DROID sales in the USA and the robo-promotional ads from Verizon has boosted Android sales, so much so that hits on my blog have started to double since the new phone went on sale.
Stats are good – Top searchs on Best Apps are going to my posts for Top Android Apps and 2 top Android apps from Google.
Sony Ericsson delivered a blow to Microsoft on Tuesday when it unveiled its latest Xperia handset, which unlike its Windows-powered predecessors is based on Google’s Android operating system.
Called X10, the flagship smartphone comes with a new Sony Ericsson-designed user interface that aggregates the user’s contacts and communications from the likes of Facebook and Twitter into a single address book.
The system is akin to HTC’s Sense interface, and Motorola’s Motoblur interface, both of which feature on the respective companies’ new Android phones.
“It’s time for Sony Ericsson to put more focus on the smartphone market and Android is a good platform for them to do this,” said Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner.
source: http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=450402&mail=128&C=0
Will Google Wave change SMS texting and instant messaging? Most likely … but that’s about the best answer right now. Google will have to find partners to help ‘aggregate’ chat and email and address Internet infrastructure issues in a number of countries.
Thanks to Googles reach, Wave can launch and get a good penetration into its addressable Gmail base. It’s all looking good with a Public Beta? of 100,000 invites due to be sent out in September.
If, however you remain committed to Hotmail, Yahoo (which has a bigger user base than Gmail) or still use your ISP’s fixed email address, then Wave isn’t going to matter to you yet. If you’re on a Dial-up Modem or Slow Broadband, you’ll probably be better to use a dedicated chat program, as the developers usually address these things. So then, where are the partners that will also deliver Google Wave so that ‘everyone’ can enjoy it?
So does that make Wave a great idea … yes, … combining elements of email with the instantaneous nature of chat and text is great. I’m looking forward to trialling it (I hope). I’m also keen to see what people think who dont want to Wave yet?
Here’s a more up to date list featuring some of the best apps you must get on your Android phone. All of them are free in the Android Market. Some of them also have a freemium paid version. What’s good is that many of these you will use daily, but some of them will just sit on your phone and do what its supposed to do.
Subjectively, I’ve missed out the social network sites and the streaming music apps – I do that from home – or the in the case of music streaming … none of the apps currently work when your underground.
Do you want to disagree with what’s here or have your own list? Let me know …
1. WiSync
Manage your data sync settings for the Android – this is important if you are not on an unlimited data plan or you want things to only happen on wifi. WiSync allows you to control the background sync settings for your phone.
What I think is the WiSync should go a step further – I’d love to talk to them about how this can help when you travel. Already you can turn off any sync when not on wifi, but what about the option to allow sync on your home 3G network but not on any overseas 3G networks. Roaming settings are something to sync/think about too. It now also comes with ‘Locale plugin’ a feature I’ve not worked out what it is yet.
2. Wefi
Wefi is an app to manage the connection to wifi hotspots around you – it automatically shuffles through all the nearest hotspots to find out which ones are open and have internet access or need to go through a login process. This is good as many hotspots seem to be open, but when you connect, they don’t work. Team this up with Wisync and you got a killer combo.
I also suggest you go to your phone wifi settings and allow wifi to remain on when connected to the power supply. This way, any emails or other updates (news) are downloaded when you’re sleeping and your phone is charging.
3. iTube Status (London Underground)
This one is good, every Android phone should come with a travel updates app like this. It shows how real time London Underground can be, even if the Tubes don’t run all night.
You can see at a glance all the station closure or delays and then using the other tab find out when the next train is going to be on the platform you’re heading too. Of course it would be more beautiful if it told you before you leave home in the morning that your train was late.
4. Twidroid
Twitter on your phone … its free and the most popular in the market. You can see why with all the features that are crammed in. I suggest you turn off the vibration and don’t set it to fetch all your tweets, or you’ll be playing with your phone constantly.
5. Barcode Scanner
Now the team at Google even love this app — combine the power of a barcode scanner with a Google search and you have a price check tool, an Amazon search solution or maybe you can use another app like Anobii and catalogue all your books.
Get it here: http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.google.zxing.client.android
6. Advanced Task Manager
This app seems to have matured in its development and settled down in the last month. There probably are other ‘app killer’ apps around – but this has a great feature in that you can control what apps to kill. It used to have an auto kill all feature which ran every 2 hours, I’m glad to see that has gone as it usually meant my music or some other app would stop working just as I was in the middle of using it.
Get it here: http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.arron.taskManager
7. NewsRob
NewsRob was one of the first apps I installed …NewsRob works with Google Reader as there is no official Google Reader Android app … its as configurable as you like in terms of how often to check, how many articles to store and settings for wifi / 3G network access.
It crashed on me once and sent an email back to the support team. The next morning I had an email from someone saying they were looking into my bug. I got a follow up email a few days later saying my problem would be fixed in the next release. Great service with a Smile.
I also suggest you go to your phone wifi settings and allow wifi to remain on when connected to the power supply. This way, any emails or other updates (news) are downloaded when you’re sleeping and your phone is charging.
Get it here: http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.newsrob
Here’s two apps to show your friends
8. Compass
You can’t get lost with a compass on your phone (did’t you know it was magnetised) — right?
Now what does E 68 mean?
Get it here: http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.apksoftware.compass
9. BeebPlayer (only in the UK)
Everyone’s favourite Granny had to have an Android app … its probably one of the best apps I’ve seen that was not made by the BBC’s iPlayer team. I guess history will tell if the app continues to work or be developed – or if the Beeb will turn off 3rd party access to its content.
Apparently this app only works with the Vodafone or 3 UK sims – would someone tell me if it works on Orange or O2 UK?
10. Robo Defense Free
One last app that will give you days and days of fun … or months and months as it turns out. The free version has 10 difficulty settings but only one level … its also the most simple with only 3 towers and 3 upgrades. It’s by far the best executed tower defence strategy game.
Get it here: http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.magicwach.rdefense_free
There are a number of things I’d like to see apps for – Screenshots ( I can’t ROOT my phone), a credible Outlook Exchange app for people with office issues or a management for multiple Gmail accounts and contacts. And of course, documents – a pdf or powerpoint viewer.
I’ve noted few issues with the Android Market and I’ll blog about differences in app stores soon.
Damien Saunders
The HTC Magic came out recently, so far its a exclusive to Vodafone. As a phone it has all the features you could desire, but its music player needs an over hall – first problem is the volume, its just too quiet.
In a crowded room, on the London Tube or just working out at a gym the volume from the HTC Magic’s is just a whisper of what it should be – or am I going deaf?Critcally I’m one of those people that always has the volume set to full – to drown out the outside world and I use in-ear headphones so you don’t listen to my stuff.
I put the HTC Magic through its paces using the standard in-box headset, a bluetooth stereo headset and using my top end Sony headphones plus an HTC USB to 3.5mm adapter.
Thats right the HTC Magic only has a USB port for power and accsories, HTC says this might change in the future. The phone’s media player also only has a volume control and no equaliser tools – and no Android apps as yet have this.
HTC’s own headset
This is not one to wear in public or at the gym, its big and bulky with its own rectangular volume controller. The high notes and vocals sound clean – its good for midrange but lacking bass notes. Listening to Underworld’s Everything Everything was nice – the downside was the noise leakage as I could tell people on the Tube didn’t like it.
Bluetooth Stereo headset
Listening to the same Underworld album was just upsetting. The same headset coupled with the Sony Ericsson W715 provides a great aural pleasure. The HTC Magic bluetooth audio channel must have a volume limiter. I could hear everyone on the Tube and that annoying gym pump music.
USB to 3.5mm with Sony Headphones
This was the surprise winner … never using a USB to 3.5mm adapter, I thought it was going to impact the audio quality. Across the ranges, the audio sounds clear and vibrant. The volume passed through was also good enough to convince me to use it.
29 Sep 09: This is the better post to read: http://damiensaunders.com/2009/08/11/10-best-android-apps-for-your-phone/
Ok I’ve been using an Android from HTC for a few days now and I’m loving it … I’m so hooked I could almost get myself kicked out of the house, or have my ‘beautiful & precious’ phone smashed 
there are so many free Apps in the Android Market that you can’t get bored. Given how much I use a phone and my focus on the mobiles and music, heres a choice selection
LAST.FM – its more a radio station here than the super Vodafone Last.fm Scrobbler (which you know I love)
NewsRob – it works with Google Reader – but I’m still not sure why there isn’t a GReader app?
Android-VNC-Viewer – once I got it working I loved it, but its a tiny screen, don’t use it for trying to control WinAmp or something, but its funny if you know how to use it to turn off windose 
Toggle Wifi – its dead simple, but it still dont help if you then have to have a username or password for the wifi account
Barcode Scanner and Book Scanner – i love it … except when it goes beep in the bookshop (hehehe)
Comment: Terminal manufacturers are developing new applications and intergrating the user experience of other brands. Can this be a harmonious relationship with operators own portals?
With a selection of mobile phones from Christmas 2006 sitting on my desk from several big names its apparent that 3rd parties are now working with the terminal suppliers directly to port their web experience to phone apps. You can see this happening in Europe primarily with Google for blogging and search, but in the US, Helio has had success with its brand phone and social-networking tools.
Since the early days of mobile, it was primarly the reponsibility of the operator and terminal manufacturer to develop phone applications or new services for customers. Traditionally this has been in 3 areas -
Its the native apps that the 3rd parties are now working to integrate. Sony Ericsson camera phones now come with ‘Send to Blogger’ and blogging clients on the phone and some devices come with a static internet jump page that already has an internet search box.
The handset manufacturers are installing these applications in their part of the firmware. This is now a new area for operators to test and check these apps work or alternatively, to block from working (such as those operators still with walled gardens or child-blocking technology). Interestingly how can this be commercialised for the benefit for customers? without a direct billing relationship, customers are still going to be paying data charges for these searches which are not included in their on-net portal browsing.
Its certainly a reason for customers to argue for simpler pricing models like the flat rate xseries from 3 UK. More likely, these apps will stay in the 3rd party or expensive off-net browsing section with its per kb or timed data charges (opps revenue)
Google has created a special version of its Gmail e-mail service that provides mobile phone users with quick access to their e-mail. Point your mobile to http://m.gmail.com.
The service allows you to view attached files such as images or download documents if supported by your handset.
