Wicked Wednesday - My New Android!

Aside from the obvious (insert references to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Radiohead here), I didn't really like my "smart" phone all that much at first. In fact (somewhat predictably), I dubbed it "stupidphone" by the time I had gotten home from the store.

But after countless hours wasted playing Angry Birds and some invaluable advice on apps and settings from my tech-savvy friend, I've come to quite like it. One of the main reasons being, of course, the photos!

I've always loved photography, and have become fascinated by the photos posted on Instagram by iPhone wielding friends. Of course, there isn't yet an Instagram app for the Android, but I found two that are just as fun: Picplz and Vignette. Along with the photo above, here are some others I've snapped:

Okay, so they're not very good, but I'm just getting started! There's potential. So for those of you who are considering moving over to Android, here are some useful apps and features I've found so far (strictly for those brand spankin' new to apps - they're pretty basic!):

• Vignette -  Free trial, then about $5, I think. Has lots of different effects you can do, and you can save multiple copies of the same image with different effects. 
• QuickPic - Free. It's a gallery of all the images on your phone in different apps and the basic camera. Makes it really easy to find your photos.
• Angry Birds - Free. There are three versions - original, Rio and Seasons. This game is so simple, but great fun when you're stuck waiting somewhere or in transit.
• Movies - Free. Lets you see when movies are opening and search showtimes in your area. Very handy. 
• Skype - Free. Honestly I have yet to use Skype, but from what I understand it lets you call from your phone to another phone - free! I have a friend who has called me with it and the sound is just as good as regular phone.
• Volume Ace Free - Wondering how to get rid of that irritating shutter sound that goes off whenever you take a photo? Download this app and set "System" to 0. Voila.
• Ringtone Maker - Free. Lets you edit songs to become ringtones. You can cut it to the chorus and fade in and out. 
• All the social media apps - Free. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ all have apps that take you to a mobile version of the site. Honestly a bit difficult to use, but not bad. Even Gmail ("Talk" is the app for Gmail talk) and Google Reader have handy apps.

 So all in all, I'm starting to warm to my little buddy. We might just get along after all.