Best Apps for Android Tablets

The iPad is considered to be the leader in the tablet space. While I really like the iPad and think its a great device - very good hardware and a nice collection of apps customized for the tablet user. However, I chose to use the Motorolla xoom as my primary tablet - the reason being that I consume a lot of video on my tablet and the xooms 10.1 inch screen is ideal for watching videos vs the iPads screen which seems to be better for reading. That being said the xoom is not far behind even on the reading front and is catching up fast with developers slowly porting tablet apps on Android. The post below is a consolidation of my favorite apps for Android Tablets that can be helpful for new or old tablet users  :-

READING APPS 

1. CNN for Android Tablets - Maybe one of the best apps available for Android tablets, it looks a lot like its iPad counterpart and  may outperform it in some areas. This app is designed for tablets and takes advantage of the larger screen that these devices offer. It offers news from all over the world and gives you the option to consume video or read through the news. A MUST HAVE APP FOR YOUR ANDROID TABLET. 

2. Pulse News reader: In todays day and age we all consume news from multiple sources and RSS feeds have become life savers. Personally I like to get my news aggregated from techcrunch, all things digital, Gizmodo and venture beat.  Pulse news reader displays news from all your feeds in a beautiful UI that updates automatically and provides you with your personalized news digest served fresh daily, hourly or whatever setting you may like. You can also create different tabs to see news from varied topics like tech, home etc.

3. Google Currents: Reading the web like a magazine has always been a dream. With Google Currents the dream become's reality and you get your favorite websites in a magazine format. With this app you can add your favorite websites and it will show their updated content in a magazine format which you can read at your convenience. The best part is that you can also use this app when your offline, perfect to catch up on reading while your on the plane.

VIDEO 

1. MX VIDEO PLAYER: If you are an iPad user then you know the pain of converting your videos to .mp4 before they run on your device or putting a paid app to run other formats and then going through the complicated process of transferring files to your ipad via itunes using the transfer option from within the apps section. With Android the only thing you need to install is the MX Video player free app and all your videos(.MKV, .AVI, .MPEG)  will play on your Android tablet. Its a super powerful app and has a variety of codes to support all your video needs. A must have for your Android Tablet.

2. YouTube: The Youtube app on Android is light years ahead of its iOS counterpart. It has a beautiful curved wall view of all your videos or the most popular one's whichever one you choose. You can also choose to a view for your account and see videos divided by your subscribed channel. One of the best ways to consume videos from the most popular Video site in the world.

VIDEO CALLING 

One of the advantages of a tablet is instant access to a video call and quick connection to your family and friends. While Apple does offer this via Facetime, however the limitation is that the other person also has to be using an apple device. Here are some Android apps that make video calling a brilliant experience :-

Gtalk: This app comes pre installed on all Android tablets and can be used to instantly connect with your friends/family who are also using Gtalk on any other device with a webcam. The flexibility of using gtalk across devices is a big plus.

Hangouts: As video calling technology advances, its not only about connecting with one friend but by talking to different friends spread across the globe. With hangouts on an Android tablet you can connect to up to 9 friends at the same time.

Skype: Skype is also a popular platform for video calling and is available on Android too. This app is across platform and can be used on your Android phone/tablet, iphone or ipad. Gets the job done well if your a Skype fan.

OTHERS 

1. HD Widgets: The joy of Android is the ability to customize and add your own widgets that make your tab personalized just the way you like it.  HD widgets has options specifically designed for tablets that fit the full screen and add beauty to your screen. This it the only paid app featured in this post and costs about $2 but is totally worth it.

2. Chrome: You love browsing the web on the fastest browser on your computer now its also available on your Android tablet. With Chrome for Android your life is always in sync it not only syncs all your bookmarks but it also all the tabs that you had open on your computer. Just leave anything on your computer and continue on the same from your tablet as all tabs are synced for you just the way you left it. The Internet synced for you. ALWAYS.

Iris - AI for Android a.k.a Siri for Android

Iris is a great app for all Android phones and it does everything that Siri does on an iphone 4s (well almost , it can't set your alarm yet :-) However, its a great user experience and given the fact that Android has better voice recognition skills. (The voice action technology used in this app can be configured to use the default Android voice recognition while answers are powered by Chacha which has an excellent database.) Apple fans might not like the Siri rip off but as Steve jobs once said "Good artists copy but great artists steal."

I've been using Iris for about 6 months now and its great to use to check the weather, do a quick search or check for unread messages - it gets these task done really well and displays them on a beautiful UI within the app. Most of these things are possible through the Google search box on any Android phone but Iris displays it in a different UI, satisfying your desire for a personal assistant on your phone. While most people would only use this feature while showing off features to their friends, but it is useful when your in a quiet environment and too lazy to type. I often use it to find out meanings Eg: {What is the meaning of kleptomania?} or to quickly compose an email - [Send email to < recipient name>]. Iris can be incredibly useful based on how much of a fan you are of AI, the best part being that you can try it on a cheap $200 Android phone as compared to buying a $800 iphone. Below, is a video from Youtube comparing Iris to Siri - watch it to find out the winner :-)

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A day with Instagram for Android

My First Instagram Picture

Its been a great one day with using Instagram for Android (Download here, if you still haven't) as I added it to my growing bucket of social media channels like many other users and started clicking away with retro effects. Instagram is great for budding photographers who like clicking but are too lazy to share pictures, the entire process of downloading pictures from a camera to my computer and then uploading is a big turn off for me, not to forget carrying a big SLR everywhere you go. That said, Instagram beautifully fills in the gap of a simple to use, edit and share product that anyone with a camera phone on Android or iOS can use. Here, are some of my first impressions :-

Whats Great 

• Easy to use, edit and share pictures with the world
• Quick connect and find friends using Instagram with Facebook, twitter
• Makes a mundane shot look like a work of art 
• More Sharing options than the iOS version - you can share with Facebook, twitter, Foursquare and tumblr

Whats not so Great 

• Not all Android phones supported yet 
• Tilt Shift and Live Preview are missing
• No zoom functionality 
• Looks exactly like the ios app, the android version could be more Android Friendly by taking into account the Android design guidelines (Given the 18 month gap between the ios and Android launch, I would have expected the app to be more Android friendly) 

Interesting Facts 

The Instagram app was downloaded over a million times in the last 24 hours (Source: Cnet) . Instagram already has 30mn registered users which are predicted to grow to over 100million with the Android launch. Users are already sharing more than 5million photos everyday and this numer may only double or triple with the platform expansion. 

Android apps for Singaporeans

This blog is an extension of my passion for Android, mobile apps and mobile technology in general. It aims to provide you a brief, useful and quick overview of the latest and greatest android apps. So without wasting any more time here is my first post on the 5 most useful Android apps for Singaporeans (Since Singapore is my current country of residence) :-

Farebot - This app scans your EZ pay card and tells you the remaining balance on your card. Super useful when you have a pile of cards at home and want to know which one is worth the space :) NOTE: This app only works on an NFC enabled phone. I've tested it on both the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus and your phone should not have a cover on it. 

SBS Next bus - A very basic app but super useful when at a bus stop. Tells you the expected arrival time of the next bus once you input the stop id and bus number. This is one of the few apps to get a green light from SBS transit to use their open API.

Comfort Del Gro Taxi booking - A brilliant app that pulls your location from your network/GPS and enables you to book a taxi in 2 minutes. The app also shows a map of your taxi's current location and the distance from you. It also gives you an automated phone call when your taxi is about to reach your pick up location. PS: The app also has an advance booking feature.

iChangi: Most people who have visited Singapore may have been awed by the awesome change airport and the facilities that it offers. Now Changi also has an amazing phone app which can tell you your flight departure/arrival time, boarding row, check in counter and baggage row. The app also alerts you when the boarding gate for your flight is open. Very useful both when your traveling or when picking up someone from the airport.

SgTrains: A simple app that displays the train network across the island. Super useful if your visiting Singapore or going on a new route.