Android Tips, Open Source, Educational Apps

Like I mentioned in the previous post, the CES show next week promises to reveal a slew of new android tablets and phones, so we’ll see what is announced (and what is actually released).

Here are some android tips & resources I’ve run across in the past year:

• How to root the Droid (the first droid)
• How to root the NookColor
• How to read library e-books on an android tablet – right now the only official way is to use Adobe Digital Editions (ADE, which only runs on windows or mac) and use a device that ADE supports, such as the NookColor or Pocket Edge.  Here’s an ADE video tutorial.
• If you’ve got an older android phone or tablet with only a few screens, I’d recommend LauncherPro or a similar app to improve your home screens.  See this comparison between LauncherPro and other options like ADWLauncher.
• Keeping up with android news: See this twitter list for various sources like androidcentral: http://twitter.com/#!/edtechdev/android
• Places to find recommended, popular apps
  • AppBrain
  • Lifehacker’s list of top apps by category
• Open source apps – see these lists of open source apps and open source games (you’ll have to google to find the actual source though).
• Android development
  • AndDev
  • App Inventor

Some free educational apps:

• X Construction Lite – bridge building game
• Google Sky Map – shows the names of stars, planets, constellations that you point at, using the accelerometer and compass
• There are apps or android-friendly mobile front-ends for Blackboard (requires university subscription) and Moodle (see also http://mle.sourceforge.net/ and http://code.google.com/p/moodbile/)
• Video podcasting is possible with apps from Qik or Ustream viewer or broadcaster
• Physics: space physics lite, space simulator, physics calculator
• Musical instruments: mypiano, guitar solo lite
• Programming: IProgram, scripting layer for android, ruboto
• Various math practice apps like Math Workshop or Math Attack
• Of course there are all the e-book reader apps such as Aldiko, Nook, Kindle, …
• See also AppBrain’s education section and this list of 101 best android apps in education
• See also the IEAR site for many educational apps, but they are mostly iphone/ipad apps at this point.

Some free games:

• angry birds, of course
• minisquadron
• hungry shark
• falling ball
• sliceit
• hit the penguin
• air attack
• hyperspace
• my paper airplane
• toss it
• winds of steel
• flying high