Now that Google has finally given Irish Android users access to the full App Market, we thought we would dive in and find the best paid apps the store has to offer.
By Leo Stiles
Tasker
This is one of those apps that will make iPhone users green with envy and is one of the best examples of what can be achieved using Android. In a nutshell, Tasker automates your phone to perform certain tasks when and where you need them.
The depth here is breathtaking, with the app having access to not only your operating system but also the hardware and any apps you might have installed. One of the best examples of how you would use Tasker is to set the phone to automatically silence itself when you walk into your local cinema. You can also automate SMS messages to send a message at a certain time or when you arrive at a certain place. Creativity is essential here but the app also does simple and practical things like turning your Wi-Fi off during the night or managing your screen brightness according to the time of day.
Easy Tether
This one is quite expensive for something that performs one simple task but is absolutely worth the money because it allows you to share your phone’s internet connection with any other device, including Mac and Windows PCs, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. There is a free version of the app but it doesn’t let you connect to secure websites, which is a big percentage of the internet and thus makes it unusable. This app works well and rarely drops a connection, with the only thing to really watch out for is your monthly download limit.
Zenonia
Games development on Android is still lagging behind the iPhone, with a huge lack of consistency in quality still marring games on Google’s operating system. Things are improving and a lot of the big players in the gaming industry are about to get into android development in a big way with a flood of high quality titles expected next year.
Until then, good games on Android are a bit thin on the ground but standing head and shoulders above the crowd at the moment is Zenonia, which shows that great games can be created for the platform. The game is a Role Playing Game (RPG) in the mould of Legend of Zelda with its top down perspective giving the game a nice retro feel. There is a welcome emphasis on action too, with none of the stat-managing nonsense you might expect from such a title. Instead, combat is the key ingredient, along with some quality exploration and puzzle solving.
It’s pretty big too and the easily the equal of some Nintendo DSI titles that cost €30 or more.
Vignette
One thing that always lets Android phones down is that regardless of the quality of the hardware, the same standard camera app shops with every phone. However, thanks to the availability of paid apps in Ireland you can now get your hands on the best camera app for just €3.99.
Vignette allow you to take photos using the many filters included and includes geo tagging to put a location stamp on all the shots taken with the app. The app only supports 5 megapixel cameras at present but makes up for this with a timer and a 10x zoom which trumps the standard 2-4x offered by the standard camera app.
You can edit your shots in the app too and apply a range of effects and frames to your favourite shots, with the ability to import your older photos into the app also.
Documents to Go
This ultimate business app for Android gives you the power to access, create and edit office documents on the move.
All of Microsofts Office’s applications are supported and the app will automatically sync any changes with the same files on your desktop to make sure that all documents are up to date. Editing is very powerful with Word functions including graphics, tables, and formatting; you can even edit hyperlinks into the text. The same goes for Excel spreadsheets and email attachments.
Best of all is the complete support for Dropbox ensuring that you have access to everything no matter where you are.
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