The Best Android Apps and Utilities for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
It's Androids turn this time. Here's a list of must-have Android Apps for my Jelly Bean update:
1) It bugs the hell out of me that there isn't a decent and simple note taking app in Android. ColorNote makes up for it fine. ColorNote
2) The default Google Calendar also drives me nuts. I want a month view, with at least a few character preview for each item and a list below the month. Jorte is perfect for month and week views with gestures that make sense - although the data entry is a little ugly. Jorte Update: I actually tried Business Calendar before Jorte and for some reason my first attempt didn't stick. I've since tried it a few more times and I'm liking it a lot. Business Calendar .
I also have Business Calendar installed because I like their widget (they all sync from the same home and Google calendars anyway).
3) A great file system explorer - ES Explorer
4) Evernote, Instagram, Facebook, Skype and a bunch you probably already have as well (okay so that's like four more I snuck into my top ten).
5) UPDATE: Twicca is cool, Carbon is slick - Carbon Twitter client . Here's what was until recently the best Twitter client - Twicca. It has a nice dark theme which matches my desktop - but the main thing is it's fast, stable, and lets you control when you want to load new tweets - going forward or backwards. The data entry side is a little quirky as well - but I like it - it works - really well. Twicca
6) It took me ages to find a decent world clock - another shortcoming of Android. This one is 'the businesss' - Polyclock
7) It also took me ages to find a decent multi-country weather service. Beautiful Widgets and their Weather widget can't seem to get the sunrise time right for multiple countries. Weather Services Pro on the other hand works great, seems accurate, (lets you choose your weather source) and fits nicely with my dark desktop. Weather Services Pro
8) Since the update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean - Google decided to change the search bar from transparent - which sat nicely on my dark desktop - to a sickly gray opaque background - which looks about as nice as John Constable painting place mats. Thankfully there is the Apex and Nova launchers. I'm using the Nova launcher, and I love its 3D desktop switcher. Not only does it allow you to change the Google search bar back to a transparent color, but it it keeps the same application/widget list as the stock launcher - while letting you choose how many virtual desktops you want, and which one is the default - which is slick. Worth the paid version - Nova Launcher.
9) There are a ton of 'to-do' and task managers our there - but I love this one - Astrid. You can access their Website from your desktop for synchronized data entry and you can share lists with others when you want to work together on a list - like a holiday, wedding or whatever. Evernote will let you create lists as well - but Astrid is sticky cool.
10) WiFi Analyzer - this is a great free app that will show you the signal details of your local WiFi networks, including better channels that you should be using (for your access points/routers), db range and interference etc. WiFi Analyzer
And that's about it...