Best Phone Apps

[area51drone]

Just curious what apps people use/enjoy on their phones or tablets.   It's pretty much impossible to find them organically unless you have a specific need, and without the Spec Sheet, I'm pretty much dead in the water since I don't really follow tech feeds.

My latest app purchase was Sky Safari 4 Pro, which is a great planetarium type software.  If you get the right equipment, it will allow you to wirelessly control your telescope.   

[MV/Liberace!]

1Weather
AndRecorder Free
AsciiCamera
BeyondPod
Current Caller ID
ES File Explorer
IP Info Detective
Lookout Mobile Security
LastPass
Maple Player
MX Player
Osmos HD
Our Groceries
Poweramp
RD3 Groovebox
ShopSavvy
Spaghetti and Marshmallows
Tasker
TeslaLED
Text Later
Textra
Titanium Backup
Ulysse Speedometer
VNC Viewer
Voxer
WiFi File Explorer Pro
X Construct
XiiaLive Pro

[wr250]

openvpn

[Wintermute]

Use whatever you like... just be aware of your privacy.


http://privacygrade.org/apps/

[cweb]

Funcgen (signal tone generator)
RTA Audio Analyzer (audio spectrum analyzer)
Barcode Reader (reads barcodes, duh. George Noory Sucks.)
Crestron Airmedia (sends to Crestron Airmedia receivers. Requires Crestron equipment, but cool presenting tool.)
Speedtest.net (bandwith tester)
VLC (media/stream player)
Yatse (raspBMC controller)

One of the few Samsung apps I like on my Galaxy is the built-in notepad widget, SMemo. Great for scratching little notes, calculations, and reminders.

[area51drone]

VLC (media/stream player)

I've found VLC to be superior to MX Player,  it plays pretty much everything.   

Also curious guys - why the VNC love?   I use TeamViewer and have been really happy with it.   From my experience, the screen redraw is a lot faster.

Here's some of the apps I really like:

ezPDF Reader - awesome PDF reader with great bookmarking capabilities
Swype + Dragon - Keyboard
Bluetooth Terminal -  Bluetooth to Serial port terminal
Advanced Signal Status - tells you exactly how much cell signal you're getting
c:geo - Open source Geocaching app
The Great Courses - watch your paid for great courses on your phone or tablet
LCARS UI - Turn your phone into a tricorder - all the phone's sensors are done in a Star Trek like format
magicApp - Wifi calling on your magic jack number
Hotspot Shield -  Free VPN software for getting around pay wifi tether
DigiSpeed - Speedometer for my dirt bike
Speaker Boost - increase the speaker volume to unsafe settings, useful for bluetooth headset volume
Animated Knots - how to make various types of knots
FlightRadar24 - See airline traffic in near realtime
ElectroDroid - Resistor band values, common electronic formulas, etc
Profit Bandit - Scan and locate competitive pricing for selling on Amazon
Torque Pro - Combined with a $20 bluetooth ODB2 reader, see all your car's diagnostics in real time and reset trouble lights
LiftMaster MyQ - Control and get the status of your garage door opener, requires a $25 net gateway and the right type of garage door opener (or their retrofit kit $), but awesome if you're like me and always wonder if you put down the garage door when you're two miles down the road

ScummVM - Play old scumm games
DraStic - Nintendo DS emulator
DosBox Turbo - x86 emulator
My Boy - GBA emulator
WordTwist - boggle kind of game
Monkey  Preschool Lunchbox - for my 2 year old
Phyzicle Sandbox - physics sandbox

[area51drone]

MV, there are a good number of yours that look interesting.   I tried ASCII Cam, that's awesome. Can you imagine how cool the old BBS's would have been with that?

When I get the chance, definitely going to install Tasker, TextLater and Osmos HD

These look useful to me too:

Funcgen (signal tone generator)
RTA Audio Analyzer (audio spectrum analyzer)

Thanks for all the responses.  Keep 'em coming.   I would request people list what the app does like cweb so we don't have to go searching just to see what they do.  It makes it easier to install into your ecosystem. 

[cweb]

I should provide a small disclaimer with any "live" audio analysis apps, which I'm sure you guys are already aware of. The apps' analysis is limited to the signal response of your phone's mic. For example, some phones won't give you a db reading any higher than 95.

Still, the nice thing about RTA is that you can calibrate it and that it's largely relative. So if your mix is a bit treble-heavy, it can lend some insight to assist your ears.

I also forgot to mention emulators. I use pretty much the same GBA/GB/NES emu apps. Great way to nostalg and kill some time!

[WOTR]

openvpn

Yes, open VPN.  Also, there is a TOR browser out there Don't use it for video or large files, but it is good, if a little slow.


Redphone (though the other person needs it as well) encrypts your conversation and uses data rather than long distance.  From the same developers comes textsecure for end to end encryption as well as chatsecure (which I have yet to play with.)


Outside of that, I enjoy wasting time with wordhero before bed....

[cweb]

Any recs on FTP apps?


I recently experimented with AndFTP for snagging files from my home file server. Worked pretty well, but I'm wondering if there are any better apps out there.

[area51drone]

That's what I've been using too, it works okay.  The interface is a little clunky, IMO.     TeamViewer will do file transfers, but you have to be running it on your server, obviously.

Speaking of network tools, I forgot to list Admin Alarm.  It will hit your servers and watch for specific responses, and if you don't get them (ie the server is down) then it will put up a notification on your phone.   Of course, it will notify you as well if you are out of cell range, but it's easy enough to turn off temporarily.

[area51drone]

You guys find any new apps in the last month aside from the Terrance and Phillips Freemium game?

[wr250]

Any recs on FTP apps?


I recently experimented with AndFTP for snagging files from my home file server. Worked pretty well, but I'm wondering if there are any better apps out there.

i use andftp, because it supports the server i run (sftp) .

[malliard]

Tune in Radio App


for those folks that like to listen to the internet radio on a cell phone....

[Northern Nights]

I'm loving the Periscope app, only been using it two days and it's a laugh riot.  I just watched comedian Harland Williams live feeding crackers to a puppet, okay I guess you had to be there.