Innovative Android Apps

As an Android smartphone user and app fiend, I'm always looking for apps that really push my device to the limits. Apps that I'm drawn to always have a certain quality that makes my phone not just, well, my phone. Gone are the days where these devices mainly make phone calls but also take pictures, keep my calendar, etc. Now we have devices that don't mainly do anything. They simply do everything. Here are my top pics that really transform my phone into a device I can't live without:

Springpad

My Springpad widget is one of my most heavily-used features on my phone, period. Springpad features "smart notebooks" where you can compile notes, pictures, recipes, anything. For example, I have a notebook called "Products I Love". Using their bar code scanning feature, I can snap a picture of a product bar code, have Springpad find the product, and store it in my notebook. That way, I always know what haircolor I buy, what notebooks I really like, or what kinds of tea I've tasted. 
Springpad is free to use, has apps for Android and iOS, and features a robust website where you can access your notebooks. Try it out!

Box/Dropbox

I tentatively grouped these two together, but rest assured, these are two different services. Both Box and Dropbox are cloud syncing services that store documents, pictures, and other files in their cloud which you can access via their website or one of their mobile apps. I'm going to try to describe these two separately but not get too long-winded, so bear with me. 
Dropbox has a great feature called Camera Upload, which will automatically upload pictures you take on your phone or tablet. So no matter how many times you switch phones, your gallery always comes with you. Sadly, Box doesn't feature this tool, but it does excel just as much. 
Both apps feature a clean layout and access to your folders in a manner that doesn't get too confusing. You can also preview certain files right within the app, such as PDF and word files. This becomes handy when you just want to take a quick glance at a file and not launch another app to fully open it. 
In my opinion, with as many gadgets as people own these days--laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets--grabbing one, or both, of these apps is a no-brainer. 

Cam Scanner
This is a really neat one. Rather than scanning a document, uploading it (maybe to your cloud service?), then shuttling it to your phone, simply snap a picture, and let CamScanner do the rest. The app takes your photo, digitally enhances it to make it more legible, and spits out a PDF. This has come in handy for me during my MRI coursework. I really like to draw things out to help me understand them. With CamScanner, I can take a doodle, snap a picture of it, and have an enhanced PDF waiting for me come exam time! 

Barcode Scanner
This was an app that really blew my mind once I got into the smartphone thing. Using your device's camera, this app can read a bar code and pull up relevant information. 
Many apps have a scanner like this already integrated into their apps, such as the aforementioned Springpad, but also retailers such as Amazon have scanners that help you find products in their inventory. 

Foursquare
This is an app I've really gotten addicted to. With Foursquare, you can "check in" at a location and let your friends know where you are and what kind of venues you've visited. Some places even have "specials", which can come in the form of discounts, coupons, and even freebies if you happen to be at the right place. Living in a new city for a couple of years, Foursquare was immensely useful for me. For example, I love coffee. Searching for popular coffee joints on Foursquare got me out of my apartment and enjoying St. Louis. Earn badges from your check-ins and show off how well you know your city!

Flipboard
Flipboard calls itself a "social magazine", but to me, it's the perfect marriage of information and beautiful visuals. With Flipboard, you can literally "fliip" through news articles, Facebook or Twitter posts, or  entries from your favorite blogs. The user interface is clean and vibrant, which makes reading the news a real treat. If you integrate your social feeds, Flipboard provides an alternate platform for surfing the goings-on of your friends. A definite must-have!

AutomateIt
This app is a little more advanced, but well worth it if you're willing to put in a little work. With AutomateIt, your phone can automatically perform various tasks. It essentially operates "if/then" rules. For example, I have a task where if I plug in my headphones, then my music player app automatically launches. Pretty nifty, right? You can program your own tasks or go into their Rules Market and pick ones that users have already created. Save lots of time and allow your phone to think one step ahead!


So there you have it, folks, apps that I think have really changed the game. I should also include the fact that all apps I've listed here are free! (I'm kind of a cheapskate when it comes to apps, but I'm not totally against coughing up a dollar or two if I think the creators are really onto something.) Call it coincidence, but I think you've paid enough for the device, why not have a few apps that don't drain your wallet even more?

Know of an app you think I should have included? Drop a comment below. 

So you got an Android for Christmas?

Welcome to the Android crew! Whether or not you were hoping for an iPhone, laptop, or just another pair of pajamas, you've received an amazing piece of technology. Here are the basics to get you going, from what I've learned both through my own intro to the Android operating system, as well has educating a few friends and family members.

Android is a unique operating system that’s used in many different kinds of electronics on the shelves these days. Sometimes the user interface is easy to pick out. Other times, Android is running just beneath the surface. For the sake of brevity, here are some common holiday gifts this season that are running Android:

Tablets
Google Nexus 7
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Acer Iconia Tab
Smartphones
Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung Galaxy Note II
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Motorola Droid Razr

If you were to take all of these devices and put them together side-by-side, you’d start to notice some similarities. Upon unlocking the device, you’re greeted with a “home screen” where you typically see a clock display as well as a few icons that the manufacturer has plopped on there to get you started. Icons that appear on your home screen are there for ease of use—think of this as your Windows or Mac desktop.

All of your apps are listed in your “app drawer”. You’ll find a button to your app drawer typically along the bottom of your home screen. It may appear as a small 3x3 grid or a similar array. Pressing that button will bring up the app drawer which will show all apps that are installed on the device. Tap on an icon to open it.

To close an app, use your device’s “back” button, which looks like a backward-looped arrow. This may be located in an area just below the device’s screen or on the display itself in a bar at the bottom. Closing an app using this button is called “backing out” of it; because Android devices can run multiple apps at once, it’s a good idea to “back out” of an app once you’re done with it. You’ll likely have to hit this button repeatedly due to the nature of an app—sometimes you will have progressed through multiple screens and need to exit through each of those screens to get back to your home screen.

Your device may also have a physical or touch-sensitive button near the back button that may or may not have a “home” symbol on it: use this button to return to your home screen at any time. Again, if you use your home button while in an app, that app will continue to run in the background, so use it only when you need to (i.e. to make a call quickly, check the time).

Once you've mastered the home screen and methods of navigation, my next advice is to simply play around with it. No, really, mess around! Open an app to see what it does. Once you’re comfortable enough to know that you can always return to the home screen and start from the beginning, it’s a lot easier to explore the gadget and all its possibilities.

A couple things to note:

Android is developed by Google. As such, your device will be associated with your unique Google account (which will be [YourGoogleName]@gmail.com. Similar to using your Apple ID for purchasing on iTunes, your Android device is synced using this email address. You can do various things with this feature such as syncing your contacts, making purchases with an associated payment method in the Google Play Store (this is where you will download new apps), or checking your Gmail. It’s your main identification key.

Android is very, very customizable. From moving around icons on your home screen to installing new icons altogether, Android is a platform that people associate with the ability to tinker. When choosing Android versus iPhone, for example, many people are asked by sales associates, “How much do you want to be able to personalize your phone?” Apple devices, by comparison, plop all apps on one screen and are more restrictive in the aspects of the operating system that are able to be changed.

As I’m sure you've noticed, this is no way an exhaustive description of every aspect of the Android platform. I could go on for days describing all the neat stuff you can do on this operating system. However, I think you’ll benefit more from a brief overview of the basics that will allow you to navigate your device. After that, the figurative training wheels come off and you’re free to tinker to your heart’s desire!

Congratulations on your new gadget!

Begin the Beginning!

Greetings!

I'm Amanda, a self-proclaimed technology enthusiast, tinkerer, and all-around geek. I love all kinds of gadgets: smartphones, laptops, e-readers, netbooks, mp3 players. Heck, I'll still marvel at an old radio. You name it, I'll probably think it's pretty darn cool.

I've been toying with the idea of making a blog for a while now, mainly because I absolutely love bending the rules and figuring out ways to make my gadgets truly my own. I don't dig "stock" anything. Stock apps, stock layouts, nothing. I have to customize everything! I'm a believer that whatever you own, be it a Nokia cellphone circa 2000 (you know you had one), obscure-WalMart-brand mp3 player, bottom of bottom of the line laptop, you have the right to make it fit your needs, by any means necessary. Within reason. And within the law. 

So here's what I have in mind. I'd like to bring some of my findings from my years of tinkering out in the open, through posts like this, videos, how-to's, etc. After that, the rest is up to my [hopeful] audience. 

Here goes nothin'!