Android Apps I Love

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Quick punch of applications on my android phone that I love and enjoy. And a couple android apps that frustrate me.

WordPress – using the latest full install not an update but a full install of the wordpress app, it write now to write this post. Allows you to check statistics now. Excellent application for

MY phone

.

Facebook – some abilities are limited. Like notifications will minimize fb app and opens browser. Invites crash my fb app.

Twitter – nothing ever seems to work anymore.

Pandora radio – won’t let me sign in anymore via phone. Love the app, can’t use it.

Last.fm – works like a charm, perfect lil music app.

Advanced task killer- let’s you shut off running background programs. Battery saving app.

Opera browser – has very few limitations compared to basic default browser, but many more abilities than default. Looks sharp also.

All barcode scanners with 4+ rating, get em, all usefull.

I hate android alarm clocks. I can never make them go away.

The MUST HAVE App for Android

I personally have a G1. The G1 phones have probably the sorriest battery life. In less than 4 hours, my battery is usually at  1/4 capacity. This means when I go to lunch at work, G1 is on the charger in the car while I eat lunch. This means 0% of my work day involves using facebook. :-(.

I have done everything I could to reduce battery usage. but this story isn’t all about my phone.

I found (from a lady at my job) Advanced Task Killer. You can find the actual app in the Android Market. It’s free and very useful.

Just install it and open your menu bar. Once you click on Advanced Task killer the first time, it should for ever be in your bar at the top of your screen (if you have a g1 like ) do still running the 1.6 firmware). As soon as the program opens the first time, you will see a list of apps that are currently running. Un-check the ones you do not want to disable (may I recommend you do not kill ATK?). If you must disable Advanced Task Killer, I would like to take the time to suggest that you go back to your main screen, press down in an empty space and just wait there with your finger on the screen. After a few (2-5) seconds you should get a pop up. This pop up will ask you what you want to add to home screen. Select “shortcuts”. There will be a second of things to select from, chose applications. This next menu will be in alphabetic order, Select Advanced Task Killer. This will place ATK on your Home Screen.

I myself create folders and separate my apps by placing them into specified folders. You can rename your folders by opening them and pressing in the folder with your finger and hold there for about 5 seconds or less. You will then be prompted to rename the folder.

Only downside, is the programs keep re-opening and you have to keep closing them. and every time you turn on the light to use the app, you run the battery down a bit more.

So for the battery saving Android application that you MUST HAVE, Get Advanced Task killer.

advanced task killerAdvanced Task Killer

Paypal Android Bump App

Just by being at the correct menu and fulfilling the proper credentials, you can now bump your android phone to another android phone and make a payment of a specified amount.
Android application that allows paypal payment via a bump? lol now the pick pockets just have to bump into your phone? If you are a moron walking around looking for some who is ready to receive while you have a specified drop amount in hand.
What will this do for smuggling or laundering. Probably not much. Except when you see the Knux bump, It could in fact be an exchange of money. An accidental hand bump in a a crowded bus, airport, mall or what ever. You can then pretend to be someone that witnessed a spy transaction. Or you could be someone that really did witness one and just not wake up in the morning.
Well you can get your android bump ap and see who all out there is willing to test it out with you.
Go to Paypal’s site when you get the free time or look in the android market for it.

paypal android

Facebook Places and Four Square

Let them have it. only a small group of people even know what foursquare is. This hoopla over how close the two products are, is probably the highest level of notoriety that Foursquare has ever seen. They probably just got a whopping 14 downloads in one day from curious people who just had to see WTF people are talking about.

See I have no idea how to spell 4square.. at all.. I can spell Gowalla, but I am a freak like that.

Fun Games For Android

The ultimate games for killing time while waiting for other things while in locations that you normally would be bored in.

Of course that is how I explain the use of such application. You can’t just install one. One game is over fast and you are out of stamina and health and all that other stuff, long before you have a chance to actually do anything. So installing each of those games you actually get extra bonus points for the the others. It’s like 20 points. These points are the ones you trade for goods. In most game companies you have to buy those points. So this helps a bit.

All these games are free from the android Market

World War – build your armies and fight everyone that attacks you.

Vampires Live -build your vampire up and get a group of friends (the more friends the better) and get blood thirsty

Ninjas Live -build your ninja up and attack like crazy, defend like a mad man

iMobsters –  same as vampires but with a mobster theme.

Racing Live – build your car and get faster defense and wins.

Kingdoms Live – Same as world war but money comes slow.

There is a place to get codes for each of these games. Storm8 Codes.

So far storm8 is all I know of. If you have a game that you like that isn’t in the list, feel free to say it’s name here. I will try trhe game and add it to the list.

No adsense app for android

Checking your adsense account on an android phone is pointless. You can see nearly all of the page with the browser, except for the totals. There is some guy who made an adsense ap but he sells the full featured one for like $.99.
This is pathetic. The phone is made by google. I can imagine what people see on adwords. Probably not a whole lot. I do not understand why google themself have not created this app. Could be a very useful tool.
I have tried with the web browser and with opera, no luck in seeing my page view count. I am forced to using the hit count that came with wordpress and subtract 35% because for some reason google adsense seems to do that.
Oh well, at least adbrite let’s me see my stats …. with the google browser.

World War Android App

World War Droid

This game is addictive. You can play against your friends who have Iphones and the same game. I love cross platform games. Nothing more inviting to make me pick “do I want speed strengthy build and  good looks phone, or do I want reliability ease of button mashing phone” to make me decide what phone I want, than multi-platform games. would be cool if Xbox and Playstation would do this.

The World War app

I waited for a good while to play this game. While my co-workers had it on their Iphone, I was playing a similar game on Myspace called Mobsters. I knew that I was the one who could show these hipsters who’s boss……. but I just couldn’t get the dang game. it wasn’t out for my Moto, and it still wasn’t out when I got my blackberry. Almost five months after I got the G1, here is the game I have been wanting.  World War.

Great game. If you need invites post your gamer code here and let other readers add you.

“Blapkmarket” pirated app Shut down

This news is from TechCrunch
I do not understand some of the stupid fees people charge for some of the aps they sell.
I mean many people have completely justifiable fees for their software. Because they thought of something totally new to solve a problem they have been facing.
but have you tried a pdf reader yet? IMHO, the only people who should be able to charge for a pdf ap, are the ones who first created pdfs. I think it would be best if Foxit just made a free pdf reader for droid and made it available, to kill out all of the jerks charging for pdf readers. same thing for open office. Why is it that someone other than the inventors of excel, can charge for a program that reads excel files? IMHO that is pirating.
How about the hundred pay version of fake snake and pacman ?
If it is fake and not the inventor, why can this guy who compiled it (cloned for droid or what ever you call it) can charge for it? is that not plagiarism ?

but I did find one guy who made a voltage drop calculator, now that dude had a task and wanted to make it easier. He should get paid for his works, and get a gold medal!! lol.
I would bet that most of the people who’s “works” got pirated, can’t really press charges, because their stuff is a rip off of someone else’s work.

I do think it’s good the pirating site is down. because of all of the legit software, it needed to be shut down. I do have to say though, that almost everything I have tried to install on my phone that I needed, was trials for software that is a rip of some other software. Of course I did not install even the free trial.

One Month Review of G1 HTC Android.

Well I have had my G1 for one month.

On day one, it crashed about 3 times.

On day two it got an update to something, no clue it happened so fast and I had no idea how to work anything on it, that I may never know. After the update I had crashes the whole day . Finally found the applications and what ones I could install.

I have to have all background processes turned off, otherwise it is super dead slow. Barcode scanners all seem to be just advertisement for national companies. Mostly target and  some drug store. Read More about the Android Barcode scanner here.

While searching the apps online, every single app has some clown saying ” app froze would not run had to uninstall found better one” then they say the name of  the supposed better one. I have come to the conclusion they are smearing  and trying to promote their own app..  If it freezes, turn background processes back on.. you will move slow, but yeah, it will work.

Storage,
I hate the limitations of this cell phone. I have an 8 gig memory card in the machine, but it seems to only install new apps to the phone, not the memory card. That bugs the hell out of me, because default storage for the phone is like one song. There is no way to change that.

The phone has been out for just over a year, yet they already have the G2 on it’s way to the shelves? if not already released???? why? they knew it sucked?

Screen area is huge and the resolution is remarkable. The camera takes an amazing picture, audio is pretty good through good head set, if you have the right adapter. Internet is super fast if you use the wifi settings and have a fast connection at your house (lol). I have actually seen over 2 megs a second, considering I have a 20meg a second connection, it is possible. Pandora Radio and ars radio are the best features. Other than running around in your skivvies playing with the light-saber app.

yesterday I pulled out one of my old Motorola phones, slapped my sim card in it, and bam, I get a bunch of text messages.. Has that freaking phone been missing my texts? Is that why she dumped me ? is that why i lost that bid for the job? what in the heck ???

Not happy, selling pretty soon.

I will be going back to my Blackberry 8100, just hope I can get used to the double tap simi qwerty keyboard.