FEATURE FACEBOOK
GOOGLE SKY MAP
The eventual arrival of the official Facebook app was met with mixed responses, but despite the confusingly foreign interface (and it must be said inferior performance and usability when compared with the iPhone’s version) the Facebook app does have a few nice li le tricks up its sleeve. The widget is a slap in the face for iPhone users, allowing seamless status pos ng from the homescreen, and the Facebook phonebook handily provides a few friends’ numbers you misplaced along with a fair few you deliberately lost. If you’re a Facebook fiend you won’t be happy un l you have this.
Almost excessively geeky but s ll interes ng. If the loca on of heavenly bodies concerns you then this star, planet and satellite mapper will use your GPS and compass to point you in the right direc on. Also useful for tricking unsuspec ng girls that you’re actually NASA smart.
“GET OUT THERE AND GET LOOKING FOR MORE DRIBBLE INDUCING APPS.”
PHONALYZR Apart from a Z in its name, this app holds absolutely nothing even slightly exci ng. However, you’d be surprised how interes ng your telephone sta s cs can be. This app tracks all calls and provides informa on which makes for o en surprising reading such as: top callers by minutes, top callers by calls, outbound vs. inbound calls and other stats which sound dull but might shock you when you realise you’ve been calling that a certain young lady more than anyone else.
LAYAR The best of the current crop of augmented reality apps. Having your own 3D mapping of local sights and sounds is very useful and the recent addi on of the tweep layer is strangely fascina ng. The camera allows an HUD-like overlay to be placed on top of live images producing an effect akin to being in an FPS (although hopefully not the same maniacal bloodlust). The tweep layer maps the loca on and content of twi er posts along with their twi er iden es on screen, very interes ng when not evoking a feeling a li le like being 1984’s Big Brother. Other layers map anything from homes for sale to halal food stores. A very cool app and one with a massive variety of possible func ons in the future. There are thousands of apps on Android Market and this list is by no means exhaus ve. There are bound to be a fair few killer apps I’ve missed out and there’ll be thousands added in the next few months to take advantage of increased market exposure. If you’ve already tried out these awesome addi ons to your handset, get out there and get looking for more dribble inducing apps. Charles Thompson
phonica magazine uk
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