My Top Android Apps for 2010

As Android has grown in popularity and the range of devices has widened, many of my friends and family have been getting Android phones. This list is supposed be a starting point for those getting a new Android phone or really wanting to get the most out of the phone they already have.

TweetDeck [Free] - By far the quickest and easiest way to view and reply to Twitter/Facebook/Buzz updates on Android.  The columns can be customized to display all updates or only the updates from certain services or people.  They also have a Desktop and Chrome App version.

LauncherPro [Free] - While I appreciate the default homescreen, I can't be limited to just three icons that I can't change. LauncherPro does many things, I can switch the number of homescreens from an unwieldy 7 down to a manageable 3-5. It also gives me secondary actions for all 5 icons on the bottom of the screen, for example if I swipe up on my messaging icon it takes me to the Compose Message screen, saving me time and a few steps.  There are many other reasons, but these are the most prominent.

Angry Birds & Angy Birds Seasons [Free] - Best time waster ever.  Both are free, though they include some semi-obtrusive ads. I would pay good money to go ad free.

Dropbox [Free] - If you are familiar with Dropbox.com you will no doubt love the Android companion app.  Dropbox is a file syncing service that is accessible from pretty much anywhere you have an internet connection.  You add files on the web, phone or computer and within seconds they are accessible on all devices.  This is very useful for backing up files from your phone.  I use it to save pictures taken with my phone in case it gets lost or stolen.

AppBrain [Free] - While the Android Market client recently received a facelift, it still lacks a real web-based component for browsing market content.  Google showed off the web-based market earlier this year, so expect it some time next year.  In the meantime use AppBrain, which lets you browse apps on the web, then queue them up for install on your device. All links to apps on this page go to appbrain.com

Google Maps [Free] - I could not live without Google Maps in my pocket, I would have been lost many times over. The latest update added offline support, new vector-based maps (which take up less memory) and 3D maps for most Android 2.2 devices. Overview of features at Google Mobile Blog.

Movies (by Flixster) [Free] - Great for seeing what is playing at your local cinema, what is being released on DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital Download, and managing your Netflix queue.  You can even log in with your Facebook account and upload reviews of movies to shared with your friends.  Access to showtimes, release dates, trailers and Netflix make this a must-have for entertainment junkies.  Check out the IMDB app if you need info on TV shows.

Gmail [Free] - Yet another app that is being used all day long. I almost like it as much as the full desktop web version.  I use this to triage my mail when not at my computer, and as a scratch-pad note system since Gmail syncs drafts.  The latest update added a refreshed compose screen with support for multiple sender addresses and easier reply options.

CalWidget [Free] - Like Gmail, I have Google Calendar setup in a meticulous manner to help me remember things and make sure I'm not late paying my bills or wishing someone a happy birthday. The default Android calendar widget shows one event for the day, it looks pretty but isn't very useful. CalWidget lets me pick a size so I don't have to take up an entire homescreen, unless I want to. If you have an HTC, Samsung, or Motorola phone, you may already have a decent calendar widget, if not this one is well worth the download.

I probably missed a lot of great apps, this is just a small list that I use very often. Let me know in the comments of your top Android apps.

How to Create a Custom Shortcut in Android

I'd been wanting a quick and easy way to compose a new email.  I tried my hand at whipping up a simple program that just installed a homescreen shortcut, but ran into namespace issues and didn't feel like putting more than an hour into it.  A few days later while messing around with my homescreen shortcuts/widgets and discovered how to use the Custom Shortcuts option available in some aftermarket launcher programs such as ADW Launcher and LauncherPro.  I've been running CyanogenMod 6 (based on Android 2.2/Froyo) for about a month now, which includes ADW, so my screenshots and examples will reflect that.

Any Android hacks you'd like to share in the comments?

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How to Create a "New Email" Shortcut (Google Doc)

On the homescreen and either long-press on empty space or hit Menu, Add:

Select "Custom shortcut" from the list:

Select "Pick your activity":

Select "Activities" (this displays a list of all activities for every installed program):

Tap "Gmail" in the list:

Sift through the various activities available within the messaging app to find "Compose(.ComposeActivityGmail)":

Once you have selected the activity, it will return you to the Custom shortcut dialog.  

Enter a name, if you don't like the default, that will display on the homescreen (you can also change the icon by touching the default icon.)  Hit "Ok" when you are done:

Huzzah! You've added a Custom Shortcut

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These instructions relate to semi-stock Android 2.2 your mileage may vary.  You can also do the same for pretty much any other application that has a "Compose..." or "Edit..." activity.  I was able to create a New Gmail, New Event, and New Tweet shortcut, just had to hunt the right activity down in the list (though this didn't work for the default messaging application).  Enjoy!

2010 Goals - Update (almost 6 Months)

I started a list of goals at the beginning of this year of things I would like to do or accomplish.  We're about half-way through 2010 and I wanted to update my list to see how I'm doing.  Some goals are not ones that I simply achieve and then move on, so I'm not marking those off completely.

1. Don't use my phone while driving (except to answer a call or navigate) - I've been trying hard to do this, but keep finding excuses to use my phone while I drive.  Still working on this one :(
2. Add a blog to my sad little website - The fact that you are reading this proves I added a blog component to my site.  It could use some work, but it is here.
1. Publish 1 technical blog post each month - Yeah this didn't happen.
2. Post at least once a week - Neither did this, it seems I mixed them up and post only once a month, and not always on something technical.   Blogging on a regular basis is hard.
3. Only use Twitter on my phone while at work - This lasted about a month, I've been pretty good about reading on my phone and occasionally posting on my computer.
4. Only check Google Reader at home, or on my phone at breaks. - This lasted about a week, I mostly do it on breaks, so I have scaled back considerably.
5. Get our house ready for a baby (paint, furniture, etc) - We've painted and are in the process of getting the furniture ready to go.
6. Help Alisha get her photography business going
1. New computer/laptop - We've setup my desktop and she's been using that
2. Photoshop - Not yet - Alisha loves http://picnik.com, it works for most everything she needs.
3. Camera stuff (umbrella flash, hot shoe flash) - We got another drop-cloth and browsed lighting options
7. Develop my own Android app, and publish to the market - Boom! (May) and recently updated (June)
8. Organize the garage (get shelves and such for walls) - Not yet
9. Organize the Master Closet - Not yet
10. Organize the front room/office - Not yet
11. Go through the boxes in the guest closet, toss/store farther away from sight. - Not yet
12. Buy/make bed frame for master bed. - Not yet

So, I'm half-way through the year and less than half-way through the list, I'll continue updating my Android app, helping Alisha with her Photography business and we'll continue working on the house.  Now, that we are expecting (we found out in March) some of the goals may have to wait in order to accommodate our new child.

BitDroid v0.5 Has Been Released

My second first update has been released and is ready for immediate consumption/updating.  I've added a dashboard and an "action bar" after reading up on  Android's Evolving UI Patterns on the Android blog.  The dashboard and action bar will continue to evolve as it is developed.

Dashboard

I've also added the ability to shorten a URL, wow, what would a bit.ly app be without the ability to shorten a url...you can also expand bit.ly urls.

Shorten URL

Other changes include validation on the login screen with username and api key and some bug fixes.  Go grab it now and let me know what you think.

My First Android App - BitDroid

I did it, I got all the kinks worked out, made myself a fancy icon, and put menus all over the place.  My app has been published, look for it in the Android Market under "BitDroid" or "com.thunsaker" or scan this handy QR code:

The app isn't much right now, all it lets you do is enter a username, anyone will do, and it will show you the public list of urls that have been shortened by that user. Here's my list:

The application will be evolving over time, I still need to work in actual url shortening, and then verification of username with bit.ly api key.  More work, but for right now, I'm just happy to have something in the Android Marketplace.  Feedback is welcome, let me know if it crashes on you, I was only able to test on two devices: G1 and Droid Incredible.

My First Android App Preview

I was interested in android development before I bought my first Android device.  It wasn't until recently that I tried to do something more than the typical "Hello, World!" intro app.  

Switching gears from asp.net/C#  Web/Windows Mobile development to Java was quite difficult, as well as switching from the newly launched Visual Studio 2010 to Eclipse.  Its been a few years since my first Java class so I was a little rusty on the syntax, and the general practices of Java.  Thanks to numerous tutorials and open source projects I was able to find out what I needed to know to get my app to do what I want.  

I haven't gotten anything other than a custom ListView going.  The list is pulled from my bit.ly history in JSON format and placed into my custom list.  

BitDroid - Recent Links

Clicking the globe takes you to the web browser, the title is displayed at the top of each item and the full url scrolls under it.  Long press will give you options to share (though I haven't quite gotten that working yet.)

I'll be adding a login, settings and dashboard before this gets released to the Android Marketplace.

New Twitter Quote Tool

A tweet from Alisha!

Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you!less than a minute ago via webAlisha Hunsaker
AlishaHunsaker

Mobile Web Apps - What I Use

The following is a list of web apps/sites that I use on an almost daily basis on my phone, some of them replace installed applications for me and others simply augment them. I use my phone constantly for web browsing, just ask @alishahunsaker. Visiting the links provided on a standard computer/browser might not take you to the mobile optimized site, either load up this page on you phone or scan the qr codes to go directly there.

Google Reader (http://www.google.com/reader/i, QR) - Google has done a great job of keeping me addicted to Google Reader, their mobile app is fast and easy to use, great for reading when you are away from your computer.

Google Product Search (http://www.google.com/m/products, QR) - This page has a barcode scanner button, so you can scan barcodes and then search online w/o crowding your phone with the "Google Shopping" app, "ShopSavvy" or "CompareEverywhere" which all do the same thing. Not as comprehensive as the installed apps, but it has worked for everything I've needed.

Twitter Mobile (http://mobile.twitter.com/, QR) - Twitter's basic mobile site has been refreshed for newer, more capable phone browsers. Even though I have an installed Twitter client, sometimes I need full access to the entire feed. If I haven't updated Seesmic in a while, I don't always get the full feed of updates.

Gowalla Web (http://m.gowalla.com/, QR) - Gowalla's android app is still in development and has a few bugs to workout (it has gotten a lot better since). The mobile site is fairly reliable and one of the better looking sites/web apps out there. It is integrated with the device's GPS to guess where you are and lets you checking/post to twitter and add new venues. It's still not perfect and occasionally the device can't find me and thinks I'm miles away from my actual location.

Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/docs/m, QR) - Currently the mobile interface allows you to view/edit Spreadsheets, and view Docs and Presentations. Any other files you may have uploaded to Google Docs are visible and will download to the device when clicked. Overall the interface is clean and similar in nature to the full Google Docs experience for browsing files. The only problem I've found is with viewing forms is the browser gets stuck in a refresh loop and I think they should give you an option to view the form or the results spreadsheet.

Facebook (http://touch.facebook.com/, QR) - The mobile site works just as well as the installed (Android) app for viewing Facebook feeds, commenting, sending message, etc. What it doesn't do is allow you to upload photos, which in my case isn't a big deal. Also, you don't get alerts like you would with an installed app, once again, not a big deal for me because I get emais when that stuff happens. Saves space on my phone, does what I need.

Bank of America (http://bofa.mobi/, QR) - My bank has an app on most platforms, based on their Android app, its a simple port of their mobile web site with some GPS features thrown in for good measure. The mobile site supports viewing accounts, bill pay, transferring funds, location finder (w/o GPS). Haven't used another bank, aside from the American Express Mobile site (which is fairly spartan, but reliable,) so I don't know if any others are doing it better.

Check.in(http://m.check.in/, QR) - This site is in beta as of this writing and aims to solve the problem with "Check-In Fatigue". I've been using it for about a week now, it integrates Brightkite, Foursquare and Gowalla into a simple, easy to use mobile site (after I've logged in and connected to the other sites). I fire up the app, it locates me, I select my location from Brightkite's database of locations, then it attempts to match up with the other services and find the same spot using magic. If a match cannot be found it asks you to select the appropriate match from a list of available locations or to skip the service in question. Once the places have been selected for each of the services, you simply "Check-In" and you are done. This really works much smoother than I described here. Only problem is, you don't know if there are any Foursquare specials, if you've become mayor, if you've discovered an item, etc. This is an efficient way to Check-in, but it removes some of the appeal of each service, so I may continue to use a combination of both.

Others worth mentioning but not used as often:
Ars Technica - http://arstechnica.com/
Bit.ly - http://m.bit.ly/ or http://m.j.mp/
Digg - http://m.digg.com/
Disqus - http://m.disqus.net/
Espn - http://m.espn.go/
Flickr - http://m.flickr.com/
LinkedIn - http://m.linkedin.com/
Netflix -http://netflix.com/mobile
PayPal - http://mobile.paypal.com/
TripIt - http://m.tripit.com/

Android Apps - What I Use

I've been asked by a few people for recommendations of Android applications that I use.  I've made a few lists, but this one is the most comprehensive of those lists.  Most links below go to Androlib which have QR codes for you to scan with your phone.

• Advanced Task Manager (free) - Great for killing hanging processes and keeping yourself from needing to reset the phone.
• Astro File Manager (free) - because everyone needs a file manager
• BookmarkBR (free) - Backup utility for your browser bookmarks.
• CalWidget (free) - Quick at a glance widget for home screen.
• Documents To Go Full ($29.99 $14.99 for a limited time) - Kinda spendy, but great if you need to open/edit docs or spreadsheets or view pdfs on your phone.  I've done a few homework assignments in a pinch with this, very handy to have.
• Draw! (free) - Great drawing app to entertain kids with.
• Foursquare (free) - Great app for checking in and letting the world know where you are, much, much better than their mobile website.  You can view offers and other foursquare specific things within the app.
• FxCamera (free) - My wife loves this because she can make "polaroid" pictures with it.
• GDocs (free) - Great if you need offline access to your google docs. Allows editing of Google Docs and quick access to Google Spreadsheets.
• Google Voice (free) - Great app for checking your Google Voice messages.  Its also great that it can take over your phone and make calls as your Google Voice number.
• GPS Status (free) - Get better information from the GPS radio, compass included.
• Live Bookmarks (free) - A great desktop widget for quick access to all of your browser bookmarks.
• Reveal Reader (free) - A simple scripture reader for for those interested in the LDS Standard Works, and other church-related publications including hymns.  Support for bookmarking and in-app downloads, so you don't have to go hunting for the files yourself.
• Ringdroid (free) - customize mp3 on your phone and make them into ringtones 
• Seesmic (free) - Great for twittering, nice big compose screen, integration with the share menu and it doesn't have a huge footprint.  Twitter updates come in pretty reliably, yfrog/twitpic/etc image preview saves time.
• Shazam (free) - Good for identifying songs on the radio or elsewhere.
• Skydeck (free) - Great if you want to keep a backup of your messages and calls on the web, check out their check out their site.  Their app also has a caller id function that identifies calls from people not in your contacts.
• TextEdit (free) - Small little application lets you jot down notes, w/o internet access.
• Voice Recorder (free) - Record audio and email it.
• Yelp (free) - Great for finding a place to eat.

Other apps that I've had installed but deleted due to space limitations on the G1: Google Sky Map, Twidroid Pro, Google Goggles, Layar, Evernote, Brightkite, Steel, Locale, Pandora, and Last.fm.  Most were great, but I didn't use them often enough to warrant using the space to keep them.

Let me know in the comments if there are some alternate apps that I should take a look at.

My First Chrome Extension - My Shortcuts

I threw together a Chrome extension a while back when extensions were only in the development build of Chrome.  Since then I've changed my extension quite a bit, and it now has around 4,000 weekly users.  

When I first put the extension together, it was a toolstrip on the bottom of the Chrome window.  These have since been removed in favor of BrowserActions, which are single buttons on the Chrome UI.

v. 1.0 - 1.2

I thought the toolstrip worked pretty well, but you can see how my extension would get out of hand with more than a few links.  I made the switch to using the BrowserActions, this was relatively simple, I just changed the layout to vertical.

v. 1.3

I've been making incremental changes over the last few week or so, to both speed it up and add features.  The most recent release v.2.0.3 includes a new feature that allows users to create their own links to go along with the included Google links.

v 2.1

The entire project was written with InType, which is an awesome Notepad replacement with tabs and syntax highlighting.  It works very well for javascript/css/html editing, though debugging must be done within Chrome.  Highly recommend this as a replacement for a quick text editor.


In making these changes I've tried to optimize the extension to make it as small and fast as possible.  I used Google Closure tools to minify the javascript with their Closure Compiler.  In order to do this I pulled all of my js code out of the popup and options pages and put them in their own script files.  The minification of my js files saved me a few kilobytes of space.

I was able to compress the stylesheet using CSSDrive's CSS Compressor, which only saved a few bytes, but helps nonetheless.

I ran all of my images through PunyPNG, which shrunk the overall image footprint, even though only half of my images saw any change.

I'll continue making changes and listening to the feedback from users and hopefully keep it current and usable.  Thanks for the support.


Get it here: http://bit.ly/MyShortcutsChrome

Introduction to Web Development

So, I'm taking a class that requires me to create a blogger account, which I have, as of a few years ago, and to post about said assignment.  Here it is.

Chrome Extension Sneak Peek

Look for another blog post in the next few days about my updated chrome extension and the enhancements being made.  Sneak peek: 

2010 Goals

Hopefully by publishing my goals for all to see, I will be more motivated to finish them, and or receive help/support from others to do so.  Here are my goals/resolutions for 2010, some may take longer, but these are a few things that are on my mind as I write this.  Happy New Year!

1. Don't use my phone while driving (except to answer a call or navigate)
2. Add a blog to my sad little website
1. Publish 1 technical blog post each month
2. Post at least once a week
3. Only use Twitter on my phone while at work
4. Only check Google Reader at home, or on my phone at breaks.
5. Get our house ready for a baby (paint, furniture, etc)
6. Help Alisha get her photography business going
1. New computer/laptop
2. Photoshop
3. Camera stuff (umbrella flash, hot shoe flash)
7. Develop my own Android app, and publish to the market
8. Organize the garage (get shelves and such for walls)
9. Organize the Master Closet
10. Organize the front room/office
11. Go through the boxes in the guest closet, toss/store farther away from sight.
12. Buy/make bed frame for master bed.