Archive

I had an idea the other day: I wondered whether there was a text-messaging application available for Android that offered a soft keyboard similar to the iPhone's. I checked out the Android Market and found that Handcent's SMS app had the highest rating of the messaging apps, so I decided to try it.

I'm not what you would call a major gamer, but I've played the console version of "Guitar Hero: World Tour," and I didn't get booed off the stage every time. So that makes me an expert, right? When you're playing "Guitar Hero" on a mobile phone, the most important thing to bear in mind is that you'r...

If nothing else, you've got to give the people over at QuickOffice credit for being early movers. They are the first to bring us an application that will open Microsoft Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on an Android-based phone. They're also the first, to my knowledge, to figure out how to reor...

Where aggregates content from a variety of content providers, and they're all location-based. Need a fill-up, or a cup of coffee, or maybe a quick dozen roses? No problem. The main page is a grid of icons. There's one for Yelp, which brings up a list of Yelp categories such as restaurants, home serv...

There are as many dedicated gadgets out there for golf range finding as there are gadget makers. Since I only play golf a couple of times a year, it doesn't really make sense for me to buy a $200 range finder. TeeDroid Caddy, which costs less than 20 bucks for an annual subscription and resides on m...

When I first spotted Brain Genius, I figured it would be a fun way to while away some extra minutes and maybe beef up my brain cells a bit. This game is developed by Glu Mobile, which is one of the more prolific developers for the Android platform as well as for other mobile platforms. Glu makes sev...

I admit it, I've developed a bit of a Facebook addiction. It's nothing serious -- I can stop any time I want, but this app might prove to be a bit of a setback for me. FBook is a client that offers much -- but not all -- of the functionality of Facebook on your G1. It offers the ability to upload ph...

Wikitude was a top-50 finalist in the Android Developer Challenge, and like ShopSavvy, it is a good illustration of what's possible with the mashing together of the G1's capabilities. In this case, Wikitude uses the GPS for location-awareness and combines that with the wealth of information that's a...

One of the winners of the Android Developer Challenge, ShopSavvy uses the G1's camera and GPS chip to compare prices of everyday products. To use it, you open the application, select "Search for a product," and scan the product's bar code with the viewfinder. The application searches a database for ...

CardioTrainer was one of the first apps I downloaded when I got my G1. If you're the outdoorsy type, it should serve your needs quite well, whether you're a cyclist, runner, hiker or just want to track your daily walks. The application is easy to use. Launching it calls up a start screen, and pushi...

Imeem for Android is a music application from Imeem.com available for free at the Android Market. This application caught my eye as one of the early front-runners in popularity at the Android Market. I've been using it for about a month, and I listen just about daily. As a music app, it's faster and...

PicSay is one of the winners of the Android Developer Challenge, a contest Google set up to get a batch of decent apps into the Market in time for its launch. Cash prizes went to the devs who built the coolest apps for the platform. It's just an entertaining little app -- it's not likely you'll be u...