Did you just get an Android device this holiday season? Well you’re in luck! Oh, and welcome to the club!  Here’s a bit of news to get you off and customizing your phone.

The developer known as AnderWeb has recently released a new version of one of the most well-known home replacement applications in the Android world.  Let’s back up for a second.  Being new to the Android scene, you might of just asked yourself,  what is a home replacement?

This is a normal Android application that will run when you press your android phone’s HOME key. It’s usually what people know as the “Android desktop”.

ADWLauncher EX was released on Christmas Eve and came loaded with gifts!  Once installed, this app totally revamps your home screen experience.  It will give you the ability to take your phone to the next level of personalization. Customize everything from the app tray to the animations of swiping screen with the color and settings in between.

Listed below is the change log from the previous version.

• 5 different app drawer styles/behaviors
• 3D Nexus One like application drawer
• 2 different plain vertical drawer styles, the “old one” and a new fast and smooth one
• 2 different IPhone-like horizontal application drawers, a traditional paginated one and a new one with continuous fling
• Different desktop transitions: new animations while navigating through your desktop screens. Try them all, they’re crazy!!!
• New Icons configurations/look and feel: Tweak your desktop icons, change its sizes, add coloured backgrounds, change font size, color, etc!
• New fast presets mode: Quickly change the whole desktop configuration by 1 click!
• Editable desktop icons for applications, shortcuts and folders!
• Lots of code improvements
• More, more more to come!

What I love the most about this application is the ability to make my home screen exactly how I want it, and even add some little fun tweaks! One of the most popular additions to this version is the desktop transitions. Flicking through your home screens now becomes almost a roller coaster type of experience! Another new feature is being able to edit shortcuts you have previously made. This comes quite in handy when you have already created a dock shortcut.

There are lots of ADW themes in the Android market that will give you the option to replace the bottom dock bar. They will normally come with themed wallpapers and icon packs as well. Use these new icons to replace your shortcuts on your dock.  This example is a combination of two ADW themes. The blue parts are from a theme that you can find in the market, it’s called CyanogenMOD ADW Theme. The pink is another one called Pink ADW Theme. Don’t be frighten to go into ADW’s settings under menu>more>ADW Settings. There are lots of things you can change to fit your preferences.

Watch the video below and pay attention to the hidden dock bar.  That is where you can store shortcuts so your home screen can be saved for showing off, and of course widgets! Head on to the market and check it out, you won’t be disappointed.  This app costs $3.40 and is totally worth it.

Stacie is the Associate Editor of AndroidGals and lives in Wichita KS with her geeky AndroidGuy Drew and their three puppies. She loves modding her Android devices and is a huge fan of CyanogenMod. She is involved in quite a few Android related projects including helping out with the Big Android BBQ, and any Android fun that comes her way. Away from the site she enjoys riding her Andy green Kawasaki ZX-10, or on the back of her and Drew's VMAX!

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