Kindle for Android was finally released yesterday! With a slew of upcoming slates / tablets / netbooks / giant cell phones (i.e. Dell Streak) running Android, it only makes sense to have the Kindle app available for Android users.

For the most part, the Kindle application is simply a barebones ebook reader tied to Amazon’s “Whispersync” and Kindle Store. There aren’t many features available, but the main feature missing is the ability to highlight and add notes to selections. Everything else you need is pretty much there. No fancy page turn animations like the iPad Kindle App, but there are font size controls, different background options (White/Sepia/Black) and a brightness slider. Because it’s tied to Amazon’s “Whispersync,” any books you’re reading or have purchased before from the Kindle store (via the website, iPad or Kindle) sync up to your Android device and loads up beginning at the last place you left off.

The Android Kindle app is merely a simple ebook reader for now. I’m sure Amazon will start incorporating some of the more advanced features into the reader, but for now I’m happy that I can read books I’ve purchased via Kindle on my Moto Droid.

Homerun Battle 3D is one of the first Android games to seriously show the gaming capabilities of the Android platform and it’s ability to run games as well as the iPhone.

Homerun Battle 3D has it all – 3D graphics, solo and online multi-player modes, upgradeable characters, and intuitive controls. At it’s core, the game is a Home Run Derby style game, where you try to hit as many home runs as you can to earn points. The CPU player pitches the ball, and all you do is tilt your device up/down and left/right to align the batter’s swing area to where you think the ball is going to cross the plate.

There are 3 different game modes: Matchup, Arcade, and Classic. Matchup is the online multi-player mode, and is where the game really shines. The game allows matchups against other Android players as well as iPhone players around the world, a unique feature that I hope all games will move toward (platform independent multi-player games). On the Droid, there is also a picture-in-picture feature which allows you to see the other players’ game in a small window so you can watch their progress while you’re playing against each other. In Arcade mode, you hit as many home runs as you can before you get 10 strikes/fouls counted against you. Classic mode is similar, except the points are accumulated a little differently and in-the-park hits are also counted as outs.

In every mode, there are chances to earn “GoldBalls” which you can then spend on upgrading your character. There are many different bats, gloves, uniforms, pants, an shoes to choose from, each which affect the power and contact attributes of your character differently and cost different amounts of “GoldBalls”. This feature of the game is what initially keeps you playing, to earn more “GoldBalls”. I’ve maxed out my character on the best options already, so I hope the game gets an update with more available items to earn/purchase. That will definitely help keep the game fresh and increase the replay value.

Overall, Homerun Battle 3D is a huge step forward for gaming on the Android platform. I’ve tested it on the Motorola Droid and it works great, but it is a pretty advanced game so I’m not sure how it will fare on older Android devices. Note that on the Droid, if you’re starting it up for the first time it may stay on a black screen for up to 30 seconds before the game loads.

HOMERUN BATTLE 3D
Developer: Com2Us
Price: $4.99
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Remember playing Tangrams in elementary school? They’re back… in digital form!

There is something relaxing about playing a game of Tangrams… until you get to a puzzle that seems impossible to solve! I tried the demo and decided to buy this game as a time-killer whenever I’m in line or waiting at the airport. It’s a simple game that doesn’t require a lot of brain power or a lot of your attention, and you can always come back later to finish the puzzle. The controls are intuitive — select and drag to move the piece, click and drag the surrounding circle to rotate the piece. The developers even occasionally add puzzles for free, and currently there are over 300 puzzles in the game. The price is right too!

Developer: bendroid
Price: $.99
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

An Android version of the classic arcade game.

Bust-a-Move is addicting and a great time waster. The developers made this version specifically for Android (it’s not just a port from another platform), and you can tell by the little Android guy at the bottom of the screen. That means the screen, controls, sound, are all made specifically for Android. The graphics are clean and the sounds are true to the original. Only gripe is the black bar on the bottom that shows on the Droid. This game actually plays better on the G1 / MyTouch because there aren’t any black bars, and the trackball provides better control.

Developer: SQUARE ENIX, INC.
Price: $6.99
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

One of the original games on Android, Jewellust is an addictive Bejeweled type game that still shines

Jewellust is a Bejeweled type game, but I find it much more fun and addicting (if that’s even possible). The gameplay is the same as Bejeweled — you swap the jewels to make 3 or more in a row. However, the objective of the game is different, as there are little puzzle pieces scattered throughout and you need the pieces to fall to the bottom of the screen to complete a puzzle. The entire game itself is a little short — I finished the game playing casually over a weekend, but the replay value is still there. I love the sounds especially, as it reminds me of winning (more often losing) at Vegas slot machines.

Developer: Smartpix Games
Price: $2.95
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ll be keeping track of the games that I buy that I feel are worthy of recommending to others. Keep in mind the ratings are completely subjective. If I’m writing about the game, it’s probably a good game, so most of these games will have ratings of 4 or 5. Support the Android platform and game developers by buying games to help bring more variety and quality games to our phones! If you think there’s a game I should try, post it in the comments and I’ll be sure to check it out.

1. Jewellust

Jewellust is a Bejeweled type game, but I find it much more fun and addicting (if that’s even possible). The gameplay is the same as Bejeweled — you swap the jewels to make 3 or more in a row. However, the objective of the game is different, as there are little puzzle pieces scattered throughout and you need the pieces to fall to the bottom of the screen to complete a puzzle. The entire game itself is a little short — I finished the game playing casually over a weekend, but the replay value is still there. I love the sounds especially, as it reminds me of winning (more often losing) at Vegas slot machines.

Developer: Smartpix Games
Price: $2.95
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

2. Bust-a-Move

Ever since I first got the G1, I hoped there would be Bust-a-Move game. I thought the trackball would be perfect for this game. This morning, I found it on the Market and had to buy it right away, even if just purely for the nostalgia value. Just as I expected, the game is awesome and addicting! The developers made this version specifically for Android (it’s not just a port from another platform), and you can tell by the little Android guy at the bottom of the screen. That means the screen, controls, sound, are all made specifically for Android. The graphics are clean and the sounds are true to the original. The only gripes I have are that the trackball is a little difficult to get precise control, and the high price and huge file size of the game.

Developer: SQUARE ENIX, INC.
Price: $6.99
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

3. Tangram Pro

There is something relaxing about playing a game of Tangrams… until you get to a puzzle that seems impossible to solve! I tried the demo and decided to buy this game as a time-killer whenever I’m in line or waiting at the airport. It’s a simple game that doesn’t require a lot of brain power or a lot of your attention, and you can always come back later to finish the puzzle. The controls are intuitive — select and drag to move the piece, click and drag the surrounding circle to rotate the piece. The developers even occasionally add puzzles for free, and currently there are over 300 puzzles in the game. The price is right too!

Developer: bendroid
Price: $.99
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

4. Aevum Obscurum

Aevum Obscurum is a weird name, but the game is basically a Turn-Based strategy game like Civilization. You start off with a nation, and the goal is to move soldiers around the map and conquer other nations. Not much to the game, you’re pretty much staring at a map the whole time and you choose the number of soldiers to send around to neighboring pieces of land when it’s your turn. The more pieces of land you conquer, the more money you get each turn. I find it addicting, but I’m sure a lot of people will think it’s boring. The game does crash when you select the maximum number of computer opponents, probably because the G1 can’t handle the number crunching.

Developer: Noble Master Games
Price: $4.99
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

5. Labyrinth

Labyrinth replicates a wooden marble maze game. There are over 1000 mazes and you can even create your own maze. The new version has 3D, meaning that as you tilt your phone, the aspect of the walls change so it feels like you are really holding the wooden maze in your hands. The haptic feedback is realistic too, when marbles fall through the holes the vibration makes it feel like a heavy marble fell through the phone. This game is challenging and sometimes frustrating, but I still love it.

Developer: Illusion Labs
Price: $4.90 (approx.)
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

6. Buka

Buka is a unique game for Android which makes it hard to describe. The objective of the game is to protect the big blue ball from “baddies” — the bad balls. You do this by holding your finger on the screen, which creates explosions and destroys the enemy balls. Tapping your finger on the screen causes little shockwaves that push the big blue ball or the baddies into different directions. The graphics are really nice, and overall the sounds and gameplay are cute and fun.

Developer: Hexage.net
Price: $1.65 (approx. — sale price)
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

7. Robo Defense

I love tower defense games (catch me on Desktop Tower Defense!) and first got addicted on Starcraft and Warcraft 3 online. I’ve tried a lot of good ones on Android, but have found myself playing Robo Defense the most. It’s addicting, and it also doesn’t slow down on the later levels like the other games do. The best features of Robo Defense are the achievement points, which you can spend after each game to give you certain improvements to towers, money, or special towers. This adds to the replay value, as each game / map is more challenging than the one before. It’s endless fun and the ultimate time killer.

Developer: Lupis Labs Software
Price: $2.99
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

8. Devilry Huntress

From the makers of Jewellust, Devilry Huntress takes the same basic gameplay but improves it by adding nicer graphics, more levels & bonuses, and online rankings. I would call it the successor to Jewellust, because it’s all the fun of Jewellust plus more. I love the Halloween theme and the animations on the faces of the “jewels”. I guess there’s a storyline, but also like Jewellust I have no idea what the story is or why it’s called Devilry Huntress. Who cares? It’s fun!

Developer: Smartpix Games
Price: $2.95
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I think desktop widgets are one of the biggest advantages for the Android platform over other smartphones like the iPhone, as it makes everything so much easier and faster. A lot of information can be accessed from the home screen, and you can complete actions quickly without changing screens or opening different applications. It’s definitely exciting to think about what the possibilities are for future widgets.

1. Launcher Dock

The Launcher Dock widget condenses 8 application icons into one single icon on your desktop. For example, I have one Launcher Dock widget icon added to my desktop called “Msgs” and when I click on it, it opens up an overlay with my gmail, email, sms, gtalk, twitter, and facebook icons. You can even add multiple Launcher Dock widgets to your desktop, so potentially instead of 16 icons per page, you can have 128! (that might slow your phone down, though)

2. AudioManager

The AudioManager widget lets you quickly visually see all the audio volume settings for your phone on the desktop. It shows the volume level of the Alarm, Music, Alerts, Ringer, System, and Voice. Clicking on the widget pulls up a menu of sliders that let you change the volume for each. Another plus is that the widget comes in different sizes, so you can add a small widget that is 2×1, or a large widget that’s 4×1.

3. Twidget

Twidget is a Twitter widget. You can customize some settings like how often it checks for tweets, and which tweets to display. When you click on the widget, it pops up a window that lets you quick reply to a tweet or post your own tweet. I like how the widget and pop-up window look, it’s just very clean.

Update: The official Twitter app now includes a desktop widget. It works well, but takes up 4×2 spaces on the home screen.

4. Sticky Note

There’s a couple of Post-It type widgets on the Market, but I use the widget called “Sticky Note” by Bratag. You can give your sticky note a title and a calendar entry, and also choose from a few colors. A simple app but it comes in handy for quick reminders.

5. LiveBookmarks

LiveBookmarks is actually a “Live Folder” and not a widget. When you add it to the desktop, be sure to look for it under “Folders” and not “Widgets.” LiveBookmarks creates a folder on the desktop that contains all your bookmarks that you’ve added in the Browser. I find it useful as a quick way to access my bookmarks from the desktop.

6. Weather Widget

Lots of weather widgets on the market, but I like “Weather Widget” by Android Apps. It looks nice, has 3 different sizes to chose from, and you can select the frequency in which it updates the forecast.

7. BatteryLife

I’m not a huge fan of the battery widgets on the market. I have a feeling that they drain the battery of the phone (the irony). If you need one though, the BatteryLife widget looks nice and you can also customize the colors of the battery widget

8. Scoreboard

I think the Scoreboard app automatically installs a Scoreboard widget. I added it to my desktop, and it actually works pretty well. Shows you the latest sport scores and upcoming games for your favorite teams across almost all sports.

Update: There’s also the SportsTap app, which includes a desktop widget. For some reason the widget always force closes on me, so I prefer the Google Scoreboard app instead.

9. Quick Calendar

The one thing I’ve missed on the G1 is a “Today” type of display on the desktop like the BlackBerry or Windows Mobile has. The 1.5 update finally added a Calendar widget, but it’s still not as good as the BlackBerry or Windows Mobile ones. The Quick Calendar widget is close, and it improves upon the default Calendar widget, but the design of it is still pretty ugly and I’m hesitant to include this widget on this list until they clean up the look and feel of it.

Update: 9/2009: Finally the perfect calendar desktop widget has been created! It’s called CalWidget…

9. CalWidget

I’ve wanted this type of simple calendar desktop widget since I first got the G1. CalWidget let’s you customize some of the events that you see and how they appear, but the best feature is the many different types of sizes you can choose: 2×2, 4×1, 4×2, 4×3, 4×4 layouts are available so you can choose the calendar type that matches your desktop layout the best. In the screenshot, you’ll also notice it applies the appropriate calendar if you have multiple calendars syncing to your phone. If you like the “Today” style of calendars from Blackberry and Windows Mobile, you’ll love this widget.

Update: I’ve since switched over to Pure Calendar. It allows for more customization than CalWidget, and seems to run a little bit more stable. It’s definitely worth purchasing if you need a more robust calendar widget.

10. Pandora

Android recently got the Pandora internet radio application, and it comes packaged with a very handy Android desktop widget for playing music. The compact widget (4×1) displays the song title, artist, and album name, and also lets you vote thumbs up / down, play / pause, and skip to the next song.

11. Facebook for Android

I’m liking this trend of applications coming packaged with desktop widgets. The Facebook desktop widget comes packaged when you download the official Facebook for Android application. It allows you to scroll through recent status updates from your friends and update your own status all from your Android desktop.

12. Facebook for Android

If you’re looking for a simple clock widget, try the Digital Clock Widget by Maize. You get to chose a semi-transparent black background, or no background.

Update: If you could only buy one widget, buy Beautiful Widgets. It’s a clock + weather widget that looks similar to the HTC Sense UI clock. What’s great is that you can choose from a bunch of different skins that users have created, so the clock widget can match any theme / background image you have.

The following list consists of the best apps that I actually use. There are a ton of apps that are cool and show off the features of the phone, but I find myself installing those only when I need them and uninstalling them to free up space when I don’t.

How To Install

The funky square image underneath each App’s name is called a QR Code. The QR Code can be scanned using Barcode Scanner on your Android phone, and it should open up the application in the Android Market for you to download. If you’re browsing this site on your Android phone, tap on the QR Code to pull up the application in the Android Market.

1. SMS Popup

SMS Popup shows a popup box on the screen when you get a text message. Instead of having to rely on the notifications bar and going into the actual message, you can see the contents on the text message right on the screen, ala iphone style.

Update: If you’re looking for something more robust that also replaces the stock SMS messaging app, try Handcent SMS. It has this popup box feature as well as more tools to better handle SMS messaging.

2. Twidroid

The best Twitter application on Android. There are frequent updates to the application that add new features and fix bugs. Not much to say about it, just that there are a lot of features and if you need a Twitter app for Android, this is the one to download.

Update (5/10/2009): There’s a new competitor called TwitterRide, which is a decent Twitter app. Pretty much almost exactly the same as Twidroid, so it’s up to your preference.

Update (6/01/2010): There’s an official Twitter app, download it now! It has the best features and a nice widget that matches the official Facebook widget.

3. SnapPhoto

SnapPhoto improves upon the default camera application on the G1. You can even assign it to the Camera button on the side of the phone, so it opens up instead of the default app. SnapPhoto adds image stabilization and a number of other features that make pictures come out clearer. The actual photo snap takes just as long as the default application though. If you want to take faster pictures, theres the Continuous Shoot application that lets you take rapid fire pictures.

Update: There’s also another camera app called FxCamera, which allows you to do some fun stuff with your camera, like take polaroid pics. Try it out!

4. Toggle Settings

Toggle Settings puts all the setting controls on one application so you don’t have to hunt through the default settings application to change multiple settings. I use this all the time to quickly change screen brightness, 2g/3g controls, bluetooth, and wifi.

Update (5/10/2009): With the addition of Profiles and Rules, the Toggle Settings app is quickly taking over what I used to do with Power Manager. It let’s you set up different profiles and assign different rules that trigger those profiles. So for example, I have one profile that’s called “Low Battery” and a rule that says if the battery is below 10%, trigger the Low battery profile which disables WiFi, GPS, and lowers the screen to 25%.

5. T-Mobile My Account

Update (4/1/2009):T-Mobile released their official application “My Account” which does the same thing as SelfHelp plus more. I personally think My Account is better and it’s also direct from T-Mobile, too.

6. Backgrounds

There are a bunch of wallpaper applications, but I like this one the most. All the wallpapers are high resolution and new ones are added every day. The coolest feature is the slideshow, which automatically changes your wallpaper on a custom interval from the wallpapers that you mark as favorites.

7. Missed Call

The Missed Call app lets you change the LED flashing colors and flashing rate, as well as the vibrating intervals as well. I always felt this feature was something that should have been built-in, but the Missed Call app really fills in this need. You can change the alerts for almost all notifications on the phone, such as SMS, email, missed calls, etc.

8. OI Safe

OI Safe is a password keeper application. Something Blackberry converts might have missed from their old phones, this app serves just the same function as the built-in Password Keeper on BlackBerries. It encrypts your passwords so you can just use one password to store all your other passwords and account information.

9. Phonebook

Phonebook upgrades the user interface for browsing contacts. The interface is really easy to use, and adds some cool functionality – when you have the phone in landscape mode you can scroll through the pictures of your contacts in an Apple Cover Flow style.

Update: This app is now called Phonebook 2.0.

10. Rings Extended

Rings Extended lets you choose songs/mp3s saved on your SD card and use them for the various ringtones for the phone. By default, for some reason Android only lets you see certain files under “Ringtones” and “Notifications.” Rings Extended removes this limitation and lets you choose any song/mp3 file and assign those to a notification or ringtone.

11. AppManager

AppManager is a useful tool to help you back up your applications to your SD card. Similar to the application manager in ASTRO (but AppManager is free), you can choose individual applications or select all applications and back them up or install from the SD card at any time. I use this all the time for saving applications to the SD card that I don’t use frequently, so it clears up space on the phone and everything seems to run faster.

Update: I think this app is now called AppMonster. I use ASTRO now, which ended up staying free and has more features than AppManager.

12. Where

At first, I didn’t really get this app, but then on a trip to Vegas it helped me out a lot. Where is a location-based application that finds things close-by to you. There are quick access buttons to Yelp, nearest Starbucks, Movies, Traffic, and other stuff. Comes in handy when you need to find something really quick.

13. Google Places Directory

Similar to Where, but made by the Google developers. I like the interface and speed of the Google Places Directory, but I miss the Yelp reviews from the Where app. I have both installed for now, you decide which one is better.

14. Facebook Sync

The Facebook Sync app lets you sync up information from your Facebook friends and your phone’s contact list. I think it just pulls in the profile picture from your Facebook friends and uses it as their icon on your phone, but it might also sync up phone numbers and emails if they’re available on your friends’ profiles (i’m not 100% sure though). I mainly use it to let it update the contact photo.

Update (9/2009): Looks like this has been pulled from the Market. You’ll have to find the APK file online to install this.

15. PdaNet for Android

PdaNet for Android is an off-market tethering app that lets you use your G1′s internet connection on your PC through a USB connection. I’ve been using this for a while during the beta trial on my laptop while on travel, and during that time it had its good and bad moments. Sometimes the connection would drop after a few minutes, other times it worked flawlessly. It looks like they recently changed it to a trial and full versions, but the trial version has “limitations to http connections only” which i’m assuming means only internet browsing. Definitely worth a try if you need a tethering app that is easy to install and use without root access. Download the program to your PC, install it, connect your G1 to the PC via USB, follow the instructions, and you’re all set.

PdaNet for Android

16. dgQuickCut

dgQuickCut is an app that let’s you create shortcuts (to applications, actions, bookmarks, etc.) in the notifications window. It basically adds an “Ongoing” notification that is always available when you pull down the notifications window. I find it especially handy when I’m multi-tasking. If I’m browsing a website and want to IM somebody, I just pull down the notifications window and click my Google Talk shortcut to send an IM, and when I’m done, I pull down the notifications window again and click my Browse shortcut. It saves time so I don’t have to go to the home screen to access my frequently used apps. It works kinda like the Quick Launch shortcuts in the Windows Taskbar.

17. HTC IME Keyboard

The HTC IME Keyboard was released by Haykuro, and replaces the default Android Virtual Keyboard. I like it a little better than the default keyboard because you can choose numbers and symbols by long pressing on a key, the buttons are spaced out a little better, and the word predictions are displayed clearer. Overall, I make less typo errors with this keyboard than the default one. Only downside is that it takes up 4 MB. To install, download the file from here and unzip the zip file. Once unzipped, copy the files to your Android phone’s SD card. After copying it over, use an app like AppManger to install the “Touch Input 0.apk”. When it’s installed, from your home screen go to Settings > Locale & text, disable the Android keyboard and enable “Touch Input”. You can also go into Touch Input > Text input to customize some of the settings.

Update (10/2009): This looks to be incompatible with Android 1.6 (Donut)

18. Spare Parts

The Spare Parts application lets you tweak some additional settings that aren’t available in the default Android settings. I’ve set the transitions to fast and enabled some of the settings, and it makes the phone seems faster (even if it may just be an illusion). The “Fancy rotation animation” is pretty interesting, but looks like the G1 graphics chip can’t render it nicely. With the Spare Parts app, you can play around with the hidden settings on the G1 to see what you prefer.

Update (10/2009): This looks to be incompatible with Android 1.6 (Donut)

19. TaskPanel

I switched away from TasKiller, and moved on to TaskPanel. TaskPanel does the same job but runs faster and looks a little bit prettier than TasKiller. Doesn’t come included with a widget, but does allow you to set it to auto-load, auto-kill applications, run in the background, and a few other useful settings.

20. SIM Checker

SIM Checker is a security application that automatically notifies you via SMS (to another phone number) or email in case your Android phone is stolen and someone tries to replace the SIM card. SIM Checker will include the phone number of the SIM card that has been inserted into your phone, and if you also happen to have GPS enabled, it will also include the location of the phone.

21. Google Voice

I’ve had a Grand Central / Google Voice phone number for over 2 years, but never really used it at all. I always thought it was inconvenient to dial the Google Voice number and then dial a call through it. Now that Google has released the official Google Voice application for Android phones, I’ve decided to switch over to it. The Google Voice Android application seamlessly integrates into the phone and automatically dials out using your Google Voice number. It also displays transcribed Voicemails, SMS texts to your Google Voice number, and recorded conversations. It eliminates the need to go to the Google.com/voice page, and there’s no extra effort involved in using the Google Voice phone number. Since there’s so much to do with the Google Voice service and this new App, I’m going to write up a start-up guide and tips in a separate post.

22. MyMarket

MyMarket is a replacement Market application that adds a few more features to help you make sense of the disordered Market. It looks like the regular Android Market, but adds in a couple little features like bookmarking your favorite apps, hiding/removing apps so you don’t see them anymore, and even setting up custom filters. This is handy to auto-hide all those “Sexy Girls” spammy type applications in the Market. Primarily this app is helpful for you to keep track of apps that you like, but don’t need installed on your phone all the time.

23. Work Email (Exchange)

For all you lucky MyTouch 3G owners, you get the Work Email application pre-installed for you. Unfortunately for the rest of us G1 owners, we don’t get the Work Email app and can’t download it from the Market. Despite this, G1 owners can still install Work Email for Exchange on your G1 for free by downloading the .APK file from the internet, and using a file browser like AppManager to install from your SD card. I found the .APK by searching over at xda-developers.com. Once installed, it’s a straight-forward set up of entering in your company’s Microsoft Exchange email settings and you’re all set.

24. Facebook for Android

Facebook finally released an official Facebook application for Android. You can actually “Like” things! It’s stable and runs fast, but it lacks a few features that the other Facebook applications have, like searching for friends. It does everything I need, but if you find features lacking, you might want to try Babble or fBook.

25. USA Today

The official USA Today news application is the best news application for Android. It is a native application, meaning it’s not just a link to the browser, and it runs fast with a lot of cool features. Everything is so elegantly designed and intuitive. Allows customization so you can choose what news you want to see, what sports scores, and your local weather. I like the “Pictures” and “Snapshots” tabs a lot. The “Pictures” tab lets you browse the photos of the day in sports, celebrities, science, etc. It’s basically a way to browse the news via pictures. The “Snapshots” tab shows a bunch of different polls which you can participate in, and even though the topics are kind of boring, the poll application itself is really neat.

26. Mobile Defense

I remember seeing Mobile Defense on the Android Market a while ago, but never got around to setting it up because it required setting up an account. After I took the few minutes to set it up, I realized all this time I’ve been leaving my phone at risk for getting lost or stolen. Mobile Defense is THE security app for your Android phone. It installs a background application that is hidden (so people don’t know it’s installed), and you can access administrative controls on your phone via a web browser at http://www.mobiledefense.com. If you lose your phone, load up the website using a computer and access the administrative controls you have over your lost phone. Not only does it enable GPS and show you where your phone is at, it’ll also tell you the battery life remaining, and give you information about the SIM card owner if the SIM card is changed. On top of that, you can enable “Alert”, which turns on the volume on your phone and sets off a siren sound so you can locate it. There is also “Lock”, which turns on the pattern lock on your phone to secure it. I’m amazed at all the features this application offers, and also the additional features if you upgrade to the paid version (remote backup, remote wipe). No Android phone should go without this security application installed.

27. Mileage

Great little tool to help you keep track of your car’s mileage and gas expenses. Along with just a basic mileage log, this app spits out data about your average gas consumption and generates fancy charts.