Reviews of Android OS Apps

[SGosnell]

Application: Airdroid
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: A+
-------------

Airdroid lets you control your Android device from your browser on your PC. You can run apps, send text messages, and even transfer text to and from the phone's clipboard. It uses a wifi network to do the transfers, and you just enter the proper IP address into your browser's address bar, either the generated password or a static password you set, and your Android device appears on your PC.

[SGosnell]

Application: Teamviewer
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS, Windows, Linux, Mac, any combination.
Grade: A++
-------------

Teamviewer is remote control software that lets you control a PC from another using either a local wifi network or across the interwebtubez. I use it to control a server I have set up at home, from wherever I may be. I can transfer files, reboot the computer, or whatever, just as if I were at the keyboard. There is also a Teamviewer app for Android, and using it I can control my server, or any other PC I have Teamviewer installed on, from my Android phone. The software gives you a mouse cursor just like you have on the PC, and it works surprisingly well. With this installed, I can fix my mother's PC from anywhere, whenever she has problems with it. Doing that over the phone using just voice, with her doing the pointing and clicking, is less than ideal. With Teamviewer, it's a piece of cake.

[SGosnell]

Application: 3G Watchdog
Price: Free, or $3.17 for Pro version
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: Inc
-------------

I haven't used this long enough to really see if it works, but it claims to track your data usage and warn you at the point you set before you reach your plan limit. You can set the date for the rollover, and enter your current usage if you start it in the middle of a plan period. I've been keeping track by sending text messages to my carrier, which sends back a text with my current usage, but that's cumbersome and requires that I remember to ask. This should be easier.

[jbenham]

Application: Teamviewer
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS, Windows, Linux, Mac, any combination.
Grade: A++
-------------

Teamviewer is remote control software that lets you control a PC from another using either a local wifi network or across the interwebtubez. I use it to control a server I have set up at home, from wherever I may be. I can transfer files, reboot the computer, or whatever, just as if I were at the keyboard. There is also a Teamviewer app for Android, and using it I can control my server, or any other PC I have Teamviewer installed on, from my Android phone. The software gives you a mouse cursor just like you have on the PC, and it works surprisingly well. With this installed, I can fix my mother's PC from anywhere, whenever she has problems with it. Doing that over the phone using just voice, with her doing the pointing and clicking, is less than ideal. With Teamviewer, it's a piece of cake.

Is this better then Polcast?

[SGosnell]

I have no idea. I've never heard of Polcast.

[jbenham]

Polcast allows you to view your PC files on your tablet as long as you have internet and the PC is on. So you do not have to download pictures to your tablet to take along just grab them from Polcast. The same with movies and documents.

[headcronie]

Application: Waze
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: B+
-------------

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.

Gave this a fair trial, but in the end the results just weren't satisfactory. The first kicker - I asked it where an Old Country Buffet was. Instead of pointing me to the nearest one, the top choice is one 70 miles away?? I don't have time to sort through the results when I'm on the go. That could use some refinement.

The final straw was the crashes. A few force quits, but the last one today froze my device. YMMV.

[SGosnell]

I don't think I've ever tried to find restaurants or other stuff with Waze, so I'm not sure how it works for that. I generally use Places for that, and GasBuddy for finding gas stations, then navigate with Google Navigation. I generally use Waze for traffic information. I do agree that the stability issues are serious for now, but I'm hoping they get resolved eventually. I've never had it crash my device, though, it just stops and disappears, and restarting it usually works. In any case, the developer has work to do.

[jigwashere]

Application: Smithsonian Channel
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: A
-------------

Great multimedia edutainment.

[jigwashere]

Application: Feedly
Price: Free
Requirements: Android OS
Grade: A-
-------------

Feedly works with Google Reader. You might not rate it as highly -- I gave it high marks because I really like the integration with Read It Later. It was easy to set up and easy to use, although I much prefer the layout of the Google Reader app over Feedly. If Google Reader integrated better with Read It Later, I don't think I'd bother with Feedly.