Non-game Android Apps Recommendations Catch-All

Same here, although I gave up bothering the free app stuff too. Might be different if you're on an Amazon device though.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Same here, although I gave up bothering the free app stuff too. Might be different if you're on an Amazon device though.

They had 10000000 for free this week!

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Can anyone suggest a good podcast app? I've been using Doggcatcher, but it is hideous.

I had Downcast on iPhone, and loved it.

I went from Downcast on iOS to Pocket Casts on Android. After their last big update, I think I like Pocket Casts even more then Downcast.

Vine, the short video service is now available for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...

It's got reported problems though that I expect will be ironed out through patches. No front camera, for example.

Also of note, Google's released their stock keyboard as an app. Seems a strategy. If you can't keep OEMs from replacing all your hard work with their own overlays and interfaces, just put stuff in the store and let people go with the google version if you want.

If I was in charge of Android, I'd release a full stock launcher. Just go around the OEMs.

YEs, that would be cool though I'm liking Nova.

I'm still waiting for this
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/th...

I want to throw money at them for beta access but they won't accept my calls, tweets, emails, etc

MannishBoy wrote:

Also of note, Google's released their stock keyboard as an app. Seems a strategy. If you can't keep OEMs from replacing all your hard work with their own overlays and interfaces, just put stuff in the store and let people go with the google version if you want.

If I was in charge of Android, I'd release a full stock launcher. Just go around the OEMs.

Seems that HTC One and now Sony's Xperia X are following Samsung's S4 stock Android. I'm waiting for XDA to release the S4 ROM to flash onto my Galaxy.

Google is finding smart ways to position the stock Android as a good option and re-position its brand.

Is the stock keyboard as good as SwiftKey?

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Is the stock keyboard as good as SwiftKey?

IMO? Probably not. But it's pretty decent vs the older stock Android keyboards. It even includes swiping these days (who doesn't?).

MannishBoy wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

Is the stock keyboard as good as SwiftKey?

IMO? Probably not. But it's pretty decent vs the older stock Android keyboards. It even includes swiping these days (who doesn't?).

Better than it was and pretty good in its own right, but Swiftkey is still the best standard keyboard out there.

Stock Android > iOS keyboard.

garion333 wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

Is the stock keyboard as good as SwiftKey?

IMO? Probably not. But it's pretty decent vs the older stock Android keyboards. It even includes swiping these days (who doesn't?).

Better than it was and pretty good in its own right, but Swiftkey is still the best standard keyboard out there.

Stock Android > iOS keyboard.

I'm still liking Swype. I like the swype mechanic, and nobody else has implemented it as well (Swiftkey, Google, etc) that I've tried.

I think Android actually has a wealth of quality keyboards.

Does the stock have autocorrect? I will always need autocorrect.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Does the stock have autocorrect? I will always need autocorrect.

Yeah, dictionary, etc. It's all there.

Just the recognition wasn't quite as good as FlexT9 or something. Apparently FlexT9 bought Swype and now that app is that app? Just finding out about this now, as I was trying to remember the name and ran across some stories from last August.

Anyway, I liked the keyboard layout of FlexT9 slightly better than the stock, as it had some extra stuff (?, "," , !, etc) on the main keyboard so I didn't have to switch as much when typing texts, posts, or e-mails.

I've been using the stock since 4.1, and the swype functionality. As it was I used to have to switch to it from my other keyboard (EDIT: FlexT9, which is now Swype? :?) when I wanted to pull names out of my address book for text messages. Not sure why the custom keyboard wouldn't do that.

The stock android swiping isn't as good as the other but it's good enough.

Stele wrote:

Apparently FlexT9 bought Swype and now that app is that app?

Not FlexT9 itself, but it's owned by the same company. Nuance bought Swype. They also own Dragon, the voice recognition tech. They integrated it into the Swype keyboard.

I've been running the Swype beta app for a long time, so was happy to give them a little money to go retail. Even though my phone already has a bit older version stock. I'd have used it on the Nexus 7 anyway.

Okay, this is a test of the Google keyboard.

Hmm. It seems decent, but the auto-correct isn't as good. I'm turning it all the way up to Very Aggressive to see how that is.

"Very Aggressive" - is that where it gives you electric shocks when it detects typing errors?

BadKen wrote:

"Very Aggressive" - is that where it gives you electric shocks when it detects typing errors?

Ha! But no.

And I've gone back to the free trial of SwiftKey. I'll pay $4 for it rather than use the free stock keyboard. It's that good.

I've actually tried out the paid SwiftKey thing versus the default Samsung keyboard on the Note 2. I prefer the Samsung keyboard. This is not entirely fair since Smasung coopted a bunch of concepts advanced first by Swype and SwiftKey. So I gave them my money as well.

I don't like the way that the stock Samsung keyboard handles common punctuation. I have a Swiftkey licence from my N7, so I shall give a go.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
BadKen wrote:

"Very Aggressive" - is that where it gives you electric shocks when it detects typing errors?

Ha! But no.

And I've gone back to the free trial of SwiftKey. I'll pay $4 for it rather than use the free stock keyboard. It's that good.

Told ya.

LarryC wrote:

I've actually tried out the paid SwiftKey thing versus the default Samsung keyboard on the Note 2. I prefer the Samsung keyboard. This is not entirely fair since Smasung coopted a bunch of concepts advanced first by Swype and SwiftKey. So I gave them my money as well.

Samsung isn't too bad, but it's terrible with replacing "its/it's" and "your/you're" properly. I know this because I harp on my gf all the time about it. Drives me nuts. Swiftkey makes people look smarter.

Samsung is a combination SwiftKey/Swype. You swipe a word, check to see if it's right, and if it's not, choose from the options provided. Occasionally, you can just choose the option without swiping at all. The problem I had with SwiftKey on Note is threefold:

1. It's slow
2. There are less than 9 expanded options for a particular swipe; swiping is unforgiving, often spelling weird crap because it asks you to be super precise.
3. It doesn't collapse right or left, which means I have to swipe through an awkwardly large area.

Both the Samsung and SwiftKey boards place your/you're on the options when you swipe the way you should, and since I always choose the one that's right, I can't see the issue being an advantage one way or the other.

LarryC wrote:

I've actually tried out the paid SwiftKey thing versus the default Samsung keyboard on the Note 2. I prefer the Samsung keyboard. This is not entirely fair since Smasung coopted a bunch of concepts advanced first by Swype and SwiftKey. So I gave them my money as well.

At least on the G4, the Samsung keyboard uses Swiftkey tech to some degree.

SwiftKey is the GN2 keyboard, basically.

edit: whoops, didn't notice this page.

Swiftkey is 50% off right now for those that might be interested.

MannishBoy wrote:

Swiftkey is 50% off right now for those that might be interested.

I've been a long time user and I can't recommend it enough.
I would love it if the dev could make it a bit "lighter", sometimes it feels like a memory hog.

Also, I've been using Tasker for a while, but upon a recommendation, I decided to give Automate It a shot. UI is friendlier and I don't really need the level of depth that Tasker provides; so I'll be sticking with Automate It for the time being.

Looks like Google Listen has officially died with the death of Google Reader. Is doggcatcher still the general top of the podcast catching apps?

Mixolyde wrote:

Looks like Google Listen has officially died with the death of Google Reader. Is doggcatcher still the general top of the podcast catching apps?

Dude, I thought Google Listen died last November.

That said, I use PocketCasts and love it. I hear Doggcatcher is quite good, as well. We have this discussion on the thread every other month, so if you scroll back a bit, you won't have to look hard for recommendations.

ilduce620 wrote:
Mixolyde wrote:

Looks like Google Listen has officially died with the death of Google Reader. Is doggcatcher still the general top of the podcast catching apps?

Dude, I thought Google Listen died last November.

That said, I use PocketCasts and love it. I hear Doggcatcher is quite good, as well. We have this discussion on the thread every other month, so if you scroll back a bit, you won't have to look hard for recommendations.

It went fallow: unsupported and unupdated. But it still worked until now. I hate change.

I'm using PocketCasts. I found Doggcatcher to be an absolute nightmare.