Thursday, January 26, 2012

50 Android Apps to Customize Your Smartphone


Looking for more Android apps to customize your smartphone? Look no further. Here's a list of 50 sweet apps that should be on your radar.

1) Amazon AppStore for Android
This alternative app market is new but gaining ground fast. It doesn't hurt that it gives away a different paid app for free every day. Free.

2) Stats Free
This very useful app lets you track all sorts of usage data from your Android device. It can even alert you if you're about to exceed usage limits or disconnect mobile data if necessary. Free.

3) LastPass Password Manager Premium
Juggling more passwords than you can keep track of? This app may be just what you need. It's a secure password generator that securely syncs your passwords across all your browsers and devices and automatically fills forms on all sites. The app is free, but the service costs $1 per month.

4) Llama – Location Profiles
Do you want or need your phone to change its behavior based on where you are? Look no further than this app. It can change your phone's ringer and ringtones—and a host of other settings as well—based on your location. Free.

5) Tasker
If you need something with even more functionality than Llama, this handy app let's you tweak and automate just about any process on your device. For instance, you could set your device to go into silent mode when you set it face down and to switch back to its prior state when you pick it up. Paid: $6.49.

6) GO Launcher Ex
This launcher app offers smooth and easy customization of your home screen with lots of beautiful themes, fast flip speed and tons of useful functions. Free.

7) GetGlue
Sometimes finding a new television show, movie or music that's up your alley can be tricky. That's where this app comes in. GetGlue is a social network for entertainment. You can check-in to what you're watching, reading or listening to, get recommendations based on your likes and dislikes and see what your friends are into. Free.

8) Vlingo
Need to text, call, tweet or set your Facebook status and your hands are already occupied? That's no problem if you have Vlingo, which allows you to operate your Android phone with your voice. It even works with a wireless Bluetooth headset. Free.

9) chompSMS
Want more control over your SMS app? The highly configurable chompSMS app gives it to you in spades. You can alter the style of your chat bubbles, add themes, a passcode lock, signatures and lots more. There are even blacklisting and Quick Reply features. Free.

10) Endomondo Sports Tracker Pro
Carry your personal trainer in your pocket with this app, which uses GPS to help track your running, cycling and walking and even gives you audio feedback. It even syncs with a number of heart rate and cadence monitors. Paid: $3.99.

11) Anti-Virus Pro
Concerned about malware, viruses and SMS spam? Anti-Virus Pro is a comprehensive security suite for Android that can scan apps, files, settings and media in real time. Paid: $9.99.

12) JuiceDefender
Is the battery on your Android phone consistently running on empty? JuiceDefender can help you extend it! The app intelligently manages your mobile connectivity and other battery-sensitive components to ensure your phone runs as efficiently as possible. For example, the default mode switches your phone from battery-intensive 3G mode to the less-draining 2G mode when you're not actually using the phone, and it turns of the Wi-Fi radio if the charge goes below a certain level. The Advanced Mode allows you to tune the app's triggers based on your individual needs. Free.

13) Seesmic
This Twitter client integrates streams from Twitter, Facebook and even Salesforce.com Chatter into a single client, allowing you to stay on top of all your messages from various sources. Unlike many clients, it supports multiple accounts, giving you the ability when composing a message to send it out via one of your accounts or all of them at once. You can also customize a large number of features. Free.

14) TiKL – Touch to Talk (PTT)
Turn your Android phone into a walkie-talkie with this app. It provides push to talk capabilities between Android phones without additional hardware and without using minutes. Communication is near instantaneous on 3G and 4G networks. Free.

15) Document Scanner
This app allows you to scan documents with your phone's camera, convert it to PDF and e-mail the PDF to anyone. You can even upload the PDF to Google Docs. Paid: $2.98.

16) Bluetooth File Transfer
With this app, you can explore and manage the files on any Bluetooth-enabled device, receive files and send contacts. It's built on FTP and Object Push Profile (OPP). Free.


17) Amazon Kindle for Android
Want to read an electronic book, newspaper or magazine but don't have your Kindle with you? Or don't have a Kindle at all? It's not a problem with this app, which allows you to read any of 900,000 Kindle-formatted books with your Android device. And Amazon's Whispersync that your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights will sync across your various devices. Free.

18) Kongregate Arcade for Android
Want to stay up on the newest and hottest Flash games around? This app gives you free access to more than 300 games from the Kongregate community and fully integrates with your existing Kongregate Web account. Free.

19) WolframAlpha
Access WolframAlpha's computational knowledge engine from your phone with this app. Also available for free via the WolframAlpha Web site, the app calculates the answers to complex mathematic and scientific problems in an instant. The app version adds a keyboard with all manner of mathematic and scientific symbols to make entering queries a snap. Paid: $1.99.

20) Evernote
This app allows you to log, index and search all manner of information, from notes to audio to photos. For instance, you can take a photo of a white board and Evernote will recognize the text in the photo, index it and then allow you to find it later by entering a search term from the information on the white board. It even synchs with the Web. Free.

21) EverPaper
EverPaper is a simple but excellent Instapaper client. It doesn't support folders yet, but it's under constant development. It also syncs with EverNote. Free.

22) ActionComplete
ActionComplete is a robust task manager. It is built around projects you create, which are made up of individual actions that serve as milestones in the project. The app is based on the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology created by David Allen in his book: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Free.

23) Fusion Voicemail Plus
Centralize all your voicemail boxes, including mobile, home and office, on your Android phone with this app. It can receive and display FAXes too. Free.

24) NewsRob
This is an excellent, plain but functional Google Reader client with built-in syncing for off-line reading. Free and paid. The free version features ads. NewsRob Pro goes for $7; it removes the ads and adds exclusive features for power users.

25) Astrid Task Todo List
Get yourself organized with this todo list app. It features tagging, timers, reminders, smart task sorting and even tracks partial progress. You can sync your todo list with Remember the Milk, which can sync with Gmail. Free.

26) Google Chrome to Phone
Run the Google Chrome browser on your computer? This app lets you share links, maps and currently selected phone numbers and text between your computer running Chrome and your phone. Free.

27) GDocs for Android
This editor/viewer for Google Documents allows you to create, edit, view, import, export, send documents and sync them with your Google Docs account. Free.

28) Exchange for Android
This app offers Exchange/Outlook sync for your Android! It works with Exchange 2003/2007 and allows you to sync your e-mail, contacts and calendar. It's available for a free five-day trial. After that, a license costs $19.99.

29) SMS2PC
This app automatically forwards SMS messages to your PC if you're working on it so you don't have to reach for your phone. You can reply to messages and create new ones from your Android address book. Paid: $2.50

30) Dropbox
Dropbox is a client for the Dropbox cloud-sharing file storage service. It makes it easy to get files onto your phone without explicit synching. You can add files to it from any of your computers and then access them from any other computer or phone. Free.

31) Lookout
Want to protect your phone? Lookout does just about everything. It provides security against mobile viruses, malware and hackers, backs up your data and even locates your lost or stolen device on a map from the Web. And if you can't find it, you can use Lookout to make your phone "scream" or simply wipe out all the data on it. Free.

32) App Protector Pro
Want a little extra security for your Android phone? App Protector Pro allows you to password protect any application on your phone, including e-mail, SMS, photos and more. Paid: $1.99.

33) Memory Booster – RAM Optimizer
Keep your Android phone running at its fastest with this app. Memory Booster optimizes our phone's memory by recovering memory leaks, flushing temporary libraries and defragmenting your phone's memory. Free.

34) Dolphin Browser HD
Don't like the stock browser that came with your Android phone? The Dolphin Browser HD adds a boatload of features, including multiple tab viewing, full multitouch gestures, a thumbnail "flick" menu, gesture-based search and URLs, a YouTube downloader and browser extensions. Free.

35) handyCalc Calculator
The app adds just about every calculator function you can think of to your Android phone, allowing you to put your scientific calculator in the drawer forever. Free.


36) Fuze Meeting HD
Need an audio- or video-conferencing solution for your Android device? Look no further than this app from FuzeBox. You can invite schedule and start meetings, as well as invite attendees from your address book, and even upload PowerPoint decks, Word documents, PDFs, and HD movies and images from your device. The app is free but the conferencing service is not, though there is a free trial period.

37) MasterCard ATM Hunter
This highly useful app uses your phone's location to find the nearest ATMs. You can even sort according to criteria including: drive through, 24-hour service, wheel chair accessibility and surcharge fees. Free.

38) Gasbuddy – Find Cheap Gas
This app provides comprehensive, real-time gas prices in your area (US and Canada) with maps. Users who pitch in by reporting gas prices in their area can win free gas. Free.

39) Dial Zero
Need to get in touch with customer service and don't want to wait on hold? Dial Zero maintains an index of more than 600 companies and how to cut through their automated answering services to get a live human being in no time. Free.

40) Nesoid Lite
This Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator allows you to play every NES game ever made right on your Android phone. You'll have to take responsibility for the legality of your ROMs. Free.

41) Angry Birds
It's one of the most popular mobile games around for a reason. Use physics to help the Angry Birds destroy the piggies that have stolen their eggs. Free.

42) Slacker Radio
Want to create favorite radio stations and take them with you wherever you go? This app has you covered. While other apps—notably Pandora and Last.fm—also allow you to create your own radio stations, Slacker Radio has the added capability of caching music on your device for whenever you have a data signal so that you still have access to your music when you're offline, like on the subway or a long flight. Free and Paid. The free version gives you access to music streaming, while the paid version gives access to off-line caching for $4.99 a month.

43) Wikidroid
Use Wikipedia often? Wikidroid formats Wikipedia articles for your device with a sleek interface. It even includes voice search and bookmarks. Free.

44) Words with Friends Free
Enjoying playing Scrabble? Take it to you phone with this game. Best of all, you can play your friends whether they're using an Android phone or an iPhone. Free.

45) Sketchbook Mobile
Keep a sketchbook with you wherever you go with this full-featured app from CAD specialist Autodesk. Sketchbook Pro is a professional-grade paint and drawing application with a whole host of tools. It's great for graphic designers on the go. Paid: $0.99.

46) Beautiful Widgets
Not content with the widgets, themes and skins that came with your Android device? This app is what you need. It features hundreds of downloadable skins. Paid: $2.82.

47) Easytether Pro
Looking for a solution to turn your Android phone into a mobile modem? Easytether Pro lets you tether your phone to Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu Linux, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 devices with no tether fees and without requiring root. An easy-to-use wizard guides you through the tethering process. Paid: $9.99.

48) EStrongs File Explorer
File Explorer is a local and network file manager that provides a file explorer for both the local phone and your remote computer. You can view files on your phone and in your computer's shared folder and transfer files between them. You can even play audio and video, browse images and view text. Free.

49) Free Dictionary Org
This simple, no-nonsense English dictionary provides definitions, synonyms, pronunciation and spelling. Free.

50) Ringdroid
Don't like the default ring tones that come with your Android phone? Ringdroid allows you to record and edit sounds and create ring tones from any song you like. Free.

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