While Google Voice Actions seems to be the faster to adapt to your voice, we must confess to being very impressed with Vlingo which has some very interesting features, such as the option to update your Twitter status by just speaking to your device. On the flip side, we love Google Voice Actions’ ability to head to a website when you speak to it. As we said, it is a terrific time to be using Android.

FarmVille might be a rage all over the world, but there are a quite a few Facebook users who find nothing more annoying than seeing messages about wandering cows and flowers pop up on their walls. Well, they can now strike back, thanks to an app called, very appropriately, Farmvillain. The app is available on Facebook (just head to http://apps.facebook.com/farm-villain/) and even on the iPhone/iPod touch. Basically, the app is designed to spoof everything that happens on Facebook. So you can send people stories about how how you have successfully shot 10 intruders on your farm, or how the cows on your farm have caught mad cow disease, or (if you really do not like cows) how you have successfully butchered more than a thousand cows in the previous 24 hours.

In essence, it is the total antithesis of the cutesy feel of Farmville that sets lots of users teeth on edge. Yes, some of it tends to be a bit gross and might offend some sensibilities, but some people just might like it, and most will be hard pressed not to laugh. Definitely worth a look, we think.

Days after its last tweak, Google has gone and made some changes in Gmail again. Last time it was the option to sign into two Gmail accounts within the same browser, this time it is more a revamp of the interface, especially that of the contacts. A quick visit to http://gmail.google.com will reveal a tweaked Gmail, with three new links on top of the left column “Mail,” “Contacts” and “Tasks,” a clear indication that Google wants this to appear as a part of a suite of applications (we are waiting for “Files” to be added to the list, bringing Google Docs into the equation).  Of course, you can turn off viewing Contacts and Tasks if you wish by just hitting the minus sign next to “Mail,” but we honestly do not see any reason why we should.

However, the biggest overhaul has been in the contacts section, with each contact now being presented in a single line, with details. And when you are in the Contacts section, the left panel becomes a dedicated contacts management panel, letting you see different groups of contacts. Clicking on a contact will take you to a sleeker looking page with details of the person whose name you have clicked. You can add a whole lot of text about a person using a huge text box on the right and can even specify in fields whether a particular phone number being used by the person is tied to a device (BlackBerry, iPhone, etc). Gmail also now autosaves information the moment you move away from the field you are editing, which is a relief.

All of which is extremely handy, especially for those who use Gmail as their primary mail and contacts account (we certainly do). Will it convince people to move away from the likes of MS Outlook? Not yet, we think, but Gmail is definitely on its way to becoming the ultimate mail/contacts/calendar application.

Yes, we do know that  some of the newer brands in town are offering devices with much better technical configurations at a comparable price, but few, if any, of them are going to back them up with the kind of support and service that Samsung has. Which, in our book, makes the Champ live up to its name. India finally has a quality touchscreen phone below Rs 4,500. Now, we are waiting for the likes of Nokia to respond.

We have had the opportunity to play around with India’s first 3G-enabled tablet, the OlivePad from Olive Telecom, and while we are not exactly sure that it will drive us away from the iPad, it is by far the best stand-alone tablet product in the country. Yes, we do not know its final price yet, but if you are looking for reasons to invest in it, here are six factors that we think could help make up your mind.

1. Android: The OlivePad is the first mobile device in the country to run only Android. Previously seen just on cellphones in India, this is a very powerful and open operating system, tailormade for a touch interface, with thousands of applications for download. What’s more, the OlivePad runs on Android 2.1, which is one of the newer versions of the operating system. We have even been assured that the device will be upgraded to Android 2.2
2. Portability: The screen at seven inches is not as big as the iPad’s, but the smaller size also makes the OlivePad that much easier to slip into a bag and carry around. Yes, it does look chunky and will not win any beauty contests, but it is also small enough to be used one-handed, and heck, it does very well indeed as a mobile computing option.
3. Multi-tasking: Yes, we know that the iPad too will be getting multi-tasking, but for multiple applications running in the background, you really cannot beat Android. So if you are one of those who likes to browse the Net, work on a document, keep tabs on your social networks, all the while while playing music, then this is the tablet for you.
4. It’s a phone too/data connectivity: All right, we know you are unlikely to hold a 7-inch touchscreen to your face to make or receive a phone call, but there can be no denying that the fact that one can make calls off the OlivePad is a huge plus. Combine that with the fact that it supports wireless broadband (we expect it to come bundled with some operator’s SIM card) and thatyou can simply slip your own phone’s SIM card (no micro SIM needed, thans!) into it and work away, and you have a device that is very powerful indeed.
5. Connectivity options: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB charging, expansion cards, GPS…this thing is a veritable computer. ’nuff said!
6. Battery life:  The prototype unit of the OlivePad we got ran on WiFi quite easily for about eight hours, which is very pleasing indeed and better than many notebooks. Nope, it ain’t as good as the iPad, but it is still formidable.

Well, that was in the past. Now, one can simply jailbreak an iPhone 3GS, 3G or iPhone 4 by going to a website on the phone. All one needs to do is open the Safari browser on one’s iPhone, and go to http://www.jailbreakme.com. The site will download some files and at the end of it all (generally about 15 minutes over a Wi-Fi connection), your handset will have been jailbroken and will be able to access apps not just from the Apple App Store, but also from Cydia, the app store which features stacks of apps from other developers, many of which have been rejected by Apple. You can even make your iPhone independent of your operator by downloading an app from Cydia, letting your iPhone work with just about any sim card. And if you do not like your iPhone after jailbreaking it, you can simply roll it back to a previous version by syncing it with iTunes.

There is, of course, a catch - the jailbreak works only on iPhones running iOS 4, and jailbreaking your device will result in voiding its warranty. Still, there are many people who will take the risk, just to get the opportunity of trying out more apps. We already have. It actually works.

Touchscreen, keyboard, better browser, better camera, more apps - all combined with BlackBerry’s traditional mailing and messaging strength, now that should make the Torch perfect for all those who want a great touchscreen-QWERTY combo. The big question, of course, is when will it come to India? We are waiting. And watching.

One of the biggest complaints we have had about Android devices in the country has been the fact that they have generally cost a packet and have more often than not come with older versions of the operating system. Well, HTC’s latest Android handset, the Wildfire, cannot be accused of either of these shortcomings. The phone which was released in the Indian market recently in collaboration with Reliance, runs Android 2.1 (yes, we know that Android 2.2 is out but it is available on a handful of devices as of now), has a 5 MP camera with a flash and comes at a price of Rs 16,990 (it is actually available in some parts of the market for about Rs 15,500).

Also among the goodies onboard are a digital compass, the HTC Sense interface (which many consider to be one of the best for Android), a 3.2 inch touchscreen, 512 MB memory, support for 3G and FM Radio. Pretty good, we think, and easily the best value for money Android device that we have seen in the Indian market, easily outstripping the Samsung Galaxy Spica, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini and the LG GW 620, all of which were in the Rs 12,000-Rs 15,000 price range.