Remember when phones only had snake on a tiny, grainy screen? Back then phones were only used for communication, calling and maybe texting people. The smart phone industry has changed all of that; now phones are more than communication devices, they are integral parts of our lives.

Smart phones act as our daily secretaries, alerting us to events and daily tasks, keeping notes for us, storing music, taking pictures, keeping track of contacts, and much, much more. With all of the different kinds of smart phones out there – like the Apple iPhone and Google Android – almost everyone has one or wants one.

Smart phones don’t only record and maintain our lives, they also provide us with the essential service of entertainment. Whether one is waiting in a doctor’s office, traveling, bored waiting for someone, looking for something to do in between the slew of commercials, or really just bored for any reason, smart phones can help.

Most of the best smart phone games out there fall into two categories: destruction or classic. The destruction games are almost the opposite of most of the popular Facebook games like CityVille and FarmVille that rely on the user to build and care for something. The classic games are those that have been around since simple games were first introduced to phones and the internet that everyone loves and has played at some point. In both cases, phone games have to be simple and easy to return to, since most people will be playing these games while waiting for something that will eventually interrupt their game.

The number one smart phone game is – not surprisingly – Angry Birds. According to the Guardian, Angry Birds saw over 200 million downloads in 2011. This destructive and classic game has had more than a billion downloads since its creation and has led to several spin-offs including Angry Birds: Seasons, Angry Birds: Rio, and Angry Birds: Space.

The original game made the player use some of his or her physics skills while shooting angry birds at the fortresses of green pigs. The narrative behind the game is that these green pigs have stolen the birds’ eggs and the birds are trying to get them back. The game gets progressively harder, and with 270 levels, can become very difficult.

On a related note, last year The Guardian’s Game Blog listed Bird Zapper as one of the best phone games of 2011. In this game the player matches colored birds to then electrify those birds and get them off the phone wire – supposedly the plot of a vengeful squirrel. Apparently smart phone users have some kind of fascination with killing or harming those of the avian species.

The second place winner in best phone games is one of the newest, Fruit Ninja. According to Joystiq there have been over 20 million downloads across all platforms. There are several different modes to play Fruit Ninja in, but all of them share the same concept where fruits fly up and the player is supposed to destroy them by swiping his or her finger across the screen. If the player destroys a lot of fruit he can get bonuses, but the player also has to avoid fruit bombs.

In the Classic mode the fruit begins to fly a little faster and has more obstacles over time, so there are different difficulty levels. However, if a player prefers to zone out and play a simple game he can play in Zen mode that lets the fruit fly for a certain amount of time but at a fairly constant rate. It is a simple, mindless game that is extremely addicting.

In third place is the latest sensation since Words With Friends, Draw Something. Draw Something is a digital version of another classic game, Pictionary, but now the players get to use their own fingers as the paintbrush/pencil. The game became an overnight sensation that supplanted Words With Friends as the most popular game in 2012. The Telegraph reported that only about a month after its release in February of 2012 the game was averaging about 3,000 drawings a second by players of the game.

In fourth place on the list of best phone games is Words With Friends. A digital spin off the classic game of Scrabble, Words With Friends has quickly become one of the most popular phone and Facebook games. The game is played virtually with a friend as the players go back and forth placing words on the board.

There is also a chat function, a little pointless on a phone (that part was more made for Facebook), that allows players to leave messages for each other when the other player returns. One of the greatest parts of Words With Friends is that anyone can play whenever they want, meaning the players can think for as long as necessary.

One of the best features of Words With Friends and Draw Something is that the difficulty level varies depending on who the user is playing and the luck of the ‘draw’ whether the ‘draw’ is letter tiles or what he or she is assigned to draw.

In fifth place for best smart phone games is the long-lasting Tap-Tap Revenge. Although not necessarily one of the most downloaded games, it is definitely one of the most addicting and fun. In Tap-Tap Revenge, now in its fourth version, the player listens to a song and taps a pattern at just the right time; essentially the game is Dance-Dance Revolution for fingers.

For even more of the best smart phone games see ‘Even More of the Best Smart Phone Games of 2012.’

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In ‘The Best Smart Phone Games of 2012′ we listed the first five of the best games to keep you entertained and occupied; this article continues that list. So far the list stands:

1. Angry Birds

2. Fruit Ninja

3. Draw Something

4. Words With Friends

5. Tap-Tap Revenge

In sixth place is the incredibly fun Temple Run. In the game the player is a character who is running from a mob of monsters. The character continuously runs and the player must swipe to the left, right, down, and up to make the character dodge obstacles and jump gaps. The player can collect coins for bonus points and speed/invincibility boosts, while the game gets progressively harder.

In seventh place is the simple, yet seriously addicting game, Flood-It. In Flood-It the player begins on the far left, top corner of a board of colored squares. The player then chooses colors of neighboring squares to expand his or her control of a board. The catch is that there are a limited number of moves before the game is over and the player has to start on a new board. The game is easy on the smallest board setting, but the medium and hard settings are nearly impossible and require a significant amount of strategy.

In eighth place is the Android original, Alchemy. Alchemy has players start with four basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. The player then combines the elements to make new things. For example, if the player combines earth and water it makes swamp. The combinations are endless since the new creations can be added to other elements to make new things, and the combinations get stranger and stranger – which also means they get harder and harder. Eventually the player will be able to create anything from worms to aliens.

In ninth place is Tetris, the Nintendo classic. Just like the original, the player rearranges blocks to get rid of rows and stop them from filling up the screen. In the smart phone version the player taps the shapes to rotate them and fit them into place. Ultimately, this has been a favorite of many for years and it should be of no surprise that it made the list.

The last game to make our list of the top ten smart phone games is Bejeweled 2. Also a favorite of Facebook users, Bejeweled 2 has the player match up gems in a row to destroy them and bring in new gems. The player must race against a ticking clock to destroy as many as possible. This game is yet another classic that many people have been playing for years; now everyone can play it on their phones.

Ultimately, what smart phone users seem to like in their games are destructive, mindless games that will keep them entertained while they are sitting around waiting for a friend or while traveling. These games are not only the best for that but some of them, like Words With Friends or Draw Something, are also a great one to stay in touch with friends.

Imag Courtesy of    Fruit Ninja

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Tucker, Georgia, U.S.A. – With the launch of Gas Guru from YP, those on the go have a new companion when trying to find cheap gas and other necessities while on the road. Whether on a daily commute or summer road trip, the free mobile app can help users save money and sanity, by powering quick decisions about where to fuel up or make a pit stop for everything from coffee to a cash machine.

Rising gas prices are a pain at the pump, but finding fuel isn’t the only headache. Many apps for hitting the road are limited to information on gas prices and forget about all the stops in between. The time, gas and money wasted while circling around searching for cheap gas, a quick bite on the way home or an auto shop can add up. This is why Gas Guru is a must download.

App features make navigating everyday, on-the-go needs quick and easy:

The app can help find cheap gas nearby at a glance. Unlike other apps that simply list gas prices, Gas Guru calculates and highlights the best prices at stations nearby. Users can see prices by gas grade in either map or list view. No more filling the tank and discovering afterward that you could have saved a couple of bucks down the road.

The app will also compare gas prices at frequent locations. Gas Guru can be personalized to save locations like “home,” “work” or other favorite places, to easily compare the latest prices with a flick of the finger and quickly decide whether to fuel up now or later.

Daily detours are also quick and easy. Find restaurants, coffee, auto repair, roadside assistance, or ATMs nearby with a single tap. Search results are displayed alongside gas stations making it easy to lay out a plan for your stops. Call or get directions to your selected destinations.

“We developed Gas Guru to address a clear need for a mobile companion to make decisions about roadside necessities easier,” said David Williams, vice president of product management at YP. “Since we added a gas price feature to our flagship YP local search app last year, we’ve seen triple digit search growth for not only gas prices, but auto-related categories overall. This new purpose-based app expands our local search insights and technology platform to address the unique needs of those on the go.

Smartphone users, download the free location-based app from Google Play or iTunes.

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Microsoft has announced the release of their Windows phone 7.5 “Mango.” It will be released in September. This anticipated phone is set to include almost 500 new features.

A Feature of the phone makes it easier to stay in touch with friends and family, by integrating a new method of communication known as threads. With threads you can see if your friends are online on any social media platform.

These networks are intertwined in order to simplify conversations between friends. For example, if a friend starts up a conversation via Facebook and is no longer available on that particular site, then there are other services listed where that person can be contacted through, if they happen to be logged on elsewhere.

Multitasking is also very simple on the Mango phone. While running an application, the user simply holds the back button, and a screen displaying all the open apps springs up. He or she can then pan over to the open application of their choice.

Internet Explorer, quoted by the Corporate VP of Windows Phone, is said to be blazing fast, faster than the internet service provided on iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phone. Along with speedy internet, Windows included a new feature called Local Scout.

This feature tracks your location and makes suggestions of places to eat, activities nearby, shopping areas and highlights of areas that should not be missed. This feature will make searching for entertainment a lot easier for customers.

There are now more than 30,000 apps available in Microsoft’s App Hub but it still has a long ways to go to catch up to Apples App store with 420,000 Apps and Googles 250,000 Android Apps.

It was only about a year ago Microsoft launched their first version of the Windows phone 7. The phone received positive reviews but failed in the market after the release of several android phones and updates to the Apple iPhone. Microsoft has worked hard and has made many improvements to their smartphone in such little time.

International Data Corporation expects this phone to be a high competitor against Android and iPhones, predicting a market share of 20.9 percent by 2015.

pcruciatti / Shutterstock.com

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Have you ever wondered if you are being watched when you use your social media or your mobile phone? The recent Retrevo Gadgetology study discovered that a lot of snooping and tracking goes on among people who know each other.

In other words, strangers are not the only people who collect personal information without your knowledge — also your intimates spy on you in secrecy. You would be surprised to know how regularly your parents, date or spouse read your emails or text messages or even track your comings and goings.

The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 online users, found that the percentage of spouses and parents who admit to digital snooping is significant and among romantic relationship – on the rise.

In the Retrevo Gadgetology study, more than a third of respondents, 33%, admitted that they have at least once checked their partner’s email or call history without his or her knowledge. The number for married couples is slightly more with 37% of married respondents admitting the same.

Parents, however, are the worst online snoopers. The number is highest among parents of teenagers with 60% snooping on their kids and possibly for good reason since 14% of those parents reported they found evidence that supported their concern.

Not only is snooping on emails, text messages and call history more common today but smart phones with built-in tracking technology make it easier for a suspicious partner or parent to secretly track their loved ones.

The majority of parents claim that they don’t have a problem with tracking their children’s location with a cell phone service or other device. Especially mothers are prone to snooping, accounting for 64% while fathers make up 53%.

Additionally, Retrevo researchers stated that when they looked at the data from their study conducted a year ago, they were surprised to learn that snooping had increased across the board. Overall, the number of people less than 25 years of age who check their boyfriend or girlfriend ’s personal digital correspondence rose from 38% last year to 47% this year.

Plus, women are more likely to admit to snooping than men.  For 2011, the number of women saying they check their partner’s phone-calls, emails, and text message without them knowing is 35%, whereas the percentage of men who do the same account for 30%.

Ultimately, while the government is busy crafting legislation to protect our privacy and prevent companies such as Apple and Google from tracking our online activities, the Retrevo Gadgetology study show that consumers may have just as much to fear from people they know.

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