It’s been a while since I’ve done a post on the best Android apps or must have Android apps.
Today, I thought I’d change things up a little and do a post on apps that aren’t necessarily essential to any Android owner, but these are some of the coolest Android apps out there that really show you what your phone can do. There aren’t any games, but these 10 apps sure nifty.
Tasker – Tasker is the only app on this list that isn’t free, but the $6 or so you’ll have to spend on it is well worth it. Tasker is pretty much the Swiss Army Knife of the app world – it can do pretty much whatever you want it to. Read more extensive reviews here and here. To sum it up, this app will allow you access to 160 built-in actions to help you automate frequently performed tasks on the phone. For example, this app will put your phone into airplane mode at night to save batteries but will turn the antennas back on every 15 minutes to check for email, text messages, and voicemail. You can also use it to launch your music player (whichever one you choose) when you plug headphones into your phone. There are thousands of different uses for this app and plenty of profiles pre-made for you so you don’t need to know how to program at all to get a ton of use out of this app. Note: If you have a Droid Razr, you probably don’t need this app as the Smart Actions functionality built into the phone is very similar to what Tasker does – Tasker is a bit more powerful while Smart Actions are a bit more user friendly.
Soundhound – This is a music identification app which really isn’t anything new. Shazam has been identifying songs playing on the radio for a couple years on Android now and even longer on the iPhone. However, Soundhound can identify songs much faster, sometimes in as little as four seconds. Of course, my favorite feature is that if you have a song stuck in your head and just can’t think of the name of it, just load up Soundhound and sing a few lines or hum a few bars. It’s not perfect, but it can get you the song in most cases if you can remember 10 seconds or more of the song.
Google Maps – While I’m still waiting for a speedometer in my Google Maps Navigation, there is plenty to like about Google Maps on Android. First and foremost – free GPS navigation which saves you a bundle over similar apps on the iPhone. While every GPS navigation system can do driving directions, Google Maps Navigation also does walking directions, bicycling directions (using bike trails whenever possible), and can even help you take the bus by telling you which bus to take to get where you want to go as quickly as possible. If you ever leave the house, make sure you’ve got this app installed on your phone.
Google Googles – Google Goggles is an app that has been around for a while now, but they keep adding in new features that really make you say wow. Google Goggles has a built in barcode scanner for finding information about products (came in handy at Sears a couple weeks ago – we found out the item we were thinking of buying didn’t work as advertised), can translate street signs and restaurant menus, tell you what a product is by taking a picture of it and can help you identify art, locations, landmarks, and products just by taking their picture. Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, just for fun they threw in the ability to solve Sudoku puzzles and it works great on those extra hard puzzles you just can’t solve.
Google Translate – While there are plenty of other good translating apps out there, the new Google Translate app for Android takes the cake with its new real time translations by voice. It’s not perfect yet, and it only does English and Spanish, but real time voice translation on your phone is certainly could certainly come in handy in a pinch and it sure is gosh darn cool to play with.
Google Skymap – This is the last Google made app on the list, but it does go to show you that Google has gone through great pains to make sure some of the best apps available are available on Android. Google Skymap is one of those gee-wiz apps that you never knew you wanted, but once you’ve tried it out, you want to show it off to everyone else too. Google Skymap will tell you where the constellations are and what their names are. If you’re looking for the planets, it’ll tell you where they are as well.
Glympse – This app is actually pretty simple. It allows you to be tracked. Of course, you get to say who and when someone can track you and how often it updates. For example, let’s say you’re planning on meeting a group of people for lunch but you’re coming from out of town. Well, now you can let those contacts track your location so your friends can see how far away you are so they know if they’ll be waiting for you or if you’re running late. This app would have been helpful a few months ago when I had to go help out a friend who got stranded on the interstate. It was dark and I wasn’t exactly sure where he was (he didn’t know what mile maker he was near either) so I had to drive along until I could find him. Had we had this app at the time it would have told me exactly where he was.
Gmote – There are plenty of remote control apps for Android. Heck, I’ve devoted one of my screens just to various remote controls for different devices. This neat little app allows you to use your phone as a remote control for your computer (you’ll have to install a program on your computer too). For example, you can launch and control a movie remotely or launch and stream music or control a Powerpoint presentation.
FXCamera – While the standard camera app on Android is a little lacking, you can dress it up by installing the FXCamera app on your phone. This app gives you several different settings for taking pictures. For example, there is a Polaroid mode that you can use for vintage film, faded, aged, and mono effects. Stop taking boring photos and install FXCamera and then share them on Facebook using the button within the App.
Easy Metal Detector Lite – Does just what it says. It turns your phone into a metal detector. Your phone does have the equipment inside it to do the task, but it doesn’t have a very strong magnet so you do have to get pretty close to metal for it to detect it, but it’s still a cool way to show off some of the lesser known capabilities of your phone.
Related posts:
- 10 Must Have Android Apps
- 10 Best Android Apps – Top Free Apps For Your Phone
- Chrome To Phone – Awesome New Android App Make You Feel Like A Secret Agent
- How To Record Calls on Android Phones
- 7 Best Apps for Rooted Android Phones
About Gary Ruplinger