The Android App Thread

[Martian]

So, some of you may have heard that I got a Nexus One (no, really?). I'm quite pleased with it over all, but have been exploring the Marketplace and the whole concept of apps.

I thought perhaps we could do with a space to discuss and share and perhaps even post links.

I'm still new to the whole smart phone experience, but I have managed to find a few fun items in poking around.

The first isn't strictly for smart phones, but counts because it has an Android app: Slacker internet radio. I commute to work via bus every day, and I'm loving the fact that I can now take my customized radio stations with me. When I get to work I turn off the internet radio on the phone and turn it on on my desktop. Bam! Seamless music for the whole workday. It doesn't get any better than that.

It's free for the Americans out there. Canadians can have a free 30 day trial, and pay around $50 per year for the Pro subscription, which gets you a bunch of nifty extras, like unlimited skips and mobile caching (so I can continue to listen on the subway, for example). Given that we can't get Pandora up here, this is a thoroughly decent substitute.

Another app I've been playing with is Poynt. I actually first encountered this one via my mother's Blackberry, but it's one of the first things I grabbed when I got my own phone. It's simple and to the point -- local restaurants and movies in one convenient location.

Who else has recommendations?

[Lasereth]

MyLock is a must for anyone with a Droid who suffers through their touchscreen coming on during calls and accidentally dialing/opening apps, etc.

Robo Defense is probably the best Android game out so far, even now.

PDANet is the best tethering app out there. It lets you use your phone internet connection for a computer for free.

[YaWhateva]

Originally Posted by Lasereth

Robo Defense is probably the best Android game out so far, even now.

I'd say Angry Birds is.

[Cynthetiq]

I was convinced to root my phone. Best thing ever. I already had froyo but to ne able to tether for zero cost was attractive. PDAnet still costs something to get a registered copy.

I love tapatalk which I am using right now.

Add to that there are the news apps that keep me reading current events. Aldiko for reading in conjunction with calibre.

Angry birds gets lots of screen time.

[YaWhateva]

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

I was convinced to root my phone. Best thing ever. I already had froyo but to ne able to tether for zero cost was attractive. PDAnet still costs something to get a registered copy.

I love tapatalk which I am using right now.

Add to that there are the news apps that keep me reading current events. Aldiko for reading in conjunction with calibre.

Angry birds gets lots of screen time.

I love having my phone rooted. Being able to have custom firmware (bugless beast v.0.5) is awesome.

[Shadowex3]

I've got an intercept (pre-cortex low end android) so no froyo or GPU reliant toys for me but I still rooted it so I could install hebrew font support and thanks to inxane's kernel and recovery the whole phone seems a lot faster. I haven't figured out what the major difference between inxane and squeak is but they're both apparently good kernels.

Appwise I've got a lot:

Astrid for task management, syncing with Producteev
Dropbox's mobile app
GroceryIQ for grocery list management
Shopsavvy
Ebuddy for chatting
Tricorder for fun
Gstrings for guitar tuning (works on almost anything stringed)
Ratetip for quick tip calculations when I need to split it arbitrarily
Tasker for everything from an in-class mode to anything else i can think to program
Anysoft instead of the regular keyboard
and lastly GPS status in case I ever just want a compass or to check the sats


I also use titanium backup for deleting bloatware and managing backups of things but thats a Root utility.

[Orchrist]

Hmm, need to check out some more of these. I need more productivity type app's on my phone, I tend to get stuck just downloading games.

Edit: I have a Droid Incredible

Here's some game recommendations:

Abduction! World Attack
Air Control
AirAttack
Dungeon Hunter
HomerunBaseball
Nova
Winds of Steel

There's demo's for a bunch of them, and at least a fewof them aren't available through the market, I believe they're from Com2US and Gameloft and they have a separate installation platforms.

Otherwise in non game stuff what I use the most is:

Swype(when it worked before I upgraded to Froyo and broke it) =(
Movies
and mostly the basic mail and maps applications.

[Dragonlich]

I recently acquired a Samsung Galaxy S (woohoo), which is now running Froyo. The apps I like most are:
- Allshare, to play movies from my PC.
- Googly Sky map, if only to impress people.
- Beautiful Widgets, for the pretty clock + weather widget, and the buttons for things like wifi on/off.

I'll take a look at the other apps mentioned here.

[Grancey]

Originally Posted by YaWhateva

I'd say Angry Birds is.

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

Angry birds gets lots of screen time.

Thank you so much for getting me hooked on Angry Birds.

[AquaFox]

My top includes Angry Birds, PDAnet and the Verizon FiOS TV remote control and DVR application.

[FuriousAvatar]

These days I use Tapatalk a lot to browse the forum and keep up on threads while I'm away from home. I also use Pandora pretty often-this is where I pick up most of my new music.

Other than that, I have a barcode scanner I use every so often to compare prices when shopping, I play Minesweeper now and again, and I love the Wifi, bluetooth and sound widgets for managing different connectivity and sound profiles.

I just found out my phone (Motorola Backflip) is getting an upgrade to its OS, which is fantastic, because that's the only failing I find with this phone, currently.

[Shadowex3]

Originally Posted by FuriousAvatar

These days I use Tapatalk a lot to browse the forum and keep up on threads while I'm away from home. I also use Pandora pretty often-this is where I pick up most of my new music.

Other than that, I have a barcode scanner I use every so often to compare prices when shopping, I play Minesweeper now and again, and I love the Wifi, bluetooth and sound widgets for managing different connectivity and sound profiles.

I just found out my phone (Motorola Backflip) is getting an upgrade to its OS, which is fantastic, because that's the only failing I find with this phone, currently.

Tapatalk doesn't make any real sense to me but then again after the horrible monster that the old blackberry curve browser was having the android one render basically a (tiny) real working website kinda seems like perfection has been achieved, so I guess I'm a bit biased...


Personally I added Google Shopper to compare to Shopsavvy. So far I think google shopper is faster but shopsavvy is a bit better overall and shows local results.

[Cynthetiq]

shadow, I use both to view here because there are a few features I cannot access via tapatalk like blogs.

But tapatalk is a really nice app because it just gives you a very simple yet robust interface to interact with forums.

[dc_dux]

To track your member of Congress as well as info on status and votes on bills:

Android App - Congress - SunlightFoundation.com

But probably only of interest to policy wonks.

[Cynthetiq]

Originally Posted by dc_dux

To track your member of Congress as well as info on status and votes on bills:

Android App - Congress - SunlightFoundation.com

But probably only of interest to policy wonks.

Interesting app. I'll have to check it out.

[Martian]

Originally Posted by dc_dux

To track your member of Congress as well as info on status and votes on bills:

Android App - Congress - SunlightFoundation.com

But probably only of interest to policy wonks.

I'd be interested in a Canadian equivalent to this, but I suspect it doesn't exist.

[jewels]

I'm too wimpy to root, but here are some others that I currently enjoy for free:

Alchemy - interesting game
IMDB - good for movie geeks
Pandora
Shazam/Soundhound - alternate these as each allows only 5 or so uses per month for free but will give you artist/track info by listening to a few notes of a song
Wordfeud - similar to iPhone's Scrabble-type app that you can play with friends and strangers

All available, no root, through Market. More, please!

[LaLa1]

I just got the Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S) this week. Being new to the whole android phone craze I really have no idea how to work it. I'm taking it up to RougeGypsy this weekend so he can learn me. (makes note to ask what "rooting" is)

However, I did manage to figure out a couple of things and Slacker music player is the first thing I logged into. I have been using it for a few years now on my computer at work and love it! I much prefer it to Pandora.

Angry Birds was on the demo phone in the store, and yes it's on my phone now too. That is an awesome game!

Paper Toss - For idly passing the time while I'm on a break from work I play Paper Toss, I am hooked on that simple toss the paper into the trash can game. I would recommend it!

[Shadowex3]

Just think of it as a small computer instead of as a phone that "does things" and you'll be fine.

[FuriousAvatar]

The biggest reasons I use tapatalk is because it's simply faster to load pages, and it's also easier to navigate than scrolling through the whole forum.

[Nefir]

My Epic 4G is the cat's meow. No regrets.

First thing I did was load up the best $15 I've ever spent:
- NESoid (NES emulator)
- SNESoid (SNES emulator)
- GENSoid (Genesis emulator)

Then a few of my favorite DOS classics:
- OpenTyrian (superb vertical shoot-em-up with an even better musical score back in the day)
- Ur-Quan Masters (port of Star Control 2 - it's still a little buggy, but it's getting there. Truly epic.)

Can't wait for the DOSBox port to be finished... I'm a sucker for abandonware.

Ditto on Tapatalk. I use its widgets to easily access several forums I monitor while on the move - a real lifesaver.

[YaWhateva]

I can't stand playing SNES and NES games on my phone. Touch screens are terrible for those games.

[SecretMethod70]

LauncherPro Plus [website, appbrain]. The free version is alright, but pay the couple bucks to use the Plus version - it's worth it! If I seem excited about this app in the following description, that's because I am. It is one of only a few apps I've felt worth paying for in the past 6 months.

LauncherPro is based on the stock Android launcher, but extends the functionality quite a bit. For awhile, I was sticking to HTC Sense for the widgets and a few other features, but then LauncherPro Plus added similar widgets and even more features. Now, the only feature I miss from HTC Sense is scenes. If you're not using HTC Sense, there's really no reason at all not to switch to LauncherPro Plus.

There's a lot to love about LauncherPro, but I'll try to keep this relatively concise:

Customize the number of screens
With LauncherPro, you can choose to have anywhere between 1 and 7 home screens.

Fully customizable, and scrollable, dock
This is one of the best features of LauncherPro. The dock on the bottom of the screen is a great combination of simplicity and power. It has a total of 15 customizable slots. Five show at a time, and you can scroll the dock to the left or to the right. Add whatever apps you want, and free up space for more widgets!

There's more, though. Maybe you're thinking that you need to take up a slot for the app drawer and to display which screen you're on? Nope. As you scroll through screens, a bar moves across the bottom to indicate your location. As for the app drawer, each slot in the dock can be customized with an action for when you swipe upward. What I've done is set every slot to open the app drawer when I swipe up, so I don't have an app drawer icon anywhere, but if I swipe up from anywhere on the bottom of the screen it opens!

Maybe you'd prefer some other activities when you swipe up? For example, maybe you'd like swiping up on your browser icon to display your bookmarks? It can do that too, and much more!



Hide apps in the app drawer
This is pretty simple, but a great feature nonetheless. It's less of an issue on the Nexus One - you don't have pre-installed crap from your carrier - but even so there are some apps that show up and the app drawer and just don't need to. For example, why display apps in the app drawer when they're already on your homescreen? Hide them, and make browsing the remaining apps in the app drawer that much easier!

HTC Sense-like widgets and widget resizing
This is what got me to finally switch. I liked what LauncherPro had to offer, but I just couldn't go without the HTC Sense calendar widget. Then LauncherPro Plus got widgets, and the calendar widget is even better than HTC Sense now!

Is there a widget that you think is too big or too small? LauncherPro lets you resize your widgets however you choose!

There are a lot more customization options, from icons to docks, and there is even a nice website to get some of those things: http://launcherpro.droidicon.com

Here are some more screenshots, since a picture says a thousand words...

[Shadowex3]

Is the swipe-up a plus only feature?

[SecretMethod70]

Yes, sorry, should have clarified. My suggestion, of course, is to try the free version first. It's already pretty damn good that way, and you can get a good idea of how you might use it. The widgets are only available in the plus version, but I think the screenshots give a good enough idea of how they work before buying. It's worth noting, since I didn't mention it explicitly before, that the widgets are scrollable.

---------- Post added at 07:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 PM ----------

I just read that your phone is older, so you might want to wait until sometime around the end of the year. The developer of LauncherPro is rewriting it from scratch (up to now it has been based on the stock launcher) to improve speed, reduce size, and add more features.

[Xazy]

Anyone know of an app, that will turn on and off the ringer based on time, so when I go in to work I will not accidentally forget to turn phone on to vibrate.

[SecretMethod70]

For that you want Locale or Tasker. Both paid apps, Locale is easier to use but Tasker is more powerful (and cheaper).

[Dammitall]

I've had an HTC Droid Incredible since earlier in the summer. I wouldn't call myself a power user and haven't rooted—don't know if I will—but here are the apps I've acquired so far and use with some frequency:

Amazon.com
ASTRO File Manager
Barcode Scanner
Dropbox
Google Chrome to Phone — I wish this went both ways, as in being able to send links viewed on my phone to a signed-in browser, but I can share links via Google Tasks.
Google Goggles
Google Sky Map
Google Tasks
Mobile Metronome
MyTracks
Seesmic — much preferred over HTC Sense's included Peep Twitter app.
Shazam
USAA Mobile — mobile check deposits FTW!
Watchdog Task Manager
Weather.com
WeatherBug — these two each have their respective advantages. Bike commuting requires some vigilance about the weather, so both weather apps get a lot of use.
White Noise — nice noise machine program; this is the only downloaded app I have paid for.

What would really be nice would be an iTunes counterpart for Android to enable purchasing/renting TV shows and movies in addition to music. Does something like this already exist and I just don't know about it?

[Shadowex3]

You don't need a task manager if you're at least 2.1, the OS will automatically shutdown inactive things when it needs more memory.

Also Tasker is by far the single best app I have. I've programmed my phone to do everything from ask me if class is still on and if so or not to put itself into a "don't get me in trouble" mode to automatically toggling GPS periodically to keep my stuff updated in the background while massively improving battery life. The only way to improve it that I can think of is to basically go all out with AND-OR-NOT support.

[Nefir]

Originally Posted by YaWhateva

I can't stand playing SNES and NES games on my phone. Touch screens are terrible for those games.

Hmm, you've got a point there. I'm spoiled by my slide-out keyboard.

No worries - how about:

- Gem Miner: Explore a huge mine to find ores, metals and gems and make your fortune! Buy upgrades from your profits, but be careful not to get stuck down the mine, fall down chasms or be crushed by rockfalls! (free version available)

- Pocket Legends: a free-to-play 3D MMORPG a la Diablo 2/Dungeon Siege. You tap your screen to move around, kill enemies, talk to NPCs, other players, etc. You'd need a fairly recent phone to perform well with the 3D, I imagine.

[YaWhateva]

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

LauncherPro Plus [website, appbrain].

by far my favorite app. very much worth the money.

Originally Posted by Xazy

Anyone know of an app, that will turn on and off the ringer based on time, so when I go in to work I will not accidentally forget to turn phone on to vibrate.

Timeriffic might be something you're looking for.

---------- Post added at 02:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Nefir

- Pocket Legends: a free-to-play 3D MMORPG a la Diablo 2/Dungeon Siege. You tap your screen to move around, kill enemies, talk to NPCs, other players, etc. You'd need a fairly recent phone to perform well with the 3D, I imagine.

Pocket Legends is fun! thanks!

[Dammitall]

Originally Posted by Shadowex3

You don't need a task manager if you're at least 2.1, the OS will automatically shutdown inactive things when it needs more memory.

Thx, Shadow. Duly noted.

[jewels]

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

LauncherPro Plus [website, appbrain].
There's a lot to love about LauncherPro...

Finally had some time to do some homework and check it out. Definitely cool, easy to use and yes, I will likely go for the paid version. Top quality and it actually enhances my phone.

Thanks for taking the time to write this one up!

[Anxst]

Whispersystems offers some great security apps for your phone, if you're into that. Red Phone lets you make encrypted phone calls to any other Red Phone user, and does it over straight WiFi/3G, not using your minutes. TextSecure encrypts all your incoming and outgoing text messages.

Whisper Systems

[Baraka_Guru]

I had to make a snap decision on my phone replacement: I chose the Sony Ericsson X10 (Android) over the BlackBerry Curve. I hope I made the right decision. I figured the Android system is better for my uses (casual/geeky) over the BlackBerry (enterprise/business/productivity oriented).

Now I have to get all caught up on this whole smart phone dealio, specifically the Android. I'll have to peruse this thread for app recommendations.

I feel so 21st century now.

[Cynthetiq]

first is angry birds.

[Baraka_Guru]

Always with the angry birds....

[Baraka_Guru]

I've been looking into squeezing as much as possible out of battery life. The X10 has a big screen that seems to take a lot of battery power. I've done the usual settings adjustments such as dimming the screen, reducing the screen timeout, and decreasing the frequency of network updates (e.g. Facebook/Twitter).

However, I found a couple of apps that seem to be useful to get even more out of the battery:

• Advanced Task Killer
• JuiceDefender

The first one is a simple app that lists what apps are running. You check the ones you want to "kill" and press the kill button and it shuts them down. I'm still learning how Android works, but it's my understanding that the OS automatically multitasks apps when you launch them. That is to say, if you launch an app, it will in most cases reside in memory until you actively close them somehow. Advanced Task Killer is a quick and easy way to drop things out of memory to keep things fast and to save your battery power.

JuiceDefender is a bit more obscure to me. It resides in memory and actively conserves power based on usage. For example, if you aren't using your phone, it will preserve power. One way it does this is downgrading your network connection to 2G when not in use. It does other things too such as reducing CPU load while the phone is idle. The full version (under $5) gives you more control over wi-fi and data connectivity when idle. Even with the free version, I have noticed an increase in battery life. However, this is likely in conjunction with Advanced Task Killer. It's been getting good reviews, which is how I found it.

[Cynthetiq]

Truly the only way to get the most out of battery life is via rooting. you need to be able to throttle your CPU usage along with your task killer. There are certain tasks no matter how much you kill them and how much you don't want to use them will continue to come up by themselves.

I rooted, but I didn't do it for those purposes, I did it for the hotspot ability and not pay Verizon for the using the feature that is available on my phone.

[Baraka_Guru]

I'm not all that concerned. I see a noticeable increase in battery performance with what I've done. I don't want to get into all the customizations associated with rooting. I'm not that keen on wrangling with the technology.

Oh, and I've been reading that Sony Ericsson has made the decision not to upgrade the X10 past the current installation of Android 2.1. They cite reasons of their UI setup making it too difficult to upgrade further. Of course, you can call bullshit and point accusingly at their shiny new Arc that might come loaded with 2.4, but whatever.

It looks like I'm stuck on 2.1. It will be fine for the most part. My only real concern is not having access to certain apps down the road. What are the implications of this? Are most apps going to be backward compatible?