Must Have Apps (or maybe just should have)

[Lost Yorkshire Man]

Which apps I should we be downloading.

I have android but to be inclusive we can talk iPhone too.

transport, sport, games, news, funnies etc

[El Pibe]

There's very little I'd consider 'must have'.

The SwiftKey keyboard I was happy to pay for, far and away the best, but ships as standard on some android phones (HTC?).

Quick Note i use as my 'jot-stuff-down app.

Barring that the only ones I use regularly are the ubiquitous facebook app and a few of the photography ones (vignette, retro camera, lomo, hdr+ etc)

[Lost Yorkshire Man]

Thanks for that - I have SwiftKey as standard and it is very useful. I will check out the camera ones as have not yet got the one I want.

Also have the obvious Twitter, Facebook, BBC News, Sky Sports News (v good), Bus Guru.

Anybody recommend a train app, that includes platforms? I think I might have to pay for this

[StraferJack]

the teh National rail "Train Times" app isn't cheap, but I use it pretty much most days - easily paid for itself long ago

Skype is pretty essential for anyone looking to keep in touch with friends and family and who don't have iphones

TuneIn Radio is pretty much the only way I listen to radio at all these days - highly recommended

Flipboard is a great app for digesting articles from many sources

Secret DJ is great for selecting tunes in many pubs

Sky+ for remote recording when out and about and you forget to set the record button

[Otta]

ElPibe, you never mentioned Buscount Live, which you told me about.

If you use buses a lot (which I do for work), it's very very useful, and free.

[Otta]

I don't game much on my phone, but World of Goo (as seen on Wii) is great fun.

If you're a musician, there are lots of useful tuners and metronome type apps.

[El Pibe]

Ah yes, good shout Otta, yes invaluable.

There are a few of those about as the API is available to all.

I've tried several and after a shaky start I'd say Buscount is probably the most reliable and stable of them.

I've never got the national rail app even though I use the trains daily, it's a fiver ins't it?

[Otta]

I use one (free) called trainline, which seems to do the job.

Also, "London Underground Free" is quite good.

[ruffers]

whatsapp - cross platform instant messenger.

[El Pibe]

I've stumbled upon Tasker

http://tasker.dinglisch.net/index.html

It is 4 quid, but cheap at the price.

It gives you really fine grain control over your phone.

I'm squeezing much more battery life out of it by getting it to switch wifi on when I get to work and home, but off when I leave and switch all data off during the wee hours.

It can block unruly apps from contacting their third party ad scrollers.

It can even do things like turn your phone silent when it's face down.

[tommy]

IDaft - free app for some fun Daft Punk mashup

Cartoon Camera - free camera app with comic book effect

Blast Monkeys - free game firing a monkey out of a cannon (what's not to like)

Google Sky Map - free star and planet identifier, amazing

All on Android

[Annette Curtain]

I like the "telephone" app

(available on i-phone & Android)

Just press its magic buttons and hey presto, you too can say.....

"I'm on the train home dear" to your other half

NETTE:-S

Actually, is this just another TopTips? rip-off-thread

[El Pibe]

Although, to be fair, the 'phone app' didn't work terribly well on my old iPhone.

[Atticus]

Roger Mellie's Profanasaurus

[DirtyBox]

TubeRefundPro - pays for itself if you use the tube regularly (especially the Jubilee Line), allows you to make a claim before you have finished cursing the undergound.

[Lost Yorkshire Man]

I have spent some money and got the Rail Planner App. Very good - even puts a widget on my home page that tells me in the morning when trains are leaving from my Home Station to work, and automatically switches in the evening to home from work. Loving it.

Also liking Draw something (pictionary), Sky Sports news, Paper Camera (makes your photos look like a A-Ha video)

Good call on Whatsapp - got the friends in a group which saves loads of hassle and I actually get to hear what goes on, even when I don't reply.

Will be trying lots of these recomendations tonight.

[Annette Curtain]

:-$ Tis true BUT the 4S is much better

"Hellloooooo hell-oooo"

[uncleglen]

Algeo graphing calculator is free

[El Pibe]

I'm quite enjoying Occipital 360 for making google street view type affairs.

The equivalent on the iPhone I think is calles photosynth

here's an example of one near my office turned into a sterogram thingy