Since my Free and Open Source Software Suggestions is still one of the most looked at pages on BrokenAirplane, I figured a list of suggestions about my favorite Android apps for life, education, and otherwise might be helpful as well. These are certainly not exhaustive, just the ones I use frequently.
Unless otherwise mentioned, these applications are all free. Now that the Google Play allows you to install directly to your phone, I have replaced the links so you can conveniently send them with one click.
- Adobe Reader - Read PDFs on your phone.
- AndroZip - Useful for opening attachments you download.
- Astro - Browse the files on your phone, but it is best known for its ability to backup the applications on your phone.
- Barcode Scanner - Scan barcodes and QR codes for quickly accessing information (make your own QR business card here and here)
- CardioGraph - Fantastic use of the camera to check your pulse.
- Chrome - Sign in and keep all of your bookmarks and tabs available across alldevices.
- Google Play Books - With Google's Play Bookstore, you can read on all of your devices.
- Google Reader - This app seamlessly allows you to keep track of all of your blogs and RSS feeds. The interface is smooth and the sync works really well. Unlike some rss feed apps, you can do almost everything you can do on the computer Google Reader site (e.g. subscribe, search, follow from multiple accounts).
- Google Sky Map - GPS and accelerometer equipped sky map. As you move your phone the map moves with you. If you use this every day or only a couple times a year it is still one of my favorite apps.
- Google Translate - The power of this app was demonstrated to me when my students and I were able to communicate with other Robotics teams from around the World at Championships. Very powerful features like multiple languages and it will speak the translation as well.
- GTasks - Google Tasks in Gmail is my todo list for getting things done. The app synchronizes so you don't have to go to a site.
- HandyCalc - Powerful calculator with graphing and currency conversion.
- NPR News - Useful for streaming the news and your favorite weekend shows.
- Physics Gizmo - Now you and your students can do science without the cost of those expensive sensors. Blog post here.
- PRemoteDroid - Allows you to remotely connect and control your computer. Use as a mouse, browse files. Really useful when you are teaching or away from your computer. Similar to Gmote but allows you to use Bluetooth as well. Download the software for your PC here.
- Reddit Sync - Great interface and it's easy to open up the images/links/videos right from within the app.
- Seesmic - Love this Twitter app! I can quickly and easily post to Twitter and my Facebook page. I tried other apps and they were either slower or had less features. It has a lot of customizations for the look, frequency of updates, lists, and everything else you need in a Twitter app to connect to your PLN.
- Shopper - Find out if you are really getting the best deal by scanning the object or barcode. The app will then tell you what Amazon, Ebay, Best Buy, etc are selling it for. I use this app for comparison shopping and I use the share function to remind my self of books I want to buy or take out from the library.
- SL4A - This was the app I used to originally create Physics Gizmo. Great prototyping platform.
- Smart Tools - (Free versions of each tool/Paid version puts them all in one app) uses your phones sensors to measure distance, height, angle, etc. Very handy.
- WebMD - Simple interface, either click on where your symptoms are, check drug interactions, and more. Great for parents.
