Techphiles

If you want to read e-books on the go, but don't have the room or desire for a dedicated e-book reader, the Kindle app for Android might just be for you.

Just like the Kindle device, you can purchase and download books. If you have access to kindle on another device, the app will automatically sync your purchases, and where you last left off on your book.


I read through a book on my EVO, and found it to be a pleasant experience, though that is probably because of the EVO's massive high resolution screen!

Market Link: market://search?q=pname:com.amazon.kindle
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/kindle-for-android/com.amazon.kindle
Developers Site: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=red_lnd_shrt_url?ie=UTF8&docId=165849822

OK, I promise this will be my last shopping app on this list.

Shop Savvy is an app that serves a simple purpose, it allows you to search for an item through all of the usual means (text, voice, barcode), and then shows you a list of the lowest prices from both online and local retailers for that item.

Once you find your item, you can filter it by new or used versions, use the navigator to locate a local store, set up price alerts, or just save the item to a wish list.

No, it's not absolutely perfect (a store that has been closed for almost a year keeps showing up in my results), but in my opinion it is the best price comparison app available.

Market Link: market://search?q=pname:com.biggu.shopsavvy
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/shopsavvy-barcode-scanner/com.biggu.shopsavvy
Developers Site: http://www.biggu.com/

Go ahead, admit it, you've always wanted a real Pokedex just like the characters in the Pokemon games and TV show. Well your in luck, 'cause Pokedroid is as as close as your going to get (because you really would not want to carry this around).

If you play the Pokemon video games and need quick info on a Pokemon your training, you can search Pokedroid for their stats, evolutions, and move lists. If you want quick access to your current team, you can save them to your favorites.

One other neat feature I wanted to point out is that you can have Pokedroid read out a Pokemon's bio to you, just like a Pokedex on the show!

Market Link: market://search?q=pname:com.nolanlawson.pokedex
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/pok%C3%A9droid-android-pok%C3%A9dex/com.nolanlawson.pokedex

I know there are plenty of shopping apps on Android, but I buy most everything at Amazon.com, so naturally I would love their app.

 The Amazon app allows you to search for items by text, voice, barcode, and by image. I tested out the image search feature with some items I own, and it worked most of the time, you just want to make sure to have a nice clean view of the item your taking a picture of.

Besides searching for items, you have access to your wish list's, saved items, and Amazon's Gold Box promotions.

Market Link:  market://search?q=pname:com.amazon.mShop.android
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/amazon-com/com.amazon.mShop.android
Developers Site: http://www.amazon.com/gp/anywhere/sms/android

So far there hasn't really been that big of a push for gaming on Android, that might change in the future, but for the time being your options are limited. As much as I enjoy my EVO for virtualy everyhing else, the lack of a keyboard make it that much harder to have an enjoyable gaming experience.

Before I go any further, I would like to mention that it is ok to use emulators for homebrew games and apps, you just can not download game roms.

I played around with Gensoid Lite, and was really impressed with how well games ran with it. For phones like the EVO with no keyboard, you can use on screen buttons that take advantage of the multitouch capibilities of the phone, and you can also use the acelorometer as an option.

If Genesis is not your thing, there are also NES, Super NES, and Game Boy Versions avilable by the same developer. The lite versions are all free, if you want the ability to save your progress it will cost $3.49 for each variety of the app you download.

Market Link: market://search?q=pname:com.androidemu.genslite
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/gensoid-lite%28sega-genesis-emu%29/com.androidemu.genslite
 Developers Site: http://www.gensoid.com/

I like Grocery iQ because it isn't just a run of the mill shoppimg list app, for example, you can scan the barcode from items and they will instantly be added to your list. As I was scanning items to test the app, I noticed certian items that were scanned would automaticly be placed in to the general aisles they would be located in at the store.

Don't have a Barcode? Well you can search for the item you need by voice or text, and a list of results will appear. For instance, I entered Pepsi, and was then presented with a list of different varieties and flavors to add to my list (including Pepsi Blue!). Even though the search function is only for items that are sold in a regular grocery store, I scanned the barcode from some DVD's and video games I had, and they were also added to my list.

One minor complaint I have about this app is that it has a tab that shows coupons for certain items, yet to actually use the coupons you have to send them to your email address, then install software on your computer to print them out. It would be way more convenient if there was just a simple connection between your phone and printer to print out the coupons.

Market Link: market://search?q=pname:com.coupons.GroceryIQ
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/grocery-iq/com.coupons.GroceryIQ
Developers Site: http://www.groceryiq.com/

While I personally love the Mario live wallpaper by pikipirs, wouldn't it be awesome if you could make any video on your phone a live wallpaper? Well now you can with Video Live Wallpaper!

Simply select Video Live Wallpaper under your live wallpaper settings, and choose the video on your phone you want to play in the background. One really cool feature is that as you swipe between screens in HTC Sense, the video frame shifts along to the side. There is no sound of course, but that's actually a good thing, no one wants to hear your Justin Bieber background in public!

Market Link: market://search?q=pname:com.ccpcreations.android.VLW
AppBrain Link: http://www.appbrain.com/app/video-live-wallpaper/com.ccpcreations.android.VLW
Developers Site: http://www.ccpcreations.com/index.php