Advice for new Android user

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NZtechfreak

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#1188224 3-Dec-2014 19:53

JayTaicho: Wow, it's great! Sends stuff instantly too. I like how SMS' pop up on the desktop. Thanks!

You're welcome. I am waiting for the day when they start charging for the service, certainly it is already polished enough to warrant a paid app and I will buy it day one if that does happen.

Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org

benokobi

936 posts

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#1188304 3-Dec-2014 22:37

NZtechfreak: Tasker is awesome, definite +1 there.

Replace a stack of the stock apps. I'd look to replace the stock messaging app with something that has rich notifications - Evolve SMS probably the one to go for there. Replace the inbuilt video player with MX Player and get the custom codec plugin from XDA (just ask Google). Replace the dialler with something like ExDialler with a material theme. For music players check out PowerAMP, GoneMad Music Player. Solid Explorer or Root Explorer for file management. Replace the stock launcher with something like Nova Launcher (like Google Launcher mentioned above this adds the Google Now voice trigger to launcher screens, as do several other third party launchers). Replace the stock keyboard with Swiftkey. If you use DLNA UPnP stuff then Bubble Player a must. If you're a Lastpass user that app also well worthwhile now that it has the ability to fill in login credentials directly in apps and the browser.

Pushbullet is awesome.

USB OTG stuff is rather non-obvious and is awesome - allows USB peripherals to be connected - hard drives, flash drives, mice, keyboards, USB DACs, gamepads.

If you're a gamer with some old consoles and games gathering dust get some emulators on there - N64, PSX, PSP, NDS, GBA, Dreamcast all have very good emulators available - these are especially great with external gamepads (whether USB as per above or bluetooth). If you're going bluetooth controllers you can even connect multiple controllers and connect your phone to the TV for blasting some 4 player Mario Kart 64, or maybe some 2 player Tekken Dark Resurrection.

Do check out the Humble Bundle too, it's not available for iOS and is quite awesome when the Android ones roll around.

Just got push bullet... awesome. Can't wait for it to go native on mac. Using it with chrome. Universal copy and paste is awesome. Saw someone in the play store charging $9.50 for just this feature.

turnin

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#1189723 6-Dec-2014 03:07

depends what you are interested in.
There are lots of pebble apps

you can get a lot of what you want by searching for the components used in the app
eg camera accelerometer will bring up heaps of apps that use the two sensors together
do this with accelerometer, magnetometer or compass, camera, mic , wifi, gps etc
but here are some interesting starting points

layar https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.layar
augmented reality browser , points or data overlayed on a camera view, many plugins inc some for NZ

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.stardroid
SkyMap, point phone at sky, tells you what the star is.
Similar apps do satellites/comets etc

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.staircase3.opensignal
3g/4g/wifimap - shows you where to get coverage

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vOICe.vOICe
hear what your camera sees

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.unveil
google goggles - image analysis

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartmobilesoftware.mobileocrfree
mobile ( optical character recognition)

also used in
business card scanners -> contacts
pdf scanner, receipt scanners, word translators etc etc

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.bremen.btm.movalyzer
vibration analysis using accelerometer

NZ - search for nz or New zealand - hundreds of apps

Fix my street - report problems to the correct council
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.net.catalyst.fixmystreet

Giveway - road rules as you drive
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_abbdef.giveway

geonet - earthquakes
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.org.geonet.quake

lightning strike detector
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nz.gen.skywatcher.storm

I'm in the process of making an app that will play drum beats and different sounds in time to your walk / run
but there are hundreeds of different ways of generating music from:
nodebeat https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AffinityBlue.NodeBeat
to smule https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smule.autorap

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