I'm done swimming in the world of Android apps, searching for apps that appeal to me personally. Here, I finalize the list of Android apps that are, in my opinion, among the best in their own categories, if not the best. Some of them are, in fact, must-have in your Android phone.
Productivity/ Utilities
1. Advanced Task Killer (ATK)
This app kills all the running background apps that are consuming your memory. You can do this manually, or better yet, you can enable auto-kill to save you all the hassle. An easy way to clear up some memory to make your phone run smoother. The only thing is that some unused apps keeping running in the background even after the kill, and this is something I can do nothing about (yet) unless I uninstall the apps. Definitely a must-have app to ensure smooth performance.
2. Antivirus free
As the name implies, it scans all newly download and installed apps for virus detection. You can also perform manual scan anytime you want. A keeper.
3. App 2 SD (Pro)
This app will identify apps that can be moved from internal storage to SD card. It also allow you to keep track of remaining space in your SD card & internal storage, and apps that you have installed. You can also open and uninstall apps from here. As my phone come with very limited internal storage, I thought with this app, I could clear up some space. Turns out there wasn't any app that I have installed that can be moved to SD card. Now, I'm struggling with low internal storage. Still a great app.
4. APNdroid
If you do not use 3G service provided by your telco company, you better turn it off. This way, you can reduce battery usage. You can also prevent accidental web surfing which may cost u heavily. One way to do it is by APNdroid. Very easy to use, just one click to turn on or off 3G. Great app.
Music, Media, Audio & Video
1. Tunewiki
There are many good music players in Android market, such as Winamp, PowerAMP, and Shazam. However, I discovered an underrated app which turns out to be my favorite - TuneWiki. Clean interface aside, automatic lyrics search, album art search and youtube music video search are the main attractions for me. Another boost is that SHOUTcast, an internet radio station is included! Out of so many players, it has all the functions I need. The DOWNSIDE is that the latest update is a crap; the interface become complex, and there are so many unnecessary functions. If you want a good music player, try this, and stick to the old version (2.1). 5-star IMHO.
2. Album art grabber
Grab missing album art with just a few clicks! This app help finding missing album art all in one go. Success rate is around 80%. For album art that failed to be found automatically, you can manually grab them using this app also. Definitely a must for perfectionists/ people with OCD trait =)
3. Soundhound
This app can recognize music being played on the radio and speaker and provide you with artist name, song name, album and even lyrics. It can also recognize your singing and humming (provided your singing is not too bad lol) and come out with the song info within seconds! Cool rite? Havn't really utilize this app yet but this is certainly a keeper.
4. Summer Player
A player that can play almost all format of videos. The interface is clean and it's easy to use. A must-have in your phone. Another very good player is called Mobo Player, which can also play all video functions, but with a few extra functions (and bigger file size).
5. IMDb
An official app by IMDb. Search movies, reviews, watch trailers and many more. Good for a movie geek.
News, Education, Libraries
1. Adobe Reader
Enable .pdf file viewing by installing Adobe Reader. Must-have.
2. Moon+ Reader
This is an ebook reader. Out of all the ebook readers I have tried, it has the most functions, and is easy to use. The reader provides you with several links for free ebooks search and download, but those books doesn't interest me. Instead, I googled for ebooks of my interest. The ebooks are all in .epub format, just so you know.
3. The Star Online
This app provide a very convenient way to read news from The Star newspaper. News are sorted by sections, and you can add or delete the sections of interest displayed in the main menu. Very useful.
4. World Newspaper
This is an amazing app coz it complied ALL the newspapers and many magazines in the world and let you choose which to read and which to add to favourites for convenient access later on. I'm amazed by the collection of newspapers they have. Unless you read a lot of newspapers, this app is rather optional.
5. Medscape, Skyscape
Both are good medical apps for healthcare professionals. You can download the relevant references for offline use. Very useful for a quick refresh and reference. You may also download Concise Oxford Medical Dictionary.
Communication
1. Facebook for android, Skype, Twitter, Twidroyd, Tweetcaster
This is the section where you are spoilt for choices of communication apps. Facebook, Twitter and Skype are the common apps being downloaded. An alternative to Twitter is Twidroyd, which is a twitter app with more functions that the official app developed by Twitter Inc. After comparing both, I found Twidroyd to be more useful and suitable for me. Also among the most popular apps are tweetcaster (never tried it) and tweetdeck (combining facebook, twitter, foursquare and buzz). The preference of apps in this section is very much personal.
2. Whatsapp, Kakao talk
Both apps enable messaging via 3G or Wifi between Android and iPhone users. Whatsapp allow messaging to Blackberry and Nokia users, in addition to Android and iPhone users, and that makes me prefer Whatsapp over Kakao talk. Now you can sms to your friends and loved ones for free, sorta.
Games
This is another section where there are choices galore. From mini games like angry bird, toss it to rather big games like Pro Evolution Soccer and Need For Speed, the choices are endless. Here are some of my favourites.
1. Angry Bird
A simple games that turn out to be not so simple afterall. Test your accuracy, logical thinking, physics and patience with this arcade game. I had a lot of fun with it, and still do.
2. Toss it
Another way to train your accuracy, in a finer way, is by playing toss it. Instead of bird, you will toss paper into a bin from variable distance, taking into account of the variable wind speed. Rather addictive.
3. Labyrinth
This game will put your fine motor and reflex to test. Control a steel ball by tilting a wooden labyrinth. Increasingly challenging. Love it!
4. Radiant
A game that I'm currently addicted to. A classic spaceship vs aliens/creep shooting game. Used to play that on a game console back in the days. Simple but whole lotta fun!
5. Yoo Ninja!
Very very exciting, fast-paced game that test your reflex! A very simple game which only require accurate timing in tapping. Too bad I have solved all the levels and completed the game. Will revisit the thrill for sure.
6. Fruit Ninja
Slice your way to the top! Slice the fruits while avoiding bombs. Despite the simplicity, i kinda sucks in this game lol.
Photography
1. PicSay Pro
Edit photos in a painless way with PicSay Pro. There are a whole lot of effects available. A bit too many, I would say >.<. Definitely my first choice when it comes to photo editing in Android. You can always rely on this award-winning app. Other popular apps include Adobe Photoshop, Vignette, Photo Lab and Camera 360.
Others
Apart from those listed above, other apps that I would recommend include PAPAGO (navigation software), Real Calc, Converter and Cam scanner (take photos of documents and convert them into pdf files, wow).
You can always take your time to explore the android market for more good apps that may appeal to you personally. The bottom line is, install apps that are useful and required. You don't want to install apps excessively. Some apps may stubbornly run in the background, resistant to closure, thus consuming the memory unnecessarily, resulting in system lag. If you have small internal storage, it's not a good idea to used up too many of it.
Have fun!
Useful links:
p.s. For Samsung galaxy users, you can perform screen capture by pressing and holding the back button, and then press home button in the middle once.
2 comments:
you are crazy.
sharing is caring =)
Post a Comment