# Recommend me some neat Android apps!

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 22, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761 "2014-07-22T18:11:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/1 "2014-07-22T18:11:53Z")

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So, I’ve finally decided to enter this decade and got one of 'em new-fangled smartphone gadgettos, and of course, now I’m having a bout of new toy fever and want to find out what cool stuff I can do with it. It’s running Android 4.4.2, and it’s an Xperia Z1 Compact, if that matters for anything.

I’m interested in, well, basically anything you think is cool, and/or useful. Every new trend in consumer electronics promises to revolutionize the way you organize your life, and that’s never happened to me—but then again, I guess I’m not really the life-organizing type; but I want to give it a shot. Also, any fun time-wasters to while away the train commute are always welcome; of course, free is always better, but I’d be willing to invest a couple of €. I’m somewhat weary of ‘free’ games with in-app purchases, however.

So far, I’ve got a chess app, which means that now even my phone beats me at chess, I’ve tried Angry Birds, but seem to have already tired of it, Google Sky Map looks really neat, Goggles has been a bit hit-and-miss, for some reason Spotify seems to insist on only running on shuffle, and well, that’s mostly it. One thing I’d be interested in is some sort of RSS-type app so that I can keep track of the couple of blogs/webcomics I follow.

Also, would you recommend buying a cover? I’d hate to get the glass scratched, and I’m not really a fan of those foil covers that always seem to develop blisters somewhere.

Basically, what’s the cool stuff you do with your Android phone?

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/2 "2014-07-22T18:21:59Z")

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Well, the apps that I use the most are CrossMe and CrossMe Color which are collections of nonograms. They’re 5 bucks a pop which is slightly outrageous but after I solved all the free ones, I couldn’t stop myself and I bought them anyway.

If you’re not worried about Google’s AllSeeing Eye, a lot of people have fun with Ingress, which is an augmented reality app. It uses GPS to overlay a game grid on your location and you find and activate portals that are tied to real world locations. Two teams, blue and green, battling endlessly for control. There’s a storyline about aliens or something.

I have the Zombies 5K app which is helpful for making my jogs slightly less soul killing.

I just saw that QuizUp is on android now. It’s one of the more enjoyable trivia apps I’ve played.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/3 "2014-07-22T18:35:48Z")

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There are thousands and you’re about to see a list of most of them. 🙂

Ones I’ve found essential are a GOOD calculator, a raw GPS readout app, a good WiFi finder (WiFi Finder being the best), a good multimedia note app like Evernote, a good weather app (I prefer Weatherbug) and at least three or four primary news source apps like AP and NYT.

Dolphin browser with the Jetpack blows the others away. Bookmark local semi-emergency things on it (I have National Hurricane Center, local power company outage list, school closings list and NWS for my locale to back up Weatherbug.)

Glass covers are mostly a waste of money, especially if your phone has a Gorilla Glass face. A good, slim-profile (silicone wrap with hard shell snap-over) case is a sine qua non, IMVHO.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/4 "2014-07-22T19:13:44Z")

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Gotta have a few weather apps. When we are out on the pontoon boat it is great to be able to look at the radar and know if a storm will be short or if we should head in.

I’ve always used [Otterbox](http://www.otterbox.com/) products for my electronics, whether or not they are likely to get wet.

ETA: of course the kindle app is a must have.

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### Author: ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/5 "2014-07-22T19:48:04Z")

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I recommend putting the Google Now widget on one of the home screens. It shows a lot of useful information based on your e-mail, google search history, location, etc.

By “foil cover”, do you mean a screen protector film? I always use one. If yours is developing blisters, you probably aren’t applying it correctly. Make sure the screen and film are absolutely clean (no dust) before you apply it. I normally roll up my sleeves (or take off the shirt), and use a mister to spray water into the air, just to reduce the chance of lint or dust falling on the screen during installation.

I also always use a thin silicone sleeve (case) to protect the phone. Otherwise your phone screen will shatter the first time you drop it onto concrete.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/6 "2014-07-22T20:35:29Z")

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Excruciatingly long list of apps installed on my phone:

* * *

NEWS

NPR News [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.npr.android.news](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.npr.android.news)

BBC News [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bbc.mobile.news.ww](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bbc.mobile.news.ww)

New Scientist [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newscientist.mobile](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newscientist.mobile)

* * *

GAMES

Chess Free [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.aifactory.chessfree](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.aifactory.chessfree)

Doodle Jump [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lima.doodlejump](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lima.doodlejump)

Fractoid [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=byrne.fractal](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=byrne.fractal)

Game Of Life [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.favpix.gameoflife](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.favpix.gameoflife) (Conway’s cellular automata game)

Sokoban [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.perunlabs.app.box](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.perunlabs.app.box) (very addictive)

Unblock Me FREE [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiragames.unblockmefree](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiragames.unblockmefree)

* * *

ASTRONOMY

Google Sky Map [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.stardroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.stardroid)

NASA Space Weather [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nasa.gsfc.iswa.NASASpaceWeather](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nasa.gsfc.iswa.NASASpaceWeather)

Aurora Forecast [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinacinc.auroraforecast](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinacinc.auroraforecast)

* * *

TRAVEL

GasBuddy [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gbis.gbandroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gbis.gbandroid) (finds best gas prices)

Raindar [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ghvandoorn.Raindar](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ghvandoorn.Raindar) (animated doppler radar map)

Transit! [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eleventhree.transit](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eleventhree.transit) (finds next bus/train based on your gps)

Translate [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.translate) (turns your phone into a universal translator)

World Clock widget [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lge.sizechangable.worldclock](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lge.sizechangable.worldclock)

* * *

ENTERTAINMENT

Podcast Addict [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict) (favorite podcasts include Mission Log and Hardcore History)

iHeartRadio [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clearchannel.iheartradio.controller](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clearchannel.iheartradio.controller)

TuneIn Radio [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tunein.player](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tunein.player)

QuickPic [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alensw.PicFolder](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alensw.PicFolder) (manages your stored photos)

Scanner Radio [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scannerradio](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scannerradio) (listen to police/fire/etc.)

TV Guide [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tvguidemobile](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tvguidemobile)

Worldscope Webcams [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kukurin.WorldScope](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kukurin.WorldScope)

* * *

POKER

PokerStove [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rps.pokerstove.pokerstove](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rps.pokerstove.pokerstove)

Poker Calculator [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.perunlabs.app.poker](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.perunlabs.app.poker)

Poker Odds Range Calculator [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pnl.precisepokerodds](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pnl.precisepokerodds)

PokerStars NET [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pyrsoftware.pokerstars.net](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pyrsoftware.pokerstars.net) (play poker online)

Ultimate Holdem Timer [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.upt.timer.core](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.upt.timer.core) (blinds timer for hold-em)

* * *

MISC

a41CV [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dk.andsen.hp41](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dk.andsen.hp41) (a decent rpn calculator)

Aldiko [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aldiko.android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aldiko.android) (ebook reader)

First Aid: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cube.arc.fa](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cube.arc.fa) (first aid instructions)

Flashlight: [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devuni.flashlight](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devuni.flashlight)

Shopping list: Out of Milk [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.capigami.outofmilk](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.capigami.outofmilk)

RedLaser [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ebay.redlaser](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ebay.redlaser) (barcode scanner, useful for comparison shopping)

* * *

MAINTENANCE

Clean Master [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.mguard](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.mguard)

CM Security [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.security](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleanmaster.security)

FXR WiFi fix and rescue [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brilliapps.wifiandmorefixer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brilliapps.wifiandmorefixer)

JuiceDefender [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.latedroid.juicedefender](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.latedroid.juicedefender)

Lookout [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lookout](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lookout)

Speedtest [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zwanoo.android.speedtest)

Wi-Fi Finder [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jiwire.android.finder](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jiwire.android.finder)

WiFi Connection Fixer [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.in.zextr.wcf](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.in.zextr.wcf)

WiFi Manager [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.WifiManager](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kman.WifiManager)

* * *

Shared by ‘My App List’ [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.projectsexception.myapplist](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.projectsexception.myapplist)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/7 "2014-07-22T20:46:37Z")

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Scrollable widgets are one of the best things about Android; very useful for keeping track of different stuff. I use Plume for Twitter and Baconreader for Reddit but there are lots of others.

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### Author: ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/8 "2014-07-22T21:17:44Z")

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> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> Well, the apps that I use the most are CrossMe and CrossMe Color which are collections of nonograms. They’re 5 bucks a pop which is slightly outrageous but after I solved all the free ones, I couldn’t stop myself and I bought them anyway.
> 
> If you’re not worried about Google’s AllSeeing Eye, a lot of people have fun with Ingress, which is an augmented reality app. It uses GPS to overlay a game grid on your location and you find and activate portals that are tied to real world locations. Two teams, blue and green, battling endlessly for control. There’s a storyline about aliens or something.
> 
> I have the Zombies 5K app which is helpful for making my jogs slightly less soul killing.
> 
> I just saw that QuizUp is on android now. It’s one of the more enjoyable trivia apps I’ve played.

I got lucky with CrossMe and CrossMeColor - they were both free apps of the day at Amazon’s appstore.

For what it’s worth, I now rarely buy anything there; their versions are often quite a bit behind the version that’s on Google Play (and what idiot came up with THAT name, by the way).

Go Launcher is something I love. If for nothing else, the fact that I can have more than one row of apps in the “dock” (the row at the bottom of the screen). I have my dozen most used apps right there, can very quickly scroll through those to get to them w/o needing to bring up the list of all my apps, or cluttering my homescreen too much.

I use CarHome Ultra as a car dock - it’s the best I’ve found so far on the app store. My Droid X came with a fairly nice one but that only worked properly when I was using the Motorola dock (and that had its own issues).

I use Widget Locker in place of the stock lock screen; this lets me have a few app widgets that let me do _some_ actions w/o even unlocking the screen (sadly, those are very limited, but things like setting it to sleep mode is one of them).

Med Helper is a nice medication-tracking app. There’s a free and a paid version (I have the paid version). Sleep Bot is a very nice sleep tracking app (and it’s free!); I use it for sleep tracking obviously, but also as an alarm clock. When you use the widget to put it into sleep mode, you can configure it to automatically put it in quiet mode so you won’t get awakened by calls / texts.

Dropbox, of course (or similar) - this is a must have for us!!

A grocery shopping app. We use ToMarket because it’s the only one I’ve found that can track aisle information for an item at multiple stores. All the others seem to require you to put the item in for each store, or have it listed as “all stores” without store-by-store aisles. It doesn’t include cloud synching (e.g. if you need something, check it off on yours and your spouse’s copy gets updated) but that wasn’t the primary feature we wanted.

A fuel tracking app - I use Fuel Log. I enter the information every time I fill up or have service, and it makes a nice record plus calculating the car’s mileage.

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### Author: ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/9 "2014-07-22T21:20:12Z")

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Oooh -and covers: Most phones these days seem to NOT come with a case that covers the screen, though there are some exceptions. Otterbox comes to mind. I’ve got a case that covers the back and sides to provide some drop protection and cushioning. I do have the adhesive cover on the glass and have been fortunate with no bubbles; they’re cheap enough that you can always discard and retry with a fresh one. I’d say it’s worth it - crack that glass and you’ve just destroyed a device worth hundreds of euros.

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### Author: ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/10 "2014-07-22T21:26:17Z")

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A flashlight app can be a real lifesaver, but don’t position it on your main screen or you’ll go to turn your ringer off in a theater and accidentally do your lighthouse impersonation.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/11 "2014-07-22T21:28:03Z")

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Could someone maybe recommend a good “tape recorder,” something that I can record ambient sounds – budget meetings or bird calls – and save as .mp3? Er…something a clumsy idiot can use?

(Every so often, I have to go back to the AT&T kiosk where I bought my phone and ask for lessons. “How do I move an attached photo from Text Messages to Gallery?” They’ve been wonderfully patient.)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/12 "2014-07-23T18:42:07Z")

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My most-used apps:

Pandora- for when I’m driving;  
Waze- for when I’m driving (see a pattern?);  
Open Table- for making dinner reservations on the fly;  
UrbanSpoon and Yelp- for researching restaurants;  
Runkeeper- to track my workout mileage; and  
Drobox.

I don’t play games on my phone, and I’m not sure if I even have any. [checks phone…] Nope.

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### Author: ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/13 "2014-07-23T19:14:17Z")

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Around Me has been a very useful app for me. It takes your location and suggests nearby services/stores/restaurants – very helpful if you’re in an area you don’t know very well.

Somebody also mentioned Gas Buddy – uses your GPS and gives you a list of surrounding gas stations with their current prices.

I use Color Note to make grocery lists and the like.

Dictatroid Lite is the free version of a well-regarded recording app. You can record anything in 5-minute increments and saves them to, I believe, a mp3 file. You can email it and/or share it. I use it for generating story ideas.

Other apps:

NPR News  
a local TV station’s news app  
Snapseed (the best free photo editor out there, IMO)  
Google Maps  
Healthy Recipes (app for Spark People)  
Eating Well app (has tons of recipes)  
Foodeducate (can scan practically any grocery item and it calls up its nutritional info)  
Candy Crush Saga  
Papa Pear Saga

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/14 "2014-07-23T19:15:42Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> A flashlight app can be a real lifesaver…

Absolutely. Some phones come with them but there are better ones for DL.

> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> Could someone maybe recommend a good “tape recorder,” something that I can record ambient sounds – budget meetings or bird calls – and save as .mp3? Er…something a clumsy idiot can use?

Most phones come with a Voice Recorder app. I’ve used the one on my Samsung many times. It’s as simple as an old Pearlcorder.

> [@corkboard](#):
>
> My most-used apps:  
> Open Table- for making dinner reservations on the fly;

I’ve never had anything but sucky results with OpenTable. Either they show nothing available (and a call to the restaurant does), or they take the rez and hours later, or on arrival, the restaurant negates it. Maybe it’s gotten better since I last tried it.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/15 "2014-07-23T19:17:30Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> A flashlight app can be a real lifesaver…

Absolutely. Some phones come with them but there are better ones for DL.

> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> Could someone maybe recommend a good “tape recorder,” something that I can record ambient sounds – budget meetings or bird calls – and save as .mp3? Er…something a clumsy idiot can use?

Most phones come with a Voice Recorder app. I’ve used the one on my Samsung many times. It’s as simple as an old Pearlcorder.

> [@corkboard](#):
>
> My most-used apps:  
> Open Table- for making dinner reservations on the fly;

I’ve never had anything but sucky results with OpenTable. Either they show nothing available (and a call to the restaurant does), or they take the rez and hours later, or on arrival, the restaurant negates it. Maybe it’s gotten better since I last tried it. I just look up the restaurant and tap dial. Works much better for me.

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### Author: ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/16 "2014-07-24T05:15:59Z")

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> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> If you’re not worried about Google’s AllSeeing Eye, a lot of people have fun with Ingress, which is an augmented reality app. It uses GPS to overlay a game grid on your location and you find and activate portals that are tied to real world locations. Two teams, blue and green, battling endlessly for control. There’s a storyline about aliens or something.

Oh, this sounds like something I might try out on my upcoming holidays, I’ve got no travels planned; but I’ll have to check out whether it’s well distributed in Germany.

> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Ones I’ve found essential are a GOOD calculator,

That’s something I’ve been looking for, do you have a recommendation?

Anyway, thanks, all, for the suggestions, keep them coming! And does anybody know about a good RSS reader app, or has that kind of thing just died with google reader?

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### Author: ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2014, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/17 "2014-07-24T05:27:26Z")

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Some others:

Robo Defense  
Backgammon free  
Gin Rummy Free  
Wifi file transfer

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### Author: ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2014, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/18 "2014-07-24T07:39:47Z")

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My absolute favourite calculator app is RealCalc Plus by Quartic Software. This is the paid for version of RealCalc Scientific Calculator and both versions are so close to the experience of using a regular calculator that you forget your’e not. I don’t remember what the exact difference was between the two versions but I upgraded to just to show my appreciation to the developer.

If you want a graphing calculator I have used Graphing Calculator by Mathlab Apps. It was great for a recent calculus class I took, but it has this weird restriction on only working when you have a network connection to display ads. I didn’t use it enough to go with the ad-free Pro version.

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### Author: ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/19 "2014-07-24T08:34:24Z")

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[Pixel Dungeon](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.watabou.pixeldungeon)  
[Ingress](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticproject.ingress)  
[Moon+ Reader](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flyersoft.moonreader) My favourite eBook reader.

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### Author: ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2014, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761/20 "2014-07-24T09:05:54Z")

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One of my favorites is called Field Trip, which I think comes from one of the Google labs. As you travel around, it pops up random factoids and points of interest when you get near them. Like, for example, a lot of times it’ll pop up a historical photo of the place you are or bring up an article from a travel guide. It takes a bit of tweaking to get the frequency and types of things you want, but it’s pretty fun.

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-neat-android-apps/693761.md?page=2)
