Android goodness

As I mentioned in several previous posts, I have a Google's Nexus S phone.  The phone runs the latest phone version of Android (2.3.4) and is one slick device.  You can ogle the specs in more detail on the web.  In this post, I wanted to share several very useful and convenient apps for Android that I use regularly.

Pulse
This is my favourite news reader.  It is smart enough to preload news so that when I am not using WiFi (or too cheap to use my 3G connection) I can still read the latest news.  Pulse has a large number of preset news sources, and you can also add your own.

IMDB
I usually use IMDB on my computer when deciding whether I should spend an hour and a half watching a specific movie.  It's ratings are a godsend.  The Android app also makes it EXTREMELY easy to watch previews for upcoming movies.  It is so easy that I have watched more previews over the last two weeks than I have in the past two years.

Qik
This app was brought to my attention by my brother, who was using the iPhone version of Qik.  Qik allows you to record a video, then share it extremely easy to your Qik account.  Once the video is posted, you can automagically share it with others.  Other features of Qik are uploading to Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.  Very, very easy, but powerful.  I loved how I could see my nephews enjoying a gym class, only minutes after the video was taken.

Gmail
It is just SO EASY to read your email on your Android through Gmail.  Android and Gmail are tightly coupled, so you better get a Gmail account if you want to use all that Android has to offer.  You can full push-email (Blackberry style) capabilities, some offline reading support, and tight integration with your Gmail Contacts and Calendar.  I LOVE IT!