Android Mom

Subscribe to Blog Comments in Google Reader

2012-01-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

I am an avid user of Google's Reader product. I find it the easiest way to stay caught up with my favorite blogs and to keep them organized. Sometimes the comments on a blog are more interesting and more useful than the blog itself. Maybe you want to follow the comments on your own blog more closely. I recommend SUBSCRIBING to the blogs comments via Google Reader to accomplish that. (You may need to scroll down to Add Blog to Google Reader which is an important first step to this whole process and I assume you have already done).

Add Blog Comments to Google Reader
Step 1: First you need to find the blog's complete feed URL. Usually that is the same as it's regular URL plus a few extra words, but always double check. To do that, click on the blog within Reader
FEED SETTINGS: View Detals and Specifics

Step 2: Copy the URL for the feed and click the big red SUBSCRIBE button. Paste the URL into the box, but change the word POSTS to be COMMENTS. The feed will be added to the Blogs I'm Following folder, you may want to rename it so you can tell it is comments, instead of the regular feed.

For this blog the comments URL http://www.androidmom.com/feeds/comments/default

Add a Blog to Google Reader
There are two easy ways to use Google Reader to read blogs, in case you need help with that first step.
1.) If the blog you are reading has a Google Friend Connect button, join it. Then log into http://reader.google.com and all new posts are automatically added under "Blogs I'm Following". You can reorganize them into groups that make more sense to you.

2.) If it does not have the Google Friend Connet, then from within Google Reader choose the big red SUBSCRIBE button at the top of the page and a box will open. Paste in the entire main URL for the blog you want to follow. Note, not every blog has a feed! For example for this blog that is www.androidmom.com, reader will find the proper feed address based on that. The blog will be added to the list of Blogs I'm Following, you may have to search around for it a bit.

I also set my FEED SETTING to show on NEW ITEMS, as opposed to ALL ITEMS. But the great thing is that when I need to search all the blogs I follow, it will search all of them and the unread posts will be highlighted. Searching through all the blog is just one of the really great advantages of using Google Reader! I know I read about a recipe, but can't remember who posted it, so I just search for "Eggplant" and it will list all the posts I subsribe to with Eggplant mentioned. How great is that?

Star Wars Android Phone Covers

2011-12-13T13:22:00.000-08:00

Fun little craft project for the combo Android and Star Wars fans in your house! $5 at the craft store and you have enough felt, googly eyes and fur to make a dozen of these for all your friends. Technically they could be an iPhone case too, but they are all little too cool for the iPhone... right?

What are you putting under the tree for your Android lover?

Farm Frenzy Android App Review

2011-12-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

My children love Farm Frenzy and we play it as a family. You start out with a Goose, a farm and a well and need to keep them fed and watered, while making money. You can purchase more animals that are useful as you move through the levels. Not sure what the cat does, but a dog will help keep the bears away. But then, those bears sell for good money! You can also build and upgrade workshops to make things from the materials you have gathered from the animals.

There is a little education in the game as the kids learn that the easiest thing to make isn't what sells for the most money and what it is worth to upgrade. A little time and patience and you can make a better product to sell. But mostly it is a cute and addictive game for the whole family, ages 5 and up. One of our favorite paid Android Apps so far.

Price: $1.99
Tested on: Xoom Tablet

10 apps for 10 days for .10

2011-12-09T20:07:00.001-08:00

Google is celebrating 10 billion app downloads in it's Android Market this week. The deal is you get 10 of the most popular apps for only .10 for the full version. Our family is enjoying Farm Frenzy and Jelly Defense so far, but are looking forward to the new offers each day. This is a great way to get a few highly quality apps for super cheap! Do you have a favorite .10 app yet?

Here is Google's visualization of the Android Market, very interesting!

My Fitness Pal

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Tracking your food intake is an essential part of most diets and one of the keys to losing weight successfully. There are dozens of apps to track your weight and food intake on the market, and so this one really comes down to personal preference. My Fitness Pal is an excellent web interface AND a great full functioning Android App.

You can also interact with others users on My Fitness Pal, sharing your meals, weight loss and exercise. While the Android App is a little hard to find with the name Calorie Counter My Fitness Pal, it is official app for My Fitness Pal. The food and exercise database are already loaded with over a million items that you can use, or add your own. You can even use a barcode scanner function to add a new food. Add items together for frequently eaten meals like "Typical Breakfast" that includes 2 fried eggs, bacon, coffee and cream. You can use the recipe function to add all the ingredients together and name it "Amber's Zucchini Lasagna" and it will calculate the nutritional value of each serving.

Calories seems to be of upmost importance on MFP, but if your diet, like mine, concentrates on other factors you can customize your details for that. For example, I follow Jorge Cruise's Belly Fat Cure where sugar and carbohydrates are tracked. From the web version you simply go to Goals, Change Goals and Customize. Most of these setting have to be done from the web interface and not App.

To follow my weight loss blog, please go to Me & Jorge.

Price: Free
Website: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/android

World of Goo

2011-12-04T12:59:00.001-08:00

The long awaited Work of Goo is now available on Android! This award winning game has long been a Wii, Windows and iPhone favorite and now Android has a chance to play with some Goo. Adults and kids with curious minds will love this game as they help the little balls of Goo travel their mysterious world. Help them reach the the pipe at the end most efficiently to win the level. Different colored Goo balls have properties that help you reach you goal. It is considered a Puzzle game, but not like puzzle you've done before I bet. It's a fun way to test your engineering skills!

World of Goo is a beautifully built game and should be a top seller for Android. If Tim Burton were making App, this would be his.

This is the full blown version of World of Goo and should work on all Android 2.2 and higher devices. World of Goo is currently $2.99 in the Android Market. On Dec. 5th the price goes up, so get it now!

Price: 2.99 Full, or Free Demo version
Website:
Tested On: Xoom, Nexus One

App Review: Doodle Jump

2011-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Doodle Jump for Android is an extremely simple, yet addictive game. The goal is to jump your little up the green blocks. Different colored blocks react differently. For example the blue blocks move and the brown blocks will break when you land on them. You can fall, but just not below the screen level. Springs, trampolines and jet packs help you get even higher, and tapping the screen lets you fire on the space monsters in your way. Thankfully you dont have to be too accurate with the firing! Avoid the blackholes, and get as high as you can.

You can also turn off the use of the accelerometer and tilt in the settings menu, and simply touch the side of the screen you want your Doodle to jump towards. This may be easier for younger players.

Local Challenge (multi-player) lets you play against a friend, and you pass the phone between you for each level. Doodle Jump on the Xoom tablet seemed to have an accelerated speed, which it worked, was not much fun.

Price: .99
Tested On: Nexus One, Nexus S, Xoom Tablet

App Review: Grow

2011-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our family loves the Android App Grow! A cute concept, where your little fishy needs to eat other smaller fish to grow, at the same time dodge the bigger more aggressive fish. it is eat, or be eaten in this game, yet it is appropriate for all ages. The paid version has over 70 levels, with several "power-ups" and "enemy fish". Grow reminded us of an underwater Angry Birds. It was fun yet challenging. It was best suited to the 9 year old.

We loved how this game gave you lots of control over the settings. Namely that you can use tilt control (accelerometer), virtual joystick or touch movement. Older players will enjoy the challenge of tilt control, while younger ones will find touch movement easier to use.

Grow is available in both the Android and Amazon App stores, but the FREE version (with 22 levels) is only available in the Android Store. We picked up the full version a while back when it was the Amazon App Store Free App of the Day.

Price: Free/1.99
Developer: Epic Pixel, LLC
Website: http://www.epicpixel.com/Grow/
Tested On: Nexus One, Xoom Tablet

App Review: Aqua Pets

2011-07-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

My kids would love to have an aquarium, but for now Aqua Pets will have to do! A cute little bubble animal assists you in catching your fish, the better your cast, the better the fish. But you have to be quick, or they will get away. You can keep your fish in your display tank, storage tank or even sell them for Coins.

You can buy additional bait, new fishing rods and fish tanks. The more exotic the bait and rod, the more more exotic and rare the fish you catch could be. Most of the fish have cute funny names, which keeps the kids interest too.

My kids compete to see who can get the rarest fish and they really enjoy maintaining their tanks. My 6 year old likes Aqua Pets a lot and uses his fish tank his live wallpaper. The most annoying thing is the collection Pearls. Pearls are used, along with Coins that you earn, to buy items. But they are very difficult to earn, even for adults. It seems the game maker really wants to you purchase Pearls for real money.

The game maker maintains a strong social presence and can be found on twitter (@aquapetsgame) and Facebook.

Price: Free
Developer: Bionic Panda Games, Inc
Website:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aqua-Pets-Android-Game/184345881616198

App Review: Plants vs Zombies for Android

2011-05-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

My kids are so thrilled that Plants vs. Zombies is out for Android smartphones! This instant classic is all about protecting your home from the intreped horde of zombies. Peashoots, Sunflowers, Wall-nuts and Cherry bombs along with many other "Plants" help you keep them at bay. The lawnmower is your last hope!

It is the Amazon Android Market's Free App of the day, for today only. It is currently not available from the regular Android Market. To get the app you must first install Amazon AppStore, download Plants vs Zombies and then install the app. Does not work on original Droid, Samsung Transform and Intercept, HTC Aria and MyTouch 3G, Sony Ericsson X8, Sany0 Zio, Kyocera Echo and the LG Ally. It has not be optizmized for Android Tablets, but apparently works. I have not loaded the Amazon AppStore on my Xoom yet.

Phone Test On: Nexus One
Price: $2.99 (free today only)

Angry Birds for Chrome

2011-05-11T11:48:00.002-07:00

Just when you thought it was all about mobile devices, Google goes and makes big announcements about Web devices and services. As excited as I am about the new ChromeBooks, it's all about Angry Birds for Chrome today! My kids are ALL OVER the Angry Birds Chrome Dimension. First challenge is to unlock the levels! And drats, they didn't make it easy, even for dedication Chrome users.

You must find and hit the Chrome Logo Easter Eggs hidden throughout the original levels to get access to Chrome Dimension. In app payment will be released shortly and you can drain your back account buying the Mighty Eagle!

Not using Google Chrome web browser yet? Why (no seriously, why)?! Get it here and you can thank me a million times over later. Stubborn? Okay. You can still play Angry Birds from other browsers but you don't the the Chrome Deminision levels. So far I have tried Mozilla Firefox, but I understand it works on others as well.

http://chrome.angrybirds.com/
Price: Free
Tested On: Chrome Browser with Ubuntu

Android Market: New Look and Feel

2011-04-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

Google likes things clean and simple, but the Android Market browser interface was just TOO simple. You couldn't search, buy or review apps, except from your phone. Recently the Android Market has been revamped and the result is great.

Once you find an app you want to install, just make sure you are already signed into your Google Account, press INSTALL and it will be added to your phone. This is the best part, you don't even have to attach your phone to your computer, it is done Over the Air (OTA).

You can search the entire database of apps, or browse through categories. In each category you can see Featured, Top Paid, Top Free and Top Tablet Apps. If you haven't checked out new Android Market from your computer, I think you will be pleased with the improvements.

App Review: Zebra Paint

2011-03-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is a good basic Android App to have if you have young children. It is an app version of the old Windows Paint program. Currently it has 40 different templates your kid cane paint. They can use the standard colors or mix their own. My six year old son and his friends really like this app and constantly save these pictures for me to see later. But my older son wouldn't touch this app with "a ten foot pole" I was told. It is pretty basic, but still gets used quite a bit in my house.

Price: Free
Developer: Zebra4me
Tested On: Nexus One, G1

Amazon Android App Store

2011-03-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

The Amazon Android App Store is now open for business! I'm not really sure we need yet another way to purchase android apps, but Amazon saw a way to get a tiny bit of your business and went for it! I've known this was coming for awhile, but I wasn't interested until I saw they were offering a Free App of the Day. Today is Doodle Jump which we have been wanting. Angry Birds Rio is also available for free. So there, they got my business.

You can search and browse apps from your computer and enter your phone number or the email address attached to your phone to install the apps you want. You will be billed directly through Amazon.

My boys L-O-V-E the Angry Bird stuffed birds and pigs! So when you can use the money you save on the Free Angry Birds Rio on a plush toy!

App Review: Farm Tower

2011-03-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is a fun little game that the whole family enjoys. All the farm animals have escaped to high towers to avoid being eaten by wolves, according to the games developers. Now that the wolves are gone, you need to help get them down. To do this you remove the block structure they are stuck on, one by one. My kids get a kick out of the noises the animals make and the way the bounce around. But it is harder than it sounds!

It reminds me a bit of Boom Bloks, which we love on Wii. I'm listing this one as eductional, since you have to really think and use some physics with this game. It took us awhile to figure out, but you can touch multiple blocks at once, which helps on the more complex levels. This one is a favorite of all the men in my house!

Price: Free/ Pro $2.02
Tested On: Nexus One
Developer: Nicolas Gramlich

App Review: NinJump

2011-03-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise my boys love NinJump! Currently it is the #1 Android App in our tiny testosterone filled house. This free arcade style game is has a simple pretext - get your ninja up the building safely. There are lots of obstacles to get passed, and a simple will jump will save his life. Jumping from building to building your ninja must avoid birds, some kind of ninja squirrels, building ledges and other ninja, sometimes armed. When you defeat three foes of the same type in a row, you get special skills. The height you reach on the building is your score.

The graphics are great, expect too see some twitter/angry birds. The little ninja is very vocal too, as he makes his way up the building. Feathers fly, and maybe a splash of red, as an opponent is defeated. I expect more from this developer, since they a very active in the iPhone App development market. So maybe we will see NinJump Deluxe on Android soon too? I hope so!

Price: Free
Tested On: Nexus One, Xoom
Developer: BackFlip Studios, Inc.

Educational App Review: Math Workout Lite

2011-03-08T16:37:00.000-08:00

Math Workout is a game even The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom would like. You know, if she were endorsing Android Apps! We use this game regularly for math drills with my kids. I used to write out my son's times tables several times a week for him to practice on, but this game is perfect. I love the timed games, where you are timed and ranked. From the main screen choose Menu and there are even more games to play. Times Table Practice is exactly what my son needs and I've even agreed to a prize once he has mastered it!

Math Blaster Challenge is an Asteroids type game where you have to enter the correct answer. It goes pretty fast, and gets even faster! But it keeps the game interesting for kids and adults alike.

Did you have a favorite Math App for Android? I would love to here about it!

Price: Free (lite)/ $1.98 (pro)
Tested On: Nexus One, Xoom
Developer: Workout Games

App Review: Blow Up

2011-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Blow Up is a great little lesson in physics that my family loves to play. You are given different types of bombs to attach to each structure. Your goal is to bring down the structure to a certain level. There is a floppy sock panda, whose purpose isn't completely clear. But if you can blow up the panda you, by hitting the star, you get bonus points. Each bomb has it's own timer that can be set separately for the more complicated structures. This was a feature I never noticed, but the kids figured it out and used it often. Great game for the Demolition Team in your home!

The Lite version is free and the ads are not intrusive. We worked through the free levels pretty quickly. Full version has 90 levels.

Price: Free (Lite)/$2.99
Tested On: Nexus One/G1
Developer: Camel Games

App Review: Glow Puzzle

2011-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Glow Puzzle is a great educational game for your kids, and they will have fun with it too. The goal is to connect the dots without retracing a line more than once. The lines "glow" It requires forward thought and spacial reasoning, so sneaky. Pretty simple premise, but the puzzles vary in difficulty throwing in an easy one here and there too keep it from becoming too much of a challenge. With 320 levels and animated solutions (you know, in case the kids get stuck) its a great game.

Surprisingly, my 6 yr old loves this game but it is challenging enough for the the whole family. Its a great thinking game to add to your Android collection. It is also available for iPhone and the Windows 7.

Price: Free/.99 (ad free)
Tested On: Nexus One
Developer: GloSculptor

App Review: Space Physics

2011-02-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Space Physics is a real puzzle game that makes you think outside the box... way outside the box. The object of the game is to get the ball to the star. Sounds oh so simple, right? You can create geometric objects to achieve this. The size of the object determines is weight. Set the ball in motion by making it interact with wheels (circles), cars (circles with a line connecting them) or dropping a rock (crude circle) next to it. You can make gears, levers and other devices. The first few levels have a tutorial that get you thinking it the right direction.

Space Physics comes from Camel Games, which makes a few of our other favorites including Blow Up (Lite) and Flight Director. You will need to install the Pack for Space Physics also to get all the levels, after the initial app install. This is an awesome educational game and will keep you and your kids busy for hours.

Price: Free (Lite with 6 full levels)/ $1.99 (80 levels)
Tested On: G1, Nexus One, Nexus S
Developer: Camel Games

App Review: X Construction

2011-02-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

X Construction Lite is a physics building game that kids, especially train lovers will enjoy. The name is so generic, and future levels promise to include more construction scenerios. But for now the construction is all about Train Bridges. And that is just fine by my kids. Sadly my kids enjoy the failed bridges just as much, dare I say more, than a successful crossing. That can be completely blamed on the screams of terror that erupt from the poor train passengers as they crash to the depths below.... sometimes they build bad bridges on purpose....

The crossing get more complex and the load, with more train cars get heavier. You are allotted a maximum number of girders for each crossing. Girders turn red if they have too much stress on them and you can repair them for another run.

Currently there is no pay version of X Construction, it's all free.

Price: FREE
Tested On: Nexus One, Nexus S
Developers: Cross Construction

App Review: Rocket Bunnies

2011-01-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Rocket Bunnies is one of the funnest and most original games I have run across on the Android. I was pleased to find that the kids enjoyed it as much as I did. The goal is fill your bunny up with carrots as he travels through different galaxies. He must dodge asteroids, space spiders, electricity and other hazards to reach his goal.

It got difficult pretty quickly and the 6 yr old just resorted to watching up play. But it was perfect to the keep the 9 yr old engaged! This is an extremely fun game! Nice FAQ on the game HERE. The developers say it should also be available on Apple devices (is anyone still using the iPhone or iPad?) soon.

Price: FREE!
Device Tested On: Nexus One (Issues with pre 2.2 versions of Android, see FAQ)
Developer: Defiant Development

App Review: Alchemy

2011-01-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

I have really been impressed with educational games on Android lately. Add Alchemy to the list and get the tiny Chemist in your house psyched up for it. This game has the whole family addicted! You begin with 4 elements: Water, Fire, Air and Earth. Combine them and see what you get. Then combine the newly created elements to get up to 360 new elements. Sound boring and more like a Middle School science class? Then wait until you add your newly created Snake to Electricity and create an Electric Eel. Or adding Air to a Worm for a Butterfly. The list goes on and on! Apparently, with enough creations I can create Man! So far we have 146 elements created...

As long as the child is of reading age, they should enjoy it. But seriously adults will love it too ( I made Vodka, the Flu and a vampire!). If you are ready to learn and have fun, Alchemy is a great app. There is a Free Ad supported version. Seriously think about upgrading to ad free to support this innovative developer.

If you need a little help getting started, check out Android Tapp's video walkthrough:

Price: Free (Ad Supported)/ $4.95 (No Ads)
Tested On: Nexus One/Nexus S
Developer:

Pocket God - Now with Double Rainbow!

2011-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

The makers of Pocket God never disappoint, and sure Android is several months behind Apple on this app... but oh my gawd, what does it mean? Double Rainbow is now available on Pocket God for Android! It's almost a full on double rainbow, almost a triple rainbow, oh my, I think I'm going to cry....

Seriously, does Double Rainbow ever get old? Not to my kids, but I was really surprised by how many people heard the reference and never enjoyed the original. So here goes:

Updates to Pocket God, which are plentiful on Apple devices and should be forth coming on Android, aare free. It's the App that keeps on giving.

Price: .99

Developer: Ngmoco via Bolt

Tested on: Nexus One, Nexus S (did not work on G1)

App Review: RunKeeper and RunKeeper Pro for Android

2011-01-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

First let me say that RunKeeper Pro is the best exercise app on the iPhone and I used it for over two years before I switched to Android. When I switched RunKeeper was not available on Android so I had to search for a great exercise app and decided the CardioTrainer is the best. Now a full featured RunKeeper Pro is finally available on Android and just in time for my Half Marathon training and is FREE (a $9.99 value) for the month of January!

RunKeeper Pro has lots of social options, allowing you to share your workouts on Twitter and Facebook. It also allows you to control how much you share. You can even turn on RunKeeper Live so friends can track your progress as you go. (Might be fun for a big race, but a little creepy otherwise) You can set prompts to announce your progress as go, based on minutes or miles. The voice on the prompts sound so much like Oprah too, I find that really motivating!

RunKeeper has taken it a step further and also offers Fitness Classes to help you train for a 5k, Half Marathon, Full Marathon and Fat Loss. The classes cost extra, from $4.99 to $19.99, and are similar to C25K coaching and take you through multiple weeks of runs. If you sign up for Run Keeper Elite ($19.99 a year) you can get additional reporting and tracking of your workouts. Kudos to the RunKeeper team for finding creative ways to bring in revenue.

RunKeeper Free has very few features and is pretty basic. If you want a free exercise tracking app, then I recommend Cardio Trainer. Remember RunKeeper Pro is FREE until the end of January!

Price: Free/9.99

SmartPhones Aren't Just For Adults

2010-12-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

My Husband and I have a disagreement about a Christmas present for our 9 year old son. I think an Nintendo DS is an appropriate gift. Or even a 2nd generation iPod Touch we have laying around the house that was never opened. I envision him listening to his own music (mostly Micheal Jackson), audio books (Magic Treehouse), YouTube videos (stop motion homemade Lego movies) and games. Yes, both are expensive gifts for a child his age, but I think it will teach him responsibility and will be a very special gift.

The Husband is set on selling the iPod Touch on Ebay. (He had won it in a contest at work, and being the Android Family we are, we never even opened it.) We came up with a comprise of sprucing up our old G1 instead and wrapping it up for him. A cool new cover (what boy doesn't love skulls) and headphones, his favorite free games and a few paid (Hello, Pocket God!), his music, links to Lego.com and his favorite sites. The phone will not be enabled, so no cell phone usage yet, just wifi. He already has a gmail account that we encourage family and friends to contact the kids with (and we monitor) so he can really start using it. I suspect the Husband thinks it will spark a bigger interest in coding in the little guy too.

Whenever we are on a road trip or waiting anywhere, the kids constantly ask for our Android phones to play with. Usually they are in use for GPS Navigation, Music player or just plain old phone so they don't get it. One morning I couldn't find my Nexus One as we left the house and I asked the kids. The 6 year old pulled it out of his toy box "Oh, here it is". So I think this will solve several problems for us.

What do you think? Is that too much for a young child or do your kids already smartphone?

App Review: Pocket God

2010-12-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Pocket God on Android is the most exciting thing to happen in awhile, as far as my kids are concerned. This was their last remaining regret with the family's upgrade from iPhone to Android last Christmas. So it is the perfect gift this year.

Pocket God lets you control the lives of five cute little island Pygmies. You can be a nice caring God and supply food and bathroom breaks, or you could feed them to the volcano and sharks. It's all up to you! There is no "winning" this game, it is all discovery and experience. Tilt your phone to the side and they simply slide off their island, into the sea and awaiting shark. Tap the screen a few times and they begin a ritual dance. Swirl your finger and start a Hurricane. And the list goes on...

Adults may get bored quickly with this game, but my kids (aged 6 and 9) can play it for hours. Just about when things get old a new update will come out or they will discover a hidden mini game and respark their interest.

Pros: Most fun my kids have ever had on a smartphone. Period.

Cons: The install is really large - the largest app I have ever installed. There are also reports of it crashing on lots of different phones. But this is version 1.0 and the folks at Pocket God are good about continues updates. Check the link below to see if you version is officially supported.

Price: .99

Developer: Ngmoco via Bolt

Tested on: Nexus One

App Review: Robo Defense

2010-10-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Robo Defense is a great military style Android game. A shoot 'em up with no blood is a game a Mom can truly appreciate. Tanks, missiles, mortar, heavy cannons and artitiary are perfectly sized for smartphone fun. If you play long enough the elusive Titan will appear... my kids can't wait.

I like that even the FREE version lets you buy upgrades to your weaponry based on your score and awards, but you need to the paid version to really advance. It gives you a chance to get really familiar with the game. Robo Defense has a pretty good following and cheats advice can be found HERE. This game we splurged for and buoght a copy for each of our Android phones, and have a bit of a family competition going on.

This is definitely a game worth paying for, but FREE version gives you plenty of fun gaming! Robo Defense is a game that my whole family, aged 5 to 40, have found addictive.

com.magicwach.rdefense_free

Price: Free/$2.99

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer:

Google Voice Search featuring Voice Actions

2010-09-10T20:00:00.001-07:00

Google Voice Search lets you go completely hands free on your Android for nearly a dozen functions. One of the most useful apps you could have! The app is for Android 2.2 smartphones and is launched by pressing and holding the SEARCH button. This is not just voice input, but giving commands and launching apps via voice.

Key words and which app they launch:

Go To - Web browser

Listen To - Music player, which you can customize to be a non-Google app

Navigate To - Navigation in Google Maps

Send Text - Messaging

Call - Phone

Send Email - Email

Map Of - Map

Note To Self - Email

Directions To - Navigation in Google Maps

This is just a start of what Google plans to do with Voice Actions, and expect it to be integrated into third party apps as well.

This should really be standard on all Android phones, but you need to download it from the Market Place. The naming of this app is a little strange, and frankly it's hard to find other reviews on it. For more info, go straight to the Mothership.

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Develo

per: Google, Inc

App Review: Angry Birds

2010-09-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently iPhone/iPad users are crazy for Angry Birds, but now Android fans can hurl the miffed little birds too! This is a really cute game with a story behind it. It's a little hard to explain why these birds are SO angry... so I'll let them speak for themselves.

The is a lot like Boom Blox on Wii. It is also available on Palm and Ovi smartphones.

Here is a longer review for Apple devices that gives some how-to advice.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy hurling birds at green pigs!

Price: Free (game is in Beta now, expect a pay version soon)

Developer: Rovio

Phone Tested on: Nexus One

com.rovio.angrybirds_lite

Game Review: Parking Break

2010-08-14T10:32:00.001-07:00

We have the board game version of Parking Break (called Traffic Jam) and it is a great thinking game for adults and kids a like. I am always impressed when my 5 year old son does well on this game! The object is to get clear the path for your car to get through the all traffic. Your score is determined by the number of moves and how long it takes you to rescue "Orz" the red car. You slide the other vehicles up/down and left/right to clear the path for Orz to advance to the next level. It can take a while to get in the zone and you can always start a level over again, if you've just messed it up too much!

This is a fun game that uses your deductive thinking skills!

Price: Free/$2.99

Developer: Orz

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Pop Math - Educational Kids App Review

2010-08-10T09:35:00.001-07:00

When you can combine a little fun with eduction and slap it on your smartphone, you have a winner in my opinion. My son is a math whiz, but even a math whiz needs a math app to be fun and Pop Math delivers. This is the kind of app I love to find and share with my children.

The Lite, or free, version you can only choose All Operators where all the math operators are thrown up on the screen as little bubbles. The four equations and four answers floating in different colored and sized bubbles that you must match up. The app keeps score and encourages you as you move through the levels, keeping track of errors and the time you finish each level.

In the paid version of Pop Math (for a mere .99) you can choose the operator you want to work on (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division) specifically. Or you can still choose All Operators to make it a little more difficult. This is a really great app that is a perfect challenge for elementary age kids.

Price: Free for Lite/.99

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: Laurent Denoue

Pkt (Pocket) Auctions Review

2010-08-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ebay is a great tool to Reuse, Reduce and Recycle and smart Moms know that. Smart Mom + Smartphone = Pkt Auctions. Pocket Auctions is an Ebay app that is really professionally done and every useful.

Lots of apps out there are just the website rehashed, but Ebay's site is not easy to navigate on a phone. You an access you My Ebay page and see items you have save on your PC. The ability to scan an item and look it up on with the barcode is great! However many items are not store with that much information on them, so it isn't always useful. Books, DVDs, games are some items that the barcode *should* work well for, but didn't in my tests.

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: Bonfire Media

Reader Widget Free Review

2010-07-28T06:51:00.001-07:00

Google Reader is how I manage my own blogs and read the blogs I regularly follow. It is a great tool to stay on top of your web reading. If you don't already use an RSS Reader, I highly recommend it. Reader Widget Free is an excellent way to use Google Reader from your Android.

By integrating a Reader with a Widget you can easily see your unread items from your Home Screen without having to launch the app. By downloading the app you can then install either a Small, Medium or Large Widget that has many options for what you can see. I recommend organizing your Google Reader blogs and setting up categories of blogs in aptly named folders on your PC so it is easier to use from your smartphone

For more information on Widgets on your Android click HERE.

Price: Free/ Pro .50 UK

Developer: Ubikapp

Voice Recorder Review

2010-07-10T19:48:00.001-07:00

Ever have a brilliant idea and want to record it? Sometimes it feels like in the moment, stopping the writing something down the idea loses its heart. Voice Recorder is a simple and FREE App that lets you do just that. Maybe the idea won't be so brilliant later, but hey, at least you can remember what it was!

You can send your recording via email and it has several playback options. I found the quality to be very good, and it did exactly what I expected. The developer has several other high quality Apps available in the Android Market. By choosing the pay version of this App you can get a few more features including: convert recording to MP3 and auto email voice recordings.

Price: Free

Developer: Mamoru Tokashiki

Phone Tested On:

Kayak Review

2010-06-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Searching for flights from a smartphone is no easy task, so I was thrilled to find one of our favorite websites had a very easy to use Android App. I like that the app made it easy for me to pick the detailed information I needed and really seemed to get the smartphone experience. With a little looking I could choose flexible dates, nonstop flights, time of day and many more details you may want to control. All with almost no actual typing, which is key.

You can also search packages, hotels and rental cars. You can check the status of a specific flight, fees charged for meals, bags and pets or find contact numbers for numerous airlines. Really useful travel information, all in one app.

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Android

Developer: Kayak

AK Notepad Review

2010-06-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Since I upgraded from my iPhone to the Nexus One I've been missing the simple Note App that came standard from Apple. I used that App quite a bit! AK Notepad does everything my old iPhone App did, plus lots more.

I am sure there are lots of Notepad Apps out there, but this is the one I will be using. I like to KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and apparently so does AK Notepad. The first line of your note is the Notes title, but you can change it too. You can also share your note via email or many other Social Media Apps you also have installed. There is also a Timer to set reminders. I use this frequently when I am waiting to pick up my kids. I use for Blog ideas, ToDo lists, etc.

The developer of AK Notepad also makes 3banana Notes which syncs across iPhone, iPad, Android, and web. If you need something a little more hard working, check it out.

Price: Free

Developer: Snaptic

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Metal Detector Review

2010-05-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

I really didn't think this App would work, but it did and the kids had a great time going around the house finding metal objects. It was a good learning experiment about what was metal, and what was plastic painted to look like metal. Grandpa has had a knee replacement, and yep, the kids freaked him out by telling him which one it was using Metal Detector.

The Android can do this because of the compass mechanism and it doesn't work on all types of metal. Some people will have a real need for an App like this, for others it is just a great party App. My kids can't wait to take it to the beach, but that won't be happening!

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: Kurt Radwanski

Where's My Droid Review

2010-05-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

I would love to tell you I've never, not even once, lost my cell phone. However, that would be a lie. I conveniently seem to lose it when the ringer has been turned off or down too. I walk around my house and car listening for the vibrating phone. Once I found my son had packed into his toy chest when he was done playing a game. Nice.

Where's My Droid to the Rescue! Seriously, this App should come shipped on all Android phones. It has a few really cool features:

1. Turns on the ringer to high volume so you can look for the phone. Text the code "Wheres my droid" to the phone.

2. If you still can't find your phone it will send the GPS corrdinates back to you.Text "GPS my droid".

3. The paid version ($1) comes with a few additional features, most notably it adds a custom Button to your home screen that allows anyone who finds your phone to find your contact info.

Of course with this app, your phone has to actually be on AND lost. I love that the developer of this app is a college student just doing what he loves. I will definitely be getting the paid version of this app! He has a few instructional videos here that will help you get started.

Price: $1 (So worth it!), Free version too

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: alienmanfc6 - Brad Degelau

Word Up! Review

2010-05-29T22:19:00.001-07:00

Having a few good time killing games on your Android is imperative, right? Word Up! is a great choice and you get to use your brain a little bit too. It is basically an Android version of Boggle. A grid is presented with letters. Drag your fingers over the connecting letters to make words. Use the menu to ROTATE the puzzle and view the letters from a different perspective. When you are done your score is given and the present of words on the puzzle you found. You can also see a full list of words, including those you didn't discover.

This is a really well done game, and one of the better FREE word games I have seen. On the settings screen you can also change the timing and screen layout by adding a bigger word grid. It was a little difficult for my young children, but kept my husband and I busy for a bit.

Price: Free or $2.99 without ads

Phone Tested On: NexusOne

Developer: Anthrological

Garage Sale Rover Review

2010-05-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Garage Sale Rover is a really handy App for scoping out your weekend bargain hunting! The App takes Craigslist garage sale ads in your area (based on your location) and creates a handy visual reference guide. By clicking on the Red Garage Sale Rover balloon more information is given along with the full address details. Even the entire Craigslist add if you want. With the paid version the App give you turn by turn navigation directions to the site.

Sure you could just open the browser on your Android and navigate through the the tiny links and scroll through all the ads in your city. Or do like did, and manually search through Craigslist and add them to my Google Maps to use late when I'm driving. But Garage Sale Rover will make all that a thing of the past! This is a must have App for those who love estate and weekend sales!

Price: Free/ $2.99 (includes driving directions)

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: Navigation App

My Days Review

2010-05-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

My Days is a great App for Women and is exclusive to Android. Trying to get pregnant or trying to avoid getting pregnant? Or just a women who wants to plan ahead? My Days is a very simple App that you will love. Once the App is installed you can enter the start day of last menstrual cycle. The App will guesstimate your fertile days and next start date based on that. Each month you enter the exact date it started and the App will figure out your regular cycle.

My Doctor always asks "Date of you last period?" and for the first time ever in my life I could answer it accurately thanks to My Days. If you are a Mother with daughters and keep track of that sort of thing, you can have multiple accounts on one phone to track them. I also like how you can add Notes to any day here. The only thing I can think that would make it better is adding a subtle note to Google Calendar!

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: Christian Albert Mueller

Shapes Review

2010-03-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Shapes is a simple app that lets your kids go through 20 different flat and spherical shapes. Shapes is from Five Pumpkins which as several other childrens apps for Android phones. The main reason I like this one better than the others is that you can turn off the prompts and allow your child to guess the shape, instead of just telling them. Do this changing the options to Quiz Mode.

I would love to see an update with more shapes in the future, but this is perfect for young children.

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: Five Pumpkins

RingDroid Review

2010-03-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

The Nexus One comes with some pretty cool ringtones, but they were all a little too geeky for me. That is why I love RingDroid! I remember when I got my iPhone and found out I would have to pay to turn songs I already owned into ringtones. I was not happy about that and quickly found ways around it.

RingDroid has a perfect little interface that takes all the music already on your phone and lets you set the beginning and end segments you want played. Once saved you can assign it to all calls or individual callers. You could not, however assign it as a Notification Ringtone. It is very easy to use and assign the ringtones you just made.

When my Husband calls, now I hear the intro to Joan Jett's 18. So how cool is that?

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Developer: http://code.google.com/p/ringdroid/

Doodle Kids Review

2010-03-01T22:41:00.000-08:00

This a great little app to keep your creative kids busy. Dragging your finger across the screen leaves a trail of colorful shapes that are randomly chosen. Scroll your trackball to change the background shape and shake the phone to clear the screen. My kids kept busy seeing who could draw their favorite animal the coolest. The app is also available on iPhone.

As I researched this cute app that my 5 and 8 year old sons love, I found a truly amazing fact! The author is a 9 year old boy from Singapore named Lim Deng Wen. He claims to have written the app, for his younger sisters, in just a few days.

He even does a little demo of the product here:

Price: Free

Test On: Nexus One

Website: http://thyechean.appspot.com/web/Ding_Wen.html

How To: Sync to Facebook

2010-02-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

Have tons of friends on Facebook? Well, you aren't alone! Another great feature on Android phones is the ability to Sync your contacts with your Facebook account.

How To (from the Nexus One):

1. From you Home Screen, press the Menu button

2. Choose Accounts & Sync Settings

3. Add Account from the button at the bottom

4. Choose FaceBook and enter your login information

5. Make sure that the Sync Button to the right of the Facebook account is green

I sync it once and then turn it off, so that it isn't always updating or looking for new data. When you go to contacts you should see your Facebook friends added. For contacts you already had on your phone that are also on Facebook, you should now see the Facebook Profile Photo as the Contact Photo.

Now how cool is that?

SMS Popup Review

2010-02-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

If you are a previous iPhone user you will love SMS Popup! It makes sure you don't miss any SMS messages on your Android phone. Instead of them only showing up in your status bar, they pop up on your active screen very similar to how how they do on the iPhone. You can also reply directly from the pop up, see a photo the contact sending the message and delete the message.

The setup menu has tons of options to only you to control how the messages appear. The developer is also very interactive with users of the app on his personal blog (see below). My only issue is that is still shows up in your status bar and will have to cleared separately.

Price: Free

Phone Tested On: Nexus One

Website: http://www.everythingandroid.net/

BabyBump App Review

2010-02-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

If you or your partner are pregnant and have an Android phone, you need BabyBump. Its a great little app that helps you document your pregnancy and its progress. Enter in your Due Date or LMP, and you are set to go! I was a big fan of BabyCenter.com when I was pregnant, and this app reminds me of that experience. BabyBump gives you weekly updates on your baby's progress, size and what it may look like. There is input for daily journal entries, weight, stomach circumference, photos. It is a great way to document this very special time in your life!

There are also some cool features for when you get closer to your due date, such as a Kick Counter and Contraction Timer. It is also integrated with Social Media sites Twitter and Facebook, and you can email Journal Entries and Contractions to anyone you want. They have a great support site at http://www.alt12.com/support which is unusual for an Android App. BabyBump is also available for the iPhone and PalmPre.

Price: $2.99

Website: http://alt12.com/products

Phone Tested On: G1

disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this program to review

Google Waves Invites

2010-02-09T09:10:00.001-08:00

Looking to get in on the latest and greatest with Google Wave? I have 15 invites to give away today. Leave me a comment or retweet this post and I'll set you up!

The makers of The Rescue of Ginger that I recently reviewed where written up on the official Google Wave blog. Read their story to find out how they use Wave to run their business from separate continents.

Totemo App Review

2010-02-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

This is a great little game and while fun for adults, while being completely appropriate for children too. How rare is that? Its difficult enough you have to stop and think, but easy enough you don't give up. The free version has 12 levels and the paid version has over 60 levels.

The game has a professional feel to it, that honestly a lot of free Android apps are missing. One of the best time killer games on the Android so far! Tip: you can drag your finger along a line of dots or touch them individually.

Totemo is from the developers at Hexage, which have several other great games I recommend. Totemo is also available on the iPhone.

Price: Free/1.50GPB

Phones tested on: Nexus One

Website: http://www.hexage.net/

Listen App Reivew

2010-02-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Music and podcast management is one of the areas that Android is easily outshined by iPhone. I don't really understand why someone (Hello, Amazon! Are you listening?) hasn't stepped up and claimed the Android Music market. Manage our music and podcasts, and we will buy our music from you! It's simple. While I am still trying to decide on my music app, Listen is my podcast app.

Listen is a Google app to manage and listen to podcasts. Technically it is a Google Labs product, which basically means it is in beta... in other words it may be buggy. It also means if it isn't successful, Google may dump it.

I found it easy to use, find and subscribe to the podcasts I was looking for. Want a podcast that isn't listed? Simply choose ADD from the menu and type in the URL. You can simply listen to a podcast or Subscribe. If you pause it, Listen remembers where you left off.

My husband complains that it doesn't have the latest podcasts for Cranky Geeks. Apparently it only goes 10 or so podcasts. Others report its just plain buggy. But they told us that up front, so remember that. If you are having trouble I suggest going to Settings and tweak the setup there.

Price: Free

Phones test on: Nexus One

Website: http://listen.googlelabs.com/index.html

Google Maps App Review

2010-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

The standard Google Maps have some great new features I thought I would demo. I was really impressed with this and think it will all come in very useful:

* Ability to press on the map and the get the exact address

* Find businesses near that location

* Bring up detailed information on business nearby, including phone number, reviews, website and more.

* Drop a STAR on the map so you can easily find the location later (OMG, the number of times I wanted to do this on my iPhone!!)

What is your favorite feature of the Maps update, I'd love to know?

Nexus One Multi-touch/Pinch to Zoom in Native Apps

2010-02-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that I got the Nexus One OTA (Over the Air) update last night! Here a I demo Multitouch or (Pinch to Zoom) in the native browser and maps programs.

Seesmic App Review

2010-02-03T13:23:00.001-08:00

There are lots of choices for twitter Apps on Android, and as an avid tweeter, this was an important choice for me. I have found Seesmic to be a professionally developed App, yet free and easy to use. There is also a desktop and Blackberry version.

You can do pretty much everything from Seesmic that you can do directly from twitter, plus more. Want to post a tweet you saw to Facebook, text or email? No problem. Upload photos and video from your Android are easy too. Downside of Seesmic? It can't handle multiple twitter accounts and it takes a few taps to get the Compose screen. But for now, it is my twitter App of choice.

Update: Seesmic has added support for multiple accounts in a new update. Now I love Seesmic unconditionally!

Price: Free

Phones tested on: Nexus One

Website: http://seesmic.com/seesmic_mobile/android/

Barcode Scanner App Review

2010-02-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

The name Barcode Scanner says it all! But if you are new to the power of the smartphone, you may not realize that this is a must have App. First, you will have noticed here at the Android Mom I include the QR barcode for each App I review. Why? If you have Barcode Scanner on your Android, all you have to do is scan my review and it takes you directly to the Android Market's page for that app.

Great, right? Well, there's more. Use Barcode Scanner on any UPC, the identification barcode on most all products, and it will look it up in Google's Shopping search and give you the price at several outlets. Use it while shopping to see if your store has the best price. It isn't always right, as these codes are not always unique. It thought my box of Kleenex was a Dora the Explorer Backpack. But when it works, which is most of the time, it works really great.

Price: Free

Phone tested on: Nexus One, G1

Nexus One Dock

2010-01-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

The Nexus One has its first accessory, and its a good one! The Nexus One Dock serves several purposes and I'm not even sure I've figured them all out yet.

1. Its a Phone Charger

2. It activates a Clock Application (great for travel!)

3. It has Bluetooth and an Audio input

#1 and #2 are very useful and functional... but #3 is newsworthy! Here is a quick walkthrough of my Nexus One Dock:

How To: Organize Icons on Your Home Screen

2010-01-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

Another thing I love about my Nexus One? The ability to organize icons on the Home Screen! This is something I always wanted to do on the iPhone, but couldn't. Just one more reason I like my Nexus One way better then my iPhone.

Draw! App Review

2010-01-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

At first I thought the Draw! app was just to simple and my kids would never be interested in it.Then I went to grab my new Nexus One off the charger and couldn't find it. I discovered it in thehands of my 5 year old, using Draw! and discovered that it is one of his favorite Android Apps, much to my surprise.

Draw! starts out as a simple black screen. Use your finger to start drawing and the black lights up at your touch. The menu button brings up options, like different sized brushes, double clicking the brushes lets you chose your colors. Somehow a 5 year old intuitively knew this, when none of it was obvious to me.

It is such a simple yet fun App, I had to include a few of the drawings we did! Just when you think this is all it can do, then you discover something else! From the Menu choose More: Import to choose photos from your Gallery to manipulate. More: Preferences lets you choose Clear with Flip n' Shake. Other options let you share your creation on Social Media sites (twitter, facebook, etc) and email them.

Price: Free with Ads/ € 1.68
Phone tested on: Nexus One
http://www.thewongandonly.com

The Rescue of Ginger App Review

2010-01-22T11:07:00.001-08:00

We went on a road trip this weekend, so it was the perfect time to test a few android games with my kids as a captive audience!

The Rescue of Ginger is a really cute interactive storybook that I was pleased to see my boys, who are 5 and 8, enjoy! They are Mario Kart fans and I thought this would be too simple. But they especially got a kick out of the dancing mice at the end. It kept them busy for at least 25 minutes before they moved on to a game that blew stuff up. The target audiance is younger, and Ive read reviews of people saying "my 18 month old loved this". I tried the game with a friends baby and he was intrigued by the game but by no means able to play it himself. I also let several girls aged 5 to 8 play the game too.

The game is very simple and sweet, something parents can appreciate. The child touches arrows to move between the pages or have the page repeated. Except for the baby, all the kids figured this out on their own and were able to navigate the game without any assistance. The story is read out loud by the different characters in funny voices, as they search for their pet cat, Ginger. There are interactive objects on each page, mostly mice, that they can touch too. There is color and shape recognition and some counting, throughout the game.

Ginger is also available on the iPhone.

Price: 2.99
Phone tested on: Nexus One
Website: http://www.lynandline.com/

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this game to review.

Air Attack Lite App Review

2010-01-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is my 8 yr olds absolute favorite game on my Android. It can keep him busy for way longer then he should be allowed to play it. The Lite version is Ad supported, but I didn't even notice the ads, they didn't get in the way of the game or keep popping up.

In the game you are a soldier on the ground that is being fired on from jets, airplanes and helicopters. Some drop paratroopers that can also attack you. You can fire on all the objects with your "bazooka" as my son calls it. Hitting an airplane will make it crash land or explode. If you fire on a paratrooper or you are killed there are a few tiny pixals of red (presumably blood) that go flying. It is very WW II style. The further you get in the game, or Waves you progress through, the more planes attack. You have the ability to dig under the ground and objects to hide from bombs.

While I would prefer that my boys weren't drawn to war games, the fact is, they are. As war games go, I think this is fun and simple without displaying too much violence.

Price: Free Ad supported/ .99 Full
Website: http://games.martineriksen.net
Phones test on: Nexus One

5 Reasons Nexus One is Better Than the iPhone

2010-01-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

I know there is a lot of chatter about which smartphone is better, the Nexus One or the iPhone. So driving around today and using a few features on my Nexus One and realizing my iPhone didn't have them, I thought I would weigh in.

5 Reasons Nexus One is Better Than the iPhone:

5. A Real Camera: By real I mean 5 megapixals and a flash. The iPhone 3G has a 2 megapixal and the 3GS has 3, neither has a flash. The Nexus One has built in controls, that you have to get a 3rd party App to manipulate on the iPhone. An added bonus is that photos are stored on your memory card and can be accessed directly, which obviously you can't do on the iPhone.

4. Voice Input: The telltale signs a friend had a new iPhone were cute in the beginning, but it gets old. Over time I got used to the iPhone's guessing what I really want to type and now I'm getting used to the Nexus One's guess (the system is far superior BTW. It brings up a list of words that could match the letters you have entered and lets you choose). But the Nexus One takes it to a whole new level with Voice Input. Anywhere you can type, you can pretty much talk instead. Find a contact, send a text/tweet/email, use Navigation, update your grocery list, search the web and the list goes on. I have found it to be extremely accurate and a big time saver.

3. Navigation: A standard (and free) App that comes installed on your Nexus One is Navigation. It is real spoken turn by turn GPS, and it is very accurate. You might say, I already a GPS in my car so I don't need it in my phone. But when you combine the power of a smartphone and all the information it has (all your contacts, internet access, with a great GPS, you have a lot of power.

2. Multitasking: This is one thing the really bugged me about the iPhone, it could only do one thing at a time. That is so old school! I remember being on a run with my GPS exercise tracking App going and I wanted to stop and take a photo of the scenery. I had to exit the App and my run, turn off my music, take the photo and then start the music and App all over again. The Nexus One is a tiny computer in my hand that does pretty much does as many things at once as I want. I even tested multiple GPS exercise Apps on it at the same time AND took a photo while listening to music. Sounds simple enough, but the Nexus One can do it and the iPhone can't. And if you don't think multitasking is important, then your not really aware of just how useful your smartphone could be.

1. Options: With options come choices, and there are no choices in carriers with the iPhone. Personally, where I live AT&T service is awful. Just plain, call dropping, awful. With the Nexus One you have a choice of carriers (or you will very soon), thus a choice in service plans and options. The iPhone service plan is pretty expensive, which I didn't really mind for a few years. And then I moved, my service was awful and I realized I was paying $119 a month and I still couldn't make a call. I save nearly $60/month on my Tmobile plan over my AT&T plan, that is $720 a year which is a considerable savings.

So here is my advice: sell your iPhone and GPS on Ebay/Craigslist. While your there, sell your pocket digital camera and video camera, because you won't need them anymore either. Do it now, while you can still get a good price for them and buy a Nexus One! No really, that is what I did. I made enough to more than pay for my new phone and I haven't regretted it for a moment.

What's a Widget?

2010-01-19T15:15:00.001-08:00

There are so many things I love about my Nexus One, things that the iPhone could't do. One of those things is the concept of Widgets. They are "live icons" that live on your Home Screen. They are typically larger then an icon, thus take up more space. Each one is a different size, some as small as an icon, while others take up half the screen.

What's the purpose? They allow you to access information directly from the Home Screen without launching an App.

A few of the Widgets I use daily are:

Facebook - scroll through friends statuses and update your own
Weather - Location based weather is displayed
Google Reader - Displays the number of unread feeds
Youtube - Upload videos taken on the N1
Astrid - To Do list management

What Widgets do yo love on the Nexus One?

How To: Add a Contact to Your Nexus One Desktop

2010-01-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Everyday I'm learning something new on my Nexus One! Having been a dedicated iPhone Mom for the last 2 1/2 years, I knew that phone pretty well. But remembering back, it all took a while too. I have made a series of videos with a few of the useful things I've discovered. If you are new to Android or just new to the Nexus One, I hope you find them useful. Any tips you have and would like to share back are also welcome.

One complaint I have is how difficult it is to just make a call! Swipe, swipe, tap, tap, scroll, tap, tap. I discovered how I could as a Contact as a Shortcut on the Nexus One Home Screen, and it made perfect! You couldn't do that on the iPhone. (In fact I heard Apple applied to patent it, but Android beat them to the punch, as reported by Engadget).

I also show off a little of the damage to my Nexus One that has been bounced around the playground a bit! I really need to find a good case for it.

CadioTrainer App Review

2010-01-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

GPS Exercise Apps are big for the active Smartphone crowd, and I really miss the wonderful Runkeeper I had on my iPhone. So I'm in search of an Android App that will help me track my fitness goals! I have tried several of the free GPS Exercise

Apps and CardioTrainer by Worksmart Labs is, hands down, the leader.

There are a few quirks you'll want to work through before you take it out. First the is the AutoPause. Its a great feature if you are working out in a non-wooded area with great GPS coverage and you run fast. But my workout doesn't meet any of that criteria! So over a dozen times I heard the British accented trainer inform me "Workout Paused" and eventually "Workout Resumed". Sure enough when I was done, there were several small gaps in my run. But the good news is that you can change the AutoPause settings and even turn it off, which I recommend.

There are audio prompts that you can alter the settings for that are really nice. It tells you at the set intervals how far you've come and your pace/speed depending on your settings. You can switch between miles/km and also use it as a Pedometer for indoor treadmill exercise (a feature I did not test). There are several other settings that you are allowed to adjust that help make this a great app!

You can also integrate with your Facebook profile and it will show up in your news feed. From Facebook search for the Application CardioTrainier and allow it access. You will need to enter your unique ID which can be found on your Setting Screen on your phone. But beware, it shows all the details of your workout including map detail.

One thing I haven't figured out is the accuracy. I've taken two different Android GPS Apps on my regular run and both show that it is over a mile longer then RunKeeper told me. Looking at the GPS trail on the map after the workout is complete, CardioTrainer seems to be very true to my actual route and doesn't make any straight-line assumptions. My workout has lots of switchbacks, and like I mention is in the woods, so its hard to track with certainty. Worksmart Labs website says the CardioTrainer is a Beta product, so maybe that explains it.

While it's not perfect, it is a great app and the exercise GPS tracker I will use on a regular basis!

Price: Free

Phones Tested On: Nexus One

Website: www.worksmartlabs.com/cardiotrainer

OurGroceries App Review

2010-01-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

I like to shop with a list, which I've read keeps your grocery bill down. My friends said I'm too high tech to keep my lists on scraps of paper, so I'm on a search for the best Android Grocery List App!

So far OurGroceries from Headcode is my app of choice. The best feature is being able to share lists among multiple phones. So my husband can add things to the list himself from his phone (now if only he could do the shopping too!). Apparently this works between platforms too, i.e. between Android and iPhone if your family has both. I like that I can have multiple lists; grocery, Target, Costco, ToDos, etc. You can enter recipes and build a list off of recipes, if you are into that sort of thing too. You do not pick the grocery items off of a list, you enter everything in yourself and it remember it for next time. Some people will like this, other prefer to pick brand names off a list. If that is you, this App probably isn't for you. To mark items off your list, you simply touch the item and it appears in the "Crossed Off" section with a line through it. You can enter multiples of an item and move them from one list to another. Items appear alphabetical on the list, and currently there is no option to change the order.

While OurGroceries markets itself as a Grocery List App, I'd say it is more of a general list App. Which works great for me! Today I took it to three different stores and it worked really well.

Price: Free

Phones Tested on: Nexus One
Website: headcode.com/ourgroceries

Google Voice App Review

2010-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

The first Android App I had to review is Google Voice. I'd have to categorize it as a "Super App" and reveal it is one of the driving forces in my upgrade to the Nexus One from the iPhone. Before my Android (B.A.) I used Google Voice for incoming calls only, as it was too much trouble to dial out with it. While it can be used on any phone (cell or land line), Google Voice is seamlessly integrated and works beautifully on Android phones!

The simple rundown of Google Voice is that you get a phone number, not attached to an actual phone. Then you set it up to call your actual number/numbers. Sounds useless, right?

Google Voice is actually a Super App for parents too, as its lets you leave one phone number for people to reach you, and it can find you in a multitude of different ways. For example, I give out my Google Voice number to the school then set it up to call me on both my home and cell numbers. If it goes to voicemail, it sends me a text and email with the transcript of the voicemail, along with a link to actually listen to the voicemail.

Features of Google Voice:

Control which incoming numbers call you where and at what time
Individualized messages and voice greetings for each contact
Contacts are integrated with your Google Contacts
Set up rules that forward calls to different numbers depending on time of day
Transfer calls between your land line and cell
Block calls from from specific numbers
Screen calls and pick up in the middle of the message

And these are just the features I use!

One caveat is that it is available my invite only. If you know someone who already has Google Voice, they may be able to send you an invite ( I have 3 invites available right now, leave a comment below with your email if you would like one). Otherwise use this form to request an invite directly from Google for now and is only available in the U.S..

You can pick your own phone number depending on availability. I moved recently to a another state, but didnt want to change my cell number and I could not, for the life of me, remember my new home number. I sat down at Google Voice and picked a number with my new Area Code that was simple and had one of my children's names within it. So while it was easy for me to remember, it was also very easy for the kids to memorize too!

A little history: Apple rejected Google Voice for the iPhone App Store, without giving a real reason. Was it because the iPhone can't multi-task which would be required to run Google Voice at the same time as placing and taking calls or because AT&T didn't want the App? I don't know, or really care now!

Price: Free

Phones Test On: Nexus One, G1

Website: google.com/voice

Who Says the Nexus One Can't Do Multitouch?

2010-01-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

With all the buzz about the Nexus One the one I keep hearing most is that it doesn't support multitouch. So, here is a video I just made with my Nexus One using multitouch via the Dolphin Browser. I understand there are a few other Apps that make use of multitouch too, but I haven't tried them.

As a long term iPhone user, multitouch was something I used in the beginning. It is super cool to show off, right?! But really, in everyday use it wasn't something I used. But either way, here it is:

Mommy Has a Nexus One!

2010-01-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I made the big switch and upgraded from the iPhone to the Nexus One a.k.a the Google Phone! Moms have to roll in style too, right? I have made a short video of my phone and my favorite features. I am no technical expert, so sorry if I concentrate on the superficial stuff.

The main reason I decided to upgrade from an iPhone to the Nexus One was phone coverage. I was tired of dropping calls several times a day. I had been doing that for 2 1/2 years and had not seen a phone that could take calls and do everything intuitively the iPhone could do. Until now.

Compared to the iPhone, the Nexus One is:

* Smaller, slimmer, lighter

* Faster overall, loads web pages faster

* Can run multiple programs at once - completely unlike the iPhone.

* Completely integrated with Google products! My gmail, Google Calendar, Latitude, Picassa and Google Voice all work beautifully on my phone now.

* Updated my friends contact photo with hteir Facebook profile photo, if they have one

* Much cheaper, given my service plan with T-Mobile. I will save big bucks each month ($50) over my AT&T plan. Thankfully, I was out of contract and had purposely not upgraded to the 3Gs just for this reason. It paid off, big time.

So far, I love it! I do not miss my iPhone at all. Sure, I miss a couple of Apps, but I can take a call with confidence now. My favorite thing? The seamless integration with Picassa! I basically have every photo I've ever taken on any camera available on my phone! Perfect!

If you have an Android App that is perfect for kids and family, drop me a line at androidmom@gmail.com. I will begin reviewing apps shortly! I am already missing my favorite iPhone apps (Runkeeper Pro which promises to be porting soon, Grocery IQ and my kids love PocketGod) but I'm sure to find new apps which are equally good.

A Former iPhone Mom Takes the Plunge

2009-12-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

Addicted to my iPhone for the last 2 1/2 years, I could no longer excuse the fact that I dropped calls in my own home. Sure the iPhone is a great device, but it's an awful phone. Change is a brewin' and my iPhone is for sale on Craigslist! This blog will chronicle the switch from my beloved iPhone to the elusive Android.

I'm a full time Mom and former software developer. I use my "phone" to manage my family's life. It has to be a workhorse, multi-functional, multi-media friendly and fun! I will be reviewing Apps in the Android Marketplace for both personal and family management, games for my kids and just plain old cool features! I'll also be doing vlogs to show you my favorite features, tips and tricks.

The Android isn't really known for being a Mommy Friendly phone, the iPhone is currently winning that race. But I'm determined to give it a try and put it through its paces. I hope you will check back soon and join my on the adventure!