Last December, I finally gave up my ancient phone and got a Samsung Intercept that runs Android. I’ve been madly adding apps (and occasionally removing the ones that are better characterized as crapps). I thought that with this post, I’d begin writing up quickie reviews of the apps I’ve got, noting in particular those that might be interest to folks who work in libraries.
The first app I’d like to begin with is AppBrain, which improves on the default ways that Android lets you manage apps on your phone and the way your phone works with the Android Market. To get started with AppBrain, you’ll want to install the app on your phone first and then go to the AppBrain website and create an account there. What the website offers is a way to browse and search for Android apps, read reviews of them, and then record which ones you want to install on your phone. After you’ve selected an app in the AppBrain website that you want to add to your phone, you later go to the AppBrain app on your phone and sync it to the website account. After you sync it, you can then see an option in the AppBrain app to install that new app you just found. Being able to browse apps on the web is a much better experience than relying solely on the mobile interface in the Android Market app; being able to wishlist them for later installation is unique to AppBrain.
The other notable feature with AppBrain is that you can share your list of apps with the world if you’d like. This can be hugely useful if you’d like to show someone with a brand new Android phone all the apps you’ve got on your device that they might want to consider adding. Here is what is on my phone currently:
stephenfrancoeur’s Apps on the phone
Phone: Samsung Intercept
37 total, 36 free (97%), 1 paid (2%), 61MB total size, $2.74 total price
- AppBrain App Market
- Extensive Notes – Notepad
- PowerAMP Music Player (Trial)
- Google Maps
- Evernote
- Dropbox
- Super Box -10 tools in 1 app
- ScanLife Barcode Reader
- Lookout Mobile Security
- Chess for Android
- Simple Last.fm Scrobbler
- Layar
- Yelp
- Google Books
- Swype Keyboard
- TripIt – Travel Organizer
- Google Goggles
- Facebook for Android
- Amazon MP3
- Google Translate
- InstaFetch Lite
- Foursquare
- YouTube
- Street View on Google Maps
- Voice Search
- Gmail
- Advanced Task Killer
- Gentle Alarm
- Google Voice
- Google Reader
- Text-To-Speech Extended
- NYC Bus & Subway Maps
- Listen
- Downloads
- Google Search
- Virgin Mobile USA My Account
- WHERE
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m playing with it now.