with the NOOK app pre-installed and some perks. So the question is, why does it exist?

The average selfie can look a little strange, oddly framed and at a weird angle as you strain to fit everybody in. Usually no-one cares -- it’s supposed to be spontaneous, that’s that point -- but sometimes you just can’t get any kind of picture, no matter what you try.

Snap Clap is a simple Android app which helps out by taking a photo when you clap your hands.

Microsoft produces some amazing things; the Surface Pro 3 is revolutionary and Office is a staple in productivity around the world. However, there is one service that the company provides that does not get the attention it deserves -- OneNote. Yes, the software that many have installed, but few use, is actually very good. It is a wonderful way to take notes and organize your thoughts. Best of all, it is cross-platform and has a web-based version, so it can be accessed on Android, iOS, Windows, OS X, Chromebooks and Linux.

Sadly, Microsoft did not make an Android version optimized for tablets. This was tragic, as many people use Google-powered tablets as their daily organizers. Today however, this changes as Microsoft releases a tablet-optimized Android version of OneNote. What took so long?

As a Linux user and lover, I prefer Android smartphones to iOS. While I love the freedom and functionality of Google's mobile operating system, there is one thing I hate -- the UI. That is a pretty big deal and usually a deal-breaker for a consumer. However, I put up with the dreary UI and clunky app drawer because I can customize it with different launchers, wallpapers and icon packs. While this is passable, I long for a redesign to mimic something similar to iOS 7. I crave beauty and art, but alas, Google seems disinterested in doing anything radical -- Android L "Material Design" seems too safe and boring.

The design savior for many years has been the Chinese-born ROM, MIUI; however, as more and more devices ship with impossibly hard-to-hack locked bootloaders, the gorgeous ROM has not been ported to as many devices; even unofficially. And so, users have been limited to MIUI-styled launchers, but not the full experience. Excitingly, MIUI 6 is now released in beta form, but sadly, most Android users will not be able to flash the beta, or the final version for that matter. This locked bootloader nonsense is a tragedy, as MIUI 6 is sexy as hell and puts Google's vision of Android to shame.

Wannabe medical students everywhere, it’s time to rejoice: popular PC game Surgeon Simulator is finally out on Android.

As usual, you get to save the lives of your grateful patients on a daily basis. Or butcher them mercilessly; it’s your call, really.

Even though they are more expensive, tablets with built-in cellular connectivity have one major advantage over their Wi-Fi only counterparts that can make up for the price difference -- there is Internet access outside of the Wi-Fi range, and it is paramount for today's mobile warriors.

LG understands that there are people who require tablets with built-in cellular connectivity, so the South Korean maker has introduced a 4G LTE version of its G Pad 8.0 Android slate, which will go on sale starting this week. Let's take a look at what it offers.

Despite the rise of other forms of communication, email remains one of the most popular options, particularly for business. No surprise then that there’s plenty of choice when it comes to mail apps for your mobile device.

According to data from app analytics company Distimo, the myMail app has passed other options to become the most popular alternative mail app for both Android and iOS, behind only Gmail and Yahoo Mail.

It is well known that Samsung has often been criticized for giving its premium smartphones a not-so-premium look and feel. But, in spite of all this, in the land of upscale Galaxy handsets, an all-plastic body, with a bland design, has always prevailed. Until now.

Today, Samsung finally shows us that a premium Galaxy smartphone can break away from the norm, as it reveals the new Galaxy Alpha boasting a metal frame and an attractive design. The device's main rival is likely to be Apple's upcoming iPhone 6, which is expected to ship with a similarly-sized display.

Seeing Android apps requesting various permissions in order to install can be disconcerting for inexperienced users. How can one know if there is a valid reason to trigger them, or if an offering will maliciously use those permissions? Those are valid concerns, after all, as a third-party, that we have little control over, is entrusted with access to critical features, like the microphone or contacts list. In this day and age, you can never be too cautious.

Facebook has decided to drop the chat functionality from its Android app, asking users to turn to Facebook Messenger to message their friends. And, naturally, quite a few of its users, who are likely new to the offering and find themselves forced to use it, are voicing their concerns over its permissions, as they allow it to do some potentially dangerous things.

The NFL pre-season in now underway, with the Hall of Fame game behind us, and several games apiece awaiting every team. But the NFL is also about videos -- both highlights and interviews, even fans can get in on some of the action.

That is arriving on multiple platforms beginning now -- as in NFL Now. The league today rolls out the new app and it took the smart path of making it available on many different platforms. Regardless if you are on a PC, Roku or Amazon Fire TV, you can get in on the action.

South Korean maker LG has unveiled another smaller variant of its G3 Android flagship. Called G3 A, the smartphone features hardware specifications similar to last year's G2 flagship, but in a body which resembles that of G3. It is the second smaller version of G3 announced by LG so far, with the first being G3 Beat, also known as G3 S.

Like G2, G3 A has a 5.2-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1,080 by 1,920. It is powered by a 2.26 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, which features 2 GB of RAM, and a 2,610 mAh battery, which is removable. So far, its hardware specifications are more impressive than what G3 Beat brings to the table.

Parallels IP Holdings GmbH has launched Parallels Access for iPad and iPhone 2.1 and Parallels Access for Android 2.1, a useful new update to its desktop remote control app.

Version 2.1 now allows users to sign in using their Google+ accounts, plus promises slicker drag-and-drop performance when using the Lock’N’Go magnifying glass among other improvements and the usual stability fixes.

As we rely more and more on mobile devices and an increasing number of businesses adopt BYOD strategies, security and privacy risks become a greater concern.

A new report by risk management specialist Appthority looks at the hidden risks presented by the 400 most popular iOS and Android apps. It identifies the ten most risky behaviors that threaten enterprise security, at least one of which is found in 99 percent of popular free apps.

Amazon's Fire phone does not have access to Google's Play Store. I want to get that out of the way first, as it may be a consumer's biggest concern about the phone. However, that said, it might not be a big deal. In fact, it is quite refreshing to experience Google's Linux-based operating system without Google. In my opinion it is dangerous for Android to become synonymous with Google's store.

With Android, you do have the ability to add 3rd party stores without rooting or hacking. Unfortunately, on most devices, only Google's Play Store comes installed. While I have seen some devices come with the Amazon Appstore preloaded too, make no mistake, the Play Store is always the main focus. The Fire phone bucks that trend and puts Amazon's store into the spotlight and that is not a bad thing. Actually, as I will explain later, you can add additional app stores and even install some of Google's apps.

As many as 9 percent of Android apps are fully or partially malware, according to a new piece of research, although the majority of the blame (as ever) lies with dodgy third-party app stores particularly in Asia.

The figure comes from Cheetah Mobile's latest security report for the first half of 2014, which collected 24.4 million sample files during those six months, and found that 2.2 million were viruses.