This is Part 5 in our series of Five Fave Freeware apps for different computing and smartware platforms.
According to AndroLib, there are over 250,000 apps available in the Android Market. Of this we have around 170,000 choices in free applications. That, dear readers, is a LOT of choices. And like Jason, I had a lot of trouble figuring out what apps I would call my five fave. Heck, because of the limited space on my aging rooted T-Mobile G1, every app installed is a favorite and essential!
But okay, I will have to whittle it down to just a measly five. So I’ll cheat a bit (the way Jason did!). The following are my runners-up that I think are worth a look at. I didn’t include apps that require a rooted phone, nor did I include games.
- Beluga – This is what we at TN are using to keep in touch. Like BlackBerry Messenger except for the iPhone and Android. You can also keep in touch with your friends via their website.
- Camera 360 – A very versatile camera app with lots of filters and effects. Has (digital) zoom too!
- GTasks – A productivity app that syncs with your Google Tasks account.
- JEFIT – Contains a huge database of strength exercises for specific parts of your body.
- Catholic Mass Daily Readings – When you need some religion in your pretty much mobile life.
- Mustard – A microblog client that let’s you use multiple accounts for identi.ca and Twitter.
- Paint Joy – For those moments when you need some art therapy.
- Pomodroido – A great timer for those who use the Pomodoro Technique.
- Push Ups – Helps you build up to those one hundred push ups.
- SMS Backup & Restore – Has a scheduler that auto-magically backs up your SMS to the SD card.
- TasKiller Free – Uh, kills tasks. On your phone, that is. A must if your phone has limited resources.
So what are my top five fave apps?
I mentioned earlier that Camera 360 has a lot of filters and effects. Meanwhile, Retro Camera has only five. So why pick this over the others? Retro Camera really gives you that feel of using an old camera. It pushes my imagination by confining my view to a square rather than to the whole screen. Plus the borders are just so cool!
Most people would use Evernote. I would rather use Catch Notes simply because it’s much lighter. I can tag my notes for easy access later. I can set alarms to notes. Share them online. Tweet them. Get comments. And it all gets synced to the cloud, allowing you to access everything on any browser.
By far the best free open source finance manager I ever had on Android! It can do multiple currencies and multiple accounts. You can back up the database to Google Docs or to your phone’s external memory. You can also export the data to CVS format. Oh! And did I mention that you can create recurring budgets and create reports? This is really helpful when it’s time to audit your expenses after a company trip.
CardioTrainer’s constant reminders that I should exercise are a god-send! Unlike most fitness apps I’ve tried, I can also add time spent doing exercises other than running. Name it, it would have it: swimming, dancing, aerobics, treadmill walk, treadmill run, biking, stationary biking, boxing, climbing stairs, even driving! And all my fitness data can also be synced to the cloud.
I can be scatterbrained. Really scatterbrained. Having Thinking Space allows me to put all my thoughts in order. By far this is the best mind mapping app I’ve seen on Android. You can export the maps to open them later on your desktop using Freemind, Xmind or MindManager. Yes, you can sync it to the cloud too! Not only that, but by synching to the cloud, you can also keep the past versions of your mindmaps. So you can always go back to see what changes you’ve made.
What about you? What are your favorite Android apps?
We’re doing a week-long series featuring free applications on different platforms. Missed the other four? Here they are!
Five Fave Freeware Apps –> Windows
Five Fave Freeware Apps -> Mac OSX
Five Fave Freeware -> Windows Phone 7
Five Fave Freeware -> BlackBerry
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Finally!
Having said that… it’s time I get around to reading the actual post… =)
It’s amazing how different my list is from yours. Two of my choices, Endomondo and Evernote, go head-to-head with two apps on your list, but the rest of my apps are totally different. Some of my favorite apps are below:
- Dropbox: Keep files synced between computers, and keep them accessible on my phone too
- Google Maps: I just like maps
- uTorrent Remote: manage my downloads from my phone
- Audiogalaxy: let’s me play songs that are stored on my home computer
- SoundHound: identifies music you hear playing, sing, or hum
- Astrid: my task list… I think I’ll give GTask a try though, based on your recommendation
- ClickTheCity: movie schedules, events, restaurants, and other stuff around the city… I just wish I could move it to my SD card
- Dictionary.com: I’m a geek… need I say more?
- WordPress: self-explanatory, right?l
Let’s not even get into widgets. My favorite widgets:
- CircleLauncher (light): think folders for your home screen, but better
- Dazzle: quick access to settings (WiFi tethering, screen orientation sensor, etc.)
- Retro Clock and Retro Date: also self-explanatory, right?
I didn’t include Facebook, Twitter, Skype, a barcode scanner, and the rest of the usual suspects (I guess Google Maps should fall in here too). There are too many apps to list. You’re right, Charo, “every app installed is a favorite and essential!”