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Favorite Droid apps of 2010


I love my Droid for its apps, no question. I check Market every few weeks, as new apps are coming in all the time.  Some apps have stayed on my phone, some come and go.  If you got a new Android-based phone for the holidays or new year, start loading it up!  Most come with a large SD card (mine is 16gb) and many apps can be stored on the card.  The apps that I seem to only use once or twice, especially the ones that are larger than 5mb, I usually wind up removing.  Apps that access large directories (like cookbook apps) can also use up too much space, so go into Settings, Applications, and Manage Applications to drop some when it's time to make room for more.  Because of this ADD-mentality I have for apps, I typically only download the free ones- another great Droid feature, free!


Apps I can't live without:
Advanced Task Killer - there are several versions of this and I've tried three, but it was one of the first things the Verizon rep told me upon buying it in the store; the apps drain the battery, so "killing" them every so often is a good idea.  The problem now however is that many apps are programed to run constantly (if updating weather information, running the GPS, etc) so it's almost impossible to have all programs off, ever. If there was a true battery booster app, we'd all buy one. Don't fall for those, there aren't any that truly boost the battery, at least that I've found.
Easy Tether - I no longer worry about wifi or a network card, ET turns my Droid into a modem, as fast or faster than many wifi locations I've seen on the road.  Great with Verizon, since "we have the largest network."   But not so great if you don't have any "bars."
Where's my Droid - This one is a no brainer if you misplace your phone often, but even better, read a recent post about how it can save your life in the backcountry.

Great Outdoor Apps:
Altitude Free - simple free altimeter app
Compass - works off satellites so it's always got a good signal
Google Sky - Longest running app on my phone, this one's great for camping, driving, wondering where the Moon is behind a veil of clouds, or finding your way in the woods if you're that good. Kids love this one too.
Journey Tracker - love this one for trail hiking without a topo.  Bring the final result into your computer for a detailed tracking of your whereabouts.
Maps - A no brainer, this app is a fave for many reasons, many many many reasons. To many to name them all, but ditch your stigmas of self-navigation skills and call yourself a master with this one. 
Ski Report- Favorite app of the ski season for sure- absolutely great information, up to date, with local ski area cams. Awesome for checking the state's latest snowfalls as well.
WeatherBug - I've tried many weather apps from Weather.com to Weather Underground and while I do still keep my Weather Buddy from Wunderground.com, I still like the extra mobile features of Weatherbug the best, such as the constant temperature update in the status bar, the rotating wind compass, the great satellite, and weather alerts updates.

Great Travel Apps: 
Books - if you don't mind reading on a small screen
FlightView - check your flight's status or any flight status by flight # or routeMy Sunset Finder - great photographers magic-hour tool
Maps - imperative, and standard on all Google phones
Navigation - also imperative, and awesome for features like walking directions, search nearby, or voice-directions for driving. Flaw: drains the battery faster than it can charge it in the car.
Places - great for locating restaurants, coffee shops, bars, hotels, gas stations, etc., and it offers star ratings, mileage distance from your location, hours of operation, and connects to Navigation for walking directions. Handy.
Point Inside - stuff that's not on a map- malls, airports, etc., but since I don't frequent malls, I use this one for airport terminals and locating the best lunch option on a short layover.  Finds your location and offers all mall/airport-type venues and their contents inside.
Taxi Magic - this one's huge- text your location and get a pickup time and price back almost immediately. 
Translator - has a long list of languages and translates words, sentences, or paragraphs from or to English.
Tripit - I started using this app on the computer first, but love its mobile version just as much. Updates on flights if you pay for the frequent traveler features, but when the airlines start having their own on Droid, I'll be looking to them for my mobile updates and ticket scanning. Right now iPhone has the corner on that market so I haven't used the ticket scanner yet, but plan to the next time I fly United.

Other Great Apps:
Droid Light - serves as an amazingly bright flashlight and doesn't turn off until you tell it to. 
Earth - Mobile Google Earth, purely entertainment, as Maps has a topographic view feature.
IMDB - Movie buffs, this one's a must for solving those must-answer questions, arguments, and blanks.
PrinterShare - Like a fax, but better. Find any printer by their IP address and send.
SteamyWindow - nuff said.
Word of the Day - for language lovers who are out of practice, this one comes in all languages.


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