Over the course of the past two years, the number of applications available on Android market has increased dramatically, to the point where it can compare against Apple’s iOS platform. With this in mind, it was no easy task to select the best, but we’ve done our best to pick ten applications that we believe every Android user should at least give a try, and perhaps keep afterwards.
Angry Birds
This is probably the most popular smartphone game ever. Basically, it’s a modification of a well-known concept involving a catapult that needs to be fired at a castle, except that you’re using birds to attack pigs. Sounds bizarre, doesn’t it? This continuously bizarre approach of birds being shot from a giant sling making all sorts of comments, pigs being hit that develop a black eye, while you’re actually saving eggs all along, gives this game a very peculiar atmosphere which is just plain contagious. This game’s development team is impressive, so it’s no wonder that everything was given due attention. Cartoon graphics, likeable characters, a bit of good physics, it’s all thrown in for good measure in order to provide you with ultimate fun. Additional levels for the game (Angry Birds Seasons) have just appeared, and we have to admit that they’re a fair deal harder than the original ones, providing the much-needed extra edge for hardened veterans of the original game.
Talking Tom
Extremely simple fun, yet extremely addictive. A cat is displayed on screen, and you’re supposed to cuddle it in order to make it purr, give her milk to increase her satisfaction or hit her to make her moan (we have to admit that this sort of description sounds rather ambiguous, but it’s not what you think). However, the fun part here is that she repeats what she hears, but in another way, sped up or increased in pitch. Soon enough, you’ll start competing with her in the speed and pitch of the voice, and if there’s more of you - fun is guaranteed. Trust us, once you’ve started laughing and Tom has started imitating you, you’ll fall into a vicious circle that ends when the battery is gone or you’ve run out of air, whichever comes first.
Sound Hound
You’re bound to have been in the following situation - you’re sitting in a café or listening to the radio (without RDS, for the wise guys), when an excellent song starts. You know nothing about it and have no one to ask, so the only hope you have is hearing the same song again in the presence of someone who knows all that info. Well, with the help of Sound Hound, you’ll always have someone to turn to. When started, this application automatically records sound, sends the file to the server for analysis, and in most cases returns the information on what song is currently being played and who’s the artist behind. But the list of features doesn’t end here - you can also view the album cover, song lyrics, and even buy the song instantly if you like it that much. The free version is limited to five “recognitions” per month, so use the app wisely.
Launcher Pro
Graphics-wise, Android is probably the most customisable of all mobile operating systems. Therefore, if you dislike the way your system looks “out-of-the-box”, or you simply wish to try out something new, Launcher Pro is inevitable. Even its basic version offers major graphic overhauls of the system, ranging from the home screen, over the menus and icons, to widgets. Another option is installing a ready-made theme, for example, Windows Phone 7 or Apple iOS, which is sure to confuse others at first. Bear in mind that many themes were developed for larger displays and resolutions, so if you have a modest phone model, pay attention to which theme you’re going to pick.
