Happy holidays and congratulations on joining the fastest growing mobile phone system in the world!
To get started as quickly as possible, the Taptu team has collected out Christmas Top 10 apps here, all of which can be found via the Android market on your phone…something to keep anyone entertained on Christmas day.
Firstly, did you know?
Some trivia to delight your family and friends around the dinner table…
Trivia 1: Did you know that Android is developed by a group of companies called the Open Handset Alliance, with members including Google, HTC, Dell, Motorola, Samsung and LG?
Trivia 2: Did you know that Android is based on a modified version of the system on which most of the world’s websites run?
Trivia 3: Did you know your phone is probably running version 2.2 of Android, but version 2.3 has just been released? Your operator will likely push you an update to 2.3 some time in 2011 (you don’t need to do anything in the meantime). 2.3 refines the interface in terms of simplicity and speed, redesigns the text input for speed and accuracy, and delivers better app control for improved battery life.
But onto the apps…
Our Top 10 FREE Android Apps for Christmas 2001:
These apps will delight anywhere in the world. We’ve deliberately ignored apps that have a predominant focus on one geographic market.
1. Free Running: Fancy your changes guiding a stickman over a series of hurdles trying to push him off the screen? ROLL and JUMP over them to keep on going. A great way to work off Christmas dinner…well, er, not really. Oddly addictive and a refreshing change from Angry Birds.
2. CardioTrainer: All that running has got you thinking about the real thing, particularly as Christmas turkey is sitting heavy. CardioTrainer is an amazing app that helps you log any kind of physical activity. Includes GPS tracking and a pedometer.
3. OpenSudoku: You’ve finished your work out and you’ve seen all the films on TV. Time to reactivate the brain cells with a quick–or slow–game of Sudoku.
4. Epicurious: Strangely hungry again? Step up to the best recipe app for Android, Conde Nast’s Epicurious. You should find something from the more than 28,000 recipes at your fingertips.
5. WiFi On/Off: Now you’ve recharged your batteries, time to think about what might be sapping your phone’s. WiFi On/Off allows you to place a simple switch on your Android homescreen that will well…you guessed it.
6. Kindle: Amazon’s Kindle app for Android has just had a nifty update in time for Christmas. Browse 750,000 books in the Kindle Store, which includes free ebooks–such as all those free classics including Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Plus, buy access to over 100 magazines and newspapers. Amazon Whispersync automatically syncs your Android with your Kindle, should Santa have been particularly generous to you this year! (Remember to switch your WiFi on for big downloads to avoid costly operator charges.)
7. Wikileaks: Included here on the basis that it is the hot potato at the end of 2010. An app that’s no longer available for iPhone since Apple pulled it on Wednesday (Android apps aren’t subject to such oversight), the app will let you know the minute a new Wikileaks cable is published.
8. Foursquare: This location-based social networking app will help you connect with friends and find new ones. Based on your location, it will show you who’s at the same place you are, or who has just been there. You can leave updates and notes and read those from your friends as well.
9. Qik: 140 characters not enough for you? Can’t quite communicate how “interesting” your brother looks playing the XBox Kinect? Instantly stream video the the Web with Qik for Android and share it via Twitter, Facebook, email, SMS, and YouTube.
10. My Taptu: We couldn’t bring you a top 10 app list without our own app. Fortunately, we feel justified in light of the great ratings we’re getting (averaging 4 and above out of 5). We think of it as our one-stop-app for all the news and views shared by our social networks and curated by our sterling team into “streams” of interest. Just because My Taptu is free doesn’t mean it’s not valuable!
We’d love you to share this list with your friends, with other Android users.
Happy holidays and happy new year, KP and the Taptu team.
