Technology Recommendations
This week we cover what I refer to as “Cerebral” applications as part of My Favorite Android Apps series. These are apps focused on expanding your mind and knowledge of the world and yourself.
Cerebral
- Aldiko: I love reading books, but I can’t necessary carry one everywhere I go. I already use my Motorola CLIQ for reading emails and RSS feeds. So why not books? Aldiko gives me just that. There are numerous books available for free and some that you can purchase.
Keep in mind, the latest announcement about ebooks is that the Kindle app will become available on Android 1.6 kernel and higher this summer! The app will be free, and you’ll purchase books for it via web or directly on the phone.
- Countries of the World: When I hear international news, I sometimes wonder where are these countries and what are some interesting facts about them. Enter Countries of the World app. You get information about a country’s economy, military expenditure, geographical location and size, and population. What’s more, you can quiz yourself or your friends on these facts.
- Free Dictionary: I love words, as is apparent given that I write a blog. There are many times in a week that I hear a word I don’t understand. If I’m away from my computer, I just whip out my phone and run the Free Dictionary app to look it up. The words are CACHED on your phone. So, there’s no delay in seeing the results. I only wish they’ had a builtin Thesaurus.
- Howcast: I used to be a big fan of the site HowStuffWorks.com. I found the articles fascinating. Howcast is a similar service, and for you phone. The difference is that these videos demonstrate how to do something rather than how something works. Think of it as a “how to” YouTube. If you want to know how to lay sod, no problem. Just look it up on Howcast search by typing in “How to lay sod” and watch the animation with the list of tools and process to do it right. How about how to fix a wet cell phone ? Just try it and you’ll find a video on that too. Of course, one may wonder, how do you access these videos on your phone if your phone is already wet!!!
- TED Mobile: I find many of the videos on TED.com fascinating. They are recordings of TED conferences around the world over the years. They help me see a different perspective on anything from science to the arts, politics to sociology. With TED Mobile, I can view these videos with surprising clarity on my phone.
- United States Constitution: Who can’t use a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution just for those moments when one wonders what’s in the 1st, 2nd, or 13th amendment. Never have doubts about your constitutional rights again…at least as far as how those rights were spelled out. It’s up to you as a citizen to demand they be enforced!
- Wapedia: This is Wikipedia on your phone. Just like a dictionary, no one should be without an encyclopedia. Keep in mind, this app goes online to search for articles. No articles are CACHED on the device.
What Do You Think?
Do You have any favorite apps, whether on Android, iPhone, Blackberry or Symbian devices? Why don’t you share them with us below under the Comments section?
Related Articles
My Favorite Android Apps – Part 1
My Favorite Android Apps – Part 2
Motorola CLIQ Review – Part 1
Motorola CLIQ Review – Part 2
How I almost Dumped the CLIQ: Review – Part 3
Motorola CLIQ Review – Part 4
Motorola CLIQ Review – Part 5