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Android Apps
matt.c - 20/6/11 at 08:42 PM

Finally got up to date and got myself an android phone. Learning all about these apps is starting to give me a headache.

There are so bl**dy many of them and dont know which to download!

I have plenty of interests and wondered if there any apps for them?

Karting
Kitcars
Weather
Storm chasing
BTCC
Motorsport


Also im looking for some fun apps too


You guys got any ideas?

Thanks locostbuilders


Matt

Ben_Copeland - 20/6/11 at 08:53 PM

Blimey, you think there's a lot on the android!! You should try the iPhone, literally millions

ReMan - 20/6/11 at 08:55 PM

Angry Birds it is then

David Jenkins - 20/6/11 at 08:56 PM

This website is a bit easier to search for Android apps:

Android Market

If you log in with your google account and set yourself up then you can get the apps downloaded directly to you phone. It can be a bit of a slow site though...

UncleFista - 20/6/11 at 09:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ben_Copeland
Blimey, you think there's a lot on the android!! You should try the iPhone, literally millions


The android market overtook the iphone market in popularity and number of apps a few months ago

This was my reply to the same question in an earlier thread;

"Some of the apps on my Desire HD;

Album art grabber - adds album artwork to your mp3s
Amazon kindle - ebook reader
*Amazon app - allows you to spend money far too easily
*Applanet - hacked android market (everything's free)
Astro - file manager
Auto-ring - allows certain phone calls through even when phone is on silent
Barclone free - stores store card barcodes on your phone so it can be scanned (instead of a card) at the checkout
BBC Iplayer - like the normal iplayer, but smaller
*Beyondpod - podcast downloader and player
Circular battery - sets a circular battery icon on the status bar
Copilot live - sat nav
Diskusage - allows you to see in graphical form whats using your memory
*Dolphin browser HD- excellent browser
*Dropbox - share files between your PC and phone etc.
eBay app
*Facebook app
Fake call-me - arrange a phone call for in 5 minutes when you need to get away from someone
FIFA 10 - "ace" according to my 9yr old
Fruit ninja - fruit slicing game
Fullscreen caller ID - BIG picture of the caller
*Gentle alarm - starts your alarm really quietly and slowly build up the volume
Goggles - take a picture of something and this will search the 'net and ID it, it can also translate text
*Handcent SMS - the best SMS app, looks like an iphone
IMDb - films and sctors etc.
Instant heart rate - see how unfit you are
Jewels - puzzle game
Juiceplotter - see where/how your battery power goes
*K-9 mail - excellent email app, supports push email
Layar - augmented reality app
*Logmein - connect to your home/work PC on your phone
Out of milk - shopping list app, you can scan barcodes and add them to your list
Picsaypro - add text, effects and graphics to photos
Sickipedia - best and most adult jokes on the internet
Soundhound - hold your phone up to a music source and it'll tell you what the music is and who by etc.
Star chart - a map of the heavens, just hold the phone up to the star you want to id
*Swype - keyboard
Torque - OBD2 scanner
*Transdroid - allows you to connect to your PC over the internet to manage, add and delete your torrents
Tune-in radio - radio over the internet
Twidroid - twitter
Weatherbug - weather
Widgetsoid - make and customise your own widgets
Wifi analyser - gives you information about all the wifi networks within range

* All the ones marked with an asterisk are the ones I couldn't live without"

hth

Staple balls - 20/6/11 at 09:40 PM

Bubble Level Is pretty handy.

[Edited on 20/6/11 by Staple balls]

RoadkillUK - 20/6/11 at 10:13 PM

This could be usefull for Locosters, it's a rain alarm

Forgot the mention the Tire Size Calculator - HERE

[Edited on 20/6/11 by RoadkillUK]

craig1410 - 21/6/11 at 12:30 AM

quote:
Originally posted by UncleFista
The android market overtook the iphone market in popularity and number of apps a few months ago


A bit of a distortion of the truth I'd say...

As of June 2011:
iPhone Apps = 425,000+ (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store#Number_of_launched_applications)

Android Apps = 213,343+ (source: http://www.appbrain.com/stats/number-of-android-apps)

And for android tablets versus iPad the difference is frankly embarrassing... 60000 vs 16 (source: http://macdailynews.com/2011/02/25/apples-ios-has-60000-ipad-apps-vs-android-3-0s-16-tablet-apps/)

Anyway, I don't want to pour cold water on Matt's new purchase as he's not got an android tablet, it's a phone and there are plenty of apps to choose from on both android and iPhone. I just had to correct this misinformation.

Enjoy your phone Matt.

bmseven - 21/6/11 at 06:57 AM

Mac news and the Apple Page on WikiLies are not biased either then

Horses for Courses

David Jenkins - 21/6/11 at 07:45 AM

re. the list above - I wouldn't be without K9 Mail (it really works...) and I've recently installed Swype - makes text entry so much easier. The down-side with Swype is that it isn't on the Android Market yet - you'll have to get the beta from the authors (google for 'swype' ).

Oh - and Dropbox makes swapping pictures etc from phone to PC really easy.

[Edited on 21/6/11 by David Jenkins]

craig1410 - 21/6/11 at 07:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by bmseven
Mac news and the Apple Page on WikiLies are not biased either then

Horses for Courses


If you've got a better source for the facts then feel free to share it and let people decide for themselves. I'm not a big fan of unsubstantiated statements. You'll have noticed that I also included an Android centric site as well. I should perhaps mention that I'm an iOS developer but I'm also a big open source software fan too (not that Android is actually open anyway, despite what they want us to think)

Anyway, if there is a source out there which can show that there are more Android apps than iPhone apps then lets have it, otherwise I rest my case.

David Jenkins - 21/6/11 at 07:52 AM

PLEASE ... no "A is better than B" wars here!

The iPhone is good, the Android phones are good, and probably the Windows 7 phones are good (I've not tried one) - but each have their own advantages and problems, and it comes down to personal preference in the end.

craig1410 - 21/6/11 at 07:55 AM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
PLEASE ... no "A is better than B" wars here!

The iPhone is good, the Android phones are good, and probably the Windows 7 phones are good (I've not tried one) - but each have their own advantages and problems, and it comes down to personal preference in the end.


No intention of starting a war, just correcting misinformation posted earlier. I did say that Matt will do fine with his new phone.
If someone posted a message to recommend making a steering column from chocolate would you not correct that statement???

David Jenkins - 21/6/11 at 07:57 AM

So what's wrong with a chocolate steering column?!

Mine's worked perfectly well for ages... oh, hang on, it must be time for my medicine...

craig1410 - 21/6/11 at 07:59 AM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
So what's wrong with a chocolate steering column?!

Mine's worked perfectly well for ages... oh, hang on, it must be time for my medicine...



blakep82 - 21/6/11 at 10:41 AM

weird because the phone shop told me that the number of android apps had overtaken iphone apps too, and that theres more free apps on android, and they come out quicker on android because they don't go through all the months of screening that apple put them through.
i say weird, because i'd never heard of android, and i went into the phone shop to get an iphone (which i would have had to pay £300 for the phone) i said i'm not overly sure about the iphone because of apple and they way EVERYTHING has to be done through them, and you can't bluetooth photos to another type of phone, he said go for the HTC desire HD on android. weird because surely he would have got more comission for selling me an iphone?
carphone warehouse told me that, and actually, the bird in phones4u said the same thing....

anyway, the main event, apps. definite MUST HAVE is advanced task manager and advanced task killer. run both of these and it keeps your available memory up, and battery usage down

David Jenkins - 21/6/11 at 10:56 AM

Killing tasks in android is now discouraged - the latest versions of the core operating system is far better at managing its memory.

craig1410 - 21/6/11 at 10:56 AM

Okay, rumour control again...

Most Apple apps are approved within 5 working days not "months of screening". There is also a good reason for this screening process as there is a huge amount of malware infected apps on the Android app store. (see http://www.mobiledia.com/news/92098.html and http://www.futureofmediaevents.com/2011/06/13/watch-out-for-malware-hidden-in-android-apps/)

Yes Android probably has more free apps as a percentage than iPhone but it also has a higher percentage of what are described in the link I gave earlier as "low quality apps" and Google tend to remove many of these on a regular basis. The figure is currently 39% low quality. Free apps comprise approximately 60% on the android store - I'm not sure what the iOS number is but I would guess it is lower than this. A lot of the reason for this is because it is more difficult as a developer to release a paid-for app on android than on iOS for a number of reasons. The main reason is because Apple already had iTunes set up in dozens of countries whereas google had to start from scratch pretty much.

I'd say again, I'm not knocking Android but there are always two sides to every story.

locogeoff - 21/6/11 at 12:41 PM

I picked up a wee Vodafone Android phone for £70

I'm running

A spirit level thing, a compass thing, an HP48 calculator emulator, Torque OBD scanner, Google Navigation thing, and F1 live data thing, and the only one I shelled out for was the OBD scanner. The rest of stuff I've downloaded tried out then removed from my phone as I just didn't require them. Though I'm waiting for the scenario when I must find out what a star is in the sky so I can use the Google star finder thing.

I would say, instead of trying to load everything you might want at once, just download them from the market place when you require them, that way your less likely to run out of space or have the thing so cluttered with apps that you can't find your bottom with both hands on it.

Well chuffed, and because it's probably viewed as undesirable I'm less likely to get coshed for it. That and the battery life is shocking and the touch screen isn't the best, but not bad enough for me to try a different phone.

Regards

Geoff

David Jenkins - 21/6/11 at 12:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by craig1410
... there is a huge amount of malware infected apps on the Android app store.


Fair comment - Google do need to sort the app store out, quickly, before they lose credibility.

At the moment I'm running the AVG malware scanner, just in case.

UncleFista - 21/6/11 at 02:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by craig1410
A bit of a distortion of the truth I'd say...

As of June 2011:
iPhone Apps = 425,000+ (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store#Number_of_launched_applications)

Android Apps = 213,343+ (source: http://www.appbrain.com/stats/number-of-android-apps)

And for android tablets versus iPad the difference is frankly embarrassing... 60000 vs 16 (source: http://macdailynews.com/2011/02/25/apples-ios-has-60000-ipad-apps-vs-android-3-0s-16-tablet-apps/)

Anyway, I don't want to pour cold water on Matt's new purchase as he's not got an android tablet, it's a phone and there are plenty of apps to choose from on both android and iPhone. I just had to correct this misinformation.

Enjoy your phone Matt.


I disagree entirely, what I posted "must" be true because I read[1] it on the internet.

[1] I say read, almost all I read on the internet just gets skimmed and I use the mish mash of wrong facts to bolster my own theories..

Seriously, I might have misread the atricle I got my facts from, would it make it more true if I said "free apps" ?

UncleFista - 21/6/11 at 02:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
<snip>
anyway, the main event, apps. definite MUST HAVE is advanced task manager and advanced task killer. run both of these and it keeps your available memory up, and battery usage down


I've been running a DHD for months now and not needed to use a task killer, I did using the earlier android version (1.6?) oon my old phone, but with 2.2 and 2.3 it's been fine.

britishtrident - 24/6/11 at 07:43 AM

Istr this thread is about Android apps.


For GPS navigation in the UK Skobbler is probably the best.

But for GPS using Maps that are available offline Maps(-) lets you cache Open Street Map or Google maps in advance, this app came to the rescue a couple of times in Malta when I was well off the main (!) roads. AndNav2 is also worth loading.

Google Sky Map is fun as is Plane Finder.

K9 mail has already been mentioned.

Wifi Analyser is a very handy tool as is Wifi Manager.

PicSay for working with photos

My Ftp Server for file transfer to a PC

Also a search for "OBD" in the Android market will turn up loads of stuff that will work with cheap Blue Tooth Elmscan diagnostic dongles..

D Beddows - 24/6/11 at 08:29 AM

quote:

For GPS navigation in the UK Skobbler is probably the best


Have to disagree with you there I think Google Navigation is amazing for the price (£0.00), we've got a couple of mid range dedicated sat navs (a Tom Tom and a Garmin) and I've got Co-Pilot Live on my phone as well - the one I use most? Google Navigation. Actually being able to see a satellite picture of where you are as you're going along I find really useful as you see buildings etc rather than just the road. There's also another free app called MyAtlas which stores destinations (which is one huge omission in Navigation ) and links straight into Google Navigation.

Yes you need to be on an 'all you can eat' data tariff and it does loose the map occasionally if you the 3G signal disappears but that happens far less than you'd imagine and the routing is easily as good as the Tom Tom / Garmin and better than Co-Pilot in my experience......

David Jenkins - 24/6/11 at 09:10 AM

The best bit about Google Navigation is the 'alternative route' function. I live in Suffolk, and my wife's family are in Swansea - my Garmin always puts me on the A12, M25 and M4 - certainly the shortest route, but absolutely the most boring and liable to unexpected hold ups. Using Navigation I can pick the alternative A14, M5, M4 route that's 20 miles further but often 30 minutes quicker overall.

The worst bit is not being able to save favourite destinations - I've not worked out how to make 'starred locations' work...

UncleFista - 24/6/11 at 10:55 AM

Starred locations works very well.
Go to "google bookmarks" on the PC to edit/add them.

Mr G - 24/6/11 at 11:13 AM

If you want music for free then the GTunes app is a must. If you want apps for free then aptoide is also a must.


G

[Edited on 24/6/11 by Mr G]

D Beddows - 24/6/11 at 11:58 AM

quote:

The worst bit is not being able to save favourite destinations - I've not worked out how to make 'starred locations' work...


Seriously - download the free version of MyAtlas (the paid for version does nothing useful extra tbh) it does exactly what you want and is incredibly simple to use

David Jenkins - 24/6/11 at 02:33 PM

I couldn't find MyAtlas in the Android Market...

D Beddows - 24/6/11 at 03:10 PM

lol, no you're right! I can find places you can download it - and it updated a couple of weeks ago so I know it's still 'live' but no, it doesn't seem to be on android market anymore - which is a shame