After all the great things I've heard about iPhone's marketplace, I was going to get one until AT&T did their little data plan switch.
Then I got the EVO, hoping because Android was a developing market and there were thousands and thousands of apps, it would compare to iPhone's.
Not even close. I'm scrolling through, trying to find cool apps, and most of them seem to be utility apps or some such stuff. Most of the reviews on these things seem to indicate the apps are buggy or the developer has stopped support.
Where are all the cool apps like iPhone has? Are they in the paid section? Even those seem to be buggy from what I'm reading in the User Comments sections. How come iPhone gets great voice to text support (I know people who use this function a lot) and Android doesn't? Corporations are putting out iPhone apps left and right and Android has practically nothing. And the ones they ARE putting out, again, seem buggy.
Seems like a great waste to me.
Someone please clue me in and show me what I've been missing.
The AppStore has an 18 month head start on the Android Market, not to mention there are like 5 times the number of iPod/iPhones then Android devices right now. So it makes since that developers have up to this point been putting a majority of their time and resources into the AppStore. But, with 160k+ Android activations a day and growing Android WILL take over iPhones at some point in the future and we'll really begin to see a ton of developer support as the platform continues to quickly grow.
Ya what he ^ said. Android will eventually be big enough where developers cannot ignore the potential customers. As long as google doesn't fragment the market too much, you should see the big developers start dual releasing software (similar to xbox and ps3).
great voice to text supprt, you know thats google's software tht does that on the iphone
I got a apple fanboy at work and he is always saying my market sucks and I ask him to show me some of his life changing apps, and he has nothing cool
norkoastal said:
Ya what he ^ said. Android will eventually be big enough where developers cannot ignore the potential customers. As long as google doesn't fragment the market too much, you should see the big developers start dual releasing software (similar to xbox and ps3).
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maybe is apple drops that part of EULA where an apple developer must be only dedicated to apple development or be dropped from the app store, much like our facebook app is far behind the apple one. the new team has to catch up
nbakid2000 said:
After all the great things I've heard about iPhone's marketplace, I was going to get one until AT&T did their little data plan switch.
Then I got the EVO, hoping because Android was a developing market and there were thousands and thousands of apps, it would compare to iPhone's.
Not even close. I'm scrolling through, trying to find cool apps, and most of them seem to be utility apps or some such stuff. Most of the reviews on these things seem to indicate the apps are buggy or the developer has stopped support.
Where are all the cool apps like iPhone has? Are they in the paid section? Even those seem to be buggy from what I'm reading in the User Comments sections. How come iPhone gets great voice to text support (I know people who use this function a lot) and Android doesn't? Corporations are putting out iPhone apps left and right and Android has practically nothing. And the ones they ARE putting out, again, seem buggy.
Seems like a great waste to me.
Someone please clue me in and show me what I've been missing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you looking for in the Market? What do you want an App to do for you? You cannot just get into to the Market to 'look for cool apps'. It will be very helpful if you narrow your search, that way you can get the help you want. The Android Market cannot be blamed for corporations that put out sub-par or buggy apps. Take your issues up with their developers.
If you depend solely on users comments to make your decision about an app, you might end up not trying any. Since Android phones have varied models and specifications there are bound to be different experiences from different users. Even for users with the same device, the App may appear a bit buggy because of the modifications they have made to their phones.
There are different communities of users that review Apps and offer feedback that may be useful. AppBrain is a good one to try. Good luck.
I try not to read too much into user comments because some of the people either dont know how to use the app or are trying to use a brand new app on an outdated android phone/os
BrianDigital; said:
I got a apple fanboy at work and he is always saying my market sucks and I ask him to show me some of his life changing apps, and he has nothing cool
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Cause there is nothing that cool lol. I've been using AppStore for 2 years going now and still use it with my iPad. To me, the only thing the AppStore does better are the games. That's expected because they have been out longer. I have yet to try any android games so I could be wrong. Most of appstore apps are gimmicks and a waste of space. They do have a good selection of very good programs, as does the android store. Android store also has more free programs that are better I've noticed. Even the great programs that cost money are cheap. The biggest thing is that you can refund within 24 hours on the android store.
This is a personal preference. I like good useful programs where I wont delete it 5 mins later. Now I think about it, most of the apps I used on the iphone and iPad now are from Cydia.
what is a "cool app" for you? once you can define it as a boolean string you'll be all set.
until then its not unlike the iphone store...tens of thousands of apps. of that a huge number are redundant and or outdated. a good chunk are crap or useless. that leaves a bunch of needles in the haystack.
1) try a site like appbrain.com or apps.androidtapp.com (they may provide better search options)
2) do some google searches for "top EVO apps" or "Best Android apps" etc. that helped me quite a bit.
what is cool to one person is irrelevant crap to another.
DraginMagik said:
what is a "cool app" for you? once you can define it as a boolean string you'll be all set.
what is cool to one person is irrelevant crap to another.
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exactly. sounds like you just wanna **** around on your phone to me. I AM T-PAIN!!!!!!!!!
Well you can always check out the "cool app" thread in this same section that might help a little btw
brown14you said:
What are you looking for in the Market? What do you want an App to do for you? You cannot just get into to the Market to 'look for cool apps'. It will be very helpful if you narrow your search, that way you can get the help you want. The Android Market cannot be blamed for corporations that put out sub-par or buggy apps. Take your issues up with their developers.
If you depend solely on users comments to make your decision about an app, you might end up not trying any. Since Android phones have varied models and specifications there are bound to be different experiences from different users. Even for users with the same device, the App may appear a bit buggy because of the modifications they have made to their phones.
There are different communities of users that review Apps and offer feedback that may be useful. AppBrain is a good one to try. Good luck.
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Click to collapse
I never blamed Android for the lack of apps situation. Where did I do that? I said I was disappointed with the Marketplace. At no time did I say, "I'm upset with Android and Google for not having any cool apps."
What do I want in apps? I dunno. I've never owned an iPhone so I'm not sure exactly what's out there....except I've heard that EVERYTHING is out there.
A couple of things missing off the top of my head:
Kevin's Smith app
Redbox
Blockbuster
The rest, I guess, is just cool stuff...whatever that may be. How about some nice apps for alcoholic beverages? The ones I've found (from the user reviews) don't seem that great. Again, I haven't tried them but if most people say an app isn't very good, I tend to believe it.
How about an app for cooking recipes? How about a great music player (which I haven't found yet, but MixZing seems to be pretty decent)? How about an app that compares prices?
Shazam (a music program) is supposed to be on Android. It's not. It looks like they pulled it, even though their web site advertises it.
The thing is, I don't know what app I need until I see it. I've never experienced it, so I don't know what I'm missing. *shrug* I just know I must be missing SOMEthing, based on everything I've ever heard or read about Apple's store.
On the subject of voice to text...what's a good app for that? Why can I not get something up to par with what iPhone has? Or can I?
There is a redbox app. Google shopper would be good for prices i think. Blockbuster is about to go out of business anyway lol. Shazam is definitely there because i just searched and it showed up. vlingo voice is a good voice to text even though android has that pretty much built in already. The music player that comes with the evo is good enough for me so idk about the others. Whats the kevin smith app?
I'd like to know where the free Redbox app came from. It wasn't there on my device a while ago. I just downloaded it.
Shazam is now showing up for me and I've done multiple searches over the past day for this thing. It's downloading as well.
The Kevin Smith app is found here: http://www.denvog.com/iphone/KevinSmith/index.html
nbakid2000 said:
I'd like to know where the free Redbox app came from. It wasn't there on my device a while ago. I just downloaded it.
Shazam is now showing up for me and I've done multiple searches over the past day for this thing. It's downloading as well.
The Kevin Smith app is found here: http://www.denvog.com/iphone/KevinSmith/index.html
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shazam has been there since last year or longer because i bought the hero when it came out last october and had shazam. just give it time. the "cool" apps will show up
Not sure what you mean by voice to text app
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are asking. Voice to text is part of the android 2.1 operating system. When you hit the microphone it will put text into whatever you are using such as an e-mail or a text message. There is no need for an app for it as it is built into the operating system
Voice to text? Already supported out of the box.
However, you can get Vlingo from the marketplace. It costs quite a bit, but if you're a dedicated voice user, it can be good for you.
You have to look around. Google is your friend.
What do you want? Cool games?
Hungry Shark, Raging Thunder II, Exzeus Arcade, Slimeball Speedway, Tiki Towers, Caligo Chaser, and Gameboid are just some I can think of off the top of my head. Gameboid will multiply those games because of ROMS.
A PSx emulator is in the works by the same developer.
Google's apps themselves impressed a lot of people that I showed my phone to.
Google Sky Map, Google Goggles, Google Earth, Google Maps, etc.
Other free apps that are top knotch:
Pandora, Facebook, Twitter, Shazam, Barcode Scanner, LED Light, Handcent SMS, TV.com (awesome cbs shows right there!).
Ringdroid (make ringtones ON YOUR PHONE), QIK video chat, Fring (for skype).
There are also apps where you can download backgrounds and ringtones from a wide variety.
So... just look around. Google helps.
And lastly, a lot of developers are looking into developing for Android. With all the new Android phones and Android users, things are working out well for its marketplace. For example, with the release of the HTC Evo... former palm pre, blackberry, and winmo users came. Hardly any people moved from android to android in that case.
Pretty much all of those apps you listed I have installed on my Evo via the Market.
patelkedar91 started a great list but here's a list of my favorite apps
acv - comic viewing app if you have downloaded comics(reads cbr files!)
doubletwist - media app that plays music and video, also has a matching desktop client for syncing your android phone, much like itunes to the iphone
epicurious - recipe app
fxcamera - camera app that has some awesome built in effects
layar - augmented reality app that shows points of interest through the camera
urbanspoon - can't decide on where to eat? just set preferences and shake to get a restaurant
Photoshop.com Mobile - basic photo editing app
transdroid - app to control torrent clients from your phone, including adding torrents
zombie, run! - one of the funnest apps on my phone, uses gps location to simulate a zombie apocalypse. shows zombies as red dots and you have to avoid them and make it to a location you set, makes biking to school a lot more interesting
there's a lot more, keep looking and lurk these forums like crazy. good "cool" apps are recommended here a lot
I don't even understand the point of this post. You didn't have an iPhone, but just 'hear' that it had it lots of cool apps. Then come to Android just looking for random 'cool' apps but can't articulate what you are looking for. Sure, the iPhone had 65 different fart apps, so it has an advantage there.
I had the iPhone 3G, then 3GS, then went to the Droid and now the EVO. I don't have a ton of apps, but I use quite a few. When I moved to the Droid in November, there were only two apps that I had with the iPhone that weren't available on the Android Market; SlingPlayer and Alarm.com. Both of those have since been released on the Market too.
Shazam has been available the whole time except for some reason that it disappeared a week or so ago. Music player? Well, Android has one built in and the EVO has HTC's version. On the Market, there is Mixzing and DoubleTwist. Blockbuster? Who friggin cares. Blockbuster will be out of business before long and Netflix is better anyway. The Netflix app is coming soon to Android.
I will admit that the games were a bit better on the iPhone, but outside of that I don't miss anything about the iPhone or the App Store.
(my) First app ever! Proof of concept, wanted to port some java code into android as fun project. This app is effectively a slimmed-down version of Google Hacks for android.
It performs a modified google search with emphasis on specific file types to help you find music, movies, books or anything else right through your browser, directly to your phone/tablet.
It is very small, but effective, especially with the right searches. It's also easy on the eyes and has simple controls. Comments and suggestions are welcome! I'm a fresh android developer and would love to hear what you think.
Very nice!
Sent from my Liquid Thunderbread HTC Thunderbolt
Are you the same developer for blackberry version of file Scout?
That's what she said...
@onestop: thank you!
@ayysir: no, I am not affiliated with the developers of FileScout for Blackberry in any way. I wrote this app without the intentions of publishing it, just as a test, and picked the name on a whim to help describe the app's function a little better.
Perfect man. Well done
Hey Devs!
I had a really great idea for a new app: what about making an app like Siri or Iris or Vlingo etc. in complete Knight Rider KITT Style?!
Of course the app should have the original looking red graphic animation, that moves when KITT is speaking and it should have a real voice output when answering questions, just like Siri but only with KITT like voice.
Is it possible to make this?
What do you think?
To my opinion, an app like this would be awesome, there are still many Knight Rider Fans out there!
Nice idea
Actually like the idea.
Good luck.
Regards.
The amount of money necessary to get ahold of enough server power and programmers to get even a fraction of siri's functionality would be enormous. Apple is a multi billion dollar company... Its nigh impossible for independent programmers and such to really keep up with them. Its a nice idea though
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Don't get me wrong, i just had the idea, i'm no developer, so i can't do it myself.
cliffahn said:
The amount of money necessary to get ahold of enough server power and programmers to get even a fraction of siri's functionality would be enormous. Apple is a multi billion dollar company... Its nigh impossible for independent programmers and such to really keep up with them. Its a nice idea though
Sent from my SHW-M250S using xda premium
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Anyone can search google using the correct api's. Independant programmers have built the basis for what we today know as "Android OS". This is quite possible, with quite a few virtual assitants availble in market for android. There are even cloud based servers available for free, so this is entirely possible. Specially when you look at the boys who are porting android to devices like the htc tytn ii/htc vogue etc
I found a very cool application (but too slow) can be an answer for you it is called voice actions , the voice is name jeanny but you can change the name to be KITT
I did it before reading your post !
Its possible, I'm not sure about the voice though, you would have to create it and make it Androids default voice because all the virtual assistant use Google API's, You could do it different, but its a cool idea.
Mr. Feeny's voice in my phone? Yes please.
Whenever I'm about to make a bad decision, it must say "Michael, wait..."
It's a great idea, but I would expand on that.
Firstly, the application should be modular. Siri is limited and lame. There's so many things I'd like it to be able to do though. This way you can use add ons to expand it's abilities. Maybe allow KITT to interface with my car, or updates from Facebook, and etc.
Secondly, make it able to get more then one voice. KITT is a wonderful idea, but there's a lot of voices I'd also like to hear. GlaDos from Portal, Hal from A Space Odyssey, or even Bender from Futurama.
Well, it could be narrowed down a bit. If the user says "What is ..." then, perhaps, Wolfram what they're asking for?
If they're trying to text or call someone, that also doesn't require a server owned by the creator...
It's not 100% foolproof, but it could be a good start.
Hi all, I'm a Singaporean developer and I'm here to tell you that I'm sick of idiots posting/bragging their daily life on Facebook, I mean, if you want to do that, why not do it so that I can ACTUALLY use that information next time? Thankfully, I'm a developer and I can actually do something about it.
WHAT IF, those stupid FOOD pictures taken at the restaurant actually POP UP the next time I am hungry and near that area? WHAT IF those slutty clubbing pictures could actually help me pick a club when I want to go? So here's my solution.
Spawt is a location-based experience bookmarking service so now you could actually point those idiots to the app and actually end up building a beautiful scrapbook of experiences that you and your friends can mutually share and discover.
Features
- Bookmark a great experience by creating a Checkpoint.
- Contextually discover interesting experiences from fellow Spawtters based on your current location.
* Spawt believes that your friends' experiences matter more, so your Facebook friends' Checkpoints will be treated as first class citizens.
- Builds a catalog of Checkpoints that will serve as a scrapbook of experiences for when you need an inspiration on what to do next.
- No need to create a whole new social network, leverages your existing Facebook network.
* Note, we send NOTHING back to Facebook, your privacy is MY topmost concern. (I should know, I'm a Facebook cynic.)
Download the app and tell me what you make of it, and most importantly how I can go on making it better for you and your friends. Search for "Spawt Beta" or get it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5jdHJsZWZmIl0.
PS: Oh did I mention Galaxy S2 kicks ass?
PSS: Oh also, if the app does crash, and it will, please click Report so I can fix it so you can swear a little bit less when the next update comes.
nice
great idea, am going to test that
thanks kuroshn, tell me what you make of it
I Like it because you call Facebook users Idiots...
haha thanks. unfortunately its a necessary evil though
Yeh im up for testing hate facebook. . Is this a worthwile altrrnative? looks like it
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Why do you need to log in with facebook? nooooo sorry uninstall
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Having read this article over on CNet Crave UK I couldn't help but compare it to the standard voice offering within Android.
To get the results of the test for Siri and S-Voice look here:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-s3s-s-voice-vs-siri-on-iphone-4s-50008087/
Here is me doing the same test with Google Voice:
Here is my response to the article:
Test One: Call Luke Bailey, the standard Google voice recognition on my HTC One X hits this one out the park... RESULT: Success
Test Two: Whats the weather like today? Another instant success with the standard Google Voice offering, bringing up Google Search with a 5 day forecast for my location in Wigan, UK. RESULT: Success
Test Three: Do I need an umbrella today? This trips up the standard offering by just doing a Google Search for the statement but the first result is half way to success by giving me the option to input my location (which I do again with Voice on the keyboard and it returns a successful YES response) RESULT: Fail
Test Four: Text Luke Bailey, again instant success using the standard Google Voice recognition offering. No problems understanding my Northern Monkey accent when I say "Text Luke Bailey, You will need an Umbrella today." RESULT: Success
Test Five: Slight change of question to suit myself I ask "Find a Good pub nearby" The standard offering understood what I asked but hesitated slightly and gave me five options to pick from. The top being correct required me to use my hands but then swiftly brings up Google and having used location services brings up various pubs.
However even with 15+ pubs within a mile of my house it only brings up those with Google listings the nearest of which is 5 miles away. RESULT: Neither success or fail but requires work.
Test Six: Directions to Wigan Town Hall, it doesn't fail to accurately understand my command and brings up Google Maps with the right directions. RESULT: Success
Test Seven: Set Alarm for...unfortunately due to Google Voice not integrating with the Clock App on my HTC One X this results in a web search when asked to set the Alarm for 1023pm. However Google do list this as a valid command... RESULT: Fail
Test Eight: How High is Mount Everest? 29,029feet bang on and instant answer. RESULT: Success
Test Nine: Tell me a joke? Asking the standard Google Voice to talk to me made me one. RESULT: Fail
Test Ten: Search Bonobo Apes, apparently my Northern Monkey accent isn't helping here and after two attempts I give up but it does seem to they they are Noble Apes lol RESULT: Fail
Test Eleven: Google Voice does not integrate with the Calendar app and offers no commands for it. However I can open up Google Calendar in my browser via Voice to input manually.
Still...RESULT: Fail
Test Twelve: Again as the standard Voice offering is not designed to talk back to you all this does is make me look like a twonk. However for me this beats S Voice and Siri hands down as the web search this results in gives me the YouTube Video for Crossing the Bridge of Death in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Result: FAIL but laced with WIN
Test Thirteen: What's the best smart phone? Well having asked Google Voice it returns with a web search and in the top sponsored results I find the HTC One X with an average of 4 and half stars out of 5 from over 120 seller reviews. Not perfect as it doesn't take consumer reviews into consideration however as I get a result which neither Siri nor S-Voice does I say... RESULT: Success
Test Fourteen: Update Twitter, Again lack of app integration means another web search RESULT: Fail
Test Fifteen: Speed? What is the Capital of Iraq? Answer: Baghdad in 3 seconds flat...RESULT: Success
Conclusion: With seven successes and having read how the Siri and S-Voice offerings don't really fare much better my conclusion is that voice commands only serve their purpose while doing other tasks such as driving and you can't hold your phone. Leaving me with the same opinion I had at the outset, if you either brag about having Siri or I see you talking to your phone as they do in the ads in public, I reserve the right to tell you, you look like a tw*t.
You've entirely missed the point of Siri.
Sent from my SGH-I777
MikeyMike01 said:
You've entirely missed the point of Siri.
Sent from my SGH-I777
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Disability accessibility tool? Make the human race even lazier? A friend for anti social or socially inept types?
Please be a little bit more constructive and tell me what you think the point of Siri is?
As you say I miss the point of Siri when all I've done is compare both offerings as they exist and work from a UK perspective as per the CNET article I fail to realise how me adding GVoice into the mix is missing the point of anything?
I've not even tried to explain what the point of either of the three is. My conclusion is based on personal opinion and even if Siri lives up to what its point is, you'll still look like a twonk using it out in public.
I agree that the human race will be getting lazier and fatter at the same time I'm afraid that we have become to dependent on our technology. It's a scary feeling.
SB13X You're a legend
SB13X said:
Disability accessibility tool? Make the human race even lazier? A friend for anti social or socially inept types?
Please be a little bit more constructive and tell me what you think the point of Siri is?
As you say I miss the point of Siri when all I've done is compare both offerings as they exist and work from a UK perspective as per the CNET article I fail to realise how me adding GVoice into the mix is missing the point of anything?
I've not even tried to explain what the point of either of the three is. My conclusion is based on personal opinion and even if Siri lives up to what its point is, you'll still look like a twonk using it out in public.
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I completely agree with you. Unless you're driving there is no reason to use voice recognition because the accuracy isn't there yet. Mike, interesting to see you weren't able to reply with any constructive reason why "the point of Siri" was missed in this very fair test of voice recognition. This leads me to conclude you're one of the people referred to who likes to brag about Siri or enjoys talking to his phone and looking like a tw*t.