Our beloved Android Market has now reached 10 billion downloads.  10,000,000,000.  Very impressive for an OS that has spread like wildfire as of late all across the globe.  To celebrate, Google is offering premium apps up for just 10 cents over the next 10 days.  We are assuming the list will change each day, so you can be certain Droid Life will list out all the different apps so you can take advantage of this amazing deal.

For today’s deals, we have some fantastic applications that we know many readers here will be happy over. 

The folks over at Dolphin know that our device’s battery life is our biggest concern. What good is a web browser with flash capability if my battery life takes a crash on me within minutes of using it? Dolphin Companion to the rescue!  Without having to leave your browser,  Dolphin Companion offers system setting preferences which will hopefully boost your device’s life.

Offered are three different profiles to help your phone last as long as possible:

Extreme profile: For the most extreme circumstances, such as being stuck in an avalanche with almost frozen fingers, 6% remaining battery life and dismal network connection. This is the least battery-consumption mode which immediately turns your smartphone to receive only Call and SMS functions and no data connectivity.

Balanced profile: For the more balanced, less extreme lifestyles that have constant and regular access to charging outlets. This is the default mode with all call and SMS functions and power sucking data connectivity is switched on so you can browse whatever and whenever.

Normal profile: Don’t want to optimize your battery life? Dolphin will keep it as normal.

Feel like giving it a go with your Dolphin Browser? It is not available on the Market yet, but you can download and install as you would any 3rd-party app here. You will have to install Dolphin HD in order to get this to work though.

Via: Dolphin Browser Blog

Over the weekend, the folks at KnowMyDroid sent over a tip which suggested that the Android Market’s refund window may have jumped from 15 minutes up to 30 minutes and beyond without any sort of warning. To test their claim, we bought World of Goo within the last hour, installed it, and let it ride out for 31 minutes to be exact. Sure enough, we were able to refund it. I’m not sure if the window has been extended, if the Android Market is allowing me to uninstall beyond 15 minutes since I had not yet opened the app, or what is going on, but it certainly worked.  

As Verizon customers, this Carrier IQ fiasco isn’t something that you necessarily need to worry about. Big Red has made it clear that they do not use the software to track data, unlike the other major U.S. carriers:  AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Are they using some other type of tracking software? That’s anyone’s guess, but until it’s proven that they do, we will do our best to not jump to conclusions.

For those of you that are curious about CIQ and whether or not your phone has the software installed, an app has been created that will run a simple test to check (not reliable though?). As you can see in the picture above, my HTC Thunderbolt came back with a score of “0″ meaning there were no traces of CIQ software found. Down below, I also ran the test on my RAZR and Galaxy Nexus – both returning with scores of zero.

So if you have any friends with non-Verizon phones, be sure to let them know that this app is available for them to test with. And if it does come back a detection score greater than zero, that they may want to consider tossing on a customer ROM that has removed CIQ software. 

Tofu connoisseurs can party like it’s 1999 with the release of Nasoya to the Market.  The application is complete with recipe ideas, videos, and overall tofu goodness related content.  If you or a loved one doesn’t know what tofu is, then this app will introduce you to the wonderful world of soybean foods.

As a funny note, I remember when I was a young-ling and my father told me that tofu was actually rattlesnake meat.  Didn’t eat it for years after that.

Market Link

Aside from My Verizon and Backup Assistant coming pre-loaded on the Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus, it will essentially come bloatware-free. That means no visual voicemail app that has been included in every Verizon device for the last decade or so. If VVM is something you can’t live without, and refuse to switch to the greatest app on Earth (aka Google Voice), then you are in luck – Verizon has a VVM app available for you in the market that went live yesterday. Pretty screenshots from the LTE version of the phone included.

Market Link

Cheers Donnelly!

UNO lovers are going to be happy today.  The widely known game publisher Gameloft launched a free version of the card game classic to the Android Market.  With the ability to play the computer or even other players over a network, all the fun that you had as a kid are packed right into the application.  From the looks of it though, this feature is only usable to people who purchase the full version at $2.99.  Go have some nostalgic fun.

Market Link ($2.99) | Market Link (Free)