Talking Android with Rogers customers: What’s your favourite Android app and why?

By: RogersMelanie

April 25th, 2011 a 12:25pm

With hundreds of thousands of apps available in the Android Market, there’s bound to be something for everyone, from the practical to the entertaining. In the second installment of Talking Android, we asked our customers about their apps and which ones they can’t live without. Like all things Android, their responses show that each Android experience is unique to its owner.

What’s your favourite Android app and why?

Stephen Lee (SL) - I’m not sure I could pick one app. I have several apps I use over the course of a day, Our Groceries , News Canada, TweetDeck, uDial, uFindMe PRO, Handcent SMS and a custom email client are some of the applications I use frequently. There are so many apps to choose from on the market and normally one size does not have to fit all. :-)

Chris – Android Headlines (CY) – The Android Market! I like to look at all the different applications and am always amazed at the new and creative and innovative applications that you can put on your Android smartphone. It is truly amazing how many applications can make your life easier and more fun.

Bryan Baker (BB) – If I had to select one Android application I love above all, it would be the Dropbox application. Dropbox is an online storage service that allows you to sync across multiple devices. This mobile application allows you to log in to your box, and download files as you need them. With one press on the screen, you can have access to your invoices, schedules, pictures, and any other information that you keep in your private storage. By using the PC application, your documents will be up-to-date, as Dropbox syncs in real time.

Stephen Herskovits (SH) – Pulse is probably my favorite. It’s a great way to stay up to date on just about everything

Puleen Patel (PP)- My favourite Android app has to be Evernote, because it allows me to take notes on my Android device and any other device (including Tablet and Desktop). It makes it easier for me to jot down ideas, thoughts and concepts on the go without needing to carry around a pen and a paper.

Don Rayner (DR)- With all of the great applications out there and the many that of them that I have installed on my phone here are a few of my favorites.

Google Translate – Translate by typing or vocal input and have the translation written and/or spoken.
A Online Radio – Accepts audio streams for other sources as well as ShoutCast stations.
Shazam – Ever hear a song on the radio and you just want to know who the artist is? This app will listen to the song and then do a search for artist and title.
WordPress – Blogging on the go.
Astrid Tasks – Just the best task manager available and it will even sync with Google tasks.
Stock Android calendar – I’m no good at remembering dates, this takes care of it for me and syncs with Google calendar.
YouTube – For when you have some time to kill
Google Map and Navigation – Works with your GPS to enable you to navigate anywhere the road will take you.
WinAmp – Bringing the great PC based music player to Android.

Greg Carron (GC) – Dropbox – Online cloud storage application that syncs across multiple platforms including your PC and your Android device. So being in a development team we are constantly testing apps on our devices and with Dropbox, our programmer can output an app into a folder on his PC and it will sync online allowing me to view the file on my Android device and I’ll be able to one-click install the mobile app on my device. Also I can use Dropbox to stream music from my Android device. I can have all my music at home, build an .m3u playlist and copy it to my Dropbox then when I’m out I just load it on my device and it will play all my music.

Michael J. Schmidt (MJS) - This is a very tough question, there are so many from which to choose (over 150,000 at last count). Given that an Android device is more like a mini-computer than just a phone, and can be used for so many different things, I’ll give you my top 5 instead (in no particular order).

Google Maps – I can use this as a GPS device in my car, or to look up restaurants and business via “Places”
swiFTP – Turns my Android device into an FTP server (File Transfer Protocol) so that I can move files to and from my device from my computer wirelessly. No need for cables!
Default Android Music player – I use this in the car (with a proper mount for safety) to listen to audio books and podcasts during my long commute.
Aldiko book reader – I can download and read books anytime, anywhere. Free books from the public domain, or ebooks I have purchased.
NoteEverything & Docs-2-Go: NoteEverthing is a great & simple note-taking app that can be organized into folders. Docs-2-Go (paid version) allows me to create and edit Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents on my device, and sync them to my Google docs account, or to my PC.
BONUS: Astrid To-Do list app – The best to-do list in the Android Marketplace. I can create alerts and reminders, even alarms. Astrid can automatically add items to my calendar (which syncs with my Google calendar online) and can also sync, for free, with the great Remember-The-Milk online to-do list web site.

Do you have a favourite Android app?

Melanie Masson is a regular contributor of RedBoard

Rating: 3.5/5 (8 votes cast)

Categories:

Community, People, Products, trends, Wireless

Tags:

9 Comments

mjschmidt says: April 25th, 2011 a 12:42pm

One of the great things about Android is how easy it is to not only discover, but install new apps.

You are not limited to using the App market app on your phone; you can “push” apps right from your PC to your device while browsing the Android app market on the web.

On your PC or Mac, open your web browser and go to https://market.android.com/ and sign in using the Google (Gmail) account you used to set up your phone. Click on the My Market Account link and check to make sure that your device has already been detected and setup in the account (it should be). If it’s not, you can add your device. So, for example, in my account it shows that I have an HTC Magic.

To “push” apps to your device, it must be on the same network that your computer is on. You do this by connecting to your WiFi network. (If you don’t have a WiFi network, you won’t be able to do this). Once your device is on the same WiFi network as your PC, start browsing the market. When you find an app you like, you will see a blue INSTALL button. Click this, and a window will open showing you the “permissions” the app wants.

Clicking the INSTALL button in this window confirms you want the app. Now it will be “pushed” to your device. You should see a notification on your device that the app is being downloaded and installed.

Simple.
- GreatBigDog says: April 26th, 2011 a 8:29am
  
  “To “push” apps to your device, it must be on the same network that your computer is on. You do this by connecting to your WiFi network. (If you don’t have a WiFi network, you won’t be able to do this)”
  
  To support a pseudo push to your phone when you don’t have a WiFi network handy, you can use AppBrain. To use, install the AppBrain application on your phone and then login to their site with your Google account.
  
  You’ll be able to browse available applications from the market and select ones that you want installed on your phone. After you’ve made your selection, run the app and sync with AppBrain.
  - mjschmidt says: April 26th, 2011 a 10:13am
    
    Good point, Don. I believe, however, that in addition to the AppBrain app, you also need the Fast Installer app from the same developer to accomplish this.
    
    AppBrain: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.apps&feature=search_result
    
    Fast Installer: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.apppusher&feature=search_result
    
    Hmmm… is it irony if you use the marketplace web site to push the AppBrain and Fast Installer to your phone? ;-)
brian says: April 25th, 2011 a 1:23pm

endomondo – GPS tracking for all sorts of sports. Gives you a cool google map with statistics after your workout/commute
Laslow says: April 25th, 2011 a 2:19pm

Two words: ROM Manager.
- Branden J says: April 25th, 2011 a 6:31pm
  
  -ROM Manager
  -Titanium Backup
  -Lookout
  -C:Geo
  
  Sorry, can’t label just 1. But hey, shorter post this time! :D
  - GreatBigDog says: April 26th, 2011 a 2:53pm
    
    Just a little more detail about these apps for everyone
    
    ROM Manager – is used on Rooted phones to enable quick and easy changes to the phones firmware.
    
    Titanium Backup – an app available for rooted phones that enables you to perform a complete backup of all your apps, including data. It can also backup wifi, blutooth and system settings.
    
    Lookout – A great anti-virus and security application for your Phone
    
    C:Geo – Just the best geocaching app available.
RogersElise says: April 26th, 2011 a 2:31pm

That’s great guys, keep comin’ good suggestions :)
Branden J says: April 27th, 2011 a 4:04pm

Some more:
-Engadget App [...lets you view and comment on Engadget.com articles...]

-XDA Developers App [...Lets you access and interact with forums on XDA-Developers.com...]

-Winamp [...Mobile version of the PC media program. Easy way to access Shoutcast. Can control your PC Winamp program from phone...]