I must admit I’m really not that great at introductions. Ask any of my friends and they will probably agree (to be fair, I don’t think they do a very good job of introducing people either). I tend to think it is easier to simply skip that part and jump right in, but in any case, hello world.
Like I said, I tend to find jumping right into the thick of things to be the easiest way to go about getting acquainted, so I have compiled a list of the five Android apps I can’t live without that will maybe reveal a bit about myself in the process.
Swype
One thing I cannot stand is software keyboards. I’ve yet to come across one software tap-to-type keyboard I consider usable, and sadly I have the same feeling’s towards my Droid’s slide-out hardware version. Swype’s innovative method of entering text through the use of swiping across words rather than typing is so genius partly due to the fact that it is the obvious solution to the shortcomings of other touch screen input methods. Quick, accurate, efficient. What’s not to love?
Google Voice
Finally, I can check my voicemail in places where I really shouldn’t be using a phone — like movie theaters — without even having to be conspicuous about it. Google’s speech to text translation is far from perfect, but it usually gets the job done. Having all of my messages organized visually with much of the same functionality as GMail? Heaven sent.
Wapedia
I’m a Wikipedia junkie, and Wapedia just might be my crack. It allows me to untether myself from my computer and take my addiction to impulse research everywhere I go. It’s great for those moments when I just can’t go on without knowing Malawi’s gross income from exports or the habitat range of the Iberian ibex. The simple, clean interface and access to all of the top wiki sites aren’t making this habit any easier to quit.
SportsTap
Baseball season has commenced, and with 30 teams each playing 162 games you’d have to be Rain Man to keep up. Or you could simply have SportsTap, an awesome app for tracking game scores in real time. You can even set up notifications for your favorite teams, and all major sports and leagues are covered. Pretty nifty stuff.
CardioTrainer
Training for long distance runs can be a real hassle. Tracking routes and pace, keeping time, and calculating mileage can start to become a daunting task, but CardioTrainer makes it pretty simple. While the GPS tracking can be hit or miss at times, it has become an essential tool in monitoring my progress over time as I work up to my first marathon.
And if you really must know, I enjoy many things aside from Android phones, but that’s not why we’re here, so feel free to stalk me to the edges of the internet if that’s your sort of thing. But really, I look forward to interacting with the many loyal Phandroids who frequent this site — I even made a brand-spanking new twitter account for that sole purpose. Follow me @KevinPhandroid for even more Android updates and musings.
I am truly honored to be working with the Phandroid team, and from here in I’m your go-to guy for all those juicy news morsels you crave to satiate that burning hunger for all things Android, without skimping on the snacks between meals. Add in Rob and Quentyn, and I promise you won’t be disappointed in the many great things to come.
Of course, I can’t be everything to everybody, but feel free to shoot me an e-mail at Kevin(at)Phandroid.com with any suggestions for things you’d like to see on the site in the future.
