Apps... Catching up.

imoldernu

imoldernu

Gone but not forgotten
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
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Bought my $99 , 10 inch tablet online at WalMart on Black Friday and am entering the mobile world for the first time... no phone, just an Android ICS 4.1 wifi tablet. Now entering the wonderful new world of 1 million apps. The tablet came with Google, and Google Play. My preferred browser is Chrome because of all the tie ins... Google Drive, Google Phone (which I haven't used yet) and all of the other Google stuff like shopping, drive and maps etc.

It's taking a while to learn the difference between "press" and "tap", "slide" and "swipe" etc, but that's just a learning process. Still find myself in places where I wonder how I got there. :)

But a purpose to this post... I am looking for "MUST HAVE" android apps, and welcome suggestions. So far, I have downloaded the following, and looking for apps that work better than the ones I have, and then ideas for additional helpful (general - not specific as in exercise or hobby) apps.
So far:
ER, of course... works fine for me.
Google Voice - Am using voice search a lot.
Avast
Clean Master
MX Player
Romoku
Netflix
Advanced Task Manager
WinAmp...for my non- Itunes music
Astro File Manager
Flipboard
WebMD
10 Newspaper/Opinion Page apps
Evernote
YouTube
Office Suite

and the built ins... calendar, camera, JavaScript, calculator, gallery (pics), books.

So now, am looking for suggestions to fill out with the necessities, upgrades or anything else you feel worthwhile.

It's like entering a new era... a far cry from windows 3.11.... this stuff doesn't come as easy as it did 30 years ago...:blush:
 
Pandora (plays music of a style you choose by example, or choose a pre-configured 'station').

iHeart Radio - pick up many stations that 'broadcast' over the 'net.

If your bank has an app, it might allow mobile check deposits. Take a pic with a camera and submit. Saves a trip to the bank or a stamp.

Flow - a fun & challenging game

Some of the advanced Timer apps can be handy. Don't have the 'droid handy to provide a specific name.

Your local TV stations may have a 'news' app, ez to keep up-to-date with local news.

-ERD50
 
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Welcome to the wonderful world of digital time wasting.. :LOL:

Wikipedia app - i spend hours reading this.
Chess Free - if you are so inclined.
Sound Hound - recognizes songs off the radio, etc.. you won't use it much but when you do you'll be amazed.

another browser for times when Chrome buggers up (it is the best browser by far but still). Suggest:
- Opera Mini
- Firefox
 
Thanks... gonna try them all... this is really fun... I use Pandora on Roku... so will try here too... Also trying Slacker..
Flow... If I can't find an app version of Bloobs... my game addiction... :(

In between, just found Unified Remote... the free version allows controlling a computer with the tablet... Mouse, Keyboard, Voice search etc... the Pay version adds almost any "controllable" TV, thermostat etc... according to the info... for the computer, you have to download a companion program to interface the tablet.

................
dunno about the DOS app... Now... Lessee... if I can find my DOS for Dummies... almost like trying to remember morse code:LOL:

Back at it!

Oops.. one more thing... also using Bluestacks to emulate android on my computer... Sheesh.... is there no end to this?
 
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There are no MUST HAVE apps. Just a bunch of fun software that can be a bit buggy ... but free. :)

I like:
NYTimes - 3 free article reads a day but I think you can also get some more reads by just using the Chrome browser

Yahoo Weather

Merriam Webster dictionary - has pronunciation

PC Calculator - can set to reverse Polish
 
I'm very partial to Currents. It is pretty-much what I've always imagined a tablet's news magazine would be like. I use Amazon's app quite a bit to comparison shop while in stores. And Google Maps is excellent for getting a preview of the traffic I'll encounter on the highway.

I use OneNote very heavily, but that's a reflection of my legacy use of the tool from my desktop. I've looked at Google Keep but it is nothing like OneNote. As much as I'd like to free myself from such reliance on Microsoft, I have to admit that they've created the absolute best application for keeping my "stuff" organized. I use it to manage small group ministry at church, keep the details of managing the church website straight, keep track of all the elements of upcoming vacations, etc.

Hand-in-glove with OneNote is SkyDrive, another Microsoft app that works fine on Android, and essential to store the OneNote notebooks (along with other files) so I can access them from anywhere. Here, though, there is an alternative: Google Drive, of course.

I also use Skype a bit, to keep in touch with my team while I'm out of the office.

Rounding out the Microsoft apps I use a lot: Outlook. I use Outlook.com for my email instead of GMail, so it makes sense to use the Outlook app. Again, say what we will about Microsoft, their Android apps are as good or better than Google's afaic.

I use the Kindle Reader a bit - on the tablet mostly for technical journals that don't do well on an e-ink reader.

I rely on LastPass for unique randomized passwords on every website I use, so having it on my tablet is a must.

Given how much we buy online, it's nice to have the UPS app. I have a UPS My Choice account, so anything sent to my address is automatically registered to my account, and I can track its progress using the app, and even make some minor changes to the delivery (such as if we're on vacation when something is shipped).

One of my most used apps is IP Cam Viewer (by Robert Chou), but of course that's mostly a reflection of our home security system being IP Cam-based. It's really neat to be able to look in on our cats from work, though.

Another really specialized app I use a lot is DVR Commander. If you don't have a late-model TiVo DVR, though, it's useless.
 
Two games: Scrabble and Trainyard (try Trainyard Express, which is free).
Have fun!
 
Other browsers might work too but I found that Dolphin works with Amazon streaming movies
 
Meadbh said:
Two games: Scrabble and Trainyard (try Trainyard Express, which is free).
Have fun!
Click to expand...

I really should have mentioned this. I love Scrabble on the iPhone. Normally I get in there and make a play or two several times a day (generally 4-5 games going at once). It's nice to just be able to get a random person "out there" as an opponent. Sometimes one of us will enjoy a game enough to put the opponent on a friends list and play repeated games with the same person. It's quite addictive if you're a word person!
 
I love my tablet (Acer - was inexpensive but not as good as your 10" $99 deal !)

Kindle app for Android. I read ALOT of free books from new upcoming authors. I've purchased a couple of $1.99 books by the authors I enjoy most

Catch. Its a note-taking app and a great place for me to store quotes that I come across, to do lists, grocery lists, etc

TED. I love watching these talks. Some of the stories are amazing. There's always something new and exciting going on.

Enjoy your tablet !!
 
Food on the table - search recepies, creates grocery list based on recepies. Of course theres a manual entry. It also (for major stores), has their sales items listed.
Their recepies are a little limited, you can also add your own.

I do print off a paper list, only thing I miss is when DW did it manually she would add items in store order. This app just groups them in sections.
MRG
 
Live And Learn said:
TED. I love watching these talks. Some of the stories are amazing. There's always something new and exciting going on.
Click to expand...

Wow... yeah... +1

I watch TED "stuff" on Roku... Am addicted... It has become a matter of conscience for me... Just in case they ask me to run the world, I wanna be ready... :LOL:
Tons and tons and tons of info on everthing the mind can imagine.

..........
I mentioned Bluestacks... it's an android program that allows you to download run apps on a PC... Works seamlessly, exactly like the android program on a phone or tablet and including the "back" and "homepage" links at the bottom of the android screen... Can get Google Play and any other available app, and then run the app on the computer... Instead of using a swipe or a tap, use the mouse... An easy way to look for android stuff, and to use android programs when you want a larger screen.
really worth a look!
 
Obviously the ER.org app is important. :)
 
Live And Learn said:
...
Catch. Its a note-taking app and a great place for me to store quotes that I come across, to do lists, grocery lists, etc...
Click to expand...
I was a fan of Catch too, but the developer decided to shutdown a few months ago and retire the app. I switched to Evernote and am pretty happy with that. You can also get the Evernote add-on for your web browser on your laptop or desktop PC, and easily save whole web pages or selected text from web pages - they'll then show up in you Android Evernote app.
 
I have to agree with TED. One of the best apps out there. I have Vanguard, and my credit union apps. BBC news for a world look and Financial Daily for business news
 
I'm sure most folks get their apps from the Google store but the Amazon Android App store (Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more) is currently offering a $5 credit on apps. To get the credit you need to download the Amazon App store app to your android device, if not already on it, and download one app (can be a free one) by 28 December. A couple apps that are free today (normally $1-3) on Amazon that I like are 'Relax Melodies Premium', 'Moon Phase' and 'My Alarm Clock'.

'Office Suite Pro 7', normally $15, is on sale today at the Google store for $0.99, and rumor has it will be offered tomorrow on Amazon for $0.99 (or free if you make use of the $5 credit).

I like 'Pulse' as a good customizable current news story feed.
 
Granddughter is visiting...

We Downloaded "Talking Tom Cat 2"... (free)
The "kid" in you will love it!!!! :dance:
 
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