Until multitasking is a part of Android, developers will continue to bolt it on, and today’s Daily App is a case in point. SwipePad for Android is a launcher panel overlay that allows switching between apps with the quick swipe of a finger.

Created by independent developer Calcium Ion, the tool launches any app from within any other app without having to exit to the home screen. SwipePad works in three simple steps. First touch down on a pre-set edge of the screen or "hotspot," then move a finger toward the center of the screen so the pad will emerge, and then release the finger on a specific slot to launch the desired app.

SwipePad allows the creation of up to nine different hotspots, with 12 different apps or widgets accessible from those hotspots, totaling more than 100 apps. SwipePad is fast, and despite running in the background, it uses no extra battery life, according to the developer. Whether for business or personal use, people proficient with Android will find SwipePad a great productivity enhancer.

PUBLISHED OCT. 9, 2012