Reviews of Android OS Apps

[Hook]

Application: NOOK for Android
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: C-

Okay, maybe I'm grading while angry. The app itself is okay. In fact, it's pretty decent. But I'm very unhappy that there's no way to protect my credit card from unauthorized or accidental purchases. In order to read any books you own, you must be logged in and your credit card activated -- but there's no way to protect unauthorized purchases. On the Nook Color, I can password protect my account -- purchases require a password. But with the Nook for Android software, no password is required. You click a book and boom! You own it. There's not even a warning message. (Remember, I'm not the only one with access to my account -- my son it using my tablet). Anyway, I call B&N customer support, and they give me a hard time about it -- they'll refund my account this one time, but it better not happen again.

The Kindle App is the same way-- tied into your Amazon account, if you click the buy button, it's yours. Unfortunately, they aren't ebook readers, they are shopping apps. I think the only reason Android Market gives you two taps is because you have to accept permissions.

[jigwashere]

At least with Android Market, I can hide it and/or sign out of it and my son can use the tablet. My son's not being sneaky or anything -- he didn't mean to buy anything. But if he did, even Android Market gives you time to return it w/o penalty.

With Nook for Android, all he was doing was browsing through the store and wanted more information about the book. He clicked the wrong button, purchased the item, and B&N customer service gave me a hard time returning it. My relatively low grade of the app is because they don't have the same blocks against accidental purchases that exist for the eReader device. I'd also give B&N customer service a low grade, but don't know where to post that. The consumerist.com, perhaps?

[Varjak]

At least with Android Market, I can hide it and/or sign out of it and my son can use the tablet. My son's not being sneaky or anything -- he didn't mean to buy anything. But if he did, even Android Market gives you time to return it w/o penalty.

With Nook for Android, all he was doing was browsing through the store and wanted more information about the book. He clicked the wrong button, purchased the item, and B&N customer service gave me a hard time returning it. My relatively low grade of the app is because they don't have the same blocks against accidental purchases that exist for the eReader device. I'd also give B&N customer service a low grade, but don't know where to post that. The consumerist.com, perhaps?

Considering how balky the Nook is (at least for me); I could see it being very easy to mistakenly buy something. I find that 'taps' don't always register or register in a delayed fashion. Sometimes the browser seems to freeze with a dialog-type box laid over the top (which may not affect the book store app on Android). It should at least pop up with a 'are you sure' warning.

[Magellan]

I remember that was an issue with the Amazon app store when it first came out to. I turned off one click purchase because all you had to do is click the buy button and it was purchased with no confirmation pop up. I am not sure if these companies are in such a hurry to make it ewasy to buy they leave out safeguards, or they are hoping accidental purchases will stay puarchased.

[jamesbrook99]

Taptu

Best For News Reader

Taptu is essentially a news reader app, but it's a news reader app with a difference. That's because it's designed to be used for not just reading RSS news feeds, but also for keeping up with the feeds from social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.

[SGosnell]

Application: Waze
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: B+
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Waze is a social navigation app. It does turn by turn voice directions, with the addition of traffic information from both traffic services and users. Waze users can quickly update traffic conditions, and the app asks if you're in traffic if you stop for a few seconds. There are also warnings of police speed traps, etc. Waze learns your routes, so it updates the routes it selects after you take a different route than it offered. When it works, it's very good, but it crashes too often on my Galaxy S. If it were stable, Waze would get an A++ from me.

[SGosnell]

Application: .Andy
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: A
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.Andy is one of a number of Siri knockoffs for Android. It works well enough, but sometimes just gives up and says it has no answer. That may be better than giving a wrong answer, depending on your viewpoint.

[SGosnell]

Application: AndExplorer
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: A+
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Another file manager, but it's the best one I've found. It shows hidden files (those with '.' at the start of the filename, a convention carried over from Linux) by default, and it will launch apps or open files using the default app. If you want to install an app, you can download the .apk to your device or copy it there with your PC, navigate to it in AndExplorer and just tap on it.

[Hook]

Application: AndExplorer
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: A+
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Another file manager, but it's the best one I've found. It shows hidden files (those with '.' at the start of the filename, a convention carried over from Linux) by default, and it will launch apps or open files using the default app. If you want to install an app, you can download the .apk to your device or copy it there with your PC, navigate to it in AndExplorer and just tap on it.

That's actually a very nice file manager. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a replacement for Astro, which I feel borked its UI. However, I still prefer Root Explorer (which uses Superuser permisions). It can do everything AndExplorer can, but uses larger icons for a little easier tapping.

Good find.

[headcronie]

Thanks for these last few apps. Merry Christmas to my Android phone!

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