We all have opinions to give or questions waiting to ask. Perhaps you’re afraid your opinion is bold and you’re afraid you may hurt a feeling or two. Or maybe you want to ask a specific question, but you’re afraid of folks thinking you’re stupid. Well the Thumb app aims to let users throw in their 2 cents or ask those million dollar questions, naturally in anonymous fashion of course. Created by developer Opinionaided, the app allows you to:

• Vote and comment on questions
• Responses come in just seconds after you post your question
• Choose your audience: post questions to everyone on Thumb, select a gender, or just send to your Friends
• Respond to questions in a specific category
• Connect with people who share similar interests
• Reward people by giving them Stars for helpful responses

While the app is cool, it does lose its charm and novelty after a while. Nevertheless it’s worth it for Android users to give it a shot– especially considering you will be able to finally channel your inner jerk or ask if you should get that 1985 Honda Accord… all without hassle. You can find the app out over in the Android Market or by scanning the QR code below.

Android Market

Sprint launching ZTE Optik, 4G curiously missing originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Youtube link for mobile viewing

Google has announced that it is in the process of streamlining its privacy policy, combining more than 60 current documents for various products into one easy to read version, with less of the "legal gloop" and complicated language.  Starting March 1, users will no longer have a different privacy statement for the various Google offerings.  This makes sense to us, especially if the promises of a document that's easy to read and understand hold true.  It likely makes sense for regulators as well, as Google has been under the microscope about it's practices and privacy concerns.

Google's also saying this will lead to a simpler and more immersive user experience, where information from the suite of Google services can be combined to provide more relevant information while using Google branded products.  In the video above, they give the example of how it can improve search results.  Of course, it will also help target the right advertisements to each of us at the same time.

Google also wants to make it clear that they are not changing the basic elements of their privacy policies.  They still won't sell your personal information, and they don't share it without your express permission "except in very limited circumstances like a valid court order."   On the other hand, data about you can now be used across all services where it wasn't (couldn't?) before.  This isn't neccessarily "evil," but it opens things up for a bit deeper discussion and review.  In the end, Google is still going to be Google, and it sounds like the company's really only trying to simplify things for end users like us — and at the same time making it easier for its own products to use what access you've already granted them. 

Source: Google

Seven Networks just released version two of Ping. If you’re not familiar with Ping, it’s a social messaging app that allows you to keep all your conversations in one place. They just added Facebook and Twitter integration which might make this the “ultimate push-based social messaging app” available in the Android Market. With Ping you won’t have to switch between apps like email, IM, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, and other messaging apps. Ping automatically organizes all messages from each contact for all of these services. The Ping interface features a contact carousel and orders your contacts by how often you converse with them.

“People today are busy enough keeping track of their various mobile devices. Add to that the task of managing all of the different messaging apps and mobile communication becomes a bit overwhelming,” said Ross Bott, president and CEO of SEVEN. “Ping simplifies communication and messaging, allowing users to focus on the contacts and communications that matter the most to them.”

Checkout the overview video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Download links and full press release after the break.

Android Market Link

Full press release:

Ultimate Social Messaging App Now Available on Android Market

SEVEN Networks’ Ping® Emphasizes Conversations Without Need to Constantly Switch Apps

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SEVEN^® Networks, a provider of innovative mobile solutions that reduce smartphone data traffic on wireless networks, today announced the availability of version two of Ping^®, the ultimate push-based social messaging app, on the Android Market. The second version adds access to social messaging, including Facebook and Twitter.

“People today are busy enough keeping track of their various mobile devices. Add to that the task of managing all of the different messaging apps and mobile communication becomes a bit overwhelming”

Staying connected to family, friends and colleagues can seem like a full time job for mobile users who must switch back and forth between email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, SMS and other messaging apps. Ping alleviates this stress by seamlessly combining chat, email and social media messaging in one app, organizing conversations from all services by person.

Ping’s user interface features an innovative contact carousel that allows the user to view his/her contacts in a simple, wheel-like view. The app automatically organizes all messages from a contact regardless of which service they are using, allowing the user to view, read and send messages from one convenient screen. And, it orders your contacts by those that you’ve had the most recent contact with making it easy for the user to stay close to those who matter the most. Additionally, Ping was developed with SEVEN’s push platform, enabling extended device battery life and real time message delivery.

“People today are busy enough keeping track of their various mobile devices. Add to that the task of managing all of the different messaging apps and mobile communication becomes a bit overwhelming,” said Ross Bott, president and CEO of SEVEN. “Ping simplifies communication and messaging, allowing users to focus on the contacts and communications that matter the most to them.”

The app also supports SEVEN–powered chat, email, IM apps and access to Facebook and Twitter feeds, Facebook Chat as well as SMS messages and voice calls.

Ping is available to mobile users worldwide as a free download on the Android Market. An expanded version for wireless carriers is currently in trials before being embedded on upcoming devices and distributed over-the-air to devices already in market. Ping is the second Android Market app from SEVEN, following on the heels of the very successful Hotmail Android app co-developed with Microsoft (more than 3 million installs).

About SEVEN

SEVEN^® Networks develops innovative mobile software solutions that help carriers and device manufacturers reduce the amount of traffic generated by mobile apps on wireless networks. The SEVEN platform delivers data from the cloud to smartphones in a way that is network efficient, providing immediate capacity and financial relief to carriers faced with the exponential growth of mobile data. SEVEN Open Channel™, the latest award-winning addition to the SEVEN product portfolio, is a breakthrough mobile traffic optimization solution that cuts mobile app bandwidth consumption by 70 percent and signaling usage by 40 percent. SEVEN is deployed worldwide at major carriers across the five continents. More information is available online at http://www.seven.com.

Review: Antec Cleaning Spray Kit originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Looking for some new apps for your beloved Android device, well you are in luck today. Hit the break with us and let's check out some of the teams favorite applications from this week.

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Verizon is planning on rolling out its Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) services nationwide in early 2013. This is according to Light Reading who states that Verizon is starting in two cities. They are demoing the IP MultiMedia Subsystem now and according to Catharine Trebnick, VP of Northland Captial Markets:

“VZW has two cities not trailing VoLTE and plans for national rollouts in early 2013. With this VoLTE service you will be able use Verizon’s blazing fast 4G LTE data speeds but will also have full voice capabilities at the same time. 

While the Thunderbolt have been using both simultaneously, data from LTE and voice over 3G, VoLTE will be able to offer both voice and data specifically through their LTE networks. This should alleviate some 3G network pressure considering that all Verizon 4G phones use 3G networks for voice aspects.

You can look for the implementation of the VoLTE service to start at the end of 2012/beginning of 2013 as Verizon finishes its rollout of nationwide LTE coverage. I don’t know about you guys but I am looking forward to sending emails and surfing the net while chatting on my device. What about you guys?

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As LTE is exapanding rapidly, perhaps more rapidly then some would have thought – it's up to manfacturers to go ahead and exapand their device line-ups to include LTE-capable devices as well. LG is fully aware of this and their latest announcement introduces the first LTE-capable tablet from them into the market – the LG Optimus Pad LTE.

“With tablets generating five times more traffic than the average smartphone, it’s not a huge jump to assume that tablet users need and want faster connectivity,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “The combination of LG’s LTE technology with the tablet form factor is a clear advantage for consumers who use a tablet as their primary consumption device when on the move.”

The LG Optimus Pad LTE will be launching in Korea intially and moving out from there. It will come equipped with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor running Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS, a 1280 x 720 True HD IPS display and 8 megapixel camera for shooting HD video on the back with a 2MP camera on the front. Plus, HDMI and DLNA support are on board as well as SD Card support for up to 32GB of additional storage. LG hasn't given any pricing or launch details as of yet but you can check out their full press release past the break.

More: Optimus Pad LTE forums; Optimus Pad LTE specs

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Water, the precursor for all life on Earth and yet, incidentally,  looming doom for the gadgets we can’t live without.

It really doesn’t even make sense when you figure Earth is 70% covered by water. So why aren’t are gadgets water proof already, or at the very least safe from sweat and rain. Alright so there are a few of those devices, but realistically every electronic device should be impervious to water. Up until recently the best way to accomplish this feat has been to take rigorous measures to seal the device, but seals wear and impair wireless usability. There’s got to be a better way. Enter Liquipel.

Liquipel repels water at the molecular level. Now we’re talking! The process entails placing your device in a vacuum chamber then subsequently pumping it full of Liquipel formula as a vapor, allowing it to permeate all aspects of the device. After which the vapor is molecularly binded to your device’s materials and what you’re left with is a device not unlike any other of the same type, to the naked eye. The Liquipel treatment is only visible under a microscope.

Trust me, as cool as that sounds, its even more fascinating on video. Take a look at this. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yeah. The future is now friends. Of course, some of you may look on at Liquipel as old hat if you remember rival company HzO debuting similar technology this past November, but to you folks I say, you can get Liquipel right now. That’s right, you don’t necessarily even have to wait on this one if you have $60 in your wallet.  Several Android handsets are accepted and more are being added as they go.

So if you’re ready to start singing to Google Music in the shower or feel like checking Gmail in the hot tub you should definitely check out Liquipel now.

Here’s hoping one of these companies forms a partnership with Android OEMs.