Whether just joining the Android world, or just looking for a new application, the hunt can be tiring. Each day applications are just flooding into the market, and at times it's difficult to know which ones to try out. We aim to please, so we here we bring you some suggestions of what you may want to try out. Check them out after the jump.
Jerry Hildenbrand - QuickDesk BETA
Multitasking at its finest. QuickDesk is a home replacement, but with a twist. It works in tandem with your launcher and home (stock, or stock-like replacements like ADW or LauncherPro -- doesn't seem to work well with Sense UI) and is a single screen that can hold shortcuts or widgets. What makes QuickDesk great is that a double tap of the home button brings up the panel, no matter what you might be doing, or which app you're doing it in. I like to put all my utility style apps and widgets in the QuickDesk panel, that way turning on bluetooth, or adjusting the system volume is only a tap-tap away. Check it out, it's free on the market! [Market Link | AppBrain]
Dallin Hampton - Vignette
Vignette is a must have for anyone who loves manipulating photos but isn’t always near a computer. Vignette allows you to import pictures you’ve already taken or take fresh ones straight from the app and apply your choice of 62 filters/effects and 21 frames. The Toy Camera filter is my personal favorite while the app also has it all from soft lighting, to vintage, high saturation and more along with the “custom” mode to provide for endless possibilities. The app lets you choose to take pictures starting at 0.3-megapixels (for fastest image processing) all the way up to your phones highest resolution and includes every option that your phones default camera app does (white balance, self timer, geotaging, crop, flash, etc.) The thing we can all appreciate the most is even with all these frames and filters, the app still manages to squeeze into 100kb and only cost £2.99 ($4.51 approx.) [Market Link | AppBrain]
Jared DiPane - Epic Fail
Honestly, who doesn't love a great fail picture to put a little cheer in their day? Sometimes I randomly stumble across these images and find them to be rather hysterical, and now, there is a whole application full of them. Overall the application is very basic, just breaks down the images into a recent, popular and random category. Often times I find myself with some time to kill, or in need of a good laugh, and now all I need to do is open this application, which is free, and get a good laugh. [Market Link | App Brain]
Phil Nickinson - Pure Calendar Widget
I could post a picture of Android 5.0, and the question still would come up -- "What's that calendar widget?!?!?" Well, that calendar widget is the aptly named Pure Calendar Widget. It's customizable out the wazoo, ties into just about every account connected to your phone, has a bazillion UI options, and basically is the first thing I add to a new phone's home screen. And it gets better, as the developer is adding support for scrolling, if you use ADW Launcher or Launcher Pro. This is a must-have for anyone who wants a customizable -- yet simple -- way to keep track of what's coming up next. ~ $1.82 [Market link | App Brain | Sideloading]
Ali Fazel - USA Hot Jobs
With the economy and unemployment like it is these days, many people find themselves looking for work. For those of us with Android phones, the job search just went on the road with us. As the name says, this app ties into the popular Hot Jobs service by Yahoo! to search the job listings. For those positions that you can apply for directly from the HotJobs site, you can do the same with the app. However, if the job takes you to an external web site for application, you may have some trouble with that part of it. Fortunately, the app allows you to email the job to yourself (or to a friend if the job is more suitable to him or her). Free. [Market link | App Brain]
A few good Kindle books can help you get through these tough times
One of my favorite pastimes in good times or bad is to curl up on the sofa with a good book, preferably on my Amazon Kindle. Here are some of the stories that have been distracting me over the past few weeks of lockdown and social isolation.
Top 6 things Google needs to add to Chrome OS to compete with Windows
Chrome OS has gotten pretty good in recent years — especially for tablets and touchscreens — but there’s always room to improve. Here’s my wishlist for my favorite lightweight laptop ecosystem.
Amazon Echo Frames review: Alexa comes for your eyes and ears
When I reviewed the Amazon Echo Buds in late 2019, I commented that they were a solid first attempt to help get Alexa out of the house and make her more useful on the go. The Echo Frames, which were announced at the same time as the Echo Buds, are the latest of Alexa's steps into the wider world. I'll tell you what I thought of them after my first few days with them.
Use these messaging apps to keep up with your friends and family
With all our phones can do these days, communicating with them can sometimes be forgotten in lieu of games, videos, and practicing your selfie game. Get back in touch with your friends and family with these messaging apps. And some of these include some of those games so you can play along with whoever you're messaging.
