Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Barnacle Wifi Tether

| FREE | szym.net

The Best Tethering App for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Unlike iOS, there are plenty of tethering options for Android, and most of them work well depending on what you're trying to do and the type of user you are. Some are wired, some are wireless, some require root, others don't, but we found that for most people, PdaNet is the best tethering option because it's reliable, accessible, easy to install and use, and easy to troubleshoot. Platform: AndroidPrice: Free ($15.95 to unlock full functionality)Download Page PdaNet is one of the first real tethering apps that appeared for Android, and in our opinon it's still the best. The 14-day trial is free, so you can get a feel for how well the app runs for you before deciding to purchase it, it supports Mac OS and Windows systems, and you have the option of tethering either wired via USB or wireless via Bluetooth. PdaNet is also one of the first apps that gets updated every time wireless carriers announce a new round of sniffing to see who's tethering without a tethering charge added to their monthly bill, so you can thank the developers for keeping up the cat-and-mouse game there. It's easy to use, easy to install on your desktop and on your phone, and it doesn't require root access to run, which is a huge point in its favor. What makes PdaNet a real winner here though is that it's easy to set up, easy to use, more reliable than any of the other tethering apps we've tried, and has support options available for you if you run into trouble. Even though we really like PdaNet, it's not without its downsides. For example, it lacks the ability to tether to your device over Wi-Fi, which is a bit of a disappointment. Plus, the $16 price tag may be steep for Read More

Package Buddy

| FREE | Partial Software

The Best Package Tracker for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

There are so many package tracking applications available for Android that there's no way we could highlight them all, but after testing several, we think Parcels delivers the right package of useful features for the price tag—free. You still have to enter your tracking numbers manually, but where other apps may have more gimmicky features, Parcels is clean, to the point, notifies you of changes, and gets the job done. Platform: AndroidPrice: FreeDownload Page Parcels' may not have the UI flair that some of its iOS counterparts do, but what it lacks in design it makes up for in functionality. You do have to enter your tracking numbers manually (the developer recently removed the requirement that you link the app with your Google account for shipping notifications), but once you do you can see package status at any time on one screen. You can drill down to see all of the updates from the carrier, check the package's progress on a Google Map, or jump over to the carrier's web site to see detail the app may not have picked up, all without having to re-enter the tracking number. Best of all, Parcels does all of this for free, ad-free. There is a donationware version of the app that will set you back just over $4 USD if you want to contribute to the app's development. The major downside to Parcels is that you have to enter each of your tracking numbers in manually (unless you're tracking outgoing packages, in which case you can scan the barcodes.) Other package tracking apps have found various ways to get around that (more on this later), but as it stands, you'll have to copy and paste from your shipping email into the app, or type it in while looking at another screen. Also, one Read More

Qik Video

| FREE | Skype Software SARL

The Best Video Camera App for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Unfortunately, there's a serious lack of video recording applications for Android that build on the features of the stock app. Perhaps its because there are so many devices with so many different cameras, or perhaps its because the stock camcorder app does things so well. In any event, we found that the stock camcorder app offered the most control over the camera and got the job done with the least hassle or setup. Platform: AndroidPrice: Built-In/FreeIt comes with your phone! This is one of those situations where the stock app is the best because it gives you all of the access to the features available on your Android device and because it's pre-installed. The stock camcorder app won't blow you away, and on most devices it only comes with the minimum required to quickly record and share video on the go, but that's enough for most people and it gets the job done. Part of the issue is that app developers can't inject features into a camcorder app that a specific handset doesn't support, so it's difficult to come up with camcorder apps that really enhance the recording experience without just adding software effects. The biggest drawback of the stock camorder app is that it's tied to the stock camera app as well. There are plenty of other great camera apps out there for Android, but to use the camcorder app, you have to launch the default camera app, or at least install a camcorder shortcut that will let you jump right to the video side of the app. Additionally, the fact that features vary in the camcorder app so greatly depending on the version of Android you're running and the ROM you're using means that some devices have solid, feature-rich camcorder apps with image stabilization, shooting grids, and brightness and Read More

Splashtop Remote Desktop

| $1.99 | Splashtop

Daily App Deals: Get Documents To Go for Android for Free in Today's App Deals - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale. Documents To Go Full Version Key (Amazon Appstore) Previously $14.99, now Free . Documents To Go for Android allows you to create and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint presentations on your Android device. The app also integrates with Google Docs so you can access your files remotely. Get it for Free. (via LogicBuy) iOS Android Windows iOS Android Windows Read More

AlarmDroid

| FREE | Fabian Lueghausen

The Best Alarm Clock App for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Alarm clock utilities for Android are a dime-a-dozen, and ultimately choosing the best one comes down to the features you need. Even so, after testing several of the more popular ones on in the Android App Market, we think that Alarm Clock XTreme is the most feature-rich and useful alarm clock available for Android, thanks to its display customization features, unique alarm settings, and more. Platform: AndroidPrice: Free (Ad-Supported, $1.99 to Remove Ads)Download Page Alarm Clock Xtreme is a simple, feature-rich solution to what can be a complicated problem. The app's biggest strength is that it looks and feels like Android's built-in alarm and timer app, which is functional, but missing a number of the features that make Alarm Clock Xtreme and its alternatives great. By far, the "solve math to silence alarm" feature is Alarm Clock Xtreme's stand-out feature, and between that and its countdown view and home-screen widget that will never leave you wondering when the alarm is going to go off, it won us over. The fact that the app can detect when you're in motion and disable your alarm for you is a great touch as well. Aside from that, the app covers all of the bases and does it well. The only major drawback to Alarm Clock Xtreme is that for all of its customization and widget options, it just doesn't look at sharp as it could. The fonts are a little fuzzy and the UI looks like it was built for phones running Android 1.6 (and yet it supports 2.1 and higher) and could use a little work. Still, it doesn't have to look great to wake you up in the morning. One other minor nitpick: the ads in the free version tend to get in the way of some of the buttons at times, Read More

Time Recording - Timesheet App

| FREE | DynamicG

The Best Time Tracking Application for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

There's no shortage of time tracking apps for Android, and they run the gamut from feature-rich to simplistic. We tested several, and found that Time Recording offers the best combination of easy time-entry with the most features to help you keep track of the time you spend on your projects and clients. Platform: AndroidPrice: Free (Pro: $2.95)Download Page Time Recording is one of the most popular time tracking apps in the Android Market, and while it's not the most simplistic app for time management available, it's certainly one of the most robust. The app makes it remarkably easy to create projects and tasks and then assign the time you spend to those tasks by checking in when you start and checking out when you're complete. You won't waste time setting Time Recording up, and you'll find yourself quickly tracking your time, which is the real goal of the app. The addition to assign billing rates and overtime to your projects and tasks make it easy to see how much money you should bill your clients for, or how much money you're spending by working on something non-billable. Also, even on a small screen, Time Recording's built-in reports make it easy to see how much work you've done on a project over the past day, week, or month, and how much money you've earned or spent in that time. Plus, the app allows you to export data quickly and easily for review on your computer. The pro version's features extend the app's functionality a great deal for a low price, and the integration with Dropbox, Tasker, and Locale simply can't be beat. Unfortunately, even though Task Recording is a great app, it's not without limitations. The free version is ad-supported, and you'll have to upgrade to pro to remove the ads. The Read More

Citizenside

| FREE | Citizenside.com

Citizenside Sells Your Newsworthy Photos and Videos - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Android/iOS/Web: These days most of us have wireless devices with decent cameras and constant internet connections. This is bringing about a rise in citizen journalism that news media broker Citizenside wants to encourage by acting as a sales agent between traditional news outlets and amateur photographers and videographers. The burning question everyone wants to know is how much Citizenside pays. The homepage states that royalties can go up to 75% but user reports say the real rate is around 50-65% of whatever price they command when they sell your work. When you upload a video or photo to Citizenside you agree to give them a three month exclusive license to sell your images, but after 48 hours if the photos/videos aren't "hot" enough the license lowers to non-exclusive status and your work is relegated to being sold from an image bank. At that point you can market it elsewhere. You'll receive royalty payments via PayPal 60 days after the photos or videos are sold. If you don't think you'll ever use this app keep the name in mind. If something newsworthy happens and you get footage you can download the app and immediately create a username via Facebook and upload your image. The site also serves a global news source displaying media from Citizenside contributors. Read More

ChefTap Recipe App

| FREE | Mindframe Design

ChefTap for Android Turns Your Phone into a Cooking Companion - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Android: There's no shortage of mobile apps that allow you to look up recipes, bookmark them, and share them with your friends, but ChefTap also imports recipes from other web sites and food blogs, and walks you through their recipes, step by step, as you cook them. ChefTap is free, and can sync with your Epicurious and AllRecipes accounts. The app can scan your phone's bookmarks and import recipes from food blogs you've saved, along with the original photos so you can see them in the app (especially useful if you sync bookmarks on your phone with your computer.) ChefTap can even organize sub-recipes, like sauces to go along with meat preparations, separately so you don't get them mixed up. While you can use the app as a database of recipes and dishes, its more helpful as a companion in the kitchen. Since the app can import recipes from other sites and serve as a locker for your favorite recipes, when it comes time to start cooking, you can switch to "step-by-step" mode and see each step clearly as you progress. ChefTap's simplicity and clean layout is one of its great strengths: it's free, ad-free, and lets you get right to what you want to see. You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+. Read More

Wunderlist Task Manager

| FREE | 6Wunderkinder

The Best To-Do App for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

There are more to-do list managers and utilities available for Android that there's no way we could mention every one of them. That said, after testing several apps and companion services, we settled on Wunderlist as the best to-do manager for Android, but it has very stiff competition. Platform: AndroidPrice: FreeDownload Page Wunderlist's greatest strength is in its flexibility. The Android app is great and richly featured on its own, and gives you access to all of the features you would want from a mobile to-do manager. You can add tasks easily, move them around between categories or star them to mark them as important, change due dates, and even change the view so you can focus specifically on the most important items you have to work on. Plus, all of your tasks and changes are synchronized to your Wunderlist account on the web so you don't have to sync or push your changes to another device. Additionally, you can share to-dos with other users and collaborate on projects. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Wunderlist is available for virtually every platform, with native apps for iOS, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux in addition to Android and a fully-featured webapp. Wunderlist's Android app is relatively new, so some users have reported issues getting the homescreen widgets to work just right, or sorting tasks to work. These all worked fine in our tests, but they're worth noting. Also, while Wunderlist does allow you to star tasks and make notes on them for more reference, there's no tagging support. Plus—and this is a big one—Wunderlist has no location-awareness at all. It's a con when you consider some of its competition has it, but it's not as big a drawback when you consider that Wunderlist is completely free and its competitors that do have location-awareness Read More

Tango Video Calls

| FREE | Tango

The Best Video Chat Application for Android - Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

Android users with front-facing cameras looking to make video calls from their phones have a lot of great options, but we found that Skype is the most mature and feature-rich video chat application for the job. Platform: AndroidPrice: FreeDownload Page Skype's biggest strength is the wide breadth of its audience. There are Skype users who use their Android phones, Android tablets, iPhones, iPads, desktops, laptops, even their televisions to communicate, and with Skype for Android you can videochat with all of them. Skype may have its faults (and we'll get to some of them in a moment) but after all, the best video chat application is the one you can actually use, and it's a pretty fair bet that your friends and family have either heard of Skype or have Skype accounts already. The Skype mobile app is incredibly easy to use, and comes pre-installed on many phones (which is both a pro and a con.) Video call quality was good in our tests even over 3G, although it was clearly better over Wi-Fi and 4G when it was available. It doesn't hurt to also be able to voice call or IM with other Skype users through the app as well. Skype's biggest problem is that its support is a bit spotty on some Android devices. It only supports Android 2.1 or higher, and only devices using Android 2.3 or higher even support apps that request permissions to access their front-facing cameras. Video quality can be a bit spotty as well, especially over 3G in places where signal strength is weak. You can toggle quality manually, but it would be nice if the app would adjust based on available bandwidth. Fring (Free) is easily Skype's biggest competition, and rightfully so: it does beat Skype at a few things: it supports group Read More