The Android Project Reviews: TMZ app for Android

This one’s more for the wifey than for me, but I can’t deny that I like to check up on the “Thirty-Mile Zone” every so often. For me, this app is a good example of how news should be delivered to a phone in application format. TMZ’s android application is clean and simple. And I give it extra points for asking you if you want to close the application when you exit. So many apps stay open when you exit, taking up precious phone memory in the background. If every application had such a close out option, we wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on task killing apps (see my review of Advanced Task Killer).
The only other celebrity gossip application I know of is from E!, but the interface of the two are so similar that I wouldn't be surprised if they were made by the same developer. So if you’re looking for a quick way to check up on the Pitts or the Octomom, I would recommend the TMZ android app.

Android 2.2 Highlights from Google I/O

Well yesterday was pretty mind-blowing as far as Google and Android news goes. We've all been waiting for and expecting Google to announce the next update of Android to version 2.2, aka "Froyo." However, I was surprised at how many new features Android will be getting. Here is a list of the highlights:

* USB and Wifi data tethering

* SD card app installation and storage

* Automatic app updates and multiple simultaneous updates

* Faster browser

* Flash support

I know Google wants to keep its users happy, but that list is amazing. It took Apple forever just to allow its iPhone to record video, but with a single update, Google is giving us practically everything we've been asking for. I think what I'm most excited for is the ability to install apps on the SD card. A few of the apps I have installed on my phone take up 20mb or more of phone storage, such as The Rescue of Ginger (for my daughter) and Raging Thunder 2 (for me). It gets frustrating when I have to uninstall some apps just to install new ones, but now that problem should be solved.

Unfortunately, those of us who don't own a Nexus One will most likely be waiting for months for the official update to be released by the carriers. Oh well, at least I have something to look forward to!

The Android Project Reviews: Inserty app for Android

Category: Text Entry
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 7

While I am torn about this application’s name (“Inserty” could be a cute name for a data entry application, or the name of a porno superhero), I am certain that I will keep Inserty on my phone.

The Inserty application for Android allows you to insert pre-defined text entries into any text box, like e-mails, text messages, etc. There is one additional step above the standard installation process to set-up Inserty. Once it is installed on the phone, the user must access the phone’s Language & Keyboard setting and select Inserty as a text input method. After that, you can open up Inserty from the application menu to add whatever words or phrases you use the most. Inserty provides you with about 10 selections that are based on your GPS location or time, such as “The time is 8:55 AM and I’m standing at 408 Hope Pl.” I don’t think I’ll ever use any of Inserty’s selections, but I have entered some of my own. To bring up the Inserty menu, all you have to do is long-press any data entry box on screen and select “Input Method,” followed by “Inserty.” You can then select the text you want Inserty to enter for you and then switch back to “Android Keyboard” once you are done.


What I like most about Inserty is that it allows me to avoid using the horrible on-screen keyboard of my Droid. I don’t always want to slide out the keyboard to enter in text, especially when it’s just to enter in my e-mail address to log into a website. I know that this probably isn’t the most secure thing to do, but I’ve saved my userid and passwords for most websites into Inserty, so I can quickly insert the text without having to peck away at the on-screen keyboard.

I realize that Inserty is only useful in limited situations, and some of you may not have a problem with your onscreen keyboard. But Inserty has saved me a lot of frustration, and for that, I give it a “7” on the gotta-have-it scale.

Google's Larry Page blames poor Android battery life on app developers... Would blame Steve Jobs if he could

Any of you Android owners get a full day's usage out of your phone's battery? Anyone? Well there's something wrong if you don't, according to Google co-founder Larry Page. In a recent interview, Larry Page said that your phone's battery should make it through a full day.

My Motorola Droid gets horrendous battery life, although I will be the first to admit that I have done nothing to maximize my battery usage. I work in an office all day, so I have a plug nearby all the time. The only frustrating part of this is that I either have to carry my charger with me to work, or buy a new charger to keep one at home and one in my office.

My frustration hit a peak yesterday when I was stuck in a jury selection room for 6 hours or so and I forgot to bring a book with me. I spent 3 hours straight playing games and surfing the web on my phone when I noticed that the battery had drained to 20%. At that point I couldn’t risk going the rest of the day without phone access so I had to cut my Android distractions short.

In my opinion Larry is being a bit too quick to pass the blame to the Android app developers for poor battery usage. There will always be room for improvement in the Android OS, and I hope that Froyo will at least make an attempt at fixing the quick battery drain problem. Until then, I will just have to make do with carrying my charger around with me and continue to have people ask “What’s that strange bulge in your pocket?”

The Android Project Reviews: Astrid the To-Do list App for Android

Category: Productivity
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 9

I would put Astrid in my Top Ten Apps for Android (if I had such a list (although what Android website would be complete without a Top Ten Apps list?). This is one of those apps that do so much more than I would have ever expected that I can’t believe it’s free.

I would call Astrid a simple “To-Do” list, but that would do it injustice. It’s like the A-rod of To-Do lists (i.e. it’s on steroids). Once you set up Astrid, there is a text entry box at the bottom of the screen sitting next to a ‘+’ button. You enter in the name of a task you want to complete (like “shave my back”) and press the plus button. That adds the task to your list. Once you have added a task to your list, you can select the task, which expands to reveal two buttons: “Start Timer” and “Edit.” The start Timer button obviously allows you to keep track of your time spent on that task, which can be nice if you want to know how long it takes you to shave your back.

The Edit button opens up a whole new menu that allows you to set goal deadlines and priority, manage notifications, add the task deadline to your Google Calendar, and more. The only part of Astrid that I have not tried yet is syncronization with rememberthemilk.com. I don't really need access to my tasks list online, so I'm not sure if I will ever need to syncronize with an online website. However, if I do, I will update this post with my experience.

The only negative I can think of with Astrid is that the notifications might bother some people with their “cuteness.” It doesn't bother me, and I think I pay more attention to them because they are different than the normal phone notifications.

If you are in the market for a “To-Do” list, I would definitely give Astrid a spin. For me, the Astrid App for Android gets a “9” on the gotta-have-it scale.

Catching up on Android News

Well, I apologize that I wasn't able to post a review today. I got called to do my civil duty today, so I was at the courthouse waiting to get my number called to serve on a jury. However, I wasn't one of the lucky few who were chosen, so I ended up sitting in a large room for 7 hours straight. Oh well, to make up for my time lost, I've decided to post some Android news:

• Amazon will be releasing a free Kindle app for those of you who believe your phones are perfect for book reading. The app is scheduled to be released later this summer. I personally think the value of this app depends on the price of the books available for download. If it's anything more than $3, I'd rather just buy the paper copy. I can also recommend the Aldiko book reader app for Android phones, which I currently have on my phone. I will put out a review of Aldiko soon.
  

• Yesterday, Gameloft opened a website to sell 10 new 3D games for Android, but it appears that the launch didn't go as planned and the website has been pulled.
  

• Google has updated the online Android Marketplace, although Appbrain is still a better way to discover apps. Why is Google so behind on the times?

• This news is a bit stale, but apparently Android 2.2 will add tethering via USB and Wifi, in addition to Flash support. Please tell me the Droid will get Android 2.2 before the end of the year. Somehow, I doubt it.
  

The Android Project Reviews: Fish Food Game for Android

Category: Game
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 6

As far as gaming goes, the Android OS has been best suited to puzzle-type games for a while now, with very few exceptions. I’m not sure if this is caused by hardware limitations in the phones themselves, or if the OS itself is to blame, but hopefully we’ll see some more complicated games in the future with updates coming to the OS, and more powerful handsets coming out every few months. I am not personally a huge gamer, so it doesn’t bother me that much, but I believe that if Android OS is going to appeal to a broader demographic, there will have to be some improvements in the number and type of games available.

That being said, one of my favorite games available in the Android Market right now is called Fish Food. It is a puzzle-type game with some similarities to Bejeweled. The play area is set up like a Bejeweled board, but instead of different colored jewels, you get different colored fish. The fish are also different sizes. The twist on the Bejeweled formula is that you don’t try to line up three same-colored fish in a row to get rid of them. The strategy in Fish Food is to get the larger fish to eat the fish one size smaller. The green, being the smallest, cannot eat any other fish, but can be eaten by a blue fish. When a blue fish eats three green fish, it becomes a purple fish. The purple fish can only eat the blue fish. Once a purple fish eats three blue fish, it becomes a red fish, which is the largest of the fish. The red fish will explode by being long-pressed, or by eating three purple fish. The red fish also blow-up any other red fish in the immediate vicinity. The more you blow up, the better your score.



The game is actually much more simple and easy to pick up than that previous paragraph indicates. My wife and I have become addicted to it and compete against each other for the high score. The graphics are also a major plus, as this game looks much more polished than other puzzle games I have seen in the market. Another plus to the game is that it is free, although ad-supported.

The game had a few bugs in the beginning, but the developer seems to have ironed out most of them so far. If you love Bejeweled, Tetris, or similar puzzle games, you should give Fish Food a shot. It’s one of the better ones out there.

The Android Project Reviews: Craigsnotifica

Category: Shopping
Price: Free ($4.99 Donation App available)
Gotta-have-it factor: 7

I just found the Craigsnotifica Android app today, and I’m pleasantly surprised. It shouldn’t be hard to figure out what the app does by its title, but if you are wondering, it notifies you when new items pop up on Craigslist in your predefined searches.

I love Craigslist (although I’ve never purchased anything from it, I still love looking at stuff I want to buy), but I’ve always thought of things that I would like to look for on Craigslist when I’m away from my computer. The next day, when I get on Craigslist to look for stuff, I can’t remember what it is I wanted. Now, that may be a sign that I don’t really need whatever crap I thought of the night before, but that’s for me to decide (or my wife, who will probably say no).


Anyway, Craigsnotifica takes care of that problem by bringing Craigslist to you! Craigsnotifica first asks you to set up a region where you want it to perform searches. I found it handy that you can set up more than one region to search at a time, which Craigslist itself doesn’t do. Then you can set up a search for an item you want, like “Elvis Wig.” You can add filters to your search if you choose. Once you have saved your search, Voila!, 23 people in the Las Vegas area are selling their Elvis wigs… You get the point.

Although I’ve only spent 20 minutes with the Craigsnotifica app so far, I can’t find any negatives to it. So if you love Craigslist, you’ll love this app even more.

The Android Project Reviews: Sportstap

Category: Sports
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 5

I’m quite torn on whether to recommend Sportstap or not. I already have the NBA Gametime, and MLB apps installed on my phone, and those are the apps that I check when I need my respective NBA or MLB scores because they are much more aesthetically pleasing than Sportstap, which has a more spartan feel to it. Sportstap does offer scores and info for all of your major sports, however, so it's good if you need to check NFL, NCAA, NHL, Nascar, Golf, Soccer or Tennis results as well.

The one reason I would recommend the Sportstap Android application is for its “Favorite Team” notifications. Sportstap is the only sports score application (that I am currently aware of), that allows you to select your favorite teams in each sport, and it will send you notifications when a game starts, scores during the game, and other useful user-selected notifications.

On the downside, Sportstap’s notifications aren’t as reliable as I would like them to be (which may be more a function of the Android OS than the Sportstap application because I have other applications such as WootWatcher that only seem notify me when I have opened the application recently). Another negative is that Sportstap is a bit slow and laggy. That may improve in future updates, but I haven’t seen an update of this app in a few months so I can’t say.

So I will leave it up to you, if you really like having an application that sends you notifications of sports scores from you favorite teams, then this may be the app for you. If you’re just looking for a quick and easy way to check the latest scores, then there are probably better apps out there.

The Android Project Reviews: SMS Backup

Category: Texting
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 6

The whole landscape of golf would be completely different right now if Tiger Woods knew his technology a bit better. If he had just backed up his text messages and deleted them from his phone, his Cadillac wouldn’t look like this. The SMS Backup application for Android is one that I just discovered, and I’m amazed at how simple it is and how well it functions.

I found out about 4 days ago that the memory on my Droid for text messages is not infinite. For some reason I was under the belief that the phone was storing my texts on the SD card. Then I got a message from my phone telling me that it rejected a text message because my memory was full. I still don’t know what that message was. I hope it wasn’t important. Come to think about it, my wife has been missing for about 4 days now…

But seriously, the SMS Backup app allows you to automatically back-up the texts stored on your phone to your Gmail account, where we have much more storage space than the internal memory of my Droid. I’ve always been a hoarder of text messages because I know there are times when my friends have texted me things that they should have kept to themselves. Someday when by buddy Andrew runs for public office, my text keeping habits will come in handy.

The SMS Backup gives you the option to name the folder in your Gmail account in which to store the texts that it backs up. You can also mark the texts as “read” in your Gmail if you prefer.

I haven’t found any problems with this app. It does what it is supposed to do, and does it well. The only reason I gave it a mere “6” on the gotta-have-it scale is because not everyone needs a text message back-up application. However, I would give it a 9 or a 10 if I were rating how well it works. So if this is the type of app you are looking for, don’t hesitate to download the SMS Backup app for Android.

The Android Project Review: Advanced Task Killer Pro

Category: OS Functionality
Price: $4.99
Gotta-Have-it: 8*

*I gave this application an “8” on the gotta-have-it scale because I believe the functionality of the Android OS is severely limited by the amount of applications that run in the background without some user intervention. I am not giving this rating to the Advanced Task Killer application in particular, but to task killing apps in general. In order to fully enjoy the Android OS, one must install a task killer.

I didn’t have any issues with this app until just recently. I thought it did an adequate job of permitting me to quickly and easily kill the apps that always seem to be running in the background, using up precious phone memory. If that’s all you need in a task killer, this app is fine. However, once you get into the more advanced features, specifically the Autokill function, this app has a few problems.

I believe that an Autokill function that works properly on an Android phone is an important and almost necessary tool to have. I don’t want to be required to open up my task killing app every time I feel like my phone is lagging a bit. I thought Advanced Task Killer was the app that would feel that void in my lonely Android heart. I chose the safest settings for the Autokill because I didn’t want it to destabilize my phone. I also set it to kill apps every 30 minutes or so.

What I found is every so often, if I was using an app at the time the Autokill function was set to execute, Autokill would close it down, no matter what I was doing. Now, there is an option to set up an “Ignore List” to add applications that you don’t want Advanced TaskKiller to kill. However, I haven’t found a way to add an app to the Ignore List unless the app is currently open. Also, I don’t want to add my Brower, or other games to the Ignore List because there are times that I will want to kill those apps if I am not using them.

I then tried something that I would highly recommend against. I set the Autokill to only kill apps when the screen is off. This ended up being a huge mistake because the Autokill completely destabilized my phone. At one point, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and it wouldn’t turn on. I had to remove my battery in order to start up the phone again, which is never a pleasant task. Once the phone restarted, it gave me an error that the SD card was corrupted and needed to be formatted. I had to clean my pants out after seeing that. Luckily I backed up a lot of my information to my computer, but I lost some photos and videos that I haven’t been able to recover. I believe what happened was that the Autokill function killed an app that was accessing the SD card at the time it was killed. This most likely had a negative effect on the SD card, causing it to become corrupted.

So that is the long-winded reason for the “*” next to the gotta-have-it factor above. I can recommend the Advanced Task Killer Android application only as long as you are very careful about how you use the Autokill settings. Other than that, it does a reasonable job of allowing you to kill the apps you want to kill.

The Android Project Review: Profile Android App

Category: OS functionality
Price: $0.99
Gotta-have-it factor: 7

Developer: noimjosh

This is another application that has made my Android OS usage a bit easier. It seems like there’s about 30 different volumes and notification settings to adjust in Android, along with wifi and bluetooth settings. The Android OS doesn’t make it easy for one to access all of these settings quickly. So every morning when I got to work, I found myself fumbling through several menus trying to find the volume and wifi settings to change them. It always seemed like the media volume was the one that I found the most difficult to change. I would have nightmares that my buddy would send me his latest “funny video” called “Do it for Slayer” and I would accidentally open it right before my boss walks in. I also couldn’t find a widget that would quickly silence the media volume. I though about purchasing the Locale Android application, but I have read too many negative reviews about its reliability.

Then I stumbled on the Profile Android App. Profile allows you to create different settings “profiles” (obviously) for different situations. I set up profiles called Home and Work, and there were predefined profiles for Silent and Vibrate. In each of these profiles you can select separate volumes for your ringer, media and notifications. Each profile also has a wifi and bluetooth switch. Another cool option is the time setting. I can set Profile to switch to my Work profile between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and my Home profile after 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays. I also have a Sleep profile set for 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

I keep Profile as one of the links in my Bar Control application (see my review of Bar Control here) so I can access it quickly. The developer also seems to be very active and updates the app frequently.

One of the major negatives to Profile is that it is a paid app. You can purchase it for $0.99. There are probably other apps out there that can do close to what Profile does, but I haven’t found them. I think Profile is worth the money I paid for it. Another negative is that I haven’t quite figured out the timer settings. It seems like once you change one of your volumes from the currently active profile setting, it deactivates the timer. Also, my life doesn’t always fit within the predefined settings I have chosen for the time settings. So when I’m at work past 6:00 p.m., I have to make sure my Sir Mix-a-Lot ringtone doesn’t go off accidentally.

Other than those minor quibbles, I highly recommend the Profile Android application.

The Android Project News: Dropbox App Hits the Market

Well, along with my anticipation of the official Mint.com application (See my review here), I have also been waiting for an official Dropbox app to hit the market.

Although beta testers have been able to molest the pre-release version of Dropbox for Android for a while now, the rest of us have been standing by like dogs at the dinner table waiting for the full release. Well, it's time to break out the checkbook (not really, the app is free), the official Android app has hit the Android market and it's available for download now.

If you're wondering what the hell Dropbox is, it allows users to sync data between multiple devices by storing the newest version of a file in Dropbox's server. It makes it nice when you need to have documents available at all times, whether it be on your home desktop, work PC, laptop, or now your Android phone.

The Android Project will give the Dropbox application a test run and post a review in the coming days, so stay tuned.

The Android Project Review: Bar Control Android App

Category: OS functionality
Price: Free
Gotta-have-it factor: 7

I am so happy that I found the Bar Control Android application. I have always been frustrated by the difficulty of switching between my most often used applications in Android, especially when you already have one app up on the screen. Bar Control attempts to solve this problem, and does a decent job.

One of the disadvantages of Bar Control is that it clutters up the Notifications bar at the top of the screen with the icons of the app shortcuts. I’ve never liked virtual clutter, so it frustrates me when there are so many icons in my Notification bar that I can’t tell if I have unread e-mails or text messages.

Another usability issue that I have with Bar Control is that it is not as easy as it should be to change the links that one selects for the Notification drop-down. If you decide that you want a different link to show up in the drop-down, you have to clear all of the Bar Control links and reselect each one that you want to show up, even if you only want to change a single link. Hopefully this will be something that the application developer remedies in the future.

And my final nag about the program is that the program is unable to display the application’s icon as the link in the Notification drop-down. So the user is required to choose one of a few preselected icons from Bar Control’s menu for each application you want placed in the Notification drop down. I understand that this is an Android limitation and not the Bar Control developer’s fault, but I thought I should put that information in this review anyway.
All those complaints aside, I still think Bar Control is a great solution for making it easier to switch between my most used apps. It is especially nice to be able to access my Profile application (review of Profile coming soon) to change my sound or Wifi settings on the fly. So, for solving approximately 15.6% of my complaints with the Android OS, I highly recommend the Bar Control Android application.

The Android Project Reviews: Mint.com Android App

Category: Finance
Price: Free
Gotta-have it factor: 3

I have been anticipating the release of the Mint.com application for as long as I’ve owned an Android phone. I think Mint.com is one of the best online tools for managing one’s finances (I prefer Quicken Online, although it will be phased out eventually now that Intuit owns Mint.com). After seeing what Mint.com could do in a full browser, I was excited to see how they would stretch the boundaries of mobile finance tracking.

Well, the Mint.com Android application is finally here, and I’m quite disappointed. I thought it would give me more than just simple access to my account information. I’ve already installed Pageonce’s Personal Assistant, which gives me more information than the Mint.com app. I was hoping it would give me access to the functions that make Mint.com so great as an online finance tracker, such as reports and graphs. I understand that Mint is limited by the phone’s processing power and internet speeds, but the application overall just seems underwhelming.

If you don’t use Pageonce’s Personal Assistant, Mint.com’s Android App may be what you are looking for. It is pretty, and there is something to be said about its simplicity. As far as information it provides, you have access to your Mint.com Account balances and transactions, along with your Budget, Cash Flow, and Alerts. You can set a passcode to protect your Mint data from the snooping of your current or future mother-in-law.

The Mint.com Android app also comes with a widget that provides your current Cash and Debt balances, but it takes up 2 rows, so you better really need that information quickly if you’re willing to give up that much screen real estate.
I will probably keep the application installed on my phone until I need the space, but I don’t think I will be using it that often. The only way I can recommend the Mint.com app is if you are a Mint.com user, you don’t use Pageonce’s Personal Assistant, and you need a simple, yet attractive application for tracking your finances. For the rest of you, go download Personal Assistant and try it out.

The Android Project

So I have decided to start another blog. I think this one might be more helpful than the last few and it's about something that I'm actually passionate about: the Google Android operating system. I currently own a Motorola Droid on Verizon's network, but I'm praying that I'll find enough spare change in my couch cushions to buy the new HTC Incredible...

I'm going to focus this blog on review of Android applications, although from time to time I might post the latest news related in general to the Android operating system. I will rate each app on a scale of 1-10 depending on the app's "gotta-have-it factor." Obviously a 10 will mean the app is a must have. A 1 means the app isn't worth the space on your phone.

I'm always open for suggestions, so feel free to leave comments if you choose. If you have an application that you would like reviewed, let me know if the comments.

Thanks,

Johny Savage