This will probably end up sounding a bit like a sponsored post, but I absolutely assure you it is not - I'm just that impressed by this app that was released yesterday!
Chris Lacy (the developer behind the innovative Action Launcher) released his latest app yesterday, and it's already working hard to change the way I use my phone WITHOUT requiring me to think about that change.
The app is Link Bubble, and it aims to revolutionize the way external links are handled. It's tough to describe exactly what it does, so let me illustrate with an example: If you're browsing Google+ and see a link you want to view, you tap on it. That link immediately launches your browser, and you have to wait for it to load - those are valuable seconds that could be better spent continuing what you were doing before you hit the link. The problem is even worse when URL shorteners or apps which handle links get involved: tap bit.ly link > browser opens to bit.ly > browser redirects to imdb.com > browser launches IMDB app > content finally loads. The whole process is clunky and uncomfortable.
Link Bubble solves a lot of that by handling the loading of links in the background. When you click a link, a tiny bubble appears on the side of your screen, and Link Bubble starts to load the content in the background. When it's fully loaded, it floats into an overlay window and you can immediately begin to digest the new content. This works even with URL shorteners and redirects, and will even load up a third-party application in the background if needed - all without interrupting your workflow.
Once Link Bubble is in the foreground, each opened link appears as a bubble at the top of the screen, directly above the currently-displayed content. You can switch "tabs" by tapping the appropriate bubble, close tabs by dragging its bubble to the bottom of the screen (a very satisfying gesture, though you can also just use the Back button), share it directly to a preset service by dragging to a special bubble at the top left (Twitter or G+ tend to be the defaults, but you can define that), or send it to the default Android sharing menu by dragging it to the top right.
Link Bubble also has an option to disable the autolaunch, which can be immensely handy if you want to load up a whole mess of links in the background (exactly what I do when I'm browsing the web from my desktop - at any given point in time I usually have at least six or seven AF tabs open alone!). In that case, you can just tap the waiting bubble(s) on the side of the screen once you're ready to view them.
Those seconds that you don't spend waiting for links to load can add up, and Link Bubble will count them for you:
Don't just take my word for it, though: ComputerWorld's JR Raphael is also hugely impressed, and AndroidPolice has also posted a solid review.
Link Bubble is free so you can try it out, but limited to a single open tab at a time and will only handle links from a single app; Link Bubble Pro is a $5 license that unlocks the full potential with infinite tabs and infinite link handling. Try out the free one, and I think you'll see that it's worth supporting one of the most innovative developers on Android. :thumbup:
Chris Lacy (the developer behind the innovative Action Launcher) released his latest app yesterday, and it's already working hard to change the way I use my phone WITHOUT requiring me to think about that change.
The app is Link Bubble, and it aims to revolutionize the way external links are handled. It's tough to describe exactly what it does, so let me illustrate with an example: If you're browsing Google+ and see a link you want to view, you tap on it. That link immediately launches your browser, and you have to wait for it to load - those are valuable seconds that could be better spent continuing what you were doing before you hit the link. The problem is even worse when URL shorteners or apps which handle links get involved: tap bit.ly link > browser opens to bit.ly > browser redirects to imdb.com > browser launches IMDB app > content finally loads. The whole process is clunky and uncomfortable.
Link Bubble solves a lot of that by handling the loading of links in the background. When you click a link, a tiny bubble appears on the side of your screen, and Link Bubble starts to load the content in the background. When it's fully loaded, it floats into an overlay window and you can immediately begin to digest the new content. This works even with URL shorteners and redirects, and will even load up a third-party application in the background if needed - all without interrupting your workflow.
Once Link Bubble is in the foreground, each opened link appears as a bubble at the top of the screen, directly above the currently-displayed content. You can switch "tabs" by tapping the appropriate bubble, close tabs by dragging its bubble to the bottom of the screen (a very satisfying gesture, though you can also just use the Back button), share it directly to a preset service by dragging to a special bubble at the top left (Twitter or G+ tend to be the defaults, but you can define that), or send it to the default Android sharing menu by dragging it to the top right.
Link Bubble also has an option to disable the autolaunch, which can be immensely handy if you want to load up a whole mess of links in the background (exactly what I do when I'm browsing the web from my desktop - at any given point in time I usually have at least six or seven AF tabs open alone!). In that case, you can just tap the waiting bubble(s) on the side of the screen once you're ready to view them.
Those seconds that you don't spend waiting for links to load can add up, and Link Bubble will count them for you:
Don't just take my word for it, though: ComputerWorld's JR Raphael is also hugely impressed, and AndroidPolice has also posted a solid review.
Link Bubble is free so you can try it out, but limited to a single open tab at a time and will only handle links from a single app; Link Bubble Pro is a $5 license that unlocks the full potential with infinite tabs and infinite link handling. Try out the free one, and I think you'll see that it's worth supporting one of the most innovative developers on Android. :thumbup:
