Android Apps to Download
One of the pleasures of owning an Android-based phone is downloading applications that are fun, that increase productivity, or that tell you more about your phone. Here are a few applications I routinely use for those very purposes. All of these applications are available from the Android Market.
AK Notepad (free)
AK Notepad serves as a note-taking and very-light-word-processing app. It saves information as soon as you type. You can also save your notes to your SD card and back them up to the cloud. The resulting files are in .txt format, so you can open them on your computer direct from the SD card, if you wish.
AppMonster (free)
AppMonster backs up all the apps on your phone, with the exception of some paid apps, to your phone’s SD card. This app is great for storing older versions of apps, just in case the new updated one introduces features you don’t like. I can’t imagine performing a factory reset—which I’ve had to do once of my own accord—without having this app available. For that reason alone, it may be the most valuable app on my phone.
Barcode Scanner (free)
Barcode Scanner uses your phone’s camera to take snapshots of UPC and QR codes. With the UPC codes, you can instantly check for pricing information through the default Web browser. With QR codes, you can go to Web sites to gain more information about products, to download apps from the Android Market, and more.
Beautiful Widgets (paid)
Beautiful Widgets provides date and weather information akin to the Sense UI that comes with HTC phones. In some ways, though, the Beautiful Widgets app is better because it offers more weather information and has extensive customization features. Moreover, the app is constantly updated. If you want the cool animations, you’ll also need to download the BW Animation Package (free) after purchasing and installing Beautiful Widgets.
Circle Battery Widget (free)
Circle Battery Widget offers a graphical way to monitor your battery usage. The widget fits within a typical 1×1 desktop area, so it sits nicely with other desktop icons and widgets. The widget is also quite customizable in case you don’t like the default choices. (I set my circle to go clockwise and to use a thinner circle.)
Dropbox (free)
The Dropbox Android app synchronizes your desktop Dropbox app with your phone. The app is set up intelligently, though, so files don’t download to your phone until you want them to. Dropbox might be the single handiest way to manage files in the cloud, and the Android app makes it even handier.
KeepPassDroid (free)
KeePassDroid is the mobile version of the popular open-source program KeePass Pro, both of which serve as a password vault. Using KeePassDroid, you can take all your passwords with you wherever you go and keep them locked safely until you need them. The mobile app, like the desktop app, works best if you keep the password database stored in your Dropbox folder so you have the latest version of your database available regardless of whatever computer or device you’re using.
Opera Mini Web Browser (free)
Opera Mini acts as an alternate browser to the one that ships with Android devices. While the default browser is quite good, Opera Mini can serve pages considerably faster than other browsers because of its caching technology, so it's the better browser when your Internet connection is slow. Opera Mini also gives you an alternate browser in case someone else wants to use your phone and to log in to some of the same services you use.
SMS Backup+ (free)
SMS Backup+ backs up your text messages to the Gmail account tied to your phone. It creates a new folder to do so and groups each set of backups by recipient name. After archiving your text messages, you can confidently delete them from your phone, freeing up memory and making the phone perform a smidge faster.
TaskPanel XTRA (free)
TaskPanel XTRA gives you control over running apps to free up memory and possibly to improve speed and battery life. (There are mixed opinions about the battery-life angle, but I believe it to be true in some cases). The app also offers a way to close some undesired built-in apps automatically so they close as soon as the phone opens them.
Tippy Tipper (free)
Tippy Tipper calculates tips at varying percentages and has convenient round-up and round-down features. It will split bills, as well.
TuneIn Radio (free)
TuneIn Radio gives you a means of listening to live radio over your phone's Internet connection. You can access local stations, national stations, and Web feeds. I use it to listen to ESPN Radio's national stream because Springfield, Missouri's ESPN 1400 station, in purely scientific terms, sucks on ice.
