A big part of the joy of having a smartphone is apps, am I right? I'm sure many are nodding their heads to that assertion, if that's you then make the jump to check out the apps the AndroidNZ editors are enjoying this week. If you weren't nodding your head in agreement then you'd better make the jump to see what you're missing out on, in addition to making the even bigger jump into smartphone use for 2011!
Andy Carruthers - WRC 2011 (Free)
There's also the happy circumstance that the current Production World Rally Champion happens to be Kiwi ace Hayden Paddon, so it's a great way to keep tabs on how his career is evolving.
So what else does it offer? Besides the obvious 'available anywhere' advantage over the PC browser solutions, WRC 2011 has all that the website does with virtually none of the advertising that plagues its pages.
The app handily covers the main WRC, SWRC, PWRC and Academy categories with daily updates available between events and realtime competitive information delivered via telemetry from the cars during competition.
There's also in-app video, live txt, and the folks at Rally Radio deliver their commentary and stage interviews with the drivers as they happen. So you can plug in your ear-buds and get all the latest info live, including stage split times, positions and the all-important off-road excursions that make WRC rallying the great sport that it is. It'll eat your battery though, so having a spare would be handy.
Produced as it is by North One Television, the producers of the official WRC TV coverage, you'll see in-car footage as well as helicopter and land-based video of many special stages. It's truly the next best thing to being there.
The app supports English, French and Spanish, features sections for News, Videos, Photos, Championship Standings, Driver and Co-driver biographies, Hall of Fame and Team overviews, plus the full calendar of events, up-to-the-minute stats plus Twitter and Facebook links. Phew...
If you have a Droid handset, be aware that comments from the app download page suggest that you may have problems. For the best performance, I'd also suggest that running Gingerbread is preferable, although FroYo seems to be fine for most.
The WRC rally season has ended for 2011, so the app, once updated, will reappear as WRC 2012. I believe that you will be automatically updated to the latest version if you choose to try now, so download it and have a look. It's free and there's a lot to like about this handy WRC portal. Recommended.
Nick Monrad - Viber (Free)
You might think 'is it really free?' well, yes but with the following caveats:
- Firstly, you must have a data connection; either Mobile Data (3G/4G) or WiFi
- Secondly, the person you're trying to contact must also have Viber installed
As for the interface; this leaves a lot to be desired and appears to be a straight clone of the iOS version of the app. This means by default when a notification comes in it pops up above everything else instead of just appearing in the notification bar. Thankfully that option can be turned off. There are other issues with some bugs such as persistent notifications, even after checking messages and some other issues around contact syncing.
Overall, in some circumstances the good outweighs the bad and I use Viber as my daily messaging app - mainly because I only have 300 texts a month.
Anita Paling - Evernote (Free)
The number of times I'll bake a Carrot Cake for work, then be asked for the recipe is more than I can count on all digits (it's not my own recipe). I found the recipe on a website. When I look to share the recipe I go back to do a search on the Internet, the details at home in OneNote isn't accessible to me at work. With Evernote I'll be able to grab the URL right off my phone.
When you select a note from the phone you have the ability to share it. There's a long list of different apps you can chose as the share method. Using the scenario I've given, sharing by email would be the best way. The email arrived with a snippet of the recipe and a link. Clicking the link opened up the recipe. There's even a link for the recipient to "Get Evernote" Clicking the Details link shows you the details from the 2nd image above. There's the original URL from the site I nabbed the recipe from.
In carrying out this write up I've also sent the screen capture to Evernote and it smoothly arrived on their Website application as well as showing on the phone. After all I'm synchronising between the website and the Android app.
The one thing I can't figure out yet is how to add a tag from the Website. At this point I'm locating the note in the Android app and adding (easily) the tag there. Then of course it shows in the website. Obviously with this app being hot off the press to my phone there's a good deal more to figure out. But I know already this app does what OneNote didn't. Allows me to seamlessly share notes with others.
And it's a breeze to copy the OneNote notes with copy and paste to the website. It'll keep me busy for a while given the amount of notes I've taken, but it'll be worth it. The website will give some details about the other types of uses others have for Evernote. I'm not sure I'm forgetful enough to need to note where I've parked the car. But you could.
There's a widget for Evernote as well. It's new to them, not just to me.
Evernote is more than text. You can upload photos, create check lists, attach PDF files. There's a lot of things to do. And it seems to be a hit in Education too. The ability to share notes with others (and as you can see from the screen shot, there's Facebook integration too) is popular.
There's a free version which Evernote admit is likely to be sufficient for the masses, or a paid subscription. Free is good, and if it doesn't quite meet your needs, then check out the extra you get with the subscribed version.
Gianpy Belaunde - Slingplayer (US only $29.99 for the app)
Nowadays I rarely do such things as I no longer live with my parents, but running my own errands has become much more bearable thanks to the SlingPlayer app - a video streaming application which works in conjunction with your home TV. Unfortunately, this solution is quite pricey but I definitely think it is well worth the money.
In order to use the application you must have the SlingBox Hardware installed on your cable box or satellite box. Whatever you can watch on your TV will be streamed to your android device through either 3G or WiFi. This allows me to watch live TV straight on my device, being streamed from my home. Since you're already paying for your cable content, there is no reason why you should have another monthly bill for mobile TV.
The $29.99 price on the app is one-time, so while the first month may empty out your wallet, subsequent months will be free. As I stated before, you will need hardware in order to use the app - you have the option of purchasing the Slingbox Solo ($179.99 or the PRO-HD ($299.99), the HD model outputting 1080i video. While the initial investment will run you over $200, the benefits outweigh the heavy cost.
In terms of quality, using a WiFi connection will give you much clearer and buffer-free video, but a solid 3G connection can still suffice and output viewable video. This is an ideal solution for when you are in a stationary spot. I've tried watching content whilst in a car, which could cause buffering when your 3G signal fluctuates as you drive past cell towers.
Overall, I've been nothing but pleased with the application, and although it has a couple of minor annoyances and carries a hefty price tag, it's definitely made boring times more bearable.
Murray Winiata - Slice It! (Free, ad supported)
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| Annotation isn't a feature, it's a way of life |
Slice It! is a game that's been on the Market for ages, and well received too, I had just never got around to checking it out before. While checking the "S-Choice" apps on my Note the other day to make sure there weren't any killer apps out there that I had neglected to try for the S-Pen part of the Note review (it's coming soon, I swear!), I saw Slice It! and decided it's time had come.
I think part of the reason I had never checked out before was the thought that this was just some derivative title, designed to cash in on the popularity of Fruit Ninja. I couldn't have been more wrong!
Like a great many excellent mobile games Slice It! has a very simple premise. In each level you are served up a shape to divide into a given number of equal sized pieces, and a limited number of slices with which to achieve that end.
Sounds easy right?
The first few levels certainly won't do anything to dissuade you of that notion, but soon enough you'll have real brainteasers on your hands. Fortunately you can earn hints by 5-starring levels, so if your mental acrobatics just aren't up to the task (possibly because there is a little too much blood in your caffiene-stream, a pernicious and ongoing problem for me that perhaps some others are affected by too), the judicious use of some precious hints can perhaps give your brain the jog it needs to pass the level.
If you like puzzlers then Slice It! is well worth a go, all for the low low price of free (like a good many other titles in the Market this one is free by way of ad-support, so expect relatively non-annoying pop-ups here and there). Note owners in particular would do well to grab this one and check it out - the S-Pen will give you an advantage your friends will envy!
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